It’s time to stop treating rapport building like a tedious, uncomfortable step in the sales process. This underappreciated technique can be the determining factor in whether or not you’re able to close the sale. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses the importance of emotional intelligence during rapport building as well as how to understand and act on the wants, needs, and fears of a potential customer.Segment 1: As salespeople, our worst nightmare more often than not is time. We only have so long to build rapport and sell our product, so it’s essential that we manage our priorities. How essential is rapport building and where can we find the time to incorporate it into our sales process?Segment 2:Surmounting that initial, awkward barrier that often presents itself during rapport building with a new client can be challenging, but not impossible with the right mindset. How do we proactively build rapport without coming off as a typical pushy salesperson? How can we utilize multi-generational intelligence to understand how to interact with members of different generations?Segment 3: The initial conversation with a potential prospect raises the questions: why you and why now? What are the most important pieces we need to retain from a sales call and how can we assess them?Segment 4: Connecting with a customer and empathizing with their situation is undervalued, especially given the impact it has on finding the right fit for them. How can we be memorable and make people feel heard? Why is it important that we empathize with our clients and how does it relate to the bigger picture?

The complications that surround important buying decisions, between managing a budget or potentially making a poor choice, often leave a buyer stressed and in need of guidance. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses the keys to a seamless buying experience. From how to set and manage expectations, to gaining the trust of a prospect and finally, how to prove reliability through the post-buying phase.Segment 1: Think of your ideal buying experience -- your expectations, wants and needs, or method of purchase. How often do things go as planned? How can we improve the communication between the buyer and seller so that the desires of the customer are heard and validated?Segment 2:As educators and salespeople, meeting the needs and expectations of potential buyers sometimes feels like a guessing game. How can we proactively address concerns and perceptions and establish authority leading into the sale?Segment 3: When a sale isn’t headed in the direction we’d like, far too often we fall back on planting seeds of doubt about other products or even companies for the sake of upselling. How can we differentiate ourselves from other salespeople and gain the trust of a potential buyer? Segment 4: The word “estimate” is in and of itself an enigma to the customer, as it may raise concern about the reliability of the company and product. How can we be dependable and assure our customers of a complaint-free post buying process?

You’ve probably heard of a growth mindset, but what about a reductive mindset. A mindset that focuses on applying new strategies, improvements, and ideas to replace what you are already doing instead of adding to what seems like a never-ending to-do list. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses how to apply the things you are learning to replace instead of add to your day to day responsibilities.Segment 1: Every day, we’re presented with an overwhelming amount of decisions to make but we have choices. What does it mean to have a reductive mindset and how is it applicable in everyday scenarios? How can we organize priorities and effectively manage our time and attention?Segment 2:We live in a world where worth is so often determined by achievement and growth, but we often expect recognition or instant gratification for our accomplishments. Why is it essential that we focus on personal growth whether or not we receive recognition for it?Segment 3: How can individual goals provide a foundation for team goals? Segment 4: How can we provide a platform for open and honest feedback? How can we ensure that our employees feel integral to the team and heard?

When people aren’t on the same page and expectations aren’t clear, company culture declines, people get frustrated, and progress seemingly halts. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses how to motivate and inspire teams to work collaboratively and perform effectively.Segment 1: Despite what we may believe as leaders, our expectations for our employees aren’t always as clear as we make them out to be. How can having high expectations as a leader be detrimental to our teams? Segment 2:We may know our teams well enough to understand what motivates and drives them, but what about motivating them to change poor habits?Segment 3: Sometimes we’re the only thing standing in our way from becoming inspirational leaders. Overcoming that mental block and becoming self-aware of the effectiveness of our habits and behaviors is difficult, but possible with the right support. Segment 4: As leaders, we are constantly modeling behaviors for people, whether we like it or not. The whole, “do as I say, not as I do,” philosophy is convenient enough, but what does that say to our teams? How do we effectively demonstrate core values and recognize that they are being reciprocated by our teams?

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as feeling unheard or not being validated. Having difficult conversations that address problems in the workplace is tough within itself, but even worse is walking away feeling disrespected and like the attempt wasn’t worthwhile. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses how to set expectations and build processes around giving and receiving feedback, actively influencing an open and vulnerable workplace culture, and to understand what it means to be heard.Segment 1: Making a request only to have it not be reciprocated in the way we wanted it to be often leaves us feeling frustrated and disrespected. However, there is often more to the story than meets the eye in these types of circumstances. What strategies can we use to convey our feelings in a productive and honest way?Segment 2:As much as we hate to hear it, we have to take a moment to ponder whether or not it’s at least partly our fault that behaviors aren’t changing or actions aren’t taking place. What process can we utilize when giving or receiving a request to accommodate both parties’ needs or wants?Segment 3: We can’t keep letting ourselves fall back on the same old excuses when it comes to dodging complaints from employees over changes. Blaming change on COVID only drains our motivation to work. How do we address concerns even when we feel that nothing can be done to change the problem? What behaviors should we model to create an open and honest culture?Segment 4: It’s one thing to be willing to have difficult conversations with people within the workplace, but it’s another to be prepared for them. What expectations should we set on both the giving and receiving end of these discussions? How do we know that we’re being heard?

We tend to view the most profitable businesses as well-oiled machines, and we assume that high levels of employee engagement are automatic. What we fail to recognize, however, is the fact that organizations function more like man than machine, meaning that it experiences the cycles of life and each part of its being needs to be nurtured in order for it to develop. When it’s time to break old habits, especially in the face of adversity, we acknowledge that the vulnerability of our companies are at stake. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Joe Lyman joins Mark to discuss how to manage employee engagement as well as how to develop self-awareness to better understand when and what changes to company culture and its processes need to be changed.Segment 1: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is a mindset that we as individuals have come to almost idolize in the context of assembling company cultures and processes. Is it time to re-evaluate our decisions and evolve? How can we get around the looming fears that major -- or even minor -- change brings?Segment 2:Businesses are living, growing things that experience all stages of the cycle of life, whether we believe it or not. When the disengagement of employees signals death and decay, what can we do to revitalize company culture and processes? When is it time for change and how do we know what areas need the most attention?Segment 3: Far too often when reporting changes to our teams, we handle the dissatisfaction by saying, “the higher-ups told us that this is what we have to do.” What does this say about our credibility and respect as leaders? How can we effectively represent our teams and have the self-awareness to know when to ask for help?Segment 4: A wise man once said, “The most important things in an organization can’t be measured.” If that’s the case, then what are the most significant aspects that we should be paying attention to in our companies? How can we provide employees with purpose and improve their engagement in their work?

ICommunicate Podcast #113: Framing Conversation So People Are Open - Minded by Mark Altman

The usual excitement that comes with a new school year for our children is unfortunately stifled by the fear of the unknown in regards to how schools will handle COVID. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, former Teacher of the Year, Corinne Ferri from the North Smithfield, RI School District joins Mark to discuss how to prepare for the upcoming school year in regards to virtual learning. They discuss how to encourage your children to be engaged and active in their education, and create an effective pathway of communication between teachers, parents, and students.Segment 1: Schools are back in session -- but at what cost? Our readiness for COVID-19 is about to face the ultimate test as we send our children back to school, whether that be in-person, online, or a hybrid of the two. How do we prepare for the management of students and the crises that may occur? What developments can we anticipate over the coming months, and how can we respond to those?Segment 2:Day by day, it becomes increasingly difficult to assess our readiness for the challenges that are yet to arise. What do schools, teachers, and faculty need to do to prove that they are ready? How can we stay engaging and humane even through a screen?Segment 3: Becoming engaged with our children’s education can often feel like trying to navigate through a maze of communication. How can we as parents become more engaged with the education of our children? What strategies can we use to encourage our kids to open up about what they’re doing in school?Segment 4: Let’s face it, most kids aren’t excited about going to school outside of the social aspects that they engage in. How can we as teachers and parents develop genuine relationships with students and make them passionate about being in school?

In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses strategies and benchmarks to use to measure the effective of professional development and how to implement continuous learning so it sticks. Segment 1: It goes without saying that some methods of learning just aren’t as effective as others. Whether it’s Zoom fatigue or an abundance of distractions, maintaining the attention of our colleagues can feel like a battle. What methods of learning can we consistently rely on to motivate and engage our peers?Segment 2:Developing skills through a procedural, check-box method of learning just isn’t working as well as we’ve been hoping. How can we facilitate effective learning, so our peers learn and maintain their skills? Segment 3: Our baggage in combination with a limited, negative mindset can impede the way to develop skills in a motivational way. How can we change the narrative and adopt a mindset that motivates individuals to make learning a want to instead of a have to? Segment 4: Let’s face it, we’re not learning complex skills overnight. We know that it takes practice to improve new skills, but how can we train ourselves in effective and time-efficient ways? What strategies can we use to motivate ourselves and others when it comes to reaching our objectives through learning and practice?

Wear your heart on your sleeve. Tell it like it is. These are phrases that people say with pride because we are taught that transparent communication is the best communication. This may be true, but knowing what to say, when to say it, and applying guidelines to make sure your words are appropriate are a set of core competencies many leaders lack. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses what strategies to use to establish healthy internal communication and how to create a culture that motivates people individually and collectively. Segment 1: Being transparent when communicating with our peers often poses a complex challenge. How can we convey ourselves authentically while still providing positive and useful feedback?Segment 2:Companies both large and small face the struggle of setting a culture of transparency without the burden of motivating individual employees. How can we relay criticism in a way that is genuine and motivational? What is the appropriate time and place to have these essential discussions?Segment 3: When it comes to assessing the strength of internal communication, we often make the mistake of waiting for red flags to determine what action needs to be taken. How can we effectively make decisions about transparent communication on multiple levels of an organization? What processes can we rely on to create a stable and transparent culture?Segment 4: Now more than ever, with multiple generations in the workplace and COVID forcing many of us to work remotely, communication with employees has become a monster in and of itself. How can we appropriately get our messages across to people without confusion or disdain?