will vary depending on the insurance agency, your driving record, and the type of insurance you are looking to purchase. I you are looking for affordable car insurance or truck insurance then read on.
There are ways to reduce your premiums without giving up coverage. One of the easiest things to do is get auto insurance rate quotes online. This will allow you to comparative shop stress free.
Raising your deductibles is the easiest way to reduce your rates. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium will be. The deductible is the portion you will have to pay in the event of accident, before your insurance coverage steps in. It’s important not to carry a deductible that’s more than what you are able to pay. Your insurance company will not honor its portion of the claim until you’ve paid your deductible. However, the higher your deductible the lower your premium cost will be, so you need to find a
Always remember to ask your insurance broker for any available discounts. Quite often we forget to ask and they don’t seem to volunteer the information. A clean record on the current policy for a certain period of time, having your homeowner's coverage with the same insurer, taking a defensive driving course, having an accident free driving record, and having an approved anti-theft device will reduce your auto insurance rates.
The type of car you drive can also reduce your rates. Stay away from cars that have a high class rating. Rates vary among the different makes and models of vehicles. The different rates are based on the risk of accident, cost to repair, higher theft rates for a particular model and replacement costs such as with a new vehicle. So be sure your vehicle isn’t going to be in a category that increases your rates too much.
A safe driving record consisting of no accidents and no traffic violations will get you the most substantial discount. Most insurance companies are very good at recognizing good driving habits. These are the drivers they want to insure because their risk is much lower.
If the car is old and not very valuable, comprehensive insurance is probably not worth buying as it can quickly add up to more than you’d ever receive in the event of an accident. You can save up to 20% by eliminating collision insurance. You may want to opt not to carry collision insurance as well which can save you and additional 20%.
Check around to make sure you are getting the best auto rates you can. Online auto insurance shopping has taken the guess work out of buying insurance and you can very quickly see if you are being hosed. So if your insurance is coming due now is the time to start shopping!.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Used Car Loans
Want to buy a used car but just don't have the funds sat in your bank account? If so, why not consider taking out one of the many used car loans available on the loans market.
Used car loans are specifically designed by loans companies to provide used car buyers with a competitive finance arrangement through which to purchase a used car. Flexible loans terms are available from used car loans companies, as well as low APR deals suitable for used car purchases. Used car loans of up to £20,000 can be arranged on an unsecured basis, with loans companies offering higher loans amounts if security is supplied.
Advance plan your used car loans
When buying a used car it pays to do some advance planning and arrange your used car loan ahead of the search for a used car. There are many loans companies out there offering loans for used car purchases, so it makes sense to shop around to get the best loans deals for buying a used car. Look for car loans that are flexible to your needs and offer a low APR, so your monthly used car repayments on any loans taken out won't be sky-high.
As with all types of loans, you should first determine how much you can afford to borrow on loans to buy a used car. Loans calculators are available on the Internet and can be used to calculate loan and repayment amounts in accordance with different APRs. It is important to take into account other financial commitments too, including other loans, when calculating the loans amount that you can comfortably borrow to purchase a used car.
If you intend to buy your used car from a used car trader where they offer car loans / finance for their used cars, then do make sure that the loans deal you sign up to is better than the loans deal that the used car trader can offer. The APR rate is the critical thing here. On car loans tailored for used car purchases the APR rate - i.e. the rate of interest you'll pay on top of the used car purchase price - can be as low as 6%. Finance loans deals through used car traders may have a higher APR, so pushing the total cost of buying a used car up to an unacceptable price.
One final thought. When negotiating the price of a used car with a trader, they may accept your lower offer providing that you take up one of their loans to finance the used car purchase. If this is an option then do check the terms and conditions of their loans carefully, paying special attention to the loans APR rate, as the savings from your negotiation on your used car may not be as attractive as first imagined when you consider the final costs attached to their loans!
Used car loans are specifically designed by loans companies to provide used car buyers with a competitive finance arrangement through which to purchase a used car. Flexible loans terms are available from used car loans companies, as well as low APR deals suitable for used car purchases. Used car loans of up to £20,000 can be arranged on an unsecured basis, with loans companies offering higher loans amounts if security is supplied.
Advance plan your used car loans
When buying a used car it pays to do some advance planning and arrange your used car loan ahead of the search for a used car. There are many loans companies out there offering loans for used car purchases, so it makes sense to shop around to get the best loans deals for buying a used car. Look for car loans that are flexible to your needs and offer a low APR, so your monthly used car repayments on any loans taken out won't be sky-high.
As with all types of loans, you should first determine how much you can afford to borrow on loans to buy a used car. Loans calculators are available on the Internet and can be used to calculate loan and repayment amounts in accordance with different APRs. It is important to take into account other financial commitments too, including other loans, when calculating the loans amount that you can comfortably borrow to purchase a used car.
If you intend to buy your used car from a used car trader where they offer car loans / finance for their used cars, then do make sure that the loans deal you sign up to is better than the loans deal that the used car trader can offer. The APR rate is the critical thing here. On car loans tailored for used car purchases the APR rate - i.e. the rate of interest you'll pay on top of the used car purchase price - can be as low as 6%. Finance loans deals through used car traders may have a higher APR, so pushing the total cost of buying a used car up to an unacceptable price.
One final thought. When negotiating the price of a used car with a trader, they may accept your lower offer providing that you take up one of their loans to finance the used car purchase. If this is an option then do check the terms and conditions of their loans carefully, paying special attention to the loans APR rate, as the savings from your negotiation on your used car may not be as attractive as first imagined when you consider the final costs attached to their loans!
What’s the .382 Fibonacci Ratio in Forex Trading?
It was mentioned in a past article that Fibonacci forex trading is the basis of many forex trading systems used around the world by profitable forex traders. These systems are all based on the famous Fibonacci ratios (.236, .50, .382, .618, etc.) and each of them can specialize in a particular ratio along with other minor indicators in order to make the pinpointing of the entry and exit levels as accurate and profitable as possible.
One of the widely used Fibonacci ratios is the 0.382 ratio. As it can be easily seen on any forex chart, currency prices are continually changing and they follow an oscillatory pattern with peaks and valleys. The limit of the peak is usually called a resistance level while the valley is usually called a support.
In order to find the 0.382 ratio level what you do is, first; measure the size of the drop or rise over your time of interest. Once you have that value you multiply this by 0.382. Now depending on what you are looking at, a rise or a drop on the price of the particular “currency pair” you are trading, you will add the last value you calculated to the total drop or subtract the value from the total rise.
These operations will give you the 0.382 Fibonacci ratio level, either for a rise or a drop on the chart you are analyzing. Once you have the value you can then start planning the strategy you will follow in order to make a high probability profit from this valuable information. For the 0.382 ratio level calculated for a recent rise in the “currency pair” exchange price, your calculated level will be a highly probable support and for the case of a level calculated for a recent drop of the prices your level will be a highly probable resistance.
Knowing this ahead of the market and having the proper secondary indicators, will give you a huge advantage over most forex traders, and that’s something any trader would like they could count on. That’s why Fibonacci trading is so widely accepted over the world, and of course, why it’s so profitable and successful.
One of the widely used Fibonacci ratios is the 0.382 ratio. As it can be easily seen on any forex chart, currency prices are continually changing and they follow an oscillatory pattern with peaks and valleys. The limit of the peak is usually called a resistance level while the valley is usually called a support.
In order to find the 0.382 ratio level what you do is, first; measure the size of the drop or rise over your time of interest. Once you have that value you multiply this by 0.382. Now depending on what you are looking at, a rise or a drop on the price of the particular “currency pair” you are trading, you will add the last value you calculated to the total drop or subtract the value from the total rise.
These operations will give you the 0.382 Fibonacci ratio level, either for a rise or a drop on the chart you are analyzing. Once you have the value you can then start planning the strategy you will follow in order to make a high probability profit from this valuable information. For the 0.382 ratio level calculated for a recent rise in the “currency pair” exchange price, your calculated level will be a highly probable support and for the case of a level calculated for a recent drop of the prices your level will be a highly probable resistance.
Knowing this ahead of the market and having the proper secondary indicators, will give you a huge advantage over most forex traders, and that’s something any trader would like they could count on. That’s why Fibonacci trading is so widely accepted over the world, and of course, why it’s so profitable and successful.
Employee Evaluations: Four Tips to Help Managers with Performance Review Conversations
Managers talk with the people on their teams every day. Whatever the topic, most of these conversations happen with no stress, little anxiety, and minimal tension. But when the conversation is about an employee’s performance, anxieties often abound. Here are four ways to reduce the tension and defensiveness that too often surround performance evaluations.
1. Don’t wait for the meeting to deliver the performance appraisal form.
I worked for large corporations for fifteen years before beginning my consulting career. Every one of those companies — GE, United Airlines, PepsiCo — took performance appraisal very seriously. And my bosses at those companies also took their responsibilities for performance evaluation seriously as well. But all of my bosses kicked off the appraisal discussion in a way that was guaranteed to get it off to a bad start. How did they begin? They set up the time for the meeting and then waited until I was sitting across the desk to hand me their completed appraisal form.
At the start of the meeting my boss would give me his appraisal form and I would engage all of my speed-reading skills, whipping through the document as fast as I could to see what he had said about my performance. While I was reading the evaluation (and probably missing some key points in my haste to take everything in) my boss would be behind his desk, pretending to work, but in truth trying to gauge how I was reacting to the evaluation he had written.
What a terrible way to begin! Don’t wait until the meeting starts to give the employee your performance appraisal document. It’s far more effective to go up to the employee an hour or so in advance of the meeting, and say something like this: “Mary, you know we’re getting together at two o’clock to go over your performance appraisal. Here it is. Why don’t you take some time between now and then to review it? Read it carefully and jot down any questions that you’d like to ask.”
Giving the person the appraisal to review in advance of the meeting can lessen defensiveness. It allows her time to think about what you’ve written and prevents spur-of-the-moment reactions. You’ll usually find that giving the person a chance to read what you’ve written in advance produces much more effective business discussions.
2. Set a time frame (and give yourself an extra fifteen minutes).
Your discussion of a person’s performance evaluation may be one of the most important interactions you'll ever have with that individual; make sure you’ve allowed enough time. In most cases, an hour should be sufficient to review the appraisal document itself as well as discuss many of the other subjects that often pop up during performance reviews — development activities, career plans, and future goals and projects. Make certain that the very next activity you’ve scheduled after finishing the review isn't one that must begin at a set time. If you provide yourself with a little flexibility at the end, you can take the time to wrap up the discussion comfortably.
3. Don’t start by discussing the form itself.
Yes, the form is important, but the form simply serves as the formal record of your assessment of how well the individual has done over the past year. Rather than beginning with the first entry on the appraisal form and moving lockstep through the document item-by-item, it’s more effective to start by asking a general question that requires the employee’s thoughtful consideration: “Tim, you’ve had a chance to read the appraisal. Why don’t you start by telling me how you feel the past year has gone?” Then listen as the individual responds and continue the discussion from there.
4. Don’t fixate on getting the employee to agree with your performance appraisal.
One of the most common questions managers ask me during training sessions involves how they can gain an employee’s agreement with what they’ve written in the performance appraisal, particularly when what they’ve written isn't entirely favorable. “Don’t try!” is my advice to them.
What is a performance appraisal? It is a formal record of the supervisor’s opinion of the quality of the employee’s work. Pay attention to the key phrase, “. . . the supervisor’s opinion . . .”
Of course the employee is going to have a different opinion — all of us believe we’re above average. The goal in the performance review discussion is not to gain the employee’s agreement, although it is nice if that happens, the goal is to gain the employee’s understanding. As long as the employee understands how you came up with the evaluation, you’ve done your job. Of course, he may disagree (particularly if you’ve set the bar high and have tough, demanding standards). But don’t waste time trying to convince a person that you’re right and she’s wrong. The important thing is that she understands your expectations and how her performance was assessed.
There’s a lot more to conducting good appraisal discussions, of course. But these four tips should make a tough job just a little bit easier.
About the author:
Dick Grote is one of America’s best-known consultants on employee performance management. He is the Chairman/CEO of Grote Consulting Corporation and developer of the GroteApproach web-based performance management system at http://www.groteapproach.com
1. Don’t wait for the meeting to deliver the performance appraisal form.
I worked for large corporations for fifteen years before beginning my consulting career. Every one of those companies — GE, United Airlines, PepsiCo — took performance appraisal very seriously. And my bosses at those companies also took their responsibilities for performance evaluation seriously as well. But all of my bosses kicked off the appraisal discussion in a way that was guaranteed to get it off to a bad start. How did they begin? They set up the time for the meeting and then waited until I was sitting across the desk to hand me their completed appraisal form.
At the start of the meeting my boss would give me his appraisal form and I would engage all of my speed-reading skills, whipping through the document as fast as I could to see what he had said about my performance. While I was reading the evaluation (and probably missing some key points in my haste to take everything in) my boss would be behind his desk, pretending to work, but in truth trying to gauge how I was reacting to the evaluation he had written.
What a terrible way to begin! Don’t wait until the meeting starts to give the employee your performance appraisal document. It’s far more effective to go up to the employee an hour or so in advance of the meeting, and say something like this: “Mary, you know we’re getting together at two o’clock to go over your performance appraisal. Here it is. Why don’t you take some time between now and then to review it? Read it carefully and jot down any questions that you’d like to ask.”
Giving the person the appraisal to review in advance of the meeting can lessen defensiveness. It allows her time to think about what you’ve written and prevents spur-of-the-moment reactions. You’ll usually find that giving the person a chance to read what you’ve written in advance produces much more effective business discussions.
2. Set a time frame (and give yourself an extra fifteen minutes).
Your discussion of a person’s performance evaluation may be one of the most important interactions you'll ever have with that individual; make sure you’ve allowed enough time. In most cases, an hour should be sufficient to review the appraisal document itself as well as discuss many of the other subjects that often pop up during performance reviews — development activities, career plans, and future goals and projects. Make certain that the very next activity you’ve scheduled after finishing the review isn't one that must begin at a set time. If you provide yourself with a little flexibility at the end, you can take the time to wrap up the discussion comfortably.
3. Don’t start by discussing the form itself.
Yes, the form is important, but the form simply serves as the formal record of your assessment of how well the individual has done over the past year. Rather than beginning with the first entry on the appraisal form and moving lockstep through the document item-by-item, it’s more effective to start by asking a general question that requires the employee’s thoughtful consideration: “Tim, you’ve had a chance to read the appraisal. Why don’t you start by telling me how you feel the past year has gone?” Then listen as the individual responds and continue the discussion from there.
4. Don’t fixate on getting the employee to agree with your performance appraisal.
One of the most common questions managers ask me during training sessions involves how they can gain an employee’s agreement with what they’ve written in the performance appraisal, particularly when what they’ve written isn't entirely favorable. “Don’t try!” is my advice to them.
What is a performance appraisal? It is a formal record of the supervisor’s opinion of the quality of the employee’s work. Pay attention to the key phrase, “. . . the supervisor’s opinion . . .”
Of course the employee is going to have a different opinion — all of us believe we’re above average. The goal in the performance review discussion is not to gain the employee’s agreement, although it is nice if that happens, the goal is to gain the employee’s understanding. As long as the employee understands how you came up with the evaluation, you’ve done your job. Of course, he may disagree (particularly if you’ve set the bar high and have tough, demanding standards). But don’t waste time trying to convince a person that you’re right and she’s wrong. The important thing is that she understands your expectations and how her performance was assessed.
There’s a lot more to conducting good appraisal discussions, of course. But these four tips should make a tough job just a little bit easier.
About the author:
Dick Grote is one of America’s best-known consultants on employee performance management. He is the Chairman/CEO of Grote Consulting Corporation and developer of the GroteApproach web-based performance management system at http://www.groteapproach.com
What is Lead Generation?
Lead Generation is vital to all businesses. All companies try to attract new customers, and this is a kind of lead generation.
Lead generation includes anything that a business does to gather a list of new or potential clients and involves a number of techniques used to create interest in potential customers. Some techniques commonly used for lead generation are direct mail, telemarketing, requests for proposals, requests for quotes, referrals, trade show demonstrations, seminars, and advertising. If done correctly, each of these methods will generate a list of interested potential clients for the business.
Advertising is perhaps the most obvious way to generate leads. People who respond to a company’s advertisements often become customers. Requests for proposals involve potential clients asking the business to come up with solutions and price ranges for particular problems or issues the customer may have. For example, if a city asks for a bid on a project from a construction contracting firm, then the contracting firm has generated a lead.
Requests for quotes are similar—for example, car insurance companies offer free rate quotes. When the potential client asks for the quote, they give the insurance company information about themselves that the company can then save for future use. Direct mail is when a business sends out fliers or brochures to a large number of people in the hope of attaining new customers. When a business has employees make cold calls to a list of people, they are telemarketing. The business hopes that some people will listen to the callers and become interested in the business. Trade show demonstrations and seminars are designed to appeal to people who are already interested in the business’s product.
The business always tries to present itself as better than its competitors. Referrals are common in many types of business. Some firms use personal information to make lists of potential customers to be sold to interested businesses.
Generating leads is a vital part of any sales related operation. Without knowing who may be interested in their products, companies would have no idea how to generate revenue and would have to rely solely on repeat business from existing customers.
About the author:
Lead Generation Info provides detailed information about sales, mortage, MLM, business-to-business, internet, and insurance lead generation, lead generation telemarketing, and more. Lead Generation Info is the sister site of MLM Leads Web.
Lead generation includes anything that a business does to gather a list of new or potential clients and involves a number of techniques used to create interest in potential customers. Some techniques commonly used for lead generation are direct mail, telemarketing, requests for proposals, requests for quotes, referrals, trade show demonstrations, seminars, and advertising. If done correctly, each of these methods will generate a list of interested potential clients for the business.
Advertising is perhaps the most obvious way to generate leads. People who respond to a company’s advertisements often become customers. Requests for proposals involve potential clients asking the business to come up with solutions and price ranges for particular problems or issues the customer may have. For example, if a city asks for a bid on a project from a construction contracting firm, then the contracting firm has generated a lead.
Requests for quotes are similar—for example, car insurance companies offer free rate quotes. When the potential client asks for the quote, they give the insurance company information about themselves that the company can then save for future use. Direct mail is when a business sends out fliers or brochures to a large number of people in the hope of attaining new customers. When a business has employees make cold calls to a list of people, they are telemarketing. The business hopes that some people will listen to the callers and become interested in the business. Trade show demonstrations and seminars are designed to appeal to people who are already interested in the business’s product.
The business always tries to present itself as better than its competitors. Referrals are common in many types of business. Some firms use personal information to make lists of potential customers to be sold to interested businesses.
Generating leads is a vital part of any sales related operation. Without knowing who may be interested in their products, companies would have no idea how to generate revenue and would have to rely solely on repeat business from existing customers.
About the author:
Lead Generation Info provides detailed information about sales, mortage, MLM, business-to-business, internet, and insurance lead generation, lead generation telemarketing, and more. Lead Generation Info is the sister site of MLM Leads Web.
Coaching Generation X
It has been said that Generation X is the most ignored, misunderstood, and disheartened generation our country has seen in a long time. No one can define who belongs to Generation X. While most agree that there is a generation after the Boomers, no one agrees on who it is. In a September 23, 1996, article in USA Today, six experts defined Generation X, each with a different answer. They ranged anywhere from those born between 1961 to 1981 (78 to 85 million) to those born between 1965 to 1976 (46 million). Although Generation X appears to be the accepted term, other labels have been applied. William Strauss and Neil Howe refer to them as the Thirteenth Generation (the thirteenth generation since the founding of our country). Baby Busters and Twenty-somethings have also been used.
One of the most fundamental requirements for effective coaching is the ability to understand others' motives, values, and goals, not enforcing one's own on others. A slight variation of the Golden Rule-instead of "treating others as you want to be treated," coaches should "treat others as they want to be treated." This means understanding, and accepting, that people are all different. It also means that there is no "script" for coaching-it is different for every person you coach.
The need to understand differences is especially apparent in the ongoing conflict between Baby Boomers and Generation X. These struggles are rooted in the desire (on both sides) to want everyone to be alike. This would certainly make our lives and relationships easier, but it is not based in reality. Of course, clashes between generations are not new. Remember the generation gap in the 1960s between the Boomers and the Silent Generation?
The fact remains that Generation X are the employees in the workforce today; they are the future. They aren't going away, nor are they likely to conform to the previous generation's definition of work. Boomer managers cannot continue to ignore Xers' differences and try to manage them according to their own mindset. This does not mean agreement with an Xer's attitude but, understanding them to make coaching easier. The better you know them, the more likely you are to have insight to their "hot buttons"-what motivates them. And, at the very best, understanding them may begin to remove the conflict and hostility that exists between the generations and will lead to positive actions and results that are mutually beneficial to the individual and the organization.
The problem with generalizations is that they only go so far and stereotyping runs the risk of alienation. There are always exceptions to the rule, those who will say "that's not me". I can sometimes identify with Boomers and sometimes with Xers (you guess my age!). It is impossible to suggest a prototype for how to coach 46-85 million people. As a start, the generalizations made here are based on a review of the relevant literature and personal observations/discussion with coaches-all with the hope of understanding this generation and offering suggestions on how to effectively coach them. To successfully coach and help Generation X, we must learn what they want, how they feel, and how they view their world.
WHAT WON'T MOTIVATE?
Generation X won't do things because they have a deep sense of mission, or loyalty to an organization. They have nothing but disdain for corporate politics and bureaucracy and don't trust any institution. They grew up watching their parents turn into workaholics, only to be downsized and restructured out of their chosen careers. They believe work is a thing you do to have a life (work doesn't define their life).
During the practice situations in our coaching workshops, the coach will often say-"Your behavior is affecting the company and if you don't change, we won't be in business in the long term." They raise the company flag and pull out the loyalty line. This means nothing to Xers-it will not capture their interest, raise their awareness, or stir them to new thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Xers have no expectation of job security, so they tend to see every job as temporary and every company as a stepping stone to something better, or at least to something else. They have been accused of not wanting to pay their dues. But, in today's changing workplace, anyone who is thinking about doing a job long enough to pay dues is out of touch!
Because they won't put in long hours at what they mostly term "dead end" jobs (Douglas Coupland coined the term "Mcjobs,") and they don't exhibit the same loyalty as Boomers do towards an organization, they have been called slackers. However, Xers will work very hard for a job that they believe in, for something that challenges them. In a l995 survey, Babson College Professor Paul Reynolds found that "10% of Americans between the ages of 25-34 are actively involved in creating a start-up company, a rate about three times as high as any other age group...it should help dispel once and for all the myth that today's youth are motivationally challenged." (U.S. News and World Report, September 23, 1996)
WHAT DOES MOTIVATE?
Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships
Although there doesn't seem to be one description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they don't like to be characterized (as I'm doing in this article!). They don't want to be treated as a single entity, but want to be looked at as individuals. In addition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force. They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isn't this strong sense of community and personal relationships in the workplace just what we need?
Challenging Work
This generation has sometimes been called the MTV Generation because of their short attention span. Xers want new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills. Training is one of the best motivators. They have a tremendous capacity to process lots of information and concentrate on multiple tasks.
They don't want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing. If you're looking for someone to deliver a report every week, you don't want an Xer. I recently brought up the subject of understanding twenty-somethings during a coaching workshop. Immediately a manager complained, with a lot of emotion, that kids today don't want to work and will only stay for a week or so and then leave. Well, the job was very repetitive and offered little challenge. No wonder!
Freedom to Manage Time and Work
Xers don't want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers who constantly check what they're doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own.
Feedback and Recognition
On the other hand, members of Generation X seem to crave time with their bosses and can never get enough feedback on their performance. They may be searching for what was missing when they were growing up. Because of their short attention span, recognition and rewards must arrive quickly. Employee of the month doesn't do anything for them.
CONCLUSION
The characteristics for which Generation X has received such bad press are the very qualities that make them valuable. We say we want an empowered work force...give Xers the ball and they will run with it...we want a self-directed work force...these workers have been self directed from a very young age...we want computer literacy...Generation X comes out on top...we want flexible, adaptable workers-right on again.
Xers will respond to Boomer managers if they put meaning, into the buzzwords they use so often-empowerment, teamwork, communication. Create an environment where they are challenged by and enjoy their work, where they're measured on performance rather than on which clothes they wear, where they are informed, included and recognized. Gee, maybe Xers aren't so different from anyone else!
About the author:
Please click here http://www.cmoe.com/coaching.htmto learn more about our Coaching services and the organizations we have served.
One of the most fundamental requirements for effective coaching is the ability to understand others' motives, values, and goals, not enforcing one's own on others. A slight variation of the Golden Rule-instead of "treating others as you want to be treated," coaches should "treat others as they want to be treated." This means understanding, and accepting, that people are all different. It also means that there is no "script" for coaching-it is different for every person you coach.
The need to understand differences is especially apparent in the ongoing conflict between Baby Boomers and Generation X. These struggles are rooted in the desire (on both sides) to want everyone to be alike. This would certainly make our lives and relationships easier, but it is not based in reality. Of course, clashes between generations are not new. Remember the generation gap in the 1960s between the Boomers and the Silent Generation?
The fact remains that Generation X are the employees in the workforce today; they are the future. They aren't going away, nor are they likely to conform to the previous generation's definition of work. Boomer managers cannot continue to ignore Xers' differences and try to manage them according to their own mindset. This does not mean agreement with an Xer's attitude but, understanding them to make coaching easier. The better you know them, the more likely you are to have insight to their "hot buttons"-what motivates them. And, at the very best, understanding them may begin to remove the conflict and hostility that exists between the generations and will lead to positive actions and results that are mutually beneficial to the individual and the organization.
The problem with generalizations is that they only go so far and stereotyping runs the risk of alienation. There are always exceptions to the rule, those who will say "that's not me". I can sometimes identify with Boomers and sometimes with Xers (you guess my age!). It is impossible to suggest a prototype for how to coach 46-85 million people. As a start, the generalizations made here are based on a review of the relevant literature and personal observations/discussion with coaches-all with the hope of understanding this generation and offering suggestions on how to effectively coach them. To successfully coach and help Generation X, we must learn what they want, how they feel, and how they view their world.
WHAT WON'T MOTIVATE?
Generation X won't do things because they have a deep sense of mission, or loyalty to an organization. They have nothing but disdain for corporate politics and bureaucracy and don't trust any institution. They grew up watching their parents turn into workaholics, only to be downsized and restructured out of their chosen careers. They believe work is a thing you do to have a life (work doesn't define their life).
During the practice situations in our coaching workshops, the coach will often say-"Your behavior is affecting the company and if you don't change, we won't be in business in the long term." They raise the company flag and pull out the loyalty line. This means nothing to Xers-it will not capture their interest, raise their awareness, or stir them to new thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Xers have no expectation of job security, so they tend to see every job as temporary and every company as a stepping stone to something better, or at least to something else. They have been accused of not wanting to pay their dues. But, in today's changing workplace, anyone who is thinking about doing a job long enough to pay dues is out of touch!
Because they won't put in long hours at what they mostly term "dead end" jobs (Douglas Coupland coined the term "Mcjobs,") and they don't exhibit the same loyalty as Boomers do towards an organization, they have been called slackers. However, Xers will work very hard for a job that they believe in, for something that challenges them. In a l995 survey, Babson College Professor Paul Reynolds found that "10% of Americans between the ages of 25-34 are actively involved in creating a start-up company, a rate about three times as high as any other age group...it should help dispel once and for all the myth that today's youth are motivationally challenged." (U.S. News and World Report, September 23, 1996)
WHAT DOES MOTIVATE?
Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships
Although there doesn't seem to be one description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they don't like to be characterized (as I'm doing in this article!). They don't want to be treated as a single entity, but want to be looked at as individuals. In addition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force. They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isn't this strong sense of community and personal relationships in the workplace just what we need?
Challenging Work
This generation has sometimes been called the MTV Generation because of their short attention span. Xers want new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills. Training is one of the best motivators. They have a tremendous capacity to process lots of information and concentrate on multiple tasks.
They don't want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing. If you're looking for someone to deliver a report every week, you don't want an Xer. I recently brought up the subject of understanding twenty-somethings during a coaching workshop. Immediately a manager complained, with a lot of emotion, that kids today don't want to work and will only stay for a week or so and then leave. Well, the job was very repetitive and offered little challenge. No wonder!
Freedom to Manage Time and Work
Xers don't want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers who constantly check what they're doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own.
Feedback and Recognition
On the other hand, members of Generation X seem to crave time with their bosses and can never get enough feedback on their performance. They may be searching for what was missing when they were growing up. Because of their short attention span, recognition and rewards must arrive quickly. Employee of the month doesn't do anything for them.
CONCLUSION
The characteristics for which Generation X has received such bad press are the very qualities that make them valuable. We say we want an empowered work force...give Xers the ball and they will run with it...we want a self-directed work force...these workers have been self directed from a very young age...we want computer literacy...Generation X comes out on top...we want flexible, adaptable workers-right on again.
Xers will respond to Boomer managers if they put meaning, into the buzzwords they use so often-empowerment, teamwork, communication. Create an environment where they are challenged by and enjoy their work, where they're measured on performance rather than on which clothes they wear, where they are informed, included and recognized. Gee, maybe Xers aren't so different from anyone else!
About the author:
Please click here http://www.cmoe.com/coaching.htmto learn more about our Coaching services and the organizations we have served.
¡LOS FONDOS MUTUOS ENGANAN AL PUBLICO CON UNA TRAMPA DE IMPUESTOS OCULTOS!
Una de las muchas formas de perder dinero en fondos mutuos no basados en índices es la trampa de los impuestos. ¡Podría tener que pagar impuestos hasta cuando su fondo mutuo pierde dinero! Para muchas personas esto se convierte en algo dolorosamente inesperado. Así es como sucede este comportamiento contra-intuitivo.
Si el administrador del fondo vende una acción por más de lo que le costó comprarla, se genera una ganancia. A esta ganancia se le llama ganancia de capital y es tributable a impuestos. Las ganancias de capital son grabadas con una tasa de impuestos común, que está entre el 28% y el 38.6% para la mayoría de los inversionistas si el fondo mantuvo la acción por menos de un año. Si la acción se mantuvo por más de un año, en otras palabras a largo plazo, el impuesto es del 20%. Aunque por ley, los fondos mutuos no pagan impuestos, estos cargos se los pasan a usted, el accionista del fondo mutuo.
Hay un par de razones por la que los fondos mutuos pagan impuestos. Si el fondo tiene un bajo rendimiento los inversionistas se marcharán. Los fondos mutuos tienen que vender acciones para pagar a los inversionistas que se marchan. Aunque usted no sea uno de los inversionistas que salta del barco, de todas formas tendrá que pagar su porción de los impuestos de las ganancias capitales.
Los dividendos son otra razón por la que hay impuestos. Los dividendos son grabados en la distribución de ganancia por acción que las compañías obtienen de sus ganancias trimestrales. Muchos inversionistas les piden a sus fondos mutuos que automáticamente reinviertan sus dividendos. Esto quiere decir que el fondo utiliza el dinero para comprar más acciones en su nombre. Aunque reinvierta y nunca vea ni un centavo de sus dividendos, estos están sujetos a impuestos, de acuerdo con Hacienda (el IRS).
Otra razón por la que quizás le llegue un recibo de impuestos se debe a una alta tasa de rotación. La rotación mide la frecuencia con la que un administrador compra y vende acciones, algunas veces en la búsqueda de la próxima acción de alto vuelo o acciones de bajo monto al borde de despegar. De acuerdo con Lipper (analistas de fondos mutuos), el fondo promedio en el 2000 mostró una tasa de rotación del 122%. Esto significa que la cartera entera cambió entre enero y diciembre, y 22% de las acciones de reemplazo cambiaron también.
¡Esta es la forma más común de timar a la gente! Simplemente tiene que entender que cuando invierte en un fondo está comprando un impuesto a las ganancias. La mejor manera de evitar algunos de estos impuestos es restringir sus compras de fondos mutuos a su plan de jubilación 401 (k) y tratar de comprar solo fondos mutuos basados en índices como lo es Vanguard 500 (VFINX).
About the author:
SOBRE EL AUTOR: El Dr. Brown puede enseñarle cómo invertir por medio de su compañía El Instituto de Riqueza Delano Max (The Delano Max Wealth Institute http://www.caminoalaabundancia.com). Suscríbase gratis a nuestra revista electrónica de consejos financieros en http://www.abundanciafinanciera.com
Si el administrador del fondo vende una acción por más de lo que le costó comprarla, se genera una ganancia. A esta ganancia se le llama ganancia de capital y es tributable a impuestos. Las ganancias de capital son grabadas con una tasa de impuestos común, que está entre el 28% y el 38.6% para la mayoría de los inversionistas si el fondo mantuvo la acción por menos de un año. Si la acción se mantuvo por más de un año, en otras palabras a largo plazo, el impuesto es del 20%. Aunque por ley, los fondos mutuos no pagan impuestos, estos cargos se los pasan a usted, el accionista del fondo mutuo.
Hay un par de razones por la que los fondos mutuos pagan impuestos. Si el fondo tiene un bajo rendimiento los inversionistas se marcharán. Los fondos mutuos tienen que vender acciones para pagar a los inversionistas que se marchan. Aunque usted no sea uno de los inversionistas que salta del barco, de todas formas tendrá que pagar su porción de los impuestos de las ganancias capitales.
Los dividendos son otra razón por la que hay impuestos. Los dividendos son grabados en la distribución de ganancia por acción que las compañías obtienen de sus ganancias trimestrales. Muchos inversionistas les piden a sus fondos mutuos que automáticamente reinviertan sus dividendos. Esto quiere decir que el fondo utiliza el dinero para comprar más acciones en su nombre. Aunque reinvierta y nunca vea ni un centavo de sus dividendos, estos están sujetos a impuestos, de acuerdo con Hacienda (el IRS).
Otra razón por la que quizás le llegue un recibo de impuestos se debe a una alta tasa de rotación. La rotación mide la frecuencia con la que un administrador compra y vende acciones, algunas veces en la búsqueda de la próxima acción de alto vuelo o acciones de bajo monto al borde de despegar. De acuerdo con Lipper (analistas de fondos mutuos), el fondo promedio en el 2000 mostró una tasa de rotación del 122%. Esto significa que la cartera entera cambió entre enero y diciembre, y 22% de las acciones de reemplazo cambiaron también.
¡Esta es la forma más común de timar a la gente! Simplemente tiene que entender que cuando invierte en un fondo está comprando un impuesto a las ganancias. La mejor manera de evitar algunos de estos impuestos es restringir sus compras de fondos mutuos a su plan de jubilación 401 (k) y tratar de comprar solo fondos mutuos basados en índices como lo es Vanguard 500 (VFINX).
About the author:
SOBRE EL AUTOR: El Dr. Brown puede enseñarle cómo invertir por medio de su compañía El Instituto de Riqueza Delano Max (The Delano Max Wealth Institute http://www.caminoalaabundancia.com). Suscríbase gratis a nuestra revista electrónica de consejos financieros en http://www.abundanciafinanciera.com
Doing the Right Thing--Even When Her Job Was At Stake
Here’s a true story I’d like to share about doing the right thing—even when her job was at stake.
Her name is M. and she is an attorney who manages the legal department of an insurance company. As my coaching client I supported her through a really challenging ethical dilemma with her boss. She had finished giving her annual performance evaluations to her small team, two of whom received the highest marks. Their annual salary increments were based on these ratings.
M’s boss meanwhile was on a new track regarding performance evaluations. He felt that the trend in recent years was to for managers to be too generous. He wanted stricter accountability in certain areas and this meant lower ratings in general.
So he called her into his office one day and told her that he disagreed with one of the two highest ratings she had given. He wanted her to lower her evaluation for this individual.
M. genuinely respected her boss but felt that he was mistaken in this case. She really believed that the person to whom she had given the excellent rating deserved it. She thought it would be unfair and potentially very damaging to his morale and commitment to the job if his evaluation was lowered. So what to do?
M. had impressed me from the beginning of our coaching engagement with her deep connection to her spiritual values and how she tried to use them as guides in her work. She was nearing retirement age and was working on a Master’s degree in pastoral counseling, something she looked forward to doing at her church when her lawyer-ing days were over.
So after informing her boss that she didn’t want to change the evaluation rating of her direct report and why, he continued to pressure her to do just that. They had several conversations that didn’t create a win-win resolution.
We discussed her feelings, thoughts and options in a couple of coaching sessions. M. felt very strongly about her position and even concluded that, if push came to shove, she was willing to risk her job rather than back down on the issue. In fact, during one of our sessions, she was convinced her boss would fire her.
Fortunately for her, she was in a financial position where she could take an early retirement.
Would she have taken the same strong position on her value of fairness and honesty if she was at an earlier stage of her career? What if she had a young family to support—how would that have affected her willingness to compromise with her boss? Let’s face it, circumstances do play a role in how far we are willing to go to do the right thing. I guess everyone’s conscience operates differently, so there really isn’t any one “right” moral course of action in so many of the situations we face. We take everything into account—our values, our feelings, our needs, the needs of others who rely on us –and then we make the best ethical or moral decision we can. And that’s not always easy!
In a coaching session, we worked through the steps listed in the “Tips” section below. M. decided to stick to her guns and to let the chips fall where they may. Doing so had an interesting effect on her boss. He stopped trying to persuade her to lower the evaluation. Instead, he took full responsibility for his decision by lowering the evaluation himself and telling the employee that it was his decision. He prepared M. for what he was going to do and she had time to think it over before the three of them met together. She decided that, even though she disagreed with what he was doing, she could live with it as long as the employee knew where she stood.
During the meeting her boss took the high road and made it completely clear that the lowering of the evaluation was totally his choice and he gave M. the opportunity to state her position. The consequence of this was that her relationship with the employee remained solid and M. felt good about herself for taking a stand on one of her core values. Her respect for her boss increased because of the way he handled the situation in the end. The employee wasn’t happy, but his feelings were balanced out some by the show of integrity from both superiors, she found out later.
Notice how M.’s taking the moral high road influenced both her boss and her direct report to do the same. Instead of initiating a nasty grievance process or resigning, her employee dealt with his setback in-house rather than going outside for help or leaving.
This story strongly illustrates the ripple effect of putting trust and integrity principles into practice at a high level. When one person does this, it seems to turn on a light for others, and that’s really beautiful to behold. It’s so easy to take our cues from others, after all we’re social animals. But then someone comes along who takes their cues from somewhere else, from a place deep inside and we call that special place by so many different names. So when a courageous person does this, then we are all reminded that we have that place inside too, and we start to dare to live from there once again. I want to encourage you to be that courageous person.
If you are struggling with an ethical dilemma at work, and aren’t sure how to move forward, email or call me, and I’ll be glad to discuss the situation with you.
Tips for Doing the Right Thing When Facing a Tough Ethical Choice:
* Take your time. Before making a tough ethical decision at work, take the time to identify the core value you feel is in danger of being compromised in the situation.
* What are your needs? Once you identify your core value at play, clarify your needs in the situation. For instance, M. needed to act with fairness and honesty, to maintain her direct report’s high morale and commitment, and to continue her good working relationship with him.
* Look for the third alternative. What are your options for getting these needs met? This can be tricky, because if strong emotions come into play, which they often do, it’s human nature to narrow down our options to one or two courses of action, usually the ones at either extreme such as giving in or getting out. There may be a third alternative you just can’t see yet for meeting your integrity needs. In M’s case, the third alternative presented itself after she drew her line in the sand. I’ve seen that happen a lot. When you take a strong stand, the other person stops trying to change your thinking and changes their own instead.
* Wait and see. Sometimes, if possible, doing nothing is the best response to pressure to do something that feels unethical or against your conscience. The person applying the pressure just stops after a while, often because they regained their emotional balance.
About the author:
Joe DiSabatino helps leaders and organizations reach their goals by creating high-trust work environments. For more support and information about the importance of trust and integrity in business, visit: www.phoenixleadership.com
Her name is M. and she is an attorney who manages the legal department of an insurance company. As my coaching client I supported her through a really challenging ethical dilemma with her boss. She had finished giving her annual performance evaluations to her small team, two of whom received the highest marks. Their annual salary increments were based on these ratings.
M’s boss meanwhile was on a new track regarding performance evaluations. He felt that the trend in recent years was to for managers to be too generous. He wanted stricter accountability in certain areas and this meant lower ratings in general.
So he called her into his office one day and told her that he disagreed with one of the two highest ratings she had given. He wanted her to lower her evaluation for this individual.
M. genuinely respected her boss but felt that he was mistaken in this case. She really believed that the person to whom she had given the excellent rating deserved it. She thought it would be unfair and potentially very damaging to his morale and commitment to the job if his evaluation was lowered. So what to do?
M. had impressed me from the beginning of our coaching engagement with her deep connection to her spiritual values and how she tried to use them as guides in her work. She was nearing retirement age and was working on a Master’s degree in pastoral counseling, something she looked forward to doing at her church when her lawyer-ing days were over.
So after informing her boss that she didn’t want to change the evaluation rating of her direct report and why, he continued to pressure her to do just that. They had several conversations that didn’t create a win-win resolution.
We discussed her feelings, thoughts and options in a couple of coaching sessions. M. felt very strongly about her position and even concluded that, if push came to shove, she was willing to risk her job rather than back down on the issue. In fact, during one of our sessions, she was convinced her boss would fire her.
Fortunately for her, she was in a financial position where she could take an early retirement.
Would she have taken the same strong position on her value of fairness and honesty if she was at an earlier stage of her career? What if she had a young family to support—how would that have affected her willingness to compromise with her boss? Let’s face it, circumstances do play a role in how far we are willing to go to do the right thing. I guess everyone’s conscience operates differently, so there really isn’t any one “right” moral course of action in so many of the situations we face. We take everything into account—our values, our feelings, our needs, the needs of others who rely on us –and then we make the best ethical or moral decision we can. And that’s not always easy!
In a coaching session, we worked through the steps listed in the “Tips” section below. M. decided to stick to her guns and to let the chips fall where they may. Doing so had an interesting effect on her boss. He stopped trying to persuade her to lower the evaluation. Instead, he took full responsibility for his decision by lowering the evaluation himself and telling the employee that it was his decision. He prepared M. for what he was going to do and she had time to think it over before the three of them met together. She decided that, even though she disagreed with what he was doing, she could live with it as long as the employee knew where she stood.
During the meeting her boss took the high road and made it completely clear that the lowering of the evaluation was totally his choice and he gave M. the opportunity to state her position. The consequence of this was that her relationship with the employee remained solid and M. felt good about herself for taking a stand on one of her core values. Her respect for her boss increased because of the way he handled the situation in the end. The employee wasn’t happy, but his feelings were balanced out some by the show of integrity from both superiors, she found out later.
Notice how M.’s taking the moral high road influenced both her boss and her direct report to do the same. Instead of initiating a nasty grievance process or resigning, her employee dealt with his setback in-house rather than going outside for help or leaving.
This story strongly illustrates the ripple effect of putting trust and integrity principles into practice at a high level. When one person does this, it seems to turn on a light for others, and that’s really beautiful to behold. It’s so easy to take our cues from others, after all we’re social animals. But then someone comes along who takes their cues from somewhere else, from a place deep inside and we call that special place by so many different names. So when a courageous person does this, then we are all reminded that we have that place inside too, and we start to dare to live from there once again. I want to encourage you to be that courageous person.
If you are struggling with an ethical dilemma at work, and aren’t sure how to move forward, email or call me, and I’ll be glad to discuss the situation with you.
Tips for Doing the Right Thing When Facing a Tough Ethical Choice:
* Take your time. Before making a tough ethical decision at work, take the time to identify the core value you feel is in danger of being compromised in the situation.
* What are your needs? Once you identify your core value at play, clarify your needs in the situation. For instance, M. needed to act with fairness and honesty, to maintain her direct report’s high morale and commitment, and to continue her good working relationship with him.
* Look for the third alternative. What are your options for getting these needs met? This can be tricky, because if strong emotions come into play, which they often do, it’s human nature to narrow down our options to one or two courses of action, usually the ones at either extreme such as giving in or getting out. There may be a third alternative you just can’t see yet for meeting your integrity needs. In M’s case, the third alternative presented itself after she drew her line in the sand. I’ve seen that happen a lot. When you take a strong stand, the other person stops trying to change your thinking and changes their own instead.
* Wait and see. Sometimes, if possible, doing nothing is the best response to pressure to do something that feels unethical or against your conscience. The person applying the pressure just stops after a while, often because they regained their emotional balance.
About the author:
Joe DiSabatino helps leaders and organizations reach their goals by creating high-trust work environments. For more support and information about the importance of trust and integrity in business, visit: www.phoenixleadership.com
Profit consistently at Online Poker
I have been playing poker professionally for nearly 5 years now. I have found a system that consistently profits. To find out more visit my website www.pokersuperjob.com
NOTES NOTES NOTES...The first and most important step is to take notes. Use a spreadsheet. Write down everything. Write down your time, bankroll and end result for each table played at. Why you won, or why you lost. Also note the casino site if you play at several. Never stop taking notes. I have notes going back for several years. I have found that playing at lower stakes tables is more profitable (which is obvious, as the players are usually less experienced. Less obvious information I found is that certain sites are more profitable for me. Some sites promote more and have new players, which is great for you. I talk about this more on my website. So always take notes and always learn from them
The second step to remaining profitable is to stay consistent. If you win a few big games and are up DO NOT jump to a higher stakes table and throw your entire bankroll into a larger game. I gradually step my game up to higher stakes tables over years. There is more money at these tables to make but the players are much better. You can use your notes to find the most profitable table for you. If you play at a higher stakes table you will make more money but it will take longer so you will make less over the long run. The key is to find the perfect table to suit you. As you become better and more experienced gradually move to higher tables and note the changes.
So be professional, keep notes and stay consistent. It will pay off in the long run.
NOTES NOTES NOTES...The first and most important step is to take notes. Use a spreadsheet. Write down everything. Write down your time, bankroll and end result for each table played at. Why you won, or why you lost. Also note the casino site if you play at several. Never stop taking notes. I have notes going back for several years. I have found that playing at lower stakes tables is more profitable (which is obvious, as the players are usually less experienced. Less obvious information I found is that certain sites are more profitable for me. Some sites promote more and have new players, which is great for you. I talk about this more on my website. So always take notes and always learn from them
The second step to remaining profitable is to stay consistent. If you win a few big games and are up DO NOT jump to a higher stakes table and throw your entire bankroll into a larger game. I gradually step my game up to higher stakes tables over years. There is more money at these tables to make but the players are much better. You can use your notes to find the most profitable table for you. If you play at a higher stakes table you will make more money but it will take longer so you will make less over the long run. The key is to find the perfect table to suit you. As you become better and more experienced gradually move to higher tables and note the changes.
So be professional, keep notes and stay consistent. It will pay off in the long run.
7 No Cost Tips to Market Your Business
7 No Cost and Low Cost Tips to Market Your Business
by Kathleen Gage
Marketing a business can be fun, exciting and creative. It can also be very frustrating and expensive if one doesn’t know what outcome they are looking for or how to evaluate cost effective methods of marketing.
Over the years people have come to know me for my unique ability to develop low cost and no cost strategies to market and promote a business, product or service. Strategies that have realized incredible returns.
Some of my successes have included:
- Before my last book was published I pre-sold over $8,000 in books
- Over 250 people registered for a recent seminar in less than 2 weeks and the cost to promote was under $25
- One company used my strategies for a career expo and made over $180,000 in consulting fees
- One speaker sold over $23,000 in product sales back of the room at a two hour seminar with strategies outlined in my program
I don’t share this to impress anyone, rather to impress upon you when using the right strategies for your market, you can realize some incredible results.
People have also come to know me as someone who is a stickler when it comes to putting systems in place. My marketing successes are a direct result of the systems I have implemented.
With a bit of forethought, planning and desire, you can successfully market your business in a very effective manner. Below are seven proven strategies sure to increase visibility, leads and sales.
1. Business Cards
Business cards are often one of the most underutilized tools in one’s marketing.
Use the front and back of your business card to gain full benefit. Depending on your market you can put some very valuable information on the back such as a sports schedule, emergency numbers, or special dates people want to remember.
Keep some in your wallet, your automobile, on your desk, and some at home. Be sure to carry them with you wherever you go and be willing to hand them out as opportunity presents itself.
Creatively distribute your card. When you eat out you can leave one with the tip.
If you borrow a library book, use one as a book mark. Hand them to clerks in stores who may know other people who could use your product or service.
When someone gives you their business card be sure to enter their information in your database. Send them a short note or email within 48 hours of meeting them to keep your name fresh in their mind.
2. Send a picture
A great way to keep your name fresh in a customer’s mind is to send them a picture of when they purchased a product or service from you.
Put a picture of a buyer’s auto purchase in a beautiful calendar. Likely, the proud owner of the vehicle will display the calendar for the next 365 days.
For specialty gift shops, when a customer makes a substantial purchase, have a picture taken with the shop owner. Frame the picture and send it to the customer.
Chances are very good the picture will be displayed proudly for friends and family to see.
A dentist who specializes in smile makeovers can easily arrange to have a professional makeup artist and photographer capture the patient’s beautiful new smile. No doubt the patient will be more than happy to show others their new look.
3. Associations
Associations particular to your market are a great resource for marketing. There are associations specific to virtually any industry, job type or business. A quick web search will likely show you how much is available.
A major opportunity within many organizations is the chance to network. Additionally, to make presentations. Along with presentations come publications.
Often, when you do a presentation, you will get a mention in the association newsletter, their Ezine and/or on their website.
In many cases, when an organization has a newsletter or Ezine, they welcome the presenter writing a press announcement for them. It saves them time and often assures you have a better chance of the information making it into the publication.
They may also welcome you writing an article for their publication or website.
This lends itself to pre-presentation visibility. Additionally, you will position yourself as an expert and increase credibility.
Most organizations have the following opportunities that can help you to gain visibility and do some very effective marketing:
-Newsletters
-Internet listings
-Links to you website
-Discounted advertising rates
-Networking opportunities
-Business referral services
-Special recognition events
-Education seminars
-Business and membership directories
In many cases you will need to be a member of the association to take advantage of the multiple marketing opportunities. In other cases membership is not necessary.
4. Committee Involvement
Committee involvement is a great way to give back to the association or community while building visibility for you and your business. In some cases, you may even want to get involved in a committee where you have little experience or knowledge. This will give you an opportunity to stretch yourself and meet and network with individuals you may not have otherwise had the chance to meet.
5. Contests and drawings
Contests are a favorite for many businesses such as restaurants or those that have high foot traffic. Contests are a great way to build your database quickly.
You are generating very hot leads when you have a contest with people who have already frequented your place of business. The key though is to do back -end marketing. Far too many businesses hold contests, get lots of names and do nothing with them. In this case, it is a complete waste of time to hold a contest.
You can advertise a contest to gain new foot traffic in your place of business.
Trade show booths are a great place to hold a contest. Pre-show marketing helps to generate traffic at your booth. Invite people to stop by booth # _____ (whatever your booth is) to enter to win. Creative contests can also generate free publicity.
6. Cross-promoting
Join with other companies who have products or services that compliment yours and promote each other. Let’s say you have a massage business. You could partner with a candle company to sell their candles to your massage clients. They can give out coupons for your massage business. Or the candle company can partner with a gift basket company. Cross-promoting is only limited by your imagination.
This can considerably cut down the cost of business promotion and allow each business to use promotion techniques that might be too expensive to implement alone.
7. Bonuses
Secure special offers from various businesses who want to share a similar market as you. When a customer buys a minimum amount they receive a bonus packet with the various offers from the other vendors. This is a win/win all the way around. The other vendors gain visibility, you have something extra to offer you customers and the customers get incredible value for their purchase.
Be aware of who you cross-promote and joint venture with. You want someone who will be equally committed to a campaign.
by Kathleen Gage
Marketing a business can be fun, exciting and creative. It can also be very frustrating and expensive if one doesn’t know what outcome they are looking for or how to evaluate cost effective methods of marketing.
Over the years people have come to know me for my unique ability to develop low cost and no cost strategies to market and promote a business, product or service. Strategies that have realized incredible returns.
Some of my successes have included:
- Before my last book was published I pre-sold over $8,000 in books
- Over 250 people registered for a recent seminar in less than 2 weeks and the cost to promote was under $25
- One company used my strategies for a career expo and made over $180,000 in consulting fees
- One speaker sold over $23,000 in product sales back of the room at a two hour seminar with strategies outlined in my program
I don’t share this to impress anyone, rather to impress upon you when using the right strategies for your market, you can realize some incredible results.
People have also come to know me as someone who is a stickler when it comes to putting systems in place. My marketing successes are a direct result of the systems I have implemented.
With a bit of forethought, planning and desire, you can successfully market your business in a very effective manner. Below are seven proven strategies sure to increase visibility, leads and sales.
1. Business Cards
Business cards are often one of the most underutilized tools in one’s marketing.
Use the front and back of your business card to gain full benefit. Depending on your market you can put some very valuable information on the back such as a sports schedule, emergency numbers, or special dates people want to remember.
Keep some in your wallet, your automobile, on your desk, and some at home. Be sure to carry them with you wherever you go and be willing to hand them out as opportunity presents itself.
Creatively distribute your card. When you eat out you can leave one with the tip.
If you borrow a library book, use one as a book mark. Hand them to clerks in stores who may know other people who could use your product or service.
When someone gives you their business card be sure to enter their information in your database. Send them a short note or email within 48 hours of meeting them to keep your name fresh in their mind.
2. Send a picture
A great way to keep your name fresh in a customer’s mind is to send them a picture of when they purchased a product or service from you.
Put a picture of a buyer’s auto purchase in a beautiful calendar. Likely, the proud owner of the vehicle will display the calendar for the next 365 days.
For specialty gift shops, when a customer makes a substantial purchase, have a picture taken with the shop owner. Frame the picture and send it to the customer.
Chances are very good the picture will be displayed proudly for friends and family to see.
A dentist who specializes in smile makeovers can easily arrange to have a professional makeup artist and photographer capture the patient’s beautiful new smile. No doubt the patient will be more than happy to show others their new look.
3. Associations
Associations particular to your market are a great resource for marketing. There are associations specific to virtually any industry, job type or business. A quick web search will likely show you how much is available.
A major opportunity within many organizations is the chance to network. Additionally, to make presentations. Along with presentations come publications.
Often, when you do a presentation, you will get a mention in the association newsletter, their Ezine and/or on their website.
In many cases, when an organization has a newsletter or Ezine, they welcome the presenter writing a press announcement for them. It saves them time and often assures you have a better chance of the information making it into the publication.
They may also welcome you writing an article for their publication or website.
This lends itself to pre-presentation visibility. Additionally, you will position yourself as an expert and increase credibility.
Most organizations have the following opportunities that can help you to gain visibility and do some very effective marketing:
-Newsletters
-Internet listings
-Links to you website
-Discounted advertising rates
-Networking opportunities
-Business referral services
-Special recognition events
-Education seminars
-Business and membership directories
In many cases you will need to be a member of the association to take advantage of the multiple marketing opportunities. In other cases membership is not necessary.
4. Committee Involvement
Committee involvement is a great way to give back to the association or community while building visibility for you and your business. In some cases, you may even want to get involved in a committee where you have little experience or knowledge. This will give you an opportunity to stretch yourself and meet and network with individuals you may not have otherwise had the chance to meet.
5. Contests and drawings
Contests are a favorite for many businesses such as restaurants or those that have high foot traffic. Contests are a great way to build your database quickly.
You are generating very hot leads when you have a contest with people who have already frequented your place of business. The key though is to do back -end marketing. Far too many businesses hold contests, get lots of names and do nothing with them. In this case, it is a complete waste of time to hold a contest.
You can advertise a contest to gain new foot traffic in your place of business.
Trade show booths are a great place to hold a contest. Pre-show marketing helps to generate traffic at your booth. Invite people to stop by booth # _____ (whatever your booth is) to enter to win. Creative contests can also generate free publicity.
6. Cross-promoting
Join with other companies who have products or services that compliment yours and promote each other. Let’s say you have a massage business. You could partner with a candle company to sell their candles to your massage clients. They can give out coupons for your massage business. Or the candle company can partner with a gift basket company. Cross-promoting is only limited by your imagination.
This can considerably cut down the cost of business promotion and allow each business to use promotion techniques that might be too expensive to implement alone.
7. Bonuses
Secure special offers from various businesses who want to share a similar market as you. When a customer buys a minimum amount they receive a bonus packet with the various offers from the other vendors. This is a win/win all the way around. The other vendors gain visibility, you have something extra to offer you customers and the customers get incredible value for their purchase.
Be aware of who you cross-promote and joint venture with. You want someone who will be equally committed to a campaign.
The 12 Reasons Why Most Ads Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing You A Fortune Instead of Making You The Money You Deserve!
1.You think you need ‘Image’ or ‘branding’ advertising because that’s all the so-called ‘top guns’ use in their advertising. You don’t use direct response advertising they don’t and you’d think they know best.
2.You never offer compelling benefits that cause your prospect to want to do business with you of your competitor.
3.You don’t use powerful, benefit driven headlines that literally stop your prospect in their tracks and draw them into the body of your ad.
4.You don’t tell your prospect what’s in your offer from them. But you do ramble on about your image, your business and what you are trying to sell him.
5.You don’t talk to your prospect like you know him. You don’t get specific and don’t motivate him.
6.You don’t address your prospect needs, wants and desires in your opening headlines. You’re to busying thinking about yourself or your company image! Remember, your prospect is thinking of one thing only WIIFM (What’s I It For Me?)
7.Your ads are boring and dull and look like all the other hundreds of ads. You don’t motivate your prospect to take ACTION. You don’t use energetic, exciting, action words! Your about as exciting as wet paint!
8.Because you copy what everyone else is doing, or do as the ad agency suggests, your ads are full of “white space” which leaves little room to add any benefits. (The only thing your prospect is looking for) You never have ads with a lot of copy. It’s the copy your prospects want. Information is King!
9.You don’t give specifics in your ads. Your prospects want exact numbers, percentages, results and testimonials. They want all the facts before they will make the decision to move towards a buying decision.
10.You don’t give your prospects any reason to act on your offer NOW. Tell them how to in a step by step process. Unless you tell them, them may not know what the next step is?
11.You don’t see your marketing, sales and advertising as a total system. It’s this total system that can either make or break you as a profitable business. They are not separate functions, with separate goals.
12.You focus on YOU, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LOGO, YOUR CREDENTIALS, instead of focusing on what all of this can do for your prospect. What BENEFITS will them get if they buy with you?
Now you know the 12 reasons why maybe, some of the ads you are running are not pulling any responses at all! In fact they will be costing you and your company money EVERY TIME YOU RUN THEM!
About the author:
It doesn’t have to be this way, explode your businesses cash register today and check out www.SmarterBusinessLeads.comfor Low Cost Advertising & Marketing Ideas!
2.You never offer compelling benefits that cause your prospect to want to do business with you of your competitor.
3.You don’t use powerful, benefit driven headlines that literally stop your prospect in their tracks and draw them into the body of your ad.
4.You don’t tell your prospect what’s in your offer from them. But you do ramble on about your image, your business and what you are trying to sell him.
5.You don’t talk to your prospect like you know him. You don’t get specific and don’t motivate him.
6.You don’t address your prospect needs, wants and desires in your opening headlines. You’re to busying thinking about yourself or your company image! Remember, your prospect is thinking of one thing only WIIFM (What’s I It For Me?)
7.Your ads are boring and dull and look like all the other hundreds of ads. You don’t motivate your prospect to take ACTION. You don’t use energetic, exciting, action words! Your about as exciting as wet paint!
8.Because you copy what everyone else is doing, or do as the ad agency suggests, your ads are full of “white space” which leaves little room to add any benefits. (The only thing your prospect is looking for) You never have ads with a lot of copy. It’s the copy your prospects want. Information is King!
9.You don’t give specifics in your ads. Your prospects want exact numbers, percentages, results and testimonials. They want all the facts before they will make the decision to move towards a buying decision.
10.You don’t give your prospects any reason to act on your offer NOW. Tell them how to in a step by step process. Unless you tell them, them may not know what the next step is?
11.You don’t see your marketing, sales and advertising as a total system. It’s this total system that can either make or break you as a profitable business. They are not separate functions, with separate goals.
12.You focus on YOU, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LOGO, YOUR CREDENTIALS, instead of focusing on what all of this can do for your prospect. What BENEFITS will them get if they buy with you?
Now you know the 12 reasons why maybe, some of the ads you are running are not pulling any responses at all! In fact they will be costing you and your company money EVERY TIME YOU RUN THEM!
About the author:
It doesn’t have to be this way, explode your businesses cash register today and check out www.SmarterBusinessLeads.comfor Low Cost Advertising & Marketing Ideas!
Sales Commission - What Return Should You Expect On Your Sales Compensation Investment?
This article answers the following questions:
* How do most companies look at return on investment (ROI) for their sales compensation expense?
* What portion of sales compensation expense do companies allocate to managing existing accounts versus pursuing new accounts?
* Do most companies expect their salespeople to generate new, additional gross profit each year that is equal to or greater than their compensation?
One conclusion I have reached after working with many different kinds of companies is that there is little commonality in how they establish the desired return on investment (ROI) from their sales compensation investments. Every company's circumstances are different; as a result, what might constitute an acceptable ROI for one company will not be considered acceptable by another company.
Here are some questions to consider as you determine the desired sales compensation ROI for your company, and how that ROI should be split between existing accounts and new accounts:
* What is the value of each sales dollar produced? Is the value different if a sales dollar is produced by an existing account versus a new account?
* How does the time and effort required to maintain (and grow) existing customers compare to the time and effort required to bring on new accounts?
* Do accounts operate pretty much on "autopilot" once they have been brought on board, or must your salespeople continue to invest significant effort (in terms of internal prospecting, opportunity qualification, proposal generation, relationship management, etc.) to maintain sales volume and profitability?
* Once an account has been brought on board, can ANY salesperson manage the relationship, or is there something special about the relationship that exists between the current salesperson and the account?
I have seen cases where management held the opinion that ANYONE could manage and maintain the volumes of business that were being produced by major accounts. They questioned why they should continue paying high compensation to the salespeople who were managing those accounts.
In some cases management chose to reduce commission rates, which caused the salespeople who had been managing the accounts to leave the company. In other cases management simply switched account assignments and assigned less "expensive" (in terms of compensation) salespeople to the major accounts. Far too often the outcome from either approach was a slow decay in revenue that eventually added up to millions of dollars in lost sales.
Why did this decay in revenue occur? Close inspection identified two key reasons:
* The replaced salespeople had enjoyed truly special relationships with key players in the accounts. The key players' loyalty was to the salespeople, not the salespeople's employers. When the salespeople left, the key players saw little reason to continue to favor the salespeople's (previous) employers with their business.
* The replaced salespeople were extremely responsive and provided extraordinary levels of service. In some cases these salespeople were unusually successful in navigating their employers' informal networks. This enabled them to solve problems and do favors for their customers with a timeliness that other salespeople could not match.
If you determine that some of your salespeople DO have enough bandwidth to bring on new accounts, here are questions to consider as you set their "new business" goals:
* What level of market penetration has your company achieved to date?
* How much additional market penetration can your company reasonably expect to accomplish within a specified time frame?
* How many potential prospects exist in each sales territory?
* How do these potential prospects compare to your existing customers in terms of revenue potential?
* How many new prospects will a salesperson need to close to make any appreciable difference in their numbers?
Here are some final questions for you to consider:
* What percentage return are you currently receiving on your sales compensation investments?
* Do your salespeople produce multiples of their compensation in terms of profits back to your company?
* Is it really reasonable to expect your sales compensation ROI to grow every year?
In conclusion, the questions asked in this article can help you determine the desired return on your sales compensation investment, plus develop targets for ROI from existing accounts and new accounts. Don't let the fact that some salespeople earn high compensation cause you to set your ROI goals too aggressively. Instead, focus on the question, "How much return do we receive on the sales compensation we pay?" A solid return on your investment means you are completely justified in making that investment!
About the author:
Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales by implementing The Right Formula(tm) for building top-performing sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com
* How do most companies look at return on investment (ROI) for their sales compensation expense?
* What portion of sales compensation expense do companies allocate to managing existing accounts versus pursuing new accounts?
* Do most companies expect their salespeople to generate new, additional gross profit each year that is equal to or greater than their compensation?
One conclusion I have reached after working with many different kinds of companies is that there is little commonality in how they establish the desired return on investment (ROI) from their sales compensation investments. Every company's circumstances are different; as a result, what might constitute an acceptable ROI for one company will not be considered acceptable by another company.
Here are some questions to consider as you determine the desired sales compensation ROI for your company, and how that ROI should be split between existing accounts and new accounts:
* What is the value of each sales dollar produced? Is the value different if a sales dollar is produced by an existing account versus a new account?
* How does the time and effort required to maintain (and grow) existing customers compare to the time and effort required to bring on new accounts?
* Do accounts operate pretty much on "autopilot" once they have been brought on board, or must your salespeople continue to invest significant effort (in terms of internal prospecting, opportunity qualification, proposal generation, relationship management, etc.) to maintain sales volume and profitability?
* Once an account has been brought on board, can ANY salesperson manage the relationship, or is there something special about the relationship that exists between the current salesperson and the account?
I have seen cases where management held the opinion that ANYONE could manage and maintain the volumes of business that were being produced by major accounts. They questioned why they should continue paying high compensation to the salespeople who were managing those accounts.
In some cases management chose to reduce commission rates, which caused the salespeople who had been managing the accounts to leave the company. In other cases management simply switched account assignments and assigned less "expensive" (in terms of compensation) salespeople to the major accounts. Far too often the outcome from either approach was a slow decay in revenue that eventually added up to millions of dollars in lost sales.
Why did this decay in revenue occur? Close inspection identified two key reasons:
* The replaced salespeople had enjoyed truly special relationships with key players in the accounts. The key players' loyalty was to the salespeople, not the salespeople's employers. When the salespeople left, the key players saw little reason to continue to favor the salespeople's (previous) employers with their business.
* The replaced salespeople were extremely responsive and provided extraordinary levels of service. In some cases these salespeople were unusually successful in navigating their employers' informal networks. This enabled them to solve problems and do favors for their customers with a timeliness that other salespeople could not match.
If you determine that some of your salespeople DO have enough bandwidth to bring on new accounts, here are questions to consider as you set their "new business" goals:
* What level of market penetration has your company achieved to date?
* How much additional market penetration can your company reasonably expect to accomplish within a specified time frame?
* How many potential prospects exist in each sales territory?
* How do these potential prospects compare to your existing customers in terms of revenue potential?
* How many new prospects will a salesperson need to close to make any appreciable difference in their numbers?
Here are some final questions for you to consider:
* What percentage return are you currently receiving on your sales compensation investments?
* Do your salespeople produce multiples of their compensation in terms of profits back to your company?
* Is it really reasonable to expect your sales compensation ROI to grow every year?
In conclusion, the questions asked in this article can help you determine the desired return on your sales compensation investment, plus develop targets for ROI from existing accounts and new accounts. Don't let the fact that some salespeople earn high compensation cause you to set your ROI goals too aggressively. Instead, focus on the question, "How much return do we receive on the sales compensation we pay?" A solid return on your investment means you are completely justified in making that investment!
About the author:
Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: Why Most Salespeople Don't Perform and What to Do About It. His company, 80/20 Sales Performance, helps business owners, executives, and managers DOUBLE sales by implementing The Right Formula(tm) for building top-performing sales teams. For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020salesperformance.com
Boosting Employee Morale With Employee Surveys
Do you know exactly how your employees feel when Monday morning approaches?
Are they eager to get back to a satisfying workplace and to perform important tasks?
Or, do they sit home Sunday night dreading another week of unimportant work performed for an ogre of a boss?
The truth is probably somewhere in between; but without actual knowledge of the facts, it’s hard to improve anything.
The ideal workplace provides employees with empowerment and direction when needed, but shies away from unnecessary micro-management. Employees feel they are contributing to meaningful goals in a significant way. The ideal workplace offers compensation and benefits that meet the needs of employees and cause them to remain loyal to an organization for the long term.
If you don't know where your employees’ morale level stands, you can't make life better or productivity higher. Better morale means greater productivity which translates into an improved bottom line. Unhappy employees miss more work and produce inferior work.
By measuring your employee morale level through an Employee Satisfaction Survey, you can learn how your employees feel – provided your employees believe that their honest input will result in appropriate change where needed. The danger of conducting Employee Satisfaction Surveys, of course, is that if you do not allow change where change is needed, you may well cause employee morale to drop even lower.
Suppose, for instance, that one result of a survey is that your employees feel your management style inhibits effective production of quality work. Would you be willing to alter your management style and more proactively empower employees?
If you’re not willing to change, you will likely be wasting time and money by performing surveys. If you’re willing to keep an open mind, surveys can lead your organization to greater heights and result in decisive morale increases.
Some questions that can reveal a great deal about employee satisfaction include:
(1) Do you feel that management listens to your ideas on how to best accomplish tasks?
(2) Is there a recognizable tie between how well you perform your job and your monetary compensation?
(3) Do you often feel you could do a better job if management would only get out of the way?
(4) Do you feel, once assigned a task, that you are empowered to perform that task?
(5) Do you feel that innovative thinking or "outside the box" thinking is encouraged and rewarded?
(6) Are there enough recognition programs for recognizing outstanding accomplishments on the part of employees?
An effective Employee Satisfaction Survey should not be too lengthy; 20 to 40 questions ought to reveal what you need to know about your employees. Whether you select yes/no questions or choose a 1 to 5 scale (where 5 means complete agreement and 1 means complete disagreement with a survey statement), you should, upon survey completion, compile the results using a database that will let you to analyze the results and convert them into bar charts or other graphics which make them easier to understand.
Once you’ve analyzed the survey results, feedback to the employees is crucial. Otherwise, they will likely conclude that what they have to say doesn't matter, resulting in an additional hit to morale.
Hopefully, some of your survey results will indicate areas of high employee morale. Those areas are not likely to need significant attention. The areas where employee morale gets low scores offer the greatest potential for improvement. Develop an action plan and implement that plan with full knowledge of employees. Better yet, involve employees directly. Employee involvement in the development of the action plan and its implementation can lead to positive outcomes and creative solutions to identified challenges.
Most importantly, be aware that you can only fix what you know is broken. Once you’ve identified areas of low employee morale, you can zero in on those weak spots and achieve measurable increases in employee morale, productivity, attendance and loyalty on the part of your employees.
About the author:
Bill Roche is the publisher of "Boosting Employee Morale," a free ezine that provides readers with tips on how to improve employee morale. For regular tips to move you toward a more positive and productive work environment, sign up for your own subscription at: http://www.TopResults.com
Are they eager to get back to a satisfying workplace and to perform important tasks?
Or, do they sit home Sunday night dreading another week of unimportant work performed for an ogre of a boss?
The truth is probably somewhere in between; but without actual knowledge of the facts, it’s hard to improve anything.
The ideal workplace provides employees with empowerment and direction when needed, but shies away from unnecessary micro-management. Employees feel they are contributing to meaningful goals in a significant way. The ideal workplace offers compensation and benefits that meet the needs of employees and cause them to remain loyal to an organization for the long term.
If you don't know where your employees’ morale level stands, you can't make life better or productivity higher. Better morale means greater productivity which translates into an improved bottom line. Unhappy employees miss more work and produce inferior work.
By measuring your employee morale level through an Employee Satisfaction Survey, you can learn how your employees feel – provided your employees believe that their honest input will result in appropriate change where needed. The danger of conducting Employee Satisfaction Surveys, of course, is that if you do not allow change where change is needed, you may well cause employee morale to drop even lower.
Suppose, for instance, that one result of a survey is that your employees feel your management style inhibits effective production of quality work. Would you be willing to alter your management style and more proactively empower employees?
If you’re not willing to change, you will likely be wasting time and money by performing surveys. If you’re willing to keep an open mind, surveys can lead your organization to greater heights and result in decisive morale increases.
Some questions that can reveal a great deal about employee satisfaction include:
(1) Do you feel that management listens to your ideas on how to best accomplish tasks?
(2) Is there a recognizable tie between how well you perform your job and your monetary compensation?
(3) Do you often feel you could do a better job if management would only get out of the way?
(4) Do you feel, once assigned a task, that you are empowered to perform that task?
(5) Do you feel that innovative thinking or "outside the box" thinking is encouraged and rewarded?
(6) Are there enough recognition programs for recognizing outstanding accomplishments on the part of employees?
An effective Employee Satisfaction Survey should not be too lengthy; 20 to 40 questions ought to reveal what you need to know about your employees. Whether you select yes/no questions or choose a 1 to 5 scale (where 5 means complete agreement and 1 means complete disagreement with a survey statement), you should, upon survey completion, compile the results using a database that will let you to analyze the results and convert them into bar charts or other graphics which make them easier to understand.
Once you’ve analyzed the survey results, feedback to the employees is crucial. Otherwise, they will likely conclude that what they have to say doesn't matter, resulting in an additional hit to morale.
Hopefully, some of your survey results will indicate areas of high employee morale. Those areas are not likely to need significant attention. The areas where employee morale gets low scores offer the greatest potential for improvement. Develop an action plan and implement that plan with full knowledge of employees. Better yet, involve employees directly. Employee involvement in the development of the action plan and its implementation can lead to positive outcomes and creative solutions to identified challenges.
Most importantly, be aware that you can only fix what you know is broken. Once you’ve identified areas of low employee morale, you can zero in on those weak spots and achieve measurable increases in employee morale, productivity, attendance and loyalty on the part of your employees.
About the author:
Bill Roche is the publisher of "Boosting Employee Morale," a free ezine that provides readers with tips on how to improve employee morale. For regular tips to move you toward a more positive and productive work environment, sign up for your own subscription at: http://www.TopResults.com
What I Have Learnt As A Beginner To Internet Online Business
Like tens of thousands of people who often venture online exploring ways to make a little extra money, I have been looking for ways that would allow me to eventually live a life with residual income and financial freedom.
Obviously, I did not know how except for the fact that many are making millions of dollars every year from Internet.
But I learnt fast, after having paid a lot of money to the so-called Internet gurus. I realised that there were a lot of scams, hyped-up promises, and just plain sure-way-to-loose-your-hard-earned-money programs. Very quickly, it became obvious to me that the promises of make-tons-of-money-with-no-effort-all-for-free had to be challenged because this is not true at all! What you get for nothing would be nothing. I learnt now how I should look every time before I leapt.
Building a business online is just like building a brick-and-mortar business offline. So you need both a good plan and a marketable product. Some friends advised that I should build a website around my personal interest or hobbies because it’d be fun doing so. That way, when the going gets tough, the motivation to persevere would be more likely to prevail. However I found that my own interest and hobbies were not necessarily what the market was looking for. In fact, I realized that I should look at other people’s interest instead.
The easiest way to get into business online is through affiliate programs which allow you to sign up as an affiliate member. You earn a referral commission from selling the program owners’ products.
These products are usually information products such as electronic books (eBook) and software that can be delivered as a file that is then downloaded directly to your customers' computers. They could be repeatedly reproduced and downloaded and sold at no cost. There’s no packing, shipping and delivery cost. Owing to this, affiliate program owners usually pay their affiliates high commissions (50% or more).
I learnt that it is best for beginners to start by joining a few affiliate programs, followed by announcing this to as many friends as possible to prompt them to visit my websites.
At the same time I was strongly advised against the use of “Spam”. Suddenly I found my list of friends to be pathetically short! Hardly 100 names!
I was feeling really inadequate after finding that many Internet entrepreneurs actually had a mailing lists of well over 5000, 10,000, 100,000…….
To start off, I needed a website, although people do make money without a website. By joining an affiliate program I did not have to worry about creating a website of my own because many affiliate programs do offer websites for free.
However I was advised to learn how to modify the website to differentiate it from many others having the same program so that I would have some advantages over others.
As I said, I had a miserable mailing list hence I needed to build one for visitors by their subscribing to my online newsletters. Oh yes, I have heard it a thousand times in my short stay in this business – “The money is in the list...that all important list which begins the flow of "traffic" …No list...No traffic...No traffic...No sales..”
I send these people my regular newsletter via “autoresponder” provided by the program and over time, I hope to develop a relationship with many of the visitors.
A newsletter allows me to share information and resources with my subscribers resulting in a positive rapport, friendship and eventually trust.
There’s a 30-day guide which is really cool. It takes me step by step each day to improve my business incrementally. The tips and tricks given are especially for professional business working from home. It exposes me to many possibilities, among other things, of how to drive traffic to my site. And I find joy in doing so especially in my pyjamas!
The program allows me to join a discussion forum. It is like walking into a big library, the only difference is that this is better because all the members have similar interest i.e. Internet business. This is where I find answers and solutions to my questions and problems. I find active and successful members discussing their latest findings, for instance, the best websites and software to use to improve our businesses. Another advantage in taking part in the discussion is that other members or visitors get to know my website located in my “signature file”.
Yes, I also learnt how to place my adverts. Here are some of the things that I’ve looked into:
1) The various locations where I can place an ad such as newsgroups, forums, ezines, and web sites.
2) How to post information to a mailing list or newsgroup for free but using a signature file to promote my websites.
3) How the program helps me to set up autoresponders to take away the chore of responding to visitors manually.
4) How to write articles and submit them to article directories to get free advertisement for life.
5) I’ve created a Blog of my own. It is an excellent way to provide visitors and customers with information at their fingertips, just a click away. I keep it fresh and alive by posting interesting articles on Internet business on a regular basis. The articles in the Blog also offer me free advertisement because each article carries a link to my websites.
In conclusion, if you want to make money on the Internet, it is a real possibility. But please do not expect something for nothing. You need to invest in your effort, time, commitment and at least some financial input. Once you’ve decided, go for it and. …..DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
About the author:
Woon Sung-Liang(John Woon) is a Rubber and Latex Consultant with about 25 years of experience. Check this fantastic website to find out how he started his online Internet business: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9747Visit his website http://www.johnwoon.comGet to know him better at his Blog: http://www.blogwithjohnwoon.blogspot.com
Obviously, I did not know how except for the fact that many are making millions of dollars every year from Internet.
But I learnt fast, after having paid a lot of money to the so-called Internet gurus. I realised that there were a lot of scams, hyped-up promises, and just plain sure-way-to-loose-your-hard-earned-money programs. Very quickly, it became obvious to me that the promises of make-tons-of-money-with-no-effort-all-for-free had to be challenged because this is not true at all! What you get for nothing would be nothing. I learnt now how I should look every time before I leapt.
Building a business online is just like building a brick-and-mortar business offline. So you need both a good plan and a marketable product. Some friends advised that I should build a website around my personal interest or hobbies because it’d be fun doing so. That way, when the going gets tough, the motivation to persevere would be more likely to prevail. However I found that my own interest and hobbies were not necessarily what the market was looking for. In fact, I realized that I should look at other people’s interest instead.
The easiest way to get into business online is through affiliate programs which allow you to sign up as an affiliate member. You earn a referral commission from selling the program owners’ products.
These products are usually information products such as electronic books (eBook) and software that can be delivered as a file that is then downloaded directly to your customers' computers. They could be repeatedly reproduced and downloaded and sold at no cost. There’s no packing, shipping and delivery cost. Owing to this, affiliate program owners usually pay their affiliates high commissions (50% or more).
I learnt that it is best for beginners to start by joining a few affiliate programs, followed by announcing this to as many friends as possible to prompt them to visit my websites.
At the same time I was strongly advised against the use of “Spam”. Suddenly I found my list of friends to be pathetically short! Hardly 100 names!
I was feeling really inadequate after finding that many Internet entrepreneurs actually had a mailing lists of well over 5000, 10,000, 100,000…….
To start off, I needed a website, although people do make money without a website. By joining an affiliate program I did not have to worry about creating a website of my own because many affiliate programs do offer websites for free.
However I was advised to learn how to modify the website to differentiate it from many others having the same program so that I would have some advantages over others.
As I said, I had a miserable mailing list hence I needed to build one for visitors by their subscribing to my online newsletters. Oh yes, I have heard it a thousand times in my short stay in this business – “The money is in the list...that all important list which begins the flow of "traffic" …No list...No traffic...No traffic...No sales..”
I send these people my regular newsletter via “autoresponder” provided by the program and over time, I hope to develop a relationship with many of the visitors.
A newsletter allows me to share information and resources with my subscribers resulting in a positive rapport, friendship and eventually trust.
There’s a 30-day guide which is really cool. It takes me step by step each day to improve my business incrementally. The tips and tricks given are especially for professional business working from home. It exposes me to many possibilities, among other things, of how to drive traffic to my site. And I find joy in doing so especially in my pyjamas!
The program allows me to join a discussion forum. It is like walking into a big library, the only difference is that this is better because all the members have similar interest i.e. Internet business. This is where I find answers and solutions to my questions and problems. I find active and successful members discussing their latest findings, for instance, the best websites and software to use to improve our businesses. Another advantage in taking part in the discussion is that other members or visitors get to know my website located in my “signature file”.
Yes, I also learnt how to place my adverts. Here are some of the things that I’ve looked into:
1) The various locations where I can place an ad such as newsgroups, forums, ezines, and web sites.
2) How to post information to a mailing list or newsgroup for free but using a signature file to promote my websites.
3) How the program helps me to set up autoresponders to take away the chore of responding to visitors manually.
4) How to write articles and submit them to article directories to get free advertisement for life.
5) I’ve created a Blog of my own. It is an excellent way to provide visitors and customers with information at their fingertips, just a click away. I keep it fresh and alive by posting interesting articles on Internet business on a regular basis. The articles in the Blog also offer me free advertisement because each article carries a link to my websites.
In conclusion, if you want to make money on the Internet, it is a real possibility. But please do not expect something for nothing. You need to invest in your effort, time, commitment and at least some financial input. Once you’ve decided, go for it and. …..DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
About the author:
Woon Sung-Liang(John Woon) is a Rubber and Latex Consultant with about 25 years of experience. Check this fantastic website to find out how he started his online Internet business: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9747Visit his website http://www.johnwoon.comGet to know him better at his Blog: http://www.blogwithjohnwoon.blogspot.com
HomebuilderStocks.com Reports – Homebuilder Sector Hits Milestone: All Time Construction Spending High
Commerce Department report states that construction spending was at an all time high in September, and that consumer spending is still strong.
POINT ROBERTS, WA. – November 3, 2005 - www.HomebuilderStocks.com, (HBS) a global investment news and research portal for the homebuilder sector, reports that the month of September saw the homebuilding sector hit another milestone. According to a Commerce Department report, construction spending in September reached an all time high of $1.12 trillion as homebuilders took advantage of low interest rates. While September’s interest rates were still low, analysts predict that the Federal Reserve will be hiking rates up to combat inflation concerns as energy prices rise. Even though rates look set to rise, the homebuilding sector is well positioned as many parts of the country need to be rebuilt following recent hurricane activity.
September’s record breaking construction spending followed gains of .6% in both July and August. In recent weeks homebuilder stocks took a hit due to an uncertain outlook on consumer spending, but the Commerce Department report also stated that consumer spending was still strong, which sent sector stocks on a rally. Also on Monday, Centex Corp. announced a share repurchase plan to buy back up to 5 million shares of its common stock. At market close Centex shares traded at $64.34, down 1% from Friday. The nation’s biggest homebuilder D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) announced earlier in October that orders for new homes rose nearly 26% in the last quarter.
HBS does not make stock recommendations but offers a unique free information portal for investors to explore news, articles, and recent research. The site is currently compensated by featured companies International Barrier Technology Inc. (IBTGF: OTCBB; IBH: TSXV) and Cyberlux Corporation (OTCBB: CYBL).
Our current list of public companies in the sector includes: Toll Brothers, Beazer Homes USA, Inc., Ryland Group, Brookfield Homes, Centex, Inc., Home Depot, Homestore, Inc., KB Home, Lennar Corporation, Lowe’s, Monterey Homes, Orleans Homebuilders, Inc., Pulte Homes and numerous others.
For the complete list, click here: http://www.homebuilderstocks.com/Companies/HomebuilderStocks/HomebuilderStockList.asp
Featured Companies:
International Barrier Technology Inc. (IBTGF: OTCBB; IBH: TSXV) develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary fire resistant building materials branded as Blazeguard®. Barrier’s award-winning Blazeguard® wood panels use a patented, non-toxic, non-combustible coating with an extraordinary capability: it releases water in the heat of fire. The panels exceed “model” building code requirements in every targeted fire test and application, and are unique in combining properties that increase panel strength and minimize environmental and human impact. Blazeguard® provides Barrier’s customers a premium material choice meeting an increasingly challenging combination of requirements in residential and commercial building construction. Blazeguard® customers include four of the five top homebuilders! www.intlbarrier.com - http://www.homebuilderstocks.com/Companies/IntlBarrier/Default.asp
Cyberlux Corporation (OTCBB: CYBL) has created breakthrough lighting technology that provides the most energy efficient and cost effective lighting solutions available today. Several products are designed to address emergencies such as power outages or critical security lighting needs and others which bring newly developed heatless light into the home for use in closets, cabinet interiors and under cabinet lighting for kitchen counters. Cyberlux uses solid-state semiconductors, trademarked as its diodal(tm) lighting elements, which consume 92 percent less energy than incandescent elements and perform for over 20 years in contrast to 750 hours for traditional bulbs. http://www.cyberlux.com/ - http://www.homebuilderstocks.com/CO/CYBL/Default.asp
The Insiders Corner
Read the exclusive InvestorIdeas.com Feature “The Insiders Corner,” a weekly feature by well-known financial writer and author Michael Brush. http://investorideas.com/insiderscorner/
Investor Incite Newsletter
InvestorIdeas.com free "Investor Incite" Newsletter consists of company and industry updates, investment research and developing trends in key areas such as Homeland Security, Renewable Energy, Nanotechnology and more.
TO SIGN UP, click here: www.InvestorIdeas.com/Resources/Newsletter.asp
ECON is a privately owned corporate communications company specializing in: media relations, investor relations, and research on public companies and industry sectors, for the investment community. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any specific products or securities. All investments involve risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results, therefore investigate before you invest! Although we attempt to research thoroughly, we offer no guarantees as to the accuracy of any information presented. We encourage all investors to use our sites only as a resource to further their own research. The site is compensated by its "Featured Companies,” as outlined in our on-line disclaimer at www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp. HomebuilderStocks.com/ECON is compensated by Featured Companies: IBH and CYBL. IBH pays ECON a fee of Eight thousand seven hundred dollars per month, plus 100,000 stock options. Cyberlux Corporation - Four thousand dollars per month. Featured Company on HomelandDefenseStocks.com and HomebuilderStocks.com
SOURCE: www.HomebuilderStocks.com.
For more information contact:
Dawn Van Zant / Brian Noer
Toll free: 800-665-0411
Email: dvanzant@investorideas.com or bnoer@investorideas.com
Web Site: http://www.InvestorIdeas.com
POINT ROBERTS, WA. – November 3, 2005 - www.HomebuilderStocks.com, (HBS) a global investment news and research portal for the homebuilder sector, reports that the month of September saw the homebuilding sector hit another milestone. According to a Commerce Department report, construction spending in September reached an all time high of $1.12 trillion as homebuilders took advantage of low interest rates. While September’s interest rates were still low, analysts predict that the Federal Reserve will be hiking rates up to combat inflation concerns as energy prices rise. Even though rates look set to rise, the homebuilding sector is well positioned as many parts of the country need to be rebuilt following recent hurricane activity.
September’s record breaking construction spending followed gains of .6% in both July and August. In recent weeks homebuilder stocks took a hit due to an uncertain outlook on consumer spending, but the Commerce Department report also stated that consumer spending was still strong, which sent sector stocks on a rally. Also on Monday, Centex Corp. announced a share repurchase plan to buy back up to 5 million shares of its common stock. At market close Centex shares traded at $64.34, down 1% from Friday. The nation’s biggest homebuilder D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) announced earlier in October that orders for new homes rose nearly 26% in the last quarter.
HBS does not make stock recommendations but offers a unique free information portal for investors to explore news, articles, and recent research. The site is currently compensated by featured companies International Barrier Technology Inc. (IBTGF: OTCBB; IBH: TSXV) and Cyberlux Corporation (OTCBB: CYBL).
Our current list of public companies in the sector includes: Toll Brothers, Beazer Homes USA, Inc., Ryland Group, Brookfield Homes, Centex, Inc., Home Depot, Homestore, Inc., KB Home, Lennar Corporation, Lowe’s, Monterey Homes, Orleans Homebuilders, Inc., Pulte Homes and numerous others.
For the complete list, click here: http://www.homebuilderstocks.com/Companies/HomebuilderStocks/HomebuilderStockList.asp
Featured Companies:
International Barrier Technology Inc. (IBTGF: OTCBB; IBH: TSXV) develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary fire resistant building materials branded as Blazeguard®. Barrier’s award-winning Blazeguard® wood panels use a patented, non-toxic, non-combustible coating with an extraordinary capability: it releases water in the heat of fire. The panels exceed “model” building code requirements in every targeted fire test and application, and are unique in combining properties that increase panel strength and minimize environmental and human impact. Blazeguard® provides Barrier’s customers a premium material choice meeting an increasingly challenging combination of requirements in residential and commercial building construction. Blazeguard® customers include four of the five top homebuilders! www.intlbarrier.com - http://www.homebuilderstocks.com/Companies/IntlBarrier/Default.asp
Cyberlux Corporation (OTCBB: CYBL) has created breakthrough lighting technology that provides the most energy efficient and cost effective lighting solutions available today. Several products are designed to address emergencies such as power outages or critical security lighting needs and others which bring newly developed heatless light into the home for use in closets, cabinet interiors and under cabinet lighting for kitchen counters. Cyberlux uses solid-state semiconductors, trademarked as its diodal(tm) lighting elements, which consume 92 percent less energy than incandescent elements and perform for over 20 years in contrast to 750 hours for traditional bulbs. http://www.cyberlux.com/ - http://www.homebuilderstocks.com/CO/CYBL/Default.asp
The Insiders Corner
Read the exclusive InvestorIdeas.com Feature “The Insiders Corner,” a weekly feature by well-known financial writer and author Michael Brush. http://investorideas.com/insiderscorner/
Investor Incite Newsletter
InvestorIdeas.com free "Investor Incite" Newsletter consists of company and industry updates, investment research and developing trends in key areas such as Homeland Security, Renewable Energy, Nanotechnology and more.
TO SIGN UP, click here: www.InvestorIdeas.com/Resources/Newsletter.asp
ECON is a privately owned corporate communications company specializing in: media relations, investor relations, and research on public companies and industry sectors, for the investment community. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any specific products or securities. All investments involve risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results, therefore investigate before you invest! Although we attempt to research thoroughly, we offer no guarantees as to the accuracy of any information presented. We encourage all investors to use our sites only as a resource to further their own research. The site is compensated by its "Featured Companies,” as outlined in our on-line disclaimer at www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp. HomebuilderStocks.com/ECON is compensated by Featured Companies: IBH and CYBL. IBH pays ECON a fee of Eight thousand seven hundred dollars per month, plus 100,000 stock options. Cyberlux Corporation - Four thousand dollars per month. Featured Company on HomelandDefenseStocks.com and HomebuilderStocks.com
SOURCE: www.HomebuilderStocks.com.
For more information contact:
Dawn Van Zant / Brian Noer
Toll free: 800-665-0411
Email: dvanzant@investorideas.com or bnoer@investorideas.com
Web Site: http://www.InvestorIdeas.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)