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    CASH - Choosing Exhibition Gifts
    Most companies can benefit from going to exhibitions every once in awhile, but if you aren’t a creative person, it can be difficult to make an interesting booth where people will want to stop. Of course, your exhibition gifts make a huge difference as to how many people will be drawn to your booth, so choosing these items, like the exhibition gifts found online, make a big difference in your success. When choosing exhibition gifts, also remember that your goal is “CASH,” and you’ll be sure to pick the best items possible. Cost: Of course, the C in CASH stands for cost, a primary item of concern for all businesses. You want an item that is expensive enough to draw people to your site without being so expensive that you’ll lose money by going to the exhibition. A go
    tone for the room – make it a positive one.

    Step 3 Get to the Heart of the Matter: Show participants that you truly understand their concerns. Do so by covering material that relates to their specific situations. Use examples, scenarios, and role plays. Allow participants to practice while you listen and coach them. Adults learn by doing. Allowing them to apply the principles while receiving immediate feedback will increase the likelihood that they will be able to transfer the skills to on-the-job performance. Also be sure to:

    • Ask open ended questions to engage your learners at more complex levels and to g
      The Federal Trade Commission Lacks Free Market Thinking
      Has the Federal Trade Commission run amuck? Indeed it has, it has become a problematic bureaucracy. The Federal Trade Commission lacks free market thinking. I always assumed that half of the Federal Trade Commissions staff are attorneys and the other half are economists. I think I am surprised that the economists have allowed the attorneys to win the internal struggle. Apparently the FTC needs to ditch the symbol of the scales on their logo, because nothing could be further from the truth, that symbol and what it represents has nothing to do with the current trends at the FTC.The Federal Trade Commission needs to have a reading room, reading lists, which include economic theory, franchising history, entrepreneurship, which exceeds the hundreds of thousands of pages of l
      As a customer service trainer I teach associates how to use the Five Steps of MAGIC (Make A Great Impression on the Customer) to create an exceptional customer experience. But do your customers—program participants—leave your training programs feeling as though they had an exceptional learning experience?

      Apply these five simple steps to your own customer service training program—you may find this will leave them wanting to come back for more.

      Step 1 Make a Connection: The earlier on in the course you can make a connection with each individual participant; the more engaged he or she will be in the learning. A connection helps to build trust between you and the participant and lowers any resistance to the customer service training he may have. Here are a few examples of how you can do this:
      • Greet each participant as they walk through the door
      • Speak clearly and slowly, with an upbeat tone
      • Shake hands and smile
      • Ask for (and use) their name as soon as you hear it
      • Listen for concerns they may have and respond to them with empathy and appreciation for their attendance
      • Connect on a personal level by looking for things you have in common with individual participants

      You can also connect with participants by using the physical environment to create excitement around the learning. Consider playing music that is stirring and energetic, post inspirational quotes on colorful flipcharts around the room, or create name cards with colorful markers.

      By making a connection early on, participants will feel more at ease and open to learning.

      Step 2 Act Positively: As a trainer, you are there to help the participants. Demonstrate this through your words and tone. Focus on the benefits of the training, to them and to their company. If the participant perceives that you regard him as important, he will be more interested, engaged, and involved in the training. Here are some ideas on how you can create a positive atmosphere:

      • Use examples of how the learning will increase their ability to do their job
      • Relate the importance of the training to the goals of the company/organization
      • Encourage participation – be open to new ideas and questions
      • Be courteous – use “please” when asking for information and “thank you” when participants answer questions or make a contribution to the group
      • Remain calm no matter what the circumstance is in your session

      Remember, you set the tone for the room – make it a positive one.

      Step 3 Get to the Heart of the Matter: Show participants that you truly understand their concerns. Do so by covering material that relates to their specific situations. Use examples, scenarios, and role plays. Allow participants to practice while you listen and coach them. Adults learn by doing. Allowing them to apply the principles while receiving immediate feedback will increase the likelihood that they will be able to transfer the skills to on-the-job performance. Also be sure to:

      • Ask open ended questions to engage your learners at more complex levels and to ge
        Market Direct Advertising: Numbers Count
        Ever wonder how to put more jingle in your pockets? Recently I was invited to join the “staff” of a local accounting firm, under the sheer guise of increasing business and profitability to a company with consistent net gains in their profit margin. The owner’s intent is rather clear; he wants more money jingling in his pocket.While this isn’t a bad thing and nobody is condemning him for his intentions, a better objective might be “improving service”, or “broadening the market”. Either of these or more money in your pocket would appeal to most business owners, because the bottom line is simple, more jingle.Improving service, broadening the market, and bringing in more business consistently are common results of a solid business marketing plan with high numbers of
        nection helps to build trust between you and the participant and lowers any resistance to the customer service training he may have. Here are a few examples of how you can do this:
        • Greet each participant as they walk through the door
        • Speak clearly and slowly, with an upbeat tone
        • Shake hands and smile
        • Ask for (and use) their name as soon as you hear it
        • Listen for concerns they may have and respond to them with empathy and appreciation for their attendance
        • Connect on a personal level by looking for things you have in common with individual participants

        You can also connect with participants by using the physical environment to create excitement around the learning. Consider playing music that is stirring and energetic, post inspirational quotes on colorful flipcharts around the room, or create name cards with colorful markers.

        By making a connection early on, participants will feel more at ease and open to learning.

        Step 2 Act Positively: As a trainer, you are there to help the participants. Demonstrate this through your words and tone. Focus on the benefits of the training, to them and to their company. If the participant perceives that you regard him as important, he will be more interested, engaged, and involved in the training. Here are some ideas on how you can create a positive atmosphere:

        • Use examples of how the learning will increase their ability to do their job
        • Relate the importance of the training to the goals of the company/organization
        • Encourage participation – be open to new ideas and questions
        • Be courteous – use “please” when asking for information and “thank you” when participants answer questions or make a contribution to the group
        • Remain calm no matter what the circumstance is in your session

        Remember, you set the tone for the room – make it a positive one.

        Step 3 Get to the Heart of the Matter: Show participants that you truly understand their concerns. Do so by covering material that relates to their specific situations. Use examples, scenarios, and role plays. Allow participants to practice while you listen and coach them. Adults learn by doing. Allowing them to apply the principles while receiving immediate feedback will increase the likelihood that they will be able to transfer the skills to on-the-job performance. Also be sure to:

        • Ask open ended questions to engage your learners at more complex levels and to g
          10 Secrets for Women Leaders to Increase Visibility and Credibility
          Being a leader must be one of the most rewarding careers you can ever do.  Not only is the work interesting and challenging, but you are impacting the direction of many people and the direction of your company.  You are able to see that you are making a difference in something very big. In this report, you will learn key areas for women leaders to be aware of in order to achieve success inside organizations.  This condensed report provides general trends identified from research of women and men in the workplace.  As with any general trend, there are exceptions.  You may not align with some of the information provide, and you are invited to read with a curious mind to see what new ideas you might explore in your own development process. Secret #1 -- Build
          o connect with participants by using the physical environment to create excitement around the learning. Consider playing music that is stirring and energetic, post inspirational quotes on colorful flipcharts around the room, or create name cards with colorful markers.

          By making a connection early on, participants will feel more at ease and open to learning.

          Step 2 Act Positively: As a trainer, you are there to help the participants. Demonstrate this through your words and tone. Focus on the benefits of the training, to them and to their company. If the participant perceives that you regard him as important, he will be more interested, engaged, and involved in the training. Here are some ideas on how you can create a positive atmosphere:

          • Use examples of how the learning will increase their ability to do their job
          • Relate the importance of the training to the goals of the company/organization
          • Encourage participation – be open to new ideas and questions
          • Be courteous – use “please” when asking for information and “thank you” when participants answer questions or make a contribution to the group
          • Remain calm no matter what the circumstance is in your session

          Remember, you set the tone for the room – make it a positive one.

          Step 3 Get to the Heart of the Matter: Show participants that you truly understand their concerns. Do so by covering material that relates to their specific situations. Use examples, scenarios, and role plays. Allow participants to practice while you listen and coach them. Adults learn by doing. Allowing them to apply the principles while receiving immediate feedback will increase the likelihood that they will be able to transfer the skills to on-the-job performance. Also be sure to:

          • Ask open ended questions to engage your learners at more complex levels and to g
            Job or no Job: The Certainty of Uncertainty
            Headline from AP via Yahoo News! January 11, 2005: "Chrysler Expects No Job Cuts in 2005, 2006." Headline from Detroit Free Press, January 12, 2005: "Chrysler Cuts 200 Hourly Workers." Job uncertainty has become part of the employment landscape in America. Just three weeks before the holidays, with no warning or explanation beyond “financial reasons,” I was handed my walking papers. Laid off. The company just couldn’t afford me (or numerous others) anymore. It’s a very strange feeling to have one’s disposable income evaporate and watch one’s savings account trickle away. Even stranger, the realization the event is not what ultimately gets you – rather it’s the inability to deal with the steady stream of unknowns ahead. Huma
            l be more interested, engaged, and involved in the training. Here are some ideas on how you can create a positive atmosphere:

            • Use examples of how the learning will increase their ability to do their job
            • Relate the importance of the training to the goals of the company/organization
            • Encourage participation – be open to new ideas and questions
            • Be courteous – use “please” when asking for information and “thank you” when participants answer questions or make a contribution to the group
            • Remain calm no matter what the circumstance is in your session

            Remember, you set the tone for the room – make it a positive one.

            Step 3 Get to the Heart of the Matter: Show participants that you truly understand their concerns. Do so by covering material that relates to their specific situations. Use examples, scenarios, and role plays. Allow participants to practice while you listen and coach them. Adults learn by doing. Allowing them to apply the principles while receiving immediate feedback will increase the likelihood that they will be able to transfer the skills to on-the-job performance. Also be sure to:

            • Ask open ended questions to engage your learners at more complex levels and to g
              The Number One Way To Learn
              Generally it is considered that there are three ways people learn: through observation, by reading, or by experiencing. Depending on what it is that you're trying to learn, any of the three methods could be number one. However one method has proven itself consistently to be without a doubt the best method -- experience.Each week we put a thought of the week our company web site. It is always some motivational saying to give people something to think about throughout the week. One attention getting quote came from James Joyce. “Misstakes are the portals of discovery.”Some people may have missed the whole message because they didn't pay enough attention to the picture that accompanied the saying. It proved to be as thought-provoking as the saying itself. A pictur
              tone for the room – make it a positive one.

              Step 3 Get to the Heart of the Matter: Show participants that you truly understand their concerns. Do so by covering material that relates to their specific situations. Use examples, scenarios, and role plays. Allow participants to practice while you listen and coach them. Adults learn by doing. Allowing them to apply the principles while receiving immediate feedback will increase the likelihood that they will be able to transfer the skills to on-the-job performance. Also be sure to:

              • Ask open ended questions to engage your learners at more complex levels and to get to the route of their challenges
              • Avoid tragic phrases, slang, and trainer jargon such as ‘instructional procedure,' 'deliverable,' 'process orientation,' 'paradigm,' etc.
              • If you need to interrupt a participant, do so politely and be sure to give the reason
              • Work with the participant, not against him or her – let the participant know that his/her learning is your only agenda

              Making the learning personal and relevant to each individual participant's needs will keep them engaged and heighten their ability to retain and apply the learning.

              Step 4 Interpret the Facts: A part of being a good facilitator is reading the room and paying attention to subtle cues, body language, and tone. Take accountability for the learning experience. It is your job to teach at the right pace, to encourage participants, and to inspire confidence so they may apply the learning back at the office. Demonstrate your responsibility and accountability. Here are a few ways you can do this:

              • Use MAGIC phrases to give participants security and confidence to achieve objectives
              • Be knowledgeable and accurate – show you are comfortable and confident with the course material and the participants will feel more comfortable and confident
              • Be proactive and set deadlines – let participants know when breaks are and when each day ends, and let them know if any follow up is planned and give specific dates for next steps
              • Maintain an appropriate pace – be aware of the learning styles and learning curve for each of your participants
              • Summarize lessons – remind participants of key points in each lesson and conduct reviews

              By interpreting the facts you show participants that you are taking accountability for their learning and they leave with the confidence they need to succeed.

              Step 5 Close Professionally: Allow participants to leave the training experience feeling respected and upbeat. This is the opportunity to create a lasting impression with them. Here are some small, but powerful things you can do to close with a touch of MAGIC:

              • Get participant agreement on all next steps
              • Use the participant's name at the end of the session
              • With a sincere tone, close with a MAGIC phrase for each participant letting them know they are appreciated
              • Shake hands as they leave

              Once all participants have left, internally reflect on the program. Did you conduct the session professionally? Are participa

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