Casual Articles - Business

Why Benefit Headlines Don't Work
Clayton is great; I subscribe to his newsletter, and I love every issue.But Eugene Schwartz explains in two ways why certain times, a big benefit headline will flop…”Why Haven’t TV Owners Been Told These Facts” outpulled “Fix Your TV By Yourself” type of headline.First, the comment of Patrice is on target. Telling the customer not to do something or not to buy something implies revealing some secret or new information (benefits) to the reader…therefore the headline : ” Why this or that doesn’t work” addresses the reader’s skeptism, confirms his doubt, and tells him :”Here’s a chance to know for sure why this or that doesn’t work” and this chance is a BENEFIT.Second, in Breakthrough Advertising, which I guess most of you

ff the cuff like that...?), it actually has origins in one of two places, depending on who you listen to. One example comes from the English Pub keepers’ accounting system. Bartenders of the era kept track of patron's tabs by markings made on the starched cuffs of their shirts, so that with a mere glance at their shirt cuffs the bartender could quote a price seemingly 'off the cuff.' It may also come from the alleged practice, in the 1930's, of public speakers making last-minute notes on their shirt cuffs, for use during their speeches.

Serendipity
According to www.word-detective.com, the connection you've heard of between “serendipity” and Sri Lanka is true, and it's a very interesting story. Back in 1754, Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, wrote a letter to his friend, Horace Mann. In this letter, Horace W. undertook to explain to Horace M. the derivation of a new word he had invented, “serendipity”:

I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'; as their highnesses traveled, the

Jobs - Car Salesman
We've all heard the jokes about car salesmen, especially used car salesmen. We have a picture in our minds of these shady characters we wouldn't trust with our pencils let alone with selling us an automobile. The truth is, car salesmen have a tough job. Think you want to sell cars for a living? You might want to read what follows first.In spite of what most people think, selling cars is not as simple as just showing somebody an automobile and getting them to sign on the bottom line. The car selling process for a salesman is actually quite involved with many steps along the way.For starters, most of the large car dealers have a sales force. This sales force is broken up into teams and shifts. Because most dealerships are

“Instead of a handshake, I gave Toby a high-five to break the ice; and when we sat down on the front porch and started talking off the cuff, it was as if serendipity brought us together.”
That sentence contains several words and actions you see and hear every day. But have you ever wondered where some of our most common communication-related terms come from?
Handshake
We do it every day – sometimes 20 times a day. But how many of us actually know where the handshake originated? According to author/speaker Melvin Murphy, “The handshake has origins more anthropological than historical. Men used to carry knives, spears and rocks. And when land was scarce, males would extend their hand to show that they were not attempting to kill their neighbor.”
“Furthermore, the classical Greeks were under the impression that the right hands were mysteriously connected to the heart. And they may not have been very far off point. The handshake is a symbol equivalent of a promise. It becomes a virtue of the word and value of the person extending it. It is an agreement sealed with honor before the lawyers get involved. The handshake is a very valuable tool and, since in business often the communication is one-to-one, it’s flexible and indicates that an agreement has been reached on current dealings. It says that all information and intentions have been disclosed so that the value of the handshake is not diminished. The lesson here is that the handshake historically has carried symbolic importance. It is good to know what your handshake is worth. It’s your word and it says you can deliver on your promises.”
High Five
It was late in the 1977 season. Dusty Baker of the Dodgers was rounding third, heading for home, having just hit his 30th home run. The Dodgers were heading for a National League pennant! The on-deck hitter was Glenn Burke, enjoying his second season in the big leagues. As Baker crossed the plate Burke raised his hand. Baker responded by raising his. The two hands slapped together and a bit of history was made: the very first high-five.
Popularized in the 80’s, the high-five not only served as a cultural symbol, but was added to the dictionary as well! According to Merriam Webster, a high-five (noun or verb) is “a slapping of upraised right hands by two people, as in celebration.”
Break the Ice
The origination of the term break the ice dates back to old trade practices that involve, well, breaking the ice. When cargo ships became icebound for weeks at a time due to bitter, frozen winters, smaller ships were sent out to break the ice in order to make a path that would enable future trade. In other words, if you (as a boatman) wanted to get down to business - you had to break the ice.
Front Porch
In the book Preserving Porches, Rene Kahn explains that front porches were first made popular by the Greeks. They used them as gathering spots for public discussions, originally called porticos. As history unfolded and the Middle Ages arrived, the porch came to represent a cathedral's vestibule where worshippers could gather to socialize before and after the service. Then, by Victorian times, the word "porch" became interchangeably used with the words "veranda," "piazza," "loggia," and "portico," each of which could connote individual meanings. From this period until the second half of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" itself most often described a small, enclosed vestibule or covered rear entrance.
At this time, at the end of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" began to represent its present meaning. This meaning, in its American sense, generally refers to a "roofed, but incompletely walled living area.” Honestly, I like what Bill Cosby says about front porches, “The front porch was an invention of the housewife who wanted to keep her husband far enough away to be quiet; but close enough in case she couldn’t lift something heavy.”
Off the Cuff
According to www.idiomsite.com, although this phrase was traditionally thought to be a spontaneous statement or response (isn't amazing how he comes up with those ideas off the cuff like that...?), it actually has origins in one of two places, depending on who you listen to. One example comes from the English Pub keepers’ accounting system. Bartenders of the era kept track of patron's tabs by markings made on the starched cuffs of their shirts, so that with a mere glance at their shirt cuffs the bartender could quote a price seemingly 'off the cuff.' It may also come from the alleged practice, in the 1930's, of public speakers making last-minute notes on their shirt cuffs, for use during their speeches.
Serendipity
According to www.word-detective.com, the connection you've heard of between “serendipity” and Sri Lanka is true, and it's a very interesting story. Back in 1754, Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, wrote a letter to his friend, Horace Mann. In this letter, Horace W. undertook to explain to Horace M. the derivation of a new word he had invented, “serendipity”:
I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'; as their highnesses traveled, they
Five Habits of Highly Effective Networkers
"How to Turn Chicken Dinners into New Clients and an Endless Stream of Referrals"Even though business networking can quickly put you in front of how new prospects, help you create life-long strategic alliances, get more referrals and simply find people you really enjoy hanging out with, majority of professionals have no clue how to make their networking count.They attend the wrong meetings, use boring self-introductions, can’t recognize a good prospect if one stepped on their toe, don't know how to elicit interest in their service, give no value in conversations with those they meet, gobble down their rubber chicken, rush out and never follow-up…Does this sound familiar? It certainly did for me when I was s
f the person extending it. It is an agreement sealed with honor before the lawyers get involved. The handshake is a very valuable tool and, since in business often the communication is one-to-one, it’s flexible and indicates that an agreement has been reached on current dealings. It says that all information and intentions have been disclosed so that the value of the handshake is not diminished. The lesson here is that the handshake historically has carried symbolic importance. It is good to know what your handshake is worth. It’s your word and it says you can deliver on your promises.”
High Five
It was late in the 1977 season. Dusty Baker of the Dodgers was rounding third, heading for home, having just hit his 30th home run. The Dodgers were heading for a National League pennant! The on-deck hitter was Glenn Burke, enjoying his second season in the big leagues. As Baker crossed the plate Burke raised his hand. Baker responded by raising his. The two hands slapped together and a bit of history was made: the very first high-five.
Popularized in the 80’s, the high-five not only served as a cultural symbol, but was added to the dictionary as well! According to Merriam Webster, a high-five (noun or verb) is “a slapping of upraised right hands by two people, as in celebration.”
Break the Ice
The origination of the term break the ice dates back to old trade practices that involve, well, breaking the ice. When cargo ships became icebound for weeks at a time due to bitter, frozen winters, smaller ships were sent out to break the ice in order to make a path that would enable future trade. In other words, if you (as a boatman) wanted to get down to business - you had to break the ice.
Front Porch
In the book Preserving Porches, Rene Kahn explains that front porches were first made popular by the Greeks. They used them as gathering spots for public discussions, originally called porticos. As history unfolded and the Middle Ages arrived, the porch came to represent a cathedral's vestibule where worshippers could gather to socialize before and after the service. Then, by Victorian times, the word "porch" became interchangeably used with the words "veranda," "piazza," "loggia," and "portico," each of which could connote individual meanings. From this period until the second half of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" itself most often described a small, enclosed vestibule or covered rear entrance.
At this time, at the end of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" began to represent its present meaning. This meaning, in its American sense, generally refers to a "roofed, but incompletely walled living area.” Honestly, I like what Bill Cosby says about front porches, “The front porch was an invention of the housewife who wanted to keep her husband far enough away to be quiet; but close enough in case she couldn’t lift something heavy.”
Off the Cuff
According to www.idiomsite.com, although this phrase was traditionally thought to be a spontaneous statement or response (isn't amazing how he comes up with those ideas off the cuff like that...?), it actually has origins in one of two places, depending on who you listen to. One example comes from the English Pub keepers’ accounting system. Bartenders of the era kept track of patron's tabs by markings made on the starched cuffs of their shirts, so that with a mere glance at their shirt cuffs the bartender could quote a price seemingly 'off the cuff.' It may also come from the alleged practice, in the 1930's, of public speakers making last-minute notes on their shirt cuffs, for use during their speeches.
Serendipity
According to www.word-detective.com, the connection you've heard of between “serendipity” and Sri Lanka is true, and it's a very interesting story. Back in 1754, Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, wrote a letter to his friend, Horace Mann. In this letter, Horace W. undertook to explain to Horace M. the derivation of a new word he had invented, “serendipity”:
I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'; as their highnesses traveled, the
Customer Service - The Huge Gap Between Intention And Reality
When it comes to looking after our customers, quite often there’s a gap, a huge gap between theory and practice. There are books about customer relations; there are videos about customer relations; there are Gurus (mostly self-appointed) about customer relations. None of them actually have to deliver customer relations. That chore is left to what was known in the last two World Wars as the PBI – as in “Poor B….y Infantry”- the foot soldiers. The front line people, your front line people. So what do they make of it all?You know about Pareto’s Law – I discuss it often enough – yes that one, the one that says 80% of the business comes from 20% of the customers? Well, it (almost) applies in this case. More than 80% of front line st
t high-five.
Popularized in the 80’s, the high-five not only served as a cultural symbol, but was added to the dictionary as well! According to Merriam Webster, a high-five (noun or verb) is “a slapping of upraised right hands by two people, as in celebration.”
Break the Ice
The origination of the term break the ice dates back to old trade practices that involve, well, breaking the ice. When cargo ships became icebound for weeks at a time due to bitter, frozen winters, smaller ships were sent out to break the ice in order to make a path that would enable future trade. In other words, if you (as a boatman) wanted to get down to business - you had to break the ice.
Front Porch
In the book Preserving Porches, Rene Kahn explains that front porches were first made popular by the Greeks. They used them as gathering spots for public discussions, originally called porticos. As history unfolded and the Middle Ages arrived, the porch came to represent a cathedral's vestibule where worshippers could gather to socialize before and after the service. Then, by Victorian times, the word "porch" became interchangeably used with the words "veranda," "piazza," "loggia," and "portico," each of which could connote individual meanings. From this period until the second half of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" itself most often described a small, enclosed vestibule or covered rear entrance.
At this time, at the end of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" began to represent its present meaning. This meaning, in its American sense, generally refers to a "roofed, but incompletely walled living area.” Honestly, I like what Bill Cosby says about front porches, “The front porch was an invention of the housewife who wanted to keep her husband far enough away to be quiet; but close enough in case she couldn’t lift something heavy.”
Off the Cuff
According to www.idiomsite.com, although this phrase was traditionally thought to be a spontaneous statement or response (isn't amazing how he comes up with those ideas off the cuff like that...?), it actually has origins in one of two places, depending on who you listen to. One example comes from the English Pub keepers’ accounting system. Bartenders of the era kept track of patron's tabs by markings made on the starched cuffs of their shirts, so that with a mere glance at their shirt cuffs the bartender could quote a price seemingly 'off the cuff.' It may also come from the alleged practice, in the 1930's, of public speakers making last-minute notes on their shirt cuffs, for use during their speeches.
Serendipity
According to www.word-detective.com, the connection you've heard of between “serendipity” and Sri Lanka is true, and it's a very interesting story. Back in 1754, Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, wrote a letter to his friend, Horace Mann. In this letter, Horace W. undertook to explain to Horace M. the derivation of a new word he had invented, “serendipity”:
I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'; as their highnesses traveled, the
10 Fast, Cheap & Easy Marketing Tools to Generate More Clients
There are countless low-cost things you can do to promote your business. Here's ten of my favorite: Always be prepared with an "elevator speech." When you meet new people talk about the benefits associated with the service you provide-NOT the actual process of how you achieve these benefits. In a nutshell, let prospective clients know how your service can solve their biggest problem.Network and set goals. When attending events, workshops or meetings, don't sit by people you know. Hello? The point is to meet new people! Make a goal of meeting 3-5 new people at each event. Be interested in others, get their business cards and ask lots of questions. The more you know about their challenges, the bett
d gather to socialize before and after the service. Then, by Victorian times, the word "porch" became interchangeably used with the words "veranda," "piazza," "loggia," and "portico," each of which could connote individual meanings. From this period until the second half of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" itself most often described a small, enclosed vestibule or covered rear entrance.
At this time, at the end of the nineteenth century, the word "porch" began to represent its present meaning. This meaning, in its American sense, generally refers to a "roofed, but incompletely walled living area.” Honestly, I like what Bill Cosby says about front porches, “The front porch was an invention of the housewife who wanted to keep her husband far enough away to be quiet; but close enough in case she couldn’t lift something heavy.”
Off the Cuff
According to www.idiomsite.com, although this phrase was traditionally thought to be a spontaneous statement or response (isn't amazing how he comes up with those ideas off the cuff like that...?), it actually has origins in one of two places, depending on who you listen to. One example comes from the English Pub keepers’ accounting system. Bartenders of the era kept track of patron's tabs by markings made on the starched cuffs of their shirts, so that with a mere glance at their shirt cuffs the bartender could quote a price seemingly 'off the cuff.' It may also come from the alleged practice, in the 1930's, of public speakers making last-minute notes on their shirt cuffs, for use during their speeches.
Serendipity
According to www.word-detective.com, the connection you've heard of between “serendipity” and Sri Lanka is true, and it's a very interesting story. Back in 1754, Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, wrote a letter to his friend, Horace Mann. In this letter, Horace W. undertook to explain to Horace M. the derivation of a new word he had invented, “serendipity”:
I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'; as their highnesses traveled, the
10 Ways To Improve Your Customer Service
1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to your Web site. After every sale, follow-up with the customer to see if they are satisfied with their purchase.2. Create a customer focus group. Invite ten to twenty of your most loyal customers to meet regularly. They will give you ideas and input on how to improve your customer service. You could pay them, take them out to dinner or give them free products.3. Make it easy for your customers to navigate on your web site. Have a "FAQ" page on your Web site to explain anything that might confuse your customers. Ask them to fill out an electronic survey
ff the cuff like that...?), it actually has origins in one of two places, depending on who you listen to. One example comes from the English Pub keepers’ accounting system. Bartenders of the era kept track of patron's tabs by markings made on the starched cuffs of their shirts, so that with a mere glance at their shirt cuffs the bartender could quote a price seemingly 'off the cuff.' It may also come from the alleged practice, in the 1930's, of public speakers making last-minute notes on their shirt cuffs, for use during their speeches.
Serendipity
According to www.word-detective.com, the connection you've heard of between “serendipity” and Sri Lanka is true, and it's a very interesting story. Back in 1754, Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford, wrote a letter to his friend, Horace Mann. In this letter, Horace W. undertook to explain to Horace M. the derivation of a new word he had invented, “serendipity”:
I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'; as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of.
By ‘serendipity,’ Walpole meant ‘the gift of making lucky discoveries, of finding valuable things one is not looking for,’ and the word entered English in that sense. Curiously, however, ‘serendipity’ was rarely used in literature until the 20th century, and today is more often employed to mean the lucky find or happenstance itself, as in ‘A parking meter with time left on it when one is broke is serendipity.’”
So, next time someone mentions one of these words; shakes your hand or gives you a high five; tell him the history behind it! It’s a great conversation starter and surefire way to spice up the encounter.

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