PART 1: ARE YOU WORTHY OF GETTING AN ENDORSEMENT?
Most sales and marketing efforts are viewed with skepticism. In our hyper-commercialized world where the majority of sales and marketing efforts are saturated with euphemisms, exaggerations and even outright lies, the public has become cynical about what to believe and whom to trust. That is why the third-party endorsement has become one of the most powerful tools in the sales and marketing toolbox. Continue reading
WHAT TO DO WITH STAFF WHO DON’T LIKE SOCIAL NETWORKING
Last week, we examined the decision most companies face of whether to allow staff to access social networking sites at work. This presumes that most employees want to visit social networking sites during work hours. Given the amazing popularity of social networking sites worldwide, it is a safe assumption. Or is it? Believe it or not, there are some people who simply don’t like online social networking. They are out there. You may even know some. Corporate marketers are both puzzled and pained by these individuals…. and now, thanks to recent developments, these people are also becoming a marketer’s worst nightmare. Why?
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THE PROS AND CONS OF ALLOWING ACCESS TO SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AT WORK
To social network or not to social network, that is the question. Companies everywhere are struggling with the questions surrounding social networking. In addition to practical questions such as what sites to join, how to drive traffic from the social network sites to the company’s website, and how to convert fans to customers, there are also bigger policy questions about whether to even allow social networking at work. On the one hand, sales staff and marketers know the amazing power of social networking to generate viral buzz, increase brand awareness, generate dialogue and position products. On the other hand, operations managers, IT administrators and HR directors worry about productivity, security and bandwith issues. Fame and Fortune vs. Fear. It is a proverbial virtual-tug-of-war. So far, fear has the upper hand. Continue reading
Facebook. Twitter. MySpace. LinkedIn. These are popular social networking sites with which most people are probably familiar… and perhaps even use. But what about: Ning. Yelp. FourCorners. Plaxo. Digg. Orkut. Path. Talkbiznow. PartnerUp. HubPages. Tumblr. There has been a proliferation of social networking and sharing sites in the past five years. With the unexpected success of some sites, many more are emerging. This onslaught has caused many business people to ask themselves “On which sites do I need to be?” Some wonder “Do I have to join them all?” If you’ve pondered these same questions, stay tuned as we delve into the data to find the answers.
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The economy is improving. The stock market is hot. Business is picking up in many sectors. Most importantly, unemployment numbers are finally starting to decline, albeit slowly. That is all good news! But beware. Just as companies start to breathe a collective sigh of relief, a very different problem may lie ahead. Continue reading
Everyone has a blind spot in their eyes. Located in the back of the eye, there is a point on the retina where the optic nerve joins. This point has no color or light receptors at all. The lack of light receptors at the area where the optic nerve joins the retina results in a “blind spot.” The optic nerve is actually an extension of the brain, and extends all the way to the back of the brain. The average person with two eyes open doesn’t notice their blind spot because both eyes help each other and cancel the blind spot when the brain fuses the two images from both eyes together.
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FINDING NEW WAYS TO OVERCOME OLD HURDLES
Every person and company faces challenges in achieving goals. For the last two weeks, we’ve examined individual strategies to help overcome personal challenges as they appear. However, there are times when you hit a wall and just stop moving toward that goal. Rhetorically speaking, you stand at a wall and make no attempt to move in another direction. You make no effort to find a way around, above, over or under the obstacle. Inertia hits. That goal is left by the wayside. Why? Often, you simply don’t know where to look to find a solution to the problem and you are not encouraged to find a new way to overcome the hurdle. Continue reading
HOW TO OVERCOME WRITER’S BLOCK
Obstacles come in all shapes and sizes. From time to time, everyone experiences challenges in achieving personal and professional goals. Sometimes trials come from external sources. Conflicting demands for one’s time. Work overload. Inability to focus due to too much technological and interpersonal stimulation (ie emails, text messages, sametime, facetime, phone calls… you get the picture). Other times, the impediments to achieving goals are internal. The hurdles are self-imposed. While it seems that those should be easier to overcome, they aren’t. Personal issues can be serious stumbling blocks to achieving personal or professional goals. Continue reading
STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU PERSEVERE
January is here. Business plans are fresh. New budgets are in place. The economy is slowly picking up and optimism about 2011 is growing. Businesses are poised for a surge in sales. Most likely, you have set goals and made resolutions to do more… do better… do, do, do. This happens every year. Continue reading
GETTING PERSONAL IN AN IMPERSONAL WORLD
As technology continues to evolve, populations increase, and the world becomes a busier, more hectic place (which is to say it already is), it will also become more challenging to deliver excellent customer service. Why? Simply, today’s fast pace encourages businesses to lose their personal contact with customers. Mobile devices have made it possible to ‘shop around’ without interacting with a single person. E-commerce allows customers to consume without connection. The bigger the business, the less personal contact there is likely to be. Continue reading
