Other Added - Business

Spending Too Much Wasted Time In Your Car?
The average salesperson spends over 30,000 hours in their career in their car. Most of these salespeople are spending this time listening to music on the radio. Can you possibly imagine what 30,000 hours re-directed to another activity than listening to music could have on your career success and income? Think for a minute;· It only takes 4,300 hours to get a college degree. (6 hours a day for 4 years) · You will spend only 4,200 hours on vacation in your lifetime. (2 weeks/year for 40 years) · You will spend 14,000 hours reading the paper. (1 hour a day for 40 years)Add up these three and you are still short of the 30,000 in your car.Why not turn your car into a classroom by listening to audio messages on:· Selling skills · Personal management · Financial management · Attitude development · Effective communication · Effective time use. · Anything else that improves your skills, attitudes and chanc

s behind. You know how you bounce when you hold a laugh inside.

Finally, bless his heart, old Bud, my sales rep reached down to take my hand to help me up – and as I struggled to my feed, he grinned a grin so wide he could have eaten a banana sideways and said, “Nice FALL day, isn’t it?”

Well that comment cut it loose and all four of them roared with laughter. They thought it was absolutely hilarious. And, I guarantee you, no matter how embarrassed you get, no matter how stupid you feel, when you’re standing in front of four people that are laughing so hard tears are running down their cheeks, you can’t help but laugh with them.

I dried off with my golf towel that I retrieved from the trunk of my car and even though I was soaked we went to lunch anyway. Of course that’s all we talked about during the entire lunch – I couldn’t eat from being so embarrassed and they barely stopped laughing long enough to put food in their mouths.

Alls well that ends well; we got back from lunch and within an hour closed the deal. That meant a $4 million increase in sales for our branch. I think they felt sorry for me.

Wanted: A Diva for the Job of a Lifetime!
“When I was a child, I always thought the world was mine, A stomping ground for me, full of opportunities. I always had this attitude that I was going to go out into the world and do all the things I wanted to do." –MadonnaSo, what happens to the diva or Adonis in us? What happens to the girl or boy who is convinced of their career choices, bold enough to use their imagination, and powerful enough to take risks and survive setbacks?The world gets a hold of us, that’s what. And before we know it, it is all about fitting in, safety at all cost - making ourselves small so others wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, rolling up our boldness in favor of security, or what we think is security. In short, we make a trade off.So what is the very first step in turning our career paths around? It all starts with a perspective makeover. Get rid of that drab black and white, all-or-nothing thinking you wrap yourself in every day! Hit the stage with a new and colorful

It was a cold October morning in Dayton, Ohio and as I left my house at 7am the skies opened up and it began to pour. It wasn’t cold enough to turn the rain into ice but it was still chilly enough that I turned on the heater. “Today was gonna be a great day, I just knew it!” That thought just kept running through my head. I was full of confidence. We were prepared.

Today we were having customers in. Not just any customer – General Motors was visiting our branch and we were going to make a presentation trying to secure all the distribution business for two of their local manufacturing facilities. We had a plan and we had rehearsed our game plan over and over.

This wasn’t small potatoes. It could mean a $4 million increase in our business. We were ready. I was 31 years old, the youngest Branch Manger working for the largest steel distribution company in the world, but I wasn’t nervous. Scared, a little bit, yes, apprehensive, a little bit. But, I was confident.

One of my most cherished mentors always said, “If you’re gonna be a bear, you ought to be a grizzly.” I was gonna be a Grizzly today I told myself. We were hungry!

Three General Motors muckety mucks came that day. The Director of Procurement; he was a tall lanky man with that corporate pin striped look and the division buyers of each of the two manufacturing plants. One buyer was short and thick with huge hairy hands and it looked like he didn’t have a neck. He reminded me of Danny Davito but he was just a little taller. The other one was average height, average looks and average dress but he was built like Arnold Swartznager. Looking at the two division buyers reminded me of the movie Twins where Arnold Swartznager and Danny Divito were twin brothers.

Looking at the the three of them brought to mind the spectrum of emotions we face as salesmen in this business. Pin Stripes intimidated me—Danny D. made me laugh and Arnold scared the heck out of me.

The morning went ok. My top sales rep and I walked through much of the presentation before lunch – back then we didn’t have PowerPoint. We were following our plan. I was young, but Bud Hurst was an old pro, a lone wolf, with over 25 years of experience. During a break he told me we just didn’t seem to be reaching them. Something was missing. We weren’t in a zone. We decided to break for lunch a little early hoping with the help of a couple of Martinis (Martini lunches were ok and common back then) we could break down some of the resistance and make them feel a little more relaxed, hoping to close the deal after lunch.

So, off we go to lunch. We grabbed our suit jackets (back then dark suits with white shirts and ties were mandatory – there was no such thing as casual days --- this was the late 70’s). Little did I know I was about to set a new standard of dress.

Out the door we went----it was beautiful out. The rain had stopped, the sun was shining and it had warmed up a little. The five of us, the Director of Procurement, the twins and Bud Hurst, my top sales rep followed as I led the way to my car.

As I rounded the corner and approached my car I noticed that between me and the car was a huge puddle of water about 6 feet across and at least 3 inches deep. It really didn’t bother me much, I’d seen it before on rainy days and, in fact, I had been meaning to get it fixed. It was just one of those expenses (fixing the parking lot) that always seemed to get pushed to the bottom of the budget priority list. Besides, it was only noticeable when it rained. It was a slight indentation or minor sink hole as we say in Florida in the black top.

No big deal, RIGHT -- no big deal – until that day.

As I turned, a little quick I might add, to go around the puddle, I stepped on a rock, no bigger than ? the size of a golf ball. But it was big enough to turn my ankle, twist it and there I went, face first, doing a belly smacker right into the 6 foot puddle. I even scraped my chin causing blood to trickle down my chin.

	I was in shock
 	I didn’t want to get up
 	My face was as red as a baboons behind
 	I was stunned
 	I laid there for a few seconds—an eternity
 	I was hoping this wasn’t real

Finally, I turned over, propped myself up on one hand and my two feet to keep the seat of my pants dry and I looked up at four suits, the three muckety mucks, Danny Divito, Arnold Swartznager, the Corporate Pin Striped suit and Bud, the old pro who probably thought I was wet behind the ears even before I fell into the puddle.

	They were trying not to look at me
 	Mr. Pin stripes was covering his mouth trying desperately not to laugh
 	One buyer, Danny Divito was moving around like he had ants in his pants—looking in every direction but mine
 	The second buyer, Arnold, his cheeks were bulging out; his eyes looked like they were going to pop. He even had that big vein running down the middle of his forehead like the real Arnold Swartznager does. I swear – he must have been holding his breath

There I was, sitting in the middle of a mud puddle; I looked more like a wounded duck than a Grizzly Bear.

It was eerie; it was like a deafening silence in the parking lot. The kind of silence you saw in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds, just before they attacked.

The Director of Procurement for General Motors Corporation, Mr. Pin Stripes, the one holding his hand over his mouth started bouncing like he had a pogo stick up his behind. You know how you bounce when you hold a laugh inside.

Alls well that ends well; we got back from lunch and within an hour closed the deal. That meant a $4 million increase in sales for our branch. I think they felt sorry for me.

Ebusiness Consulting
Consultants can do everything from advising you on your choice of system to providing a full installation. Their main advantage is that they make sure you have far less work to do. You simply specify what you want, and, to the extent that you choose, the consultant helps you acquire it.Typical e-business consulting skills include analyzing your requirements and turning a proper specification into a workable technical design in addition to installing all the required hardware, software and (where necessary) network cabling, as well as knowing where to find the most cost-effective solutions. It’s the job of a consultant to arrange or perhaps provide training and on-going support.The big disadvantage of consultancy is the cost. Fees vary from around $25 to $250 per hour, depending on the skills involved, although most consultants will be happy to quote on a per-project fixed-fee basis. Both fixed fee and hourly rate work should be carefully defined in a co

with huge hairy hands and it looked like he didn’t have a neck. He reminded me of Danny Davito but he was just a little taller. The other one was average height, average looks and average dress but he was built like Arnold Swartznager. Looking at the two division buyers reminded me of the movie Twins where Arnold Swartznager and Danny Divito were twin brothers.

No big deal, RIGHT -- no big deal – until that day.

	I was in shock
 	I didn’t want to get up
 	My face was as red as a baboons behind
 	I was stunned
 	I laid there for a few seconds—an eternity
 	I was hoping this wasn’t real

	They were trying not to look at me
 	Mr. Pin stripes was covering his mouth trying desperately not to laugh
 	One buyer, Danny Divito was moving around like he had ants in his pants—looking in every direction but mine
 	The second buyer, Arnold, his cheeks were bulging out; his eyes looked like they were going to pop. He even had that big vein running down the middle of his forehead like the real Arnold Swartznager does. I swear – he must have been holding his breath

There I was, sitting in the middle of a mud puddle; I looked more like a wounded duck than a Grizzly Bear.

It was eerie; it was like a deafening silence in the parking lot. The kind of silence you saw in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds, just before they attacked.

Alls well that ends well; we got back from lunch and within an hour closed the deal. That meant a $4 million increase in sales for our branch. I think they felt sorry for me.

Got an Expertise? Why Not Become an Internet Coach?
These days, the internet seems to be the source for nearly everything. From fitness and diets to love relationships to gardening to buying a car, you'll find all sorts of information online that's available with a few simple clicks. Yup, internet coaching is a strong force online and you could be part of it.If you feel it in your bones that you were meant to share what you know online, you'll need to know if it's right for you. And if it is, you might want to know how to do it. Here are a few tips to point you in the right direction:Ask yourself…Do I have the expertise? Just because you studied psychology in high school doesn’t mean you're qualified to coach. You'll need to have enough skills and experience in your chosen field to actually do it. You don’t necessarily need to have a master's degree, but higher qualifications are an asset and will assure your potential students (and clients) that they are in good hands.Do I have the

Little did I know I was about to set a new standard of dress.

No big deal, RIGHT -- no big deal – until that day.

	I was in shock
 	I didn’t want to get up
 	My face was as red as a baboons behind
 	I was stunned
 	I laid there for a few seconds—an eternity
 	I was hoping this wasn’t real

	They were trying not to look at me
 	Mr. Pin stripes was covering his mouth trying desperately not to laugh
 	One buyer, Danny Divito was moving around like he had ants in his pants—looking in every direction but mine
 	The second buyer, Arnold, his cheeks were bulging out; his eyes looked like they were going to pop. He even had that big vein running down the middle of his forehead like the real Arnold Swartznager does. I swear – he must have been holding his breath

There I was, sitting in the middle of a mud puddle; I looked more like a wounded duck than a Grizzly Bear.

It was eerie; it was like a deafening silence in the parking lot. The kind of silence you saw in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds, just before they attacked.

Alls well that ends well; we got back from lunch and within an hour closed the deal. That meant a $4 million increase in sales for our branch. I think they felt sorry for me.

Can You Handle Bad News?
Do you want the good news or bad news first?One of the common errors poor managers make today is to shoot the messenger who brings them bad news. These managers typically want nothing but good news. They often see the bearer of bad news as negative, not a team player or a troublemaker. Their attitude is often:·You are always negative.·You are always complaining.·You are never happy.·You are a pain in the _ _ _I will agree that some employees fit one or all of the above characterizations – from time to time however when you have an employee bring you bad news, do you typically :·thank them·criticize them·ignore them·berate them·listen to them·encourage them to tell you more·listen to them·other_______________________The point is, the closer you are to reality (either with a situation inside the organization or outside with customers or suppliers) – the better deci

I laid there for a few seconds—an eternity  I was hoping this wasn’t real

	They were trying not to look at me
 	Mr. Pin stripes was covering his mouth trying desperately not to laugh
 	One buyer, Danny Divito was moving around like he had ants in his pants—looking in every direction but mine
 	The second buyer, Arnold, his cheeks were bulging out; his eyes looked like they were going to pop. He even had that big vein running down the middle of his forehead like the real Arnold Swartznager does. I swear – he must have been holding his breath

There I was, sitting in the middle of a mud puddle; I looked more like a wounded duck than a Grizzly Bear.

It was eerie; it was like a deafening silence in the parking lot. The kind of silence you saw in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds, just before they attacked.

Alls well that ends well; we got back from lunch and within an hour closed the deal. That meant a $4 million increase in sales for our branch. I think they felt sorry for me.

Effective Outsourcing
As the implications of globalization have sunk into the business world, the idea of what a company should be has changed. Not long ago they were institutions—buildings and factories with workers who drove to work in the morning and punched out at night.Business models have become much more customer centered since those days. It’s not about your company or your staff, or even your product—your business is about your customers and what they want. This shift in focus has led to many companies experimenting with different structures in order to discover how to meet their customer’s needs at the lowest cost and for the highest profit.One of the most effective ways of doing this is outsourcing. Companies define their core competencies and then look to outside contractors to meet their other needs. Marketing, printing, archiving, human resources—for every business function, there are other businesses that specialize in providing it. Microsoft now employs betwe

s behind. You know how you bounce when you hold a laugh inside.

Alls well that ends well; we got back from lunch and within an hour closed the deal. That meant a $4 million increase in sales for our branch. I think they felt sorry for me.

 After lunch tide turned—everything we discussed seemed to lead back to my grand belly smacker
 We talked about reducing inventory and someone said that would prevent tripping over it as they all roared with laughter.
 Some of the parts we discussed that were to be made from our steel spurred even more laughter –parts like —ankle pin, splash shield, dry lube on the parts

Our plan worked – and even through my belly smacker wasn’t in our original plan, it seemed to play a role in our success.

Many times even the best plan, the best preparation will encounter a twist in the road. The more prepared, the more confident we are, the better able we are to handle these twists. The belly flop into the parking lot puddle could have been more devastating than embarrassing. But, thanks to Bud, the sales pro, we were able to turn that most embarrassing moment for yours truly into an opportunity.

Ever since that day, I have never ever short changed maintenance and repair on any budget I was ever responsible for.

What are your puddles in the parking lot?

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When looking for a job, there are many hurdles to get over. If you are using internet job boards as part of the mix, there are a number of hidden factors related to this activity that every job seeker should consider while searching for employment. No matter what internet resource you are using to search for jobs, it is important to utilize the resource according to its content.

The fateful final question of all interviewers may carry more weight than you would think. Upon hearing “Now, do you have any questions,” you are given a chance to show the quality of your character and interest in the company. No matter how well the interview went, passively responding to this question with a shake of the head and a polite smile will only communicate to the employer that you are not interested in inquiring about the job, the company, and your place within their organization.

Harvard University has issued a report calling for the increasing integration of public speaking into its undergraduate curriculum, and I applaud this initiative. Public speaking skills can make a career. Lacking these skills can break one.

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