Last Week Training Magazine posted an article written by SNI’s John Buelow. Read below for a brief excerpt and find the full article here:  http://www.trainingmag.com/3-benefits-making-role-play-part-training   Benefits of Role-Play Here are just a few of the benefits of making role-play a part of your business training: 1. Build confidence: When your team role-plays, you can throw any number of situations at them. Role-playing provides a safe environment to encounter these scenarios for the first time, which builds confidence in team members that can help them in their day-to-day roles. 2. Develop listening skills: Good role-playing requires good listening skills. In addition to understanding the words the other person is saying, it’s important to pay attention to body language and non-verbal clues. Better to have your team develop these skills while role-playing than when they’re trying to perform in the real world. 3. Creative problem-solving: No matter how outlandish a situation you create in a controlled environment, generally, something even more bizarre is bound to happen on the job. Role-playing will at least give your team the chance to get some experience in handling difficult situations and in developing creative problem-solving skills.

Negotiating skills will propel you quite far in any business deal, but unless you know how to close the sale - and these days we are all salespeople of one sort or another - then your negotiating skills will all come to naught. By supplementing your negotiating skills with several powerful tools, you can better demonstrate to potential buyers that your business provides exactly the high quality, well-vetted services that they require. When you truly learn to close a sale, not just complete the negotiations on an easy deal, your business will truly take off.   Treat Every Prospect Like a Buyer Sometimes, as a negotiation comes to its close, it will start to become clear that the person sitting in front of you doesn’t think they have the power or standing to close the deal - or they do have that power and are being evasive. No matter what a prospective client is articulating about their ability to personally close the deal, continue to treat them like a buyer. Treating every prospect like a buyer ensures that you are making your most clear and convincing pitch, and is the easiest way to get to yes, even when the client is reluctant. Build a Strong Portfolio One of the most convincing arguments you can make for closing the deal is one you don’t personally have to make at all. Each time you successfully close a deal, ask the client to write your company an endorsement. A portfolio that demonstrates various successful negotiations proves to a prospective client that you can truly deliver the services proposed. This can help increase the trust relationship between you and the potential client and your portfolio will close the deal for you. Focus on Value Gaps  The main reason you are in the room participating in a negotiation with a potential client is that they are facing some sort of gap in their business that they are hoping your company can fill. Rather than harping specifically on services, pay attention to the types of value your client is losing by not providing a certain service. By articulating ways your company can add value, rather than a single concrete service, you are more likely to tie up the ultimate concerns of the negotiation. Sensing the Close of a Deal  How can you tell when it is time to close the deal? There are certain signs to look for in the language and body postures of your client that indicate they are ready to say yes. When they are ready to close, the client will likely ask questions about the project end, such as asking how long until the service is delivered, or they may verbally propose ways of using your service. When you see these signs, try for the assumptive close. This style of close takes yes as the given and moves towards getting the final confirmation of specifications, payment, and delivery information.

  The Sochi Olympics came with the stories of great success and triumph achieved by overcoming significant obstacles. The global group of athletes represented at the 2014 games devoted their lives to achieving athletic excellence, but the focused habits that got them to Sochi also translate to the boardroom. These Olympian practices can help you capture the gold as a leading businessperson. Break It All Down Olympians don’t wake up one day able to complete a triple axel or race down the giant slalom. No, these skills are the result of years of dedicated practice during which outstanding athletes break down their larger goals into smaller, more easily achievable steps. The same idea applies to getting that big client or launching a successful IPO. Try approaching problems as smaller tasks; accomplishing each one will make you feel more capable and confident and help create the sense that you are moving towards that ultimate achievement. Every Interaction Counts Olympians are expert image builders. These outstanding athletes know how to work the media and they recognize that every interaction with the press contributes to shaping their overall image - this is how every business should approach the media. It’s not just formal press conferences or official interviews that count towards how your business appears in the public eye, but how well you can present yourself when those interactions are a surprise. Managing Team Conflict National Olympic teams are not typically made up of people who train together all the time and who have rapport to see them through conflict. These teams are typically made up of individuals who are more often competitors than teammates, and that can lead to conflict. An Olympic team, just like the teams internal to any business, must learn to manage conflict if they are to succeed. Successful business leaders understand how to negotiate with team members, work through tensions and competition, and focus on shared goals. Business leaders must also function like team captains, acting as the mediators between other teammates to prevent the team from disintegrating. Keep an Eye on the Competition Every Olympian hopes to come home with the gold, but to strive for that ultimate goal, peripheral vision is key. What is your competition doing, and is it giving them an edge? Similarly, business leaders should always know what the close competition is doing when it comes to business strategy, advertising, and more. This knowledge allows your brand to adopt techniques that are successful for the competition and can help keep your company ahead of the curve, moving swiftly towards that corporate medal stand.

The infographic below details differences in negotiation by gender. Negotiation avoidance comes with a high cost both at work and in personal life. Missed opportunities or settling for what one is given results in a continual trend that can compound and get bigger through life. Habits are hard to break, but through exposure to the issue and education, there is hope to correct the trend.  

Join us in welcoming SNI’s interns for the 2014 Spring semester! Trevin Jaggars Trevin’s main job at SNI is to assist Ron Shapiro on projects and help with any research and writing proposals. He is in grad school at Georgetown for sports industry management.  His favorite dessert is cheesecake and he even writes poems! His current career goal is to get a full time position with a sports team or company. Dimetria Jenkins Dimetria is our fiance and accounting girl. She is a senior business major with accounting and finance concentrations. On her birthday, she’d love to eat either tiramisu or crème brulee.  She knows how to play the saxophone and is a great chef and baker! Before continuing on to get her MBA and other certifications, she is hoping to gain some work experience in the accounting and finance industry.  Matthew Legg Matt is a second year law student at the University of Maryland School of Law and is a legal intern this Spring at SNI.  On his birthday, his favorite dessert is yellow cake with chocolate icing (and plenty of those thick icing balloons…).  He took an independent study in college on 3D animation, and knows how to create basic digital animations.  After he graduates from law school and passes the bar exam, he’s hoping use his law knowledge foundations and experience to further establish his career path. Glen Rock Glen is our marketing guy. He helps with social media, blogs, email campaigns and other creative tasks. His favorite birthday dessert is a brownie fudge sundae and for fun he wakeboards and snowboards! He is a Senior at Towson University studying Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.  His current career goal is to find a position in sales or marketing, possibly in Austin, Texas!

Do you eat well every day? Do you feel sluggish in the afternoon, succumbing to the urge for caffeine or sugar to get you through the rest of the day? A healthy diet and regular exercise are just the beginnings of a successful life and career. By making healthy lifestyle choices, you enhance your mental, spiritual, and social well-being, in turn helping you reach your personal and professional best. Making the following changes today will benefit you tomorrow - and well into the future. Exercise daily. You know that exercise is important, but do you feel as though you simply don’t have the time to exercise daily? If this situation describes you, it is critical to make exercise a priority. Whether it’s taking a walk, going for a run, working out at the gym, or squeezing in a quick yoga session, daily exercise is one of the most significant parts of living a healthier lifestyle. Try to work out in the morning before you start your day, because this will leave you feeling refreshed and energized. Eat right. It may sound simple, but eating right is another healthy lifestyle choice that often falls to the wayside as you focus on your job, personal life, and other commitments. Ensure that you eat a healthy breakfast every day - don’t assume that coffee will suffice. Also try to incorporate more raw and whole foods into your diet. Experts recommend that you eat a minimum of 50% raw food, which are high in micronutrients, fiber, and water. Manage your stressors. Does your job create a huge amount of stress in your daily life? By properly managing your stressors, you can live a healthier lifestyle. Stress takes a huge toll on the body, raising your blood pressure, making it difficult to sleep, causing aches and pains, and even leading to weight gain. Get a handle on your stress by learning to prioritize life’s demands and set boundaries when necessary. Create a schedule. Another way to promote a healthy lifestyle is to plan your schedule each day. By implementing a routine that includes your to-dos and goals, you can easily prioritize your responsibilities and ensure that you are also meeting your own needs throughout the day. Additionally, when you create your schedule, make it top heavy. This means accomplishing the least desirable task at the beginning of the day - not putting it off until the very end. Looking for more ways to live a healthier life? Forbes Living TV now offers a new series on making healthy choices to live a healthy lifestyle.

A mentor is an important influence and indicator of business success. How you define and shape your career is largely based on who you emulate and partner with. But how can you find a mentor or partner to help you create a purposeful career and a meaningful life? By following these steps, you can cultivate a relationship that lasts and enables you to succeed in the business world. Determine what you’re looking for. The first step of the process is to determine exactly what you are looking for. For example, are you seeking a mentor who can help you get a promotion, guide you in a new position, or introduce you to top executives in your field? Asking yourself these questions will aid you with determining what a mentor means to you. Try a mentoring program. If you’re having trouble locating a potential mentor, the human resources department at your job is an excellent place to start. Many large corporations offer mentoring programs that allow you to easily locate someone with the potential to become your trusted partner. You can also try mentorship programs through major associations in your industry. Use all your resources. When you are searching for your mentor, ensure that you use all your resources. You should not only look within your office, but also outside it as well. Your mentor doesn’t necessarily have to be a business partner; he or she could also be a neighbor, relative, or acquaintance from another organization. Another way to find a mentor is to search on LinkedIn. Find out if you click. Once you have located a potential mentor, your job is not complete. You still need to determine whether or not you are compatible. To find out if you and your mentor have chemistry, have some one-on-one conversations. These interactions will help you figure out if this is a relationship that can last. Show them your strengths. Next, convince this person that he or she should invest his or her time and resources in you. Show your strengths, as well as how he or she can help you achieve your goals. Provide evidence to support the idea that this will be a mutually beneficial relationship. Make the most out of your relationship. After you have found your mentor, it is important to maximize your relationship by nurturing and building it over time. A great way to do this is to check in with your mentor on a regular basis through email or by phone. Tell your mentor how the relationship is benefiting you and allowing you to succeed in your business endeavors.

An unprecedented deal, years in the making was finalized recently. Facebook purchased WhatsApp for a whopping $19 billion. WhatsApp is a cross-platform mobile messaging app for smart phone users. It enables consumers to send messages across the internet without having to spend money on service fees and long-distance charges. This benefit is critical for overseas markets such as China and India where messaging is less dependent on systems comparable to those in North America. However, negotiations to purchase WhatsApp weren’t without their barriers. WhatsApp prides themselves on being fiercely independent since their creation. They ignored offers of investment, despite having their inboxes constantly pounded by those who wanted a piece. In mid-2013, Google, a powerhouse in the industry, attempted to work out a deal with the company. WhatsApp Founder and Co-Founder, Jan Koum and Brian Acton declined the offer. However, Google still requested to be notified of any potential negotiations that were to come on the table for WhatsApp, a move that cost Google upwards of $1 million. The was a large expense just to be kept in the loop, obviously Google valued WhatsApp. So, if Google couldn’t make them budge from independence, how did Zuckerberg’s message get through? Once you get past the sheer "sticker-shock" of a $19 million acquisition, Zuckerberg actually believed it was worth far more. Zuckerberg has long term strategy in mind with the acquisition, stating that he wants Facebook to be the new "Facebook". Forbes writer, Parmy Olson calls the relationship formed between Zuckerberg and Koum a "courtship" which developed over a time span slightly under two years. Zuckerberg set himself apart from competing investors in many ways. First of all, he was able to understand the deeper inner works and needs of his potential business partner, by becoming friends with him. Zuckerberg and Koum first met in early 2012 on Valentine’s Day, in a German bakery for coffee in Los Altos California. Soon after, the two became friends, frequently meeting for dinner and hikes. Their meetings face-to-face were essential to creating a strong bond. As the relationship progressed, talks became more serious. Their meetings would be at Mark’s house for dinner, taking negotiations out of boardrooms and offices. A more relaxed environment supported the flow of new ideas and communication processes. Through their relationships and rapport building, Zuckerberg found out what was important to Koum. "While Facebook’s deal comes with a board seat for WhatsApp founder, Google’s offer did not." (Neil Hughes, Apple Insider) Throughout their time spent together, Mark Zuckerberg knew that Koum was not one to sit back and let someone else take their work from them. He knew that one of the ways to incentivize the deal would be to offer a large participatory role in the organization. On top of that, Mark understood that WhatsApp held strongly on to their independent and their values. Instead of buying the company and changing it to fit exactly the needs of Facebook, Zuckerberg is allowing the app to continue to run under its original leadership as well as not requiring changes such as advertisements in order improve ROI for Facebook. The short-term priority with the deal was not to make profit. Zuckerberg stated that they are giving the app a long period of time before they expect any sorts of return. Zuckerberg may have been a successful negotiator in this sense, but was it a valid strategy? Is it worth it? Arguments can be made for either direction. Food for thought: Facebook recently purchased a messaging app for $19 billion, compared to Comcast which purchased a majority share of the media conglomerate, NBC Universal, in 20009 for about $14 billion. The idea that an app is worth 35% more than an entire media company is thought provoking. Additionally, in terms of age, WhatsApp was created 2009, while NBC was started in 1926. Information from Bloomberg and Southern China Morning Post

SNI has the opportunity of working with organizations small and large, regional and worldwide, Fortune 100 and 1000. Globally, SNI has worked in 21 different countries. More than 70% of the world’s purchasing power is located outside of the United States. As a result, we cannot stress enough how important it is to understand and adapt to the differences in culture in order to be successful.  

It’s time to hire. The resumes come flooding in, and in many respects one is the same as the next. You shuffle them into piles laid across your desk, setting priorities, but how to choose? Hiring decisions don’t have to be an isolating process. Rather, involving current employees as part of the hiring process can help find team members who fit smoothly into the corporate framework and whose values align with larger company goals. Engaging Your Employees  Current employees typically enjoy being involved in the hiring process because it makes them feel as though their needs as workers are being acknowledged in the search process. Whoever is hired will become part of their team, so it makes sense to involve them. Additionally, satisfied employees reflect back well on the company when they meet and interact with potential hires. When potential employees interact with current team members, they typically walk away with a more positive sense of the business than when they interact only with superiors. Read the Referrals  An internal referral system is your best friend when it comes to hiring. Current employees should be allowed to refer individuals outside the company for consideration; after all, who understands the skills necessary to execute the open position better than those who already fill similar roles? Peer referrals can also indicate pre-existing positive relationships that can help quickly integrate a new staff member into the team. Referrals don’t have to be restricted to the same job level, either. Employees may know someone well equipped to take on a higher managerial role, or to take on a more minor role in the company. Use this real life social networking to your advantage. The Professional Mixer  Too often, hiring happens entirely behind closed doors, but that kind of system means that both employer and employees alike ultimately have no idea how well the candidate will interact with the existing team members. In order to get a sense of this type of interaction, employers are encouraged to hold the professional equivalent of a social mixer. Set up a situation in which current employees and potential hires have an opportunity to interact. It is especially valuable if there are opportunities for problem solving, even of the casual variety, built into this interaction. Observing these casual interactions that are still framed by the professional environment can be an ideal way to determine which candidates to have onboard.