Casual Articles - Business

Escape PowerPoint Hell: 5 Tips For Better Presentations
Everyone knows the signs. The glazed expression, the droning sentences, the bored audience. These are all indications that someone is stuck in PowerPoint purgatory. Avoid this fate by consciously developing slides that are an asset rather than a detriment. Following are five tips that you can apply immediately to help you get out from behind your slides and engage your audience.1. Use Titles Effectively: The titles of your slides can help your audience understand and follow your presentation. In general, slide titles should be concise and informative. Use short phrases with simple words. Avoid excessive jargon.2. Use Fewer Words: Limit the words on your slides. Avoid long sentences because this encourages you to read the slide verbatim. I

usiness, give references if warranted. Show them that you are legit, and that your company isn't going anywhere. Be real and totally ethical. If the customer does give you the credit card number, don't repeat the number back at them. Nothing strikes fear in my heart more than hearing a phone agent repeat my private information back to me. I don't know who else is right there with them, so with my own customers, I don't give them any reasons to doubt me. The doubt is already there, the goal is to lessen it.

When dealing with an obnoxious customer, who doesn't want to buy whatever you're selling, joke with them, but not at them. Don't defend yourself, d

Wearing Cologne To a Job Interview
You’ve found what you think might be the perfect job. You’ve hired a professional resume writer to make sure your resume is exactly right. You’ve scheduled the interview. And you’ve spent an hour choosing just the right outfit to wear to the interview.The big day comes. You get up early. You rehearse the questions and answers you’ve gone over 100 times during the week. You go over all of your notes on the company. You know this company inside and out. Your gas tank is full. You leave in plenty of time to allow for traffic or no parking.Finally, the opportunity you’ve been waiting for all week is now here. You are shaking hands with the person that will decide whether or not a job with this company is a possibility for you.After what seems like only 10 minu

When it comes to phone sales, difficult customers are part of life. Sometimes they can be turned around, sometimes they cannot. But, there is a higher probability of selling to them if you can relate to them, and figure out where they're coming from, without being intimidated or frustrated. Here are some ways I try to dispel their venom, all the while building grounds for a sale.

Keep an even tone to your voice and show no negative emotion. Be calm, and have an easy manner. By doing this, you are maintaining control of the call. If the customer rants, stop talking and let them spew their anger. When they're done, acknowledge what they have said, and then continue on with the negotiation or sales presentation. Show respect but also expect it back from the customer, without rudeness. This means being firm, authoritive yet friendly, and sticking to the point of the call. Give the customer reason to trust you. The voice is your most powerful weapon. How you use it is important. A low and steady tone is what works best for me. Find what is best for your individual needs and build upon it.

Remember, if the caller is mad, most likely they are unhappy with the company's promotion or policies, not at you personally. Talking with salespeople on the phones can bring out the worst behavior in some people. Angry or hostile people may want you to feel as lousy as they do, so don't give them the satisfaction. Answer their questions, did they misunderstand the promotion? Have solutions for their problems, the best you can. Try breaking the tension with a light joke or statement (weather, etc). Don't be their enemy or egg them on, be their concerned "friend" (in a firm way). By being the bigger person, and keeping cool, you show the customer that you deserve respect. It's all about positivity and psychology. Customers can get on all of our nerves from time to time. What I do is stop, get coffee or walk around and get my center back before going on to the next call. Never poison the next call with negativity, it must be diffused as quickly as possible in order to keep good sales stats.

When your position requires asking for customers' credit card information, they can be very touchy. Giving out a credit card number to a total stranger is something that is scary for most people. We've all heard horror stories of scams, and it's our job to build the customer's trust in order to get the sale. If the customer is getting uptight or unpleasant, let them know positive aspects about your company. For example, if your company is registered with the Better Business Bureau, let them know. Tell them how long you've been in business, give references if warranted. Show them that you are legit, and that your company isn't going anywhere. Be real and totally ethical. If the customer does give you the credit card number, don't repeat the number back at them. Nothing strikes fear in my heart more than hearing a phone agent repeat my private information back to me. I don't know who else is right there with them, so with my own customers, I don't give them any reasons to doubt me. The doubt is already there, the goal is to lessen it.

When dealing with an obnoxious customer, who doesn't want to buy whatever you're selling, joke with them, but not at them. Don't defend yourself, d

Betting on your Future? Not a Good Plan
Recently, the lottery in NY -- the state I call home -- reached a record jackpot, larger than ever before. When I penned these words, the grand total of funds just waiting to be won was over 340 million dollars. As you can imagine, this got people talking. Almost every local newscast covered the huge jackpot. People were lining up at convenience stores across the state, hoping against hope to cash in and win big.This got me thinking about the two types of people: gamblers and planners. Both would like to have the big bag of cash, but they take different routes to achieve it. A gambler might plunk down a dollar -- or two, or twenty, or two hundred -- in hopes of winning big in a lottery, while the planner follows a less exciting route of saving and investing. At the end

hen continue on with the negotiation or sales presentation. Show respect but also expect it back from the customer, without rudeness. This means being firm, authoritive yet friendly, and sticking to the point of the call. Give the customer reason to trust you. The voice is your most powerful weapon. How you use it is important. A low and steady tone is what works best for me. Find what is best for your individual needs and build upon it.

When dealing with an obnoxious customer, who doesn't want to buy whatever you're selling, joke with them, but not at them. Don't defend yourself, d

Targeting Inactive Customers With Postcards
You probably know that a prospect needs to see your business name an average of seven or eight times before they trust you enough to buy. When you consider the high cost of advertising and the lifetime value of a customer, it makes sense to try to recapture your inactive customers (people who have not purchased from you in the last six months to two years).Postcards can be an inexpensive means of accomplishing this goal. However, to make your campaign effective, you need the following: (1) a good list, (2) strong offers,(3)an eye-catching creative, (4) repeated mailings, and (5) measurable results (in that order).Begin with your list. Take at look at each inactive customer. Do they live far away and come to your store once or did they buy from you many

ry or hostile people may want you to feel as lousy as they do, so don't give them the satisfaction. Answer their questions, did they misunderstand the promotion? Have solutions for their problems, the best you can. Try breaking the tension with a light joke or statement (weather, etc). Don't be their enemy or egg them on, be their concerned "friend" (in a firm way). By being the bigger person, and keeping cool, you show the customer that you deserve respect. It's all about positivity and psychology. Customers can get on all of our nerves from time to time. What I do is stop, get coffee or walk around and get my center back before going on to the next call. Never poison the next call with negativity, it must be diffused as quickly as possible in order to keep good sales stats.

When dealing with an obnoxious customer, who doesn't want to buy whatever you're selling, joke with them, but not at them. Don't defend yourself, d

Create VALUE and WIN Customers
How do you create value when you are a consultant or a salesperson?Value comes from many angles; you the consultant, your marketing pieces, your employees or subcontractors, and from your current clients. Each of these provides a basis for creating the true value of your organization. The following is a four step plan on how to determine what your true value may be.One, as a consultant, you have a perceived value in your mind. You know your own expertise, what you have to offer, and how it should benefit the client. Write down the value you think you provide to the client. Describe in detail why you think each item is of value to the client.Two, examine the marketing pieces you already have in place. What value does each piece have? Look at each piece from

Never poison the next call with negativity, it must be diffused as quickly as possible in order to keep good sales stats.

When dealing with an obnoxious customer, who doesn't want to buy whatever you're selling, joke with them, but not at them. Don't defend yourself, d

Running a Third Party Promotion
Every starting photography business needs a constant flow of new customers. Friends and relatives can start of a new business and of course repeat trade is the basis of regular income. But Attrition, bad economic times and off season blues are factors that can kill a business.A third party promotion has many advantages. Firstly, the gift supplied to your prospective customer does not come from you but from the third party. It therefore looks less like pure advertising on your part. The third party is happy with the fact that he doesn’t have to pay for the gift and it puts his new prospects in a receptive mood. Secondly, the gift can be engineered to promote additional sales in your studio. Thirdly, your new customer must visit your studio in order to collect the

When dealing with an obnoxious customer, who doesn't want to buy whatever you're selling, joke with them, but not at them. Don't defend yourself, don't insult them, just have a laid back persistence, as you continue to try and sell to them. They eventually get tired of trying to get a rise out of you and hang up. Some of them may even listen and eventually buy. Be patient and try to draw them out by relating, even if they are acting repulsive. Just make sure to maintain professionality. It's all about the money, and not personal. If they make insults at you, consider the source. It doesn't matter to me what some mean-spirited person thinks. I just thank my lucky stars I don't have to live with them, and wonder how they live with themselves on a daily basis. By laughing (silently, to yourself) at the situation, you stay in control of the call.

Do everything by the book. Cross your t's and dot your i's. Because some opportunistic types might be looking for a mess-up so that they can complain about it, and possibly get a discount. Be professional and give them top quality, detailed service. Be kind, quick to answer and alert to any questions thrown your way. Be the best salesperson you can be. Customers may not really have it out for you, but sometimes what they say can hurt. By being respectable, ethical and consistent, you will keep your respect and self-esteem during even the meanest attacks.

It goes without saying, know everything you can about your product. If you work from your home office, like I do, then support may not be immediately available, so it pays to be as prepared as possible for answering questions of every kind from customers who persistently ask a hundred questions. By being inquisitive in your product, it shows interest, so don't write off the customer as being difficult. Answer each and every question. If you don't know the answer, go find it and get back to them with it. If they apologize for asking so many questions later (many of mine do), just tell them it's your pleasure to help them. And silently to yourself, feel good about the situation, that you turned them around and made the sale.

By being patient and calm, firm yet friendly, your sales can go through the roof. My sales conversions are usually nearly double what others doing my job are, because I am persistent and firm. If the caller is lonely, I chat a little with them. If they're in a hurry, I pick up my sales pace a little while maintaining my voice quality. Make sure to be thorough, and don't sound like you're reading anything. Conversational is the key. By relating to your callers, you'll see your checks and your confidence grow. Don't give up and remember, once the call is over, most likely, you'll never see that person again. So, don't sweat it. Maint

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Used pallet racks are wooden platforms that can be used to store and transport large objects, and which have already been used. There are three distinct economic advantages to purchase used pallet racks. The first is obviously the lower cost, as buying used pallet racks can save 25-50 percent of the cost of new equipment. The second advantage is that they are readily available. Finally, these purchases offer a tax advantage to the buyer.

A National Medical Support Notice (NMSN) may be sent to you, if one of your employees has a child support obligation, by a state child support enforcement agency (CSEA). The NMSM is a standardized form that advises you when your employee has been ordered to provide health insurance coverage for a child through your company's health plan.

The purpose of an English CV is to sell yourself: An English CV is seen as an opportunity to sell yourself and should emphasise your skills, experiences and achievements. You should include successes and wherever possible include facts and figures to support your claims. Do NOT include information that is negative.

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