Read Full Article Here
How to Engage Others in Lively Conversation
I have found that the best way to get someone to respond positively to you is to LIKE them! Seriously! It is so easy!!! Plus, it works. Read Full Article Here
Work an Event, Not Just a Room
Networking is the number one reason many people join organizations. When they dont get the results they anticipate, they blame the group for not delivering on its promises. Most organizations provide opportunities for connections to occur rather than making the connections. While organizations need to shoulder the responsibility for offering creative and multiple venues locally and nationally, members also need to take more control of their destiny. They need to learn to network strategically rather than just network. Most people like to step up to the plate when they get to the room (and sometimes strike out!) rather than doing all the preparation involved in a planned approach to this vital art. Read Full Article Here
Networking with Today's Tools
Clank clank clank! It should bring a smile to remember those old days when we had to use a typewriter to type business letters and sales correspondence. Overnight, it seems, our typewriters morphed into bullet-speed word processors. Business networking tools have also evolved in recent years to offer us new and improved opportunities to greet and meet new prospects, keep in touch with clients, and to organize our contact lists. Lets take a look at some of these new and widely used networking tools A computer is a must for most businesses. Specialized contact management programs assist in several networking areas making prospecting and contact follow up easier. Programs such as ACT!, Goldmine, Maximizer, and Outlook have various features that stores and organizes our contacts records and can help organize our networking schedules. Personally, I have used ACT! faithfully for the last seven years in business. I simply load the networking contacts business card information into the ACT! program once I return from a networking event. The next time I need to send that contact a letter or make a call, their contact information instantly appears on my computer screen. Read Full Article Here
The Seven Deadly Sins of Business Networking (and How to Avoid Them)
The seven deadly sins are transgressions that stymie spiritual progress. But what if these sins were applied to business networking? Follow these tips to make your next networking endeavour a heavenly experience. Pride - Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness.
(Source: American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language) Read Full Article Here
Starting a Conversation is an Art
Almost all of us have been there. We meet a new person, we run into someone we have met once before, or we see someone weve spoken with numerous times. We want to start a meaningful conversation for myriad reasons; yet, we find ourselves asking those trite questions: . Is this your first time here? Read Full Article Here
Business Cards Small Yet Mighty Warriors!
They measure about 2 x 3 1/2. They weigh less than 1/4 of an ounce. Read Full Article Here
Conquering the FEAR of Networking
One of the main reasons connecting with new people at a networking function is so tough for so many is FEAR. We are at times paralyzed by internal questions: What will people think when I walk across a room and approach them to start a conversation? Will they think I am stupid, boring, pushy? Hows my breath? Read Full Article Here
CODE Cracking 101: From 'Met' to 'Net': Cracking The Networking CODE
There is this unassuming little word you often find in the biographies of famous people. The word is met. Then William R. Hewlett met David Packard. Read Full Article Here
Oh, the Places We'll Network!
If you are determined to crack the networking code and build priceless business relationships it is important to research the various networking options and commit to a networking strategy. Get out and about and reach out. Be proactive. Open relationships everywhere. On Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. On Golden Pond and even on the Bridge on the River Kwai. (Sorry, I got carried away and my movie references got a tad silly.) Anyway, you get the point. To make connecting easier and more focused, look for groups and events where networking is encouraged. People expect to exchange cards and meet new people at these types of gatherings, so go expecting to make some contacts. It is best not to consider joining any business organizations unless you are committed to being an active member for at least one year. This stuff takes time. Read Full Article Here
Networking: Preparing for the Event
1. Your networking purpose Why are you attending this particular event? Be specific. Do you want to meet a particular person or persons? For what purpose? If you do meet, what will you say? Read Full Article Here
Developing a POWERFUL 30 Second Elevator Speech That Could Double Your Business
First let me tell you what NOT to do. Dont talk about you, dont talk about your products. In as short a statement as possible tell them the measurable results you deliver, and who you deliver them to. Then shut up. Dont try to tell them EVERYTHING in one breath. Tell them something that is so powerfully grabbing that they just have to ask you for more, and even then when you respond keep it short, keep them asking for more. Read Full Article Here
Making the Best First Impression With Business Cards
When you want to make the best first impression, a great deal depends on your appearance. How you look and what you say leaves a lasting impression on a potential customer. A professional business card will help remind prospects and customers of their positive experience. The first impression is known to be a critical when doing business, and your business cards should compliment your personality. Read Full Article Here
Business Card Pricing How Much is Too Much?
When you want to by a specific model of camera or a computer over the net, there are not many differences between buying from one website or another. The only difference is the pricing and the service. The product itself is the same. However, when you want to order discount business cards or custom postcards over the Internet, they are tailor made products that have been created especially for youre your company. These are not standard products that are in stock, and after ordering, have only to be packed and shipped. Read Full Article Here
How to Ensure You Receive Top Quality Business Cards Online
How can you ensure the quality of custom business cards when ordering over the Internet? When buying a specific model of stereo or camera, you go to your local store, inspect what you want, then its simply down to the price. If you decide to buy over the Internet, it might be cheaper than the store, but then you will have to wait for it to be delivered. However, the quality of the specific product model will be the same whether you buy online or at the brick and morter store. Business cards are a custom-made product. You just cant go into a store and walk out with your business cards. Going to your local printer can be time consuming, and their prices could be high. Its important that you visit a printer to inspect the quality of similar cards before ordering. Read Full Article Here
How Do "Free" Business Card Printers Work?
Whenever you see an advertiser that wants to give something away, there is usually a catch behind it. Nothing in life is free, especially in the printing business. How are business card printers willing to give you something for free? There are high costs associated with materials, labor and shipping of business cards. They arent free to make, so how could they be free to receive? Read Full Article Here
It Isn't Just A Matter of Black and White
We network, by joining online communities, to promote our services; get advice from others or just plain "chat", and most of our time is spent sending, and responding to, e-mails. But have you considered that e-mail isn't just a matter of black and white. It is very true that the written word can be misconstrued and that, when reading an e-mail, you can tend to misread the "tone" that the content is given in. This is very much the case when you are a part of a networking group when there are different professional opinions, races or religions. Read Full Article Here
5 Ways to Start a Networking Group That Sizzles, Not Fizzles
You've attended every networking event in your area and they seem to offer the same thing - eating, meeting, greeting and fleeing. You're bored with the routine of these events and you joyously decide that the time has come to start your own networking group that will blow everyone's socks off. Starting your own networking group takes time and effort. Not only do you have to create excitement, but you also have to sustain the momentum so people continue to attend. Read Full Article Here
Increasing Your Network For Greater Success
Increasing your network - We hear a lot about the importance of increasing our personal networks. Networks being those special people that we know we can call on when we need advice or input on an idea that we might have. For the purpose of this message I'll assume that you're already sold on the value of having people in place to fill this need in your life. Now the question remains where in the world can I look for such people? The answer to that my friend is not always an easy one, but here's a source that I've used in the past successfully yet often goes untapped. SCORE is the Service Corp Of Retired Executives. Read Full Article Here
Making the Deal: Women as Negotiators
Negotiating is no game. It is not for the weak or the fragile. It takes assertiveness and someone who feels comfortable in the mano-a-mano world of business. Can women negotiate the deal as well as their male counterparts? Absolutely! In some cases, they may even do a better job. Women have a definite edge at the negotiating table because of their instincts and natural power of persuasion. Women usually look for a win/win in negotiations. In Getting to Yes, the classic book on negotiation by the Harvard Negotiation Project, it was reported that the win/win strategy work best in negotiations. In order to avoid future resentments, all parties should come away feeling good about the resolution of a problem. Read Full Article Here
How To Deal With A Complainer
How To Deal With A Complainer A Complainer Is Characterized by: Read Full Article Here
How To Make An Inflexible Bureaucrat See You As A Person
Inflexible Bureaucrats Are Characterized by: 1. Cares little about your happiness in life
2. Sees people as numbers rather than faces
3. Pushed for time
4. Handles each person the same i.e. scripted procedure
5. Hides behind policies and rules
6. Cannot look outside of the box
7. May have trouble remembering who you are due to a large volume of contacts
8. May not want to reveal anything about their interests Read Full Article Here
Are You Scaring Away Potential Customers?
When you are trying to make a sale and ask someone to fill out a credit application and new account form, do your potential customers turn around and run to the competition? Author Michelle Dunn, in her new book Become the Squeaky Wheel, explains how you can avoid scaring customers away and keep them coming back. First, find out what your competition is doing, do they have a credit policy? If they do, what is included? What does their credit application look like? How many forms do new customers have to fill out? Do they have good paying customers? Look online, a lot of business website will have their credit applications available online. Read Full Article Here
Effective Negotiation Skills: A Practical Application
Negotiations are often associated with labor union contract, with strongly held positions, or with conflicting situations. However, looking at negotiating from a better perspective, we are surprised to find that it is much a part of our daily life. Daily, we bring negotiations into our relationships, our businesses, and our employment practices. In recalling the different negotiations in which I have been involved, one stands clearly in my mind. It was a performance appraisal meeting at a former place of employment. I can recall how the meeting took place and its unproductive results. Later I learned effective negotiation skills that would have produced a winning outcome for all parties involved. Read Full Article Here
Meet Me in the Middle: 5 Reasons to Negotiate for Compromise
Hate to negotiate? Think you have to be a trickster to land that contract? Think again. Here's why honesty is always the best policy, even when you're swinging those big biz deals. 1. Your future clients deserve a taste of what's to come. Read Full Article Here
Negotiating on Common Ground
Most good negotiators will suggest that you find common ground with the other party. This maybe a wise tactic and generally can work well. Yet, if you find this tactic being used on you, you might wish to have a strategy to make it very tough for the other person to find common ground. The best method I have found was to ask the other party; you seem to be trying to find common ground so that we can move forward in our negotiations, is that true? If they say no, they will generally touch their face, as itches occur when one it lying. If they touch their face tell them; I am a very good body language reader and you have just told me a lie, I find it hard to negotiate with someone I do not trust then touch your face like they did in an exaggerated way. If they say; Yes, we would like to find common ground then immediately go into what I call my Common Ground Speech. It is an old lawyer trick, which will really aggravate you if you hear it. It is the definitional rhetoric game and it goes something like this. Read Full Article Here
Negotiation Tactic�Getting It In Your Hands
This tactic is the classic for the sales-driven person. Essentially the getting it in your hands tactic is like giving candy to a child to make them stop crying. Once they get it, they are happy and nothing else matters to them. The sales professional knows that if he can get their product in your hands for a free trial before fees are assessed, then you will have a psychological attachment to that product and be more likely to purchase it and pay more for it. This is why car salesmen like to get you into the car for a test drive. Once you give it a spin, your emotions have already closed the deal.. How To Counter This Tactic Read Full Article Here
Negotiation Tactic Take It Or Leave It
How many times have we heard this commonly used negotiation tactic? The take it or leave it tactic is basically an ultimatum designed to prevent further negotiations from taking place. It is almost always a bluff and a challenge to the other side to see who has the stronger nerves. The problem with this tactic is that it causes too much resistance and conflict to facilitate an agreement. This tactic is aggressive and demanding, two things that dont sit well with your counterpart. What you are basically saying with this tactic is, Its going to be my way, or no way. Now the other side is going to have to reassert their own dominance over the situation by choosing to leave it rather than to take it to save face and show you who really is in charge. Where is the negotiation now? How To Counter This Tactic Read Full Article Here
Negotiate Like A Pro
Meeting planners who negotiate successfully all have one thing in common: They know the value of their meeting from the hotels perspective. All too often, planners make the mistake of assuming that because their annual convention is valuable to their organization, it must be valuable to the property. But thats not always the case. Remember that a piece of business is only valuable to a hotel if it provides profit maximum profit, if possible. (The value of your meeting drops, for example, if any other group wants the same dates and is willing to pay a higher room rate or provide more food and beverage revenue.) So be sure to thoroughly analyze every aspect of your event just the way a hotel sales manager would. The result will be power and confidence at the negotiating table. Here are seven major areas to consider in your analysis: Read Full Article Here
Tips for Easier Hotel Contract Review
The next time a hotel contract lands on your desk, read it twice. First, read what is there and identify the terms that need to be rewritten, changed, or deleted. Then, read it for what is not there and needs to be added. The following checklist will help you determine what to look for and what is missing. (Note: This information is not intended to be legal advice. Meeting planners and hotel managers should consult a qualified attorney to review all contract issues.) CONTRACT SECTIONS Read Full Article Here
Coach Lee Sumner's Advice About Salary Negotiation
You've bought a great suit and a pair of new shoes. You're preparing to interview for a new job for which you feel very qualified. But you need help assessing the value of your skills and experience to calculate a respectable salary. You want to pinpoint a salary that you feel confident asking for and that your future employer will feel comfortable paying you. How do you figure out what you're worth and actually get it? Salary negotiation can be an emotional experience. We want the job but we need more money. Or we may be afraid that if we push too hard the company will offer the job to another candidate. Negotiating is not merely saying, "I want more money." You're looking for a way to reach an agreement, not a confrontation, with your future employer. Before discussing salary, you need to have the answers to certain questions, such as: - What is the salary range for this job in this geographical area?
- What is the lowest salary I will consider?
- What makes me worth a higher salary?
- What makes me uniquely valuable to this company?
You can research salary information through the National Association of Colleges and Employers, job-hunting websites, libraries, trade publications, a college career office, or people who work in that industry or company. Read Full Article Here
Conflict: Don't Just Fight It, Manage It
Conflict is an ever-present reality whenever people work together. It can manifest itself in differences of view, differences of opinion, differences of personality, and differences of interest. But conflict doesnt have to be destructive. If the right options are chosen to handle conflict either as a strategy or as a tactical choice the result can be of huge benefit to both sides. These are the 7 options you have. 1. No Deal. A no-deal outcome to a conflict means that the status quo is confirmed and nothing changes. No-deal is rarely a successful end to a conflict unless during discussions it becomes clear there is no advantage for you in continuing. No-deal, in the sense of walkaway power, can also be used tactically at any stage of the proceedings. To make sure you are not disadvantaged if your bluff is called when you threaten "No deal!", make sure you have a good second-best BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) to fall back on. Read Full Article Here
Decisions and Negotiating: When to Ask the Question
For a negotiation to end, decisions have to be made. Large decisions, small decisions, important decisions and mundane decisions. The process of making decisions is what advances a negotiation to its final outcome. People naturally resist making decisions. This is especially true when they feel they are being pressured to commit. An effective negotiator needs to prepare others to make decisions and commit. The timing of when to seek a decision is a function of many things. Read Full Article Here
Negotiating and Team Building Ideas
Teams are dynamic entities in their own rights. By expanding a negotiating group, additional talents and perspectives are introduced. Additional members also increase communication and focus challenges. This can be beneficial to the process; or detrimental. Like all other aspect of negotiations or management, teams need to be managed. Read Full Article Here
Negotiating: The Impact of Time on Negotiations
Time is a precious commodity in your personal life, in your professional life, and in general. Value the time you are investing in resolving a dispute or negotiating an issue. Wasted time is not recoverable. Consider the importance of the matter at hand before over-investing in the resolution process. Time is important to everyone. By better understanding the dynamics of time consumption, one can use it tactically to advance a negotiation. There are ways to manage time relating to settlement conferences. Suggest having the meeting at your office to eliminate travel time. Prepare a written agenda for the meeting to keep the parties focused and minimize extraneous dialogue that you do not want to have. Consider who should draft the settlement documents. You control the timing of getting documents out if you do the work to draft the agreement. But you save time by letting the other person draft the agreements for your review. Read Full Article Here
A Negotiator Needs Good People Skills
Negotiations and the people involved in them are going to be managed by someone. Managing a negotiation, all of the parties at the table, requires exceptional people skills to influence and motivate others. Honing these people skills is a sure way to improve your ability to negotiate successfully. The parties to a negotiation are people. People are unique individuals. To reach them through a debate of the issues requires that you present your case in terms they can readily understand. To effectively communicate with the other person you must understand the person. Not his or her argument but the "person". Researching the other party before the settlement conference can provide valuable details about their background, professional, personal and scholastic. Another way to learn about your adversary is to ask associates or common acquaintances about the person with whom you are about to meet. Finally, the time spent informally talking with the person before a negotiating session serves the purpose of providing insights into how you might phrase your arguments. Read Full Article Here
Communicate Better to Win More
Communicating is a constant in all negotiations; in all interaction for that matter. Understanding the dynamics of effective communications to settle conflict is an important aspect of managing the negotiation process. The challenge to communications during any conflict situation is that listening is typically impaired. Those involved, even when they do listen, are not apt to hear what is being said. To reach an accord the parties need to be able to communicate with each other. The first rule of any negotiation is to open channels of communication. Communication concepts are important to understanding human interaction. Read Full Article Here
Negotiating Skills: Communicate Better
A negotiator needs to be a skilled communicator. His role is to deliver and receive information. If negotiating is an art then communicating is like the practice of architecture. Learning to emphasize or reinforce what you are saying through your body language and demeanor improves your communication. Actors practice or rehearse their lines in front of mirrors to get their entire persona to deliver the "feeling" as well as the line. Attorneys preparing opening and closing arguments do the same thing. Prepare, review, and practice for a meeting until you have mastered the subject matter, know your objectives, and are confident to field issues as they are presented. You want to be able to control and direct the conversation; not be subject to the control of another person. Read Full Article Here
The Purpose of a Resume: To Win an Interview
Your resume must be better than anything your competitors have to offer if you are going to get an interview. A well-written resume generates phone calls. Those phone calls are from prospective employers who want to interview you for a job. If you are not getting phone calls and you are sending out resumes, then you need to take a closer look at your resume.
Any resume can list employment dates and job position titles, but only the best resumes speak the language employers want to hear.
THE LANGUANGE OF RESULTS
If you just list the job duties you performed and hope the prospective employer makes the leap that you are a good employee, you are probably going to be in for a big surprise. You see, they dont have time to read your job responsibilities and then ponder how you managed to accomplish all that you did. Hiring managers simply do not have that kind of time. They are scanning a resume for the words that show results.
MAKE IT EASY FOR EMPLOYERS.
You have to show them that you are a cut above the rest of the crowd by providing concrete examples of your successes. Do the thinking for the employer and give them what they are looking for.
First, use action-oriented keywords that reflect your ability to solve problems, take initiative, are performance-driven and goal-based.
Second, quantify your statements with numbers that define your desire to affect the bottom line. Give examples of how you saved the company money or time (relates to money) or how you earned money for the company. Numbers have meaning and are easy to latch on to. Employers love to read quantifiable statements (that are truthful) as it paints a picture that SHOWS what you accomplished rather than the dubious joy of your words telling them what you did.
Resumes can work FOR you or they can work AGAINST you. When you list the information employers want to see, then you will have a great deal of success. You will be one of the ones to get a coveted phone call for an interview. If you dont take the time to prepare a resume in a way that grabs a hiring managers attention, it is actually working against you.
Take the time to write an excellent resume. It may take a little longer to think of the right words to use, but in the end, when you are enjoying the benefits of an excellent career, you will be SO GLAD you did.
Best of Luck!
Carla Vaughan http://www.professional-resume-example.com Carla Vaughan is the owner of http://www.Professional-Resume-Example.com, a web site devoted to assisting candidates in the job-search process. She holds a B.S. in Business from Southern Illinois University and has authored a book titled, The Do-It-Yourself Resume Kit soon to be available on her site. Read Full Article Here
Situational Leadership as the Key to Effectively Managing People
For over 25 years, major corporations and organizations throughout the world have used the concepts of Situational Leadership to improve the effectiveness of their managers. Dr. Heresy and Dr. Blanshard at Ohio State University to provide managers with a practical and simple approach to achieve the best results from their people developed one of the most outstanding leadership models. There are many ways you can be an effective leader there is no single school solution to the management process. Read Full Article Here
What Are the Keys to Increase Your Money Making Opportunity?
To increase your money making opportunity you may use employees suggestions. You may well believe you have a better one, but keep your goal in mind. You want to encourage risk taking as well as solving money making problems. The path employees choose to reach the goal may be different from the one you would select however, if their money making method solves the problem, let them try in their way. Work together to foresee the possible results if the money making idea is put into action. Share some standards for what you consider a good money making idea. Insist that employees contribute their money making ideas. If your employees respond with shuffling feet, averted eyes and a mumbled I do not know, let them know that you are really want their help. Make them believe this is the case by not answering your own question, even if the silence gets uncomfortable. Read Full Article Here
Your Information Technology Career: Certification vs Experience
Whether you're just starting your Information Technology career, or wanting to get further ahead in your current IT career, you have probably thought about earning one of the many popular computer certifications such as the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification, or the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) cert. A major point of frustration for individuals pursuing one of these certifications is a possible lack of experience with these technologies. Many future CCNAs or MCSEs simply stop trying to earn their certification, feeling that their lack of experience will hold them back. Read Full Article Here
The Three P's of Salary Negotiation
Salary negotiations arent easy for most people. If youre going after a new job, you dont want to price yourself out of the market. If youre attempting salary negotiations at a job you already have, then you may be afraid of bringing up the subject at all or be concerned you wont be taken seriously, or worse, that you will make your current boss angry. Fortunately in either case, if you do your homework, approach the matter of salary negotiations in a professional way, you will likely be surprised to hear your employer say yes to your salary requestsand always present them as requests, not demands. The very first step in salary negotiation, though, is to know your own value. This is particularly true when negotiating for a salary increase in a job you already have. To determine your worth, consider these things: Read Full Article Here
Flight Coordinator Job Sites
Finding work as an aircraft flight coordinator typically involves submitting your resume directly to companies that may be hiring. Still, it can be a laborious process trying to track down and find those companies that are hiring. On the other hand, there are several web sites on the internet that list flight coordinator jobs from time to time. No, there arent an abundance of jobs available, but if you know where to look, you can make the process easier on yourself. Aviation Employment Board A free site, this board lists job opportunities across the spectrum of business and commercial aviation. Registration is free and you can post your resume for free as well. Visit www.aviationemploymentboard.net for more information. Read Full Article Here
Aviation Maintenance Job Boards
Aviation maintenance opportunities can be found on various sites on the internet. Some job sites specialize in maintenance opportunities, while others do not, however they still manage to list their fair share of relevant opportunities. Please read on to learn about several key sites available to you. Aerotek Billing themselves as the leading technical and engineering staffing agency, Aerotek features jobs in eleven different specialties, including aviation. Job titles featured include: avionics technician, A&P mechanic, aircraft mechanic, quality assurance, and more. Visit www.aerotek.com for more information. Read Full Article Here
Cessna Caravan Job Opportunities
Finding employment as a Cessna Caravan "driver" can be a challenge. Plenty of pilots for just a few positions. Fortunately, if you know where to look, you can turn up information right online and save yourself a lot of time and aggravation. The following web sites list opportunities as they become available: Air Serv International If humanitarian work interests you, then Air Serv International just may be the organization for you. Air Serv places qualified people in developing countries to provide aviation support to humanitarian groups and other non-profit organizations. Visit www.airserv.org for more information. Read Full Article Here
Aviation Dispatcher Job Sites
Employment opportunities for flight dispatchers are often available through one of the major airlines as well as with one of the regional carriers. However, the best opportunities for pay and autonomy is typically through a private jet operator. Finding work with Aviation Employment Board A free site, the Aviation Employment Board features job openings for business and commercial aviation. Registration is free and you may post your resume for free as well. Visit www.aviationemploymentboard.net for all the details. Read Full Article Here
Cessna Caravan Job Opportunities
Finding employment as a Cessna Caravan "driver" can be a challenge. Plenty of pilots for just a few positions. Fortunately, if you know where to look, you can turn up information right online and save yourself a lot of time and aggravation. The following web sites list opportunities as they become available: Air Serv International If humanitarian work interests you, then Air Serv International just may be the organization for you. Air Serv places qualified people in developing countries to provide aviation support to humanitarian groups and other non-profit organizations. Visit www.airserv.org for more information. Read Full Article Here
Flight Attendant Resource Guide
Are you interested in becoming a flight attendant? Does the desire to fly to places hither and yon excite the primal beast within? Okay, I am being a bit dramatic! Still, for 75 years flight attendants have been providing much needed passenger service and safety assistance on aircraft ever since the original eight women from Boeing Air Transport took flight on May 15, 1930. Since then stewardesses, as they were originally were called, have flown to every destination imaginable on the planet. Read on for important resources available right online that can help you launch your flight attendant career. Airline Flight Attendant Room Hosted as an MSN group, the Airline Flight Attendant Room is a place for veterans and wannabes to gather together to discuss the latest news on airline hiring, work conditions, passenger attitudes [ugh!], and so much more. This site also features a nifty list of companies that are currently hiring. Updated frequently too! Visit http://groups.msn.com/AirlineFlightAttendantRoom for more information. Read Full Article Here
7 Tips Toward Building A Successful Online Resume
As the manager of two aviation web sites, I have learned that one of the best ways to promote people who are looking for work is to allow for them to list their resume right online. Unlike a traditional resume, there are some things best left off an online resume. Let's take a look at some of things you need to do as your craft your online copy. 1. Omit certain personal information. You must include your name, the area in which you live [for example, Chicagoland], a contact phone number, and an email address. Please be aware that your telephone number can reveal more to people about you than what you want them to know. Showing an unlisted phone number is preferable; only give out your cell number if you can reasonably see an advantage in sharing that information openly. Identity theft and stalking are persistent problems; be careful that your resume invites neither practice. Read Full Article Here
Job Performance: A Lost Lession
Im a fan of the hit TV show "Lost." In case youre not familiar with it (can you believe some folks dont watch TV?), its about a bunch of plane crash survivors living on an island full of mysteries. I always find it to be entertaining. But a recent episode was also (probably unintentionally) educational. In that episode, a character named Hurley was assigned the task of controlling a newly found stash of food. Although its obvious from his size that Hurley loves to eat, he wasnt thrilled about being in charge of the food. Why? Because everyone liked Hurley, and that was very important to him. Read Full Article Here
Seven Inexpensive Not Cheap Advertising Tactics
Most small businesses have limited marketing communication, aka advertising, budgets making it even more crucial to research thoroughly; select the best medium(s) and target prospects carefully. The following list contains seven suggestions for achieving "champagne" results on a "beer" budget! Read Full Article Here
Location, Location, Location
Rotation A smart organization will rotate its annual convention across the map. This strategy not only allows you to meet in all regions where your membership is based, but it also benefits membership growth and recruitment in addition to keeping the meeting fresh in terms of climate, attractions, time zones, and cost of attending. Read Full Article Here
Due Diligence, It Can Make or Break The Bank
Due diligence by a Venture Capitalist is the last step in the "dating stage" of Venture Capital. This is when the Venture Capitalist comes to your facilities and goes through you books, looks at your product in detail, talks with you clients, staff, and vendors. This can be a pretty intense time. Some does and donts to follow: Do: Read Full Article Here
Build A Great Team In Order To Acquire Venture Funding
There are three key Executives needed in a company that is looking for Venture Capital. They are: Business Manager (Chief Executive Officer, President, President/Chief Operating Officer) Money Manager (Chief Financial Officer) Product Manager (Chief Technology Officer, Chief Product Officer)Read Full Article Here
Funding Source's, What to Look For When On the Hunt, and How To Present
Now that you have written your business plan, have your preliminary financial data in place, you need money to make it happen. How do you find that money? If you have saved up some, you can use that, or you can go to friends and family and get some money from them, if they support your concept and think you can do it. (F/F/P phase) Read Full Article Here
Going Beyond Goal Setting
I just Googled the phrase goal setting, and found approximately 3,600,000 web pages that relate in some way to that phrase. This shouldnt surprise us, because conventional wisdom is that goal setting is an important skill. It is easy to document both through anecdotal evidence as well as through research that setting goals can help us achieve more. There are hundreds of books, tapes, speeches, workshops, and websites that will provide us with tools and processes to set goals. One would think for something as important as goal setting, with as many tools as there are available, that everyone would be a goal setter. Read Full Article Here
Business Continuation Planning
As a business owner, much of your wealth is probably tied to your business. While that may help the business grow, it may also create severe liquidity problems for your beneficiaries when you die. The value of your business will be included in your estate. How will your beneficiaries get the liquidity necessary to pay taxes due? Will they be forced to liquidate the business, or a portion of it, at a loss? Forced liquidation could have the following results: Read Full Article Here
How to Charge More and Work Less
I remember when I first launched my first business as a copywriter seven years ago, I had no clue what to charge. Without putting hard thought into what type of results my work gave my clients, I started out with an hourly rate that didn't scare ME! I would still even stutter when I said to clients, "My rate is si- si- si- sixty dollars an hour." Deep down, I wasn't confident in myself, so of course I wouldn't let myself charge more. And of course, as a result I attracted lame clients, worked like a dog, and stayed broke all the time. Well, things are VERY different today. I have no problem saying my consulting rate is $500 an hour, or that a private mentorship with me starts at a minimum of $9,700. And, here's the kicker: Because I take on so few clients now, at higher rates, and the bulk of my income comes from information products, I work LESS than I used to! Read Full Article Here
Footprints to Success: The Five Priorities of Strategic Planning in Wholesale Distribution
Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organizations direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there. Discipline is a prerequisite to this process because it requires laser-like persistence to bring about a productive strategic planning initiative. The process raises a sequence of questions that helps planners examine current reality, test assumptions, gather and incorporate information about the present, and perform trend analysis on the future industry environment. Read Full Article Here
Your Roadmap to Success
On a scale of one to ten, having a good business strategy rates about a fifteen! Creating a strategy can mean the difference between you working 60 to 80 hours a week all year long -- and then breaking even, or worse, losing money. Read Full Article Here
Business Growth: The Five Rules that Goliath Forgot
Most big businesses are less agile than their smaller counterparts. Often, its smaller, nimble companies that spot the opportunity in the market. The big corporation lumbers along a couple of years later. By that time, the opportunity has vanished or its been locked up.
But theres an irony here. And its this. Most large companies dont just pop into existence. They are small businesses that have survived and thrived. So, for at least part of their history, they knew what it took to grow and to change to create and dominate markets.
As companies mature, they concentrate on being big. They put processes and procedures in place. They form committees to create policy. They appoint planning task groups. They forget how they used to think and behave.
And as a result, they slow down. They become less innovative and more defensive. They find growth harder to come by. And their core markets are threatened by changing consumer demands, by new business approaches, and by niche competitors.
Consider these two businesses. Goliath Worldwide has good people, huge budgets, and decades of experience. It launched a series of successful brands in the 1950s and 1960s, and then went international in the 1970s. In the 1990s, they cut costs and returned to the core. Now its struggling, even in the markets it helped to create.
The newcomer -- David Inc -- is growing the market and taking share. Four years ago, they launched a range of products called Dinc. At first they sold through specialist outlets; last year they began selling through major retailers; now Dinc is growing its segment at the premium end of the market, and its seen as a must-have brand by the retailers.
Somewhere along the line, while Goliath was growing so successfully, it was also losing sight of the things which made it work. What has Goliath forgotten that David is doing right - and can Goliath learn to be agile again?
Forgotten Rule One. Spend extraordinary amounts of time with your customers.
Goliath Limited conducts plenty of market research. Their agency filters the results and presents them to the marketing team each month. The marketing team selectively publishes research results via email on a quarterly basis. Most of the emails are unread.
David Inc's managers just spend time with their customers, at least half a day each week, whether its watching them in stores, shadowing them in everyday life, or observing them in focus groups.
You may believe that Davids approach is unproductive. But what could be more unproductive than working without a deep knowledge of what your ultimate customer wants?
Heres an example. Michele Ferrero, the late boss of Ferrero (one of the largest confectionery businesses in the world) used to spend two days every week just watching shoppers. He created a steady stream of hugely successful new products (including Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac and the Kinder Egg) which have perfectly met the needs of consumers.
And heres another. Terry Leahy, the boss of Tesco, spends a day a week in his stores, talking to customers and staff. Is he wasting his time? Well, Tesco is the largest retailer in Britain, and its pulling away from its competitors.
Forgotten Rule Two. Get under the skin of your competitors.
Goliath Limited has a specialist competitor intelligence desk. Every two years, the desk produces profiles of all major players in the marketplace. Pages of data, charts and analysis. Yet Goliath continually underestimates its competitors. For years, the sales forecasts have assumed that Goliath will grow faster than their market, which means taking share from competitors. But they never say which competitor, or how.
David Inc is rather less formal. It has polled its own employees about Goliaths strengths and weaknesses, and has made a guess at its likely strategic priorities. In fact, Goliath wont start writing next years plan until September, but David has already intuited two-thirds of the sales and marketing activities that Goliath will come up with! So they can get on with pre-empting them right now.
Sales and marketing professionals know that they have to stand in their customers shoes. Its exactly the same with competitors. The best way to understand your competitors is to stand in their shoes. That means looking at the market from their perspective and figuring out what you would do if you were them.
Heres an anonymous example. (Companies who successfully outsmart their competitors dont want to publicise their methods.) I worked with a major UK business to understand a dangerous new competitor. We put ourselves in their boots and effectively plotted our own downfall. Then we turned it around and figured out how to pre-empt them.
Three months later, this competitor published a trade ad which set out its four strategic priorities. We had predicted them all correctly, and the sales and marketing campaigns to beat them were already under way...
Forgotten Rule Three. Build your business on insights.
Goliath Limited has a sprawling annual strategic planning process, run at Goliath HQ. It begins in April and the plan is eventually issued (to selected senior managers) just before starting work on the operating plan in September. A lot of experienced managers contribute to the process, but Goliath is aware that the plan never really comes to life in the business.
By contrast, David Incs strategy looks chaotic. Conversations are regularly held with people across the business, particularly with people at the outside edge of the business - people who work with customers and suppliers. In the cockpit at their open plan office, the directors write up every single idea on the wall and solicit comments and further thoughts.
They build -- and rebuild -- their whole business on insights. An insight is hard to define, but youll know one when you see it! Its a high value nugget of information that helps you see things in a different way.
If you look at successful innovative products, you can often see the insight that lies at the heart of them. The iPod (and its equivalents): I dont want to carry around a pile of CDs, particularly as I only like two or three songs on each. Bratz (the dolls that gave Barbie a slap): I like the sassy attitude of female celebrities -- its part of their glamour. The Smart car (the Swatch on wheels): why should I - or my business - give up my individuality when I buy a small city car?
Most big businesses are rightly concerned with Knowledge Management. But managing insights is even more fundamental. It takes courage and energy to DO something about an insight, rather than saying thats interesting and letting it drop.
Forgotten Rule Four. Have a purpose youd risk your house for.
Goliath Worldwide has a vision statement - to provide superior returns to shareholders, and a profit share plan. If the company beats its consolidated profit target, managers can earn a bonus of up to 8% of their annual salary. Sometimes they do, sometimes they dont. It depends more on the target and the economic climate than on what the managers do.
The directors of David Inc took out mortgages to start the business. If they dont meet their profit target, they could literally lose their homes! But theyre not worrying about that, because they have an overriding sense of purpose. And its not to provide superior returns to shareholders. They know that theyre making products theyre really proud of. Theyre genuinely making their customers lives better, and they feel that theyre making the world a better place.
Big companies set great store by a vision and mission. Heres a fairly typical vision statement. The Gillette Companys Vision is to build Total Brand Value by innovating to deliver consumer value and customer leadership faster, better and more completely than our competition.
Now this isnt wrong, or misguided. Its just not very interesting. It wont create a buzz. Nobodys going to take a bullet in the chest for it. A vision and mission are fine. But a well-thought-through purpose, on the other hand, is bold, clear, maybe impudent, certainly inspiring. It provokes a response.
Take Apple. When Steve Jobs was reappointed CEO of Apple, a reporter asked him Can you turn Apple around? His answer: The goal is not to turn Apple around. The goal is not to move back into profit. The goal is to make the best computers in the world.
Forgotten Rule Five. Treat business as a journey, and involve everyone.
Goliath Worldwide has a massive formal quarterly briefing process, which cascades through the organisation. Part one of the briefing is about the future - about aspirations; part two is about the recent past - about financial results. It is fair to say that the two parts are not linked, and that strategy is not tracked. Directors brief senior managers, who brief junior managers, who brief non-managers. Very few reactions are passed back up the chain, and when they are the response is defensive.
David Incs three owners go round the company briefing everyone themselves. They describe their business as a journey. They talk about whats working and whats not working. They have a scorecard - a set of a dozen metrics that they always use - to tell the story of the companys progress. Sessions are informal. Wine is taken. Questions and suggestions and challenges are welcome. Valuable insights come out of the discussions.
Many successful business leaders describe business as a journey Jack Welch, Bill Gates, Richard Branson. But only a few companies take that idea forward and involve all their employees in the journey.
One way to do this is to create and publish a balanced scorecard - the concept developed by David Norton and Professor Robert Kaplan. This is a set of linked measures which tell the story of what a business is trying to do.
Another way is to create a cockpit, with details of the journey charted on the walls (e.g. the strategic direction, a map of the marketplace, engines such as brands or technologies, and measures of progress).
If these ideas are well implemented, and pushed widely around the business, they make strategy a continuous process owned by everyone.
Conclusion and tips
These are the lessons that big businesses once knew but have forgotten. All of them can be re-learned and put into practice.
If you cant change your whole business, then focus on your unit or branch or division or team. Or on yourself.
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. Henry Ford
So how do these lessons also apply to individuals?
Spend time with your customers. Start by booking a couple of hours to visit your own personal customers, whether theyre inside the company or outside. Ask them how they use your services. Ask them what they really need. Ask them what they like and what they dont like. Ask them how you could improve what you do. Is there anything you could stop doing? Look for opportunities to make things easier for both of you. Most of all, find out what they love.
Climb into your competitors boots. Look at your services from a competitors point of view. (If you dont have a competitor, lucky you; try imagining that a seriously impressive colleague of yours IS a competitor.) What would they say are the rules of the game in your field? What do you have to do to be world-class? What do you have to do to take your game to the next level?
Build your business on insights. As you talk to people, get them to tell stories about using your services. Note down the positives their hopes and ideals and the negatives their frustrations and compromises. These unwitting moments are how people give you insights.
Define a purpose that makes you feel proud. Choose one of those insights that most resonates with you, and set about bringing it to life in your work. A great way to be fulfilled in your work is to make your customers lives even a little bit better.
Lay out your journey and measure your success. Goal-setters achieve more than people who drift. But goal-setting can be a dry activity. By thinking of your life and career as a journey, with milestones on the way, you can make it more interesting. And the journey will be shaped by what you now know about your customers, your competitors, your insights and your purpose.
Bon voyage!
© 2005 Charles Kingsmill. You are free to use material from this article in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify Charles Kingsmill where the material will appear. The attribution should read: "By Charles Kingsmill. Please visit Charless web site at http://www.StrategyXL5.com for additional information and resources on growing your business." (Make sure the link is live if placed in an eZine or in a web site.) Charles Kingsmill works with medium and large businesses who have set themselves challenging growth targets. His services include Strategy Action Teams and Competitor Wargaming. Visit Charless website at http://www.StrategyXL5.com where you can download a growth questionnaire and free workbooks, as well as subscribing to his e-zine Mission Control. Read Full Article Here
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