Author: garrisonwynn

The Dangerous Truth About Safety

Safety leaders need personal influence skills so they can consistently engage employees. If you don’t know how to get people to believe, it doesn’t matter what you say.

safety

Generations Working Better Together

What do we need to do to work more effectively with each other as a team?

Selling Your Ideas: Getting People To Agree With You

[social_warfare]

Why is it that some of the best ideas are never considered and idiotic concepts that we know will fail are?

How did AT&T decide to focus on the picture phone and sell off the rights to the cellular telephone? Research clearly showed that the number-one reason people placed a phone call instead of showing up in person was speed and convenience. The number-two reason was they did not want to be face-to-face with the person they were calling. If you are at home on the phone in your underwear, do you really want people to see you? (OK, some of you do, and you know who you are, but let’s move on.) Why did it take so long to get squeeze-bottle ketchup? Squeeze-bottle mustard was on the market 20 years earlier! Were there really people who believed that ketchup in a glass bottle was sacred and could never sink to the lows of a seemingly misguided mustard?

The issue is that some of us are just much better at getting people to agree with us than others.

It’s why it took so long for people to wear seat belts and yet pet rocks sold instantly. We interviewed some of the most persuasive people in the Wynn Solutions top-performers research pool and found some interesting information about getting people to see things your way regardless of how ineffective your ideas may be:

Find out what people value most before you start talking. People are much more likely to listen to your ideas if you can prove you know what’s important to them first (agreeing that it’s important will also help a lot).
Make sure your ideas are clear. It does not matter how smart you are if no one knows what you’re talking about. You may need to have your top expert teach their concepts to your top presenter. A lot of great ideas are not considered because people don’t want to admit they don’t get it.
Make sure you can explain the basic value in about 20 seconds. People buy into what they can understand quickly. “The longer it takes you to explain value, the more people think you don’t have any.” Show how it will make the person(s) you are talking with look good personally. What’s in it for them?
Show the similarities first and differences second. The main reason people don’t want to change is that nobody wants to be a “senior beginner.” When things change, people are afraid their expertise will have less value—they may not be as important to the organization as they used to be. Show how the new way is similar to the old way first, and then the new way feels more valuable.

Our research showed that ideas have to be more than great. They have to get supported by humans as they make their way toward implementation. Some pretty weak agendas get moved forward because they are presented 10 times better than an agenda that was …well … 10 times better.

communication employee engagement leadership sales

The Mouth of Change | Employee Resistance to Change

Change is always the same. Change itself is not the issue; it’s the resistance to change that causes problems.

Many of us learned this growing up as we competed in sports, or for the attention of others. In the business world, the resistance is naturally strong when we explain our great reform is based on doing more with less. We tell our coworkers and even our bosses that the future is based on being more productive with fewer resources. (I don’t know about you, but I always dreamed the future would somehow involve physically doing less with much more cool stuff.)

We can attempt to cultivate buy-in by explaining how to be more productive and how to lessen the cost of that productivity, ultimately enabling us to wrap our fingers around that holy grail of business achievement: profitability. But let’s get real. All signs might point to profitability as a logical product of the changes being proposed, and yet logical humans need to see how a change in process will make them look good before they will give it their all.

Through our surveys of top professionals who serve as change agents, Wynn Solutions has noticed a critical first leg of the buy-in journey. (“Critical” and “first leg”? It sounds like change is limping already!) We found that top professionals who succeed in implementing change begin by tactfully explaining that the more people focus on making change work, the more value they have to the company.

Additionally, these professionals dealt with the good-old-days syndrome that prevents some people from creating their own future. You may have heard that to spread change through an organization, you have to prove to key players that the new way is at least as good as, if not better than, the old way. You might think you need to provide some physical evidence (data) and a couple of testimonials (people thought of as straight shooters saying positive things about the changes) as well.

However, if you want people to see it’s possible to succeed by doing more with less, you need to find or create change agents who will massively benefit from the change and who have an outstanding advocate network, great communication skills and “above all” really big mouths.

change management education leadership sales sales management

Motivational Quotes and Inspirational Memes

Motivational quotes and Inspirational Memes by Top Motivational Speaker Garrison Wynn Motivational Quotes

“The reason that obsessive worry has so little value, is because every problem comes with its own set of solutions.” – Garrison Wynn
“Money may not buy happiness; but its better than poverty that cannot buy anything. Happiness is an inside job and a real job!” – Garrison Wynn
“If you really love what you do, you need less rest to do it well. So it makes sense that being grateful for your job can give you energy.” – Garrison Wynn
“Worry is not the symptom of a problematic life; it’s the problem. Situations pass that make our lives difficult, it’s the worry that stay’s with us that makes us ultimately unhappy.”- Garrison Wynn
“To get rid of anger you can change the situation or change how you think about the situation.”- Garrison Wynn
“Anger management is being upset in an appropriate way.” – Garrison Wynn
“Being miserable is optional. There is always someone far less fortunate than you with a much better attitude.” – Garrison Wynn
“When the pain of what we are going through becomes greater than the fear of change… we change.” – Garrison Wynn
“Heroes and cowards feel the same fear; it’s the action that take that separates them.” – Garrison Wynn
“I cannot tolerate my bad behavior in another person for 10 seconds.” – Garrison Wynn
“Impatience has a poor track record for perfection. Getting things right usually includes calming down!” – Garrison Wynn
“The easiest way to maintain happiness is to lower your expectations of other people and raise them of yourself!” – Garrison Wynn
“If life keeps giving you lemons, its probably because you keep hanging out in the fruit section. Change creates opportunity.”- Garrison Wynn

Communication Quotes

“We are what we repeatedly do but we can be perceived by what we repeatedly say.”- Garrison Wynn
“It does not matter how smart you are if nobody knows what you are talking about.” – Garrison Wynn
“Companies are not driven by vision, they are driven by great leaders; be one and the vision shows up!” – Garrison Wynn
“When you focus on how people feel about what they are saying, you increase the level of true concern you have for others. You actually start to become the person you thought you were pretending to be… a true leader!” – Garrison Wynn
“Business friendly is the middle ground between being too cold and uncaring and the other extreme of being too familiar.” – Garrison Wynn
“The value of being silent: I never miss an opportunity to say nothing.” – Garrison Wynn
“I disagree with you but I’m willing to listen.” – Garrison Wynn
“In life, it’s important to walk the walk and talk the talk. Unfortunately, if we don’t control our talk, it can overshadow how well we walk.” – Garrison Wynn
“Without a repeatable process of communication in place, our assumptions shape our relationships. They limit our vision and reduce the impact of our knowledge and experience.” – Garrison Wynn
“You can’t change people but you can effect a change in them by changing your behavior.” – Garrison Wynn
“The truth will set you free; believability will give you credibility.” – Garrison Wynn
“If you criticize others’ ideas, they will almost never use yours no matter how good they are.” – Garrison Wynn
“Practice makes polish and polish makes money.” – Garrison Wynn
“No communication takes place until the other person feels heard.” – Garrison Wynn
“Helping people develop their own brilliance is much more effective than giving them yours.” – Garrison Wynn
“People buy-into what they can understand quickly. If it takes you a long time to make your point, most people think you don’t have one!” – Garrison Wynn
“Communication is like the basics of mechanical engineering, the more moving parts you have the more likely it is to break down!” – Garrison Wynn

Motivational Quotes for Sales

“When the customer is wrong, it is not a good idea to tell them.” – Garrison Wynn
“The longer it takes to explain value, the more people think you don’t have any.”- Garrison Wynn
“People buy from people they trust and they trust people they like.” – Garrison Wynn

Inspirational Quotes

“Asking for help takes a lot more guts and courage than pretending you don’t need any help.” – Garrison Wynn
“Positive thinking is not enough. Accept that life has obstacles and then plan a path around them as you keep the faith.” – Garrison Wynn
“Trying to change for others does not work very well. The way to make change really stick is to do for yourself.” – Garrison Wynn
“We seem to have a consistent unwillingness to be willing; and it takes a high level of motivation to achieve that lack of drive!” – Garrison Wynn
“Circumstances do not create the quality of your life.” – Garrison Wynn
“Connecting to your passion is being you, but better.” – Garrison Wynn
“Being stupid is not as frustrating as being brilliant for 5 seconds and then average for the rest of your life.” – Garrison Wynn
“Why is it we never seem to have enough time to do it right but we always have enough time to do it again?” – Garrison Wynn
“The only way to stay motivated is to continually motivate others.” – Garrison Wynn
“Don’t let the opinions of others define who you are; take them into consideration, make adjustments if necessary and then go be you!” – Garrison Wynn
“True wisdom is reached when you have made so many mistakes there is nothing left to do but succeed!” – Garrison Wynn
“If risk is the key factor to success and really smart people avoid it, you might not be dumb enough to succeed!” – Garrison Wynn

Leadership Quotes

“Its important that we do our job well, but we may not get the opportunity if we can’t learn to benefit from each other.” – Garrison Wynn
“People can’t give what they were never exposed to. Treat people the way you want them to treat others!” – Garrison Wynn
“When we look for differences instead of similarities, we create barriers for trust.” – Garrison Wynn
“Communication skills are the foundation of team work, allowing us to transfer a message of support and hope so we believe as a group that solutions are possible.” – Garrison Wynn
“The key to being able to communicate and benefit from each other is to truly see you own value. That will allow you to see it more clearly in others.” – Garrison Wynn
“A manager during change is like a sea captain, they need to get their ship together.” – Garrison Wynn

Success Quotes

“The true definition of treading water is controlled drowning.” – Garrison Wynn
“If you don’t have personal goals, you’re controlled by those who do.” – Garrison Wynn
“Change is an action not just an epiphany!” – Garrison Wynn
“Knowledge is not power; Implementation is power.” – Garrison Wynn
“Long-term success is the result of relationships built on a foundation of trust. People get more value from those they trust.” – Garrison Wynn
“Fear is a survival tool, not a handicap.” – Garrison Wynn
“The smartest people in the world are not in charge, they work for the action takers.” – Garrison Wynn
“Satisfaction may be the goal of the average person; but it is the enemy of greatness.” – Garrison Wynn
“Goals are like the gas in your car, you may go in many different directions after you fill up, but with out the gas you are not going anywhere.” – Garrison Wynn
“Action and adaptability create opportunity.” – Garrison Wynn
“Approach life talent first.” – Garrison Wynn
“Before you can have great employees you have to put them in a position to create their own future.” – Garrison Wynn
“You can’t lead by example if you are a bad example. If you stink at something, stop doing in front of everyone until you improve!” – Garrison Wynn
“Position yourself to succeed first by building good relationships with the right people; and then put your effort and expertise behind that!” – Garrison Wynn
“An organization will always be propelled by the talent and performance of its people. Getting great results comes directly from turning talent into performance.” – Garrison Wynn

Funny Motivational Quotes

“Most of us forget the basics and wonder why the specifics don’t work.” – Garrison Wynn
“All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage.”- Garrison Wynn
“Squirrels are just rats with good publicity.” – Garrison Wynn
“Taking accurate messages is the difference between copying and creative writing.” – Garrison Wynn
“90% of the people who don’t believe in statistics are wrong.” – Garrison Wynn
“We don’t have any real justice in the legal system, you never see a headline that reads, Billionaire Gets Death Sentence.” – Garrison Wynn
“After spending some time with my soul mate I have come to the conclusion that I may have something horribly wrong with my soul.” – Garrison Wynn
“If time heals all wounds, then why are there so many cranky old people walking around.” – Garrison Wynn
“Some people are “projectile stupid”. That means they have the influence to actually make others dumb. Be-careful; idiocy is contagious!” – Garrison Wynn
We jump out of airplanes for fun, yet are hospitalized because of worry. Stress is about what you believe, not what you experience. – Garrison Wynn
The way to make your dreams come true is to stop dreaming. Set a goal and take an action so your dreams can become reality. – Garrison Wynn
Being born brave is a myth. The real way heroes develop courage is by taking action while they are still afraid. – Garrison Wynn

Change is Mandatory…Stress is Optional

If it is always someone else’s fault, you can learn anything about yourself. – Garrison Wynn
In order to change, we have to be honest with ourselves about the benefits we are getting by staying stuck – Garrison Wynn
Introspection is only effective if you can accept what you find. – Garrison Wynn
Don’t let your negative thoughts stop your positive actions. Real confidence only shows up after you actually do something. – Garrison Wynn
Success is about the filter through which you view feedback. Turn criticism from others into the fuel for accomplishment. – Garrison Wynn
People with far less intelligence, opportunity and education than you have had great success. So…what are you waiting for? – Garrison Wynn
Most great discoveries happen in emergency situations. So if you are freaking out right now, congratulations, you’re on to something! – Garrison Wynn
Never delay the things that have to be done. If you know you’ll regret not doing it, do it right now! Most regret is avoidable. – Garrison Wynn
It takes more effort to worry about the future than it does to create one. Taking positive actions is the cure for negative thoughts. – Garrison Wynn
The best way to guarantee a successful future is to focus on what has to be done today. Build your tomorrow by living in the now! – Garrison Wynn
The key to career success is doing very little of what you do badly and a lot of what you do well. – Garrison Wynn
In order to have real influence people have to see their input in your solution. People are extremely motivated by their own ideas. – Garrison Wynn
There is never enough of what you think you need the most. Happiness is not an achievement, it’s a decision. Decide now! – Garrison Wynn
If you forgive the past, you can enjoy the present; and that is a great gift! – Garrison Wynn
If you have never failed it is impossible to feel the true joy of success. A win is very often built on the foundation of a loss – Garrison Wynn
Regret is predictable. – Garrison Wynn
If you don’t like what you have, its hard to like what you get. – Garrison Wynn
The problem with living in a vacuum is that it causes you to suck! – Garrison Wynn
Starting over may not be very easy; but it’s a lot easier than living with the knowledge that you never gave yourself a second chance. – Garrison Wynn
The biggest achievement in life is when you realize there is more to life than big achievements. Enjoy the people, not just the trophy. – Garrison Wynn
A good idea presented badly is called “A bad idea” You can’t kill if you don’t have the skill! – Garrison Wynn
Failure is just one phase in the creation of great success. Move through it with the best attitude possible and prepare to win. – Garrison Wynn
Life is like a video game; it gets tougher as you level-up, but focus and skill will win you better weapons that increase your success. – Garrison Wynn
Don’t listen to people who try to tell you that your circumstances determine your future. Destiny is something YOU create. – Garrison Wynn
If you don’t like what you have, its hard to like what you get. The ungrateful are never satisfied. – Garrison Wynn
Don’t let your behavior betray your skill. What flies out of your mouth often creates more influence than your expertise. – Garrison Wynn
Opening yourself up to the possibility of success, allows your negative thoughts to help you identify the obstacles. – Garrison Wynn
A positive attitude is not always easy to acquire. So, when you get one, you might want to hang on to it …..for the rest of your life. – Garrison Wynn
If you really want someone to see your value, make sure they see their input in your solutions. – Garrison Wynn
The first step to attracting better people and situations into your life is to take a real good look at your own behavior. – Garrison Wynn
The first step to attracting better people and situations into your life is to take a real good look at your own behavior. – Garrison Wynn
If you want to make sure that your feelings of failure are always temporary, then dedicate your life to never-giving-up. – Garrison Wynn
There is no such thing as a problem that does not have a solution. Just people who falsely believe they don’t’ have options. – Garrison Wynn
The first step to taking action often requires that you get honest with yourself about your laziness. – Garrison Wynn
Enjoy your life and try new things. Make sure you spend time living your life; not just analyzing it. – Garrison Wynn
If you are willing to do what you have to do, you are much more likely to get what you’ve always wanted. Effort = Happiness – Garrison Wynn
If your ideas are complicated, then you have very little influence, Simple is the new smart. – Garrison Wynn
The first step in being helpful to others is taking care of yourself. – Garrison Wynn
Life can never be so bad that giving up won’t make it worse. Hang in there; statistically, you’re best days are ahead of you. – Garrison Wynn
Don’t give up just because things look bad now. In the end, it all works out. If it hasn’t worked out yet….it’s not the end. – Garrison Wynn

Guest Speaker Conference Room Setup and Event Planning Suggestions

Conference room setup tips from professional guest speaker Garrison Wynn. With over 22 years experience and working with over 90 meeting planners per year, Garrison has unique perspective you might find valuable.

Managing Your Keynote Speaker

Before you call the Speaker: Planning

Speakers often keep a busy schedule and travel a great deal. Arrange a conference call at a set date and time with the speaker’s office. This way, you are sure to have your speakers full attention for at least an hour without dealing with constant interruptions.
Contact the speaker’s office at least three months in advance if possible. (Allow more time if your date is set in stone and your chosen speaker is in high demand.)
Have a clear topic and purpose for the keynote. If you are unsure, a seasoned professional speaker can help narrow things down for you and create a program that will wow your audience and make you look good at the same time.
Be able to describe your audience: demographics, job responsibilities, current strengths, weaknesses and issues of concern.
Have dates, location and the desired duration of the program if possible. The more details you can get “set in stone” with the speaker directly, the better!
Have a budget and be ready to discuss expenses such as airfare, lodging and meals depending on the structure of your agreement.

Securing a keynote speaker for your date

Some speakers will accept a temporary hold on their calendar for your event until you are ready to make a firm commitment. Others will require a contract and/or deposit before committing to speak at your event.

Preparing a keynote speaker for your event

Many speakers will provide you with a pre-program questionnaire once the date is booked and a contract is signed. It is important to return these forms promptly and discuss any questions you may have.
Book and confirm a hotel room for the speaker, preferably at the location of the event, and send them the confirmation. Guarantee late arrival for your speaker’s hotel room and check him in before he/she arrives. Check the room to make sure everything is in order. Arrange for direct billing to your organization. This eliminates paperwork for you after the event, and makes check-in and-out a painless experience.
Most speakers prefer to book their own airfare and will arrange transportation to and from the airport. If you are handling these details, make sure their are no time conflicts with the speaker’s schedule and send them all confirmations.
Arrange a conference call with the speaker as the event draws nearer to go over details and last minute questions.
Let the speaker know of any functions you would like him or her to attend (time permitting), the dress code for the event and provide them with an event agenda.

The Speaker at the event

Leave a message for your guest speaker to receive upon his/her check-in. Indicate your room number, or how he/she can get in touch with you when he/she arrives.
Prepare the audio/video crew for a microphone check with the speaker.
Make sure that the guest speaker’s introduction has been given to the person who will introduce him/her.
Instruct the introducer to deliver the introduction exactly as it was prepared by the speaker.
Ensure that the speaker’s name is spelled correctly on the printed program and on his/her name badge.

Hire A Funny Keynote Speaker To Boost Retention and Speaker Reviews

It is important to hire a funny keynote speaker, even when you are focused on content.

Content + Humor: A Full-on Fusion Boosts Your Meeting’s Success

You know your organization’s objectives for the meeting. You spend time and effort to create the perfect event to support those goals. And then a dry, boring speaker single-handedly makes sure that attendees carry away nothing of value… except maybe a few bottled waters.

In today’s work world, a funny speaker is crucial to your meeting’s success. Studies show that people acquire more information and are more likely to retain and implement what they hear if they laugh along the way. In recent years, advertisers, newscasters and educators have infused humor into their efforts to persuade, inform and instruct. They’ve realized that without original humor (not old, stale jokes), people just won’t tune in or pay close attention. Nothing against Walter Cronkite, but he just wasn’t funny– “and that’s the way it is!”

As we get busier and more distracted, it takes humor to grab an audience’s attention so the message can be delivered. Studies of college lecturers who use humor in the classroom indicate that humor positively affects attention, motivation and comprehension. Done right, humor also improves recall of the subject or idea being communicated. Combining good content with original humor is a must at today’s meetings.

Who hasn’t listened to some high-cost motivational speaker who wrote a fantastic book but who’s only halfway through the presentation before you realize the information would be really valuable if you could just stay awake for it? Who hasn’t checked the watch or phone as boredom sets in and been surprised to realize that 10 minutes was all the speaker needed to completely lose the audience?

Subjected to speakers like that, attendees who provide conference feedback will comment “I thought the information was good,” which is code for “The speaker was not!” When association members under age 45 are asked why they no longer attend the annual meeting in their industry, they often say, “Well, the speakers are boring and I can get that information online.” The speaker you choose for your event creates the impact and memorable experience you desire for your attendees. If studies show that effective teaching in college classrooms revolves around the connection established between the instructor and the student, then your event should be built around speakers who establish that connection and make the content memorable. Humor is key to both.

And yet, the combination of real business content and original humor is not always easy to find. Some speakers are mainly humorists who tell loads of funny stories with little relevance; other speakers who offer rock-solid content can really struggle to include humor that produces a laugh. Your best results will come from a speaker who understands that it’s not so much a balance of content and humor; it’s a full-on fusion of the two.

This kind of speaker uses funny stories that are on point; in fact, the humor exists to make the point. This kind of speaker makes sure that anecdotes and jokes provide a memorable context for information recall. There’s little comparison to speakers who rely on clownish humor that undercuts their authority. Frankly, silly doesn’t fly among VP types. Silly might attract attention but it doesn’t sell the message. It makes your event memorable for the wrong reasons.

It’s worth the search to find that speaker whose expert use of humor keeps your group engaged and taking notes on information they can use to forward their success. When your aim is to have people leave your event feeling informed and energized, forgoing the humor is no laughing matter.