Personality Development

Our characteristics behaviour and or patterns as well as or feelings and emotions make our personality.

Personality development is the overall growth of a person involving all spheres of an individual’s live professional, financial, social, mental, physical and spiritual.

When we meet someone for the first time, that person forms an instant impression of our best solely on our personality.  some of the advantages of an improved personality are as follows:

• Increased        approachability
• Vibrant Persona
• High moral and confidence
• Better interpersonal relationships
• Better communication skills and emotional stability
• An edge over competition as a result of a better personality

The first step to personality development starts with knowing ourselves.  if we know our strengths and weaknesses, we know exactly which limitations need to overcome and which trade can be used in our favour and strengthen further.

There are various tools that help us analyse ourselves.  this analysis not only gives us an opportunity to know ourselves but can also open new avenues to explore while looking for a job.

a person who knows himself well and understand where he is strength and weaknesses lie, is preferred over an ignorant person during the selection process for a vacancy.

one of the common tools for personality study is s w o t. ( strengths- weaknesses- opportunities-  threats) analysis. this self evaluating technique helps us to explore and understand our internal factors such as our strengths and weaknesses Any one state preferred potential threats to our success.

Everyone wants an impressive personality.  People constantly struggle to improve the way they look and present themselves before others in order to succeed.  however, it is also necessary to understand that it is quite important to focus on and improve the internal traits line attitude, and emotions, in order to become a better person. people who are well liked not only look good but are considered to be great human beings as well.

Therefore, personality development means stepping out of your comfort zones and made serious and genuine effort to improve yourself.

Focusing on the following steps can help you improve your personality:

• Become a good listener.  learn to listen attentively know what the other person is saying to you.
• Explore things that you would like to learn.  Expand your horizons because that will tell you open your mind.
• Try to engage in a good conversation as and when you get a chance.
• Form your own opinion and share them with others  to gain self-confidence.
• Make new acquaintances, especially those with a positive attitude.
• Learn to convert negative thought patterns into positive by developing a positive attitude.
• Develop a good sense of humour as it goes a long way in making a strong personality.  sense of humour also helps in dealing with adverse circumstances without getting fazed by them.
• Learn the values of honesty and integrity. These two traits are always appreciated.  Lying or comprising with your principles  then sometimes get you out of a difficult situation,but this traits  never help in the long run.
• Treat everyone like you want to treat by them. respecting others will get you a lot of respect. 

With a little determination and effort this suggestion can be easily incorporated into our personalities.

The first opinion that a person forms within the first few seconds of coming in contact with you is called the first impression.  first Impressions are a very useful tool for success in the professional world.  it helps the customer build faith and belief in your services and products. It was earlier believed that first impression is the last impression. However, the saying is not a cliché anymore and has modified to “first impression is a lasting impression.”

The first impression, if positive, results in long lasting partnerships and healthy working relationship that are great for business.

We cannot escape making an impression on others in face to face, telephonic, electronic, written, verbal, or any other form of communication.  there are many factors that contribute towards making a good or bad impression in the first contact. Let us see what factors contribute to making a good first impression.

 You may have the knowledge and the technical skill to succeed in what you do, however, your qualification and capability will not fetch you work if you do not succeed in creating a good first impression.

if you can learn how to modify your personality and make it better, creating a positive first impression will be cakewalk.  Let us see the factors that help our create first impression.

• Possessing excellent non verbal communication skills.
• Following proper grooming etiquette
• Introducing yourself with confidence and greeting      people warmly.
• Exchanging business cards professionally.

 Given below are a few factors that may be responsible for a bad first impression, especially when appearing for a job interview.  the good news is that there are ways for avoiding these in order to create a positive impact on people. Be wary of following occurrences:

• Falling ill on the day of the interview.
• Going for the interview with visible injuries.
• Having body piercings or visible tattoos. You
• Perspiration and having sweaty palms.
• Nervous ticks.
• Wearing casuals for an interview.
• Reaching the interview venue too early or too late.
• Wasting time while waiting for your turn
• Ignorance about the company.
• Bad handshake
• Bad small talk.

Let us now see what we can do to exude a positive attitude and showcase our  positive side.

Here are certain ways in which you can use non verbal communication to create a good impression on the interviewer/s.

Eye contact:  maintain good eye contact with the interviewers, but look away after every 10 seconds so as not to make them uncomfortable.

Facial Expression / Mouth :  A smile give a positive message and create a feel good factor.

Hand / Arm :  open arms with controlled movements are definitely preferred over fidgety  arms and hands.

Legs:  if you are a woman, cross your legs at the ankle and if you are a man keep them flat on the floor.

Body angle / body posture:   leaning forward a little and noting occasionally indicate that you are interested in what the other person is saying. Sit attentively neither loosely  nor to stiffly.

Proximity:  the appropriate distance between two people should be one foot.  If the distance is too much you might appear to be in different or the test and if it is too small comma you might make the other person uncomfortable or intimidated.

· Trousers must be worn with a belt. Contents of the pocket must not distort  the shape of the trousers. They should be well ironed comma with a short centre -crease.

· Shirt must be buttoned fully. Sleeve should not be rolled up.

· Tie should be conservative in colour and design.  it should be long enough to touch the belt buckle. Wear the tie clip( if at all) at the level of fourth button.

· A plane leather belt with a conservative buckle is the most appropriate option.

· Colour of belt and shoes should be same.

· shoes must compliment attire and should be of good quality leather.

· Flashy shoes are not to be worn.

· Shoes must be well polish and clean at all times and kept in a good state of repair.

· Dark, good quality and proper length socks should be worn.  your socks must be discarded if the elastic is loose.

· A clean, well laundered handkerchief should be carried.

In a job interview, we want to make sure that everything is perfect. We dress for success, arrive early, and go over our prepared interview answers. However, all of this can fall apart if you don’t give the right handshake with the interviewer.

There is a lot of debate as to how long we have before a first impression is formed, but what is certain is that our time is short. In a matter of seconds, the interviewer will form his or her impression of you, and this sets the tone for the rest of the interview.

 In a study by Greg Stewart of the University of Iowa in which students were rated by professional hand shakers, raters, and business representatives, students who scored high with their handshakes also scored higher with the business representatives as better “hires.” This illustrates how the right handshake gives an applicant a better chance to ace the interview. 

A person’s handshake, though not what is remembered most about a person, establishes how an interviewer forms his or her impression. If you want to make to a better first impression, here are some tips on how to give a better handshake.

Keep it dry – When you offer your hand to the interviewer, you don’t want that person to feel weird because of your sweaty palms. Keep your palms dry, and have a handkerchief with you to wipe your hands. You can also wash your hands a few minutes before the interview to help with sweaty palms.

Firm grip – One of the things that can ruin a handshake is a poor grip. When you shake hands, you should use a grip that is firm (though not overly firm).

Smile – A smile can help you remain calm and puts the other person at ease. Smiling at the interviewer shows that you are approachable.

Eye contact – Just like when you’re talking, shaking hands without eye contact shows disinterest. In both words and actions, you want the interviewer to know that you are interested in joining the company.

Keep it short – A good handshake only lasts 2 to 3 seconds. A long handshake will make the other person feel uncomfortable.

In an interview, you want everything to be just right. It is important to set the tone right at the start of the interview. Don’t ruin your impression—and your chances of getting the job—with a bad handshake.

Are your customers raving about you on social media? Share their great stories to help turn potential customers into loyal ones. 

1. Start with a smile on your face & give details about Name, Place after greeting.
2. If necessary only add your family details.
3. Tell about your educational details.
4. Share about why you want to do JOB so.
5. About your Project in Brief.
6. The person who inspired you a lot.
7. Then about your intrests/hobbies.
8. Also how you will spend your time when you are free.
9. Tell about skills.
10. Then conclude by saying THANKS to the Person who is listining to you. 

Here are the top 7 skills team members should develop so that they can succeed effectively as a team: 

There is a time to talk and a time to listen and the time to listen comes twice as often as the time to talk. We can often find ourselves so concerned about what we have to say that we never really hear what the person is saying. Instead of focusing on what they are trying to convey we are thinking about what we are going to say next, in which time we've missed their entire point. 

Each team member has to evaluate what they are truly willing to sacrifice and then continue to be willing when the time comes that they are asked to sacrifice it. It could be everything from time, to resources, to positions of power. 

 What one person knows maybe the key to another person's problem. We have to be willing to share those keys even when it will make someone else look better. 

When there are problems or successes a team has to be willing to communicate effectively what went right and wrong. It is important to analyze issues that you have in a project or as a team but it is also important to analyze your successes. 

It is so important that you have an established habit of speaking in an uplifting way. If you are at all demeaning or domineering or insulting it will grind the team to a halt. People will still be willing to sacrifice, share and discuss just not with every member of the team. Meaning that the team just became rivals. 

Team members have to be willing to work hard on an individual basis and then turn that hard work over to the team so that as a whole you can make your work meaningful and achieve a greater goal. 

Everyone should be encouraged to exchange, defend and then eventually rethink their ideas. You have to love your idea but
Teamwork takes individual work for a collective good that ultimately increases the good everyone receives. These skills are a basic list but that will help you start now to be a better team with greater success.  

Advancing in your career in a purposeful way requires a sense of self-awareness and the knowledge that you will be the one to make it happen 

When plotting your career path, Klaus said it helps to think of yourself as a brand, and as such, you need to understand not only the passion you’ll bring to the job for eight hours every day but also how you are perceived by others.

Here are seven tips to get started:

Assess your soft skills and your hard skills. Our knowledge and technical skills are the hard skills. The soft skills are everything else, such as your ability to communicate, manage others, be politically savvy and manage your emotions. Let’s say you’re a computer programmer, and you also enjoy mentoring younger staff. That’s an example of using both your hard and soft skills.” The skills assessment will also reveal if you lack sufficient training or education for your desired career path.  Before investing in additional education, you’ll know exactly what’s needed. 

To see yourself the way others do, it’s important to get feedback. People love to give you their opinions. Go to a boss or colleague and say, ‘I really want to improve; could you tell me what I do well and what you think I don’t do well?

Think about what you want to be able to say about you position after you leave it. Everything you do in your job goes back to what you want to accomplish during your tenure—and that not only helps you personally develop your career goals, but you also have to translate that to how it will benefit the company.

Polishing your brand, or image, involves working on how you present yourself. “Make sure you have what we call an ‘executive presence,’ which we describe as the ability to communicate and act with both warmth and strength. “This applies not just to executives, but to everyone.” In doing so, you will convey confidence and expertise in your field. 

Maintaining an online presence is important in getting your brand noticed, so keep your resume or profile current on networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. “You want your resume and cover letter to be picked out of the pile.” Also, make sure your online presence is professional. “No racy photos or inappropriate comments. Make sure that wherever you are online, you are represented the way you want to be.” 

Develop a timeline outlining your desired career moves, add in your salary requirements, and determine what you are willing to do to achieve your goal, Would you move or accept more hours, for instance? “Decide what success looks like to you,” she added. “Then you can decide whether to seek another role in the company or look elsewhere.” 

The most successful negotiators are able to demonstrate the benefits that will come back to the company in exchange for the increased responsibilities or salary they are requesting, “Think about your timing and what’s going on in the company before you ask.” 

Running a holiday sale or weekly special? Definitely promote it here to get customers excited about getting a sweet deal.  An ideal time to broach the possibility of advancement is during a performance review. “That’s absolutely a time to discuss career goals and ask what the boss thinks you should do to move up.” Outside of a performance review, unless a position you desire opens up, asking too often for a promotion can actually be detrimental, but in the end, you do have to ask.  Investing in your human capital can pay off in a bigger paycheck or in a more satisfying job that better suits your personality. The definition of a successful career is different for everyone, but if you’re willing to do the work, results will follow. “Ask, ‘What do I really want to have in my life?’” You really have to be honest with yourself with what you want.” 

Types of Interviews :

There are a variety of types of interviews that employers may conduct, including behavioral interviews, group interviews, phone and video interviews, second interviews, and even interviews held during a meal. Review the different types of interviews, along with tips on how to interview effectively, regardless of the situation you're in. 

Research the Employer
Visit the company’s website and access any available company literature.  Know the services, products and mission of the employer. Learn as much as you can about the company prior to going to the interview

Research the Position
Find out as much as you can about the position & the requirement of the company that is hiring. Analyze the position description, matching your experiences, interests, and abilities to the position.  Talk with people who have worked in similar positions and research the salary range that is typical for the position. 

Know Yourself
Know your resume inside and out, be able to discuss comfortably your qualifications, skills and abilities, and your personal goals and values.  Write down your accomplishments and prepare  concrete and specific examples of these.  Anticipate questions that may be asked of you. 

Know the Interview Format Ahead of Time
It is a good idea when scheduling an interview with an employer to ask with whom you will be interviewing, how long should you plan for the interview and what kind of format will it follow.  Discovering this will help you prepare for and visualize your interviewing experience.

Make a List of Questions to Ask
The questions you ask may reveal your level of interest in the position, the employer, and your preparedness for the interview.  Ask questions that demonstrate a genuine interest in and knowledge of the company and position. 

Salary negotiation is the last step in the job search process. Generally, salary is determined by several criteria: your education, experience, previous offers, salary history, and the organization's needs. When your position is one that generates revenue, the amount of revenue it generates is often a factor in determining the salary as well. 

In some cases, a salary figure may be offered early in the interviewing process; in others, a firm financial policy may exist for new employees. You may only be able to accept or reject the job and salary offer. More frequently, however, you will have an opportunity to negotiate a salary. Your knowledge of competitive salaries in the field can be a real advantage to you.

A comprehensive discussion of compensation and benefits includes:

Compensation: salary and when appropriate, commissions

When and how work is evaluated (timing of performance appraisals and standards used to determine salary increases and bonuses)

Health, retirement, and life insurance benefits

Vacation, paid holidays, and sick time

Administrative support: support staff, office, orientation and training, resources such as consultants, computer hardware and software

Professional development: continuing education and training (e.g., tuition allowances, membership in professional associations, travel to conferences)

Miscellaneous: expense account, clubs, moving/relocation costs

Job-related expenses (If an employer cannot offer you a salary which meets your requirements, she or he may be able to offset some or all of the difference by covering job-related expenses that are usually absorbed by the employee.)

Research to determine the starting salary range for the position. You may be able to obtain specific information by calling the Human Resources Department and inquiring about the job grade and associated salary range.

It's OK to mention that you have interviews at other companies, but don't try to force a favorable decision."

You landed the job interview you impressed them with your credentials, skill set and enthusiasm, and now you've been called back for a second interview. You know they want to hire you.

The problem is, you'd like more money than they're prepared to offer. How do you persuade the decision-makers to offer you a higher starting salary without taking yourself out of the running for the job?

It's all in the preparation, attitude and presentation. Here are eight tips to negotiate a higher starting salary.

1- Do your research

Learn as much as you can about the pay scale of the company that wants to hire you. Find out the industry average, as well. You may aspire to a career in scheduling at a major airline, but if the company's practice is to hire from within, you might need to accept an entry-level position. Union constraints may limit any flexibility on salary levels, no matter how many university degrees you have.

As part of your research, you need to have a clear idea of what your minimum salary expectations are. Do the math in advance and decide what your deal-breaker point is. There's no point wasting your time -- and the company's -- interviewing for a low-paying job in a company or industry that may not be able to offer the wages you need.

2- Don't tip your hand

Leave the salary expectation question blank on application forms, and don't mention a specific salary level in your cover letters. You want to get past the paper screening into the "to be considered" file without anyone thinking your anticipated salary is too high. You also don't want to lock yourself into accepting an offer of $60,000 per year if the decision-makers had budgeted up to $80,000 to fill the vacancy.

3- Understand your value

Consider whether you are in a position of power. If you're in high demand elsewhere, you have leverage. Draw attention to it, but be careful not to emphasize it too much. Avoid acting overly confident or cocky. It's OK to mention that you have interviews at other companies, but don't try to force a favorable decision.

4- Let the company bring up the salary negotiation issue

Avoid being the first to propose a salary figure. Tell them you're interested in a mutually rewarding career with the company and you're sure you can agree on an acceptable compensation package. If you're backed into a corner, introduce your salary range, but make it clear that it is "up for discussion." Don't ramble on. Say what you have to and then be quiet and listen.

5- Emphasize the benefits of your skills

When you talk about your last job, describe your accomplishments. Quantify your successes in terms of cost savings, increased productivity and overall contribution to the company. This will help the interviewers recognize the benefits of having you join their team, and will help boost the salary offer. If you earned performance bonuses or incentive awards, mention those so that you'll be viewed as an achiever, well worth top dollar.

6- Don't blink

Listen to how the offer is presented. When the interviewer or prospective new boss states a salary figure, nod your head to signify you're considering it, but keep quiet. If they're low-balling you, the figure could make a quick jump in those few moments of consideration.

7- Be reasonable

From your research, you know the offer is low. What do you counter at? If you choose 10%, you may have to accept a saw-off at 5%. Don't be confrontational. It's a calculated risk to walk away from a job offer. They might call you back with a revised starting salary or they might just close your file and hire someone else if they feel you've been greedy, arrogant or overly demanding.

8- Be flexible

If you want this job, consider agreeing to start at the salary level they're offering, so long as they offer additional bonuses for specific accomplishments. Be prepared to define them. Money is important, but consider the complete compensation package. Negotiate other perks and benefits and get them in writing. Ask about the frequency of potential salary increases. As with any negotiation, your goal is to create a win-win situation.

believe in yourself

Sometimes the only way you can get a higher starting salary is by being actively sought for your position. Other times, you may have to demonstrate that you have the exact skills the company needs and, if you play your cards right, you may land the job you want at a salary level beyond your dreams. 

First Impression is the Last Impression  - This phrase is very true for new comers as well as experienced people.

Curriculum Vitae / Bio Data is representing you to the clients , companies who are seeking for employees. Based on your strength of your CV, consulting firms, companies shortlists you and look forward for an interview.

Your CV will look far more attractive if you can convince the employers that you have the qualities they require. Your CV could be your ticket to an interview. Think about what particular employers want, and how you will be an asset to their company. On average an employer spends two minutes reading a CV, so avoid long detailed paragraphs. The employer may only read the first page, or even the first few paragraphs to get a feeling of who you are and what you can do for them. This means that the most important information should at the top of your CV.

Make your CV clear, with a simple yet easy to follow layout, showing all the important facts about your skills, employment history and education. You should target your CV at every specific job you apply for. However you should send a more general CV to a recruitment agency which can be sent to a variety of employers. Layout Guidelines (up to 2 A4 pages of attractively presented information is standard):

1. The first thing is the document title, Curriculum Vitae, followed by your name. This should be in bold with a lager font, but not too big.

2. Your address, contact details should be neatly presented, with date of birth, nationality and marital status also possible here.

3. Brief Personal Profile: This will be about 3 to 4 lines of text giving a brief overview of your key skills and attributes, and perhaps your objective regarding such a position. Be concise, try to appear interesting and professional to the reader. It will encourage them to read on.

4. Work experience (employment history) starting with your current or most recent job first, then go backwards through your career. State the company name, job title and the period you worked there. Begin by listing your duties and responsibilities. Be specific and detail only what is relevant to the new position (up to 5 or 6 duties). List specific achievements such as finishing a job/project ahead of schedule, or learning a new skill. List any industry training and qualifications you gained while in that employment. Employers like to see employees who learn and respect new skills. If you are a graduate, you should list some work experience. This can show that you have worked in a company and can be a team player.

5. Education: Briefly list your school qualifications, college certificate/diploma and university degree giving dates, location and exam results. Again start with your highest level or most recent training first, then go backwards through your education.

6. Additional skills: List your important everyday skills such as some IT skills, programs used, professional skills, languages. Perhaps provide some evidence of where you have used them.

7. Interests: Employers are usually more interested in activities which require you to show team commitment or personal initiative and drive.

8. References/Referees: Write 'References available on request' if you prefer that the employer asks your permission before writing or ringing them up. Referees can be personal or professional, though professional referees are much better.

9. Do not expect to produce a great looking CV at your first attempt. You may need to make a few drafts. Make sure your grammar and spelling are correct. Make sure the font and style is the same throughout keeping it consistent. Microsoft Word contains a variety of CV templates that ensure details are presented clearly and effectively. Show your CV to someone whose advice you trust and listen to what they have to say. Welcome constructive criticism. Print your CV using a laser printer on good quality paper. When sending CVs via email, it's important to include them as attachments rather than in the body of the email.

10. Now that you've created a good CV, you need an equally good quality covering letter to convince the employer to look closely at your CV.

Microsoft Word contains a variety of CV templates that ensure details are presented clearly and effectively.

File > New > Templates > Select 'Other Documents' in the dialogue box that appears and select one of the resume wizards. 

Life is precious as well choosing a career is also very important to establish well in life. Choosing your career is an important step because your future is at stake. It is generally observed that a large section of students are unaware of what they want to achieve in life. This amounts to a situation like boarding a train without knowing one's destination. Undoubtedly it may result in waste of precious time as well as money.

This underscores the need for setting a meaningful and attainable goal. In taking such a decision one must keep in mind one's qualification, interests, knowledge, experience, if any, attitude, potentialities, and existing trends in the job market. Knowing your weakness and strength enables you to set a meaningful and attainable goal.

What is difference between Sales & Marketing ? 

Marketing is the first & broad step to make sales effective. before making sales marketing plan is prepared and when marketing plan is prepared, 4 P's i.e. ( Product, Price, Place & Promotion) are used to make marketing effective.

Sales of goods is done when buyers buy those goods as per their willingness to buy. 

• Don’t do the bulk of your business prospecting during prime business hours. Often the call that is placed at 8AM or 6PM will be received by a decision-maker that has more time to talk. And don’t under-estimate the value of leaving voice mail messages at night. These will be the very first messages that your prospect will hear in the morning, thereby increasing the odds of them placing a returned call.
   
• If you want to present products and services that are of value to the prospect and that meet their needs, you have to ASK questions. Ask the right questions and the prospect will tell you what they want and how they need to be sold.
   
• Too many sales reps launch into a conversation by discussing the features of their products and services.      Features never sold anyone. The only thing that a prospect cares about is what these features will do for them. In other words, speak in terms of benefits and your prospect will be more pre-disposed to listening to your presentation.
   
• There’s no magic bullet. Prospecting takes time and if your sales pipeline isn’t always filled with prospects in various stages of being worked, then you are in for a future sales slump.
   
• Don’t underestimate the power of faxes. In these days of email, faxes have taken a back seat. Because of      that, faxes get noticed. Carefully position faxes as part of your prospecting efforts.
   
• Give a prospect something for nothing. An article that would be of interest and value, information that you received online etc. and transferred to the prospect with a note "just thought you might be interested in this" indicates that you are thinking of them and wish to be a resource.
   
• Periodically tape-record a random sampling of your cold calls. Listen to the tape and assess your tone and voice. How did you sound? Would you want to speak with a person who sounds like you? What about your words? Were they clear and benefits oriented. Taping gives you the opportunity to self-correct your presentation.
  
  
•  Follow-up and follow-through are keys to prospecting success. Just like gardening, if you don’t water the seeds, the garden will languish. And so it is with prospecting… if you don’t remain in contact, you will never break through.
  
  
• Pace yourself. Prospecting is a very time-consuming and arduous task. Allocate a specific amount of time each day (week?) and keep to the schedule. It is always easy to put something ahead of the prospecting activity but make an appointment with yourself and don’t break it.
   
• Last but definitely not least, maintain a good sense of humor. Make the prospect smile and you’re halfway      there!