Business Managers: Communicate Your Career To The Next Level

All presenters believe their words are important, and they are. But if you don't give an audience a good reason to listen, they will quickly tune you out. In an age where sound bite is king, cutting through the clutter is more important now than ever.

Keywords:

Speaking, Presentations, Speaking Careers, Public Speaking, Speakers

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Not too long ago, I walked into a room where some of the country's top oncologists were preparing to launch a new cancer-fighting drug. The occasion was the group's rehearsal before a big presentation to the Federal Drug Administration. Given that these men and women are some of the best and brightest in their field, I thought the rehearsal would be a breeze. So, I sat down, pen poised to make a few notes so I could help them fine-tune their presentations and be ready for the onslaught of media that was sure to follow.

What a letdown. Five articulate, highly educated, well-dressed presenters, armed with shiny animated slideshows, droned on and on and on and on. It didn't matter what they were saying because the audience wouldn't really hear any of it anyway. Around me, eyes closed, and others pretended to take notes while playing solitaire on their laptops. I wondered how in the world I could help these presenters. I also thought about tripling my consultation fee on the spot.

All presenters believe their words are important, and they are. But if you don't give an audience a good reason to listen, they will quickly tune you out. In an age where sound bite is king, cutting through the clutter is more important now than ever.

Consider the following 7 points before stepping into the limelight:

The Take-Home

No matter how many years and dollars you've spent on research and development, no matter the technical complexity of your subject matter, when speaking to a group your entire presentation must boil down to one key point. If you had to sum up your talk in 10 seconds, what would you want your audience to know?

Ask Yourself the Right Questions
What you think a listener needs to know is not always what that listener wants to know. Put yourself in your listener’s seat and ask the following questions: So what? Who cares? What does this mean to the listener, reader or viewer and me? Until you frame your messages from your audience’s perspective, they won’t care. If they don’t care, you’ll never receive their full attention.

Talk in nuggets

Powerful communicators who can hold attention have something in common with each other. They've learned that speaking is for the ear, not for the eye. Instead of preparing a presentation as a research paper jammed with minutiae, condense complicated information into bite-sized nuggets and present only the information needed to move an audience toward the desired outcome.

Present, Don't Read

Is your presentation written like a term paper? Is it written in sentences? Do you allow room for pauses so the listener can participate? People don't converse in long-winded sentences. We speak in short phrases. So write in phrases or bullet points. You will then find yourself talking more and reading less. Also, take time to pause between key thoughts so your listeners can digest what you're saying.

Paint the Picture

Explaining the features of your product may be important, but explanation without example has no meaning. People can't remember all of the facts, but they do remember impressions. By comparing and contrasting, providing analogies and visual images, your presentation will come to life.

Slideshow or Presentation?

No one comes to a presentation to see a slideshow. They come to hear a knowledgeable person share ideas and talk. Visuals should reinforce what you're saying, not serve as your script. Instead of preparing the slides first, prepare your remarks then create appropriate supporting visuals. Let your words drive the visuals instead of the other way around.

Nix the Jargon

Just because your audience is packed with colleagues or you’re providing information for an industry trade publication doesn't mean you should talk jargon. Get rid of the buzzwords and throw away phrases. Rather, look for opportunities to put your words in context by humanizing your material and telling stories or anecdotes.

As I worked with the oncologist presenters and brought many of these points to their attention, they worried that simplifying the information would harm their credibility. Quite the opposite. By making an effort to connect with their audience rather than throw too much information at them, they created a focused, central theme with real-life examples that excited and inspired listeners. And in the end, the cancer drug they believed in made it to market and received a lot of good press!

Earn Money While Helping Others Improve Their Health with Low Level Laser Therapy

Low level laser therapy home devices are growing in popularity, but there's still an untapped market that's inviting you to be a part of it. Discover how you can earn money while offering this amazing home health product...

Keywords:

low level laser, laser therapy, cold laser, soft laser, therapeutic laser, quantum healing laser, scalar wave laser,

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If you've always wanted to start a unique business from home or earn some part-time income, you can do either of these by recommending low level laser therapy to others. Low level laser therapy is a growing trend that's helping many people to unleash their body's ability to heal itself.

Low level laser therapy provides a fresh approach to pain relief and cell regeneration, but there are striking differences between therapeutic lasers and other types of treatments or medications. One of the main differences is there are no known side effects of low level laser therapy. Also, low level laser therapy can now be administered at home instead of spending time and money to visit a doctor's office for therapy sessions. Low level laser home devices allow those with arthritis, back or neck pain, inflammation, tension and stress, and other ailments to reclaim their health and enjoy a more balanced life.

Low level laser home devices are also called cold lasers, soft lasers, and quantum healing lasers. There are also brand name soft lasers that are named for their innovative technology, such as the Scalar wave laser. The home devices are lightweight, handheld, and easy to use for everyone. Most companies will provide instructional DVDs or manuals to educate users about low level laser therapy and how to use the home device.

Earn Top Dollar with Cold Lasers for Home Use

With so many practical benefits of low level laser therapy, it's easy to recommend this product to others. The devices may seem pricey, but you can explain to others that the long-term benefits and savings are well worth it. They won't have to take time from work to visit a doctor's office for their low level laser therapy. They can keep the device for years to come, even after it's paid off. Their whole family can benefit from low level laser therapy. Not to mention there are numerous health benefits, and the therapeutic lasers help to relieve stress. Low level lasers can be a precious asset to anyone's health.

So, how will you earn money? Some companies that sell cold laser home devices will allow you to purchase the laser devices at discounted wholesale prices. Then, you can in turn sell the cold laser devices to others. This can work well if you already have an established business, especially one that sells natural healthcare products and vitamins. In this case, many of your customers may already be interested in unorthodox healing methods. Or, you can start your own business from scratch with only the cold laser devices. You might also want to visit other established businesses to see if they would like to sell cold laser devices to their clientele.

On the Cutting Edge of Technology

One advantage to starting your own low level laser therapy business is you will be on the cutting edge of technology. Low level lasers aren't new to the medical world, but the home devices are fairly new to the market. The soft lasers for home use have been years in the making and many people are ready for them, just like when personal computers for home use hit the market years ago.

Many people don't yet realize the tremendous benefits of soft lasers, and they certainly don't realize they can do their own therapy at home! This proposes an amazing opportunity for you to gain wealth while educating others about this powerful technology. Even if you don't have experience with low level lasers, it's an untapped market that's easily accessible for beginners.

Low Level Lasers as Gifts

Low level lasers make great gifts for any occasion - birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, and so forth. You can earn money while advertising these as gifts when holidays roll around. Everybody knows at least one person who has a lot of chronic pain or other health needs. That person would be thrilled with a device that's going to alleviate or reduce their pain without side effects. A therapeutic laser home device would make a splendid gift that they will treasure for years to come!

Before choosing a company to work with, make sure the company is well established and up-to-date with the latest low level laser technology, such as the Scalar wave laser. There are many types of cold lasers, so study on the latest products before searching for business opportunities. Once you learn about low level laser therapy and how it works, you'll want one for your own personal use, and you'll definitely want to share this technology with everyone you know!

Entry Level Retail Jobs Lead to Lucrative Careers

If you were to survey store managers, merchandisers, buyers, or other high-level retail executives, virtually all of them would say that their first retail jobs were in customer service or in retail sales. Find out why...

Keywords:

retail job, jobs in retail, store jobs, retail career, retail opportunities, retail work, mall jobs

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If you were to survey store managers, merchandisers, buyers, or other high-level retail executives, virtually all of them would say that their first retail jobs were in customer service or in retail sales. They may have started part-time when they were students, took seasonal mall jobs during the holiday season, or started full-time after taking classes in merchandising or in management. For almost every retail professional, though, what began as a retail job turned into a retail career.

How did they work their way up the ladder of retail work? First, they built a foundation based on customer service and sales. This is partly because, when it comes down to it, every successful retail operation is built upon customer satisfaction. A retailer that offers great prices and good merchandise may do well initially, but if the retailer doesn't take care of customers, the operation is no more than a flash in the pan. Therefore, a proven commitment and passion for exceptional customer service is necessary before advancement is possible.

But the act of keeping customers happy is only one component of enjoying career advancement through retail opportunities. Equally important are the skills you acquire while developing your talent for customer service. After all, customer satisfaction requires a high degree of efficiency (for example, quickly ringing up sales), the ability to troubleshoot (determining what the problem or challenge is and how to fix it), strong interpersonal skills (remaining calm when a customer is upset), and great communication (both in listening and speaking).

Customer service or sales jobs in retail quickly separate those with star potential from those who simply take store jobs out of convenience. Store managers understand that those who have stellar customer service skills directly contribute to the profitability of the enterprise. After all, you are instrumental in establishing and maintaining customer relationships, which result in repeat customers and increased sales. Because retailers almost always promote from within the company, you are well positioned to move up in the company.

As you gain experience in customer service or sales, you are likely to discover other positions that appeal to you. Perhaps you would like to explore retail merchandising, and assume responsibility for merchandise displays, signage, and everything else the customer sees when he or she enters the store. Merchandising is an exciting job that engages your creativity, your understanding of human nature, and your knowledge of the products your store carries.

Another retail career path is in management. Perhaps you like the idea of being in charge of every aspect of your department, hiring and managing employees, and bringing your personal touch to the customer experience. Once you have demonstrated that you have an aptitude for management, you can rapidly advance up the management ranks, moving on to store manager, regional manager, or even district manager.

Retail career advancement can take many different forms. Taking advantage of in-house promotion opportunities is key, but you can help increase the speed with which you move up the ladder by volunteering for company trainings, attending management training programs at community colleges, developing relevant technology-related skills, and taking classes in specialty areas like merchandising.

Wherever your retail career path leads, keep in mind that entry-level retail jobs give you the chance to develop a variety of skills that will serve you well.

Customer Relationship Management For A Higher Level Of Customer Service

For businesses large and small, their profitability and success depends upon customer retention, customer relationship enhancements and customer acquisition. This is often known as Customer Relationship Management or CRM. CRM is the managing of all business and interactions with customers. The main purpose of Customer Relationship Management is to allow businesses to better manage their customers through the introduction of reliable systems, processes and procedures for inter...

Keywords:

customer relationship management,crm,crm software,crm solution,small business crm,online crm

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For businesses large and small, their profitability and success depends upon customer retention, customer relationship enhancements and customer acquisition. This is often known as Customer Relationship Management or CRM. CRM is the managing of all business and interactions with customers. The main purpose of Customer Relationship Management is to allow businesses to better manage their customers through the introduction of reliable systems, processes and procedures for interacting with those customers. A good CRM program helps the business acquire customers and service the customers. Good CRM also helps retain good customers, and identify which customers can be given a higher level of service.

CRM is a complex mix of business processes, enterprise strategies and information technologies, which are used to study customers' needs and behaviors to help businesses develop more substantial relationships with them in order to get greater results.

In the late 90's, customer relationship management mainly consisted of just an index file, an answering machine and a telephone. Today, an advanced CRM system has evolved into an Excel spreadsheet and more. CRM systems normally consist of email and/or snail mail, marketing campaigns, contact manager programs, sales tracking program, and multi-media contact center or voice mail system.

A successful CRM strategy doesn't just mean simply installing and integrating a software package; it also involves a wider approach including modifying business processes based on the needs of customer, training of employees, adopting relevant IT systems and software, and IT services that allows firms to track their CRM strategies.

Good CRM software can help run an entire business by allowing companies to maintain all customer records in one centralized location that is accessible to the whole organization. Front line offices have systems that are set up to collect data from the customers for processing at the data warehouse where data is stored, orders are filled and tracked, and sales data analyzed.

One of the most common causes for customer relationship management system failure is poor data quality, which can be easily avoided. CRM systems are as useful as the information it provides. The old saying "garbage in, garbage out" can be applied to CRM data quality. To ensure good CRM data quality, be sure to input the data accurately; check data entries twice to minimize the possibility of duplication; if there is an error in the provided information or if the information is not complete, then re-establish contact with the customer to recheck the data. Customers generally do not get annoyed at this; instead it makes them more appreciative of the extra customer service.

Comparison Sites Attributing To A Higher Level Of Online Sales

What is the attraction and value of these for users and what are retailers and service providers finding them a useful tool as they strive for online sales?

The online retail sector for products and services has been buoyant for a number of years and the level of resource and funding that major retailers dedicate to the online market surges with each turn of the calendar. As the online marketplace has developed, the consumer offerings have become increasingly sophisticated...

Keywords:

online marketing, comparison sites, online sales, reseller sites, aggregator sites, personal finance

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What is the attraction and value of these for users and what are retailers and service providers finding them a useful tool as they strive for online sales?

The online retail sector for products and services has been buoyant for a number of years and the level of resource and funding that major retailers dedicate to the online market surges with each turn of the calendar. As the online marketplace has developed, the consumer offerings have become increasingly sophisticated and more reflective of the offline marketplace and traditional marketing. Consumers demand greater choice and shop around for the best deals – the benefit of increased levels of competition. Online comparison sites have developed a niche in recognising and reflecting offline shopping habits and reflecting this in terms of online user search habits.

Indeed the online comparison sites appear to be a making a good fist of it with new research from E-Consultancy revealing that in some industry sectors up to 30% of online sales are referred by shopping or product comparison sites. More and more, online comparison sites are being considered as part of the online marketing mix for retail and service providers and represent the entire business model of a new wave of comparison based reseller and aggregators.

Personal finance is one sector where aggregator and referral sites thrive. The impartial aspect of allowing consumers to compare and contrast a range of services and providers to find the deal that suits them best allows a degree of empowerment on the part of the consumer and offers a distinct competitive advantage for reseller and aggregators. Sites such as Moneynet (http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) and the Motley Fool (http://www.fool.co.uk ) provide users with information in a simple, no nonsense manner allowing them to select the product or service that suits them and pocketing the referral commission.

Other sites such as Dial-a-Phone (http://www.dialaphone.co.uk ) are more straightforward in their approach to referrals. A bulk reseller, they can display preferential deals from the main mobile phone networks, avoiding the middle man and passing savings on to the consumer. Again, there is an essence of customer freedom involved as the user can compare and contrast various services and offerings before committing to a particular network or package and again the reseller picks up the commission for passing the user on.

With the online marketing model continuing to develop in size, scope and sophistication, the future look bright for online referral, reseller and aggregator sites and these look set to be a continued integral aspect of online marketing.

CD and DVD Replication Take Marketing to the Next Level

In today's world, multimedia rules. For that reason, CDs, DVDs, and even HD-DVDs should be part of your marketing repertoire.

Keywords:

CD replication, DVD Replication, HD-DVD replication, FlexDVD, DVD duplication, CD Duplication, HD-DVD Duplication

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Every business needs to have an edge, and it's been proven time and time again that creative, attention-grabbing marketing strategies can push a product into prominence, garner media attention, and reinforce brand awareness and loyalty. In today's world, multimedia rules. For that reason, CDs, DVDs, and even HD-DVDs should be part of your marketing repertoire.

Getting Your Message Out

Whether you need to send out training materials to employees or product information to prospective customers, CD replication services or DVD replication services can help you place your information in front of your target audience in a format that they will embrace. Similarly, you can easily use CD duplication or DVD duplication services to make thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of discs that can be sold, handed out a trade shows, bound in along with magazine advertisements, or bundled inside mass mailers. And, when your goal is to disseminate the highest quality images that technology has to offer, you can even take advantage of HD-DVD duplication services.

Finding the Right Partner

Whether you're interested in HD-DVD replication or CD duplication, it's critical to choose the right company with which to do business. Here are some characteristics to look for in a manufacturer:

Experience: Your multimedia disc will say volumes about your company, so you need to ensure that the manufacturer you work with has extensive experience in CD and DVD replication, media services, and information technology.

Customer Service: The company you use should place a premium on customer service, and should have a client roster that contains repeat customers.

Cutting Edge Technology: Look for comprehensive premastering, mastering, and replication services for all CD and DVD formats, as well as the ability to copy protect your discs. For example, the company should use a laser beam recording machine to transfer your digital information onto a glass master, which is then developed and activated, and then transferred to a bath to grow the stamper that will provide you with DVD replication or CD duplication.

Quality Control: Ensure that the company you select has exceptional quality control standards. For example, the first discs that are replicated should be tested bit-for-bit against the original, and should also be played in a variety of drives and players to test functionality.

Creativity: The service you choose should be able to go beyond standard round discs and provide you with creative options that include customized designs and disc shapes. You could, for example, distribute a CD that is the size of a business card, that is in a shape that reflects the nature of your business or the theme of your campaign, or that has other unique characteristics.

Packaging: At the very least, the company you work with should be able to offer UV cured inks and up to five-color printing on durable labels for your CDs or DVDs. Beyond that, the best companies also offer incredibly effective packaging services that will make your CD or DVD stand out from the crowd.

From products to promotions, you can use CD and DVD replication that will put you ahead of your competition and enhance your company's image.