Other Added - Business

Sales Speaker Asks: Do You Know How Your Bread Is Buttered?
Sitting in a 70 year-old restaurant yesterday, an antique by California standards, I heard song after song from the Big Band Era, the 1940’s.My parents were fond of this music, Mom especially, because she sang in one of those roving orchestras long before I was a mere bubble in a champagne glass.The waitress, who might have been born in the place, asked me if I wanted some rye bread with my meal, and it got me to thinking about an expression from that bygone era:“Know how your bread is buttered!”This means, appreciate what and who are putting bread on your table, and most important WHY they are doing it, what purpose you’re serving for them.For salespeople, this is a keen point. We need to know what it is that we’re doing that really makes sales happen, do more of that, and cut out anything that doesn’t contribute; needless motions and activity.Especially important is dispensing with ILLUSIONS about what is working for us and what is not working.In a different restaurant the other day, I overheard a chat where one guy was trying to sell an athlete his services as an agent. The suitor engaged in a complete talkathon, ranging from one irrelevant topic to the next, seeming to score very few points.No questions were asked by either party, and no commitments made. I wondered if this is really how the agent

ke picking up some excellent advice on the subtleties of wood carving design.

Key tools to help build your online community include:

Polls: users submit their "vote" on topics on the site. Polls are a great way to gain feedback, but they don't allow members to share any thoughts behind their vote.

Chat: chat rooms can provide an excellent place for real-time exchange - for anything from technical support to just casual chit-chat. If you do add a chat room make sure you have a good mix of free-flow and structured chat for your users.

Message Boards: another venue for members to exchange ideas and comments that can become excellent information banks. Unlike real-time communities, you have more control of the content. Choose a message board which best reflects the structure of your site. And use consistent labels and groupings to achieve the best fit.

Mailing List: a great way for you to communicate with your members without having to add community components directly to your site. It's also a cool way to test the community waters, as members can share their ideas with one another via e-mail.

Whatever tools you use shoul

From Stale to Fresh: 5 Simple Ways to Invigorate Your Team
The real issue for organisationsIt used to be that the biggest staffing problem organisations had to deal with was high turnover. Today, the real issue is engagement . . . finding a way to get staff to do more than just turn up to work physically. It’s about finding ways to engage them mentally and emotionally. It’s finding a way to take a stale attitude and freshen it up.For some organisations lack of engagement is an ongoing issue, perhaps due to the nature of the work people are employed to do. For others it is more circumstantial, such as staff coping with busy periods, adapting to change or even just getting out of a rut. Even organisations with highly motivated staff can find they still benefit from the occasional boost to their motivation levels.Whatever the cause the result is the same: lack of engagement is a real issue with real costs attached. A survey of 50,000 employees by the Corporate Leadership Council in 2004 found that only 11% said they were fully engaged at work, 76% knew they could demonstrate more commitment and 13% described themselves as actively disengaged. Imagine if you could increase the productivity of 89% of your people, simply by finding a way to engage them.What happens when people aren’t engagedWe’ve all experienced the disengaged worker at some point. They’re the person doing

You have this great website, you have sent out e-mails regarding your services, printed out hundreds of brochures which you have given to friends and relatives, but what you really need is to get people talking about what you offer. You know that if you can do that, people will recommend you to others and your client base will begin to grow. Sounds great, doesn't it? But how on earth do you get people talking?

Two words: ONLINE COMMUNITY

Communities come in all shapes and sizes - from sharing coffee with neighbors over the garden fence to sharing ideas in an online chat room. Whatever the venue, building communities is integral to human existence and exchange.

And for new businesses, a community can play a key role in customer relations, promotion, performance enhancement, sales, recruitment, profits... Online communities are a great way of finding out what your clients think of you and your ideas, building loyalty and providing top quality customer service. Relationship building and word of mouth play vital roles in building business. If a client likes your product or service and has a good relationship with you, they are more likely to tell their friends, who may do the same. With a dynamic site and viable online community, you have fantastic opportunities to build up a loyal, active and varied client base - a crucial factor in growing your business, increasing your selling power, getting exposure and increasing profits.

Early Days Online

When the Internet was just a baby, basic, specialist and largely free-for-all newsgroups made up most online communities. They were difficult to access and understand. Website managers had few opportunities to explore their site's community potential, less advanced technology at their disposal and fewer resources for understanding how community might be employed. Websites were not that sophisticated either. Businesses weren't able to reach out to their target audience as readily, much less truly promoting an online business. Community building was at best hampered and at worse simply diluted by the Internet's limitations.

Sea Change

Things have changed!

Website managers and users increasingly understand what community is and what it offers. Internet communities are now commonly given high profile on websites and used to leverage value - anything and everything from handling complaints to building up subscriber numbers. A strand of professional community producers has developed, alongside trained facilitators (also known as moderators) who support the community. They're producing well-trafficked and viable online communities, as safe, valued and convenient as their offline counterparts.

Businesses are increasingly using all manner of community-focused tools to build relationships with clients and allow them to build relationships with one another: entrepreneurs old and new can really cash in from such communities. Still, for many people, the idea of building online communities is a non-starter. Many new entrepreneurs ignore the value of online communities at their peril. After all, having a decent website, let alone building a great online community just isn't that high on a small business' priority list. Also many simply don't know how to go about it.

Killer App

With over 400 million Internet users, building online relationships and communities could be that killer application. But there are many great reasons for creating an online community. Maybe you want an online version of your existing offline community or maybe you want to create a new internet-only community. Or maybe you want to bring together all of your clients and customers in one place.

Providing a viable, safe and dynamic place for your clients and potential clients to share, tells them you CARE about what they have to say and that you VALUE them. And this has real mileage: you'll stand out from the crowd with extra selling points compared to your competitors. You'll develop a reputation that people will regard highly, remember and recommend to others. Building an online community could seriously impact on the success or otherwise of your idea.

Online What?

Don't fall into the trap of 'if I build it, they will come'. Having a chat room or message board on your site is, in itself, not enough to build community. To truly create a community your participants should:

feel they have reason to belong to it - maybe they're interested in wood carvings and came across your community of like-minded enthusiasts on your Carvings Are Us! company website, and feel that by belonging to it their needs are accommodated - like picking up some excellent advice on the subtleties of wood carving design.

Key tools to help build your online community include:

Polls: users submit their "vote" on topics on the site. Polls are a great way to gain feedback, but they don't allow members to share any thoughts behind their vote.

Whatever tools you use should

In Sales You Get What You Expect
If your mind is set, you will be unable to change your mindset. For example Christopher Columbus...He was born in 1451 in Genoa, the son of a wool merchant and weaver. Do you recall what the conventional thinking or "Mindset" was about the shape of the globe at that time? It was believed to be flat. Not too many sailors sailed too far from shore fearing the worst. Columbus' mind was set. It was set for taking risks and exploring new worlds.Columbus discovered the New World on October 12, 1492 at 2:00 a.m. He changed his Mindset and we're still celebrating his courage, boldness, and discoveries.How you think is everything. For example - where are the obvious places to look for new prospects for the products and services you sell? Make a list and go ask one of your competitors to do the same thing. Now compare lists. Hello - exactly the same. Surprise - surprise!Now make another list and don't tell your competition about this one. Make a list of all the un-obvious places you can go to find qualified prospects. Remember this is an un-obvious list and it requires a new and different mindset. It ain't easy but it is good. It isn't quick but it can be profitable for you. But first, you gotta remove the shackles on your conventional thinking.You'll get what you expect - so always expect the best to happen to you. Alw

to tell their friends, who may do the same. With a dynamic site and viable online community, you have fantastic opportunities to build up a loyal, active and varied client base - a crucial factor in growing your business, increasing your selling power, getting exposure and increasing profits.

Early Days Online

Sea Change

Things have changed!

Killer App

Online What?

Key tools to help build your online community include:

Polls: users submit their "vote" on topics on the site. Polls are a great way to gain feedback, but they don't allow members to share any thoughts behind their vote.

Whatever tools you use shoul

Holly Mann- Is She Legit, Or Another Get Rich Quick Scam?
Holly Mann is a 23 year old entrepreneur who claims to make anywhere from $10,000 to $12,000 a month online. How does she do it? If you want to find out, then you can buy her ebook for only $19.95. Holly's ebook is very reasonably priced considering the amount of priceless information it contains.She tells you where you can build a website for free, and how to get free traffic to your website, and how to get traffic for little start up money. In my opinion, this information is worth the price of the book itself.Holly Mann's ebook is not a scam at all. I have purchased a lot of internet products, and a lot of 'how to make money' ebooks, and Holly's is definitely 100% legit, and worth every penny. She offers a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with her ebook. You will not be rich overnight after purchasing her ebook, but if you put her strategies and tips to use, than you will successful making money online.Making money online takes focus, and time management. Anyone who claims you will get rich right away is a complete scam, and you should steer clear of those internet products. If you seriously want to make money online, you have to remain focussed on your goal, and put some time and effort into it.

to leverage value - anything and everything from handling complaints to building up subscriber numbers. A strand of professional community producers has developed, alongside trained facilitators (also known as moderators) who support the community. They're producing well-trafficked and viable online communities, as safe, valued and convenient as their offline counterparts.

Killer App

Online What?

Key tools to help build your online community include:

Polls: users submit their "vote" on topics on the site. Polls are a great way to gain feedback, but they don't allow members to share any thoughts behind their vote.

Whatever tools you use shoul

Public Relations for a Real Estate Title Service
What kinds of great things can a Real Estate Title Service do to promote community goodwill and public relations? Well what if they participated in a Neighborhood Mobile Watch Program? But you ask what does that have to do with a Real Estate Title Service? Well it is about security and what could be more important to a neighborhood than low crime rates, which help bolster real estate prices? Also consider if you will the following truths about Real Estate Title Services;TITLE SERVICE COMPANIES: Title services have reps which drive around all day and deliver documents and collect signatures, mingle with Realtors, and return the information and drop off literature. They will know which Realtors are most likely to want to join the program. A title company may have many reps thus many cars driving around helping the important exposure of the efforts. The title reps are usually GQ type guys and pleasant looking young women and make great people for your photo ops and press release pictures. These reps put on more miles than the police officers on their patrol cars.It makes sense for a Real Estate Title Service to promote community goodwill and Neighborhood security. And Public Relations for such an industry sector may not be as easy as you think. This is an innovative way to unite the community and enjoy an excellent public relations campaign, so,

e you want an online version of your existing offline community or maybe you want to create a new internet-only community. Or maybe you want to bring together all of your clients and customers in one place.

Online What?

Key tools to help build your online community include:

Polls: users submit their "vote" on topics on the site. Polls are a great way to gain feedback, but they don't allow members to share any thoughts behind their vote.

Whatever tools you use shoul

Calculate the Cost of Chasing a Lead - Reduce it by Giving
Have you ever wondered what it would cost you to attract just one qualified lead? You may have lots of inquiries, but not all inquiries become customers. How then would an inquiry be upgraded to a qualified lead?Before we can calculate the cost, we need to know what a qualified lead is. A qualified lead will have to satisfy four different criteria.a) The person must need your product or service. There absolutely has to be a use for the item.b) The person has to be able to pay for the item.c) The person is a decision maker. Or at least can exert a strong influence to make a purchase.d) The person knows when to make the purchaseAnyone who satisfies any of these areas can be a potential customer. And chasing this customer is called lead development. So how much must you spend to generate a qualified lead from among the people you target? Some examples of expenses incurred may be in the form of advertisements, labor, postage, or phone bills. Whatever method of customer interaction you use, they all cost money. If a meeting is required before a lead can be qualified, regard that too as a cost. They can be in the form of transport cost, car parking fees, brochure and calling cards.Not all inquiries can be qualified. The people that make these inquiries simply cannot be reached. They could be on vacation, ignoring y

ke picking up some excellent advice on the subtleties of wood carving design.

Key tools to help build your online community include:

Polls: users submit their "vote" on topics on the site. Polls are a great way to gain feedback, but they don't allow members to share any thoughts behind their vote.

Whatever tools you use should be integrated into your site to maximize its interaction and value. Make sure you explore all the options on offer to find the best mix for you and your idea.

Building community requires heart, a nurturing understanding and bags of energy. For your online community to have value and be appreciated, your users must feel they contribute, that they are involved, and, above all, are appreciated.

So exactly what does online community building mean and what does it take to make a community successful? It's all about 'stickiness': repeat visits and an active membership depends on it. Site stickiness is crucial, especially for a small business, as you've invested a great deal of time, energy and money in your site. Every penny counts, so the last thing you want is to have a site that no one uses. Adding community can give your site features that will encourage repeat visits. People like to see responses to their ideas and suggestions, and by providing the venue they will return.

Party, Party!!

Worried about what an online community for your idea might actually be like? Well, it isn't really any different from hosting a party. When you go to a party, the host welcomes you, introduces you to some of the other guests and serves you food and drink. Great!! Basically, the host makes sure your needs are met, you are enjoying yourself and feel real comfortable.

Building your own online community is not so different. You need to give a similar level of attention to your users as you would to guests at your party. Your users should be greeted when they join your community, made to feel comfortable and a part of what's going on. They need to feel involved. And you need to continue this throughout their visit.

Getting that Community Ball Rolling

As you mill around that party, you discover other interesting guests to talk to. Some of them have similar likes and loves as you. Brilliant! The starting point of many conversations is often 'how come you're at this party', or an invitation to join in the conversation.

The same holds true in your online community - make sure you provide interesting topics and questions to your users to act as a catalyst for chat. New users should be welcomed and invited to share something of themselves. Your moderators (if not you) should make themselves known and act as guides to the conversations, assisting with questions and encouraging interaction. Articles that spur conversation should be linked to the topics of your boards or chat room.

Seed, Feed, Weed...

Community management is like gardening - you need to seed conversation, feed interaction and weed out the dead wood! And it's your moderator who makes sure things run smoothly. They are responsible for maintaining content, upholding site guidelines, guiding users and stimulating conversation. Your moderator needs to be a great receptionist, a knowledgeable manager and a top communicator all in one. They're on the frontline of your business and need to be equipped as such. To your visitors, they ARE you and your idea.

Get it Right, First Time

So how do you make sure you hit the mark straight away? Focus on providing the services your community needs, using the best tools to meet the task, and back this up with personality and energy, and your online community has the potential to thrive. Do your research by asking what it is you want your community to achieve for itself and for you, what you'll need to fulfill that, and never hesitate to contact professional community builders. Also, ask for feedback, as your users ultimately decide how much and in what direction your community develops. After all, your users can steer extra traffic to your site through recommendations, making your community sustainable.

Some forms of online community are more appropriate for some businesses and not for others. Take a look at your clients and, given what you know about them and their needs, think of what community components "fit" with them. For example, conservative solicitors are hardly likely to take part in an online chat event, but they might feel infinitely more comfortable taking part in a message board. Conversely, if you're running a health-focused biz, users want to 'speak' in real time to you and others about their experiences, so a chat event might be good. Think of your users, their needs and constraints, and what makes them get involved. Is the immediacy and spontaneity of a chat room better than a more passive message board? Does your idea lend itself to a particular kind of community involvement? You can only build the right community once. With planning, y

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Do you really know whether or not your customers are satisfied with your services? And does what they tell you help you to improve? A few simple tips can help service-related businesses increase the usefulness of the satisfaction information they gather.

Using automatic employee tracking devices is not just because technology promotes laziness in men. On the other hand, the corporate world needs to use employee time clocks or time clock software to keep employee tracking an easier job. Thus, companies can be more efficient and productive.

It is fairly common for real estate companies and mortgage brokers to use leads. There is a difference between mortgage lead generation and real estate generation. Mortgage lead generation deals with people who need to refinance their homes or apply for loans, while real estate lead generation is a service that connects potential buyers with real estate agents.

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