JCI Training

JCI Met Net in Manhattan

2008-07-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

JCI MetNet 2008: MetNet & the City
Sponsored in part by the United States Junior Chamber

NY Marriott Downtown New York, New York

July 31-Aug 3, 2008
http://www.jcimetnet2008nyc. org

Attendees are currently registered from:

Ireland, UK, Canada, Jamaica, Nigeria, Finland, Germany, Suriname, Syria, Cameroon, Trinidad, Ghana, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Ecuador, Argentina, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Nepal, Madagascar, South Korea, Malaysia, Switzerland, and metropolitans all over the US.

MetNet Program Overview

Featuring: Keynote Speaker David Meerman Scott

Special Early Presentation by Paul Gillin (10 a.m.,Thursday, July 31, 2008)

Sessions on Friday, August 1, 2008

Entrepreneur/Business Track

Waldo Cabrera: Marketing: Utilizing Video on the Internet
Waldo Cabrera: Marketing: Create a "Hot Video" for the Internet
USJC Metro Director Robert Witthauer: The Art of Negotiation

Leadership Track

Jeff Goldberg: Motivation Presentation
Jeff Goldberg: How to be your own Coach
Judy Cavallo: Professionally Speaking

NonProfit Track

Patrick Knight: Membership Recruitment
Patrick Knight: Membership Activation
Sarina Tomel : Setting Goals to Achieve Your Dreams

General Assembly:
PEAK PERFORMANCE STRATEGY SESSION with Doug McGuirk (National Trainer for the Anthony Robbins Companies)

KEYNOTE LUNCHEON SPEAKER

David Meerman Scott http://www.webinknow.com/

Sessions on Saturday, August 2, 2008

Best Practices Roundtables
Peer-to-Peer Roundtables

Special Events

· Statue of Liberty tour
· Empire State Building tour
· Museum of Modern Art tour
· Broadway Show
· Off-Broadway Show
· Metro Dining Experience

Sunday, August 3, 2008

General Session (Feedback & Suggestions)
MetNet 2009 Bid Approval

Speaker Information

David Meerman Scott – KEYNOTE LUNCHEON SPEAKER

David Meerman Scott is a self-described online thought leadership and viral marketing strategist and the author of three books on marketing. Based in Boston, he is a speaker at conferences and corporate events and runs seminars about marketing around the world.

He has written over 100 magazine articles and three books:

* The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to use news releases, blogs, podcasts, viral marketing and online media to reach your buyers directly (2007)

* Cashing in with Content: How innovative marketers use digital information to turn browsers into buyers (2005)

* Eyeball Wars: A novel of dot-com intrigue (2001)

"The thought leadership programs I have developed are responsible for selling over one billion dollars in products and services worldwide."

His work has been recognized in a number of awards competitions:

* Viral Marketing Hall of Fame (MarketingSherpa)

* Platinum PR Award for excellence in a one-year communications campaign (PR News)

* Gold Quill for Business Communication (International Association of Business Communicators)

* Internet Product of the Year (Information World Review)

* Outstanding Achievement for annual report (American Business Communicators)

* IMMY Award for Direct Marketing Excellence (Information Industry Association)

* Personal Product of the Year (Information Management Awards)

* Book of the Year finalist (Independent Publisher Book Awards)

* Book of the Year finalist (Foreword Magazine Book Awards)

He also maintains the following top-rated blog "Web Ink Now" at http://www.webinknow.com/

David's Wikipedia Entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ David_Meerman_Scott

Doug McGuirk - National Trainer for the Anthony Robbins Companies

Doug has worked in the music business for over 15 years as a producer, mixer, performer and engineer contributing his various talents to the tune of over $50 million in sales. He's run his own production company Thru The Din for 10 years. He is a Master Practitioner and trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and certified in Neo Ericksonian Hypnosis and has Tony to thank for putting him on that path. He has used his skills in NLP to bring out the very best in the artists and clients alike. Doug is so excited and committed to continue to play his role in positively affecting paradigm shifts in human consciousness by any and all means!

Doug.McGuirk@TonyRobbins.com

Visit www.tonyrobbins.com/strategy to see a free video preview.

Paul Gillin - Social Media Marketing Expert –

Paul is a veteran technology journalist with more than 24 years of editorial leadership. Paul was founding editor-in-chief of TechTarget, one of the most successful new media entities to emerge on the Internet. Previously, he was editor-in-chief and executive editor of Computerworld .

Currently, he writes the social media column for BtoB magazine. His critically acclaimed new book,The New Influencers, is about the changes in markets being driven by the new breed of online publishers. Published by Quill Driver Books in spring, 2007, it is in its third printing. His second book, Secrets of Social Media Marketing, will be published in the fall of 2008.

Paul specializes in advising business-to-business marketers on strategies to optimize their use of online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is particularly interested in social media and the application of personal publishing to brand awareness and business marketing.

Paul is an accomplished speaker and media spokesman. He has keynoted more than a dozen technology conferences, including annual user group meetings for IBM, Oracle, Cognos, Business Objects and J.D. Edwards. He has also spoken at scores of other events about technology trends and social media.

His ability to translate complex technology topics into plain English has made him a favorite source for journalists. He has been widely quoted in newspapers and on the airwaves, including appearances on CNN, PBS, Fox News and MSNBC.

Paul is a research fellow at the Society for New Communications Research and he chairs the social media cluster of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council. He blogs at www.paulgillin.com.

See Paul on YouTube at the 2008 BlogWorld Expo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=G1JuaK-MnKA

Waldo Cabrera – Owner, creator of Islip.TV & MyLITV.com; President of SWMAX, LLC

Cabrera was part of the team that brought Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! to America. He helped Nintendo, Cabbage Patch Kids and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles become international hits and was the former VP of 4Kids Home Video. Aside from his professional success, Cabrera is also the Democratic candidate for the New York State Assembly's 6^th District (Suffolk County).

His pursuit of highlighting the positive aspects of our community though video earned him the prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award. Cabrera brought worldwide attention to the Town of Islip where viewers from over twenty-seven countries log in every month to see videos of their families and friends.

Cabrera will be sharing his experience in creating engaging video in two sessions: "Utilizing Video on the Internet" and "Create a 'hot video' for the Internet."

USJC Metro Director Robert Witthauer – Senior Legal Counsel
Rob Witthauer is an attorney with over thirteen years of experience in negotiations, and he serves as Senior Counsel for a Fortune 100 company. A member of three Jaycees chapters, Rob has taught college classes in Negotiations and is a JCI Certified Local Trainer. Rob has served as Legal Counsel for four Jaycees Chapters, Legal Counsel for the New York State Junior Chamber, Legal Counsel for the New York State Jaycees Foundation, and Legal Counsel for the U.S. Metropolitan Jaycees. Rob is currently the National Director for the U.S. Metropolitan Jaycees. Areas of Expertise: (1) Legal Issues facing JCI Chapters (2) By-Laws Considerations (3) The Art of Negotiations

Check out Rob's Blog at http://jcitraining.blogspot. com/

Jeff Goldberg - Professional speaker/motivator

Judy Cavallo - Director of NY Speech Consultants & NY Speech Solutions

Ms. Cavallo is a New York State licensed speech-language pathologist who holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. She has more than 10 years experience evaluating and treating individuals with speech, language, cognitive, voice and swallowing disorders in a variety of settings. Ms. Cavallo has been featured in both Newsday and Long Island Business News.

Ms. Cavallo has received several ACE Awards from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for completing hundreds of hours of continuing education. She has expertise in the most current, state-of-the-art treatments for communication and swallowing disorders. She is trained in the PROMPT technique and Lessac-Madson Resonant Voice Therapy. She is certified in: VitalStim Swallowing Therapy, Interactive Metronome (IM) and Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT).

Ms. Cavallo is frequently invited to speak at local support groups, including the American Parkinson Disease Association Support Group, North Shore Stroke Club, Winthrop University Hospital Stroke Support Group, South Nassau Hospital Parkinson and Stroke Support Groups and Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC). She is a frequent guest speaker at assisted living facilities and senior centers in the community. Ms. Cavallo has written articles on VitalStim Swallowing Therapy for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Metro NY Chapter. She supervises graduate students from local universities.

Patrick Knight, ITF – Owner of KnightVision Seminars, Inc.

As a speaker and trainer, Patrick Knight motivates people through unbridled passion for leadership and personal development. Patrick has spoken to people in companies and organizations all over the world with a dynamic energy that leaves the audience always wanting more. What separates him from the average speaker or trainer, however, is his pragmatic approach to solving problems or discovering opportunities. Each seminar, workshop or key note speech is designed to give the audience real skills and techniques that they can apply immediately upon leaving the room.

Patrick is also an attorney, working as a litigation specialist handling insurance defense cases. His ability to strategize in litigation, along with his experience reading and convincing juries of diverse backgrounds, have given Patrick insight into advanced communication techniques. As a leader, Patrick has been involved in many leadership and community organizations, including the Jr. Chamber of Commerce. While President of the Jr. Chamber of Commerce in Miami, Patrick received numerous accolades world-wide for his work in rebuilding the organization. While representing clients in litigation, he had to learn about the companies' operations from the inside out. If you invite Patrick Knight to speak at your next event or facilitate your next workshop, your people will leave more motivated, more knowledgeable and more passionate than ever before.

Sarina Tomel - Personal & Professional Life Coach

Her inspiring, thought-provoking, and straightforward coaching approach will show you how simple it is to reach your personal and professional goals every step of the way! Obstacles seem to disappear as clients implement new effective methods. Let Sarina share with you her gift of insight and resourcefulness on your path to success!

A Human Resources Professional in a corporate environment (7 years), as well as a trained Crisis Counselor (7 years) for a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week Crisis Hotline.Sarina is a corporate HR professional, Her specialty is in Selection, Performance Management, Employee Relations, Organizational Development, and Training.

In her role, as a Coach, Sarina partners with individuals and organizations to create transformational results in their personal and professional lives. Sarina works with employees, management, individuals, consultants, entrepreneurs, and small business owners on workplace issues, personal and professional development, life transitions (career/relationships), along with creating a sense of work-life balance for her clients.

Sarina completed her Master's Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (HR/OD/Training focused not Clinical oriented) at Hofstra University on a part time basis while working full time in the industry. Program coursework included Motivation, Training & Development, Performance Management, Selection, Statistics, Social Psychology, Organizational Development, Ethics, as well as Human Resources Management. She is a trained Personal & Professional Coach through Coach U, and is currently working towards becoming an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through International Coach Federation (ICF).

Methods of Dealing with Difficult Negotiations

2008-02-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

By Rob Witthauer and Rod Williams

We previously discussed negotiation methods in our Basic Negotiation Strategies article. In this article, we discuss ways to deal with negotiators who use “hardball”-type negotiation tactics.

Tactics can range from childish tactics (such as screaming and insults) to more cunning tactics such as: authority ploys (an absent authority figure must approve the deal), nickel-and-diming (adding something new to the deal after agreement had been reached), and time pressures (“this offer is only good today”). The methods below can help you deal with negotiation tactics and get the negotiations back on track.

1. Ignore negative tactics: Don't let the other party make you lose focus, keep negotiating based upon the knowledge and preparation you have done. In some instances the person on the other side just wants to see if their tactics can rattle you. In other cases a manager who is supposed to negotiate with you may like nothing better than to have you leave the negotiations so that manager can give the contract to a friend. In any event, staying calm and ignoring the other side’s negative tactics is a good first step.

2. Take a moment: If possible, ask for a break -- as long as you can get away with. Taking time to caucus with others in your company is often helpful. Also, thinking about something overnight can give you time to put things in perspective. If all else fails, ask for a restroom break. Take any time that you can get to cool down and plan your strategy.

3. Ask questions: If the other party stalls, ask (nicely): "what is it about this deal that is objectionable to your interests", "what other options might work", "what needs of yours are not being met", "who would need to approve a variation from your standard procedures", etc.

4. Call them on the tactic: If other methods fail, let them know that you see that what they are doing is a tactic, and that you would appreciate moving forward with productive negotiations. Statements such as "This seems like a standard car-dealer authority tactic, where a high price is blamed on the manager -- why don't we get the manager in the room with us" or "Your 'price only good today' response seems like a pressure tactic, please explain the urgency or let's slow things down".

5. Reach out: Once the tactics have stopped, try to make it easy for the other side to accept your proposal by giving in on some things and/or giving them facts that allow them to justify their acceptance of your proposal to their company (such as hard data showing that their prices are too high, etc.).

6. Be creative: Sometimes the parties think that they are at an impasse because they disagree on a major point. There may be, however, something else that the two sides can offer each other to make the disagreement less significant and make the deal more agreeable to everyone.

7. Walk away: If all of these methods fail, consider walking away. If the other side is just being difficult, this will call their bluff and they will come to you ready to bargain. If the other side does not resume negotiations, then they were probably either too stubborn for their own good or their interests were simply too different from yours - either way, in that situation you are probably better off not doing business with them.
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Sources: Two of the leading books on negotiation strategy are Getting to Yes, by Roger Fisher and William Ury, and Getting Past No, by William Ury, and many of the ideas in this article are drawn from those books. Anyone who is interested in learning more about negotiations should consider reading those two brief, but very informative, books.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. There is no attorney-client relationship between the author(s) of this article and its readers. Readers should not act upon the information contained in this article without consulting with their own legal counsel.
©2005 by Roderick B. Williams and Robert T. Witthauer

Basic Negotiation Strategies

2008-01-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

By Rob Witthauer and Rod Williams

Since our previous article focused on contracts, it seems fitting that we now discuss a few ideas for more effective negotiations. It has been said that “everything in life is a negotiation”. Thus, improving our negotiation skills is helpful not only in negotiating contracts for the Jaycees, but also in our business negotiations and in all facets of our personal and professional lives.

Know the Facts and Alternatives
The first step in any good negotiation is doing your “homework”. This involves asking yourself and others to think about the terms of the deal and alternatives available. What is the fair market price for the goods or services you are seeking? Are there other sources for those goods or services if you don’t reach an agreement with the current person you are dealing with? Getting a broad view of the deal will help tremendously.

Even if you know the answer to these basic questions already, take the time to think about the negotiation and consult with other people when appropriate. Your Chapter might be able to buy the product you need cheaper somewhere else, but will you be able to close the deal in time to use the product in the upcoming project that your Chapter has planned? Does someone in your company’s engineering department know of a new technology that you should explore? Involving people with other viewpoints can be very enlightening, and will help you understand how strong (or weak) your bargaining power really is.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
Once you have done your homework, be sure to keep the big picture in view and try to avoid getting de-railed with less important aspects of the deal. Try to avoid taking too hard of a position, especially early in the negotiations, because taking a rigid position can make it difficult for either side to compromise. Keeping your ultimate goal in mind is very important.

As an example, if your Chapter wants to buy orange “widgets” at $1.00 each, you might be tempted to say “we will only buy orange widgets and we will not pay more than a dollar a piece, end of negotiation”. However, what if you could buy blue widgets from the seller at 75 cents each and have them painted orange for 15 cents each – you would still meet or exceed your ultimate goal. Further, what if the seller wants to sell orange widgets at $1.05 each, but will provide free shipping and/or will accept payment over time rather than in advance (either of which could save your Chapter more than the extra five cents). Keep focused on your ultimate goal (here, orange widgets at the lowest overall cost) and assess whether there are options that might help make the deal work.

Address the Needs of Both Parties
Though people often see the negotiation process as adversarial, taking that approach to negotiations can kill a deal, and in any event does not lead to successful long-term relationships. Therefore, it is important to always consider the other side’s needs, both during the homework” phase and throughout the course of your negotiations. The reason for this is simple: if the other side’s needs are not met, you are not going to be doing business together.

Instead of taking a narrow “more for us, less for them” view of the process, consider whether there are things that you can offer that could be of value to the other side and also acceptable to your side. The free shipping and seller financing mentioned in the widget example are just a couple of the ways that it could be possible to “sweeten the deal”. Other examples include: offering to expedite production if a customer has a very time-sensitive need, or agreeing to a longer contract term of years (possibly in exchange for a lower price). These deal sweeteners can help smooth over other areas of contention, and can lead to a mutually satisfying relationship.

Don’t Get Too Emotional
Last, but possibly most important, keep your emotions in check during the negotiation process. Negotiations can and do get quite heated sometimes, so it is important to keep your focus on the goals that each side is trying to achieve. Understanding where each side is coming from, and focusing on moving the deal forward, can help you stay objective and get the deal done. For example, is the other side being aggressive because they are up against a deadline? If so, as mentioned above an expedited delivery schedule might be worth a lot to them. In a contract negotiation, it could also be possible that the other side is being inflexible because the people you are talking with do not have the authority to agree to changes – in which case you might ask if there are other people who need to be involved in the negotiation process.

In addition to those examples, when you are dealing with multiple people in a company there may be different or conflicting motivations within that company. Would the purchasing director of the other company rather see you get angry in a meeting so that he can tell his boss that your competitor (who took him golfing last week) seems much nicer to deal with? Did someone in the other company want to do the project internally, rather than outsourcing to your company? In those types of scenarios, losing control over your emotions only plays into the hands of those seeking to kill the deal.

Therefore, it is much better to take a deep breath (or a short break) and re-focus on your ultimate goal.
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Sources: Two of the leading books on negotiation strategy are Getting to Yes, by Roger Fisher and William Ury, and Getting Past No, by William Ury, and many of the ideas in this article are drawn from those books. Anyone who is interested in learning more about negotiations should consider reading those two brief, but very informative, books.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. There is no attorney-client relationship between the author(s) of this article and its readers. Readers should not act upon the information contained in this article without consulting with their own legal counsel.
©2005 by Roderick B. Williams and Robert T. Witthauer

A Contracts Primer

2008-01-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

By Rob Witthauer & Rod Williams

In conducting the day-to-day business of your Jaycee organization, you will routinely enter into contracts for the purchase or sale of goods, services, or other rights. What may surprise you is how often you do this and, in particular, the number of times that you do not realize you are doing this.

One of the biggest misconceptions about contracts is that there must be some piece of paper that constitutes “the contract” and that the parties must sign that document. Except for certain limited situations (more on those below), nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of contracts are simple oral transactions. In fact, all that is usually required to have a valid and enforceable contract are the following: offer, acceptance, and consideration.

Offer and acceptance are just what they sound like. An offer is simply when someone proposes selling something to or buying something from someone else at a particular price. Acceptance is when that someone else, in response to the offer, says yes. When you go to the grocery store and the sign says “Apples 25 cents each”, the store is making an offer. When you agree to pay the store that price for one or more apples, you are accepting the offer.

"Consideration", on the other hand, may be a term you are not used to hearing in this context. It simply means that the contract must involve the parties exchanging something of value. In the apple example, you are exchanging quarters for apples. This is in contrast to a gift. If someone says that he will give you an apple, with no strings attached, there is no contract because you are not giving him anything of value in return. You cannot later force him to give you the apple.

So, when must there be something more than offer, acceptance, and consideration, namely a signed, written contract? There are different situations set out in the law, but the one your Jaycee organization is most likely to encounter is when the contract involves something that will take one or both of the parties more than a year to perform. Say your chapter sells Christmas trees and in October the company you buy them from says that it will sell you trees for this year and next, and you agree. Because the contract involves performance extending beyond 12 months, if you do not have a signed, written contract with the company, when next year rolls around and the company refuses to sell you the trees, you are out of luck. You cannot force them to sell you the trees and you cannot claim any damages. Other examples of contracts that typically must be in writing include contracts regarding real estate (such as leasing office space, or the right to use a building for an event) and contracts for the sale of goods valued at over $500 (such as buying shirts for a convention).

By the way, in order to enforce a contract that is required to be signed and in writing, only the party against whom enforcement is sought must have signed it. So, if you signed a contract and breach it, it is not a defense that the other side did not sign it. Also, you should be aware that, in our technologically advanced day and age, electronic communications may substitute for hard copy written documents. It is possible that an exchange of e-mail correspondence regarding a proposed transaction may constitute a contract and even a signed contract if a court determines that the parties intended for their emails to serve as documentation of their agreement. For this same reason, if someone sends an email to your chapter “confirming” terms that you don’t agree to, you should be sure to respond in an email or other writing clearly objecting to those terms.

This should give you a general overview of what you need to know. Remember, it is possible for you to legally commit your Jaycee organization to an obligation, even if there is no signed, written “contract.” So, be careful what you agree to, even if it is just done orally or in e-mail. Please keep in mind also, however, that what you have just read is an extremely brief summary of a topic about which many books have been written. The rules stated in this article are very general. They are many exceptions and they do not always apply in a straightforward manner in every situation. As always, if you have doubt in a particular situation, you should check with your own legal counsel.
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This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. There is no attorney-client relationship between the author(s) of this article and its readers. Readers should not act upon the information contained in this article without consulting with their own legal counsel.
©2005 by Roderick B. Williams and Robert T. Witthauer