timeline

Personal, Business Moves Don’t Have to Be Stressful

/ nancyrubin

movingA brown, cardboard box alone shouldn’t cause anxiety. But when it’s associated with moving, that’s an entirely different story.

Whether you are moving to the other side of town or opposite side of the world, the process of uprooting your life or business can be a stressful one if you’re unprepared.

Fortunately, there are various things you can do ahead of time and during the move to keep that anxiety at bay:

Take Time to Make a Timeline

Depending on your situation, you may have months to plan a move or you could be expected to start work on the other side of the country next week. It’s vital that you take that time, however limited, to schedule out your moving timeline.

If you are moving with your family or a spouse, making a timeline may help you realize that it’s more cost effective to stagger who moves when.

The same applies for businesses.

It may be advantageous to relocate certain members of your team sooner while other can wait.

Additionally, you should be mindful of the fact that you may arrive at your destination long before your car, bed, or any other important items you’ve chosen to ship.

Being prepared with things like a quality air mattress or rental car setup can help alleviate these timeline stresses.

Give in to the Purge

As the article, “How to Minimize the Stress of Relocation” suggests, moving is a great opportunity to sort through your current belongings and sell what you no longer need.

This not only saves you money on shipping costs, but if you choose to have a garage sale or post your items online, that’s extra money in your pocket.

If you happen to be relocating your business or office, this is the perfect time to purge your space of outdated office technology that’s taking up valuable real estate.

If the thought of organizing or purging your items brings you more stress, there’s always the option of renting a storage unit.

So long as you’re comfortable footing the monthly bill, you can keep your items there and decide whether to ship or donate down the road.

Be Patient with Permanent Housing

Accept the things you cannot change.

If you’re moving far away, you can’t teleport to your future destination and view apartments or offices in real life.

While the internet and smartphones have come a long way, nothing beats an in-person inspection during the housing hunt.

To prevent buyer’s remorse and jumping into a lease you’ll regret, consider booking temporary housing in the meantime. This will help you reduce stress and give you ample time to find a place you’ll love.

Don’t Forget to Celebrate

A big move usually means big opportunity.

Reduce the stress of that relocation by being consciously grateful and taking time to celebrate new possibilities.

Throw a going-away party at a local bar or restaurant if your own home is in packing shambles. This will not only boost your morale, but it’s a great chance to get last-minute moving help from friends or co-workers.

By scheduling out a timeline, selling your unwanted belongings, and making patient decisions with housing, moving doesn’t have to be a major stress.

The right combination of planning and a positive attitude can make the process easier for any individual or business.

About the Author: Kristin Livingstone writes on a variety of topics including small business, travel, and moving.

Can You Close the Sale?

/ nancyrubin

Most of the time, it is relatively easy for an experienced salesperson to complete the transaction and convince an interested customer to make the purchase.

shutterstock_139725532Occasionally, you will find a solid lead that has potential to become a customer but won’t take the final step.

If you don’t want to lose the revenue and future possibilities from this person, you must know how to close the sale.

Get Clear Information

Why isn’t the prospect moving forward?

Make sure you know the answer to that question instead of just assuming you know. That may mean asking the person why they aren’t ready to commit. Perhaps he is afraid to say what the problem is on his own, so the person uses delay tactics.

Once the issue is out in the open, you can deal with it.

You may need to ask what it would take to make the person commit. She may want a better deal, a discount or change in price.

Other times, the hesitation is not about money, but about another aspect of the deal. Sometimes it doesn’t even pertain to you.

If you determine the problem is on the customer’s end and you have no power to resolve the issue, then you can move along to someone else.

Determine who is the Decision Maker?

Sometimes the person you are talking to is not the one making the decision, but only the person gathering the information. This is most often seen in B2B relationships, but it can also happen with B2C as well.

Maybe it is the wife or husband doing the investigation but not the one making the final decision. It may be adult children doing research for their elderly parents.

Find out who makes the final decision and talk to that person if possible.

Set a Timeline

Some people are just bad at making decisions unless they are forced. It may take a deadline to get them to commit.

Don’t be afraid to say something like “I’ll call you back on Friday at 2 p.m. for an answer.” Just make sure you follow through.

Once the person has a deadline, it is often easier to focus. He can close out the distractions and determine what the next move is. By Friday, he will have an answer for you.

Get It Right from the Beginning

It is often hard to close a difficult sale if you have not done a good job of winning over the prospect from the beginning.

As the article, “Tips on How to Close a Difficult Sale”, says, you have to sell the buyer on your products. You must have enthusiasm for what you are selling.

You must also maintain authenticity to your product or the enthusiasm will seem insincere.

Don’t back away when you come across a potential customer who is a hard sell. Look at it as a challenge and work to win him over.

Once you win that first difficult client, you will feel empowered to convince anyone of what your business has to offer.

About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including business and sales.