February 29th, 2008
Each team member impacts the culture of an organization (positively or negatively) because emotions pass from person to person. Fifteen years ago, I was working for a particularly mean-spirited manager. He would spend his days yelling, stomping and publicly chastising me (and I was a work horse!). Although he looked at this as a type of training, I looked at it as his way of unfairly wielding his power. We had worked together a little over a year and, as I was moving to a different job, he said, “Chip, I’m really going to miss you - you’re more than a worker, you’re an atmosphere.” Obviously, his words took me by surprise. Not only did I think this manager despised me, I also thought he spent his evenings devising new ways to humiliate me. As time passed, I reflected on his words and came to the conclusion that, “He’s right, I am an atmosphere!” I tried to impact the people around me in a positive manner, find a way to smile or find the “funny thing” in a difficult situation, and give a positive spin on what looked like negative circumstances – which lifted the spirits of my co-workers (even the negative manager). But there are two kinds of atmospheres – carriers and converters. Which kind of atmosphere are you?
Carriers
Carriers clutch onto their negativity and infect, just like the plague, each person they meet in the organization. If they are having a bad day, they are not happy unless they infect you with their problems (in an effort to ensure your day goes as badly as theirs). This transfer of negativity by the carrier must be satisfying to the carrier. So satisfying, in fact, that they are not content until they have contaminated everyone in their workspace. I am sure you are familiar with this person (or people). Everything can be absolutely fabulous in their life, but they take the one negative and spend 20 minutes telling you how awful they feel because of it. When they are done, you are drained and feel terrible! Yes, you have been infected! This disease is highly contagious and has the potential to spread from person to person quickly. It affects workplace productivity, creativity, teamwork, and morale. What’s the vaccination for the disease? Being a converter!
Converters
Converters are organizational “rays of sunshine” and they do just that! They illuminate the workspace! Converters are skilled in the transformation of negatives into positives. You may think that nothing ever goes wrong for the converter because you rarely hear about it. If they do speak of it, it is quickly spun into something positive that can be learned from or built upon for the greater good. Unlike carriers, converters help to boost morale, productivity, creativity and teamwork. Do you want the best news? Even if you don’t “naturally” have a converter attitude, it’s something that can be developed. Here are several approaches to help you convert to being a converter:
Smile – it’s amazing how something so simple can help to change your disposition.
Laugh – get a “humor buddy,” that person that makes you laugh when there’s nothing to laugh about. This person already knows the secret to being a converter. If converters are in short supply, subscribe to a daily joke email list or call me (I’ll be happy to help).
Contribute – take the focus off yourself and do something nice for someone else.
Play – do something that you liked doing as a child (sledding, biking, building with Legos). Have fun!
No matter what your vocation, being a converter will catapult you to the forefront. If your current environment at work is change resistant, negative, unproductive, and you dread going to work, YOU can make the difference. Renovate the atmosphere with your converter attitude. There are no tools required. All that’s necessary are the words “can” and “will.” Your attitude indicates that you “can” and your actions indicate that you “will.” Be a converter! The light you shine will illuminate the darkest organization!
Tags: incentive, motivation
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February 28th, 2008
What is Motivational Fit?
Many factors within a job and an organization are satisfying or it is not to people. Consider the number of roles a candidate might assume during their tenure with your organization and the tasks and projects associated with each role. Add the organization’s values and practices that they must absorb and own. Then consider what a candidate prefers in their job and environment. The result is a large network of possible combinations that make it any-one’s guess if the candidate will be happy working in the target job and the organization. That’s why it’s crucial to ask candidates questions designed to determine how satisfied they will be.
You’ve already learned about behavioral and technical knowledge dimensions and the tools to help you gather information on what a candidate can do. But what about what the candidate will do? Motivational Fit is the “I will do” cluster of dimensions you can use to determine if there is enough of a match between what a person likes and what is available in the job and the organization to keep the individual motivated.
Three dimensions in the Motivational Fit are: Job, organization and location fit.
The Job Fit – Activities and responsibilities available in the job match the activities and responsibilities that result in personal happiness and satisfaction; the degree to which work itself is personally fulfilling.
Organizational Fit – An organization’s mode of operation and culture. Are the values consistent with the type of work environment that provides satisfaction to the employee? Keep in mind that if there is a job fit it does not mean that the organization’s characteristics will be a good match.
Location Fit – Geographic location has features and opportunities that provide personal satisfaction to the individual and often times their families.
By taking the time to identify and assess a candidate’s motivational fit for the job and your organization before making a job offer, you increase the odds that the people you hire will stay on the job and remain satisfied.
Interviewing for Motivational Fit helps minimize one of the common biases in the selection. Hire someone who “looks like me”. Certainly a diverse workforce includes people of different ages and races with various levels of physical abilities. Values of differences with different ways of thinking, different ideas and talents, and different ways of doing things brings exceptional value and insight to your company.
People for the Service Sector – This sector offers a variety of situations and unique motivational characteristics.
Knowledge Workers – A more discriminating group of their work life and culture.
Specialized Technical Skills – A group that is short in supply and in great demand. A world shortagehas already begun with search becoming tighter but with resolve and knowledge of what attracts and retains these workers you WILL obtain them.
First Impressions Count Both for the Interviewee and Interviewer
Although a candidate’s first impression of a company is mostly shaped by the interview, the other parts of the selection process also contributes to his or her overall perception. Consider the following questions:
What if a candidate is asked to wait a few minutes in the reception area and is given no company literate to read or a warm greeting by the receptionist?
What if those “few minutes” become a half hour?
What if a candidate arrives for a series of interviews only to find that some of the interviewers are unavailable?
What if the interviewers weren’t informed about a candidate or no arrangements were made to give the individual a tour of the office?
What if the interviewer is not prepared with the candidate’s cover letter and resume?
Regardless of how well the interview itself goes, negative experiences in the interviewing process might overshadow it, and highly qualified candidates might withdraw from the process or reject the job offer.
To ensure that the entire process is positive for the candidate, special preparations must be made before, during, and after the interview.
Remember your best interview experience. Do a practice interview with all lower level management to ensure all are interviewing in a similar style and quality. After all the work is done and you have a new employee and a relationship conduct one on ones and provide incentives to quality employees. Retain your talent and have them participate in future interviews.
Keep up-to-date on what your competition is doing and stay current with what others are offering during an interview. Do they offer an opportunity to sit in the environment to do a test drive? Does the candidate have an opportunity to interview peers or other employees.
If a candidate rejects the offer ask why? Ask what your organization could have done differently. Be proactive and keep Motivational Fit in mind.
Tags: employee incentive, incentive, motivation, motivational
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February 24th, 2008
They say that “everybody’s a critic,” and that never seems truer than when you’re pursuing a dream. There will always be well-meaning people who want to “protect” you from your “unrealistic fantasies.” Critics tried to discourage the people profiled in Unstoppable. Everyone ignored the negative input and achieved their goals. Follow their lead and you, too, will be UNSTOPPABLE!
1. The timing is all wrong. In 1987, prior to accepting Paramount’s offer to host a late-night talk show, Arsenio Hall was told by everyone: “It’s too hard to crack into the late-night ratings. Television isn’t ready for a black talk show host. This is America, and you can forget it.”
2. Why don’t you get a real job? Not understanding his desire to become Mr. Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s family pleaded with him, saying: “How long will you go on training all day in a gymnasium and living in a dream world?”
3. It’ll never work, you’ll lose everything. Weeks before she opened her first store, cosmetic tycoon Mary Kay Ash’s attorney said: “Liquidate the business right now and recoup whatever cash you can. If you don’t, you’ll end up penniless.”
4. Don’t rock the boat. In response to Muriel Siebertís application to be the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, officials responded: “The language on the floor is too rough and there’s no ladies’ room.” She bought a seat anyway and remained the only woman there for nine years.
5. It’s never been done before. Upon applying for a job after graduation from Columbia University, announcers for NBC Radio responded to Sally Jessy Raphael: “You have the perfect voice for broadcasting, but you should get a job as a secretary. We’re not using women.”
6. You don’t have enough talent. Responding to his desire to become a recording artist, Ray Charles’ teachers said: “You can’t play the piano, and God knows you can’t sing. You’d better learn how to weave chairs so you can support yourself.”
7. Don’t even try, you’ll just be disappointed. When auditioning for a part in a high school musical, a teacher rejected Diana Ross saying: “You have a nice voice, but it’s nothing special.”
8. You don’t fit the mold OR you’re not the right “type.” Trying to convince her she didn’t have the right look, fashion photographer Richard Avedon told Cher: “You will never make the cover of Vogue because you don’t have blond hair or blue eyes.” When she did make the cover, Vogue sold more copies than it had ever sold before.
9. Don’t give up your day job. Commenting on the first manuscript of an unpublished author, a New York publisher told James Michener: “You’re a good editor with a promising future in the business. Why would you want to throw it all away to try to be a writer? I read your book. Frankly, it’s not really that good.” Michener’s first book, Tales of the South Pacific, later won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted for stage and screen as South Pacific.
10. There’s no market for it. When hearing his plans to launch Perrier in the United States, several consulting firms advised Gustave Leven: “You’re foolish to try to sell sparkling water in the land of Coca-Cola drinkers.”
The only opinion about your dream that really counts is yours. The negative comments of others merely reflect their limitations — not yours. There is nothing unrealistic about a dream that aligns with your purpose, ignites your passion, and inspires you to plan and persevere until you attain it. On the contrary, it’s unrealistic to expect a person with such drive and commitment not to succeed.
Choose to be unstoppable!
Cynthia Kersey
Tags: incentive, motivate
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February 23rd, 2008
You already have everything you need to create a wonderful life for yourself. You know everything you need to know to be your own best friend, a gentle guide, a teacher and a helper to yourself so you can be truly happy and fulfilled.
You can learn how to become your own psychotherapist for life, and how to resolve the difficulties that stand between you and personal joy.
Be Honest With Yourself
The starting point of becoming your own best friend is for you to be perfectly honest with yourself and your relationships. Refuse to practice self-delusion or hope for the best. For example, when something is making you unhappy, for any reason, the situation will tend to get worse rather than better. So avoid the temptation to engage in denial, to pretend that nothing is wrong, to wish and hope and pray that, whatever it is, it will go away and you won’t have to do anything. The fact is that it probably will get worse before it gets better and that ultimately you will need to face the situation and do something about it.
Deal With Your Problem at a Higher Level
There’s an old saying that you can’t solve a problem on the level that you meet it. This means that wrestling with a persistent problem is often fruitless and frustrating. For example, if two people who are in a relationship together are constantly fighting and negotiating and looking for some way to resolve their difficulties, they may be attempting to solve the problem on the wrong level. Dealing with the problem on a higher level, those people would ask the question, “In terms of being happy, is this the right relationship for us in the first place?”Find the Right Job For You
Many people work very hard and experience considerable frustration trying to do a particular job. However, in terms of their own happiness, the right answer might be to do something else, or to do what they’re doing in a different place, or to do it with different people-or all three. Here are a few questions for you to answer in this arena of happiness. Write them down at the top of a sheet of paper, and then write as many answers to each one as you possibly can.
What Would It Take?
The first question is: “What would it take for me to be perfectly happy?” Write down every single thing that you can imagine would be in your life if you were perfectly happy at this very moment. Write down things such as health, happiness, prosperity, loving relationships, inner peace, travel, car, clothes, homes, money, and so on. Let your mind run freely. Imagine that you have no limitations at all.
What is Holding You Back?
The second question is a little tougher. Write down at the top of a page this question: “In what situations in my life, and with whom, am I not perfectly happy?” Force yourself to think about every part of your day, from morning to night, and write down every element that makes you unhappy or dissatisfied in any way. Remember, proper diagnosis is half the cure. Identifying the unsatisfactory situations is the first step to resolving them.
Determine Your Happiest Moment
The third question will give you some important guidelines. Write down at the top of a sheet of paper these words: “In looking over my life, where and when have I been the happiest? Where was I, with whom was I, and what was I doing?”
Decide What to Do
Once you have the answers to those questions, think about what you can do, starting immediately, to begin creating the kind of life that you dream of. It may take you a week, a month, or a year, but that doesn’t matter. Every single thing you do that moves you closer to your ideal vision will be rewarding in itself. You’ll become a more positive and optimistic person. You’ll feel more confident and more in charge of your life, and you’ll achieve true peace of mind.
Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, examine your business and personal relationships carefully. Is there any situation you wouldn’t get into again if you had it to do over?
Second, make a list of every single thing in your life that would make you happy and then think about what you could do to begin achieving them.
Third, allow yourself to dream and fantasize about your ideal life, what it would look like and feel like, and then do something every day to make it a reality.
Decide What to Do
Once you have the answers to those questions, think about what you can do, starting immediately, to begin creating the kind of life that you dream of. It may take you a week, a month, or a year, but that doesn’t matter. Every single thing you do that moves you closer to your ideal vision will be rewarding in itself. You’ll become a more positive and optimistic person. You’ll feel more confident and more in charge of your life, and you’ll achieve true peace of mind.
Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. – Napoleon Hill
“If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take chances.” — Julia Soul
“You stop being average the day you decide to become a Champion, because the average person won’t make that decision.” Tom Hopkins
Make a strong and permanent commitment to invest your talents only in pursuits that deserve your best efforts.” Nido Qubein
Change before you have to. – Jack Welch
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” Woodrow Wilson
Tags: incentive, rewards, Travel
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February 22nd, 2008
Your kids are in school and sports. You and your wife are in the swing taking dance classes and traveling. Your parents are loving life as seniors, life is good! As life evolves and our kids become teenagers, we age and so do are parents. Our parents provided love and support for us. As we see them needing assistance we want to be there for them, the love of a family just works this way after all. During the next 5 to 10 years there will be a literal explosion of seniors needing care. Care takes time and money. Our children need our care and we must take care of ourselves too as we continue to care for others. Some families have given up having additional children, vacations and career advancements so that they can care for their parents. In 2006, nursing home care cost in California averaged $190 per day. Length of stay in a nursing home at that time was 2 ½ years. We love our ndependence which does not change with age. We live in a beautiful state with sunny days and plenty to enjoy. Our parents will do their best and be the happiest if they have a choice to stay in their own home with care. This may be a no brainer but over 40% of Americans over age 65 and 60% over 85 years of age will need some type of long term care. It is not an easy thing to talk about with your parents but for the well being, financial protection and ease of mind will benefit each of you. Many of us and our parents assume that their traditional health insurance, Medicare and Medicare Supplements will provide what they need. We read our policies but really don’t understand that long term care is often not covered. There are many exclusions and limitations. These policies only cover skilled nursing care and do not cover custodial care which is the most common type most people need.
If you are under 65 years old there is also a need, long term care is everyone’s concern. The possibility of needing long-term care because of illness or physical disability is something many of us would rather not think about. Due to the fact that we are living longer, we have a greater chance of needing some kind of assistance.
How will our government programs handle the biggest amount of seniors needing care at one time? Medicaid and Medicare are overburden. Taxpayers will bear the ultimate cost for those who cannot afford it or because they did not plan accordingly. The Statistics:
- Average nursing home care costs in California can soar beyond $50,000 per year.
- 44% surveyed believe they have less than a 25% chance of being in nursing facility. However, Californians age 65 + have approximately 50% chance of entering a nursing facility.
- 1/3 say their family assets and income will be enough to pay for long-term care should it be needed. This is unfortunately often not the case. Many have very little contributed to an investment to plan for these expenses.
- Most feel their families can care for them forgetting about the stress and additional costs their children will experience caring for them.
- Over 55% with private health insurance believe that their policies will cover long-term care or are uncertain about coverage.
Source: California Dept. of Health Services |
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February 20th, 2008
It was 1960 and meteorologist Edward Lorenz was working in his lab. He was entering data into his computer in the hopes of modeling weather patterns when he stumbled upon a theory that is known as ‘The Butterfly Effect’. He was entering wind speed, air pressure and temperature into three separate equations that were linked in a mathematical feedback loop. This equation allowed Lorenz to predict weather patterns.
One day Lorenz was in a bit of a hurry and opted to take a shortcut when entering the data. He rounded the numbers to the nearest one thousandth rather than to the nearest one millionth (for example, .407 instead of .407349). As a scientist, he knew this would change the result – however he expected only a minor change. Lorenz was astounded to discover that this tiny change made a profound impact on the final resulting weather pattern. This discovery led Lorenz to ponder: Does the flap of a butterfly’s wing in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas?’ – Thus you have ‘The Butterfly Effect’ theory.
This theory has been applied to all areas of science since Lorenz’s 1960 experiment.
What does it mean for your life?
It means that every decision or action that you make – no matter how small – could potentially dramatically alter the course of your life. My life, as I am sure yours is, is a testimony to the butterfly effect. When I was 12 years old, I met a friend named Brian in P.E. class. Over two decades later, Brian is still my best friend. At the age of 12, Brian had a thirst for learning and studying (the other 12 year olds called him a nerd) and he was a fitness fanatic. He still has these qualities and because of our friendship they rubbed off on me. At the age of 18, I needed a job and he secured me a job where he worked as a telemarketer. My third day on the job, I made a telemarketing call to someone in the seminar business. He thought I was a good telemarketer and offered me a job over the phone.
Did you follow that?
You are receiving this email from me, reading my books, or hearing me speak because I was offered a job at the age of 18 from a seminar company. I would have never been offered that job – if Brian hadn’t gotten me the telemarketing job and Brian would never have known me if we hadn’t met at the age of 12 in P.E.! I have an insatiable desire for learning that began at age 12 and have developed into a fitness fanatic as well. Most of the major events in my life can be traced back to a conversation in a gym two decades ago – that is ‘The Butterfly Effect’
ACTION POINTS
Realize that ‘The Butterfly Effect’ is very real and small decisions or actions can make a huge impact on your life
Take responsibility for your decisions, actions and friends – even the tiny decisions – realizing that they can dramatically alter the course of your life.
Understand the importance of attention to detail. Years before 1986, the smallest flaw was overlooked in a Space Shuttle O-Ring. That flaw led to a horrific ‘Butterfly Effect’ and the deaths of seven Astronauts years later in January 1986.
Do not allow ‘The Butterfly Effect’ to paralyze you from inaction. Instead, use it as the spark of motivation to fan the fire of action – realizing that you control your destiny even in the tiniest of ways.
Tags: corporate incentives, find incentives, motivation
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February 18th, 2008
Do you really need all those electronic gadgets you have in your house, office and car? The U.S. has had a Energy Star Power program since 1992 to cut the use of power and carbon emissions from these devices. Reports from the Environmental Protection Agency demonstrates that $10 billion was cut from energy expenses during the first 12 years of its formation. In 2007, more stringent power legislation required devices that were left on stand-by mode were found to estimated at 70%.
Energy saving is definitely at the forefront of many minds with $10 billion spent on environmentally friendly goods. Personal transportation for business is not only important to your bottom line benefits come for the environment when you make green decisions when buying or choosing to transport goods. Fed-Ex and others have fleets of trucks that decrease emissions by 96% with a reduced fuel cost of 1/3. Now luxury car manufacturers like Lexus are also jumping on the bandwagon. Audi and Mercedes are not too far behind along with BMW’s hydrogen-powered models due to arrive soon. Can’t buy a new energy efficient car? Try www.citycarshare.orgin San Francisco. Save money and the hassel of trying to find a parking spot in a busy city. The old office carpool is back in style, heck there is even a new television series called Carpoolers. Gas is spiked, get your bike! The 2005 Energy Plan Act will even reward your efforts with a $3,400 tax credit.
New green building are cropping up all over the U.S. with simple energy efficient designs maximizing natural light sources and keeping buildings cooler using less air conditioning.
Create your own energy by using compact wind turbines and solar panels. Honda has been working aggressively on a “Home Energy Station” that is a home generator system. It will be able to provide heating, hot water and light. Low cost high efficiency within reach for the business owner.
In California commercials remind both homeowners and business owners to turn off unnecessary lights. Ever drive through your neighborhood seeing lights on outside of homes when everyone went to bed? Printers are shared more often reducing costs and emissions of new printers. Reuse paper and monitor extra blank sheets of paper from your copier. Use ceramic coffee cups and not foam. Donate old office equipment that can safely be used by others which may bring you a bit of a write off.
Get involved and join groups in your area. Learn the latest technology that will help you save our planet. Provided incentives to employees who carpool, drink out of class and not plastic or find ways to recycle. Do business with other companies that believe in green. Try to use local products that do not need to be shipped from miles away. What you do today will leave a lasting affect on our earth.
Tags: incentive
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February 15th, 2008
The real story is what you hear around the water cooler, on the cul-de-sac or in your local coffee shop. There seems to be reports of more people touring open houses and talking about buying. Is it a typical spring upswing? Maybe but with the Stimulus plan in place and the American spirit we may see the beginning of a mild positive move upward.
The number of Orange County California homes in escrow within the past month increased by 29% during the past two weeks with reported escrows from 1,219 escrows to 1,568. During the month of January, demand has increased by 570 homes or 57%. Inventory has been stable.
People now seem to be hestitant about listing their homes. The combination of unchanged inventory along with increases in sales time on the market until a home has sold has become shorter. The length of time now for a listing to be on the market is 12.51 to a more pleasant 9.73 months. A month ago time on the market was just under 15 months. Throughout the U.S. there are now many cities with a projected time on the market well below 10 months. The only caveat is if we experience an increase in listing on the market this spring.
If we look back to last February there were 11,983 homes on the market in Orange County, California, demand was at 2,463 escrows with time on the market at 4.87 months. Two years ago, there were 8,569 homes on the market, demand was reported at 2,647 escrows and time on the market was at 3.24 months.
Many will receive a tax rebate soon but the real news is the affect on real estate. President Bush’s Stimulus Plan will increase the conforming loan limit to 125% of the median price for the region. For Orange County, that would mean a limit around $700,000. Raising the limit should help high cost markets as in California and New York. Both California and New York were hit the hardest by the financial crunch that has occured. Jumbo loans above $417,000 are hovering around 1% point higher than conventional loans. In July, before this crunch began, jumbo loans were just two tenths of a percent higher. Only major national lenders have been offering jumbo loans and most require a borrower to have a minimum down payment of 20%. The new limit will open financing to a large pool of buyers and will enable many homeowners to refinance creating a greater opportunity for the homeowners, buyers, investors, lenders and real estate agents. Another provision of this stimulus package is to raise the FHA loan limit permanently. FHA loans allow borrowers with damaged FICO Scores and little down payments to obtain loans. Our local market will need to manage through the large number of foreclosures already on its hand and short sales currently on the market to come out to feel the benefits. Most of where we are seeing troubled home activity, 69%, is below the $500,000. Currently, 94% is below $750,000. The areas that are hardest hit, with over 40% of the active inventory either are foreclosures or short sales. The areas with the lowest percentage of troubled homes, with 2% or less, are Laguna Woods, Seal Beach, Newport Coast and Corona Del Mar many with populations over 55 years of age.
Recent run-up in demand have been in the detached home and the condominium market, with detached homes continuing doing a bit better. Detached homes supply dropped from 11.96 months recently to 9.37 months. In comparison, condominiums dropped from 13.47 months to 10.37 months in Orange County.
Low rates and a high selection, this appears to be the year to buy. Southern California real estate has always been a historically wonderful investment. You may not be able to flip your property in a year but in the long run you will have a good investment.
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February 14th, 2008
Your website is your business online. It can work for you while you are asleep or multi-tasking. It is can be empowder your enterprise if keep up with internet marketing. The quickest way to reach literally thousands and thousands of potential international customers.
The time and resources you invest will provide you with the best opportunity to take make a most of your marketing effort. When developing your domain name remembering to consider how your potential customer might look for you is crucial. Will they most likely use one keyword, action or phrase? Ask your friends, family and especially strangers how they might begin to look for your product or service. Research how you might find similar products and services on the internet. Sounds such as WordZE.com and adword software is a terrific way to learn this same information along with interesting statistics. Keep your domain name short and easy reducing typos keeping your customers coming to you. Once you receive sustained results consider obtaining .net and .org to further enhance your exposure.
When considering your web site’s design keep in mind that it should not only be attractive it should be easy to use. It should be clear in the communication of services and in a language that would be understood by all readers.
Survey and ask people their opinions of your web site. Look over a family or friend’s shoulder and watch how they navigate your web site. Ask them to locate certain items or information. Have them find the answers to their own questions.
To find out how you are doing check sites such as alexa.com for web traffic results and ranking. This site will even let you get an eagle’s eye on how you are doing compared to your competition. To learn about web flow and what other web sites are linking onto yours utilize haveamint.com.
Keep things fresh keeping your content up-to-date. Work with your web designer or purchase Content Management System (CMS) to help you with uploading pictures and refreshing content.
Maximize your URL by keeping things simple using with more descriptive words to increase chances of getting indexed on search engines. Remember that technology many of your customers are accessing your site by using their cell phones, P.D.A.’s and other future resources.
Incentives will also help distinguish your site and make it more attractive by offering your customers a reward for doing business with you. Display restaurant gift or trips with colorful images on island paradises.
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February 12th, 2008
Sales of products and services literally keep the world going round and round. If you were to take a moment before you read further and look around the room you will find a computer, chair and most likely a light bulb. They are in that room because someone sold it to you and before that someone sold it to the store that sold it to you!
Successful selling is a combination of pulling together what a company does best with the needs of their customers. Knowing which combination brings success but how do you find it?
Know Your Customer - Talk to your prospects and customers and although a bit painful, your competition. If you approach a competitor with a sincere interest in their succcess they will be happy to share their success. We all like to brag a bit about our success. Do you provide the highest level of service possible? Know what makes your services or product unique. Know what makes you unique. Are you passionate about your service or product? Passion is one of the biggest reasons why people will keep listening and going back to you.
Funnel Through to the sale – 1) awareness 2) consideration 3) application. If you understand the stages and the requirements of each it will assist you to move your custsomers to an application or a sale. Awareness is the when at the beginning the prospect is learning about you and your product. Emotional benefits during the promotional stage. Find out what the emotional needs are of your customer. Keep in mind that security, comfort, charitable actions, integrity and prestige/value. Consideration is when the customer begins to process information gained and begins the decision process in the heads. Will it benefit their needs? Does the product/service offer value? Is the price right? The sales pitch has been delivered, rational, benefits, cost saving and applilcation/sold!
Listen – Your current customers tell you what you are doing right. Your ex-customers will tell you with complete ease what you did wrong. Feedback from both types of customers is preciseless. Provide a survey on your website along with an incentive to receive a low-cost view of how you are doing in their eyes. Make sure everyone in your company is asking the customer what they did right and how they can improve. Your customer will appreciate it.
Focus. Focus. Focus – Focusing on different types of customers and which one responds to certain services will help you target future marketing efforts. Know what your best customers like? Where do they work? What are their hobbies? What do they read?
Wallet Share of the Market - Know the price point that your customer is willing to pay by keep reports to refer back to before promotions. How much are they buying? Are they buying just from you for the same product or just when their is a coupon? Provide complimentary surprise services.
Find the loyalty factor – Do your customers stay with you when you need to increase your price? Do they provide you with leads? Thank them over and over again. Actually look them in the eye or make a personal phone call, no voice mail and thank them.
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