Archives for June 2021

The Five Worst Body Language Mistakes to Make at Work

by

Poor body language gives a bad impression to others and can easily lead to misunderstandings in the workplace, especially if you’re a leader. To encourage a better work environment and happier employees, pay attention to your body language.

In particular, pay attention to these five worst body language mistakes you can make at work and how you can fix them.

Keeping Your Cell Phone in Sight

A common body language mistake people unknowingly make is keeping their cell phones in sight during meetings. Even just leaving it on the table in front of you or solely using it to check the time sends the wrong message to the people around you.

Keeping your phone in sight subconsciously makes them think they’re not important to you and that you’re more interested in your cell phone. They will think that if it buzzes or rings or gives some other notification, you will check it rather than focusing on the meeting at hand. Even if you don’t, it’s hard for people to see that and not think that you will. It makes it harder for people to focus and believe that what they’re doing is important to you.

Therefore, you should always keep your cell phone out of sight during meetings. If you need something to keep track of time, wear a watch.

Never Smiling

People feel far more at ease when you’re smiling during communication. This isn’t to say you have to smile the entire time. In fact, smiling the whole time would most likely make someone feel extremely uncomfortable.

Instead, just allow yourself to smile if the other person smiles, or smile at another appropriate time, such as when the person makes a joke. You don’t have to give big, toothy grins either. A slightly upward curve of the lips is fine as long as it looks genuine.

When you’re talking on the phone with someone, don’t forget to smile, too! Even though they can’t see you, your body language transfers to your voice. If you never smile during a phone conversation, it’s likely the other person will feel that as it usually causes your voice to be more monotone.

Contradicting Your Words with Inappropriate Body Language

Your body language should match your words. For example, if you’re praising someone for doing a good job, don’t sound monotone about it or have a scowl on your face. Your body language should indicate that you’re happy with their work, so keep your arms uncrossed, smile, and let your voice be more enthusiastic.

“Crossing your arms, which many of us do out of habit, can indicate defensiveness and self-protection. Instead, try to adopt an open stance with your arms by your side, slightly out from your body. This shows openness and confidence. Try holding something such as a notebook during important face-to-face conversations to keep your hands occupied.” – Vault

People usually believe your body language over your words because body language tends to be more subconscious while words are easy to fake. So, even if you’re not intending to send the wrong message, others might subconsciously receive it that way.

Failing to Mirror the Person You’re Talking To

Another important body language mistake people make is failing to mirror the person they’re talking to. Throughout the conversation, you should match the other person’s body language so that they feel like you understand them.

Aspects of the other person to notice and mirror are tone of voice, posture, tempo, and movements. For example, if someone is talking excitedly about a new project, match that excitement with a higher tone of voice, faster speech, and more movements depending on how the individual is expressing their excitement. You certainly don’t want to remain monotone and calm or else it makes it look like you don’t care. Is that really a message you want to spread, even unintentionally?

Lack of Facial Expressions

The fifth body language mistake to avoid is a lack of facial expressions. If your face is blank all the time, people will think that you’re not interested in what they’re saying.

Some body language tips for showing interest including raising your eyebrows, leaning forward, and nodding your head. It’s also important to make eye contact during conversation. When you need to glance away, look either left or right. Never look down because it signifies a lack of confidence.

Changing your body language can make a positive difference in the workplace. A small smile at the right moment and a nod of the head sometimes makes the difference in making someone feel like you’re interested in what they’re saying. Avoiding the above body language mistakes at work will make you and your employees happier and more productive.

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Why You Shouldn’t Use the Phrase “No Problem” in Business

by

Tons of people say “no problem” – seems innocent enough, right?

So why should you stop? In business, “no problem” is more than just two words.

It has more meaning and effect on marketing than you’d expect, but how?

The Principles of Marketing

People take action based on how they feel unless they are forced otherwise. In business, however, you are unlikely to force your customers to like your products. It is only accurate to say that purchasing decisions are made depending on how the product makes the customer feel. You want the experience to be a positive one.

That is the principle used in marketing. The language that you use is only as successful as it is capable of influencing the feelings of the people targeted. Why then, would the positive effect be limited only to marketing? Why would you opt to go negative with your clients and team members?

So, where does the phrase “no problem” come into this?

The Double Negative

“No problem” is inherently negative! When you say “no problem,” you choose to use two negative words in a row, even if you don’t intend for it to be negative.

Both “no” and “problem” are negative words. Negative phrases, words, or expressions pose several problems in any form of communication. For one, they can root a misunderstanding. Take the phrase “no problem” in its literal form. It leaves one wondering, was there supposed to be a problem? What problem? What was their involvement?

It is meaningless to tell your clients or team what they don’t want to know–that there was a problem. Rather, tell them what they want to know. Tell them what they need to know or what they’re supposed to know.

What Do You Say Instead?

Jack Daly suggests a better way to go about addressing your team and clients. He suggests using phrases like “for sure,” “happy to,” “absolutely,” “my pleasure,” and other positive words instead of negative.

These positive words endear you to your clients and team. Naturally, such positive language tends to work in your favor. They dissolve the possibility of conflict, reduce defensiveness in other people, and help to improve communication. They portray you as a credible and respectable person and make it easier to drive your agenda home.

When you are addressing your team or clients, you are calling upon them to take a certain action or accept a certain idea. The last thing you want is a bad image. The safest way to win them over is by taking a friendly line. Only positive language can create that picture.

What positive phrases do you say instead of “no problem?”

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2016 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Successful Business Leaders Put Their Ideas Out in the Universe

by

A lot of New Age books, blogs, and videos promote the power of putting your ideas out into the universe. Once they’re out there, they say, you can expect them to come true. Isn’t that exactly what a leader would want for their business ideas?

The problem is, most leaders are pretty practical people. Some might scoff at the mysticism of this idea. The thing is, the concept of putting your ideas out there actually works.

Doesn’t Success Just Take Hard Work?

Success does take hard work. You can never discount the value of hard work and perseverance, however, more than once, ideas that have started as nothing more than brainstormed ideas or distant dreams have become huge successes once the ideas have been put out into the universe. It takes both.

“When people are empowered and feel like they are working towards something bigger, amazing things can happen. Sharing your vision can spark a kind of momentum that carries you further than you ever imagined. Others outside your company will see this momentum and will drop anything to be part of it.” – COO Alliance

Where and How Do You Get Ideas Out There?

There are many ways to share ideas, but one that comes to mind was the office of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? So, what was it like and how did that help ideas get out?

The offices of 1-800-GOT JUNK? were called the Junktion. It was an amazing place to work, flowing with ideas, ambition, and really, really good coffee. It was a pioneering workplace that became a model for other young, hyper-growth companies to follow.

Okay… so where does sharing ideas come in?

Well, one aspect of this incredible space was the “Can You Imagine” Wall. It was a lot like a suggestion box where employees’ ideas were displayed with a little creative flair. The Wall became a big part of the work culture there. If you were standing around the water cold and someone said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could do such and such in the future?” they’d be met with a chorus of voices saying, “Put it up on the Wall!”

What Happened to Those Ideas?

The Wall wasn’t as structured or concrete as the company’s long-term plan, but it was a fantastic way to keep everyone dreaming about where the company could go. It certainly helped that it was right there in the middle of the office to remind everyone of all they could achieve if they worked hard. It also helped to get guests excited, too.

But how does putting those business ideas out there on the Wall help them come true?

Well, I had a few ideas up on the wall, including one that came about after I wondered out loud why Harvard Business School didn’t do a case study on us. We were doing some revolutionary things building a world-class brand and I thought the business world should take notice.

Lo and behold, a guest in the office saw this posting on the Wall and told us that they knew someone at Harvard that approved cases. A few phone calls later, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was an official case study of the world-renowned Harvard Business School.

So, Does Putting Your Business Ideas Out There Actually Work?

Some might say that that was just a case of luck, or an affirmation of how small a world we live in.  Before you give all the credit to luck, consider the case of Andrea Baxter, an employee at the Junktion whose ideas went from her lips (“Can you imagine our name on the side of Starbucks’ cups?”) to the Wall, to the side of ten million Starbucks cups. 

If she’d listened to the people that snickered at her “impossible” idea, or if she hadn’t expressed her idea out loud and written it on the Wall, then it very well may have never happened. 

Did she affect the cosmic energy of the universe and weave her ideas into reality? Probably not, but talking about these business ideas and writing them down introduced those ideas to a widening network of people. A network that then began to work to make these ideas come to life.

So, yes, you have to put your big ideas out into the universe. Then that’s when you start working hard to make them come true.

What ‘impossible’ ideas have you been staying silent about? Let us know in the comments below!

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

How to Hire the Right Employees

by

When you run your own company, you want your employees to be the best of the best. That means knowing how to judge talent and being able to gauge who is best to hire after their interviews.

So, how do you hire the right employees?

Interviewing Skills are a Talent

Some people might think you get a gut feeling just from a handshake with a potential employee. They might say that you need good instincts to hire the right people. Some of that may be true, but there are many more important skills required to hire great employees. In truth, the people who hire the best recruits are the people who have great interviewing skills.

This all begins with being prepared. The best interviewers are well prepared in advance for each of their interviews. They know what they want and they’re not afraid to ask the tough questions.

Still, that’s not all that’s required to hire the right employees…

Using a Scoring System

The interviews themselves are just the beginning of choosing the right employees. Once they’re over, it’s important to take all the information you learned during the interview process and rate each candidate using a “Topgrading” scoring system.

“Topgrading is a methodology of recruiting, interviewing, selecting and retaining top talent developed by Brad Smart and Geoff Smart designed to increase your likelihood of hiring and retaining A players.” – Rhythm Systems

To successfully score your interviewees this way, there are some key attributes to assess during the interviews.

Attributes to Assess in New Hires

As mentioned above, there are a few attributes you need to look out for when interviewing your potential employees. Some of these include leadership, values, ability to handle pressure, problem-solving, etc. If you’d like to see the full-length list of these attributes, you can find it in my book Double Double.

Before the recruiting process begins, you need to determine which of these key attributes are most applicable to the role you’re hiring for. Then, as you go through the resumes, group interviews, and one-on-one interviews, look for behaviors and answers that give insight into the candidate’s proficiency in that attribute.

Finally, after all the interviews are finished, assign each applicant a grade out of five for each applicable attribute. Then, after adding up each person’s score, you’ll usually see a clear favorite. More often than not, that person is the person who stuck out as a front-runner all along.

What if More Than One Candidate Scored Well?

If only one candidate scored the best, then you know who to make an offer to immediately. If your grading system has highlighted another great contender, you should follow that up with at least one more round of interviews before deciding. If they still seem like even contenders, it’s then that you have to listen to your instincts.

Like a lot of decisions that come with running your own business, you need to listen to your gut when picking new employees. Even so, having a simple, proven system in place to grade applicants will help you find those diamonds in the rough and screen out the bad apples.

Do you look out for anything in particular when interviewing potential hires? Let us know in the comments below.

If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2016 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Access Cameron's Best Ideas For FREE!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Cameron Herold
COO Alliance
instagram
Caneron Herold
COO Alliance
COO Alliance
COO Alliance
Cameron Herold
The-Second-And-Command

Back To Top

© cameron herold.
all rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy contact cameron

Facebook-f Linkedin-in Youtube Instagram
book-4

Meetings Suck: Turning One Of The Most Loathed Elements Of Business Into One Of The Most Valuable

order now on 
order in bulk

We all know that meetings suck, right?

You hear it all the time. It’s the one thing that almost everyone in business can agree on.

Except it’s not actually true… 

Meetings don’t suck.

We just suck at running meetings.   

When done right, meetings not only work, they make people and companies better.

In Meetings Suck, world renowned business expert and growth guru Cameron Herold teaches you how to use focused, time effective meetings to help you and your company soar.

This book shows you immediately actionable, step-by-step systems that ensure that you and everyone in your organization improves your meetings, right away.

In the process, you’ll turn meetings that suck into meetings that work. 

In life, we always hear about people who’ve made huge decisions from their gut – without data.Today, I want you to make a decision, not only from your gut, but also from some data.  A decision that is only $12 per employee but will be priceless for your business.

Right now, your gut is telling you something is wrong with your company’s meetings.  You KNOW everyone complains about meetings.

People HATE going to them, they HATE running them, and they really have NO idea which meetings are truly necessary but they hold meetings simply because they think that is what they SHOULD do.

Even some of the smartest CEOs in the world complain about meetings – Elon Musk publicly told employees at Tesla & SpaceX to walk out of meetings if they weren’t being run properly.

I sent Elon a message saying that wasn’t going to fix anything – the key is to fix the root of the problem – NOT continue to ignore why meetings suck.

A Meeting is – Any phone call, video call or occasion where 2 or more people meet to discuss or work-through office topics.

Most employees on average spend 1-2 hours per day in meetings.

And likely, none of those employees – front-line staff or leaders – have had any training on how to attend meetings or participate in them, LET ALONE How to RUN THEM.

Consider this…

If the Average employee spends just 1 Hour per day in meetings – that’s 1/8th of their time.

If the Average employee earns $50,000 per year.

And they’re spending 1/8th of their time in meetings, that means you’re paying $6,250 dollars per year for just ONE employee to attend meetings.

The reality is, employees spend 1/8th of their time – and 1/8th of your company’s payroll – doing something they have literally NO idea how to do.

The Reality is…

95% of employees are booking & leading meetings – and they have NEVER been trained on how to run them.

95% of employees have had NO training on how to show up and participate in the meetings they attend daily.

And 95% of employees and companies have no idea what meetings are even necessary to hold.

Meetings CAN be hugely effective – IF you know how to run them

Meetings don’t SUCK, we just SUCK at running meetings. 

Investing $15 per employee – to help ensure the $50,000 a year you spend on them is an obvious and easy choice.

This could be the most impactful $15 you’ll ever spend and will save the company’s money, time and resources instantly.

Buying a copy of Meetings Suck for 100% of your employees and having them read it this month will have a huge impact on your company’s success.

book-5

Free PR: How To Get Chased By The Press Without Hiring A PR Firm

order now on
order in bulk

Public relations has always been an essential part of doing business which is probably why you’re shelling out big money to an outside PR firm. But the truth is that you don’t need them. You already have all the necessary tools in-house to do as good a job as the so-called experts. 

Cameron Herold and Adrian Salamunovic have taught thousands of company execs how to exploit free media coverage and ditch these expensive, often ineffective outsiders. 

Cameron & Adrian have also built in-house PR teams, spent decades learning how to generate Free PR and how to leverage public relations to complement their sales and marketing strategy. 

In Free PR, you’ll learn how the media world operates while you gain invaluable insider knowledge and actionable advice on how to: 

  • Build your own in-house PR team
  • Provide effective interviews
  • Score great media coverage for free with just a few easy steps 

Landing public relations coverage for yourself and your company is a powerful tool to help elevate your personal brand. PR is easier to generate than marketing, PR is easier to leverage than marketing and PR is more cost effective than marketing. In other words, Public Relations is more critical than ever in growing your brand and your business. 

You’ve got more passion, commitment, a larger stake, and a deeper understanding of your business than any outside PR firm could ever have. So stop wasting money and take the reins yourself.  Learn the secrets to landing TONS of Free PR for your company.

What they’re saying:

“I think PR is the core for promoting any business. Public relations acquires customers! That’s what’s cool about this book.”

– Kevin O’Leary,  Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank

“The ultimate guidebook for those looking to get press, grow their brand, and get in front of the masses. Free PR is the roadmap you’ve been looking for.”

– Peter Shankman, Founder, Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

“Adrian and Cameron will show you the secrets of getting massive exposure for your business. This book is packed with actionable insights from two guys that actually know how to to do it.”

– Dan Martell,  Serial Entrepreneur & Investor (Intercom.io, Unbounce)

“I told Cameron to write the book on generating free PR. I’m excited to see that he’s finally sharing his secrets with the world. This is a must read for any entrepreneurial company and marketing team.”

– Verne Harnish, Founder of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)

book-3-1

Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future

order now on
order in bulk

Many corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners. 

But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how. 

Vivid Vision is a revolutionary tool that will help owners, CEOs, and senior managers create inspirational, detailed, and actionable three-year mission statements for their companies. In this easy-to-follow guide, Herold walks organization leaders through the simple steps to creating their own Vivid Vision, from brainstorming to sharing the ideas to using the document to drive progress in the years to come. 

By focusing on mapping out how you see your company looking and feeling in every category of business, without getting bogged down by data and numbers or how it will happen, Vivid Vision creates a holistic road map to success that will get all of your teammates passionate about the big picture. 

Your company is your dream, one that you want to share with your staff, clients, and stakeholders. Vivid Vision is the tool you need to make that dream a reality.

miracle-morning

The Miracle Morning for
Entrepreneurs: Elevate Your SELF to
Elevate Your BUSINESS

order now on 
order in bulk

READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.

READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

Hal Elrod’sThe Miracle Morning has helped redefine the mornings and the lives of millions of readers since 2012. Since then, careers have been launched, goals have been met, and dreams have been realized, all through the power of the Miracle Morning’s six Life S.A.V.E.R.S.

THESE SIX DAILY PRACTICES WILL FUEL YOUR EFFORTS TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN POSITIVE CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE.

Now The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs brings you these principles in a whole new light—alongside the Entrepreneurial Elevation Principles and the Entrepreneur’s Elevation Skills. These are essential skills that you need to create a successful business and personal life. Cameron Herold— Bestselling Author and a widely-respected expert on entrepreneurial mindset—brings his wisdom and insight to you using Hal Elrod’s powerful Miracle Morning framework.

DEVELOP A VISION FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND BECOME THE INFLUENTIAL AND INSPIRING LEADER YOU WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE.

The principles and skills you’ll find in this book will help you to channel your passion and achieve balance in a remarkable new way. – Learn why mornings matter more than you think – Learn how to master your own self-leadership and accelerate your personal development – Learn how to manage your energy—physical, mental, and emotional – Learn how to implement Hal Elrod’s invaluable Life S.A.V.E.R.S. in your daily routine – And much more… You’re already an entrepreneur. Now discover how to take your success to the next level by first taking yourself to the next level. The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs is your roadmap to masterfully building an empire with a powerful vision, utilizing your areas of personal genius, with the right team at your side.

Start giving your business and your life the very best opportunities for success, right now.

double-double

Double Double: How To Double Your Revenue And Profit In 3 Years Or Less​

order now on
order in bulk
free chapter 1 pdf
get audio book
download on itunes

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.