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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Electrical Safety Practices in the Workplace Part 2

Shocks, burns and fires are some common results of poor electrical safety. When this trifecta occurs it can result in the destruction of property, serious injury or even death. Here are some common guidelines for working with electricity at work.

Some machines have safety devices like electrical interlocks. They are designed to prevent accidental start-up and are imperative to safety work environment. Overriding these devices can cause serious injury

Make sure that your workspace has proper lighting. If you can't see what you are doing while working with sensitive electrical devices then your chance of injury increase exponentially. Make sure you take a flashlight with you when doing a repair in a area of low light.

You must remove all conductive articles before working with electricity. This means all metal like jewelry, watches and key chains. They can come in contact with equipment or wiring and conduct electricity to you.

Always provide regular maintenance on your equipment. This can go along way in preventing accidents. Keep machines free of debris and excess grease to prevent fire. When cleaning machines, make sure that liquids, steel wool and other conductive materials are kept far away from energized parts.

Personal protective equipment like insulated hard hats or gloves can help protect you and should be used whenever possible.

Confined spaces can be especially dangerous places to work and require a great deal of vigilance. These much smaller places will leave you in closer contact with energized machine parts than you are used to.

Never work with high voltage power lines until you have had extensive training and qre qualified for the work. These lines are extremely dangerous. Unqualified workers must remain a minimum of 10 feet away from a 50,000 volt line.

Never use metal ladders when you are working near power lines or other energize wiring. Always use fiberglass or wooden ladders with non-conductive side rails. Metal ladders could conduct the electricity right to you.

Remember that water conducts electricity and is especially dangerous when working around energized machines. Shocks or electrical burns can result.

There are many important guidelines when working with electricity. The guidelines we have outlined in this article are just a start and proper training on all aspects of electricity is needed. Make sure that you are completely trained on all aspects of electrical safety before you attempt to use a machine.

How to Gain Power at Work

Power is the ability to influence the choices of others and to direct the attainment of goals sought by yourself and others. There are many different philosophies on how to gain power in the workplace. Thousands of books have been written on the subject. These books are written by people in power positions, they do not want you to really have any power. These people want you to waste your time trying things like "Become genuinely interested in people" and "smile." These are simply tactics that make you feel empowered but allow the people who currently dominate society to continue to dominate. So here is my tested and proven way to gain this sought after power.

Meetings in the corporate world are basically a series of very tricky mind games; to be successful in business you must master these games and that means having power. The corporate world today is merely a competition to see who can intellectually dominate the most people. A lot of people will give you stupid advice like "dress for success," don't listen to these people, they are trying to trick you to gain more power for themselves. Your focus should not be on the clothes you wear but rather subtle things you can do to impress the people you work for. If you have a one on one meeting with your boss, the best thing you can do is arrive at his office before he does and sit at his or her chair behind their desk. This does two things for you: a) it shows your superiors that you aspire to be just like them and have the ambition to get to where they are and b) getting to sit behind their desk gives you the power and makes them feel awkward.

You should also bring coffee to the meeting. In today's world nothing signifies a hard worker better than a caffeine addiction. A good idea is to keep a Starbucks cup under your desk and fill it up with the office coffee, buying real Starbucks every time you have a meeting will drive you into bankruptcy after about a weeks worth of meetings. This way you can show not only a caffeine addiction but a shared taste with your boss as well. 10 year old kids in Mexico drink coffee but only successful business people have Starbucks every morning; really successful business people have Starbucks every morning, afternoon and occasionally night. This once again proves my point of there being a direct correlation between success and caffeine.

People often say that "Knowledge is Power." This is true, one of the power resources within groups is the control over information. In order to control the information you must have exclusive access to the information. This leaves you really only one choice, periodically browse through your bosses files while he is at lunch, whenever he gets a new file that concerns a project you are involved in, take the file. Another good way to gain control over information is to call IT during lunch from your coworkers desk and pretend that you are them. Disguise your voice and tell IT that you would like to slightly alter your email address. Do this with all your coworkers but only make minor changes; for instance, if someone's email reads wanda.jones@yourcompany.com simply change it to wadna.jones@yourcompany.com this should keep your coworker from noticing the change in their address but will keep them from receiving important emails from their superiors. Make sure to send this person emails frequently so that they don't notice a sudden stoppage of mail, ween them off email slowly. Or you could sign them up for lots of junk mail so they continue to have lots of new messages in their inbox, the messages just quit being from people in the office. This will give you exclusive access to knowledge and will give you power.

Another form of power is legitimate authority and coercive power. This is when have a power over someone because of your title like manager or CEO. Coercive power means that you have the ability to apply negative forces on someone. Some would call this fear mongering, instead think of it like fish mongering but instead of selling something stinky like fish you are selling what can be a very useful emotion like fear. The best way to execute this is to start by establishing a title that gives you power over your coworkers. Remember, power is not something that can be appointed, power must be given by others around you otherwise it is nonexistent. The title must sound official, I recommend something like Departmental Director in charge of Illness-Related Absence (hyphenated phrases are a must to gain the most power). Make sure to include this title in the signature line of your emails. Send out a memo to your coworkers announcing to the office your new title and some of the changes you will be implementing. As for the changes, I recommend you threaten to begin investigations into employees use of sick days and announce that any employees caught abusing these days will be subject to loss of 25% of their "sick day privileges". This gives you both coercive and legitimate authority over your coworkers.

Follow this guide and you will see your power at work increase ten-fold. I can't guarantee that you will win friends but I can promise that you will have power over your coworkers and isn't that what America is all about. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Also, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Obviously, neither of these statements are true, just look at America. America is the most powerful nation in the world, are we responsible? Are we corrupt? Hmm, never mind.

Venture Capital - Making the Right Move at the Right Time

Venture capital is a type of equity funding, meaning that an investment is made in a company for the purpose of receiving shares in said company, along with other collateral (usually an insurance policy). Selling shares of one's company also means sharing ownership and ultimate control over the business. The more shares that are sold, the less control the original owner has over the company. This type of funding may be attractive for new companies with limited credit and operating history that may have difficulty raising capital in public markets or from debt funding, such as bank loans.

If relinquishing control over your company doesn't seem very attractive, you should consider another form of business funding. On the other hand, depending on the stage of your business' development, and your end goals, venture capital could be the right solution for you.

After a period of significant growth, many small business owners are not equipped with the expertise to take their businesses to the next level-either maximizing growth or selling it for profit. A venture capitalist can bring managerial and technical expertise to aid businesses that are ready to take the next step. In a nutshell, venture capital is a useful tool for entrepreneurs hoping to build a company to flip for a quick profit. If your goal is to build a lasting business (that remains under your control), alternative funding options should be considered.

If venture capital sounds like a viable solution to your funding needs, just remember, venture capitalists reject 98 percent of all proposals presented to them. The market is highly competitive, and if your proposal is approved, the lengthy process-usually 6 to 18 months-has just begun. In order to obtain equity funding, you must present a sound proposal to outline the strategy and vision for your company.

Areas of interest for potential investors include the following:
- Strength of management
- Strength of brand
- Business strategy
- Target market
- Competition
- Big name clients
- Innovation
- Recommendations
- Intellectual property
- Barriers to entry

Ten Lessons For Every Business Leader

As I was shaving this morning, the thought came to me. What are the ten foundational lessons that I have learned as a business owner? What ten things would I write in concrete for a young entrepreneur? So, over the last few weeks I have massaged this list several times and am now ready to share with you. I hope that you will consider these options and incorporate one of two of these ideas into your workplace.

1. Keep your spouse informed and include him or her in every major decision, especially the key personnel issues, including hiring. Make family time and vacation time a priority. Get alone regularly to think, have some weekends with your spouse, and enjoy time with your children before they grow up and afterward.

2. Gather an Inner Circle or "Counsel of Advisors" around you that have your best interests at heart, are not involved in your business, and will ask you the hard questions. Choose people who will be there for you in times of stress when you need wisdom and encouragement.

3. Treat your employees like family and be genuinely concerned for their welfare. Hire slowly and fire quickly. Remember that attitude is far more important than ability. Get the right people into the right spots. Find out what each person is passionate about and find the right fit for him or her in your company. The best way to attract the right people is to create a strong company culture. Relationships provide the true foundation for all of your success in the marketplace.

4. Get out of the office and visit your customers. Take advantage of conventions and trade shows. Listen to what your customers want and need. Solve their problems, and they will make you successful. Keep your promises to them whatever it costs.

5. Respect your vendors and develop true partnerships with them. Pay your bills on time and do not take advantage of them. They can become key allies with you in getting new customers.

6. Make timely and accurate accounting a priority. Understand your margins, break even points, and fixed and variable expenses. Keep a close watch daily or weekly on your cash flow. Become an expert on pricing. Build your business on profits and prudent use of debt.

7. Put all agreements with your fellow shareholders and executives in writing. On one page you should be able to clarify the key points of your understanding. Clear understandings at the beginning will help you to avoid most lawsuits. Settle all disagreements as quickly as you can without the time and expense of going to court.

8. Make friends with your competitors and learn from them. You will be a better business leader if you are watching and learning from them. They may become useful acquisitions or alliance partners.

9. Be generous with your profits, particularly with your employees and your community. Help your employees to save for the future and share in the rewards of the company's success. Caring and generous leaders attract followers.

10. Value input from other leaders. Be involved in a regular small group of business owners or executives from which you can learn much and be held accountable. Practice the habit of continual learning and give your life to the next generation of leaders.

Conclusion: Regardless of your service or product, these ten foundational truths will help keep you on the right path as a leader. Without values and peer relationships, you as a leader will not survive the challenges of the marketplace. But, with a strong foundation and peers who care, you will be able to withstand any attack upon you as a leader or upon your firm.

Copyright, Kent Humphreys, 2010

Kent Humphreys has been a business leader for forty years. Kent is an established author, co-writing six books with his wife of forty years, Davidene. Kent has a business background in distribution, real estate, venture capital, and consulting.

A Few Tips on How to Carry Out the Best Team Building Activities

Team building activities are the best way to encourage collaboration, team synergy and leadership potential. It creates a free-spirit environment for your employees to overcome obstacles and work as a team.

Camaraderie and communication is very essential for any organization to work towards the same goals, objectives and productivity that the company wants to achieve. Organizations introduce periodical activities to help their staff improve on critical thinking skills and quality of teamwork.

Team building games can be conducted indoors and outdoors. Indoor ice breakers like "Who is your favorite at work?" allows each team member to talk about who they admire at work. It gives them the opportunity to learn about each other's values and brings them a lot closer with positive communication. Many will find that they respect common members of the team, which will give them common ground to communicate on.

"Who's got the big foot?" is a game where everyone is blindfolded and placed in a straight line and asked to rearrange themselves according to their shoes size without mentioning their shoe size. It's a fun activity and very confusing, teamwork is very essential to complete this task.

Outdoor team building games like "Navigating the Maze of Change!" is also another fun filled game where the teams must cross an electronic maze, a checkerboard-like carpet where there is one safe path that will get them to the other side without triggering an alarm. Change and uncertainty is always a part of business, this activity helps the employees to find ways and means to achieve their goals by facing tricky situations.

Covering Your Bases

When starting any company you need to be able to tackle all the obstacles you will be running into BEFORE you start your business. A business plan helps you understand your business and is actually more important for your own knowledge, than any business you may be presenting it to. But you need to ask the right questions about your business in order to answer all the relevant questions. Here are some of the key questions you must ask AND ANSWER before you even begin to search for a company to help you executed a business plan.

A) Is your product or service marketable?
B) Are you a commodity (product)-based brand or marketing driven brand? That is to say, do retailers or consumers by the product because of the product, whether it is superior to the competition, or because the price is less (product driven), or, do they buy your product because you have created an inherent value through marketing the product through advertising and promotions, such that the consumers gain a feeling of value even before they buy it?
C) Who are your competitors and why are they succeeding?
D) How are you going to make your value more significant to your consumers such that you can gain competitive marketing share?
E) What are your selling tactics?
F) What is your marketing strategy?
G) How much money do you need from a capital standpoint to get your product off the ground.
H) What is your planned return-on-investment (ROI)?
I) Is your product patented, unique or proprietary?

These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself when you are in the strategic planning phase of your product launch. Get yourself small start-up capital in order to get the consulting you need up front so you can eliminate the majority of your mistakes before your business starts. Don't wait until you are too late and already in the game when the dollars are high and the stakes are high. Again, remember, your business plan is first and foremost important to help you understand your business better. When you fill in all the areas that are required in a business plan, you will be forced into answering these questions. Remember, this is a good thing. To find out the appropriate format, Google "Business Plans" or, "Business plan format" on the web and it will be easy enough to find.

I hope the above article provided you with some insight into what it takes BEFORE you take the leap into the world of the entrepreneur. Again, good luck!

When Not to Take a Web Content Writing Job

People are facing a terrible financial burden right now, especially in America. The job security and economic conditions we've taken for granted for the last 10 years are starting to come apart due to a decade of irresponsibility. Freelancers especially are becoming more desperate. The money and the dream of being independent of traditional American minimum wage slave labor drive us to take projects that really should be left alone. Today, we will learn when NOT to take a web content writing job.

These principles apply to copywriters as well as content writers and every other kind of freelancer. We all want to be paid for something we enjoy, but what happens when we're asked to take less than the finished product is worth? Should we sacrifice our time just to have a job, no matter what the quality? The answer is no. Our time must be saved for the important work of finding the jobs that pay what we're worth.

Pay isn't the only qualifier for an unacceptable job; Sometimes, the jobs themselves aren't worth taking. Some subjects aren't right for most writers and some clients aren't meant to be clients. You don't want your name attached to a customer should be flipping burgers instead of selling products with your words. This article will give some helpful clues in identifying a job not worth taking at any price, before it's too late.

The key factor is 99% of unworthy jobs is pay. Five dollars for a reasonable length article is the bare minimum for fluent English speakers. Leave the $1/500 words junk for the phonies. Never take a low paying job to build reputation. A reputation as a writer who writes for pennies isn't a reputation you want to have. Also remember, if you are only worth a small payment for a client, you are very replaceable. Try to write at a quality that you would never give up for less than $5.

Now, how can a job be worthless even with a large paycheck? There are several ways into this apparent paradox: A job that will not lead to more jobs; A job that exposes you to an abusive client; and a job that is not practical to complete. For writers, the best way to end a job without a job to follow it is if you don't get credit. Clients will ask for full copyright, meaning you can not use their writing as a sample. The best reaction to this is to simply raise your rate. If you're writing with no recognition, make it for enough money that you don't need the follow-up. Usually, these clients will simply refuse the price.

The next reason to reject a job less obvious. You will seldom see an ad announcing that a job is for an abusive client. Instead, there will be subtle hints in the ad. Some of these include preemptive temper tantrums like warnings in capital letters and whining before they've even selected a writer for the job. You also have to look out for disingenuous phrases like "I prefer proper communication" which translates to: "I will send you thirty emails a day asking why you haven't finished the project, 25 of them before the deadline." These clients will harass you in every way they say and more. Also, don't be surprised if there is a lot of "confusion" from their end about the price you agreed to and how many articles you've done.

The final warning for a writing job that you should NOT take is the subject. Many ads will not mention the subject. You need to ask. There are many, many more subjects requiring articles than any individual writer will take. Some writers like to write about men's cufflinks, feminine hygiene products and male enhancement. Many of us don't. Find out what you're getting into before you take the job.

Is the Pint Glass Half Full Or Half Empty For the Pub Industry?

The latest budget report had pub landlords up in arms again with a further tax increase hitting the humble British pint. It's no secret that pubs are feeling the squeeze with less and less money being spent 'down the local' and the recession adding to financial pressures. The question is will the British pub industry fight back or will they become one of many lost English traditions?

Many publicans blame the decrease in prosperity for pubs on this government: taxes on alcohol and the smoking ban the main targets of the criticisms. I'd like to briefly explore these two factors.

Increased taxes on alcohol are making drinking a very expensive habit. Supermarkets are benefiting because people are replacing their increasingly expensive pint at the pub for a cheap 4-pack of lager in the weekly shop. Pubs simply can't afford to charge any less for their drinks because of other costs associated with running a pub. Chain pubs are keeping their heads above water because they have the safety net of a big company behind them: independent pubs don't have such a luxury.

The smoking ban is probably one of the most controversial pieces of legislation passed by this government in the last 10 years. The effect on the pub industry has been rather interesting. While some pubs have claimed that it's helped to boost their image as a safe, family-friendly environment, others have complained it's led to more and more people staying at home where they can smoke to their hearts (dis)content. I've welcomed being able to go to the pub without coming up how stinking of smoke, but for a lot of regular pub-goers, smoking was part of the experience.

Various social and economic changes would have changed the pub industry inevitably. Increased mobility means the 'local' pub doesn't get regular trade without being as good as the pub a few miles away. However, this should have just weeded out the 'bad' pubs, and they aren't the only ones going under.

Just as important as why the pub industry is the effect it's having. This ranges from the effect on the livelihoods of publicans, the detrimental effect on the 'binge drinking' culture and the loss of traditional hubs of the community.

It would be a sad sight if pub's continued to close at their current rate. What pubs really need is the support and custom of the communities they are a part of - a call to arms to beer and wine lovers throughout the village perhaps - "all hands to the pumps!" On that note - I'm off for a pint.

Document Destruction Companies For Your Business - How Much Do You Know About Shredding?

Here's the Quiz...

1. Document destruction will save you money

a. True
b. False

Answer: Document destruction will save you money because of the fact you won't have to pay any fines if you do it right. It is the law to shred all confidential materials. Using a professional document destruction company is truly the fastest way to go.

2. You can go ahead and choose any company that has good shredding equipment.

a. True
b. False

Answer: False. It is extremely important to choose a company with experience and all the right credentials.

3. Here are some reasons to shred. Choose the incorrect one:

a. to keep your financials private.
b. to keep the cost of storing your paper and as well as your records at a limit.
c. to safe guard your employees' private information.
d. to safeguard yourself from corporate espionage.
e. to give your employees something to do during off times.

Answer: e is the incorrect answer.

4. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America today.

a. True
b. False

Answer: True. Don't be a victim of it!

5. Medical companies that work with highly private sensitive documents pertaining to an individual can keep them for 20 years before destroying them.

a. True
b. False

Answer: False. Medical companies that work with highly private sensitive documents pertaining to an individual must destroy them when they are no longer needed. It is the law! You don't want to worry about getting charge a huge fine.

How to Use Qualifying Questions to Find Out If a Prospect is Motivated

When speaking with a prospect on the phone many sales people will get appointments with unqualified prospects. Having appointments is great however having appointments with those that can actually afford your product or service now or in the near future is better.

This doesn't mean that you have to grill a prospect in order to find out their financial details however finding out if a prospect has motivation is extremely important.

Having a prospect jump through at least 1 hoop that you set in advance will help you find out the motivation level of a prospect. In other words asking them to perform a task or answer a question will help you qualify them to determine their level of motivation.

The rule that I recommend that every salesperson adopt is to have at least 3 hoops however having at least one will put you on your way to success. The hoop may be a question they have to answer or a task they have to perform.

The more hoops you have the better. I have a client who has 5 hoops and he is always #1 in sales in his particular area and industry.

Let's cover a quick example of a hoop that you would like your prospect to follow in order to find out if they are motivated. When you are on the phone with a prospect a hoop for your product or service may be to consume a free report or audio training. You may also have a question that they absolutely have to answer in order to work with you.

Let's discuss a hoop that may help you decide whether the prospect is interested in improving themselves or just looking for free consulting advice from you and taking your valuable time.

I recommend to all of my clients that they have a free guide, training call or mp3, or both that they can have prospects consume prior to meeting them in person.

Why?

The materials should be helpful and specific to the industry. Having a prospect consume these materials will do two things for you:

1. Pre-sell you and your services to the client. By having valuable materials (not brochures that just talk about your product) you will be separated from your competition and your prospect will realize how you are different and focused on their needs.

2. Eliminate those that just want to have you come and chat so they can do research on you only to use your bid or estimate with your competition.

Often times you may have this material online or in video format and asking the prospect to visit the website or video while you are on the phone with them is another hoop that you can use to qualify the prospect.

2 Small Changes You Can Make When Answering the Phone to Double Your Sales

Most sales script methods focus on your active conversations with clients. The focus is on when you are calling on a prospect what questions do you ask that will lead you to a sale. These methods are an essential part of any business owner's toolbox but will be rendered useless when you don't answer the phone correctly. Tragically many business owners and sales professionals ruin the hard work that they accomplished on their initial call by poor follow up techniques. Good follow up doesn't mean you have to call the prospect daily for a year as that would be a waste of time. One aspect of follow up that many professionals miss is how they answer the phone when a prospect is calling them back. This small part of the sales process is one that kills many a professionals sales and they don't even know it! I invite you to consider the following when answering your phone:

Poor Answering Technique: "Hello?"

This is probably the WORST way to answer the phone. It shows almost no effort and doesn't reveal your professionalism. Picture your initial call with a prospect, one where you asked interest peaking questions, found out their pain points, and where you took the time to focus on their needs. Now the prospect calls you back and you answer "hello?" The prospect will be left thinking "who did I speak to before?". After you have established yourself as the professional of choice you don't want to let a poor way of answering the phone kill the sales opportunity.

Good Answering Technique: "Good [time of day greeting], this is [your name], how can I help you?"

I invite you to say the first technique out loud compared with the second. Yes the second one does take a few seconds longer to utter, but what is a sale worth to you? When you answer the phone with "Good morning, this is John, how can I help you?" you sound like a true professional. You sound like the professional who is worthy of getting that prospect to invest in your product or service. As you consider the method in which you answer the phone I invite you to consider that putting in the elements of a greeting and a question can add sales monthly to your business.

The 4 Biggest National Sales Meeting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Unfortunately, though, it's just as likely that they'll spend a lot of money, waste a week's worth of time, and frustrate their sales staff. That's because planning an effective national sales meeting is harder than simply renting a conference room and reading off a handful of memos. To create real results, you need an event with information and inspiration... something that leaves attendees feeling excited to go out and meet new customers, not bored and wishing they could go home.

For that reason, and because I've been to enough sales meetings to see what works, here are a few of the most common pitfalls, along with the best ways to steer clear of them:

#1. Being unfocused:

I often advise salespeople to avoid what I call "the dump truck routine." Even if you're not familiar with my term, you've likely seen it in action; it's when the producer starts throwing facts and features at prospects, one after another, in the hopes that they'll eventually say something that will trigger a buying decision.

You could probably already guess that this technique doesn't help sell much of anything. But what you need to realize is that it isn't only commissioned salespeople that make the mistake. Lots of managers and executives routinely overload their sales staff with new ideas, mistakenly thinking that giving dozens of concepts and suggestions is going to increase the likelihood that they'll come away with something useful.

In reality, it usually accomplishes the opposite. At best, throwing too much at your sales team is going to leave them confused; at worst, it will cause them to tune out everything they hear. When planning your sales meeting, pick no more than two or three key themes that need to be taught or addressed, and then structure your materials and sessions around those. It might be tempting to try to focus on more, but you'll only end up watering down the final result.

#2. Missing the big picture:

Does your sales team have a system that they use and practice? Are they generating new leads consistently, qualifying potential buyers, and negotiating good margins with their customers? If the answer to any of these questions is "no," then you probably don't need to teach them sophisticated closes or worry about fine-tuning their database skills - you need to concentrate on the basics.

I've seen countless numbers of organizations spend big money on complicated lead tracking systems when their producers don't know how to ask for an order, or burn several working days on obscure motivational tactics even though their sales staff can't give an effective presentation. These mistakes are easy to spot in hindsight, but it's easy to miss the forest for the trees when you're anxious to try out a new tool or technique. If you're serious about making a real difference in your future sales figures, make sure you're giving your team the right tools to succeed, not the ones that look best on a program sheet.

#3. Taking the meeting too seriously... or not seriously enough:

Salespeople, by their very nature, tend to be social animals. Often, the national sales meeting isn't just a chance to pick up some new ideas, but also to see some familiar faces and catch up with old friends. Add in the fact that some might have had to travel a long way to arrive onsite, or cram a week's worth of work into a few days to take the time away, and it's easy to see how too many (or too intensive) sessions can have the wrong effect.

On the other hand, your national sales meeting should have real business value. It's not enough to pass out some literature, say a few inspirational things, and then send everyone off to a steak dinner. As important it is to show your appreciation to your sales team, take care not to send the wrong message by treating the event like a field day. Recognize and reward achievements, but do it in a way that encourages future sales.

#4. Failing to elicit feedback:

Your national sales meeting should not be a one-way communication. Since you've gotten everyone together, take the opportunity to find out what your company could be doing to better support the sales team. Do they need new or different tools, better communication from another department, or to pass along common client requests and complaints? A sales meeting is the perfect forum, not only because they can voice their concerns face-to-face, but also because the thoughts or impressions of one person might spur and idea or solution from another.

Drawing feedback from your sales team doesn't even have to be a formal affair. In fact, using anonymous questionnaires or other written methods can sometimes yield more honest answers since it gives your employees the chance to express themselves without having to make things public.

Key Sales Management Point:

With a little bit of focus and good planning, your national sales meeting can spur your staff to reach higher than ever before. Keep these tips in mind and you'll be sure to come up with an event that's as profitable as it is productive.

Carl Henry is a management consultant. He specializes in helping companies in the selection of top sales and customer service talent. Carl is also a Certified Speaking Professional and the author of several books and articles related to sales, sales management, and customer service. He conducts seminar and webinar for clients worldwide.

Tips For Online Invoicing and Finding the Right Merchant Account Company

Today one of the most important aspects of running a successful business is to make sure that you streamline the payment process. You want to make it easy for your business to not only bill clients, but also easy for your clients to pay those invoices. The best way to do that is to set up your invoicing online. Online invoicing allows customers to easily create, track, and send invoices and accept credit card payments instantly. This alleviates the stress of all the paperwork involved and allows businesses to focus more on the important aspects of running their business.

Also, it ensures that the credit card payments you receive are good and won't be declined once you process the credit card and that you get paid in a timely fashion. No more the check is in the mail or I'll pay that invoice tomorrow. By setting up auto-billing you can automatically charge your client's credit card. This is perfect for retainer and membership fees whereas billing is done on a regular basis. The bottom line is that you now have control. You're back in charge of your finances.

And it's so easy to do. The key is to find the right company that offers all the features you need. You want a company that can offer the following:

* The ability to collect payments online and get paid immediately with a credit card.
* The option to create, email, print, and manage all invoices.
* The ability to set up automatic and recurring billing.
* The ability to create professional looking invoices.
* The ability to send notifications on recurring transactions that a charge is going to be processed.
* Easy processing. Many companies make it so that you can start accepting payments within minutes.

One method for setting up online invoicing is through a virtual terminal, which is basically accepting payments virtually. Payments are made remotely with 24-hour access to a secure network providing instant authorization on credit transactions. Some systems also allow shopping cart capabilities and the ability to add a merchant account to an existing shopping cart or establish a new shopping cart.

Some credit card processing companies also offer additional services including the ability to accept payments over the phone. This is perfect for businesses that conduct work in and out of the office allowing them the ability to not only accept payments online but also through their existing phones, even their iPhones. So even when out in the field conducting business, sales can be processed.

Businesses that can benefit with online invoicing include virtual assistants, home-based businesses, service-oriented businesses, online retailers, those in direct sales, speakers, coaches, and so forth. Anyone who needs the ability to accept credit card payments quickly and efficiently can benefit.

Getting paid for your services and products is so critical to a company's bottom line. To make sure you get paid regularly by your clients find the merchant account processing company that meets all your needs today and in the future.

The Basics of a Dollar Store Walkthrough

Those who know how to start a dollar store recognize the importance of creating just the perfect shopping environment for their customers. They know that the better the job they do to create a clean, fully-stocked and fun store environment the longer shoppers are likely to remain in their store. And of course as shoppers stay longer they are more likely to spend more. When done right the extra minutes each shopper extends their visit translates into more and more merchandise sales.

One of the best weapons for maintaining a great shopping environment in your store at all times is called a store walk-through. It simply involves starting at one of the front corners of your store and proceeding aisle by aisle through the store to return everything to a just opened appearance. An effective store walk-through takes only about 30-60 minutes depending on the size of your store. Read on to discover some of the most important tasks to complete during your store walk-through time.

Clean everything

This is a time to remove all dirty spots in the store. If they are on the floor a quick sweep with a broom and/or a vacuuming will have things back on track. If wet, muddy spots are discovered possibly a quick mopping is in order. Those who know how to start a dollar store also carry a feather duster to remove dust from counters and merchandise.

Straighten displays

As you are walking from aisle to aisle pick up misplaced packages and return them to their proper location. This includes proper placement on peg hooks or shelves. This one action will serve well to return your store to a just opened appearance.

Collect broken and damaged dollar store merchandise

Don't try to fix merchandise on the sales floor. However do collect all broken and damaged merchandise and packages. Following the walk-through decisions can be made about repairing and replacing fixed items to their proper location. Non-repairable dollar store merchandise can be logged and destroyed or donated later as well.

Help shoppers

A store walk-through is also a great time to meet and greet customers. Take a few moments to welcome shoppers to your store. Be sure to offer help to customers trying to find items.

Those who know how to start a dollar store recognize the importance of maintaining a clean, well organized store. Use your walk-through time to look for anything requiring further attention. Return dollar merchandise that customers have decided not to purchase back to its proper location. Your reward for taking this time will be added dollar store sales.

Killer Resume Formats - Which One is For You?

Your education, employment history, professional achievements and career objectives are all summarized in a short one to two page document called a resume.
There are two major styles of resumes, although they can be formatted various ways.

The Chronological Resume Format:

As you might suspect, a chronological resume lists your employment and education in chronological order, beginning with your current employment and most recent achievements.

Sometimes called a reverse chronological resume, many employers prefer this style because their assessment of your qualifications may hinge on what has happened in your life most recently. It works the same way for your education; prospective employers are more interested in your most recent academic achievements so they want to see them first.

A reverse chronological resume also displays your overall professional progress to prospective employers. In addition, this style of resume makes the length of your employment at each organization, as well as any gaps in your employment, more obvious to prospective employers (if any gaps do exist, address them in your cover letter so prospective employers don't think you're intentionally hiding something). You'll want to list your current job followed by two to four previous positions in a chronological resume.

Don't intentionally leave out any of your jobs; instead, address a lengthy employment history or any special qualifications you may have in your cover letter or professional profile.

This style of resume is the most frequently used, and it works well for people with at least some degree of professional experience.

The Functional Resume Format:

Rather than focusing on your professional time line, a functional resume places primary importance on your qualifications. Instead of highlighting where and when you acquired and used your skills, this style of resume draws attention to your skills themselves.

A functional resume should be divided into sections with captions for each of your skills. Examples of these sections might include customer relations, verbal and written communication, project management and so on. A functional resume is often recommended for people with no professional experience, students looking for their first jobs, people who have been out of the workforce for a while, and people looking to change careers.

Although a functional resume provides a good overview of your skills, a chronological or combination resume would be better for those with some professional experience.

The Combination Resume Format:

A hybrid of the chronological and functional resume styles has recently become popular. The combination resume permits you to draw attention to a specific qualification you have that is pertinent to the job being sought, but you are still able to provide details about your educational and employment history in reverse chronological order.

Be careful if you use one; avoid trying to include too much and using an excessive type and number of sections. It's better to limit the information to things that are relevant to the job you are seeking.

Some basic rules apply to any resume, no matter which style. Put your best foot forward, don't go over two pages, and tailor the information to the job being sought.

Remember, your resume is your first line of attack: your best attempt at getting your foot in the door!

Time Management Tips to Get Your Work Done

Do you want to be more organized in your job? Don't you wish you could be more productive? Are you wondering why you haven't accomplished much even if you spend the whole day working? If so, you need to brush up on your time management skills.

Organization is vital for the success of your business. It helps you accomplish more throughout your day. If you don't know how to use your minutes wisely, your business will suffer. This is often the problem of small business owners who have to do a lot in a single day. With proper execution, you'll double your productivity without making yourself a nervous wreck. Getting more achieved throughout your day will help increase revenue and reduce your stress levels as well.

The first rule to remember in conquering this problem is that time management is a myth. Yes, you read it right. No matter how much needs to be done, you must accept the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. Available moments wont change throughout the day but you can make the most out of it by learning how to best manage yourself.

To see whats taking up your precious daily moments, make a list of the items you do and those that need to be done. Learn what tasks are wasting your energy and avoid them if possible. Many of us engage in Internet browsing, reading e-mails, unexpected guests or personal calls. By knowing your daily activities, you can get a clear picture of what you actually do. From there, you can determine whats eating up your focus and tailor your activities accordingly.

Next distinguish between whats urgent and what is not. Often the important tasks will help you accomplish your goals. In contrast, a lot of urgent tasks aren't that important. Do the important things first and you'll get more done throughout your day.

Time Management Tips to Get Your Work Done

Do you want to be more organized in your job? Don't you wish you could be more productive? Are you wondering why you haven't accomplished much even if you spend the whole day working? If so, you need to brush up on your time management skills.

Organization is vital for the success of your business. It helps you accomplish more throughout your day. If you don't know how to use your minutes wisely, your business will suffer. This is often the problem of small business owners who have to do a lot in a single day. With proper execution, you'll double your productivity without making yourself a nervous wreck. Getting more achieved throughout your day will help increase revenue and reduce your stress levels as well.

The first rule to remember in conquering this problem is that time management is a myth. Yes, you read it right. No matter how much needs to be done, you must accept the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. Available moments wont change throughout the day but you can make the most out of it by learning how to best manage yourself.

To see whats taking up your precious daily moments, make a list of the items you do and those that need to be done. Learn what tasks are wasting your energy and avoid them if possible. Many of us engage in Internet browsing, reading e-mails, unexpected guests or personal calls. By knowing your daily activities, you can get a clear picture of what you actually do. From there, you can determine whats eating up your focus and tailor your activities accordingly.

Next distinguish between whats urgent and what is not. Often the important tasks will help you accomplish your goals. In contrast, a lot of urgent tasks aren't that important. Do the important things first and you'll get more done throughout your day.

Exhibition Stand Construction is Key to Your Event Preparation

Prior to exploring the details of exhibition stand construction it would be as well to go into just why a company would consider using these devices in the first place. Those who know enough about trade fairs and similar exhibitions are aware that these functions, stressful as they may be to set up and organise for, can nevertheless be extremely useful in garnering new customers and in confirming the loyalties of existing ones. Remember that those who visit trade shows are there to look at different business scenarios.

They are also highly likely to be potential customers, which means that the customer density at a trade show for most businesses is higher than at almost any other place, event or gathering. Your exhibition stand construction at such an event can also be crucial, because customers at such an event are usually there to find out if there's a better and cheaper way to get what they want - yes, this includes people who are already dealing with you, and who might shift to a competing company if they find that it helps them to reduce costs in some way, or if they feel that that company offers them better quality and service than you do.

It doesn't matter that the other company may not in fact offer better quality and services - if a customer even thinks that they do, that customer may place an order with them and thereafter stay with them out of sheer habit.

Of course, if your company is represented by an exhibition stand construction, this will lessen the effects of what ever concepts and ideas your competitors sales force chooses to project. In such a scenario, obviously, representation at all events connected with your company's business is necessary, if not out and out crucial.

Which ultimately brings us to exhibition stands, which stand at the core of your marketing strategy at any trade event. Of all the aspects that personify a good exhibition stand, the most important are - image projection and portability. In any case, the inner frame of a stand is usually comparatively light in weight, both for portability and for ease in setting up, where light weight components usually mean less manpower is required for the exhibition stand construction, which is a reduction of costs both for a builder and for you. Over this internal frame come other light materials - only these will form the external 'skin' of the stand.

The materials can range for weather-proof vinyl, to wood, to fiberglass. And these can hold the design graphics of the stand, which in this digital age are almost always created on a computer.

Of course this is a simplistic description - many more sophisticated details are possible, and the price of a stand generally is decided by the details that go into its construction. So consider well the needs of your company, the kind of image you need to create, and what you will be using the stand for, and then go ahead and create an exhibition stand construction that will prove to be an investment in the years ahead.

Secret Tips on How to Get a Free Radio Commercial

Is it really possible to get a free radio commercial? I don't think so, because radio stations are affected by the economic climate just like everyone else.

However there is a better way and cheaper to! Get yourself invited to give an interview. This is far and away the best method of getting your message out to your market.

Become an expert
Radio stations, particularly radio talk shows survive by giving their listeners their views on current affairs and the impact on the local community. This is where you come in. I expect you are an expert in whatever market you serve, now you just need to adjust your focus slightly and become an expert in your local area. Do you know its strengths and weaknesses?

For example does your town have good communication links, is it easy to get around. If your local government decide to cut spending or invest in building a new road, you need to be aware of the impact that will have on your town. Why? Because you need to have an expert opinion when you give your interview.

Know your subject
OK, now lets turn our attention to your business. Whatever product you produce or whatever service you provide, how does it benefit your town. Is there any new legislation or laws coming in that will make it harder for you to supply customers? Has a large corporate organization moved in looking to kill off small town businesses like yours?

How will this affect your town. What will the impact be on local citizens? What in the world is happening that might impact on your ability to supply your local community?

Pitch your local radio stations.
Now you know what to talk about, start pitching your local radio stations, particularly producers and radio talk show hosts.

Contact them about a news headline that could impact people locally. Pitch them about the effect on the region. They are not interested in your product or service but they are passionate about theirs - the content they put out. They want to offer their listeners information and entertainment that interests them. So be topical.

Don't be boring
Please please don't be boring. If you're a bore you'll never get asked back on air again. NEVER! The whole point of this project is that you become the station's go to person on local business matters.

If you have a deep monotone voice, practice changing the pitch. Get excited, get passionate, get controversial. This stuff works. The more of a reaction you can stimulate the more the station will love you and ask you back. Get interviewed by a few stations and you will soon become a local celebrity. Think of the benefit to your business!

Conclusion
So we've talked about the chances of getting a free radio commercial and found that the best way to get free air time is to become a local expert. Don't forget the cumulative effect from being interviewed more than once. After hearing from you a few times, your potential customers will get to know you and think of you as their friend. This is important because they will remember you if they need your services or products. Make the most of this opportunity. Become the local expert that radio station managers and producers rely on!

Outsourcing Web Development - Benefits and Risks

Outsourcing of web development is a trend that has caught up in recent times. Originally people were skeptical in sending work abroad, but nowadays it is a modern day boon. It can be a huge cost saving factor for small and mid-size businesses but it is also a tricky proposition sometimes due to the risks involved. The key is to balance the possible benefits like reducing cost and minimizing the risks by taking sound outsourcing decisions.

Countries like India, China, Philippines, and Russia have emerged as the most popular outsourcing destinations for web development and SEO services. Among them, India is the hottest outsourcing destination due to more skilled and English speaking manpower availability. Many small and midsized companies in US, Europe and Australia outsource their web development work to Indian web development companies.

Companies have many good reasons for embracing outsourcing web services to India. Outsourcing to a web designing company or a SEO services company in India is beneficial from the pricing point of view as the services are offered at a very economical rate. The reason for the economical pricing is the availability of competent and skilled web professionals.

When you outsource work to a web development company, it is not only cheaper in terms of service rates but also saves infrastructure and training cost. Also the time difference can be utilized to complete critical work at night when regular employees are not available.

There are other advantages too, e.g. the outsourcer can focus more on strategic thinking and managing trade partner relationships and also increase efficiency by centralizing functions. It also helps the company to keep pace with the changing technology without changing the infrastructure.

Outsourcing web services makes a lot of sense, but it is very essential to source the service from the right company. Because despite all the advantages of outsourcing there have been instances of many fraud companies that appear quite convincing at first but then provide shoddy services or disappear. The trick is to find the right web development company to outsource and that includes not only evaluating various companies but also seeing if they match your business needs.

Before you choose a company, you should make sure to look up references and past records and do a thorough research on their credentials. In case of a SEO services company, make sure that they use white hat methods of optimization and don't promise an overnight increase in ranking.

If these points are taken care of, outsourcing can be very beneficial to companies. Choosing the right web designing company for outsourcing is the key. As per the experts, outsourcing of web services is here to stay and it is only going to be bigger in the near future.

Being a Non-Profit in a For Profit World

The question that needs to be answered is what is a non-profit? It may be better to start with what is a non-profit not. They are not exclusively on donations or grants from federal, state or county funds. They do not ask for money and it is given to them. True they are provided some funding through federal set aside programs, state subsidies and some county funds but this only comprises between 30-40% of their operating budgets. They must find other means to fund the rest of their businesses. Though some organizations receive more or less funding, this article is describing vocational work center entities or organizations that help provide employment or training activities for underemployed individuals. However, non-profit businesses range from places of worship, vocational work centers to the NFL. However, did you also know that a non -profit can be a restaurant or a retail store? A common misconception with the general population that non-profits do not make money and if they do make a profit, they give it all away. Otherwise, the public believes that non-profits are not allowed to make money. However, this is not accurate. Non-profit businesses are... businesses. True a nonprofit runs programs that benefit its clients or members, are tax exempt and many also have volunteers. They are simply defined as they cannot produce dividends for investors, they provide income for the employees/clients, and they foster work or their mission benefits its members and the community. Profits can be disbursed or invested for the intended use in the future for extension of programs that meet the organization's mission.

Non -profit businesses are mission driven entities. Meaning that all activities must further their mission statement. A work center or sheltered workshop is a non-profit that may have the mission of vocational training or work activities for those with disabilities. Their core activities must revolve around furthering work related activities for those they serve.

Knowing roughly how non-profits function how can they ever compete with for profit businesses? As I mentioned before a restaurant or store can be a non-profit also.

When a nonprofit is thinking of venturing into the for profit world with a business venture there are a few things that are essential to their success.

Number 1: Non-profit organizations that are thinking about breaking into a sector that is primarily comprised of for profit businesses is to educate communities. They need to make sure they interact with the community on a regular basis educating everyone they meet on how non-profits work. People honestly do not understand until you tell them. To sell to people they must understand what your organization does and how it works. You can never do this enough. Tell them and tell them again. Let them know you are thinking about branching out. You may find support in the most unlikely places. Make an effort to be connected to your local community. Join chambers, community groups and be involved in community events. Constant contact makes others recognize you and gives your organization exposure. Vital for consideration for the for profit business you are planning on starting.

Number 2: Make sure that everyone knows the company mission. It should be included in all printed material, your website, business card etc...in addition, on the tip of your tongue when speaking with someone new.

Number 3: Never assume that you know it all. This is key. You can always learn something new. Whether you have done something for 20 years or this is your first venture never assume you cannot learn from someone because of who he or she are or how he or she look. Be open to others suggestions, assistance and use them as a springboard for your ideas. They just might see things in a perspective different from your own. This can help when branching out into the for profit world especially if you have been in the nonprofit sector for some time.

Number 4: Do extensive feasibility studies. If you think that, you want to do a franchise, investigate all options and see how the various ones fit your mission. Gain as much information about a program you are thinking about, make lists of pros, and con's of each.

Number 5: Though part of the feasibility study look extensively at staffing to run this new venture. Non -profit staffers usually have varied duties and assume many roles. If you are thinking about existing staff taking over the program in addition to their normal duties (even if they share the responsibilities) discuss with them. Make sure they know what is going to be expected of them. It really is vital to look at staffing before starting the venture and I believe that many overestimate the capacity of their current staff to handle more.

Number 6: Make sure that the mission is the reason for this new program. As you narrow down your search using the feasibility studies and always make sure that you can answer this one question. Does it help up meet or further our mission? Then list 10 ways how it does so.

When thinking about expanding your company's program services, careful planning and following the 6 suggestions above will give you good start in making an informed decision. A decision that will make an impact for the individuals receiving your services as well as the community where it is located.

Your business is in business to fulfill a mission and that should be central to your existence. A nonprofit in today's world has many options to expand their services so that they can expand their service reach and make a difference in others lives. Make sure that you plan carefully to ensure success and always be proud of the services you provide your clientele.

If You Want to Succeed, You DON'T Have to Work Hard

My parents always told me that I needed to work hard in order to be successful. As I started growing up, I realized that not only was this not true, but the hardest working people I knew were always struggling and people who weren't working half as hard were ten times more successful. This made me re-think everything.

I know a lot of rich people and they approach business very differently from the way most entrepreneurs do. Some of them work hard and some of them don't, but they all work SMART. I know, you've heard it before, "working smart is more important than working hard", but, what does working smart mean anyway?

A friend of mine explained this to me with only one word: "leverage". He told me that rich people are experts at using other people's resources and helping them benefit them from the same deals they do.

Other People's Money
Successful businesspeople know that you don't need your own money to succeed. A lot of people have a lot of money and they're just waiting for the perfect opportunity to invest it.

Other People's Connections
Let's say you're trying to get an appointment with the CEO of a venture capital firm. Would it be a lot easier if your partner introduced you to her?

Other People's Ideas
Successful people get approached all the time by entrepreneurs with great business ideas.

Other People's Time
Maybe you have the money, an idea and the connections, but don't have the time to launch a new venture. Well, there are thousands of qualified people out there who have the time to help you.

Other People's Experience
If you were to open a restaurant, would you rather do it yourself or with someone who already owns five successful restaurants in town?

Create Win-Win Situations
Just to be clear: using other people's resources doesn't mean that they're doing you a favor. You have to offer them a deal that works for them too.

Summary
Successful businesspeople are connectors. They use other people's resources to build great things. They see the full picture and put the pieces together. Learn from them and emulate what they do

Negotiation Skills For Graduating Seniors

There is nothing quite so promising as the enthusiasm of youth. I speak to many graduating seniors at business schools and the look in their eyes inspires me. They possess a "can do" attitude and believe that anything is possible.

I encourage these seniors to embrace negotiation as a tool to maximize first-job compensation, advance their careers and fortify relationships. Start early, while that "anything is possible" mindset is fresh and alive. "But wait" they say, "I have no professional track record. I haven't 'done' anything yet".

Whether you are new to the work-world or not, we all bring some differentiation that can win us that job or that deal. This difference is "your leverage zone". In negotiation we use those strengths to convince the other side that our deal, our program, our product or our "self" is the one they need. Here are 3 powerful strategies anyone can use in any negotiation:

1 - Get in Your Leverage zone. Find and use those strengths that the "other side" needs. For example in a first-job interview:

• Do research, then offer up growth ideas. It shows not only initiative and creativity, but differentiation. Most people won't or don't do this.
• Find a parallel between your college activities and the business you're pursuing. Employers care less about your lack of experience (they know it); they're more interested in what you will do once hired. Make that connection. Again, most people don't.

2 - Embrace the Process. To negotiate successfully, you must commit to a disciplined, data-driven approach. That means "aggressive preparation" every time. We use information, creativity, insight, documentation and practice to gain strength and achieve great outcomes.

3 - Ya' Gotta Ask. Most people simply don't ask for what they need in a negotiation. Ask! It's amazing what happens when you do.

I believe in "windows of optimism". Right after college, most of us believe the "world is our oyster". We're infused with fresh ideas, excitement and a passion to get started. There's an edge to our psyche. Over time the reality of life will polish off some of that edge, but if you use negotiation early on to gain your best deal while strengthening relationships...you will achieve success sooner.

Our Negotiation Workshop is full of great stuff that makes sense. You'll pump up your business negotiation skills and learn lifelong negotiation strategies for success. Let's talk soon.

Before Negotiating Increase Your Perceived Value

Before negotiating, do you consider how you can increase your perceived value? You can do so from a self-perspective and an outward projection. There are simple strategies you can utilize to ensure you always come away from the negotiation table with more, versus less. This article gives insights into strategies you can employ to increase your perceived value and achieve better outcomes when you negotiate. To increase your perceived value...

1. Prior to negotiating, do a self-assessment from the perspective of how strong your negotiation skills are in comparison to the other negotiator. Consider how adept you are at utilizing the appropriate strategies in the appropriate situations. By making an accurate assessment of your skills, you'll be better positioned to present your perspective more accurately as you negotiate. Knowing your 'real' capabilities will allow you to increase the perceived value you have of yourself, which should translate into a better performance at the negotiation table.

2. To enhance the perception of perceived value, view yourself through the eyes of the other negotiator. Ask yourself, what does she see in me? What value does she perceive me to have and why is that value important to her? Do this from the perspective of what the two of you are negotiating. Then, consider the personal factor, which entails your likability, ease at which you are to deal with, or the opposite of both. Be honest with yourself as you make this assessment.

3. Assess the other negotiator from the perspective of how good a negotiator she is. If in doubt, give her more credit for the skills she may possess. You can compensate for her lack of skills, by being magnanimous during the negotiation, if such compensation is necessary. In so doing, you will increase your perceived value in her eyes.

4. Once you're at the negotiation table, display through your knowledge of the situation at hand that you've done your homework. Don't be overbearing. Display your knowledge for that which you're negotiating in the appropriate manner and at the appropriate time. If the situation requires a quick decision, make one quickly. You'll be subliminally displaying the fact that you've thought the situation through thoroughly, which in turn will project the fact that you're confident and prepared. Such actions will translate non-verbally into a higher level of your perceived value.

To increase your perceived value, understand what may be lacking in the negotiation and fill the void. Be very attuned to the other negotiator's shortcomings. Also, be very understanding and forgiving where appropriate. By being prepared with facts, proper data, and displaying the appropriate demeanor during the negotiation, your perceived value will rise continuously throughout the negotiation... and everything will be right with the world.

The Negotiation Tips Are...

· Since value is perceptional, always consider the demeanor that goes into the makeup of perceived value. You can possess all the self-value in the world and if you're perception is not shared by the other negotiator, you're nothing more than a legend in your own mind.

· Be mindful of the approach you use when negotiating. Using the wrong tactic or strategy in the wrong situation will decrease your perceived value and could cause your negotiation position to become weakened.

· There will be times when your assessment of your value greatly differs from that in which the other negotiator views you. If the chasm is too deep, consider what you can quickly do to alter the perception. As a FYI, you should have thought about this potential dilemma in the planning stages of the negotiation.

To discover more negotiation tips, strategies and tactics that you can use to increase your negotiation skills, connect with Greg Williams...

The Important Rule of Belief

In today's skeptical, over-marketed world, with our search for more powerful claims, we can forget too easily one very important rule:

Never make your claim bigger than your proof. And, always join your claim and your proof at the hip in your headline, so that you never trumpet one without the other. If you remember this rule, there is no more powerful or consistent way to explode your response. Surround your claims with stronger, bolder proof and watch your response soar.

Whenever you face the question: Which of these headlines or main themes will likely out pull the other? One of the most reliable ways to know in advance, without spending a dime or precious time on testing, is to ask: Which headline offers the more compelling proof?

Your prospects are not morons. They are as savvy as you. They can spot your hype miles away. And, they will stop reading your e-mails and throw them into the trash. This is why the smartest, most reliable way to get a prospect to read your message and respond is not by cranking up the volume on your promise. That just makes it look like a bigger pile of hype.

With this in mind, take the following two headlines... which one promises the reader more proof?

Headline (A.) Tension Headache?

Headline (B.) When Doctors Have Tension Headaches, What Do They Do?

Headline "B" won by a fat and happy 71%

Remember this always: Almost everyone in the world, in every field of endeavor, is desperately searching for someone to believe in. Belief is today's most overlooked, most powerful key to boosting response in any medium.

Additional Man Power With Portable Trade Show Exhibits

Finding a way to display your product to a captive audience can be a challenging task. Most people find some level of success by solidifying their placement with a variety of trade show opportunities. The main object though, is to not only highlight the value of your product - but also to establish the most alluring presentation. The success of your showcase heavily weighs upon the creativity of your portable trade show exhibits.

There is a great deal to think about when you are trying to hammer out a plan of execution for your trade show booth. One of the greatest mistakes people make is putting too much pressure on themselves. There are a number of professionals that specialize in customizing carry and go display cases. If you want to keep the process practical allow a display representative to help you streamline the components you will need for a successful showcase.

Getting the most for your dollars while creating an eye catching show case is the objective for most exhibitors; and with proper planning is very achievable. There are a number of ways to cut through the desperation and anxiety that can crop up when you are feeling at a loss. First step is to never be left to your own devices; treating yourself fairly will keep your focus where it most beneficial - on your product.

Tiring yourself out before the lights go on will cast an unfavorable light on to your most important day. There aren't any shortcuts that will help you achieve your desired results. The integrity of your workmanship begins with how well you take care of yourself in the process. With thoughtful consideration the funds you spend on your exhibit will create the additional laborers you need for a fraction of the cost. And, the inspiration you'll receive from the functionality of your professional setting will help keep your energy level balanced.

Banners are a very crucial part of your exhibit. Having the right graphic design layout provides an added interactive component; and can begin the negotiation process with potential buyers and partners. It's a non-evasive way of gently planting the seed about the value of your product. There are undoubtedly a lot of unique and exciting things to see at trade shows. Finding a way to position your pop up banner in the lobby is like your being present to greet each guests.

Hybrid displays are becoming very popular means of ensuring that each and every guest you attract are engaged in your mission. Imagine you're being actively engaged with a handful of people. They are excited and have lots of questions; their presence attracts a group of other people that are coming in at the middle of the conversation. Your hybrid display provides an ongoing overview that highlights the points of enthusiasm. With a hybrid display you have a personable assistant that will captivate new prospects while you're sealing the deal with others.

To obtain a polished look for your booth one must place considerable thought into their flooring options. There are a number of different types that can enhance the theme of your product and accentuate your branding process. Flooring can be rented, but, it is highly recommended that you purchase it outright to guarantee a consistent presence for future engagements. Some of the choices are carpeting, vinyl, hard wood and a number of reproduction finish options that lend itself to a customized feeling.

Portable Trade Show Exhibits are a great way to take the pressure off of the preparation process. Having decided to dedicate your self to a product or service you believe in is a defining career path. Keeping it as fresh as possible will help you to maintain your passion - and that will prove to be your greatest selling strategy.

Offline Marketing - 3 Successful Solutions For You

Many companies across the globe have started adopting conventional methods to make their offline marketing schemes worthy of their online ones. In having such offline marketing schemes companies help their own popularity levels and reputations to rise and become more and more renowned with their clientele.

Various Kinds of Offline Marketing Strategies:
Today, there are such a vast amount of marketing strategies available that business can choose the amount of money they want to invest and shell out in order to advertise and market their products and services. For large scale business operations, there are solutions for providing an international market whereas for the medium and small ones there are options available too. They can go in for local printing and advertising and even distribute fliers or brochures which are available at cheap rates.

Effective Marketing Strategies Create Awareness:
There are a number of marketing strategies and options available today in order to create awareness among the masses. The easiest way is to make an advertisement for televisions. This way, there are a number of people viewing the ad film and thus the awareness can be spread to even remote parts of the country because people are sure to watch these ads. These might be expensive at the first go but are effective nonetheless because they help to influence people from all walks of life and can create an impact easily on the viewer's mind sets.

Other interesting ways of creating awareness is via pictures and ads in magazines, newspapers and journals, sending messages through the radio, putting up posters as billboards and hoardings and making timely public announcements. All these ways are also sure to gather the masses and create awareness and many of these ways are also very cost effective and easy to do these days.

Print Advertisements
Printing advertisements is not a ludicrous activity anymore. It can be done almost anywhere and like mentioned earlier, is extremely popular. Not only are papers and boards used for printing anymore but all kinds of things like sidewalks, posters, and bullet panels are. In fact you can even print a big poster to be stuck on the back of the bus and this way the advertisement goes wherever the bus goes, making many people aware of the service at the same time!

Print ads can be seen almost everywhere and anywhere. Thus, having such viable options as offline marketing schemes one's company can really progress to higher levels in no time!

10 Steps to Building a Bankruptcy Practice

Lots of lawyers are trying to build a bankruptcy practice these days. Many make the critical mistake of using outmoded ways of getting the practice off the ground, and end up being an also-ran in their area. Competition is fierce, and lawyers are working smarter - not only harder - to be successful.

10 Steps To Building a Successful Bankruptcy Practice

1. Join the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys: This is the largest national organization dedicated to the plight of consumer debtors. With well over 4,400 bankruptcy lawyer members, it is the best source of information and continuing education for the new and established practitioner alike. NACBA also runs some very active listservs to help members share information.
2. Buy the entire National Consumer Law Center library - including the consumer bankruptcy book: NCLC puts out the most comprehensive set of books on bankruptcy, consumer protection and related issues. Period. After practicing bankruptcy law over over 14 years I still refer to my books on a near-daily basis. If you go to any of the NACBA conventions you will find the NCLC books on sale at a significant discount.
3. Sample the petition preparation software packages and get the one you like best: You cannot practice bankruptcy law without a petition preparation package. There are lots of good ones out there - BestCase, EZFiling, Bankruptcy2010 and Bankruptcy Pro are among the best - but you won't know which one is best for you until you sample them. All provide a free downloadable demo to work through, so take the time before spending a dime.
4. Go to court: Find out where your court's bankruptcy hearings are held, and make plans to sit there each day for a week or more. You'll learn about the trustees as well as about the types of people who file for bankruptcy in your area. Once you know more about who files for bankruptcy you'll be in a better position to know their motivations and concerns.
5. Sign up for CM/ECF: Most courts require bankruptcy lawyers to file cases electronically via the court's electronic case filing system. You need to get a password and (in some places) attend a training to learn how to file cases.
6. Get a scanner: Bankruptcy is a paper-intensive practice area. If you don't start scanning everything into your system now, you'll get snowed under. I personally use a Fujitsu ScanSnap, and it's a life-saver (plus, it comes with a fully-functional copy of Adobe Acrobat).
7. Start reading bankruptcy blogs: There are a lot of terrific resources online to help you keep up-to-date on the latest issues in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy Law Network, BankruptcyProf Blog, and Bankruptcy Mastery are just a few substantive sites that can teach you a lot.
8. Learn how to write: Yes, you know how to write like a lawyer, but that's not what's important. You need to be able to communicate in a way that your prospective clients understand without a dictionary. Writing like a lawyer is OK for judges, but clients need you to make it easier.
9. Online legal marketing basics: Most people start their search for a bankruptcy lawyer by hitting a search engine, so it's important for you to know about the underpinnings of online legal marketing. Start a blog, set up Twitter, and consider if marketing your practice with video is right for you.
10. Start compiling forms: Your bankruptcy practice will require you to be organized, so things like intake forms and retainer agreements are critical. The best places to find these are other lawyers. If you're on the NACBA listservs, just ask and ye shall receive - there's no reason to pay money to get canned intake documents.

Motivation in an Organisation

Ordinarily, people see certain things as motivators, for example money, competition, recognition and disciplinary action. This is true to limited sense. All these things motivate people to a certain extent and under certain conditions.. On the other hand when a person is intrinsically motivated, he feels the activity itself is very rewarding. Recognition, i e the appreciation of good work is very necessary.

The following ways could be used to help create an environment where intrinsic motivation is high:

* Ensuring that the employees have the relevant tools and enterprise required for the job. The employees must consider themselves competent to handle the job. The right tools, right office equipment, skills training or other relevant outputs which may be necessary for them to perform the jobs effectively.

* Employees feel valued and their motivation level is enhanced when managers seek their feedback and try to view things from their perspective. This can be done by conducting anonymous surveys or by interacting directly with the employees.

* By giving the employees to choose the ways and methods of doing a particular job helps the employees to enjoy certain degree of freedom and this in turn encourages the employees to be innovative and try out new ways of doing things.

* Employers feel more fulfilled and satisfied if managers assist them in discovering their true potential. This can be done by conducting self development programs for employees.

These steps can help create an environment where employees are intrinsically motivated. Rather than working for the sake of rewards or recognition, they work because they find the job satisfying and rewarding.

Vending Machine Commissions - Setting Your Business Policy

When it comes to securing an agreement to locate a vending machine in a certain location, the 'decision maker' will often expect to receive a cut of the profit for giving you the right to do so. Because of this natural 'what's in it for me?' attitude that many people have it is important that you have a firm policy in place so that you can deal with the question when it arises. In this article we look at vending machine commissions and some of the various approaches that operators takes towards this issue.

As you meet with prospective clients you should try to convince them that there are advantages for them in having one of your vending machines on their premises. Let them know that your machines offer a service to their customers or employees by offering them convenience and by providing them with reasonably priced products. Let them know that you would rather keep prices down then have to increase prices to cover their commission.

Some locations will come up with the logical argument that the machine will be using their power. You can counter this argument by saying that your machines are all efficient on energy use and that you can even install timers so that they shut down after hours.

Some vendors feel that commissions are too much hassle and they have a 'no commission' policy. They will politely try to avoid the issue and if pressed they would rather lose the account than give in. These vendors prefer to compete by offering high quality products and excellent service and a large part of the market will find this to be enough with financial compensation not being necessary.

Some vending businesses are officially associated with charities and this can make it difficult for them to offer commissions as well.

Other vendors will enter into agreements that offer the authorizing party a share of machine takings. Sometimes this is absolutely necessary in order for a vending business owner to win a large account. If the account is really worthwhile you can even assure the 'decision maker' that they can watch you as you empty the machine. Some people find it hard to trust others and this should reassure them that they will indeed get the full commission that they are owed.

Some vendors like to let an account run for a while before they will discuss a commission rate. This reduces the risk as they can assess how the machine is performing at that location and calculate the commission accordingly.

Other operators like to sign a contract with the decision maker setting out the commission rate as a favorable part of the deal for the authorizing party. At the same time the vendor will include other clauses in the agreement that are in their favor such as having the client agree to have machines on site for a longer duration.

A fair vending machine commission rate in the industry seems to be around 5% to 10% of gross sales on powered machines and even less on machines that don't require electricity. Locations that have an exceptional amount of foot traffic may expect even higher rates and 20% would not be unrealistic for these locations. Vending business commissions often only add up to a small amount but having to organize payment is an extra hassle for operators.

However you approach this issue you should make sure that you set out a firm policy before you talk to prospective clients. By setting your rules, being consistent and not letting clients push you around over commissions you will find that there are good market opportunities out there for your vending business whether you offer commissions or not.

Preparation For a Successful Job Hunt

Many people are suffering from job loss in our recent economic crisis. Whether the reason may be, a massive lay off, downsizing, or could you have been terminated for one reason or another? Another situation that is arising is that many companies are shutting down and going out of business. At this point the cause is irrelevant; the fact is that you are in need of another job, and quickly. So, you must pick yourself up and do a self evaluation in order to succeed. Face the facts you need to gather the appropriate information and start working on your resume. It has been proven that you should not write your own resume; you cannot be objective about yourself the way that a Resume Writing Service can. When you start writing about yourself you tend to leave very pertinent information out because you might consider it bragging or not important, there are many other important reasons. Professional Resumes need to be done in a manner to where it is going to catch the hiring managers attention immediately among the other 500 to 1,000 resumes in that endless pile. They are just as frustrated as the job seeker.

So, the first thing that should be done is to gather your work history. Note company names and the dates that you worked in that firm. Below each one write down a thorough job description, what did you do? What kind of equipment did you operate? Were you proficient in operating them? Depending on the type of work you did, these will vary such as if you worked as an administrative assistant, what were your daily duties. Were you responsible for answering the phones, typing, filing, scheduling events, billing etc?

The next process is to put together a list of your skills, this should not just consist of a few basic technical skills but you really need to provide your transferable skills as well. Yes, you do need to list that you have skills such as; type 65 wpm, and AP or AR, call center, management and more, but many people forget about the important transferable skills that you have done most of your life, things like self motivation, manage time effectively, creative thinking skills, listen actively and attentively. The general person does not think of adding these very important items to their career.

OK, you now have your work history and all of your skills gathered. You're almost there, the next question you need to ask yourself about are your accomplishments, what you have achieved throughout your career. This can be more important than where you worked and even some of your skills. Were you successful in certain positions? Did you increase revenue for a company, increased sales and marketing resulting in revenue or sales by 180%? Companies are looking for people that can help them grow, were you promoted, able to design and implement plans of action, create new products and procedures? The most successful job seeker will provide all of this information so that they stand out above the rest.

The time has come to provide an expert with all of the information you have worked on, let someone who knows what they are doing, and make it right for you. Once this is completed you are now ready to start your active job search, be prepared, show your confidence and do not give up. There is a lot of competition out there, but you are ready to stand above the rest and be the winner.

Tips For Going to Job Fairs

Going to a job fair, or career fair is not what it used to be with the amount of unemployed job seekers out there too. The basic concept is still there, but it just has a completely different atmosphere with so many companies going under. The vendors are different in the since that there are fewer quality companies that are actually hiring; what you will actually find there are a lot of colleges trying to sell their college courses or online courses that have already been saturated. The only good thing that is provided are some quality Resume Writing Services which provide resume critiquing; these lines are very long in the sense that the average job seeker starts at this line first, knowingly that they are going to stand there for at least two and a half hours just to have an expert analyze their Cover Letters and Resumes. Most people only go to job fairs just for this free service.

As mentioned above, even the job seekers see the lack of quality in today's career events. But, there are those certain companies that do find their way there; and these are the ones that you need to be prepared for along with every other person in line. When you go to a job fair prepare to stand in a lot of lines with your competitors; but while you are doing this make it worth your while and make some friends and most important network. You would be surprised how much networking you could actually get accomplished.

At least the day before the event start preparing your material so that you are professionally prepared; gather all of your appropriate work history that the hiring companies might inquire about along with any possible skills and accomplishments. Have this information readily available; prepare a very professional portfolio with all of the printed documents that you might need to show in a moment's notice, even references or certificates. Be ready for anything, your new career could be waiting for you even if you have to stand in line for two hours; maybe you're the one that they are waiting for.

OK, now that you have all of the appropriate documents ready for this exiting career event; what about your attire and how are you going to present yourself to these companies or even some possible colleges if that is what you are interested in. You must dress appropriately as in professional; you may not be a suit type of person and that is OK, but at least show that you care how you look and that you show some interest in your personal hygiene. Wear some nice slacks with a clean shirt and blouse or how about a nice dress that is always a good thing, and speaking of dresses please keep in mind of your cleavage. It is very difficult to talk with someone about their career or upcoming position or anything in that matter if you have to concentrate on not looking at the low cut chest with everything in front of you.

This could be the moment you are waiting for in your career so take it very serious; do your homework on who will be attending making sure that there are companies that you are interested in and make sure you have your portfolio in order. And pick out a nice outfit to wear; prepare for this by being the best that you can be because they are looking for the best.

Trade in Latin America - Discover the Opportunities

Before looking to invest in this area, you must understand Latin America. It represents 20 countries and a population of over 550 million people. It is sectioned into North America, Central America and South America. The countries that make up Latin America are Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

With the constantly changing and challenging global economy, companies are forced to constantly evaluates new ways to increase their international sales. This region seem to be increasingly interesting for those companies therefore the investment levels have increased in the past years.

For many years, Latin America seem to be an unknown market to a lot of foreign companies. It was a far away region with beautiful beaches and was associated with exotic tourist destination. To the surprise of a lot of people, they have discovered extremely modern cities with abundant buildings and thriving businesses. The countries that are currently standing out for trade are Brazil, Peru, Panama, Uruguay. These countries are showing positive growth rates despite the global economic crisis. The biggest and strongest economy is Brazil which is expected to growth even further with international events such as the Soccer World cup and the Olympic Games to be hosted in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

As you can clearly see that trade in this region is filled with endless opportunities. This is a good time to start investigating and discovering untapped opportunities.

How Overseas Freight Works

Are you looking for freight quotes to Russia? The term freight refers to goods and produce that is transported across the globe for commercial reasons. Such cargo is usually transported via ship, aircraft, train, or perhaps a van. For smaller cargo, heavy and guarded containers are typically used.

What cargo is commonly transported? Automobiles are frequently transported using roll on and roll off ships. Bulk cargo is usually stacked on pallets and lifted on and off a vessel. This type of cargo may include salt, oil, scrap metal and other commodities. A freight quote to Russia would be a flat rate price, based on the amount of commodity and the precise location. Other types of cargo might include auto parts, machine parts, clothing or fashion, food and toys. For these sensitive items, containers are frequently used for storage. Lastly, there is heavy cargo, which includes large equipment or factory pieces.

A freight quote to Russia refers to the CIS, the Common Wealth of Independent States. This is the new name of the former Soviet Russia. This organization of states allows multinational businesses to use complex transportation networks. Russia is currently a federal semi-presidential republic and has 83 states total. It remains the largest country in the world in terms of space, since it is 17,075,400 square kilometers. Russia actually spans nine time zones. Despite a new government, it remains one of the most influential countries in the world and is considered an energy superpower. The lakes of Russia contain approximately 25% of the world's fresh water. Russia is definitely still a superpower.

The biggest economies in Russia, which will probably be directly or indirectly related to your shipping purposes, include agriculture, energy science, technology and transportation. Therefore, common items shipped to Russia could be technological pieces or even automobiles. In this day and age of instant, globalized correspondence, commercial dealings with individuals in other countries may become an important part of your business.

For freight quotes to Russia contact a professional and established shipping company. Whether you need freight or air transportation, your needs can be met. Make sure the company has been in business for a while, not only to demonstrate reliability but also so that they will have a long list of contacts in order to expedite shipping. For more information on freight quotes and sending items to the CIS of Russia, look up a professional shipping company.