Today’s article is about critical thinking benefits and how it might help you succeed in your business.
A person who is grounded in critical thinking is self-disciplined and is always in pursuit of excellence. Critical thinking uses intellect rather than ego or long-held beliefs to problem-solve and communicate more effectively with others. A critical thinker is usually a success in anything they pursue. See, you can use this to be successful in your business.
Critical Thinking Benefits
Critical thinking is closely associated with scientific thinking and reasoning. It means you step back to think about a situation or a belief before making a judgment. You gather all the evidence so that you can fairly and accurately come to a conclusion rather than making a decision based on irrational thoughts and beliefs.
Some crucial benefits of critical thinking are:
Making a decision based on rational rather than emotional thoughts.
Helps you make a decision that’s more likely to benefit you because you’ve taken everything into consideration.
Helps you to see the many sides of a situation or belief rather than a narrow spectrum.
You’ll have more respect for others and their belief systems and decision-making.
Separates your opinion from the facts.
Develop courage, and empathy and become more fair-minded.
Make better decisions to achieve the goals you desire.
Those are just a few of the ways that critical thinking can make you a better and better-rounded person. You’re bound to make the decisions that can help you be a happy and successful person in your life’s pursuits. Making clear choices determines the impact that critical thinking will have in your life. You’ll be able to reach the heights you want because you’ll make decisions you’re happy with and that don’t have a negative impact on others.
Belittling Others
A critical thinker is usually seen as a great problem solver and one who uses the tools of critical thinking to base his or her decisions. Critical thinkers also tend to be respectful of others and therefore gain admiration from those around them. Good listening skills are also a trait that critical thinkers tend to have. They seek to find answers based on reality and research rather than mindless obedience or acquiescence to another’s wishes or beliefs.
Find out more about how practicing the art of critical thinking can help you in your pursuit of success and personal happiness by searching online and reading books and articles about this popular and helpful subject.
Here are a few books that might interest you.
1. Thinking, Fast and Slow
2. Critical Thinking: The Basics
3. Think Again
4. Handbook of Analytic Tools & Techniques
If you are looking for help in this area, please feel free to reach out to us. Book a FREE session with us to see how we might help you. Use this link to book your call – FREE CALL.
In today’s article, we will be discussing how critical thinking and creativity go hand in hand. Critical thinking lets you look objectively at a problem, issue, object, or person and take into consideration the entire picture. Creativity enables you to take that entire picture and look at it in a new way. While some may think of critical thinking as more scientific, while creative thinking is more abstract, they’re more alike than they are different.
Critical Thinker or Creative Person?
The creative person is likely to be seen as an imaginative and emotional type such as artists, writers, and philosophers. A critical thinker is more likely to be thought of as a scientific genius who may be skeptical and lacking in imagination and creativity. Both types are masters of the thought process.
Critical Thinking
Noun… disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence: The questions are intended to develop your critical thinking.
The reasoning process of critical thinking shows imagination to be able to proceed to the next level. Critical thinking is present in creativity by carrying the thought process further than critical thinking logic. And then presenting it in a creative light. Great critical-thinking minds such as Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin could never have brought their inventions to light without the streaks of creative thinking that took them beyond the realm of logic.
Similar Attributes in Both
Here are some attributes that are similar in both critical and creative thinkers:
Interested in exploring new possibilities.
Challenge assumptions and standard ways of thinking.
Imagining alternatives to a situation or problem.
Have multiple perspectives on everything.
Use trial and error experimentation methods.
Thinks about new ways of doing things.
The phases involved in critical and creative thinking are also similar. For example, both types of thinking are triggered by a thought or even that takes the thinking process outside the realm of common thinking. Then, the thoughts are appraised and clarified. This opens the door for ways to explore the thought and how to present it to others. This leads to developing alternative ways to think and then implementing the thinking process through inventions, writing, art, or ideas. Sounds so simple.
Self-confidence and Thinking Ability
Both types of thinking also require a large measure of self-confidence and the ability to think of and present multiple ways to view a situation or problem. To promote both critical and creative thinking, a person should have an inquiring mind that drives them to read. To engage in out-of-the-box thinking, and to try things that are outside what they would usually do to try.
Critical and creative thinking can complement each other by bringing new ideas and ways of thinking into your life. Have you ever thought of things this way before? If not, you might be missing out on new ways to step up your game in your business.
We would love to help you up your game in your business. All you need to do is schedule aFREE session with us to see where we can help you.
In today’s article, we’re going to be discussing the 5 key steps to critical thinking. So, if you’re on a quest to become a more critical thinker – that is, analyzing a situation before acting on it or forming an opinion based on things, there are five key steps that you should use to use critical thinking to your best advantage.
So what is critical thinking anyway? According to Dictionary.com, it’s considered a noun with the explanation below.
Critical Thinking
noun, disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence: The questions are intended to develop your critical thinking.
Here are the 5 key steps:Â
Practice problem-solving techniques
Begin by thinking about one particular problem you have. Do this when you have some spare time (such as driving in the car or walking on the treadmill). First, make sure the problem is clear in your mind. Then, figure out what information you need to solve the problem. With all of the information clear in your mind, interpret it and begin to visualize ways to solve the problem. You may need to revise your strategy several times before acting on the situation.
Stop wasting time
Although we all waste time, some of that time can be used to think through situations or problems and solve them rather than regret later on that we didn’t do enough. Become more aware of your wasted time and begin to take advantage of the time by practicing critical thinking. For example, rather than playing a game on your iPhone for an hour, think back on the day you just had. How could it have been better?
Redefine situations
Rather than making up your mind immediately about a situation, use the opportunity to rethink your decision. This is especially helpful if you have a negative situation in your life. For example, if you lose a job you didn’t particularly like, think about the opportunities you now have to make a better life for yourself. Turning a negative into a positive with critical thinking can help you think of strategies to solve a bad situation.
Develop a sense of awareness
Heightened awareness can make you more intellectually sound. Your thinking will become clearer and you’ll realize the significance of what’s happening around you. For example, you may want to keep a journal of what you see, hear, and read about during your waking moments. Attempt to explain it in the most clear, concise way you can. You can use analogies or pictures to illustrate what you observed.
Analyze the influences in your life
Whom and what are you most influenced by? Are you in some clubs or groups (or perhaps a church) that have requirements for your beliefs and attitudes? Think about the pressures these influences are making in your life and if it could be better if you were away from those influences.
The more you practice, the more critical thinking will become natural to you. You’ll begin to be able to quickly think about and analyze a situation to see if it has real value in your life.
We can help you create a flexible plan to work on your goals when it comes to your critical thinking skills. Book a free call with us today: Book Here
10 Tips & 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Entering Business Negotiations
How are your negotiating skills? You may not realize it, but negotiating is something you do every day. So developing good negotiation skills is important both in business and life. To become a great negotiator, you need to master a specific set of skills. Luckily, anyone can do it – all it takes is awareness and practice. This article will show you the 10 Tips and 10 Mistakes to avoid when entering business negotiations. It’s a very hot topic right now as we’ve seen in some groups on Facebook.
Here are 10 tips to help you improve the outcomes and value of all your negotiations, along with 10 common mistakes to avoid.
10 Tips When Entering Negotiations
Tip #1 – Set the Scene
Create an environment that’s conducive to a successful negotiation. It should be relaxing, with few distractions. Don’t use a meeting room or other venue that might feel cold and intimidating. It should be casual so that you can foster a personal connection.
Tip #2 – Aim for a Win-Win
The goal of negotiation isn’t just to get what you want. Good negotiation results in both parties walking away happy with the results. When preparing and discussing with the other party, focus on what ideas would benefit both parties, not just one.
Tip #3 – Start with Areas of Agreement
Open the discussion by stating your areas of agreement. Give the other party a chance to correct or clarify. Once you’ve established this, you have a positive foundation on which to tackle disagreements.
Tip #4 – Prioritize Your Objectives
Before the meeting, list your objectives. Choose one or several things you want to get out of the negotiation. Prioritize these so you can focus on the most important first. You may not get everything you want, but you’ll get the ‘must-haves’ that will render the negotiation a success.
Tip #5 – Do Your Homework
How well do you know the other party? Research and get to know them. Know their objectives and try to anticipate what they will say when you discuss yours. Understanding the other party is essential for choosing concessions and alternative ideas.
Tip #6 – Prepare Concessions
Choose a few concessions – things you could give up or add to the deal that would benefit the other party. Planning these ahead of time will give you a better position from which to negotiate.
Tip #7 – Be Assertive
Be assertive. Don’t be shy about stating what you want. You’ve identified your most important objectives already, so stick to these. Discuss ideas and options, always keeping your ‘must-have’ objectives in mind.
Tip #8 – Keep an Open Mind
Although you should be assertive and stick to your most important objectives, be open-minded and ready to consider alternatives. When you discuss the points you disagree on, the other party will offer ideas. The two of you will consider various options to find something that will work.
Tip #9 – Practice Active Listening
Among other things, active listening involves repeating back to the other person what they’ve said, to check for understanding and to demonstrate your attentiveness. By paraphrasing and summarizing, you can also make sure you understand their position fully.
Tip #10 – Focus on Relationship Building
Aim for a good outcome in this negotiation, but also make it a priority to build a strong relationship with the other party. This ensures that future negotiations will be successful too.
10 Mistakes to Avoid When Entering Negotiations
Mistake #1 – Poor Planning
Never go into a negotiation without preparing adequately. You’ll need to prioritize your objectives, research the other party, plan concessions, and anticipate their objections and questions so you can respond to them.
Mistake #2 – Lack of Confidence
Don’t be intimidated! Negotiation is a discussion where you each state clearly what you want and then try to reach a mutually beneficial outcome. It’s not a battle, but a conversation. If you feel nervous, practice some mindfulness exercises and deep breathing just prior to the meeting.
Mistake #3 – Getting Straight to Business
Don’t launch straight into negotiations. Start by building rapport so you feel a personal connection with the other person. After some small talk about common interests, lead the conversation naturally into the discussion.
You’ll both walk away from the meeting with some of your objectives met and some compromises made. Going into the meeting unwilling to concede anything is not negotiating, it’s steamrolling.
Mistake #5 – Forgetting about Relationships
Make sure you keep in mind the relationship you have with the other party. Try to create an outcome that not only satisfies both parties now but also paves the way to a stronger relationship going forward.
Mistake #6 – Being Aggressive
Don’t let things get emotionally heated. If you feel aggressive or hostile, this won’t lead to a good result. The discussion should be calm and measured.
Mistake #7 – Focusing on YOU
Your interests will be top of mind, but the negotiations shouldn’t be all about you. Don’t forget to acknowledge the needs of the other party and consider their perspective and objectives.
Mistake #8 – Shying away from Disagreement
Don’t be afraid to disagree. Disagreement is where you find issues to work on together, eventually reaching a solution. State disagreements in a soft and friendly way.
Mistake #9 – Failing to Nail Down the Details
Once you’ve reached an agreement, nail down the details. Decide what actions each party must take and what deliverables are needed, and then come up with clear deadlines.
Mistake #10 – Not Getting It in Writing
Get these agreement details in writing, even if it’s just in a follow-up email. This will help ensure both parties are on the same page.
10 Tips and 10 Mistakes
Which ones were your favorites? Are you making any of these mistakes? Just make sure that the contracts you’re using, spell everything out explicitly. No need for refunds, tears, or disappointments. If you need help, please reach out to us. Book a call, might be the best thing you’ve ever done for your business success. We’re here for you. Book your Free Call TODAY! Totally worth your time.
Follow these tips and avoid these mistakes and you will be well on your way to mastering the essentials of negotiation.
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5 Reasons Why Settling for Email Marketing That’s ‛Good Enough’ Could Actually Harm Your Business
You’ve heard it over and over – email marketing is an essential part of any online business. If you’re not doing it now, or only occasionally, it’s time to ramp up your efforts. But did you know that implementing email marketing the wrong way could actually hurt your business instead of helping it? Below is a list of the 5 reasons to use email marketing in your business.
Despite the many marketing channels available today, businesses rely on email marketing to engage customers in a personal way. It’s still the best channel to reach people and offer them value.
But there is a right way and a wrong way of doing it. If you’re engaging your audience on autopilot, without a good email marketing strategy in place, you could be hurting your brand and driving customers away.
It’s not enough to deliver ‘okay’ email marketing.
It’s Time to Go Beyond the Basics with your Emails
Here are the 5 reasons why:
1. Email Marketing is Too Important to Leave to Chance
If you aren’t including email marketing in your digital marketing toolkit, you’re missing out on incredible opportunities and leaving money on the table. While there are new methods available, email marketing is still an essential part of any marketing strategy.
It’s estimated that around 300 billion emails are sent per day, and this number is climbing. Look at any major brand, and you’ll see that they’re actively building lists and engaging with their subscribers.
But you can’t leave it to chance. If you just build a list and blast out random messages, you won’t get the results you’re looking for.
If you approach it this way, you’ll send emails that are irrelevant to your subscribers. With all the junk in their inboxes daily, they’ll tune out your messages. The worst-case scenario is that they’ll think you’re spamming them.
Instead, you need a strategy that includes taking the time to really understand your subscribers, and crafting valuable emails that are specifically tailored to their interests. By personalizing your emails, you’ll create a better customer experience and build a stronger connection with your audience.
2. Your Customers Want a Personal Experience
The trend in all online marketing is toward personalization. Email marketing works so well because it’s highly personal, to begin with. The strength of this method is that it goes straight to your subscribers’ email inboxes.
Your subscribers are bombarded with emails every day, so you need to go that extra mile to make yours stand out from the rest. This is where personalization comes in.
How do you personalize your email marketing? It involves more than just including the recipient’s name in the greeting or subject line.
You can personalize your emails by offering ‘intelligent content.’ This means tailoring the content you offer according to their account history, preferences, and behaviors.
A great way to do this is by segmenting your list and then offering the appropriate content to the appropriate segments.
Look at buying history, interests, location, times active, and anything else relevant to your business. You should be able to see the different segments of your list. You can then create unique messages and offers for each, ensuring that you are reaching the right people, with the right content.
We live in an era of constant connection, and this is only increasing. You can now order meals, talk to a friend anywhere in the world, get a ride, or get whatever information you’re looking for instantly on your smartphone or other device.
This means that your customers are also looking for immediate responses. You need to be available to provide this information, or someone else will.
How do you offer support when your subscribers need it? It’s impossible to be awake and watch your email all the time, but there are some solutions to augment and support your email marketing.
One is to use a chatbot to answer common questions. A chatbot is a software program that uses AI and machine learning to answer frequently asked questions. It can search your knowledge base and answer in whatever way you program it.
The great thing about chatbots is that they run 24 hours a day, and they can provide answers to most of the questions your subscribers have. It feels like they’re chatting with an actual human representative of your business. Your chatbot can refer any difficult question to live support.
Another idea is to provide a robust knowledge base that your subscribers can access at any time and make it easy to search. Your knowledge base could include a link to your content archive and other resources, FAQs, a wiki, and a troubleshooting guide.
If you have customer service representatives, categorize the questions they receive. Use software to separate inquiries by technical issues, general questions, or refunds – and then develop protocols for your team. You can also hire virtual assistants in different parts of the world to handle questions any time of day or night.
4. Irrelevant Emails Make People Unsubscribe
For email marketing to work, the content and deals you offer must be relevant to your subscribers. People will quickly unsubscribe from lists that send irrelevant emails that aren’t interesting to them. These messages lead to email fatigue. Remember that people are bombarded with emails all the time.
How do you create consistently valuable content? The key is to know your target audience so you know what they want from you.
Create a detailed ideal customer profile for your subscribers. Conduct market research and base this profile on objective data obtained from your research.
Once you’ve created your ideal customer profile, you should continue to learn about your audience on an ongoing basis. You can use your email list to do this. Once you start offering content and making offers, you’ll see what converts and what doesn’t.
Analytics tools can help you learn about your audience so you can refine your content even further. For example, you can track behavior when a subscriber visits your site. If you see them lingering on a particular page, this tells you that they find the content relevant.
You can also ensure that your content is meaningful to your subscribers by setting the right expectations initially when they sign up. Give people an accurate idea of what they can expect from your list and its content. This will cut down on people signing up for your list and immediately deciding it’s not for them and dropping out.
5. Your Campaign Needs Next-Level Strategies
To succeed with email marketing, you need to go beyond the basics and take advantage of next-level strategies. In addition to personalizing your emails, offering immediate solutions, and consistently delivering relevant content, here are some other things you can do to take your email marketing to the next level.
Automation. There are many ways to automate to save time, reduce human error, and offer a better experience to your subscribers. Automation options include triggers for follow-up actions and automated workflows that help you identify and nurture leads.
Integration. You can integrate email with your social media, your ad campaigns, and search marketing. This helps you grow your audience across channels. Give them access to exclusive content and offers on each platform and cross-promote for even better results. This is called omnichannel marketing, and it harnesses the power of each marketing channel for better overall results.
Testing. Split testing (or, A/B testing) is often overlooked as a method to monitor and improve your email marketing. A/B testing involves running two versions of the same message with just one element changed, seeing which one converts, and then refining your message for optimal results.
Re-engage Subscribers. Create a strategy for re-engaging inactive subscribers. Identify audience members who have disengaged and offer additional value to win them back. You can do this through a re-engagement campaign that shows another side of your business, exclusive content or offers, or reminders.
Offer More Value. There are many strategies you can use to offer more value. Think of it in terms of ROI. Your subscribers invest their time and attention when joining and engaging with your list. Make it worthwhile for them by providing solutions to their problems, entertaining them, or inspiring them.
Correspondence with your Audience is a Key Factor
Connecting with your audience is important because it helps you build trust, rapport, and engagement with your listeners or readers. There are different ways to connect with your audience, depending on the context and the medium. Some common methods are:
Responding to what you see and hear from your audience
Looking at people and smiling
Being personal and authentic
Referring to what they already know or care about
Walking towards your audience or using gestures
Complimenting your audience or showing appreciation
Telling a story or sharing an anecdote
Keeping up with the Changes in your Email Marketing
Email marketing is here to stay, but you must stay on top of ever-evolving trends. Don’t do the bare minimum and leave your email marketing to chance. Take control and use these methods to engage your audience and build lasting relationships with them. Doing so will not only increase your profits but will also help you get results and achieve higher levels of success.
What are your 5 Reasons to use Email Marketing?
Want to learn more about how you can get more out of your email marketing?
Head over here: Email Market Essentials  You will discover all of the ways to write emails to your audience in this course created by our CEO Linda Henslee.
