Brands That Will Disappear in 2016

 

Anything which is “dying” is not to be construed as totally dead. It only suggests the process of it. Even if it’s struggling to breathe; it is, in fact, still alive, and may have a chance to learn from previous follies and re-emerge on the horizon.

Douglas McIntyre (CEO - 24/7 Wall Street) presents a list of 10 companies which won’t be around in 2016. To me, his opinions are not etched in stone. Things and people carry a mystical tendency to surprise the world. Incurable diseases go into remission, infirm make full recoveries and dying businesses get resurrected. Much depends on who is at the helm though, and what strategies are being deployed to incapacitate the diabolical situation. Tell that to Mr. Lee Iacocca and he will inarguably concur. He proved it to the world and authored books about it.

As seen in the video, Douglas McIntyre forecasted the death of 10 businesses in 2016 around three main concerns:

• Companies that have lost most of their customers.
• Companies that have a long history of declining sales figures and losses.
• Companies which have lost a significant amount of market share.

Notice the symbiosis and how well they are interconnected.

Douglas McIntyre says that each brand on this list suffers from at least one of the problems mentioned above and generally several. Be that as it may, in this quantum universe of infinite possibilities, what chances businesses have to survive the downward spiral and regain flight before hitting the ground? Let’s discuss each element dispassionately using the best weapon called commonsense.

1.  Companies that have lost most of their customers: Well, we are all customers. Sentient beings of emotional intelligence don’t just fly south to a different cornfield for no reason. The question is WHY are companies losing their customer base? Even pricing is not always the factor. People look for value and associated benefits. If a company is losing customers, it is forced to ask the following questions:

How well do employees know the brand (internally) and whether or not they are sold on that?

How good is internal communication which results in good external customer service?

What are the USPs of the company – Unique Selling Points – which separates you from the competition and imparts your reason for being?

How well groomed is your sales staff in connecting with customers emotionally?

And most importantly, how happy is your overall employee base?

2.  Companies that have a long history of declining sales figures and losses: That statement immediately brings one thing to mind. The company has a high tolerance of failures and they are lacking focus and inter-departmental teamwork. It also signifies that either the sales staff is bereft of the selling-spark which ignites clients, or there is a major communication breakdown. If your fuel-tank is running low, commonsense dictates to fuel-up before the car coughs and dies. Again, asking WHY will bring clarity to an ambiguous scenario. In the event of a first setback, (a warning sign), what kind of actions were taken and changes made? Ignorance comes with a price tag. Everything begins and ends with employees. If internal issues are not being dispensed with, the external client communication will dull the senses forcing customers to go elsewhere.

3.  Companies which have lost a significant amount of market share: This scenario is common in companies which have grown into a much larger enterprise and have reached maturity. As they get bigger, they also get vulnerable due to many seen and unseen forces. Businesses I work with are not aware that a lifecycle misalignment with their customers could be the chief reason why they lose market share. Instead of evolving, executives hold on to an outmoded organizational structure long after it has served its purpose, because their power is derived from this structure. Horizontal growth as well as vertical growth comes into play here. If you are multiplying your locations/offices/retail outlets but not the supporting product lines, variations of it with a solid supply chain, internal communication and customer care, then brace yourself for a shock-wave. Merger with another struggling entity won’t solve anything either. To thwart this scenario, keep into account:

1. New Leadership Style
2. Due Innovation
3. Superb Co-ordination & Employee Motivation For A Unified Voice
4. Collaboration and Co-Branding (Which Compliments Your Brand)
5. Building Business Alliances
6. Hiring and Grooming Quality Staff
7. Promote from Within

Business failures are directly related to managerial incompetence. Great leadership is the maturity to treat employees respectfully. It works in ways that are difficult to see and quantify. Lastly, don’t just sell the product; provide the buying experience which is easy and fun.

One Minute Customer

Imagine rushing inside an art gallery and leaving only after a minute or so. How much information will you be able to absorb and recall of your visit? Not much!

In these “fast times”, a fast and quick service doesn’t really work well at every business. At some places it actually backfires and marks a huge indentation in your bottom line. Retail is one such industry.

The brain is programmed to “slow down” when we visit museums, theme parks and fine dining restaurants with great ambiance. Slowing down process unwinds people and they remember more of the experience. Men are generally fast shoppers compared to women. Sales consultants must understand this; the more you slow down and keep a customer inside your store, the more they observe. The more they observe, notice and listen to suggestions given; the more chances you will have to sell and upsell your inventory.

In a very recent training session, I taught the sales teams of an emerging local brand on how to do just that. Consequently, their floor traffic increased and sales figures started rising in significant numbers. But the burden lies on the shoulders of sales consultants to turn a one minute customer, into a one hour customer.

7 Magical Rules To Influence Retail Shoppers

Tear up your sales script. Yes, you still have to qualify and close but a sales pitch makes you sound like an automaton. Every situation is unique. Every customer is different. Show some creativity and remember these very important rules:

Rule # 1: RELAX YOURSELF FIRST – Never ever sweat or get all excited when you see a customer. Do not assume anything. Greet your customer like you would a family member or your best friend with a winning smile. If you are agitated, nervous or want a goose which would lay a golden egg fast; you will lose in all likelihood. As soon as the customer walks in your energy field (and shake hands) much information gets exchanged right at that point. The customer will know if he or she is being rushed or if you are agitated. He will also start to feel agitated (on the subconscious level) and start walking towards the door in about a minute. But, if you are completely relaxed and calm, and mentally suggest facing the incoming customer: “you have reached the right place - stay as long as you wish”; the customer will also “feel” that message subconsciously and through your body language. That will, consequently, relax him. Decisions are made when people are calm and peaceful. Remember, a sale is a side-effect of great service. Connect with people on an emotional level. Sale happens automatically without even trying.

Rule # 2: LISTEN – Listening is a skill. The more they talk, the more they open up and the more information you will have. Even if they say that they are only window shopping; that is a great opportunity and not loss of a potential sale. Acknowledge that with the same winning smile. And when the customer senses and observes no change in your behavior; your acknowledgement relaxes them further. Now you are gaining ground towards friendship and brand loyalty. Say … “Please go ahead! Feel free to look”!

Rule # 3: SUGGEST - Remember the goal is to keep customers inside your store as long as possible; even the window shoppers. When I worked the floor, I always made suggestions to my window shopping clients. If you work in a store where there are multiple floors – or a basement - for a different line of merchandize, politely suggest that they also visit those areas, certain sections, and get a good feel of the brand. 70% of the time, after I managed to keep them in the store by fully relaxing them, they came back to me with a question. And the same “window shoppers” magically reappeared in store the following day or the same week and made a purchase.

Rule # 4: PROJECT AUTHORITY WITH RESPECT – As a sales consultant you are in a position which gives you power. Project your authority wisely. Mentally say to them: “I am in command”. They are in your domain. They have stepped inside your kingdom where only you are in-charge. In client communication, choice of words means everything. Confidence speaks for itself. Most of the time they will have trouble deciding. Ease their confusion by giving them useful suggestions confidently. Don’t push anything on them which they do not like. Close your sale by giving them two choices from which they have to select one. If buying two items, suggest three best ones and help them with their decision. Keep into consideration their buying power and guide them as if you are working for them. Do not sell something which they will not use. The buyer’s remorse will set in and the product will be returned or exchanged. Engage with your client like a best friend would. Do not lose your market credibility.

Rule # 5: EXPECT FOOTFALL – The law of expectation is directly applied here. Expect things to happen and they will. Expect and believe that you will rise above your weekly/monthly sales targets and you will. Expect and believe more clients are walking through your door everyday to meet you - and that shall happen. When people stay inside your store longer; more arrive. FEAR is the mind killer and will rob you of your motivation in sales of any kind. Nervousness is fear - so is agitation and confusion. Clear your thought process immediately. Do that on a daily basis and clients will gravitate towards you, word of mouth will spread and customers will “feel at home” being inside your business place.

Rule # 6: HANDLE MULTIPLE CLIENTS WISELY – Sales consultants become nervous in handling multiple clients. If you are already handling two customers and see a third one walking inside; do not sweat. Wave “hello” to acknowledge their presence and in about a minute walk over to them with a suggestion. I used to say (after greeting): “The new arrivals are right in this area and the kids section is downstairs. Please give me a few minutes while I finish up, then I will be right with you”. Say it politely and confidently and they will follow your instructions. This opportunity will give them a breathing room and a chance to really look inside your store. They also noticed that you are engaged with two other separate clients. The holiday season retail traffic must be handled with extreme care. Every customer that walks inside is looking for an experience of your brand. And they will connect that experience with the sales consultant. As a rule; people buy salespeople first. ALWAYS!!! You can sell T-Shirts in the winter season if you give people the right suggestion which they find appealing and logical.

Rule # 7: VM AND WALL DISPLAYS – Your Visual Merchandizing must be like poetry. People gravitate towards beauty and elegance. Maintain your wall displays and frequently change them to give a different feel to the floor. No busy wallpapers or décor which takes attention away from the merchandize. Highlight it further with the right lighting and background. Here, your personal creativity comes into play. The front window’s VM must tell a story about the brand. It must be a strong psychological message to the people outside. Suggest creative ideas to the top management and store manager and learn about VM as much as you can. As a tactic, ask for a feedback from customers about your store displays.

Get their opinion and allow them to stay focused on the merchandize.

Avoid participating in politics and discords. That is the fastest way to ruin your brand name because it affects people mentally and leads one into a negative thinking pattern. Your sales will hurt. You will lose your power and confidence along with it.

  Dwarfs can often do the work of giants when they are transformed by experiential wisdom. But giants will only do the work of dwarfs when they lack knowledge

Energizing Self-Trust

7 Steps for Reclaiming Your Power

A Book Review by S. Tariq Masood

On 12th May 1990, Star Trek: The Next Generation, in its third season released the 23rd episode “SAREK”.

Spock's father Sarek, a legendary 200 year old Vulcan ambassador, boards the Enterprise to finalize negotiations with a race of beings that only trusts him. His two personal aids who accompany him on the Enterprise continually monitor, stabilize his mental state and advise Sarek maximum rest in view of his debilitating health. Only Sarek insists to remain active to oversee the details of these sensitive negotiations.

Vulcans are known to exhibit no emotions. According to them … “We dispose emotional states. They are illogical. When there is no emotion, there is no motive for violence.”

Actually, Vulcans are not devoid of emotions; they've simply learned to suppress them from the early childhood. This behavior becomes a part of their physiology which gives them (arguably) greater problem-solving abilities, less confusion about personal issues and no conflicts over irrational concepts that cannot be proven.

The very next day, for reasons unknown, crew members of the ship exhibited unprovoked aggression, even towards personal friends and colleagues. After numerous such incidents, the Enterprise crew got concerned, investigated and finally concluded that ambassador Sarek is inflicted with the rare 'bendai syndrome', which causes old Vulcans to lose their most-prized emotional self-control. In such a state, they telepathically “spill” the intense emotions everywhere they go. These strong emotions then get absorbed by humans affecting their behavioral response and needless fights and arguments ensue.

As a temporary solution, Captain volunteers himself to mind-meld with him. This way Sarek would have Picard's emotional control for the duration of negotiations. Sarek is reluctant at first warning Picard that this would cause him to be overwhelmed by extremely powerful Vulcan emotions. Knowing the risks, Picard remains adamant and Sarek grudgingly agrees.

After the mind-exchange is performed by Sarek, Captain Picard, who is a human, is indeed overpowered. Under the deluge of extreme emotions Captain exhibits a personality change and pours out the contents of Sarek's anguished soul; accumulation of his suppressed emotional experiences, his regrets of never showing Love to his son Spock or his late wife. Captain cries uncontrollably and remains in agonizing depression having received Sarek’s mind. In the meantime, a restored and rational Sarek, who has exchanged the emotional stability from the Captain, successfully concludes his negotiations.

Book Review & Personal Thoughts

The above example was necessary because that is exactly what happens in real life when profound emotions are deliberately suppressed or snubbed. In his fifth book, ENERGIZING SELF TRUST: 7 Steps to Reclaiming Your Power; author J. Lawrence Maerz has sacrificed all pretensions to literary style to secure felicity of diction. He has an important message to deliver and does it sagaciously without any nebulous writing. He conscientiously starts from the origin where the “bent” occurs in our emotions which changes our outlook on life. He presents his readers practical solutions which even a layman can comprehend.

We are all creatures of emotions, passions, circumstances and accident.  What the mind  will  be,  what  the  heart  will  be,  what  the  body  will  be;  are  problems  that  are shaped to the drift of life. Think about it for a while and you will be surprised to know how much of your life has been a mere drift; polluted with hive consciousness spewing out clichés with boring regularity.

The writer is a psychological counselor, professional speaker and has been an investigator of EMOTIONAL TROUBLESHOOTING subject for many years. His most recent 5th book is an attempt to give to his readers the principles; fundamental to advanced, derived from his own investigations, painstaking research work and experiential knowledge of adult and child psychology. He recognizes and advocates the need of personal accountability and coaches his clients on achieving “balanced emotional states.”

Excerpts from ENERGIZING SELF TRUST

7 Steps to Reclaiming Your Power

“We have spent many years building emotional inertia that has led to our arrival at the place where we find ourselves now. We all feel that there were pivotal points in our lives where, if we had gone another way, we might not be where we are now. We see those experiences as choices we had to make based on circumstances. But those choices had everything to do with how we felt about ourselves at the time. And how we felt at that time had everything to do with the way we were taught about how the world perceived us, our values and worth as an individual. The underlying point is that we have allowed our value and worth to be determined by people outside of ourselves, thus continuing the training we received in childhood.”

“We still see ourselves now much the same way we believed the world saw us then, except that, now it is a long history of reinforcement through repeating the same beliefs and patterns we were taught, over and over.”

“The way the world sees and responds to us is deeply rooted in our opinions of ourselves. This is our personal inertia. The way the world values us is well integrated in our psyches. It could be compared to a systemic infection permeating the body and the only way to eliminate it is to kill the host it survives on.”

Mr. J. Lawrence Maerz advocates the use of positive affirmations but with a serious warning. There is a thought, and a “sponsoring thought”, which runs parallel or directly behind the first thought. For instance, if I am using an affirmation to germinate a new belief inside my subconscious mind and saying… “I am a great communicator. My clients appreciate what I say, give me business and referrals.” The sponsoring thought could say...

a) Don't kid yourself
b) Your clients back out at the last minute
c) You will lose AGAIN
d) You are not good at closing deals
etc. etc.

The sponsoring thought then becomes an adversary. It incinerates the initial thought instantly along with any positivity. Why? Because it drags past emotional experiences into the present moment and how we identified ourselves with the judgments that were placed upon us when we were growing up. Since we never let go of those outdated beliefs, the emotional navigation brings us vis-à-vis with a darker side of ourselves. It is when we choose to cloak our shining self in the present moment covered in the rags of FEAR of the past. The bottom line is that our thoughts and the sponsoring thoughts must not collide with one another. Once both stand in congruence, new beliefs are formed and life begins to change.

Conclusion:

Humanity is hemmed in by so many influences that, from time immemorial, no real effort has been made to gain control of the emotions and impulses that run loose in the world within. It has been, and still is, easier to let things go rather than exert a degree of personal will to direct them. The dividing line between success and failure is found at that stage where aimless drifting ceases.

With so many simultaneous realities and parallel possibilities than our minds could conceive or the pen could write in figures; we choose to keep ourselves locked in a status-quo. ENERGIZING SELF TRUST: 7 Steps to Reclaiming Your Power releases readers from the dogmatic labels and bondage of the past. Through practical exercises, the book helps readers usher into a new mindset where you start to understand the bludgeoning of “shadows” and finally eliminate the victim-based mentality which infests the soul.

Depression, isolation, loneliness, anxiety, irritability, helplessness, impoverishment and failures which frequently repeat themselves - all represent mental inertia. They are not diseases but only states of mind. They have an origin; symptoms to a much deeper cause. Eliminate the cause and the whole picture changes. Whenever we “spill” fear based emotions in key moments or areas of our lives; disappointments follow. The only way out is to accept the responsibility of correcting the misconceptions and commit to doing something different to get a different result.

ENERGIZING SELF TRUST: 7 Steps to Reclaiming Your Power provides a working model of belief management by virtue of which things can change for the better. It is not an overnight transformation; rather a gradual process which hammers your mind to courageously cross the line and experience what lies on the other side of the fence.

Please visit author's websites:

http://johnmaerz.com/

http://awakeandthinking.com/

J. Lawrence Maerz fourth book: A MILE IN YOUR SHOES: The Road To Actualization Through Compassion is about child rearing practices which stigmatize and leave behind a mark of shame. It is also a must read work.

ISBN 978-0986436451

Self Trust Intro Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm993r77GPM

Self Trust Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeIq70AYSGc

Good Reads Book Club: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5190893.John_Maerz

Contact the Author

3542 Green View Court

Sarasota, Florida 34231

(941) 286 – 1562

jm@johnmaerz.com

Conformity

An Experiment in Behavior Predictability

Conformity is akin to a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It is a gash in the cerebral output from which intelligence leaks out. A simple search on the internet will provide definitions; from simple to complex, but I have one of my own.

General (Moderate) Definition: Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group, culture or society. The essence of conformity is yielding to outside pressures of known or unknown origins.

My Definition: Conformity is characterized by an absence of critical thinking, suspension of commonsense and judgment. It is an induced state of mind in which self-reliance is arrested along with the loss of personal responsibility.

Conformity is a tangible behavioral change which can actually be measured in a clinical setting. Its main objective is “control” and “obedience” to authority - whether imaginary or real. Conformity uses ambiguity as its main tool in a way that people start to “use” each other as a source of information and reference.

Real Experiment:

A man appeared in front of a crowd (75 people) to deliver a small speech on the benefits of a having a nutritious diet plan. He started talking and made complete sense for only about two minutes.

Then, as he continued, he intertwined multiple topics and added incoherent phrases which, not only didn’t make any sense, but were irrelevant to the original topic. His speech covered hurricanes, fancy restaurants, earthquakes, Bengal Tigers, rainforests, volcanoes, world cup, computer viruses - areas which had absolutely no connection with one another or the benefits of a nutritious diet plan.

Everyone in the audience exhibited a strange look and started looking at each other. Nobody had a clue as to what he was talking about or the purpose behind his gibberish. (The ambiguity)

After he was done, he smiled and said thank you to the confused crowd. There was a deafening silence for about two seconds. Then immediately, two people started clapping from the front row. Then gradually more clapping was seen and heard. Then the same two people in the front row stood up and continued showering their accolades. Eventually, the entire crowd stood up and gave that man a standing ovation.

The speaker said thank you to all – smiled and asked: “Why are you all clapping to the nonsense I just spoke? Did it make sense to you?”

Synopsis: The speaker had planted the two people in the crowd that would “start” the accolades process. They were part of the experiment. As more and more joined in, the experiment was immediately moved into stage two. In the next stage, the same planted people “stood up” and demonstrated their support by more active cheering. The entire crowd stood up next and applauded the nonsensical speaker.

When asked:

1. A whopping 85% “blamed themselves” for not understanding the speech properly. They thought it made complete sense – just not to them. That was the reason they started clapping. They questioned their own understanding.

2. 15% of the people were 50/50 on the speech content. They showed their support just to fit in. The fear of looking like fools without a sense of respect for the majority kept them at bay. They felt a great deal of pressure but chose to be a part of the happy audience.

What a dangerous way to live life – blaming oneself and uneducated decision making!

Conformity is a robotic behavior. It snatches away our sense of self and replaces our originality with a character shade of grey. Conformity controls our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and, ultimately, our actions. The tools of conformity are:

1. Modern-day religious affiliations, adherence to dogmas, sectarian mindsets and the power struggles of holier-than-thou. Here, matters are taken to their furthest extremes to control minds. Fear is the ideal weapon of choice; punishment, hell, purgatory and the everlasting damnation.

2. The vicious political parties belching their useless slogans - regurgitating promises of a better tomorrow and devising methods of entrapping affiliates only to be utilized as front line foot soldiers who do all the dirty work.

3. The media spewing the negativity 24/7 shaping the views of a society, about a society and branding it as they best see fit. A perfect way to shape behavior.

4. Nationalism and the superiority complex which says: “We are the chosen ones!”

5. Idealism and Ego! The need to be right all the time and the need of self-aggrandizement. No self-assessment required here.

6. The passing down of secondhand information, beliefs, fables and ideologies generation after generation without questioning the validity of the source.

7. The main goal is to fool humanity and allow it to get labeled and distributed under manifold banners and belief systems further dividing itself up again and again and again.

Conformity is intellectual dishonesty. It challenges the value of people by denying them the opportunity to make their own choices - by denying them the chance to grow strong in learning and understanding.

Truth is always simple. All people recognize truth because people are intelligent beings. It is the nature of conformity to create artificially complex ideas. It does this to hide or obfuscate the freedom it destroys. If you remove the complexities and fears from your life, you will reach a plain and beautiful truth.

While conformity seeks to hide a person's worth, freedom shows humans their full potential and their full value. With freedom, people have loved, cured disease, removed hunger, eased labor and lived in harmony.

One centuries old Chinese proverb says: Believe only half of what you see – and none of what you hear!

Here’s a list of more frightening experiments which reveal the afflictions of conformity: https://explorable.com/social-psychology-experiments