Digg it UP - Business

Customer and Client Communications
Customer and Client CommunicationsCustomer and client communications are very dear to good business-customer service and relations. Problems have arose because technology can reduce personnel needs. But is it at the expense of customers. Are sales and customers lost ?You call a business and someone comes on, a recording usually, and asks you to punch a number and someone will be with you. If you were not expecting it, then you must listen to a repeat of three to five numbers. To me these are very irritating, so I punch the number for a "live operator." When that puts me on hold for more than a reasonable time, I hang up and search for an email address to customer service, and use that line of communication. Or I just hang up and forget it. The company loses.Another one is a foreign voice that you have trouble understanding. I called a computer company and the next thing I know I am talking to a foreign voice. Now I don't care where the person is from, but I do expect English that I can understand, and the person to be knowledgeable. This person was likely in India, or some other similar place, and I could hear a person in the backgrou

y know what my program(s) consist of, either through my website or word of mouth;
• They know my full fee;
• My fee is within their budget;
• They must have the authority to hire me; and
• They must have an upcoming venue in which professional speakers are utilized.

Too many people just enjoy getting mail- they won’t be getting mine.

E-Mail
Identify your target group, go to their website and send a simple e-mail to the meeting planner, President, President-elect, anyone who looks like they may be part of

Managing Change
How often have you heard the statement, the only thing constant is change. No kidding, right? Anyone living on the planet earth can attest to that statement.For most of us, the pace of change seems to have picked up dramatically over the past few years, thanks in part to the increased availability and use of technology, as well as the global economy in which we now live and work. Layer on all of the merger and acquisition activity and the ongoing waves of layoffs, and you have a recipe for constant change.Do you remember the story of the frog and the pan of hot water? If you put a frog in a pan of boiling water, it will leap out instantly. However, if you put a frog in a pan of cold water and gradually turn up the heat, the frog will typically remain in the pan of water because it has an opportunity to adjust to the increase in water temperature.Unfortunately for most people, when we experience change it often feels like being thrown into a pan of boiling water. So what can you do to avoid becoming frog soup? I find the best way to manage change is to practice a little change every day, particularly when you have the ability to control

Traditional marketing methods are expensive, time-consuming, frustrating and all too often the lone focus of a speaker’s efforts. Meeting planners are swamped and have an endless stream of choices. Their mailboxes are overflowing with promotional packets and their voice mails stuffed with speakers pleas. When it comes to marketing, I believe that many in my industry as well as others involved in marketing complicate the issue, and that simplicity is the best policy.

In October 2000 I became a full-time speaker, jumping into the profession without a part-time job to make ends meet, no credit and very little savings. Since bank robbery was no longer an option, I had to develop a marketing plan that was cheap, easy and would quickly result in paid gigs. The first year I turned a profit, the second year I turned a substantial profit and now, entering my fifth year in the business, I speak as much or as little as I want to. In this chapter, I’d like to share that marketing plan with you.

What little marketing my office does is exclusively via email, and requests for additional information are directed through my web site. My only large initial investment was made in identity design and website development. By having a site that is professionally done, easy to navigate and properly indexed, it can provide meeting planners with all the information they need to make a decision.

I do not incur the time or costs associated with mass mailings or large print runs of marketing materials, and my office never makes cold calls- ever. The promotional material I do send is specifically tailored to each target group. One-sheets are printed as “blank” templates, with high-quality photos, graphics and titles only. Customized program descriptions, specifically targeted to each industry are then printed on demand or simply e-mailed in PDF format. Potential clients that see me as a specialist in their industry are more likely to respond than those who receive material with generic appeal.

Pre-qualifying those who receive your material dramatically reduces overhead. No one receives a packet from my office until the following facts have been established:

• They know what my program(s) consist of, either through my website or word of mouth;
• They know my full fee;
• My fee is within their budget;
• They must have the authority to hire me; and
• They must have an upcoming venue in which professional speakers are utilized.

Too many people just enjoy getting mail- they won’t be getting mine.

E-Mail
Identify your target group, go to their website and send a simple e-mail to the meeting planner, President, President-elect, anyone who looks like they may be part of

How to Succeed as a Virtual Assistant Part 2
In part 1 of this article, we looked at a variety of skills a Virtual Assistant (VA) can provide for a small business. In part 2 of this article, we look at the organizational and administrative skills that the VA must have to run their own businesses in a way that allows them to provide these services to others.- Organization: Obviously, a VA must be highly organized. There is a degree of administrative overhead with any business, and if you are an independent VA, you are running a business. Only by being organized can you keep the tasks that you have to do in support of your business to a minimum so that you are free to provide services to other businesses.You need to be able to multi-task since you will probably be handling multiple tasks for your clients at one time; multitasking is also an essential skill because you may be supporting more than one client at a time. Project managing software like Microsoft Project or even Outlook is an invaluable tool for the successful VA.- Time Management: You must be able to tightly organize your day and only experience a minimum of distractions when you are juggling multiple tasks. It is import

without a part-time job to make ends meet, no credit and very little savings. Since bank robbery was no longer an option, I had to develop a marketing plan that was cheap, easy and would quickly result in paid gigs. The first year I turned a profit, the second year I turned a substantial profit and now, entering my fifth year in the business, I speak as much or as little as I want to. In this chapter, I’d like to share that marketing plan with you.

Pre-qualifying those who receive your material dramatically reduces overhead. No one receives a packet from my office until the following facts have been established:

Too many people just enjoy getting mail- they won’t be getting mine.

E-Mail
Identify your target group, go to their website and send a simple e-mail to the meeting planner, President, President-elect, anyone who looks like they may be part of

Work At Home Job Profile
Are you looking for a work at home opportunity? Statistically the amount of people with that query increase day by day, month by month. What is the best way to become Internet marketing?Through the net you can find many tips about that. For instance, you can run three easy steps to get a plug in profit site complete money making site setup free. And you can find many others tips of course. There are many products and Gurus online. Take care and pay attention their business history. There are a lot of different ways to make money online. And there are people making a fortune there too.But it does not come overnight and make sure it has had much work to do. You could start searching about affiliate marketing and blogging. You should take a look at your budget and identify products with particular qualities combination and should try to make them different from others.However this article runs to help you think about your profile. Are you an exclusive Internet marketing? No, you are not exclusive one. There are many people out there promoting there Internet business. However, you should try to be exclusive. That is the point. It means to g

information are directed through my web site. My only large initial investment was made in identity design and website development. By having a site that is professionally done, easy to navigate and properly indexed, it can provide meeting planners with all the information they need to make a decision.

Pre-qualifying those who receive your material dramatically reduces overhead. No one receives a packet from my office until the following facts have been established:

Too many people just enjoy getting mail- they won’t be getting mine.

E-Mail
Identify your target group, go to their website and send a simple e-mail to the meeting planner, President, President-elect, anyone who looks like they may be part of

Waiting for Things to Gel
CEOs and Presidents often mistakenly treat key management personnel like Jell-O. They throw newly hired executives into the bowl, stir things up a bit, cool things off when things heat up and wait for things to gel. Viola. Perfect Jell-O every time.If this approach really worked, employee turnover would be non-existent. Everyone hired would fit the mold perfectly. No, the hiring and assimilation of key executive personnel is more like the art of making a souffl?. It takes practice, confidence and requires more than just sitting back and waiting for things to gel. If the thought of actually coming up with a recipe to hire and successfully integrate key management personnel into your organization makes you shrink then read on.Right ingredientsAssembling a well congealed management team starts with pulling together the right ingredients. Adding too many chili peppers (also known as hot headed management personnel) will certainly alter the flavor of your organization, particularly if you are going for a smooth collaborative environment.Define the traits that work best in your organization and avoid mixing ingredients that don

ets are printed as “blank” templates, with high-quality photos, graphics and titles only. Customized program descriptions, specifically targeted to each industry are then printed on demand or simply e-mailed in PDF format. Potential clients that see me as a specialist in their industry are more likely to respond than those who receive material with generic appeal.

Pre-qualifying those who receive your material dramatically reduces overhead. No one receives a packet from my office until the following facts have been established:

Too many people just enjoy getting mail- they won’t be getting mine.

E-Mail
Identify your target group, go to their website and send a simple e-mail to the meeting planner, President, President-elect, anyone who looks like they may be part of

Put Some Mystery in Your Life
Mystery shoppers. For some it conjures up images of private eyes and undercover detectives. That's fair. In Nevada, a mystery shopper is required to register with a firm that is in association with the Private Investigative Licensing Board. Somewhat funny, but true. If you shop, and I'm sure you do, you have probably bumped into someone on a shopping assignment. Did you notice them? Doubtful. Or you may have found yourself on the receiving end of an evaluation by a mystery shopper. Did you realize it at the time? Probably not. But what is mystery shopping exactly? And can you really make money for shopping?Mystery shoppers are primarily independent contractors. They receive their assignments from mystery shopping companies. These companies have been contracted by various businesses in need of mystery shoppers. Mystery shoppers handle a wide range of assignments. They may be required to order a personalized bracelet at a fine jewelry store and then return it. (Not an easy assignment. I actually had that one once). They may be asked to gamble at a local casino, or take in a popular movie. They may be asked to take their dog to a groomer, visit an auto

Too many people just enjoy getting mail- they won’t be getting mine.

E-Mail
Identify your target group, go to their website and send a simple e-mail to the meeting planner, President, President-elect, anyone who looks like they may be part of the decision-making process. The message is customized to include their group name, an introduction of your program that encourages a trip to your website, and a bit of “name dropping”. This is particularly effective if you have a glowing testimonial from one of their colleagues. Either paste an excerpt in to the body of your message or include a link to the full testimonial on your website. Nothing sells like a good word from their own.

Send out e-mails only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This way, your message is less likely to be discarded as people skim their full in-boxes on Monday morning. If you get a reply stating they do not want to be contacted this way in the future, it is important that you respect their wishes.

After a presentation or any mingling event, be sure to ask for a list of attendees and e-mail addresses. Some organizations and associations have strict policies against sharing this information, but many don’t. Send a thank you note that directs them to your website. It is a great way to build your database, sell additional product, get people to sign up for your e-zine and just generally keep you in mind.

Increase Your Exposure
During the original negotiations with your client, receive permission to have a few guests present during your presentation for preview purposes. Any guests that do attend your presentations are going to hire you if you do your job on the platform. This is a wonderful negotiating tool if the client cannot meet your full fee. Determine an exact “allowance” of table space and make it clear that your guests will be there to preview you only, not to partake in the meal, sessions or any other aspect of the event. When sending invitations, indicate that there are “x” number of spaces available that will be reserved on a first-to-reply basis. Even if you extend an invitation to a total stranger, you’ll be amazed at how warmly people respond when you are “offering” rather than “asking”.

Local calendar- Contact the Hotels, Convention Center, Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce within the city you are visiting. Either visit their website, send an email or call the sales department

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Media management has become one of the strategic tools for managers and leaders to drive marketing opportunities, communicate key messages, achieve social change or influence Government. Managing Director of 8M Media & Communications, Thomas Murrell argues companies must take a customer service approach when dealing with the media.

The difference between getting and losing the job is often the small details. Here are some tips you may not have considered that can help you cause during the interview.

Advertising and marketing is just one aspect of your business. Too often a business owner will view their advertising a separate entity from their rest of their business. The Marketing Bridge explains in detail the various elements of an effective business and how advertising is a part of the overall Marketing Bridge.

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