Journal: Now I can 'do' other things.

Using what medium to assist you message in going viral

2013-02-09T19:13:00.001+11:00

In response to an inquiry from a gentleman new at what using 'a social medium' actually involves. Since he is willing to really give this 'social media stuff' a work out then I enjoy helping his cause. In essence the question followed

How to make a message go viral?

Okay there are several ways of doing this

Firstly the medium you are writing this on is important for the following reasons:

With Email [ Gmail hits and tips ]

See on the bottom of this page there is a blue send button. Next to that send button is a little box [+] with a plus sign in it. Hit the [+] and up pops another display box. The first of these boxes is the font you can select. Second box has two different sizes of lettering. Then of course is the bold, italic, underline, color of letter [A] and numbered points, then dot points. Then there is the placement of the words on the lines. and a funny boxes like this [Tx(subscripted x)] which means remove formatting .

Look just play with them. Rule stick to the main 'sameness' at most times.

With regard to attaching a link ... see bottom of this post

For instance: Follow Just Oranges on Pinterest

Source: littlebrickranch.com via Susan on Pinterest

Copying an email onto a post!
Not a terrific idea as you will see when your visitors connect through to this link the background color effects are altered. However if this is the effect you want then go for it.

Writing directly on the blog.

I have this set up so that people can find the information. On forward it either by

Copy and pasting
Attaching as an email to who ever they are connecting with themselves.
Add an original photograph into the 'post' and then people can upload this photograph onto visual board like Pinterest. Or as I have done here embedded a visual picture from Pinterest into my post here. When people click on the picture they are backlinked to the Just Oranges board that I happen to share with others.

Note if everyone of the oranges people took photos and placed them on a platform then uploaded them to this oranges board and while they were up to that made a comment on two pictures already posted plus shared those pictures and comments with their friends the boards would gro. An electrical zap would zing along the 'wires' to the blog posts and the SEO's would then have fun catching up with things. Just an aside here since the sales of oranges are basically through organisations and groups would a 'morning tea' time be convienent and I will explain on mass at the organisations how to get their messages out via social media. This is valuable to them of course for their 'work within their organisations field".

Copy and paste the address in the address bar of the post and then send it via twitter, Facebook and so forth.

SPAM

Spam detection is so easy that people simply ignore what and who they do not want to open up. If they are not a friend or not trusted then they do not open the emails. In fact spam detection is so detrimental that many people only open emails from addresses they have 'white listed' - addresses of friends and those they trust entered onto their 'compose' address book.

This is where social media interaction is important in building up a trust 'fund' with those you want to communicate with . Which simply means jumping too and getting on with things by a different approach!

Use of Keywords

The different approaches also includes the use of 'Key words' and 'long tail key phrases' you supplied such as

Tariff protection

Level playing field

Swiss cheese effect

These are good for the search engine optimizers [SEO's] that help people fin what you are writing on the net. But not terrific in getting accepted onto peoples incoming email lists. Why? The SEO's recognize keywords as 'spam' and the incoming gate gets diverted to trach and spam. So your message does not get through.

Getting around this: You use

the post [write on blogger]
then attach onto a friendly email and send this out.
Build followers on different platforms such as 'Facebook', 'Google', 'LinkedIn', 'Pinterest', 'Loveit', 'FriendFollow' [ there are thousands of these platforms so you build one or two inter connecting platforms at a time.
You also encourage your friends to follow you on these platforms...., you follow them too. Interact with them, send messages to them, Add pictures. They onsend yours and you onsend theirs. Where there is 'activity' the SEOs 'brake in' and have a ball . There work is to get stimulated and thus stimulate others to follow suit. Literally if there is a lot of activity happening at one main address people want to join the team that is achieving most or having the most fun? Fun will always come first. so literally while they are not looking the hard is not hard work now but a group of people achieving something together in a collaborative group that allows their talents to spill over . . Here is an example... I dislike dealing with money matters. but I am good at it. Not as good as an accountant so I utilize the services of an accountant which frees my time to get on with something that I really do enjoy. And paying the accountant from the money that does come in thus a) recognizing their skills b) recognizing and valuing my own skills and time costs and c) why should I run from the little things in life The beginning of a positive vortex starts here when like you I can chase/catch my dreams too.
Spread the post around as I have described above. Then send out another post - which is why I suggested keeping the posts small in word size and large in amounts of pictures and videos.

Attaching a link onto a Gmail

In the Gmail I sent to this gentleman the following sentence was included.

....Anyway was going to send you a long email [it's now a post] and redirected things so that you can have access to the contents at a later date

When adding an attachment give the backlink something to 'hang onto' or simply attach itself to.

First I typed in the words "going to send you a long email" .
Next I went to the bottom of the Gmail compose page and again next to the blue [send] button is the [A] the paperclip and a [+]. Note that all you have to do is copy the posts address in the address bar and attach it to one of the following

a) The paperclip -used for when there is an on computer file to send.
b) The link symbol [found in the [+]] - the one I am telling you about now.

The text in the Gmail that you would like to use gets highlighted - move the mouses curser over to the beginning of this text section [ usually] left click the text [called highlighting or shading the text]. Next......
Open the link box. [ explained above]
An edit Link box pops up. With the blue dot next to the We address paste the web address of the post in here.
Hit TEST THIS LINK and make sure it is connected. You should see the wanted post pop up.
Now hit okay.

Use at the most ... the very most ... three backlinks on a general Gmail. No one back link twice otherwise up comes the spam alert and redirection will most likely occur.

If I have missed out on anything please let me know

Susan

How to have effective brand management

2012-10-25T10:10:00.002+11:00

10 Tips for Effective Brand Marketing by Debbie Laskey MBA from Debbie Laskey MBA

Why use a tie?

2012-09-19T09:06:00.002+10:00

There are so many ways to tie a tie. Behind each knot is a load of history and tradition. When a sales person presents themselves to their prospective and current consumers they represent not only themselves but also everyone associated with the company they work through. So the correct wearing of a tie is enhancing the body language associated with presentation of 'the tie' build on the trust factors within the traditions but worn correctly are a subliminal stimulant towards forms profitable consumer relations.

Yes, you are using the sublinimal belief of a tie equals a person of worth instilled into many people through out their early lives

The info-graph included below is just one round of tie tying to look and learn from.

Source: goodideasandtips.com via Susan on LoveIt

How to steps for 'The Kicks' promotion

2012-08-30T11:40:00.000+10:00

The help I am offering is more than just me sharing your pictures. What I do is show people how to put together their 'stuff' while building communities of active and participating followers. In a nut shell... help yourselves while helping other people.
There are several social media steps involved. Since you will have control of them [ very important] you need to be behind the building off. Make sense so far?

The basic concept is two fold - have you heard of the push / pull effect? Briefly the p / p effect is where you place everything 'The Kicks' as a group on an area called a 'hub'. No Facebook and other socialized media is not the primary hub type I am talking about. Have you a web page [not a school based one]? Every thing you do goes through this Hub. Google is one that is prevalent through all educational and Governmental spheres through out most of the western world. Costs nothing too. This s the first step. Would you like me to make a Google blog for you. That way you can edit it . Which of course means that 'The Kicks' will need a gmail account.

While you are at it it would be good for each of you to get individual gmail blogs and gmails as well. I will explain in depth later on. Suffice to say you keep you personal stuff on your personal blog and gmail account while you place your 'The Kicks' stuff on the 'The Kicks' professional blog site.

Oh yes if you want me to make the blogs for 'The kicks' and/ or yourselves you will retain all rights to them as well. Now and forever. The only things I will show you how to promote and get promotes will be through 'The Kicks' site. This is important for you to notate [file away] for your future reference. It is also important for both you, 'The Kicks' and what I do this end for you to be disassociated with what should not go on through the net and the networks that you are going to develop. No swearing [ not ever a crass world of finger gesture] no nudity and remember that what goes on the net promoters in your future as well as further education facilities do check for what you have placed through the internet. They will be effectively paying your way through life.... [harp/ harp and harp again] yes you have heard this all before but check out your photo shot! Think about it and take the action you really want too about this. That is what everyone see's.

Let me put it this way. YouTube and SEO ranking measurements. Before you upload anything yourself gain a large following. Your initial first ranking happens when [finally] you upload your first video. I am talking about a very LARGE following ... thousands. SO while you are at school and performing what you do in the 0.03 seconds you have with regard to the initial impact you / your picture makes will help determine your follower ration. Does this make sense? If you already have a measurably large following then promoters will be willing to pay you more per appearance. Ask yourself -Are you doing 'The Kicks' just to 'bum' around or to get going with something that is important to you all? Remember the P /P effect [push / pull] I spoke of before. How you present what you and 'The Kicks' are is part of the push effect. There is a lot to do in order to get the push effect activated and to that end I will show you how - for now. Then once the pull effect comes in to play your promoter will want to take over. Which is why I have said to keep these notes [ hard copy them].

Once you have a basic hub I will then show you how to activate your twitter / Facebook page From here getting these to be interactive with each other is the next step. I know this all may sound very basic too you. However people that I deal with often do not have the basic steps and this alone trips them up later on. So I make it my business to go one step at a time.

#Howto engage a win / win sales promotion using a gift basket.

2012-03-26T17:34:00.000+11:00

Ever heard of the term - Promotieartikelen? What about a promotion tool? Simply put promotion tools are part of the overall marketing strategy .

A promotion which involves the giving away a series of 'microgifts' [such as just a 'free coffee"] is participating in a very basic Promotieartikelen. Basic because the coffee is considered to have no depth. A walk away with very little return.

Gift baskets may be 'real' in texture, touch and smell.
Or they may be 'virtual' as in vouchers that reap a
perceived reward.
The gift that came with a basket was not the fruit but
the wiggly pen [ complete with company contact
numbers] hidden in the ferns behind

Taking the promotion to the next level two things now occur. The first being the consumer is giving something back to the business such as their email address, permission for their name and photo to be used as a closure of the promotion article. These inevitable are planned into further promotions. Therefore the permission is in writing and is legally binding between the parties.

The second involves something given to the consumer with which further free advertising occurs.

Such as a 'microgift' as a refreshment within a 'take home pack' consisting of a cup that has the business logo, a platter of food, business cards, serviettes and even a personalized 'thank you' card. As long as your business mug is being utilized, your company gets a required boost

Of course the receipt of which has been much promoted, photographed and 'gushed upon' by friends and relatives. Person to person 'Word of mouth' or Twitter to friends and followers of both the business and each person in attendance is a cost- effective Promotieartikelen tool.

Customer Touchpoints

2012-03-02T11:30:00.000+11:00

What are customer touchpoints?

What makes your business stand out from the rest? What makes you as a sales person stand out so that both people and your client base trust you anyway?

From a customers point of view ever business has product and costs. These are givens. But why do they allow you in the door? What makes them want to do business with you and keep coming back or referring your service to others?

What are the little things that make customers come back?

Pleasant decor.

Is their somewhere for the client that has to wait on your time to log into the wi-fi service? Can they make a cuppa? Is the music so loud that they really have to go - now! Good lighting, pleasent smells. Clean restrooms.

Appropriate storage capacities.

A mechanics shop that has a pile of everything everywhere would make people think that their car will be done ... when it is found... later.

Where as a mechanic shop that has everything in it';s place and a place for everything gives the first impression of a faster more through service because of streamlining and time management aspects.

A home business that has a well looked after frontage gives the illusion that the people inside care for their things. Therefore they will care for your business - not spreading everything around for competitors to 'take'.

Extras that cost

Hidden fees and unclear billing statements are not something that the customers have budgeted for. After a delay in payment to you will they really be coming back?

Buzzworthy side effects of good touchpoints

First off when people actually get something that they were not expecting they will comment on it. Maybe not to you, but word of mouth gets around through their friends. Especially over the internet as many customers both research the products they want to purchase before purchasing. When they find what they are looking for a 'share or like' may occur. Then they will tell others about what they have purchased. Word of mouth like this is quick and does your business well. The reverse is also true.

Valuing the customers time and energy may be a little thing that you can 'show' your business cares about. Having small chocolates individually rapped, or biscuits in their own wrapper placed next to the refreshment stand allows freedom of choice for the customer. Having an empty plate or container means that someone has not been keeping tabs on the freebee's. It really is the little things are something that your customers value above and beyond the basic product that they came in to purchase.

How to find out what your customers are saying about you.

Simply - ask them.
Listen to what the customers have to say. Verbally as well as on the internet.

Listen to on--line conversations with a # and your company name straight after the #. Anything on-line within that servers platform will come up. Get back to these customers quickly. Rectify the problem before word of mouth becomes a viral backlash.

Be easily found on the net.

Engage with customers, and other people through the forums, microblogging and commenting on their comments or feeds.
Create focus groups.

be active within these focus groups.
Being proactive and bringing up topics for conversation gets your business name [and your one too] seen on the top of peoples comments.

Remain within your focus as this will give you and your customers the direction your business is in.

Ground braking technology input when all someone really wants is to collect a cuppa and something to eat could and will put them off returning.

Customer touchpoints are not always obvious. The touchpoints are sensory pleasures or displeasures. When painful or just not there another brand fill the void. Your potential customers will simply go there.

Commit to your Business Plan learning

2012-02-26T12:09:00.000+11:00

Yes the effective Business Plan you draw up might be made up of a little bit of this, some of that and a pinch more for taste. This business plan might even sustain you until it's run its duration. However what happens when you go back it it an try making that next step. Do all the pieces integrate allowing the progress towards achieving all your objective actually be grow and be achieved.

You really do need a business plan. One that has short term, medium term and long term goals. The simple thing about making this plan is that really you need to have a focus objective.

The work out what your objectives are to gain your primary goal. Complement these with strategies of how you are gong to achieve the overall goal. Simple so far is it?

Not really however knowing what you want to focus on makes a great number one point.

If you want to bake a cake why then are you making a bread or cooking dinner? Deciding what type of cake, for who to eat and the suitability of that cake be makes you involved with the decisions. In this case strategies]

However being committed to baking the cake means everything has been laid out, you know the answers to these questions, you have a time line. The first step has been taken. Being committed is when on ingredient has mixed with another. When you have now committed to baking a cake.

Making a business plan, acting on it and then reviewing and then being able to redraw/ alter up another is making that learning factor a commitment to progress.

Old verse new

2011-12-07T06:31:00.001+11:00

There are many business out there where the people who own them are use to being employees themselves. They see an opportunity and grab it. Organise 'all' the paper work, go through things with a fine tooth comb, purchase the business and then work their tails off to get it running smoothly.

Then comes the crash. Things just are not progressing. They loose hope and their cash as the "today's" real world closes in. What they are set to loose is not only the hard earned cash but the time and effort, they have put in, the knowledge they have gained and worst of all all that 'ownership' and identity of who and what they are now, were, compared to what they will be if they do not do something real.

By real I mean simple acknowledge that they were good at what they do. Their understanding has been acknowledged with the pay check they took home and invested. However, do they alone have all the talents needed to move forward and keep their business in line?

NO is the easy answer.

At this point I am going to explain something between the old and the new. Marketing has two aspects. The outbound and the inbound. Or put it another way the tangible and intangable.

Outbound marketing:

Cash and direct leads from cold calling,
trade shows,
direct mail,
advertising,
promotions.

Inbound marketing:

Internet blogging,
social media,
emailing,
social mediaising,
S.E.O.

The trick is meshing these two concepts together because when you go into these business the owners are familiar with the Outbound marketing concepts. So familiar that they are stuck going around in a mess of frustrated circles. The new fagled ones are for 'the kids who do not know the stuff' the owners have gone through. Meanwhile this outdated view is not only a generation gap but something like a knowledge chasm. Since the owners are so busy literally digging themselves into an early grave the 'employees' will assist them to. After all the owners have set the precedent to all their good employees - follow the leadership at the helm and do what the owners are showing the employees to do- or we sink.

To turn the all this around the incoming consults needs to work with the outbound marketing strategies while bring in the 'new' Inbound marketing strategy concepts. Selling these systems to the employees while wholesale marketing them owners and upper management staff . Talk about a double edged sword. Meanwhile filling in the leaks

Good luck.

Just Sleeping on it.

2011-12-04T08:44:00.001+11:00

There are few jobs where a lowering of social conscience is not accompanied by a lowering ethics.
Sharlyn Lauby writes a great short post that raises Sleep Deprivation and Ethics issues. Wikipedia states that sleep depreciation "adversely affects the brain and cognitive function." While there is definite regonition that sleep deprecations is an impairment of ability factor and Amnesty International lists sleep as a form of torture just who is responsible for putting the pressure on, effectively Bulling someone into constantly being on the go while they are on call or actively meant to be in a working situation.

Think of being in a position where you initially stand your ground. You turn off both the machinery you operate and then yourself in order to get that nights sleep. Refreshed both you and the consumers can now use the machinery safety being a priority. Then something alters. You take on that extra job just to help out. Some one wants a day off so you cover. Gradually what was not normal before has become normal now. Just when the pre training takes precedence over an incident is up to not only the individual but the communities culture the individual enters into. Hence the reason why business are subjected to stronger law suits than the employee. That is if the employee can obtain and pay for good council while paying the 'lawyers' waiting game. Often setting out of court then finding the life quality has diminished further as they are now known as whistle blowers.

At this point subjective behaviour steps in. Steven Brown states that: ...." the person's subjectivity as such constitutes an actual event which exists in it's own right and is measurable in it's own terms..." Behaviour and impairments being similar to the excess blood alcohol levels sometimes a break down of personal wellness is the trigger.

Through out our lives various behaviour programming occurs. Think about a foreigner to the cultural community you are in. Say a foot baller attending a boxing match. Or a Vegan attending an event where sitting down to a roast meat meal or eggs and bacon breakfast is obligatory. What do they do? What would you do as the host, the guest next door or even the vegan themselves? Subliminal triggers are released causing judgement decisions to occur relating to the social conventions and poor risk analysis of the guest, the other guests, and the host.

Think of the professional people transporting driver who by convention must drive on the correct side of the road. The brain goes into overload a mini sleep occurs. Hopefully waking up before the accident happens. Gets a fright . Adrenalin pumps into the system. They get home and thank their lucky stars and God for another chance to see daylight, kiss their families and play with the dogs. Then one day something else happens. This time they realise that through lack of sleep, both drivers are needing an adrenalin fix to keep going. While one person is not transporting the other has picked up clients. Really dangerous situation. STOP. Where are the ethics here? Besides leaving what do they do, who can they report too?

The eventual effect of being lulled into these situations are depression, anxiety and stress conditions accompanied by guilt should injury or death occur to others. In these situations "...sleep deprecation has the same hazardous effects as being drunk. People who drove after being awake for 17 - 19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol limit of 0.05percent."

Does ethics have a tangible as well as an intangible price tag. The answer is yes.

Grab a concept.

2011-12-04T07:57:00.001+11:00

Consider your companies views regarding the Internet, it's usage, leverage, belief and ethic systems all ready in place.

Before you charge on ahead, going where angels fear to tread, have a good understanding of exactly what the combination of the companies strategies and objects exactly are. Then look again the vision and mission statements just to be sure you are working within these guidelines. Study carefully the social media policy... or lack of one.

You know the what, the where's and how too. This knowledge is of great worth to any company that uses it. However, by the 'self-value' not being understood even by yourself the effect lessons the other values - that your hard earned skills, certificates and experiences have all cost you to get. Put your price on them. Work at not lowering what you have going for you.

I say this, as when you charge on ahead, out of this realm and falling into a danger zone of having no support, you will be overused, unsupported and frustrated... just to name a few. There goes both your anxiety and stress levels off the measurable chart, taking with it your health and sapping your energy poor time management. Especially since there are so many variables to put into place [sites to use, information, research to gather, writers and other multimedia and techno savvy people to train and work as a team] just so the first post can flutter onto a web page.

If you are already heading this way... STOP. Sit back and reassess what and where you currently are. Why you were heading that way? Begin thinking out of the box just to get another point of view. Remember and action that fact that you are not a prisoner of work but a Person of Worth [P.O.W]

Food for thought... who am I

2011-12-03T23:10:00.001+11:00

You may know me.
I’m your constant companion.
I’m your greatest helper.
I’m your heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am at your command.
Half the tasks you do can be turned over to me.
I’m able to do them quickly, and
I’m able to do them the same every time.

I’m easily managed... all you have to do is to be firm, with me.
Show me exactly how you want it done-
after a few lessons, I’ll do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great men and women,
And, of course, servant of all the failures as well.
I've made all the great individuals who have ever been great.
And I’ve made all the losers, too.
I work with all the precision of a computer
and the intelligence of a human being.
You may run me for profit, or you may run me to ruin.
It makes no difference to me.

Make me a strong part of your life.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Be firm with me and I’ll put the world at your feet.

Who am I? I am HABIT.

(Author unknown)

Balance and realine - a training gaol

2011-12-03T07:08:00.001+11:00

When people are in a situation where their 'daily lives' are influenced strongly by an increasingly self feeding circular stress / anxiety and depression cycle the influencing factors spiral. Often not seen until the inevitable happens where something goes and breaks down. Now added guilt factors step in. Businesses loose well trained and valuable members of their work force when the people realise that they do not even like what they do any more. The fun has gone out of their lives. Added work loads now pile up onto other people [more stress for them] and the training department keeps employed as long as the business can pay them to keep going.

Implemented 'stress load recognition" steps built into any ongoing training program become doubly important as they are a set of tools for all transitional from within the the work place, the community and the family life. That people have the belief the attitude of 'burring the heads in the sand' will make it go away. Thus they are not involved or responsible is an abuse by all to actively ignore what is going on will not make it go away. Instead the abuses are intensified as they are magnified. Like a pebble skimming the water something eventually impacts with something else then eventually sinks.

Walking the double edged sword of having to psych ones self up to take an active part in a job completion task often is of assistance. Being able to hop from one side to the other, do the job and being able to effectively be efficient at fully leaving the situation behind is the aim of initial training and then constantly updating that training.

Effectively the person is spring boarding into the jobs starting point through putting on a ' practised uniform'. Think of an emergency worker. Sometime through their training they are shown how to cut off from being themselves, flick into work mode, do the job and come back into themselves. For years nurses went to their place of work. In the locker room they changes out of their civvies and into the uniform. There were often others around letting off steam, offering a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. The head nurses would be warned about trouble brewing and deal with the issues. In today's world debriefing has overtaken part of this return transition process. Expert help from a neutral person outside of the circle of events that actually were occurring. Alternatively time out camps where returned solders can go in order to hole up. Take the time and eventually come back into their world reality.

These scenarios illustrate strategic release times when and where ordinary human beings are out their doing what they are trained or allowed to do sometime during their life. Not implementing the Occupational Health and Safety steps now incorporated within 'set out pathway to recovery' finds those behind the system guilty of work place abuse issues even years after the activities or events triggered a release of the 'adrenaline rush' triggered to cope with the work experiences.

When people are unable to make the full jump between the analogy of the double edged sword mentioned above they gradually reach breaking point. Often unseen by themselves as what was 'norm' has now been overtaken by this new norm. Incorporated into any training program a series of 'just have fun activities' that include the families, refresh the person and are their without competitiveness factors interrupting is a must.

By building into the awesome responsibility of the "..too succeed or not to succeed" part of human nature fun training activities that release the reassure, reconnect both ourselves and the others around us with 'fresh air and balance' the training team supports further cohesive actions, goal attainments and reignition while allowing the persons involved chances to balance, realine and become whole once again.

Trying another side of Google

2011-11-26T06:18:00.001+11:00

I am at the beginning of a steep learning curve that sees me both learning and implementing just how far I can utilize the Google Documents.

An associate showed me Google Documents. Then opened the Google Document world to me. Things I had thought of before suddenly became limitless.

Previously having to save diagrams and pages in half or quarter size for people to read them on the information presented on the blogger.

Printing this information out caused the enlargements to be unreadable.

I kept finding scholarship papers popping up in Google search engines. These were really good reading as I was told the procedure to place a 'paper' on this level of the web. therefore felt that the source to be more accurate that something placed on the web.
Instead of repeating actions that involve a lot of copy writing the same things over and over blogger's tab bar has incorporated a web address link.
The folders can be made and files stored in them. Meanwhile there is a running sheet of each and every file you are working on as well.
Sharing is a terrific idea when you are able to limit those who see but also those who can change things around with you. Check the documents out.
Time management wise there is a lot to be done to enable the change overs from blog indexes to document presented indexes. However for the readers easing this time spend is a profitable investment.
Locating files to update -where someone else is or has been working on - is easier as they have popped up to the top of the list.

On the down size although

The printing has greater scope the graph pages are still tricky to print out .

Google Documents will add another dynamic side to the blogs that I have fun writing with.

Covers everything I think

2011-11-25T07:23:00.001+11:00

Who said that? Where did that list come from?

Now prove it to me!

12 RULES FOR GETTING THE BEST OUT OF PEOPLE

Expect the best out of the people you lead.
Make a through study out of other peoples needs.
Establish high standards for excellence.
Create an environment where failure is not fatal.
If they are going anywhere near where you want to go, climb on other people's bandwagons.
Employ models to encourage success.
Recognize and applaud achievement.
Employ a mixture of positive and negative reinforcement.
Appeal sparingly to the competitive urge.
place a premium on collaboration.
Build into the group an allowance for storms.
Take steps to keep your own motivation high.

Found this when visiting a forgotten site.

The hook, link and sinker effect.

2011-11-21T13:05:00.001+11:00

As a sales person learns, practices and uses the techniques shown to them through a combination of the in-house training, the private and sales experiences, reading, an awareness of just how far that sales person has travelled becomes apparent to them. This is especially so when they then observe someone that they too have mentored mentoring a new sales person. The effect of a good mentor is that they cause ripples of interest to become tsunamis with sales climbing and experiences growing.

Like a well presented cloak, the experiences are woven into the materials threads. This results in the three way strengthening of the sales structures. A sales person is a channel between their company and the client. The cloak of sales experience holds together that three way interaction process which occurs through the development of an interactive 'common' knowledge base, customer interactions, natural decision inputs and shared understandings. Even when the client themselves has not recognised those needs now dealt with the interaction is still occuring.

While a common basis is formed [from trust, repetition, and good standing has been developed] the simulation of shared base of images is triggered. At times during the sales persons 'off time' the client will approach by themselves, through another person or with another prospective client, then casually mention something that has been bothering them. Word of mouth and referrals are powerful trust mechanisms. Follow through on them or your client is made to feel foolish.

Since your client has already taken the bait long ago, he literally has been swimming around in circles waiting a trigger in order for him to stop swimming, give a yank for help so the sales person can real him in. Some external and unexpected thing may have triggered the clients needs causing the client tot jump out the water and into the sales persons well positioned safety net!

Important note: Deal with the follow up, close the sale, unhook the fish at the mouth and let him go. Oh and did I forget to mention you, the sales person has transferred the client from the wild sea into your own fish tank!

To care for transferred fish means that the sales persons team feed them regularly, interact when and where possible, do not swim in the tank, clean the tank when needed.

Rescuers complex.

2011-11-21T12:07:00.001+11:00

In the beginning the client had a concrete set of images in their mind. The sales person job is much like a lawyers. The client is like the jury members both waiting and needing to be swayed.

Through the use of multi-media animation built up from photographs and videos that superimpose a graphic image into the mind of the client the animation gives the client a clear illustration of both the current situation and

what may occur without your companies intervention, products or a design change.
what might have actually happened.

Either way the client goes the sales person follows up with a lead that takes the client through the opportunity door.

Just to practice

Choose a picture from the newspaper.
Draw a ring around some thing that may not be right, could go wrong or looks better with your product there.
Attach the picture to the reflective glass or an actual mirror surface you are standing in front of.
Look into your eyes and practice saying out loud

"Of course with these products this has changed, that would have been different, cost

factors verses compensation or insurance damages.... "

How would you feel when someone points out little things that leave niggling doubts. Now that sales person sends you information to help you. Ahh! the rescuers complex in action.

Close the sale now. Make a follow up date - to be confirmed of course. Move on to the next appointment.

Triggers releasing action.

2011-11-21T07:20:00.001+11:00

Ethics and experiences change in the various cultures which make up the community the sales person is entering into. Other than being resilient while taking the lead there are five things are the same through out the sales persons speal.

The first is money. Effectively the sales person is after it, the client simply does not want to spend it. Stalemate. With a win loose situation who will dominate?

True sales people look for a way to listen to the client - after all they hold what you want - their purse strings. You, the sales person wins when the client feels like they have won by signing up to what you are selling. Once this has occurred further non-time wasting follow ups and contact is important.

The second is that cheesy smile. One that says "I'm gonna take you for a ride" While you cannot see my hands mind your wallet!

The third is just talking too much. If you are talking you are not listening to the clients needs. Your message becomes blurred and with out end. Your mouth is moving so fast you are unable to see what the client is missing. The clients cameras may let dust in. Spiders may trigger things off. These equal hidden cost factors that the client happily pays for. What if your company has dust free entry camera. Or can supply a cleaning and debugging service for the camera area.

While the sales person technique includes appraisal and analysing the clients needs - their own need for a close of sale might override common sense -intruding on a delicate close of sale threat. When a sales person effectively shows the " I am not rushed but I do have other appointments" attitude from the start and has mentioned a time allotment such as ".. What about spending five minutes to show me what you are talking about?" Spend just five minutes. Once achieved and done suggest that for a better understanding of the situation make a positive affirmation to return either on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Meanwhile you will forward information that will be helpful.

Now get out and do it. Exit with grace and confidence that you have not wasted your clients time. Make notes and critically review the time you have spent. Pass on the information. Make the experience worth while for both you and your client.

Presenting a morphed before and after vision leads to ongoing sales

2011-11-21T07:10:00.001+11:00

The power of animation is so strong that simulations confer "pseudomemories". Basically by the sales person supplying a pseudomemory as a trigger tool the sales person is setting the seen for a is an imposed memory or trigger to gain hold. How the client needs to settle their mind.

You know your product is the best. Simply dropping the prodct and running is not doing the client or yourself any favours. The client is in need. Fearful of being sues, being left behind, knowing that you will have other people to see.

The real motivation to stay with you and your company is the reward of doing something and being recognised. Ask them which photos they would like placed in the Safety and Security blog that is a free publication emailed to interested parties. Advertising is very expensive. The situation of giving the clients business recognition for ongoing sales, or even spending time having a cuppa or meeting at a shared club activity is important. Either way the client and sales person is in a win / win situation.

Have you an ongoing support team?

2011-11-20T22:01:00.001+11:00

Oh boy! Time to walk through the door. Hope no one stares at you... is your tie on right, what about socks - are they paired. Is your shirt inside out, trousers ... do they have a stain... did you slop something down your shirt already [is it noticeable?]

Obviously it's the first five minutes before you start work in that new place. You have been there before. Even now the walls look closer, the staff have large fangs and sharp wit. The nails to draw blood are hidden with a hammer to drive said nails into the wall. GLUP.

Where I have the pleasure of working currently building, developing and training the sales team there are support networks in place before you come in the door. No I do not mean we rush out and hug you then drag you into and pamper you. That action would probably drive the poor nervous person running out the self same door.

The business has tentatively been expanding the avenues of income. While these avenues are being developed, then on sold, a new client customer base is being built - a process that is on going in any business. Over the last two months as new office staff have come in they are included in decisions. The talents and skills of both the new and older staff members are utilized. Encouragement for others to be supportive has been ongoing. Mentoring has a new level in that now it is shown in not only passing on knowledge, creating new networks but also expanding the staffs collective skills basis and comfort zones. For instance the new accountant is getting use to the idea that she has the power and it is expected for her to say 'No'! to any expense and the owners must listen. having just arrived two months ago she now has nearly completed a Quick-books bookkeeping course. This takes three days out of the week and is two hours away from the office. So staying overnight was going to be no option. Instead of spending up to five hours travel [and waiting time] the account has stayed at a back packers hostel. Now there is recommendations through her network . Initially a fifty year old grandmother on staff told the twenty two year old account about the hostel accommodation where that older staff member stays when in Melbourne..

Now a sales team is being trained up through sales situations, presentations, paper work, journals, basic book keeping and so forth. While one member of staff is writing these posts as a way of ongoing training and support, others are directing the new members on which areas to go to next, showing them different aspects of what the business actually does. Further because of an asset evaluation early in the sales time new dimensions are being incorporated within this business, explored by the same sales people who brought in those skills and assets not recognizing exactly how worth while their interest, skills and talents actually were. The challenge now is ongoing. New teams are being picked through the sales peoples networks, then developed and supported by all the staff, their families and other stakeholders. The sales people are willing to accept the responsibility, the rights and the collective accolades of their teams efforts.

Currently the business has had to develop in the wider area with a broader marketing base due to new Australian Federal policies, which have resulted in a lack of trained personal throughout the state. Big money is else where and that is where people had gravitated too. Concurrently the ongoing problems have caused a staff shortage all around that impacts on the overall quantity of service.

Previously these factors had little effect until a previous sales person and office person dabbled a little too close to industrial espionage and gossip rumour warmongering. You are aware of the old word of mouth thing where what is gossiped about states ' Where the is smoke there must be fire".

Lessons have learned by the business, the new staff and the owners. The main one being that the people who have tried to destroy not only this business, but other small ones, have yet to discover is that loyalty to others actually helps and supports many people within the community. Selfish actions do not support a team - usually the team has been destroyed before that time or those people involved have have left. However business do hang in there. Memories are long and direct. The new people are not being encouraged to take dirty action. Instead it is being reinforced that dirty actions minimise the energy flows developing when a great bunch of people grow and strengthening together. Why go down to the abusers level. Join together , move on, and inclusively together, with our support the business will grow, change, strengthen and be profitable once again.

Basically people support people, and business, who support them, give them a change to grow, develop, to stand up amongst many while having a innate sense of self worth, while asking for nothing in return.

Way to Go Sales Team.

2011-11-20T19:59:00.001+11:00

A sales team is part of the overall business workforce. Literally any business is in business to show a profit thus keeping the share holders happy, the employees employed, the bills paid and expenses managed. This said the employees take their professional bearings along with their attitudes lead from the businesses management.

A business that supports the environment it is in in a manner which overcomes challenges (both major and minor) will in turn lead the way for their employees and others that it interacts with greater ease, manages to grow from adversity, then turns potentially negative events into positive ones can harvest that same flow of energy through their structure. Effectively the benchmarks the company sets are passed on through the staff. Both the staff, other stakeholders and the business becoming more resilient, responding to change pro-actively rather than resisting any change factors. After all where would you now be should electricity then light bulbs not have been invented? Way back before then what about the garnishing of fire embers and the shaping of a wheel?

Business and people who develop the right attitude, actually become aware, develop an internal Locus of Control managing to cultivate optimism social support through a sense of humor. Meanwhile as the staff are encouraged to exercise , to explore their spiritual side they are also prompted not to give up.

Given this positive atmosphere that is moving forward what hope does the sales team have but to emulate it and come up smiling. Way to Go.

Resilience in our Sales People.

2011-11-20T13:52:00.001+11:00

Selling and Sales People go hand in hand ... correct? Like so many other positions stress and its associated triggers also are right there too. So, how does a sales person have the ability that enables them to adapt, therefore deal with stressful selling situations? Add to this the external disasters that good sales people are able to turn into a profitable situation for both client, the business they represent and their own bank balance. Yet every one, in the three way situation, feels satisfied as they hold firm to the belief of a job well done!

The trick is that the sales person has learned to adapt a "roll with the punches " attitude. The benefit is that by adapting to adversity the minor or major stress factors and life changes have less impact.

Lets start with the smaller practical factors with sales.

Know who you are.
Have belief in what you are selling.
Expect the help you ask for to be given.
Keep a tab on the follow ups.
Do your paper work
Present well, be courteous, mannered and leave with grace.

Now the slightly harder ones.

Acknowledge that when you are selling there will be many who are not buying. Simple fact. Live with it or do what you have been taught to do about it.
When you cold call there will be many knock backs. Acknowledge there is a roller coaster ride to sales. Know that you are supported on the bad days, give out to others on these days to. Be part of a forward moving team. Celebrate both the good and bad achievements.
Rebalance and move on.
Wow! Are they having a bad hair day or what? Do not take their bad hair day on or it will follow you and your sales team around like a bad smell.

All these things bring about emotional changes and surprises. How you deal with these ups and downs, negatives, knock backs, frustrations, what your family members are doing [ or could be doing] may have been observed during your infancy and may even carry through into your selling period. Note that the resilience you are looking for can and should be developed with a little effort. Resilience is not resistance. Resilience is not a matter of blocking, out but of how you hold onto the challenge, grab a duster and flick away a few fears, then get on with the job of selling.

Shared understanding

2011-11-20T09:30:00.001+11:00

Think about it. Your sitting in on some meeting somewhere and up pops a totally irrelvant idea for that time. What do you do? Whip out the recorder and try talking into it? Change the conversation flow becoming the unwanted centre of attention. [Great if you are at a wedding listening to the father of the grooms speech!].
No. Y you grab a bit of something to write on [table napkin, scribble pad or even piece of skin] and scribble furiously.

Now get to the time where need to remember what it was you actually were writing about and what happens. Your blank.

Use of multi media greatly improves shared understanding through the avenue of shared seeing. Shared seeing involves animation, videos, power point presentations, music or voice overlays that take the client directly into what you want them to experience. Putting this multi media into action your client follow up beings to look promising.

Since you have spent time listening to your client describe what they need, or you have left them with a further thought, send direct to that client an email with an attached tailor made company's page that addresses their specific needs. On the page have preselected targeted visual stimulation presentations that range only two minutes duration. Add a free bee, other information and a direct survey for their needs.

Note all feed back is classed as paper work and must be treated accordingly. Email the information to the relevant people within the business you represent.

Visual representation explains to the client why they actually want the product you are selling. Sending the client a link to the information gives the client the opportunity for some down time viewing. The client may even pass the link to another, or other people, for their reviewing. Effectively you are setting the sales scene by arousing the clients discomfort of dissonance.

Rather than just sending a series of disjointed bits and pieces - have a presentation prepared through Google Documents. For on going information updates refer the client through to the relevant site ie.

Free updates on - Safety and Security for You - and your staff - just hit here.

The actual line gives you something, names the something and then tells you to action it here. Has your trigger finger been tempted to hit the here yet?

At this point you have done the following

Followed up on what you have said you will do.
Gained a measure of trust that you will follow though.
Given the client breathing room or the ability to share their work load through the appropriate channels.
Set the scene for closing the sale.
Triggered the connection between you and the client, the staff and their family connections.
Increased the traffic flow through to the business you represent continual data service.

Just a question here. What happens when the client sees something that easily could be a before and after shot of similar problems they either are having, have experiences with or may be in fear of having.

Yes you have included a tailor made survey in the document you have sent have you not?

T.R.U.S.T

2011-11-20T09:09:00.001+11:00

Try a
Ruse
U
Suffer
Tragically

The effect of T.R.U.S.T. being used in the negative is that the actual TRUST you have built up over time and through honest effort simply evaporates. Gone like a fluff of dust into a vacuum.

Knowing your product

2011-11-20T08:52:00.001+11:00

People who lie or those spreading maliciousness gossip will get caught out. With today's internet is there really anywhere you can hide once your credibility has vanished?

Yes. People will buy from positive and credible people. Anything negative will tend to make those you are talking to hurray away in haste. But once you have lied or gossiped people stay away from you in droves. Think about it : If you have lied about one thing, or gossiped about another person or business what do they think you are going to do about them? And you really want to sell something to them. All I can say is keep at it you may be successful.

Here's what you do.

Should you find that there has been a slip up go back and correct it. Your reputation may suffer for a while but do not do the same things twice. Hand the sales opportunity over to someone else before you do this again. Your reputation is the only thing that counts when selling. It is your honesty and therefore your reputation that sells to the client.

There will be times that you are asked a question by the client, other times when you think that there is a product or service that may be just what the client needs. The client has outlined what they want, you have spent time listening, you know that time is money... effectively your money. STOP right here. Allow the customer to hear you out. Make a follow up time so that you can find out further information with regard to what the customer wants. Will it suit their needs expressed as it is , be tailor made for the clients needs? or even not suit at all. Now YOU get back to the client and let them know. Even arrange to bring in the expert in that field.

The reason is easy :- T.R.U.S.T.

That paperwork again!

2011-11-20T08:34:00.001+11:00

Paper work is important, be it through pen on paper or multi media means. Channelling the correct paper work through the parties involved keeps communication up front and moving on. Keep your finger on the pulse here through tracking the information as it goes through the organisation you are representing.
Reports are a two way means of keeping everyone informed.
Updating the journal and diary entries you keep.
Filling out the surveys.
Reading newspapers, the net, and stream lined emails will assist in keeping you ahead or just on top of what is happening. The possibilities are endless so act on them yourself or through contacting your head salesman or other appropriate person.

Today the use of multi media is prevalent. Should things ever go to court what bis actually written in hard copy stands up in court. Anything else is an opportunity for fraud as it can be electronically tampered with or whipped out in a instant. Yes the disks may be unscrambled... at whose cost?.

Journal: Now I can 'do' other things.

Using what medium to assist you message in going viral

How to have effective brand management

Why use a tie?

How to steps for 'The Kicks' promotion

#Howto engage a win / win sales promotion using a gift basket.

Customer Touchpoints

Commit to your Business Plan learning

Old verse new

Just Sleeping on it.

Grab a concept.

Food for thought... who am I

Balance and realine - a training gaol

Trying another side of Google

Covers everything I think

Expect the best out of the people you lead.

Make a through study out of other peoples needs.

Establish high standards for excellence.

Create an environment where failure is not fatal.

If they are going anywhere near where you want to go, climb on other people's bandwagons.

Employ models to encourage success.

Recognize and applaud achievement.

Employ a mixture of positive and negative reinforcement.

Appeal sparingly to the competitive urge.

place a premium on collaboration.

Build into the group an allowance for storms.

Take steps to keep your own motivation high.