Paul Tasca's Blog http://paultasca.posterous.com | Speaker | Author | Coach | Husband | Father | Servant | Lifetime Learner | Musician | posterous.com Wed, 12 May 2010 04:10:46 -0700 Graduation, Occupation, Generation, Refrigeration http://paultasca.posterous.com/graduation-occupation-generation-refrigeratio http://paultasca.posterous.com/graduation-occupation-generation-refrigeratio

Warmer greetings,

 After a very snowy winter, spring has finally arrived in Eastern PA and I’m jazzed!  May and June are exciting months! Consider some of the significant events of spring.

Graduation from college, high or tech school occurs.

Occupational decisions for recent high school and college grads are pondered and finalized.

Generational differences between potential employers and young job seekers become more apparent.

Refrigeration is responsible for the ice surfaces on which the National Hockey League’s 2 month long extravaganza the Stanley Cup playoffs (my favorite sporting event) takes place.

Perhaps you’re wondering what on earth does refrigeration and hockey have to do with graduation, occupation and generation?  Well aside from rhyming nicely, and being my favorite sport, ice hockey is a great simile to illustrate some of the challenges and harsh realities that recent graduates will face as they attempt to get jobs this spring.

Successful ice hockey players recognize that in order to be an effective player you must be willing to be knocked down repeatedly and have the willingness to get back up and re focus on playing your position without letting the knock downs become discouraging or distracting.  There is only one puck and there are twelve players who seek to gain control of that same puck.

So too must recent graduates who are seeking jobs in our restraining economy be prepared for some job and career knockdowns that will inevitably require them to pick themselves  up off the ground, dust themselves off and get back in the job search game.  Additionally, there are many other recent graduate candidates competing for the same job just as the 12 ice hockey players pursue a 1 inch by 3 inch frozen rubber puck.

Those who are fortunate enough to land jobs will likely find that their personal beliefs, habits and expectations may not mesh with many of the older individuals with whom they will work and to whom they will report. The majority of these differences in job, performance and communication expectations can be directly attributed to the attitudinal differences that exist among the three primary generations; baby boomers, generation X ers and the incoming Millennial or generation Y’ers that make up our modern day workforce.

If you were born after 1980, you are a member of the Millennial Generation often referred to as Generation Y.  Most businesses are run and managed by persons who are from either the Baby Boomer Generation (born 1946-1964) or Generation X (born 1965-1979). Each generation has its own tendencies, beliefs and behaviors. 

For example Baby Boomers are often driven to succeed and often practice a “live to work” mind set. Boomers typically have a need to please bosses, family and friends. Boomers are typically passionate about participation and expect a spirit of achievement and accomplishment in the workplace. 

Generation Xer’s grew up as children with baby boomer parents and often had to learn to take care of themselves while their parents were out working long hours and likely climbing the corporate ladder. Accordingly, Gen Xer’s saw their parents working long hours and sacrificing their free time and made a choice not to follow in their footsteps.  Gen Xer’s view work differently than boomers and though they are willing to work hard they want to do so on their own terms.  Xer’s consider work as a means to and end not the end all. Gen Xer’s are the first generation that had to deal with a 60% divorce rate and consequently have become skeptical, self reliant, and unimpressed with traditional authority.  Gen Xer's have a tendency to practice a communication style that can be brutally honest and can hinder their ability to build and cultivate relationships with those who are put off by their direct approach. 

Generation Y (the Millennials) are sometimes referred to as the Echo generation or echo boomers, as they often bear some resemblance to their boomer parents.  Many boomer parents felt guilty about the way that gen Xer’s were raised and made a conscious decision to spend more time with their Gen Y children.  Consequently Gen Y’s were surrounded by parental sponsored activities and involved in youth sports, camps, family vacations, music lessons etc.  Millennials tend to have close relationships with their parents, sometimes to the frustration of their employers as some Millennials have actually brought their parents to job interviews or had them call an employer to discuss their “child’s” progress or lack thereof.  Because Millennials have been coddled and nurtured by their parents they often lack the self starter savvy that gen Xer’s exhibit. Millennials have grown up being told that they were winners often despite less than winning performances. Gen Y often needs to have more structure and specific directions with timely follow up and constant approval in order to achieve consistent results.

Today’s employer expects their workers to truly own their jobs and to take possession of their personal development. As many business organizations continue to reduce employee staffing, each employee is expected to do more with less, and effectively function both independently and as a team member. Few Boomer and Gen X employers have the time, patience or know-how with which to coach their new millennial employees to higher levels of responsibility and success.

If you are a Millennial (Generation Y) and want to learn proven ways to increase the likelihood of getting a good job and performing well once you do, visit my website and check out my new seminar/workshop called managing the Millennials.

If you are a boomer or gen x employer that would like to gain some perspective and practical tools with which you can better coach and manage your millennial employees, swing by my site and check out my new seminar/workshop called Managing the Millennials.

In the meantime, enjoy the spring and for some genuine sports excitement, consider tuning in to an NHL Stanley Cup Hockey game.

Paul Tasca     

Author of:

Drumming Up Your Career                                        

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

Phone          (610) 301 7435

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Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:28:46 -0800 A well crafted elevator speech can get you your next job or promotion http://paultasca.posterous.com/a-well-crafted-elevator-speech-can-get-you-yo http://paultasca.posterous.com/a-well-crafted-elevator-speech-can-get-you-yo

        All job seekers whether searching for that first real job or looking to replace your current or former job, need to have a concise personal benefit statement that succinctly describes;

 

(1) What you offer to a potential employer (value)

(2) What skills you possess (features),

(3) What you want to do (passions)

(4) What you are willing to do (flexibility)

       

        One should be able to eloquently articulate this statement in sixty seconds or less. One should also be able to tailor this statement on the fly, so as to adapt it to the needs of a prospective employer. Many refer to this sixty second self promotion statement as an “elevator speech.” It is called an elevator speech because one should be able to deliver it between floors on an elevator ride.

        Much of my personal selling and relationship building success can be attributed to my learned ability to tell a person typically within the first two sentences, why and how they will benefit from further communication and involvement either with me or the products and services that I represent.  Virtually all employees are expected to do more with less these days and this widely held expectation has made most of us more impatient than ever before. Conversing with someone who can articulate what they want or need with a few well crafted sentences is a pleasurable experience.  Most employers that I know look favorably upon those candidates who can get to the point eloquently and quickly and then have the sense to stop talking and listen for cues.  Not coincidentally, top salespeople possess similar traits.

For more tips on landing your next job, visit my web site for a free sample download of my new book; Drumming Up Your Career

Happy Career Hunting

Paul

Paul Tasca     

Author of:

Drumming Up Your Career                                        

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

Phone          (610) 301 7435

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Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:39:12 -0800 Sales Training in Pennsylvania http://paultasca.posterous.com/sales-training-in-pennsylvania http://paultasca.posterous.com/sales-training-in-pennsylvania

If you are looking for sales training in PA., then it is apparent you are looking for a way to improve some pre existing ineffective sales or marketing campaign.  Anyone who has been a professional seller knows that closing a sale is only achievable if the possibility of a sale has been broached in the first place. There can be a long distance between an opening customer dialogue and a sales close as in between the two is the need to develop and utilize sales techniques that move the sales process toward a sale.

Thanks largely to the internet the average business owner or customer is quite knowledgeable about products, services, and vendors and pricing. This makes it much more difficult for the sales person to even get the opportunity to offer products or services much less make a final sale. In addition, most professionals and business owners are extremely busy trying to balance the needs of their business with their available time.

What all this means is that contemporary sellers need to have razor sharp sales skills.  Sales teams must have a clear understanding of how to convince and persuade buyers that they will achieve strategic benefits and value for their own business after they buy what the team is selling.  Effective sales training in PA uses this core concept to develop a successful sales program.

Field based sales training though often difficult to find or afford, is a customized training that zeroes in on the specific circumstances within the actual territory and the potential customers of a given sales rep or sales team.

All quality sales strategy programs have at minimum four basic components:

  1. Development of the sales strategy in line with the business mission
  2. Implementation of the sales strategy in a way that leads to success
  3. Monitoring of sales results metrics in relationship to particular sales tactics
  4. Feedback loop serving as a change agent for an evolving sales strategy.

One of the serious sales training and coaching mistakes that many organizations make is hiring consultants who never leave the office in order to ride with the reps and jointly call on their customers. How can these desk jockey consultants possible understand what sales people are experiencing in the trenches especially in today’s tough economic conditions?

For example, start up, technical and medical sales require both a tactical and strategic approach to pricing and marketing. Of particular importance is developing the ability to respond to changing market conditions quickly and gracefully while staying on a strategic course. Many companies have realized that one of the benefits of using a sales related consultant is the consultant’s ability to view the entire organization, not just the sales team, with an objective mind set in order to determine the best fit for the sales function within the organization.

Executive Sales Experience

The best sales coaching is that which is provided by a seasoned sales pro who has the executive sales leadership experience, personal field training experience (including those infamous ‘hard knocks’), and a willingness and ability to bring management efforts in tandem with field sales staff experiences and needs.

Many suggest that these times are the toughest ever for sellers.  Yet I would submit that sales opportunities remain plentiful for the well trained and disciplined seller who represents a well marketed reliably made product or service. Personally, I am a very frugal, value conscious, consumer. Accordingly I continually seek out product and service sellers that understand my needs, my budget, and my communication preferences. Those vendors who make it easy for me to initially buy and then re purchase.  When I find such a seller, I typically become a long term customer who will become loyal, endure reasonable pricing increases and will tolerate occasional errors if they are resolved and handled in a customer centric way.  Perhaps as sellers we, in all honesty, should ask ourselves this revealing diagnostic question:  “Would I buy from me?”

Paul Tasca     

Author of:

Drumming Up Your Career                                        

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

Phone          (610) 301 7435

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Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:53:22 -0800 If you want to learn how to up-sell, take your car in for an oil change http://paultasca.posterous.com/if-you-want-to-learn-how-to-up-sell-take-your http://paultasca.posterous.com/if-you-want-to-learn-how-to-up-sell-take-your

        Up-selling can be defined as persuading a customer to either purchase a higher quality or purchase a larger quantity of product or service than they  had originally planned. Up-selling results in more revenue for the seller and a larger investment for the buyer.  The consistent ability to up-sell is a valuable attribute of highly skilled sellers.  Up-selling carries with it certain risks including the customer realizing that they have spent or purchased more than they had intended which sometimes causes post purchase dissonance better known as buyer’s remorse.  Skilled sellers will help the customer rationalize the up-sell decision using some left brain reinforcement tactics that greatly reduce the chance of a customer’s change of heart resulting that often results in a cancelled order.

        Today, I had the oil changed in my gas guzzling, American made SUV and I was reminded about the company who I believe most consistently tries to up-sell their customers.  By now you can guess who I am referring to…..that’s right Jiffy Lube!  For those of you who haven’t ever experienced Jiffy Lube or who haven’t been there in a while, let me describe the up-sell scenario that unfolds at every Jiffy Lube location. 

        Jiffy Lube does an admirable job of doing quick, low cost and reliable vehicle oil changes and lubes.  Jiffy lube also does an admirable job of up-selling to its customers by using manufacturer recommended vehicle maintenance as a reason to purchase more than just an oil change and lube.  Here’s what transpires: After the customer brings their vehicle into the facility, a jiffy lube technician will meet with the customer at the service counter while jointly gazing at a computer screen.  On the screen is the mileage of your vehicle and the various manufacturer mileage based recommendations for maintenance items like radiator flushes, fuel filter changes, differential and transaxle flushes and the ever popular, air filter replacement.  My local Jiffy lube guy usually starts with the air filter and says “here is your air filter, it really looks dirty and needs replacement.”

        For those of you who drive a low mileage or late model vehicle, the mileage based recommendations are often not applicable or necessary and as such produce little if any fear or guilt if you elect to temporarily ignore them.  However someone like me who drives an older vehicle like my 1996 Chevy Suburban with 110,000 miles on it, the computer screen comes alive with red exclamation marks indicating recommended and often overdue maintenance.  The Jiffy Lube technician launches into his well rehearsed yet  often monotone rehearsed delivery of telling me what the suggested maintenance is and then pauses at the end of each of at least 5 separate suggestions to ask; “would you like to have this taken care of today?”  My neighborhood technician is a nice guy and at times I find it difficult to patiently and politely wait for him to go through all the recommendations knowing that I will say no to all of them.  Not that saying no is easy for me, in fact part of the reason why Jiffy Lube is so successful in up-selling owes to the fact that most people don’t like to repeatedly say no.  Think about it, how comfortable are you when you have to say “no” particularly to several different options that have been recommended by your auto manufacturer and are designed with your personal safety and your vehicle’s trouble free performance in mind?  If you are like most people, you get uncomfortable saying no repeatedly.  In fact the ability to tactfully say “no” in high stakes situations is a skill set that can significantly increase a person’s performance by increasing the amount of time they have and decreasing interruptions and stress.  (More on the art of saying No in future posts)

        I have spoken with some who refuse to go to Jiffy Lube solely because they dread having to say “no.” Even me the alleged sales professional, have on occasion thought about either changing my own oil, like I used to do back in the day, or going somewhere else to have it done just so I could escape the “no” game and the temporary guilt and discomfort that it produced.  My current tactic is to say “no” to the up sell extras and buy the simple parts like air filters, pcv valves, and antifreeze and do it myself.  The professional sales side of me can really appreciate what Jiffy Lube is trying to do. 

        Today’s savvy product producers and service providers understand that it is much more effective and profitable to increase the sales volume of their current customers than it is to attempt to find new customers. Jiffy Lube is enjoying success due to a well conceived and executed sales plan that recognizes the psychology behind buying behavior.

Paul Tasca     

Author of:

Drumming Up Your Career                                        

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

Phone          (610) 301 7435

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Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:35:26 -0800 Medical Sales Reps Access to Hospitals is Denied http://paultasca.posterous.com/medical-sales-reps-access-to-hospitals-is-den http://paultasca.posterous.com/medical-sales-reps-access-to-hospitals-is-den

            U.S. hospitals are making it even tougher for medical sales reps to sell their products.  Medical product selling to clinicians in hospitals is one of the most lucrative and complex forms of selling known to mankind.  Though I have personally enjoyed over 20 years of significant success in this market, I have never before observed the vast amount of obstacles that now exist in the hospital selling environment. 

        The latest set of obstacles involves the need for hospital vendors (sellers) to be fully “credentialed.”  The credentialing requirements vary by hospital yet mostly include proof that the vendor (sales rep) has current written proof of vaccinations or proven immunities for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis and tuberculosis.  Hospital sales reps must also complete training in disciplines including hospital protocol, HIPPA, blood borne pathogens, Advamed, operating room safety, and others depending on the levels of hospital access that are required for the rep to sell.

        I understand and support the need for hospital sales reps to be immunized, educated and to a degree documented.  In fact many of these requirements were instituted due to several reasons.  One reason was due primarily to a legal change in that sales reps are now viewed as independent contractors providing services to the hospital.  An additional reason for the changes was due to the fact that over the past decade, medical sales has become widely recognized to the masses as a potentially lucrative career field for those who posses the advanced sales and personality skill sets required to be successful in this challenging niche.  Accordingly, there has been a steady influx of new hospital sales reps, many of whom were less than skilled and savvy in their selling and relationship building efforts.  Numerous new reps proceeded to run around hospitals like untrained time share sales people trying to corner MD’s and clinicians so as to demo and hopefully sell their wares.  There were also some companies that would use lavish gifts, entertainment and “honorariums” aimed towards MD’s and clinicians in an effort to buy their business and support.  So a word of advice to any new medical sales reps from an older experienced and admittedly crusty rep; don’t bother trying the high pressure, fast talking, B.S. slinging, price low balling, promise making, bridge burning, drive by, hospital raiding “sales” calls, because those sales “techniques” are jamming up the rest of us that are in this market for the long haul!

         I recognize and appreciate how difficult it has become to break into hospital selling.  It is really challenging to gain access to and build relationships with the key clinical decision makers.  The good news is that the clinical decision makers are still interested in learning about superior performing products and services with aggressive pricing but the methodology, process and procedure needed to access theses clinical decision makers has been permanently changed . When a seller is fortunate enough to gain a few moments of precious face to face time with a clinician user, influencer or decision maker, they need to make sure that their presentation is need specific, tactful and concise.  Most sales in this niche begin as a sequence of events commencing with an agreement to evaluate a product and ideally ending with a commitment to purchase the product.

        Hospitals and specifically the hospital supply chain (purchasing) departments are now using and on occasion exploiting the new credentialing programs in order to control and restrict the sales reps access to the clinician.  So unless you have been blessed with a one of a kind product, and unless you have long standing clinical relationships, you will be spending more and more effort just trying to get in front of the key decision makers.  Despite the increasingly restricted hospital access, the main determinants of consistent sales success remain the same; communication skills, product and procedural knowledge, competitor knowledge, hospital operational knowledge, creativity and perseverance, honesty and personal character.

Feel free to visit my web site or give me a call to discuss some proven sales and closing techniques for increasingly effective medical sales.

Great selling,

Paul Tasca     

Author of:

Drumming Up Your Career                                        

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

Phone          (610) 301 7435

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Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:48:47 -0800 Who Owns Your New Year? The good news is; You do! http://paultasca.posterous.com/who-owns-your-new-year-the-good-news-is-you-d http://paultasca.posterous.com/who-owns-your-new-year-the-good-news-is-you-d

            Some of us are probably glad to have 2009 end while some are hoping that 2010 will be as good as ‘09 if not better.  As this first full week of January ’10 ends, most of us have begun to get back in the groove of “normal life” after some travel, good eats and reconnection and celebration with family and friends.  Personally, I have had the very good fortune of having to travel back to my former home state of sunny California in order to provide some consulting services for a client.  The timing is serendipitous as Pennsylvania and the Northeast are in the throws of the coldest weather so far this winter and Southern Cal is enjoying one of the warmest sunniest January’s in many years.

        Early January is a time where many of us use some of our “idle” time to reflect on our past and decide to change some aspects of our lives and behaviors. These changes are often referred to as New Years resolutions.  The success rate for most New Years resolutions is so woefully low that I prefer to think of these needed changes not as resolutions but as personal vows and covenants.  The recognition that one needs to make personal changes combined with the actions that are required to make significant and lasting changes are usually painful, difficult and scary hence the reason that we often decide not to pursue them. 

        Part of the discomfort associated with making change owes to the fact that the change process essentially follows the same four phase cycle as does the grieving process; (1) Denial (2) Resistance (3) Acceptance (4) Commitment.  Each of us goes through the four steps of the cycle at different velocities depending on a number of factors.   Understanding this change cycle has helped me understand why I struggle with some changes and seemingly breeze through others.  How one proceeds through the cycle is not nearly as important as the fact that you are committed to making the needed personal changes in order to improve your professional or personal performance, relationships, health and quality of life.  The commitment to change ones self in order to improve is a key aspect of personal ownership.  True personal ownership is one of the most elusive skills necessary to demonstrate leadership and to have a decent chance at achieving lasting significance. 

        We are living in a time where many individuals shun responsibility for and ownership of their stuff that didn’t work out as planned.  Personally, I enjoy being right, making wise decisions, having successful outcomes and being liked and respected.  I often struggle with being and admitting I was wrong, dealing with unsuccessful outcomes do to my unwise decisions, and dealing with people who for some unfathomable reason do not find me charming and witty or in extremely rare (and odd) cases don’t like or respect me.  So for this New Year, I am committed to fully own it and to do everything that I can to make me better than the ’09 version.

PS For more content and suggestions on taking ownership and handling career related change, check out my web site and my new book.

Paul

Author of:Drumming Up Your Career                                        

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                 Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

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Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:55:16 -0800 Is Your Career Managing You? http://paultasca.posterous.com/is-your-career-managing-you http://paultasca.posterous.com/is-your-career-managing-you

Most people, if answering honestly, would say “Yes!”

Most would also agree that merely having some semblance of a career, given our current economic environment, is a big win.  The employment and growth projections are out and they aren’t very encouraging, for example;

The National Federation of Business reported in November that 9 percent of small business owners planned to add workers over the next three months, yet 16 percent of companies, planned to cut positions.  http://www.nfib.com/Portals/0/PDF/sbet/SBET200912.pdf

The Business Roundtable reported on the results of a survey conducted with executives of large firms; only 13 percent planned to increase employment over the next six months while approximately 40 percent were planning to cut payrolls.

http://www.businessroundtable.org/sites/default/files/Q4%20CEO%20Survey%20Press%20Release_FINAL.pdf

I am frequently asked, how does one manage their career amidst this uncertainty?  I don’t have a magic cure all answer so I recommend that one first begins to take control of their most valuable controllable possession.  The possession that all of us have in equal amounts.  Our 168 hours per week of time. Until we learn to manage our time, we can realistically manage little else.  As a self employed professional, my time is my livelihood and is one of the few things over which I have any control.  Effectively managing one’s time is hugely dependent on skillful prioritization, execution, and continual communication and training of those around us to respect the value and scarcity of our time.   I often ask my clients and audiences to describe the biggest challenge that they face when trying to manage their time.  The most frequent responses include; meetings, interruptions, incomplete tasks, and communication and behavioral issues.

 

Here are a few tips on making meetings more time efficient:

1.     Request (or require) the meeting organizer to provide a draft agenda to all meeting participants at least 24 hours before the meeting.

2.     If the meeting is designed to last more than one hour, do not require all attendees to remain in the entire meeting unless they can contribute to at least 80% of the total meeting content.

3.     Start and end the meeting on time whether or not all are present and whether or not all items have been completed.  This on time start and end policy sets the standard for more productive and even more importantly, fewer meetings.

4.     If the meetings run long or late due to meeting participants chit chat, or conversational dominance, establish stand up meetings by removing chairs from the meeting room.  Stand up meetings have been shown to take at least 50% less time than sit down versions.

5.     Require the meeting notes or minutes taker to use electronic word processing software rather than handwritten notes.

For additional tips on gaining more control over your career (and life) by managing your time, visit my web site at http://www.paultasca.com

Paul Tasca     

Author of:

Drumming Up Your Career                                        

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                 Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

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Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:59:45 -0800 Paul Tasca's new book gets celebrity endorsements http://paultasca.posterous.com/paul-tascas-new-book-gets-celebrity-endorseme http://paultasca.posterous.com/paul-tascas-new-book-gets-celebrity-endorseme
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I have sent out preview copies of my new book for review and have received some very encouraging responses!  The following endorsement is from the top ranked speaker and author in the college and professional speaking markets whose advice has been priceless.

 “Paul’s book is a must read for young adults or anyone looking to jump start or improve their career.”_

James Malinchak, Co –Author, Chicken Soup for the College Soul

“Two – Time College Speaker of the Year”     www.BigMoneySpeaker.com 

My soon to be released book Drumming Up Your Career is designed to help graduates make a smooth transition from their education to their occupation by giving them the tools and techniques that are needed to get and keep a good job.

 Visit my web site for a free chapter download or to purchase an advance copy.   http://www.paultasca.com 

The job market for college graduates has bottomed out – falling some 40 percent in the past year – as the market undergoes a colossal shift that demands graduates be flexible and entrepreneurial in the rapidly evolving global economy”, according to Michigan State University’s latest Recruiting Trends survey.  http://news.msu.edu/story/7116/#

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Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:00:00 -0800 Build better relationships, have more fun, make smart decisions and get more done! http://paultasca.posterous.com/build-better-relationships-have-more-fun-make http://paultasca.posterous.com/build-better-relationships-have-more-fun-make

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No it’s not a magic tonic or a vitamin product or a new car or a personal makeover.  It is a practical yet fascinating relational tool that really can increase your professional career performance and personal life.  The tool is an in depth understanding of the 4 basic personality styles. Each of us has one of four primary personality types.  Our personality type greatly influences the way we communicate outwardly and the way in which we like to have others communicate with us. Do you ever wonder why sometimes you can easily develop a relationship or friendship with someone you have just met?  Similarly have you ever tried in vain to establish even a basic working relationship with someone and despite your best efforts, you experience continual friction or conflict with the individual?  The likely underlying factor inherent in both of these scenarios is personality style.   

For example; each of us probably knows someone who is very detail oriented, organized and precise and who really likes to analyze things and mine through data. They enjoy being right and fear making a wrong decision. Likewise we all know someone who concentrates on getting things done quickly with a minimum of outside interaction and opinions.  These persons want to cut to the chase and get to the bottom line.  They don’t want a lot of talk or info as they are all about getting things done, so they can cross them off their to-do list and move on to the next task.  

Another personality style is represented by persons who are really good at communicating; they like being around people, they are usually the life of the party and they enjoy being in highly visible social and business situations.  The fourth personality style is characterized by those persons who have a very genuine concern for those around them.  They place high value on personal relationships and team memberships.  They have the ability and need to connect with others at a very genuine level and are known for their kindness and patience.

Harnessing the significant power of the personality styles tool requires three progressive steps:

1.   Identifying your primary style

2.   Developing the ability to recognize another’s primary style

3.   Modifying your approach to best suit the other person’s style

Currently, there are many proven systems in the marketplace that use this basic personality style knowledge to predict tendencies, improve performance and increase communication.  I have used many of these commercially available products throughout my career with great success. 

I have designed my own version of this hugely powerful tool and named it the Rock Band Personality Styles System, due in part to my early career as a rock band drummer. I use the Rock Band Personality Styles System extensively for my speaking audiences and my coaching and consulting clients.  My clients love the system as they find it fun, easy to learn and very effective! 

You can get a free download of my Rock Band Personality Styles System from my soon to be published book, Drumming Up Your Career. Visit my web site, click on the “The Book” icon and click the “Click here for an advanced excerpt of the book.”

        http://www.paultasca.com

Paul Tasca                                             

Email:  paul@paultasca.com                Web:     http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca     

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507      

 

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Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:38:00 -0800 Thankful for work tomorrow! http://paultasca.posterous.com/thankful-for-work-tomorrow http://paultasca.posterous.com/thankful-for-work-tomorrow

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This past week was great; I didn’t have to travel for business, slept in my own bed and got to spend quality time with family and friends. As this wonderful Thanksgiving weekend ’09 melts into history and much of America prepares to go back to work tomorrow, I am thankful that I have work.  Many of our friends and colleagues both young and old, experienced and not, don’t have a job to go to tomorrow.  Their job is to find a job at a time of year when not having a job can be very challenging.

 Nationwide unemployment is over 10 % with very few positive signs of short term improvement.  So if you, as I used to, find yourself thinking or saying, “I don’t want to go back to work,” or “I hate my job, “or “I hate my boss,”  recognize that any job, even a bad job, is considerably better than no job at all, particularly several weeks before Christmas.  Tomorrow, as you fill out your weekly to do list, add a task where you will call someone you know that is without work and give them some help, encouragement and reasons for optimism.

 Paul Tasca           

Email:  paul@paultasca.com     Web: http://www.paultasca.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paultasca       

    

Phone         (610) 301 7435

                              

 

 

 

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Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:31:00 -0800 Winning at poker can help you win at work. http://paultasca.posterous.com/winning-at-poker-can-help-you-win-at-work http://paultasca.posterous.com/winning-at-poker-can-help-you-win-at-work

Lessons learned: calculated risk taking, investment and confidence are crucial to win at poker and at work.  When we become overly cautious and focus more on limiting losses than maximizing gains, we lose out on opportunities.  Those lost opportunities are usually more haunting than the risks we have taken and lost.

I had the rare opportunity to play poker last week with a bunch of friends from my neighborhood.  Years ago, I used to play poker regularly with friends and I was admittedly a bit rusty.  This was a very friendly game with low monetary stakes and players with variable levels of poker playing skill.  Gradually most of the risk taking, wagering and bluffing techniques came back into focus.  We played for a few hours, everyone seemed to have fun and there was one person that won more than anyone else, a few that broke even and a few, like me that lost.  I ended up losing a fairly trivial amount of money yet the one thing that I remembered and regretted most about the evening was one particular hand.  This was a hand close to the end of the evening and as such the betting was high.  I didn’t have many chips left due to taking some calculated risks that didn’t pan out.  I hadn’t won a hand for some time.  I found myself concentrating more on how much I had already lost than how much I could win.  I became uncharacteristically cautious as other players began to bet a lot of chips on their hand.  I folded down my hand rather than continue to invest chips in my cards that were good yet I thought not great enough to win.  When everyone showed their cards, it was painfully apparent that my folded hand would have actually won a substantial amount, had I continued taking risks by investing in the game.  Unfortunately, I have thought more about that one lost hand than the simple enjoyment of spending a few hours with my friends.

 Email:         paul@paultasca.com            

Web:          http://www.paultasca.com

Twitter:      http://www.twitter.com/paultasca

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/people/@/100000330291507

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Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:44:40 -0800 I finished my education now where's my job? http://paultasca.posterous.com/i-finished-my-education-now-wheres-my-job http://paultasca.posterous.com/i-finished-my-education-now-wheres-my-job

Thousands of graduating students are asking themselves this question.

 

Today’s graduating students need higher level relational skills in order to have a decent chance of getting good jobs.

The prospects are weak for high school, technical school and college graduates to get quality full time jobs.  Of the fortunate graduates who are able to get jobs, many find themselves working in positions that pay less than they imagined, are less interesting and have limited opportunities for promotion.

 

A national survey found that less than 20% of 2009 graduating college students who applied for a job actually have one.  Many of the jobs that were formerly available for young adults have either been eliminated or are being held by more experienced employees who are taking any job possible in order to hang on and ride out the economic storm. http://www.naceweb.org/press/display.asp?year=&prid=301

Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com - Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”

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Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:41:00 -0800 Beware of the potential career challenges for baby boomer men approaching (or past ) 50 years of age! http://paultasca.posterous.com/beware-of-the-potential-career-challenges-for http://paultasca.posterous.com/beware-of-the-potential-career-challenges-for

If you are a man approaching or passing fifty years of age brace yourself for some career turbulence!  Be prepared to quickly reinvent yourself by acquiring new skills and sharpening those that you already possess.

“Aging Baby Boomers are suffering a harsh employment bust.”  “People losing jobs are increasingly male and increasingly older.”So many of these men were coasting to retirement, working at good jobs and earning good pay.” http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090730/1aolderworkers30_cv.art.htm

Whether you are a long tenured top performer who feels secure at your job or an individual who is less tenured and less secure, it really doesn’t matter.  Once you hit and pass the big five O, be prepared for change!

  

Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com - Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”

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Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:40:00 -0700 People skills or technical skills, which are more important? http://paultasca.posterous.com/people-skills-or-technical-skills-which-are-m http://paultasca.posterous.com/people-skills-or-technical-skills-which-are-m

It is a great feeling to know that you are a technical expert or have achieved technical competency at something!  Yet the most important skills are the ability to communicate, build relationships and work with for or supervise virtually anyone while consistently achieving results.  Numerous large studies have confirmed that people skills, sometimes called “soft skills” are the most desirable and impactful skills for personal and career success.

 

A twenty-year study of leadership effectiveness conducted by Stanford University’s School of Business concluded that about 15% of one’s success in leading organizations comes from technical skills and knowledge, while 85% comes from the ability to connect with people and engender trust and mutual understanding. http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/headlines/2003entrepreneurshipconf.shtml

 

Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com  - Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”

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Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:38:00 -0700 Everyone Needs to Know How to Sell http://paultasca.posterous.com/everyone-needs-to-know-how-to-sell http://paultasca.posterous.com/everyone-needs-to-know-how-to-sell

We are all sellers! Whether or not your occupational title or business card contains the word sales, we are all highly dependent on our ability to persuade.

Persuasion is most easily accomplished by those who posses highly developed communication skills that allow them to quickly build rapport with others. Sometimes this rapport building occurs naturally when you meet a person and instantaneously like them or share several things in common with them. More often the persuasion process is more challenging due to lack of commonality between you and another individual. More times than not, when we initially meet someone we are very cautious and often expect the worst. 

High performing individuals have developed the relational ability to establish rapport with virtually anyone, even people with whom they have little in common. For example, as consumers we don’t just buy products from businesses rather we invest in solutions to our problems that are ideally provided by people that we trust or those that we can talk with and who seem much like us. 

So if you ever hear yourself saying or thinking something like “selling, oh I could never do that,” please reconsider.

Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com – Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”

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Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:33:00 -0700 Stay at Home for Higher Education? http://paultasca.posterous.com/stay-at-home-for-higher-education http://paultasca.posterous.com/stay-at-home-for-higher-education

Recent studies predict the end of traditional classroom education..!

MY Take... Personally, I get Goosebumps when I hear the term disruptive technology as I have been fortunate having spent much of my career working for a company who developed and sold disruptive technology.  D.T. can be thought of as a vastly better mousetrap!  If you own or sell the better trap, opportunities abound!  If you are competing against it, be sure that your personal skill sets are highly developed!

In September, the Washington Monthly author Kevin Carey wrote “the day is coming—sooner than many people think—when a great deal of money is going to abruptly melt out of the higher education system, just as it has in scores of other industries that traffic in information that is now far cheaper and more easily accessible than it has ever been before. Much of that money will end up in the pockets of students in the form of lower prices, a boon and a necessity in a time when higher education is the key to prosperity.” Similarly predictive statements have been made by World magazine’s Marvin Olasky, Harvard business school professor Clayton Christensen, and entrepreneur Michael Horn who liken the quality, price and availability of on line education to a disruptive technology.

The US Department of Education recently published a study that concluded “students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face to face instruction.” http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#edtech

 

Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com - Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”

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Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:20:00 -0700 "This New Generation, They dont want to Work!" http://paultasca.posterous.com/this-new-generation-they-dont-want-to-work http://paultasca.posterous.com/this-new-generation-they-dont-want-to-work

As a speaker, coach and consultant, I work extensively with business people most of whom are Baby Boomer or Generation X aged managers.  These managers continually tell me that “these kids (Millennials) just don’t want to or don’t know how to work!”  Yet as I speak at schools and colleges, the Millennials themselves tell me that many of their bosses don’t know how to mange them very well.  They say that their supervisors don’t understand what is important, how to motivate them or even how to effectively communicate with the millennial generation of employees. I often find myself acting as an interpreter and negotiator between these disconnected generations.

If you were born between 1979 and 1999 give or take a year, you are considered to be part of the millennial generation.  You have probably already heard people that are members of other older generations, Gen X ers, baby boomers, say that you or your entire generation is just …well….different.  Recognize that there have always been differences between each generation and its predecessors, yet the gap in understanding and cooperation between Millennials and other generations is massive.  The chasm between the generations is hurting everyone.  For example, this generational communication gap is preventing many young adult job seekers from getting quality jobs and is also hampering their ability to move up in many organizations run by Gen Xer’s and Baby Boomers.  The gap is also costing US businesses by limiting companies’ ability to attract fine new talent to help grow and improve performance that will ultimately grow their businesses.

Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com  - Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”

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Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:24:00 -0700 Fast Spreading Virus With No Let Up in Sight http://paultasca.posterous.com/fast-spreading-virus-with-no-let-up-in-sight http://paultasca.posterous.com/fast-spreading-virus-with-no-let-up-in-sight

 

Relax, I’m not talking about H1N1, nor am I referring to any of the myriad of computer related viruses.  I am posting about a communication related virus that if left untreated can spread exponentially and become a chronic communication disease.  The disease is called Upspeak.

Up speak is speaking declarative sentences with a rising vocal intonation at the end of the sentence rather than a constant or declining tone as is normally associated with a statement.  This rising tone makes the allegedly declarative statement sound like a question.

The language based Up Speak disease had its first outbreak in the US during the 1980’s in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California.  The original characterization of Valley Girls initially featured this teeny bopper variety of somewhat ditzy upspeak.  Since the initial outbreak, Up Speak has infected and is now practiced, somewhat habitually and perhaps unconsciously, by millions of Americans.  Admittedly when someone up speaks to me I make certain assumptions about their level of communication expertise or maturity.  Evidently I am not alone in my bias as many employers and business execs tell me that they too react mostly negatively to the symptoms of the disease.

If you are truly interested in helping to curb this disease, ask the next person who up speaks to you “are you telling me or asking me?”  

Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com  -Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”

 

 

 

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