By Kelly Quigley, REALTOR® Magazine
Time Power: A Proven System for Getting More Done in Less Time Than You Ever Thought Possible By Brian Tracy (AMACOM, 2004)
Buy this book from Amazon.com
Does your head spin just thinking about everything you have to get accomplished in one day? Between business meetings, errands, and spending time with family, it can be tough to find time to relax, track your professional goals, or pursue a hobby. Author Brian Tracy has an answer: a time management system that he says will give you two extra hours per day to spend as you choose. One element is making the most of time spent in your car, standing in lines, and sitting on airplanes. But it’s also about being better organized, setting sensible priorities, and mastering the skill of multitasking. If you’re not careful, you can become overwhelmed with unimportant tasks and procrastination—that is, if you haven’t already. “The good news is that time management is a skill, like typing or riding a bike,” the author says. “You have the ability right now to get into habits of excellent time management in every area of your life.”
Tips from the Book:
- Develop a compulsion for closure. One of the most important habits you can develop is that of completion. Set specific deadlines for yourself, and concentrate single-mindedly on tasks. Discipline yourself to do one thing at a time, and then to complete that one task before you begin something else. This will improve the overall quality of your life, and dramatically increase your productivity.
- Be selfish with your time. Remember, your time is your life, and this life is not a rehearsal for something else. Say “no” to requests for your time that don’t move you toward your own goals and personal aspirations. When you say “no” people will often express a little disappointment, but stick to your guns. Treat your time like money, and concentrate on high-value tasks.
- Make the most of your time in the car. Never allow your car to be moving without educational audio programs playing. The average car owner in American spends 500 to 1,000 hours per year behind the wheel, the equivalent of between one and two full-time university semesters. You can’t afford not to be listening to educational programs.
By Kelly Quigley, REALTOR® Magazine
Maximum Influence: The 12 Universal Laws of Power Persuasion, By Kurt W. Mortensen (AMACOM, 2004)
Buy this book from Amazon.com.
Persuasion is part of everyday life, whether or not you work in sales. It’s as simple as offering a compliment to your client to build rapport, or dressing professionally so co-workers see you’re serious about your job and treat you with respect. Most of the time, these techniques are subtle and subconscious—you may not even know you’re doing them. But by bringing them out of the subconscious and actively engaging in the 12 laws of persuasion, you can gain instant influence over others and inspire people to take action, author Kurt W. Mortensen says. He backs up each of his principles with real-life examples and scientific studies of human nature. The goal is to become what the author calls a “master persuader” by using techniques that will help you “win people to your way of thinking and will empower yourself with an unshakeable confidence.”
Tips from the Book:
- Share secrets. Everybody loves secrets. We all want to be in the know. When you share something personal or private with another person, you create an instant bond and sense of obligation and trust with them. By offering inside knowledge, you make your listener feel important and feel the need to reciprocate. Then he will begin to open up and share useful information with you.
- Be funny. Humor can be a powerful tool of persuasion. It makes the persuader seem more friendly, can help create rapport, relieves tension, and makes the message more memorable. Humor must be used cautiously, however. So be sure you have funny material. Non-funny humor is not only ineffective, but irritating. It’s also smart to modify your humor to fit your audience.
- Give praise. Praise and compliments can have a powerful effect on people. People are more likely to be persuaded to say “yes” when you make them feel good about themselves, their work, and their accomplishments. However, you must be sincere. Even the most cunning flattery is ultimately detected and discovered. Complimenting someone sincerely for something small is better than complimenting someone insincerely for something big and grand.
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