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Showing posts from January, 2019

Tips to Become a More Decisive Leader

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Each January, people set New Year's resolutions, embrace a visionary attitude for the year, or dream about possibilities for the future. Some people thrive due to this natural "reset," but others ignore it altogether. And some people just feel stuck. They wrestle with questions like these:    "I'd like to write a book, but where would I start?"    "I want to be more organized, but what is the best scheduling system?"    "I want to quit my job, but what would I do next?" Do you feel stuck as a leader? Twenty years from now, you won't remember how many loads of laundry you did or which Netflix series you binge-watched in 2019. What will matter is the relationships you cherished and the challenges you overcame. You'll feel pride when you look back at goals you achieved or significant contributions you made. And this begins with action! Your habits compound over time to shape your identity and to impact oth

Boost Online Reviews to Drive Profitable Consumer Action

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How do you grab a lifeline on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" You ask the audience! While experts tend to get a trivia question right two-thirds of the time, the audience gets that answer right 91 percent of the time. Why? Because individually we are limited, but collectively we are genius. In today's global economy, buyers understand the importance of collective intelligence. People rely on other consumers to help them decide what movies to see, which vet to use for their pets, or the best software to buy. Recent studies show more than half of adults under age 50 consult online reviews before making a purchase decision. People trust and rely on these reviews, and products or companies that receive positive reviews increase the quality and quantity of their website traffic. Gather and Manage Your Own Online Reviews Customer reviews are an incredibly valuable asset in today's world, and businesses have more power over these reviews than they

Craft First-Class Flyers with 5 Quick Tricks

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Want to grab attention for your event, promotion, or group? Flyers are a low-cost form of mass communication that can be personally delivered, distributed through mail, posted in public places, or sent via e-mail. Flyers are fun to create and provide a great place to experiment with unusual images or layouts. As you explore the possibilities, here are five areas to sharpen your design: 1. Magnetic Focal Point When you begin your design, clearly identify the theme of your message. Look for an image or headline that best communicates this, and build your entire design around it. Every flyer should have one thing on the page that is huge, dominant, or captivating. If you catch their eye with this focal point, they are more likely to read the rest of your text.  2. Logical Design Flow After the focal point, your flyer design should have a sensible layout that intentionally leads the reader through the page. Strong subheads should allow viewers to quickly sca

Build a Culture of Success Through Kindness

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Stephen Cannon became president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz in 2012. Though he was convinced about the quality of his cars, he recognized the success of his brand was rooted in the kindness of his people. Cannon understood that the company, the true essence of Mercedes-Benz, was embodied by the people who sold and serviced the cars, including how generously they behaved. "Every encounter with the brand must be as extraordinary as the machine itself," Cannon said. Cannon believed almost every touchpoint of the brand involved a personal encounter with a human being in a dealership. Representatives could act in ways that were memorable and honoring, or repetitive and dismissive. This was a grand vision, but how could Cannon impart a culture of connection and compassion to 23,000 employees at dealerships nationwide?  "There is no scientific process, no algorithm, to inspire a salesperson or a service person to do something extraordinary," Cannon said.

How to Succeed in Remote Working Environments

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In the past, ideas of "virtual work" might have included colleagues from a different country or visions of mysterious IT specialists who hacked your computer by day and only crept out at night. Today, virtual work is woven into the fabric of our experience. Remote working is essentially using technology to conduct business, often with nearby colleagues. This may include: Using e-mail or IM to conduct business with nearby colleagues (in your city or down your hallway) Multi-site meetings involving video-conferencing or simulcast options Flex-scheduling that allows employees to work part of the week from home Virtual work is on the rise: a 2017 Gallup report found 43% percent of Americans work remotely to some degree. Fifty-six percent of software startups worldwide have outsourced their work (contributing to the demand for remote workers) and, according to research by Gartner , organizations that embrace remote working will increase employee retention

7 Signs That You are A Bad Boss (and 4 Ways to Grow

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If you haven't had a frustrating boss in your life, then you are part of a slim minority. Most of us have experienced a manager that's driven us to frustration or brought us to tears. Here are some "Bonehead Boss" stories from CBS News to make you grimace: 1 - After months of hard work, I closed a deal for $7,000,000. My customer bought the equipment because of our strong personal relationship and my company's technical capabilities. Six months later they doubled the order. My bosses, thinking that they had closed the deal, limited my commission to a fraction of what it should have been. I found a new job and quit. A week later my customer moved the order to my new company. 2 - I had worked at a camp for five summers during college when my best friend unexpectedly died from heart failure. When I returned from the funeral, my grandfather was on his deathbed. Obviously upset, I approached my boss and explained the situation. She said "Well, yo

Build Momentum with Contests that Make Your Customers Smile

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Boston was overjoyed again as their darling RedSox capped off a 5-1 series victory over the Dodgers to take the 2018 World Series title. The championship was well deserved, as Boston won a record 119 games, more victories than any World Series champion except the 1998 Yankees. "Now we deserve to be known as the greatest Red Sox team of all time," said infielder Brock Holt. If the RedSox are not the greatest, they are certainly the most loved . According to numbers crunched by Bundle, Boston fans are "America's most obsessed baseball fans." Bundle's stats include money spent on tickets, food, and merchandise, including neighborhood restaurants and bars. From May of 2003 to April 2013, the Red Sox sold out every home-game seat – a total of 820 games for a major professional sports record! The "Perfect Game" Promotion One Boston retailer recognized this passion and tapped into the momentum. In 2013, Jordan's Furniture held

Use Self-Mailers to Boost Your Visibility

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Looking to target prospects with confident, eye-catching designs? Consider a self-mailer that you send through the U.S. Postal Service's EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) program. This cost-effective marketing solution helps you target individual zip codes or carrier routes for a significantly reduced cost. What is a Self-Mailer? A self-mailer is something that can be mailed without an envelope, including anything from a simple postcard to an elaborate booklet. Self-mailers are a great medium for stunning photos and eye-catching graphics. While e-mail inboxes are currently overflowing, physical mailboxes are not. A splashy, bold design holds great potential to be seen and shared! A superb self-mailer can have several advantages over envelope mailings: 1. Self-mailers cost less. Self-mailers are simple: often, they have just one sheet of paper (no need to stuff envelopes or match the contents of your letter with its packaging). Postage can be cheaper for a se

True Empathy Can Win the Day

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A farmer had a litter of puppies for sale. As he was driving the last nail into his advertising yard sign, he felt a tug at his overalls. "Mister," said a boy at his feet, "I want to buy a puppy." "Well," said the farmer, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost lots of money. How much do you have?" The boy dropped his head momentarily, then drew several coins from his pocket. "I don't have much, but is this enough to take a look?" The farmer paused reluctantly but before he could answer three puppies rolled out of the doghouse. One tiny, awkward pup hobbled behind. The boy's eyes lit up. "I want that one," he exclaimed, pointing to the runt. The man shook his head solemnly. "Son, that puppy will never be able to run and play like the others." The boy rolled up his trousers to reveal a steel brace running down both sides of one leg. "I do want that puppy. I don't run too well