Chris Stout asked:


College is mental gymnastics at its finest. University campuses are alive with ideas, some scientifically provable, others entirely arguable. When you exist in this sphere of swirling minds you can’t help but feel energized by the exchanges you encounter. People all around you have something to say. Positions and postures come in all sorts of varieties. Questions are answered by questions that prompt more questions.

In this intense minefield of knowledge and half-knowledge, you need to have your wits about you. You need to be confident in your critical thinking abilities, and you have to be passionately willing and able to improve them.

Here are five ways to exercise your brain and stay academically athletic.

1. Discuss ideas outside of the classroom with intelligent people who enjoy a good debate.

College is a place for spirited arguments. When else are you going to have the opportunity to drink and discuss philosophy, economics, metaphysics, religion, politics and history on a nightly basis? Molten minds are forming all around you, and as the cerebral rocks cool, everyone wants to share. Get in on the debate, put in your two cents, no, better yet say a nickel’s worth. College is an open forum for any an all topics. Take advantage of it while you can.

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2. Take classes that intrigue you.

Nothing spurs analysis like interest. If you want to trick your brain into thinking that it’s in hobby mode, not study mode, and then you better be passionate about your subject matter. There must be something that you find fascinating. Whatever it is, enable that curiosity. Tap into genuine interest, and school work will start to feel instantly rewarding. By following your personal preferences, you’ll be able to delve more deeply into the material you study.

3. Take notes like your life depended on it.

Seriously. When you try to create a written historical record of your lecture, in real-time, the results are amazing. You focus more one what’s going on in the moment. You associate the information you process with audio and visual imprints. You have a concise record of everything you were exposed to, and you can review this material quickly and completely. Don’t forget to take notes as you read, and write all over your books!

Do your homework like you’re supposed to and come to class prepared. Subject-specific critical thinking is all about recalling information. The more ways you imprint, the more you retain. Make sure you like your classes, because you’re going to be asked to digest mass quantities of whatever material you’ve signed up to absorb. Talk about what you’ve learned with friends and classmates, but don’t get in fights over the periodic table. Respect everyone else’s opinion, but express your own. Realize that no matter what, there’s always more to learn

Chris Stout asked:


Communicating in college is crucial. You have to be able to voice your opinions clearly and effectively on a daily basis. Here five tips for sharpening your communication skills in college.

1. Speak up

If no one can hear you, it won’t matter what you say. Make your points like you mean it. Clear your throat and address the class confidently. Be certain that you’ve thought for a moment before you opening your mouth. Once you’ve mentally organized what it is you want to say, execute the verbal expression of your thoughts as clearly as possible. Don’t go overboard with the volume (you don’t want to be a disturbance), but be sure that you can be heard by everyone.

2. Outside of the classroom, practice reading aloud to someone.

This tactic works wonders. When you read aloud to someone, you practice so many things. You get to hone your ability to speak loud and clear. You gain comfort you’re your ability to vocalize the text, and you can calm any concerns you may have about speaking in public. This latter part is why you have to take turns reading aloud to another person. Reading aloud by yourself is too easy. With another person present, the reading becomes a practical presentation.

3. Become well-informed.

Do you are homework as instructed, and read the assignments before you get to class. Communicating in your classes is difficult when you haven’t properly prepared. The more informed you are, the more pertinent you analysis will be. Don’t just speak so that you can hear yourself talk, have something valuable to say. The more work you’ve done, the more comfortable you will feel expressing your ideas.

4. Have educated debates outside of class.

Discuss what you are learning with others, and let others share what they have learned. You are not going to be able to take every single class that you want, so learn form other peoples experiences. Ask questions and exchange ideas. Practice articulating your positions in a comfortable environment. This way, when it’s time for you to speak up in class, you’ll have already had experience articulating you thoughts out loud.

5. Meet your professors during office hours.

If you want a better handle on the material you’re studying, go see your professor during office hours, You’ll learn added insights and extra contexts. You’ll be able to frame your ideas more effectively, because you will have added familiarity with the subjects you are studying. If you can debate your professors in their office, you can certainly voice your opinions in class.

Take college as an opportunity to hone your communication abilities. Practice writing, arguing, sharing and defending your ideas outside of class so that you can be a more effective communicator during section and lectures.

Jonathan Senior asked:

Being a new manager In the UK at least, people tend to be promoted on the basis of technical knowledge rather than management skill.

Quite often you hear from ex soccer players who have gone from playing to managing say that it is a big change going from “one of the lads” to telling someone they aren’t in the team for the cup final.

So how can a new manager get started with a management career without alienating previous colleagues and friends?

1. Remember the relationship has changed forever and there is no going back. People will look to YOU to bail them out of problems.

2. Don’t go mad celebrating. Some colleagues may have failed miserably at the interview or even worse, may not have been given an interview.

3. Think about how you talk to these people and how they reply. Depending on the nature of your workplace, shouting over the office may no longer be acceptable. You might have a desk or even move offices completely. Never under estimate the power a desk or office move!

4.Think about how and where you socialise with people who still do your old job. Getting drunk every Saturday night is probably not all that clever if you want respect on Monday morning (but that depends on the jo you do…)

5. Try to sport when they are testing you. Like it or not, people you used to sit alongside will try to test you out. Will you let everyone go home early the day before the holidays start? Who will cover the office if you do?

6. Work out a plan to deal with being “tested”. Your new staff will “test” you – work out (even subconsciously) how far they can push you. You must work out how to cope with this or they will take control from day 1. You could pick several issues which you will not move on. These could include, office cover after 5pm or maximum number of tea breaks. Don’t tell anyone what these are though and they won’t work you out as quick.

7. Make sure your subject matter knowledge is up to date. “If you don’t know something, know where to look” You will get tested on this also.

8. Praise in public, criticise in private. This is basic and you will need to be on your guard not to be drawn into a public debate or discussion on a controversial subject or one you are not confident discussing.

9. Don’t take everything on yourself This is easier said that done (especially if the ). Pause a while- (if the vacancy HAS been there some time, another couple of days won’t make much difference. If you work out what needs to be done BEFORE jumping in, YOU are likely to remain sane and healthy rather than buckling under the pressure with a few weeks.

Being a new manager is exciting, daunting but very rewarding. To summarise,the key thing is managing the changing relationship between yourself and your former colleagues.

Nick Moreno asked:

“Selling Skills … Make Closing A Sale Automatic.”

By Nick Moreno – Sales Trainer & Head Sales Coach

The National Sales Center

There are well-defined moments in the sales process when you absolutely must ask for the order. You can’t afford to have these precious moments slip through your fingers but unfortunately, that’s exactly what happens to too many salespeople. I have some advice that will protect you from becoming one of those salespeople. The key is to make closing automatic and you do that by knowing exactly when you must ask for an order.

“Always Be Closing”

Unfortunately, too many salespeople were mislead into believing that “Always Be Closing” represents the “ABCs” of salesmanship. Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. You can’t always be closing because asking for an order is only one of the steps in the sales process. At a minimum, before you ask for an order you need to establish some rapport with your prospect, uncover a need for your product and present your solution. “Always Be Colsing” may sound great in a movie but it is meaningless when you’re in your sales territory, attempting to sell something to someone.

Often, salespeople that think they should always be closing are, in reality, never closing. These salespeople do not understand the sales process because if they did, they would know when and how to ask for an order. Well-trained professional salespeople don’t have these problems because they follow a well-defined sales process. These professionals know exactly when the only thing left to do is close the business.

Fear Of Closing

I also work with another group of salespeople in my sales training programs that need help with their closing skills. These sales reps need to overcome their fear of closing. After all, you can’t be sales rep and have a fear of closing, just as you can’t be an electrician and have a fear of electricity! Salespeople close and if you are not closing you’re not a salesperson… you are just a conversationalist. Salespeople that fear closing just keep talking and hopelessly praying that at some point, the prospect will ask for an order form to sign. Guess how often that happens?

In my work, I’ve uncovered many factors that cause some salespeople to fear closing. Some sales reps don’t want to face the moment of truth. Other salespeople fear they may appear “pushy”. There are also other salespeople that assume, without any data to support their assumption, that the prospect is not ready to sign an order. I help these salespeople by making closing an automatic reflex reaction to certain events in the sales process. When closing is automatic, you don’t even have to think about it. You automatically ask for the business. This process helps most salespeople overcome their fear of closing.

Initial Close

At some point in the sales process, you’ll ask your prospect a series of questions to uncover a need for your product or service. You’ll then present your product and explain how the product addresses the needs you’ve uncovered. Once you’ve presented all the benefits your prospect with gain by using your product, you must close. You must ask for the order at this point in the sales process. Don’t think about it … just close.

Since this is the first time you’ve asked your prospect for the order, this closing attempt is called the Initial Close. Your prospect has two possible reactions to your Initial Close. Your prospect will either give you the order or give you an objection. Obviously, if you get the order, you’ve accomplished your goal. On the other hand, if you get an objection, you still have some work ahead of you.

Overcoming Sales Objections

It is not end of world if you get some objections after your first closing attempt. In fact, you probably will get some objections after your Initial Close. Most prospects feel it is their duty to have some objections for the person attempting to sell them something. So relax and don’t panic. Now that the objection has surfaced, you just moved one step closer to the order. Keep in mind that an objection is not rejection. An objection is only a request for more information. Your prospect is confused and unclear about something you said or something you failed to mention. By addressing the sales objection, you give your prospect new and additional information. Armed with the new information, your prospect is able to develop a new and favorable opinion about their decision to purchase your product.

Objections should not be ignored and must be answered in a way that completely salifyes the prospect. The salesperson should not get defensive or start debating the prospect. The goal is not to win an argument. The goal is to get the order.

The “No More Objections” Close

Once all objections have been successfully addressed, you must close the prospect and ask for the order. As with the Initial Close, don’t even think about it and make this closing attempt an automatic part of your sales process. I refer to this closing attempt as the “No More Objections Close”. Once the prospect runs out of objections, the salesperson must ask for the order. Don’t think about it … just close.

Salespeople should always be direct and confident when closing a sale. The salesperson’s confidence makes the prospect confident about the decision to purchase. All objections have been successfully addressed and the salesperson must confidently assume the prospect is ready to do business.

Also, you must remain silent after you ask for an order. The prospect must be the next one to speak. There could be an uncomfortable pause while the prospect thinks about the final decision. If you interrupt that pause, you greatly diminish your probability of receiving the order. That’s why this is called strategic selling.

When You Must Close The Sale

As you now see, there are two moments in the sales process that call for a closing attempt. The first attempt is after you’ve presented the benefits of your product. The second time is after all objections have been successfully addressed. Implement this process and make closing automatic.