Face-saving Remedies for Awkward Work Situations

Face-saving Remedies for Awkward Work SituationsFace-saving Remedies for Awkward Work SituationsUse these tips for changing course and saving the interaction when aconversation takes an awkward turn.So, chairman, this must be your lovely new girlfriend ?Um, actually, shes my granddaughter.Oooops.Ever been in this situation? The one where youputyour foot so completely inside your mouth theresnowhere to go?We all have. The difference maker is how you respond to the flub. Here aresix face-saving antidotes to awkward situations.Never say, Well, this is awkward.All that does is increase the level of awkwardness. No need to bring any further attention to your blunder. Youve said enough. Avoid this phrase at all cost - otherwise you risk digging in deeper.Remember Everything is neutral until painted with the meaning you ascribe to it. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, There is notlagehing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.Dont make things worse by magnifying the mess.Change the f ocus.Whether or not youre the cause of the awkward situation, always have a few go-to topics ready. And Im not talking about the clich, So, how about them Dodgers? or Boy, that economy really sucks, huh? Instead, find an interesting topic of discussion that has nothing to do with the current conversation. I suggest segueing with, Anyway, on a completely unrelated topic Are you an interesting enough person to change the subject to a different topic at the drop of a hat?Self-deprecation helps.If you say something stupid, playfully admit your blunder. By honestly recognizing your humanness, people will (usually) forgive your mistake. For example, if you accidentally walk in on a private conversation between two co-workers discussing their intra-office affair - and the record scratches the instant you walk in the door - just say, Whoops I appear to have terrible timing.Are you willing to poke fun at yourself to save the situation?Remove yourself.If youre not comfortable in a certain s ituation, just say so. Heres how to remove yourself quietly and professionally from the simple, Will you excuse me, please? to Im not comfortable talking about this to the dramatic, OK, well, it appears the line has been crossed, and I need to excuse myself before my head explodes. Remember If you dont set boundaries for yourself, other people will set them for you. And then they will violate them.Are you willing to stand up for your boundaries?Fake a phone call.Sometimes people just keep talking. And talking. And talking. And theres nothing you can do to stop them. Very, very awkward. So, when all else fails, pretend like youre receiving an incoming call. Act like its an emergency and explain that you need to take it. People will understand. Just make sure you have a fake conversation on the phone for at least 30 seconds, and have a story ready to go for when they later ask you who called. Sure, its not the most authentic course of action, but you can only listen to your co-worker talk about her cats infected ear goiter for so long.Are you willing to walk away?Follow up if needed.If the awkwardness was especially thick, perhaps a quick email later that day will patch the scar. Hey Mary, look, I didnt mean to rush out of the room like that this morning. The mere mention of politics, religion and The Great Pumpkin always puts my stomach in knots. Hope you werent offended. Im happy to get together later and recap if theres anything I missed.How are you remedying your awkwardness?Remember Awkwardness is a choice.Consider these practices for saving your face, even when you fall flat on it.Let me ask ya thisWhat is your antidote for awkwardness?

How Old You Have to Be to Work in Colorado

How Old You Have to Be to Work in ColoradoHow Old You Have to Be to Work in ColoradoIf you live in Colorado and need some extra cash to pay for dates, to buy your favorite new video game, or to get your first car, dont start looking for a job without first learning the minimum age you must be to work in the state. Colorado is pretty lenient. It allows juveniles of all ages to work in some capacities. How Old Must You Be to Work in Colorado Federal child labor laws require that a minor be at least 14 years old before they can work, and thats generally the case in Colorado. There are some exceptions, however. For example, 9-year-olds can deliver handbills, advertising, and advertising samples. They can work as shoe shiners, gardeners and golf caddies. Twelve-year-olds can also perform these jobs, but they can also sell newspapers and other merchandise, as well as babysit, and perform agricultural work. Child labor laws in each state have their own minimum age to work and requiremen ts for permits. Before children begin working in jobs that are age-appropriate for them, it is important to review the local rules and restrictions. Here is an overview of the requirements for children to work in Colorado. Youth Workers Require Work Certificates in Colorado Colorado state law requiresthat youths under age 16 obtain a child employment certificate. These are provided by schools. Workers under age 18 will be provided with an age certificate by request, but its not required under Colorado state law. Age certificates will not be issued to minors under age 16 for work during school hours. What Teen Workers Can Do in Colorado Teens have a number of options available to them in the workforce. They can do all the jobs that younger juveniles can do, as well as work as public messengers, elevator operators, janitors, office workers, car washers, cashiers, models, packers, stockers, baggers and more. But they cannot operate power-driven tools or work under hazardous con ditions. Sixteen-year-olds may perform all the same functions, but they may also drive as part of their jobs. When teens turn 18, they are no longer subject to child labor laws. Theyre legally considered legal adults. How Many Hours Minors Can Work in Colorado Minors cannot work more than 40 hours per week or more than eight hours per day. Teens under 16 may not work more than three hours on school days. During school hours, minors under age 16 cant work without a school release permit. Superintendents of the school district where youths are enrolled can issue the permits. Young workers under age 16 can work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year and until 9 p.m. during summer months. Older teens or youth who work as actors, models or performers dont have to adhere to these hours. For more information on the minimum age to work in Colorado and how to obtain employment certificates, visit the Colorado State Labor Website.

Persuasion Techniques for Sales Professionals

Persuasion Techniques for Sales ProfessionalsPersuasion Techniques for Sales ProfessionalsWhenever anyone tells you that they know the secret to sale, you should listen closely but know that there truly is no secret to success in abverkauf. Success in sales is a culmination of hard work, strong rapport skills, a dedication to improving sales skills and knowing how to close sales. There are, however, secrets that can lead you towards success when coupled with other critical success factors. One of these secrets is a commonly used roger that is one of the most persuasive words in the English language.? Because The word because has been shown in multiple studies to be extremely powerful. For those in sales who understand how important their ability to persuade is in their careers, intelligently adding the word because into their talk track could actually make an astounding difference. The intention of this article is not to delve into the psychology behind this persuasive word but i nstead to offer a few quick suggestions about how to use the word in your daily sales activities. Cold Calling Whether you are cold calling on the phone or face to face, you should have a goal for each call. But when you do have a goal for a cold call, a funny thing happens. Someone in the office you are calling on has a mission to prevent you from reaching your goal. They are often called the gatekeepers and they are paid, it seems, to weed out callers or visitors. So when a sales professionalstops in or calls, asking to speak to a decision maker, the gatekeeper goes into action If the cold calling rep would simply change the approach used and include the word because the cold call success rate will increase drastically. The simple inclusion of the word because validates the reason for your call and lets the gatekeeper know that you actually have a valid reason to be calling. It is interesting to note that the research indicated that the given reason which follows because does not even need to make a lot of sense. Just hearing the word because is often enough to accomplish your goal. Getting Appointments Professionals are busy. Many of the people you will or are calling on are doing more than one job and have very little time to meet with every sales professional who calls on them. So getting an appointment is often times the hardest step in a sales cycle. The main thought in a persons mind when being asked to schedule a meeting is why should I? If you, the sales professional, cant give a strong enough reason for someone to meet with you, they wont. If you are having continued challenges getting prospects to agree to meet with you, try inserting because into your requests. Closing a Sale Closing a sale comes down to how well you did in each step of the sales cycle, so do not expect you can start using a magic word in your closes and be able to cut down on the work required in the other steps. Remember, there is no secret to sales but rather, a ser ies of secrets that need to be blended together. If you havedone well with prospecting, qualifying, building rapport, designing a solution and are ready to close the sale, try adding because into your talk track. Again, dont expect that using because will make up for or replace hard-work or diligent effort throughout the sales cycle, but you may realize that your closes go a lot smoother and your closing percentage increases.