New Book Cover -- Problem Solving: Dealing With Employee Issues by Larry B. Gray



My new book cover for Problem Solving - Dealing with Employee Issues. Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and many other ebook websites.


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Your Name Badge – A Public Service Announcement





Have you ever watched business people get out of their cars at their local grocery store and quickly remove their name badge? Or, have you gone to lunch with other sales people in your group and had them remove their badge before going into the restaurant? This never ceases to amaze me. Are they embarassed by who they are and what they do?

Name badges are one of the best and least expensive means of self-branding and advertising available. Not only does it open the door for conversations and questions about your product and/or services, but it also serves to reinforce your name. For a few well spent dollars your name badge is publicly announcing who you are and what you do wherever you go.

From my experience, in the past, as an automotive sales person and my present involvement in the real estate industry I can honestly state that a name badge can and will generate contacts and business for you. On numerous occasions I have had people come up to me and say, “You’re a real estate agent. Can you answer a question for me?” This simple opening has directly led to real estate listings opportunities and potential buyers.

On another occasion, while having lunch at a local restaurant, a lady came up to me and said she noticed I worked at a local car dealership and she had a question to ask me. After answering the question I gave her my business card and asked her to come by and let me show her the model she liked. She showed up and I sold her the car.

Would this have happened if I was ashamed of my badge and removed it before I went into the restaurant. No, it was the badge that provided the opening for the entire business transaction. There is a saying in real estate among agents, “Don’t be a secret agent”. If you want other people’s business you have to let them know who you are and what you have to offer.

In order to succeed you have to go out and get the business. Self-promotion and advertising is one of the ways to do it. Your name badge is another tool which can make this happen.

To re-cap, here are a few facts about name badge use.

1. It will help a client remember your name and reinforce you as the expert.

2. It is a conversation starter.

3. It will bring you potential business and opportunities.

4. It is inexpensive advertising with a high return on your investment.



In order to maximize your success from wearing your name badge here are a few guidelines for name badge use.



1. Buy a quality badge. A cheap badge is just that, a cheap badge, and reflects on you.

2. Make sure it is easy to read.

• a. Not too large that it is obnoxious or so small you can’t read it.

• b. Not too congested with information. Just your company logo, your name and job title.

• c. Your name should be the most prominent feature.

• d. No fancy print or fonts. Clean, clear and concise.

3. If you shake hands with your right hand, wear your name badge on your right chest.

4. Make sure it is attached right side up and straight. Don’t laugh, it happens.

5. Use common sense when not to wear your badge.

6. Monogram clothing, shirts, jackets, sweater, and hats, are another way to get the effect in a more casual environment.

Your business is all about name recognition and branding. The more you get your name out in front of the public the more likely they are to think of you when a need arises in their lives for your services. Whether it is print advertisements, internet use, business cards or name badges, each serves to remind people who you are and what you have to offer.

Don’t keep your professional expertise a secret, flaunt it. Wear your name badge and let people know you are the expert in your profession and you’re there to help them. It works!

Make your public service announcement today by wearing your name badge.

Leaders Must Lead: The Three "F's" of Leadership

There comes a point in every relationship, organization, business, and related activity when leaders must lead. The various teams have done their designing. The committees have reviewed it. Management has approved it. Now, it is time for leaders to take control and execute it. This is true whether we are talking about building a rocket ship or selling a house; once plans are made they have to be executed.

Leaders are the people that make it happen. They execute the plans and insure the goals are met. Whether they are leaders of a large group of fellow associates or they are an individual performance leader, such as sales leader, they set the pace and standards of the job to be done.

Leaders accomplish this through other people. A team leader will guide and direct his team insuring all the members maintain their focus on achieving the desired results. A sales leader will work with all parties of a transaction to insure they stay focused on making the transaction. The primary function of leadership in any situation involves working with and through other people to achieve the results of the goal.

Working with and through other people can be challenging but that is why you are the leader. As a leader it is important to learn and apply the three F’s of leadership in all their work relationships and interactions with other people. A leader should treat everyone with respect by being:

1. Fair

2. Firm

3. Frank

Fair

Your reputation is one of the most important assets you have. How people perceive you will determine how willing they are to work with you. As a team leader a positive reputation will make your associates put out the extra effort needed to accomplish any goal. As a sales leader your reputation will bring business and clients to you.

Being fair is simply treating all people the same. If people know they can trust you they will want to work with you. Be honest with all parties and work for a win-win solution to any problems that arise.

Make time for all your associates and business partners. This will go a long way to helping you achieve the reputation of being fair. Showing favoritism in any business relationship can have strong negative consequences.

Even in businesses where professional and corporate guidelines/rules appear to restrict your relationship with one party or the other in a business transaction you can still be fair in your actions. Be honest. If you cannot do something tell the party you cannot. By following the guidelines to the letter you are maintaining your fairness in the business relationship. Simply applying the rules equally to all parties with fairness and honesty helps you achieve your goals.

Firm

In the old days when you said a leader was firm you meant he ruled with an iron fist. There are still times when a leader has to be strict but being firm means more than this. It means being a decisive leader, one who can make a decision and follow through with it.

When being firm you need to stick to your principles and company policies/rules in all your business relationships. Don’t be indecisive when it comes to doing what is right or wrong. Let your principles and policies guide you in your decisions and how you implement actions.

When you make a decision stick with it, don’t be wishy-washy about it. You are not a “yes person” but you are the leader and at times it is your job to make the hard choices that are necessary to accomplish the goal.

Being firm also means when your decision or plans need to be changed you change them. But, you base the need to change on the facts needed to reach your goal. A good leader knows when and how to be flexible and adaptable.

Be open the suggestion, ideas, guidance and advice. A good leader does not make decisions in a vacuum but in the end a good leader makes the decision.

Frank

A good leader is an honest leader. His very principles demand truthfulness and honesty. He shares all the facts that he can with his team and/or clients to help them accomplish the goal.

When working in a team environment a good leader deals with all situations with truthfulness whether with the team or an individual. If praise is justified he gives it honestly and freely. If correction is needed he handles it with the same frankness, dealing with facts.

An individual leader such as a sales leader is frank with his associates and clients. He gives them all the facts, both good and bad, so they can make the best decision for their goals.

By following the three “F’s” of leadership a good leader will find the interaction with fellow associates and clients easier and more rewarding. Developing a reputation of being fair, firm and frank in your business relationships will help move you from being a good leader to being a great leader.

Dressing for a job Interview - What Not to Do

Go to a job interview with me wearing pants hanging around your knees or a dress and/or blouse that barely covers you; I will not hire you. Yes, I will give you a cursory interview, but you will not get the job. Call me old fashion or even prejudice if you like, but I believe there is a level of business decorum and respect that needs to be maintained in a work place no matter what the level or position. The interview is a way for you to demonstrate your professionalism. For more info get your copy of: How to Find a Job by Larry B. Gray.

 

 

Click here to order your copy of How to Find a Job today from Amazon.

56 SKIDMORE RD, WINTER HAVEN, FL 33884 $ $650,000 www.saragray.ismyreagent.com MLS#L4641774

Check out this great listing and then call Sara Jane Gray at 863-232-2987 to schedule an appointment to see this fantastic opportunity in Winter Haven, Florida.

56 SKIDMORE RD, WINTER HAVEN, FL 33884 $ $650,000 www.saragray.ismyreagent.com MLS#L4641774

Highlights of Proposed Foreclosure Laws in Florida

Join me today in welcoming Sarah Parr as our guest blogger for today.

Highlights of Proposed Foreclosure Laws in Florida

By Sarah Parr

Florida has seen its share of hardships because of the housing crisis. Analysts say we’re experiencing a slow recovery, but the aftermath of the housing crisis still lingers, especially here. The Sunshine State recently witnessed a 3.11 percent increase in foreclosure activity, according to RealtyTRAC’s year-end report. Lawmakers, real estate professionals and consumer advocates want to change Florida’s status and reform its foreclosure process.  Lawmakers are currently talking about implementing various measures, and this has spurred debate between people from all sides of the issue. The proposed laws could considerably alter the way foreclosures are handled in Florida.

Curing Florida’s long judicial process

House Bill 87 intends to speed up Florida’s long judicial-foreclosure process. Supporters claim that the bill looks after borrowers by requiring banks and lenders to show they own a mortgage before they can file any foreclosure action. If set into law, the bill would also allow third-party lien holders, such as condo or homeowner associations, to push foreclosures through a faster process rather than through the customary court arrangement. House Bill 87 would give borrowers 20 days to provide defense against the foreclosure action. After a final judgment in foreclosure is reached, the bill would give banks and lenders one year instead of the present five years to go after borrowers for losses from a foreclosure.

House Bill 87 The legislation has created the most discussion out of all the proposed legislation, as Pine Hills foreclosure attorneys might tell you. Opponents of the bill claim it would rather pump out foreclosures as quickly as possible, instead of protecting the rights of homeowners. They also claim that 20 days is not enough time for homeowners to seek out attorneys for foreclosure defense or to provide their own reasonable defenses. On the other hand, supporters assert the foreclosure process is long-drawn-out, producing gloom for everyone involved. Proponents say accelerating the foreclosure process would also be favorable for Florida real estate’s future success, as homes in foreclosure limbo can be eyesores that bring surrounding property values down.

Pushing through case backlog

Under Senate Bill 1666, senior justices or judges would be able to consent to temporary duty to help with the buildup of foreclosure cases in Florida. The bill would also allow second publication of the notice of sale of a home to be published online in lieu of publication in any other form of media.  This changes the requirement that a second notice of pending foreclosure must occur in a print media advertisement, a move some say is unfair to low-income homeowners and seniors who could only find out about a looming foreclosure sale through a newspaper notice.

Protection for homeowners in distress

Four bills, proposed and sponsored by Senator Darren Soto (D-Orlando), seek to aid homeowners struggling with foreclosure or mortgage issues. Senate Bills 1226 and 371 would mandate that lenders can only file a deficiency judgment one year after a final foreclosure judgment, and would only have two years to collect any outstanding debt. Right now, residents can be contacted by debt collectors for up to two decades. Senate Bill 1236, also known as the “Mortgage Principal Reduction Act,” would require the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to utilize $100 million of the federal government’s Hardest-Hit Program to start a mortgage principal reduction program for Floridians with properties in foreclosure. The final proposed bill by Soto, the “Short Sale Debt Relief Act,” would make deficiency judgments unenforceable on a short sale if the original debt was 20 percent or greater than fair market value.

Based on all of the proposals presented, Florida will probably see significant changes in its foreclosure process soon.

 

 

Sarah Parr is an Orlando-based writer who blogs about issues pertaining to foreclosure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview by Author Roy Murry

I was recently interviewed by Author Roy Murry on his website, "Murry Reviews and Interviews." I know it is just my over-inflated ego but I did like the lead-in he posted on social media, "Larry B. Gray, author, reviewer, business innovator, and blogger is interviewed on Connie’s Brother’s Blog."

Be sure to check out the article and all the other great reviews and interviews on Roy's site. Just click on the link below.

Thanks Roy, for all your support.




Click here to read the full interview by Author Roy Murray.