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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Response Strategy And Face Crisis

Globalized business environment, various business corporations are indeed faced with a wide range of challenges and uncertainties. Also, there is a growing expectation that various companies will take care of the personal safety as well as well-being of employees under all circumstances.

Crises can actually take many forms, from the more conventional to a terrorist incident or perhaps natural disaster that can materially impact the operations of an international enterprise. Know that the outbreak of violence all over the world, worrying developments, and the sudden political change triggered the immediate evacuation of expatriate personnel or perhaps the need to close an operation or plant overseas.

When it comes to crisis response, failing to plan will mean planning to fail. In other worlds, crisis response must have a definite plan. Indeed, without careful training as well as regular practice in crisis communications, it is unlikely that an organization will be able to perform well under pressure. With such, proper training and regular practice when it comes to crisis communications is a must.

Different Crisis Containment, Training, And Contingency Planning Services

Contingency Planning - This will include devising a crisis response strategy at corporate headquarters, local and regional levels. Regular testing as well as amendment of such plans is very important in order to allow for the fluid nature of the modern corporation. Doing so will likewise ensure flexibility.

Hands-on Proactive Crisis Containment -
If you work hand-in-hand with clients along with their crisis containment committees, there is a greater chance that you will be able to deal with a live situation easily and efficiently. There are actually senior consultants that have unparalleled experience when dealing with serious situations and crises.

Business Continuity Planning And Practical Response To Incidents - A lot of organizations will offer necessary services however, only few have the required experience in order to practically implement the necessary plan whenever the necessity arrives.

Extortion Response Consulting - Modern business can indeed face a wide variety of threats from various parties with different agendas. These can actually take the form of out and out extortion or perhaps threat to infrastructure or processes to or denial of service attacks to certain computer systems. Indeed, in some parts of emerging economies, only little help can be expected from local government or law enforcement offices. There are firms or consultants that can actually guide senior management through such circumstances.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Ready For The Leap


You have a plan written down that you review on a regular basis, that sets the course for where and what you want to be in 2015, 2020 or even 2030, you can stop reading now and skip to the crossword puzzle. However, if you haven't figured out what you want to be when you grow up, read on. It will change your life dramatically for the better. In fact if you have not written down what your life is going to look like and what is on your "to do" list for the next 10 years, how in the heck do you know where you're going? If you are stumbling along trying to satisfy short term objectives (less than 3 years) and do not have a grip on the big picture, I.e. core values, 5 and 10 year objectives, you are less likely to feel fulfilled than those that have a plan and stick to it.

You Will Always Operate To A Plan


The rule is; you will always operate to a plan. If you don't have one of your own, you will follow or fall into, someone else's plan. When you arrive at those various forks in the road and you don't have a plan, there is a high likelihood that you will make a decision as to which road to take based on someone Else's plan. However, if you have your own long range plan, you will make those incremental decisions base on where you want to be - your plan.

Now there are people who enjoy being led and have no problem following someone Else's agenda. However, I believe the vast majority of you would like your life to turn out the way you want it to turn out and not be left to the discretion of those around you.

Four Step Program

There are several organizations that can help you with a structured process to help you lay out targets for the long-range future. You can also accomplish this on your own or with your significant other if you are disciplined enough to put aside several hours and take on this endeavor with serious abandon. However, before you sign up or begin on your own, make sure the following four areas are addressed:

First, figure out what your core values are. These are the values that are truly the most important to you. They are not tangible, material things. They consist of wonderful thoughts and values that you live and would die for. There are dozens of values that can be identified, but some of the popular ones are, family, spirit, integrity, honesty, wealth, security, power, etc. The list goes on. Don't limit yourself. Take a lot of time with this first part. Make a list of those core values that are the most important to you. Now identify those top three values that you would die for (this isserious stuff). Keep these uppermost in your mind throughout your planning process. These are the values that will have the most impact on motivating and driving your life decisions.

Second, figure out where you want to be and what you want to be, 10 years from now. Keep in mind your core values. If you died 10 years from now, what would you want on your tombstone (besides pepperoni and cheese)? What do you want someone to say about you in your eulogy? Write your own eulogy.

Third, lay out your personal goals that will make this eulogy accurate. For those of you in the business world, the eulogy is like a mission statement that your company has. Your short term goals (1 month - 1 year) and your long term goals (1 year - 5 years) are then developed to support your mission statement or eulogy.

Fourth, establish goals within your career (short term and long term), that support your personal goals. These most likely will contain many material goals. That's okay. I know Mom said, "Money is the root of all evil", she may be right if you don't have legitimate core values that are the basis for earning that money. The bottom line is; now is the perfect time to plan the rest of your life. The next millennium will be exciting and successful for you if you operate to your plan.
Dave Fischer is the founder of Chartwell Seventeen Advisory Group and currently serves as President. He is a licensed trainer of the Sandler Selling System which has helped thousands of sales professionals, worldwide. With a passion for selling, training and coaching, Dave seeks to help individuals and organizations achieve their professional goals in the fields of sales and sales management. Dave holds a B.A. from the University at Albany: State University of New York as well as an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Price Optimization in Real Time

Food is a commodity and we treat it that way at the wholesale level, and since free market economics are all about 'Supply and Demand' shouldn't we take that whole concept and philosophy down to the street level? Well, we kind of do that now right? I mean when supplies are abundant and a particular fruit or vegetable is in season, the prices becomes stunningly low, and then at the end of the season it rises up again.

Why? Supply and Demand, and somewhere there is a climate where such fruit or vegetables can grow in the off-season, South America and Australia for instance - opposite seasons right? Yes, but figure the cost to transport and hazards of perishables being shipped across the planet and every crop competes for field space, water, and farmers plant what's most profitable or what they think will be at the end of its growing season.

If this all sounds like the type of writings Adam Smith put forth in the Wealth of Nations or a Milton Friedman economics speech (still available on YouTube by the way) that's because all of these things are the basics and fundamentals of free markets and supply and demand dictates. Okay so, about the street level, what if the supply and demand in the store were to take all that into mind?

You see, there was an interesting article in Grocery Retail Online News on August 14, 2014 titled; "KSS Retail Introduces New Automation Solution To Enable Real-Time Price Optimization," and I wonder if they might take this even further, let's talk.

What if the cash registers were connected to the produce 'electronic price' sign guaranteeing that price for one-hour if you hold a little tag or have an app on your iPhone synchronizing that price until you get to the register where you scan your phone for the 'special price' even if that price is less than the advertised price you received in your junk mail coupon flayer?


Lastly, I wonder if people will complain of price gouging were this to be taken to its Free Market limits? And would it cause people to come to the grocery store every day to see what was on sale? What if something isn't in the mailer coupon flayer and yet, when you run to the store to get that item for your recipe you see there are only a few left and the price is now $5.00 per pound? Time to think on all this, because it seems others already are and they are ready to implement these real-time systems for pricing at the consumer level.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Your Sales and Marketing Process

" This may be the most costly thought process of all time, and unfortunately a lot of companies live by it.

Are there inefficiencies in your Sales & Marketing processes today? These inefficiencies are costing your company money.

Because they are hidden costs that do not reveal themselves in your financial statements, they are continuing to do harm to your business. As "Lean" is really tied to removing costly inefficiencies, it applies to all aspects of business - your company's Sales & Marketing effort included.

If your company's sales and marketing program contains "non-value added" aspects, your potential for gaining additional market share is suffering because these activities are costing you money. You are either
passing these costs on to your customer by increasing your sell price, absorbing these costs and reducing your profitability, or suffering from doing a combination of both.

In any of these scenarios, Your company's ability to win incremental business is being compromised, but also your Current business is not as profitable as it could be.

Too many companies, whether they are manufacturers or distributors, are spending time and money repeating sales and marketing steps that are unnecessary to help them grow their sales profitably.

To determine if you need to implement "Lean" practices into your Sales & Marketing process, see if any of these 9 questions apply to your business.

1. Does your company have a "Sales Process" that is as effective as it could be, or is your sales team not advancing sales opportunities through the pipeline? 

 2. Does your company advertise in a way that reaches your desired customer and is producing a good ROI, or are you spending money on the hope that your desired customer will see it?

3. Does your company have an authoritative and educational website that is working for you as a sales tool, or is it just another website?

4. Does your company implement price increases efficiently and timely, or does the process take too long?

5. Does your company generate qualified sales leads and follow up on them to secure new business, or do you treat all leads equally?

6. Does your company appropriately segment your marketing initiatives, creating communications that "speak" directly to the desired customer or do you take the same approach to reach all potential customers?

7. Does your company have sales aid information that is organized and readily accessible for your sales team, or are they having to search in multiple places for that, including contacting your Customer Service?

8. Does your company effectively and consistently on-board new hire sales and marketing personnel, or is the approach inconsistent, resulting in a missed opportunity to instill your corporate strategy from the outset?

9. Does your company introduce products to the market timely and powerfully, or are you missing out on the great opportunity to draw attention to your brand?

All of the above are areas where inefficiencies can become common practice and hurt your top and bottom lines.

Skilled Professionals Global Product Sourcing

About product sourcing, but maybe you don't know exactly what it means. In this article, we are talking about what product sourcing is and how it can benefit your company.

If you are a part of a business, you are aware of the fact that any firm has different departments, such as Finance, Human Resources, Sales, Legal, IT or Accounting. Many companies have outsourced some of these departments, either to save money or to add more skilled professionals to their teams.

Recently, a new trend has appeared, a trend called product sourcing. Properly doing product sourcing, especially when we are talking about global product sourcing, is a quite difficult task. To properly fulfill it, you need a passionate specialist, that has the appropriate skills and knowledge, as well as a wide network of collaborating suppliers. Sourcing basically means searching and identifying the best sources of products and services that your company needs and negotiating a favorable contract with those sources.

Since sourcing is a rather new concept, many people don't know the difference between sourcing and procurement. You might think that there are the same thing, but sourcing is only a part of the entire procurement process, which consists of a collection of processes, not only buying the needed product and services.

Why do so many businesses seek the services of sourcing companies? For the same to reasons we mentioned before to be responsible for the outsourcing of other company departments (HR, Finance, 

Accounting). The first reason that determines businesses to surrender the responsibility of sourcing to third parties is saving money. By cutting a whole sourcing department, you reduce the headcount of your business, thus paying less money for wages and related activities. However, most companies choose to get help with their sourcing due to the fact they realize which are their limitations. 

They come to realize that they do not have enough experience, knowledge and relationships in the industry to achieve the results they desire. By giving this tasks to a third party, they achieve a better understanding of the methods, steps and processes involved in sourcing. This way, no more mistakes are made, deadlines are respected and things run smoothly from one end to another.

Sourcing companies have something your company probably doesn't have. In their years of experience in the field, they have built relationships, based on trust and mutual respect, with different suppliers all around the world. Even when looking for a new supplier, they will know which are the signals of a trustworthy supplier, as well as the price ranges and ascending or descending trends on the market. 

If you have reached the conclusion that you need such a service, don't hesitate to go online and do a simple search. You will find many companies that offer sourcing, procurement and logistics services, but to make sure that you choose the right one.

Friday, August 29, 2014

How To Resolve A Deadlock In A Principled Negotiation

Negotiation For Solution Demand Rigging Election
How to make a deadlock work for you in a negotiation. Deadlocks are a part of negotiating just like speeding tickets are a part of driving. We don't like them, but just like all of the other negotiation styles and negotiating techniques that we have to deal with, they show up every so often and we just have to deal with them. The good news about deadlocks is that they are actually a valuable tool that negotiators can use to move a negotiation towards close and even get a better deal. Do I have your attention now?

Why Deadlocks Are Valuable Tools

As a negotiator, the more tools that you have going into a negotiation, the better you can expect your outcome to be. That's why a deadlock should be viewed as what it really is - just another negotiating tool.The reason that a deadlock can be so useful to you is what it can make happen. When a deadlock is looming in a negotiation, it can cause the other side of the table to display their position and at the same time freeze the negotiation. If they are really willing to allow the deadlock to happen and walk away from the negotiations, then their current position is a "hard" position.

If, on the other hand, they are operating under some constraints (like time) and not reaching a deal in the negotiation is not an option for them, then when they are facing the possibility of a deadlock occurring, they may be willing to give you compromises that they were not willing to give earlier in the negotiations.
  Protest PTI,and PAT Fraud and Rigging Election In Pakistan

How To Cause A Deadlock To Occur

Just as a deadlock is an important negotiating tool, how you cause a deadlock to occur is just as important. What you need to keep in mind is that the deadlock is not really the end of the negotiations. Rather it is just a stopping point. Your goal is to make sure that you'll be able to restart the negotiations later on.

Whenever the negotiations reach a deadlock, put on your pleasant face. Inform the other side that you're not going to be able to do what they are asking for. By doing this, you are leaving the door open to continue the negotiations later on.

Make sure that you never burn your bridges when you are dealing with a deadlock. Don't tell the other side that since you've reached a deadlock, you'd never be willing to do a deal with them ever again. Instead, tell them to give you a call if anything changes. This will make it easy for both of you to restart the discussions.

What All Of This Means For You

All too often, negotiators fear a deadlock happening in their principled negotiation. In many cases, this is viewed as a failure on the part of the negotiator. It turns out that this is not the case. Deadlocks are just another negotiating tool that we have available to us.
 
Imran Khan(PTI) Tahir-ul-Qadri (PAT)
As negotiators we need to learn how to use deadlocks to get what we want out of our next negotiation. When used properly, a deadlock can force the other side of the table to display their position and freeze the negotiations.

In order to be able to walk away from your next negotiation with the deal that you want, you need to learn how to use deadlocks to your advantage. Take the time to study what we've talked about and you'll go into your next negotiation you can use to get the best deal possible.Your strategy for implementing a deadlock must always be to remain pleasant and keep the door open so that we can break the deadlock when we need to.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

IT Managers Good Job With Your Management


IT managers would blindly follow what their management told them to do, but if there were, then those days are now long gone. We live in an age where everyone, including IT managers, question everything that they are told to do. Given this, how are you as an IT manager supposed to deal with your management?

What Kind Of Loyalty Is The Company Looking For From You?

The fact that your company promoted you into an IT manger position means that they trust you to implement the company decisions and policies. This is great news, but what does it really mean?

I guess there is one important point that we should discuss here: let us assume that your management is not completely evil. If they were, then just about anything that they would ask you to do would go against who you are and what you believe. Let us assume that you are working for some good people who are working at a good company. What this means is that you really do want to do a good job for them.

What this means is that you are going to have to show them some loyalty. This means that as a member of the company's management team you are going to have to implement the company's policies and your management's decisions. Note that this is not blind loyalty, but rather a "thinking man's loyalty".

Providing Good Input

Being an effective IT manager is all about having the right information with which to do your job. Your management is now going to be asking you to provide input on issues related to your areas of responsibility.

There is something that is very important that you do when your input is requested. You need to make sure that your input is as broadly based as possible Don't allow yourself to provide narrow ideas that will only benefit you or your team. If you do this, then very quickly everyone will come to view you as being self-serving and will stop asking you for your inputs.

If you can provide inputs that relate to ways that the entire company can become better, then your input will start to be sought out. The value of your inputs will be realized. People will understand that your inputs go beyond your team and can help the complete company.

What All Of This Means For You

Becoming an IT manager means that you are now a part of the company's
management team. This means that you need to start to implement your company's polices and your management's decisions.

What this means is that when you are asked to provide your input to your management you need to make sure that your inputs are bigger than just your team. Provide your thoughts on how the company can be made better. By doing this, you will soon be seen as a source of valuable information that the company can use instead of just being an IT manager who is only looking out for themselves and their team.

IT managers can spend a lot of time working on how to set up effective communication channels with the members of their teams. However, it turns out that they have another task that is just as important: effectively communicating with their management. Provide your management with good input and you will be seen as a valuable member of the company's management team!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

About International Road and Rail Transport

You are planning to launch or already are a part of a company that needs to periodically deliver different goods and products to other countries or even if it's a just one time thing, you are probably facing an important question: "Which kind of transport should I choose?".

When it comes to international transport, there are a lot of options to choose from, such as air freight, ocean freight road or rail transport. This is why it is so important to determine which is the most efficient method of transportation to suit the needs of your business. In this particular article, we are going to talk about international road and rail transport and we are going to make a short comparison between these two and between each of them and other means of international transportation.

When considering speed and reliability, rail and road transportation are surpassed by air freight, but shipping your packages using train or truck transportation can be the right choice if you don't rely on extremely fast deliveries and you can work with a longer transit line, especially since this option can be a lot cheaper.

International road transport is widely used today, due to the fact that it is quite flexible, being able to reach virtually anywhere and can provide "door-to-door service". Another advantage is the fact that it can be cheaper than other means of transportation, but only for shorter distances, meaning that doesn't apply for you.
 
The final advantage we are going to talk about is the fact that a truck cargo is extremely easy to load and unload, which makes the process faster than in the case of a train. The main two disadvantages of truck transportation are the fact that is can be affected by weather condition and the negative effect they have on the environment. Studies show that trucks generate five times more greenhouse gas emissions than other means of transportation. From this point of view, rail transportation can be more efficient, since trains take in one gallon of fuel to transport one ton of freight for about 484 miles and aren't as damaging to the environment.

International road transport. However, it also can be cheaper when talking about small-sized shipments, no matter the distance, so if you have to send small packages, choosing to send them by truck could be the right decision for you.

Another advantage of rail transport and reason for which it is expected for the rail transport to flourish in the following years is the fact that it's inexpensive and can be used to transport almost anything. Another important factor is the fact that trains ensure a more secure transit, with less accidents and higher reliability than trucks.

Now that we have reached the end of our short comparison between road and rail transport, it is up to you to choose the means of transportation that will better fit the needs of your company and bring you the results you desire. If you are still having difficulties with package shipping, we recommend tapping the services of a logistics company.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Three Signs of Toxic Leadership


I've had bosses that have hit on me. Others that have told me all about their sex lives - in excruciating detail - while I desperately try not to: (a) laugh, (b) shudder, (c) check my Facebook page in embarrassment.

Or there was the Emotionally Needy Boss, who was mostly upset that we weren't best friends or drinking buddies. I had to constantly validate that he was doing a good fantastic job (yes, that meeting was amazing! It was the cream of the crop of all meetings of all time!). Talk about draining.

But the worst has been the Robot. To call in sick more than a couple of times was to be threatened with termination. She relished the chance to publicly berate employees for minor faults. She was the poster-child for toxic leadership.

Why? People lived in constant fear of making a mistake (she didn't tolerate lateness, distractions, talking, or complaints). Ideas were shut-down almost immediately. The workplace stifled creativity, or originality.

I once got a text message saying, quite simply, that so-and-so had been fired. The subtext: we better watch-out! 
 
Needless to say: turnover was frequent and job satisfaction was very low.

Three Signs of Toxic Leadership

1. It's all about the power: bullying, and public humiliation seem to be the primary way of interacting with and "leading" subordinates.

The Robot boss was quick to anger, and was showed no restraint in criticising employees in front others.

2. Selfishness: they're often very self-focused, inconsiderate of others, and striving for more for themselves. In fact, they could be good-old-fashioned narcissists.

The Robot boss did not understand that people could be sick, or could have cars break-down, or children fall ill. Instead of responding with empathy, she would list the inconveniences to herself and threaten to fire - she made people feel beneath her, and replaceable.

3. They're destructive: according to research, they can foster a negative image of the organization, especially among employees, and are possibly contributing to higher turnover, negative culture, and job dissatisfaction.
Under the Robot boss, staff turnover was frequent, and staff were both uncooperative and became equally as petty in their behavior as their toxic boss. They would count work done in minutes, and consider any minor activity done outside of work hours as billable.They would act selfishly: wasting clients time, and focus on the advantage that they could gain in coworker relationships. 

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Finance Your Franchise Business Plan And Your Peers Loan

Business establish and funding your franchise business is no easy task regardless if you are just starting out or looking to grow an existing business.

Banks and other traditional lenders - while they do like franchise businesses for several reasons like proven track records, experience and huge brand recognition - are still not jumping up and down to fund these organizations. And, it might not be due to the franchise industry itself but more to do with the financial markets in general and lenders just not wanting to take any risks at all.

Even the SBA - a huge backer of franchise businesses - are at the mercy of banks and other preferred lenders when it comes to funding (or not funding) franchisees.

So, where does a current or potential franchise business owner turn to start or grow their business?

Look To Your Peers

Peer-to-peer lending - organically started in the United Kingdom (UK) - is more about helping individuals get low cost, non-bank loans from people just like you. Peer-to-peer lending works like this. Savers (those with additional money that they want to invest in ways that provide them some type of return on those funds - more than banks are currently giving) will sign up on a platform to look for other individuals that are seeking loans for personal needs - like consolidating debt, taking a vacation, fixing a vehicle or covering emergency needs.

The person wanting a loan also signs on to the platform, gets to tell his or her story and, after being scored by the platform, gets many different savers (individual lenders) to fund their request.

It is faster, cheaper and with a lot less hassle then a bank or other traditional lenders - if those sources would even approve your loan request that is. And, these platforms look beyond credit scores when making decisions.

So, what does this do for businesses or franchises as these peer-to-peer loans are for personal needs?

Peer Loans For Franchises 

Again, started in the UK but now in North America, a company decided that they wanted to take the peer-to-peer lending industry to the business world. Thus, this company, Funding Circle, created a business loan peer-to-peer platform for both conventional businesses and franchises.

The platform offers franchise loans from $25,000 up to $500,000 - to be used to start or grow your business. These loans offer rates from 9.99% to 20.99% and can come with terms of three to five years.

Not bad for a business loan - try to get that from your bank!

From the platform;

"Full application takes less than 10 minutes and applicants receive pre-approval confirmation within 48 hours and the money in their account within 5-14 days of submitting the application."

And, according to their website, the company has put out over $525 million in small business loans worldwide.

Lastly, Funding Circle is not alone. Lending Club, a U.S. based peer-to-peer lender is also offering true business loans up to $100,000 for one to five years at rates starting as low as 5.9%.

    "We cut the cost and complexities of traditional bank loans and pass the savings on to borrowers with easy online applications, low fixed rates, fixed monthly payments, flexible terms, no prepayment penalties, no hidden fees and friendly service."
 
And, again, since these business loans do not come from banks or other traditional lenders, they come with less hassle for approval and much less red tape.

Why Do These Loans Matter To Franchise Businesses?

Normally, we do not promote specific businesses. However, these companies are pioneering new ways in which to fund businesses and franchises - trying to do what they can to fill the funding gaps left open by banks and similar business lenders.

They are by-passing traditional underwriting methods and standards (whom many say no longer work in this new economy) and finding ways to say 'yes'. And, through these peer-to-peer platforms, they are essentially taking the middle-man out (the problem to some) and letting those with money provide those funds directly to franchise owners who need it.

Image the shoe on the other foot. A well known franchise - one that you might frequent often - is asking for a loan and is willing to provide a fixed rate of interest in return. You have some additional money and help fund that loan knowing full well how good that business or franchise chain is. Not only do you help support a company you know well but you earn a fair return on your money (more then you would from keeping your money in a bank). This is a win/win situation.

Now, back to your franchise. Yes, you can apply and hope that a credit committee of a traditional lender approves your request (more likely they will drag it out for months and hope that you just go away) or you can use one of these new, peer based lending system, that puts your request in front of hundreds if not thousands of individuals who not only like and know your brand but have the money collectively to get you the loan your business needs.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Four Techniques To Diffuse An Angry Customer


If you are involving in the customer service industry, or are in any client-facing role for that matter, chances are sooner or later you will have to deal with an irate client. I know I have dealt with my fair share in days gone by. I worked for a large derivatives broker at the height of the global financial crisis. My typical day was spent dealing with people who had lost large sums of money as a result of their trading. It was both a sad time, and a time for reflection on how I dealt with these clients on a daily basis.

As hard as it may be to fathom, I even faced multiple death-threats. Not due to any antagonizing on my behalf, but quite simply that the person on the end of the phone had lost money, and they were determined to let whoever answered the phone know about it. One of my colleagues at the time even had a Doctor of all people ring in solely to wish her cancer for Christmas. He was a charming gentleman.

Amongst the abuse I faced often, I was able to pinpoint key techniques that I will share that may assist you or your staff in handling frustrated people in your business.

1) Listen to them

I'm sure that is the last thing you wish to do when faced with someone abusing you, but listening to their outrage shows that you care enough to listen. If they sense that you are trying to offer a solution, then they may simmer down a little. Perhaps they may even realize how daft their rantings are, and take a different, more amicable approach.

2) Remain calm

If it is in your nature to argue with people, whether that is a spouse, associate, or a customer, chances are this will go against your nature. It is vitally important that you remain as calm as possible, and not emulate their volume or tone of voice. The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, it is very unprofessional to yell in a work environment. Secondly, reflecting the aggressors volume, or tone will continue to antagonise the situation. They will remain angry, and the matter could escalate. Always remain calm, and speak in a soft tone where possible.

3) Empathize with their predicament

This can be a tough one when you are trying to meet the needs of the company, and also diffuse the client. Sometimes, simply relating the key points back to them shows that at the very least you were listening to them.
 4) Offer a solution

There will of course be times when there is no solution, and you will have to deliver that news to the client. Other times, there may be a middle-ground to work towards. If there is a solution, let them know that you are working towards one with them. If you are unsure of whether something can be done or not, it is appropriate at this point to simply say; "Let me get back to you on that." Alternatively if it is phone based; "Do you mind if I put you on hold while I find out the answer to that?"

Finding an amicable outcome for both the client and the company can be a balancing act. Using these techniques will help resolve issues should they arise. On a final note, don't take it too personally.  

Friday, August 22, 2014

Important Is The Render Aesthetic Sense


The clients confidence and approval through his eyes. Well, if I am to be asked eyes make the best of the decisions. Once an object or project, considering the blog context, comes in the contact of your eye you end up forming an opinion about it, right? Well a fully rendered architectural building project makes its own place in the customers' brain via his eyes. Nothing remains unknown about the yet to be constructed structure. This wholeheartedly acceptance of an imaginary building becomes possible only due to the creativity involved in the rendering process.

There are no defined parameters of creativity. It all depends upon the thought process and imagination of the rendered that successfully penetrates the idea of a beautiful structure in the minds of the clients. It's all his or her caliber that creates exceptionally beautiful rendered images and models meant to appeal natural or real to the clients or to anyone who looks at them.

Architectural rendering can be created for both the interior and exterior parts of the building. That means renders' knowledge of how a building should look in real life is not restricted to any specific parts of the structure but the entire building. In other words he should be firm and conversant with the modern interior or exterior decorating techniques. The lack of the understanding of the decorating skills of the rendered can have adverse affect on the sales of the project.

There are huge chances of its being a disaster or failure if it falls short of expressiveness. That means if the rendered model doesn't look original or photo realistic and lacks creativity, the purpose is not fulfilled.

While doing the interior rendering of a building a rendered should be fully aware or wise enough to choose what to add in the room and what to leave. He shouldn't be giving any chance to the clients to raise doubts on his taste. In interior architectural rendering the images of interiors should look like the original photos taken form an existing building.

That is achieved by creating original looking elements in the room such as the room colors should be defined or added according to the rest of the objects present in the room or time of the day. That means the lighting effects are also very crucial. Other things those should be given prominence are shadow effects, object creation such as paintings hanging on the walls, photo frame kept on the side table and a single stool kept on one of the corners of the room etc.
Exterior rendering should also imitate photo realistic visuals or images. The major concentration in exterior rendering is given on the natural elements such as creating flower pots in the lawn, creating a turf in the exteriors, along with right lighting effects and an expressive sky etc.

So when a client is presented with such an image or video they get mesmerized by it. This only happens with the hard work and creativity of the rendered.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

You Are Stuck In A Career Rut

Career with the hope of finding job stability and over time, make that job or series of jobs into a career. Sometimes people know the details of their career as it progresses, while others try to figure it out as they go along. Whether or not a specific plan has been developed, it is possible for a lull to occur where it seems progress is no longer being made. The challenge for a lull period is how a person handles it or addresses the emotions that likely will accompany it. A brief period of feeling stagnant that you overcome by establishing new goals may only feel like a bump in the road. But if a feeling of frustration about your job or career has developed, and it has been sustained long enough that you are consciously aware of it, this may be a time when you have become stuck in a career rut.

What Do You Want from Your Career?

One of the most effective starting points to work from to deconstruct what you are presently feeling about your job or situation is to decide what you want to do with your career. This doesn't mean you need to know the specifics but it is a time to determine what your expectations are or should be. For example, do you want to eventually lead your organization or build your own business? The point is to help you better understand the lull period. It could either mean you know where you want to be and you are not making progress, or you don't have any specified plans and that by itself can lead to an awareness that you aren't making significant steps forward in your career. It is possible to work through either scenario and it all starts by examining your current job.

Self-Assess Your Job

Begin by trying to remember why you accepted this current job. There was something that prompted you to accept this position, even if you took it just for the income. This will serve as a starting point for your self-assessment. As you continue to reflect upon why you began you can then ascertain if there were any expectations you held about the future of that job. Then consider how your time in this position has evolved. Did it live up to your expectations? You will likely recall both positive and negative events, if applicable, but the idea is to determine what you have gained from this job and pinpoint the time when you felt frustrated or that you were no longer making progress. This is an important step because you will either realize that there was a triggering event or you will find that nothing has changed and what is at the heart of what you are feeling. This allows you to begin changing your focus or your purpose for that job.

Are You On Track Now?

If you have followed the process outlined, by this point you should have a better understanding of your present job and how it has progressed over time. You also have an idea about the purpose of your career. However, if you don't yet have career goals, that needs to be your first priority. Don't be concerned about looking too far ahead and if you are in a job just because you need that income - that still serves as a purpose for going to work. But now the next step is to see where your job fits into your career. Take into account the career goals you have established and where this job places you within that timeline. This can help you see the value in the work you are doing now and it will help you discover that every job has a
purpose. This current job may not be the best match for your career but it is helping you to redefine and/or use some of your skill sets.

Warning Signs to Watch For

1. More of the Same: If you have been in the same job performing the same tasks and not progressing, then it is very likely you may be stuck. The question is whether or not it is done by choice. Are you seeking out other tasks or opportunities, or are there none available? Have you talked to your supervisor or manager about doing more? It does not always have to involve taking on more job tasks. For example, perhaps you could lead a project or meeting. The point is to be proactive and get out of this rut.
 
2. Living in Fear: Are you living in fear of making a change? Fear can be a powerful De-motivator and create negative feelings that lessens your self-confidence. It can stop you from taking advantage of opportunities primarily because you eventually stopped looking. It may take some practice but you can learn to work with it - if you take an objective rather than emotional position. Don't try to figure it out either as you may never know what first sparked your fear, and your search you may actually cause you to become even more frustrated.

3. You've Stopped Learning: Are you no longer interested in professional development? That is another reason why you can become stuck, you've stopped doing something that can provide value for your career. The purpose of ongoing professional development is not to please anyone else, rather it is meant as a means of bolstering your resume as you acquire and/or further develop your knowledge base and skill sets. It can also provide you with networking opportunities as you connect with others.
 
4. You Experience Stress: Are you experiencing prolonged stress, anxiety, or apprehension? If so, any of the signs can be an indicator you are not moving forward in your career. It is possible that many jobs are of a stressful nature; however, if you are highly motivated and enjoying your job you would have a better ability to manage the potential for stress. The point is to recognize stress as an indicator and develop plan to address it.
 
5. Work Is No Longer Enjoyable: Do you no longer enjoy going to work or performing any aspect of your job? There are many reasons why you might feel this way and one is an indicator of your dislike and/or dis-engagement from the job. This does not mean you have to feel elation every workday but if the job was actively causing you to feel fulfilled - you would be more likely to enjoy it. When work is no longer enjoyable it is time to set new goals.

Take Control of Your Career

One of the most difficult lessons to learn about a job is that regardless of circumstances, you always have some measure of control and you can decide how you feel, how you will respond to conditions, and the performance you put into your job. You also have control of your career. While you may not find an abundance of new opportunities, you can be proactive and develop your career profile - and that includes the affiliations you belong to, the networking channels you create, the ongoing professional development you complete, and the skills you develop.
 
As you learn to be proactive you create a sense of self-empowerment so that when you do reach a lull in your job you understand the temporary nature of it, and you use it to prompt a time of self-analysis. You can be focused on the moment of feeling stuck or you can stay on track with your career goals and make strategic changes at the right moment. And if you feel stress or fear, or any other negative response, then you must address it and not hope that it will just go away on its own. Over time you are likely to find that the more you observe and address the warning signs.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Your Workplace With Home Office Furniture

You are setting aside space within your home, such as a garage or the basement or even an attic, you need to ensure that the environment and the overall vibe of the place if different from your home so that you can mentally prepare yourself to work and feel like you are in a productive environment as opposed to the safety of your home. Home office furniture can certainly help you achieve that quite easily.

Here are some interesting ideas that can help you use your home office furniture in a way that makes your workplace look creative and aesthetically pleasing:

Use a Large Bookcase to Break Some Space Up

Nothing brings together a room the way a bookcase does. When you are decorating your home office, you can use a large bookcase to split some space or create a separate area within the entire place without having to add something that is aesthetically displeasing. This works especially well if you want to create a cubicle for yourself without having to spend on construction to add separate glass walls to make a room.

Use Key Pieces to Create Different Zones Within the Working Area 

You don't always have to go down the traditional route of setting up low walled office cubicles in your workplace for employees to work at. If you ever plan to rent out a different space for your office once your company expands, you should be able to use the space in your home for something else, which is why permanent fixtures are a no-no.

One of the best ways to demarcate space is to use floating shelves on the walls along with desks and chairs in order to create space for employees. This way, each employee gets a desk and chair along with a set of shelves that not only marks their space, but also gives them an area in which to store their files or personal belongings easily. 

Use Your Corners Effectively and You'll Never Need to Construct Separate Executive Spaces

By using not only a chair and desk, but also strategically placed cabinet or modular shelves, you can create a separate space for the executives that will effectively act as a private office or cubicle for them. This way, you can give them as much privacy as they need without having to add permanent fixtures to your home that can't come off later without your having to incur additional expenses for no reason.

You Can Also Use Colors to Differentiate Between Zones Allocated to Different Teams 

Colors are a great visual tool when it comes to creating zones for different teams. They are also a great way to add some aesthetic appeal to your office, provided you don't go overboard with the kinds of colors or textures you end up using. This can be done subtly, for instance, with different colored chairs. Your art team can have a certain color while your copy writing team can have another one.

Use Your Walls Because They Can Give You All the Extra Space You Need

There's not need to cramp up your workspace with a plethora of filing cabinets and chests of drawers. If you have empty walls, you should use floating shelves by building them upwards and then store all your files and necessary documents on them. Not only do they give your employees a good place to store whatever they need, they also add so much to the overall aesthetics and give your employees enough space to move around with the workplace without things getting cramped.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Using MICR Toner For Printing Checks


Businesses have discovered that it's far more convenient and less expensive to print their own business checks. In order to be processed by a bank or financial institution, however, the checks' routing numbers and the company's bank account must be printed using MICR toner. This toner is magnetically enhanced and must be used to print authentic checks. Only a certain area of the printed check must be printed with MICR ink. Checks must also feature the font designated by the Federal Reserve for routing and account information to be valid.

Buying and Using MICR Toner

MICR toner can be purchased from online stores or other venues that specialize in selling printers and this type of toner. Many businesses that print their own checks designate a single printer loaded with MICR ink for check printing. Otherwise, a business wastes this specialized toner if they print items other than checks. Of course, the cartridge can simply be switched when checks need to be printed. It's essential to use MICR ink as checks will not be valid without it and is "a way to help prevent fraudulent alteration of documents" (Source: TROY Group). Banks will not process checks without MICR ink and they may even charge a fee for having to reject invalid checks.

The Benefits of Printing Your Own Checks

Many businesses find it convenient to print their own checks. They can print the amounts of checks they need as soon as they need them. They can also save money on printing costs by printing their own check stock. In addition, businesses like to print their own checks so they can customize them with their logo. So long as the check conforms to legal requirements (i.e. MICR toner), it can be processed by banks.

More Information about MICR Toner


MICR toner can be applied to plain white check stock or colored checks. It will also work on check paper enhanced with security features like watermarks. MICR ink works with a wide array of laser printers including popular models from brands like HP, Lexmark, Ricoh, and Canon (1). Because this toner is easy to procure and easy to use, many businesses make it a rule of thumb to keep it on hand for check printing. For businesses that use a lot of checks, this is an economical route to go. Even if you don't need to print checks in bulk, "you can swap the regular toner cartridge in a printer that produces regular office output with the specialized cartridge that contains magnetic toner to imprint small batches of checks when you need them" (2).

Some businesses have opted to choose MICR ink with secure features. For instance, if someone tries to alter the routing number or account chemically, the printed check toner changes to red. Check fraud continues to be a significant problem faced by financial institutions and businesses. Security features like this help to decrease the potential for fraud. 

Obtaining and using MICR ink is easy and convenient. Many businesses find that printing their own checks is the only way to go. They can avoid waiting weeks for needed checks to be printed and can securely print and design their own checks for use. If you have additional questions about using MICR toner, your toner vendor will be able to discuss your questions and concerns in depth.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Acting On Stimuli For Trauma

Harmless enough phone calls - even a pleasant transactional 20-second interaction - can evoke a fear response if we are sensitive to our own complexities for previous trauma. Receiving a business call from a friend and mentor came to remind me of the power of a relatively recent punitive experience, where some few years ago now I was more than casually affected by a passive aggressive manager (in the secular work environment).

The particular manager was always hard to read and difficult to get to know. He was distant and always seemed to communicate the harder truths by email. He isolated me and gave me work that was unimportant. 
He never expressed empathy that I was able to see. I grew depressed by the situation, though it took me eighteen months to finally realize why I was regularly sad, fearful and irritable. Amazingly, it was the very same day that I finally acknowledged this manager's effect on me - and my unhealthy responses to his management style - my wife was thinking the same thing ("My husband needs help."). I sought help and the rest is history.

One of the side effects of being bullied is we get ingrained in a pattern of trauma - our brains begin to detect we are in danger and the flight, fight and freeze responses are regularly enabled ready for action or inaction.

These patterns of learned behavior tend to stick, and then we cannot help but revisit them - even unconsciously.

During this above mentioned phone call it was suggested that a change to the plan for a business meeting take place - that another party be added. The change to the plan, I believed, at least initially, was a positive change that worked in my and our favor. But within seconds I could detect resistance - "what if it's a trick?" - within me. The logical part of me, thankfully, was one-hundred-and-ten percent trusting and, seconds later, I was able to acknowledge the fear response for what it was.

The fear response is a learned response.

The fear response, however, is not always identified. Sadly, we can find ourselves reacting in fear, when the better response would be to check the thought with a logical plumb line.
But that assumes the thought is brought to conscious awareness.

We can only do something with negative and fearful thoughts if they come to our awareness. Most of the time, however, we can be brought to the cusp of a panic attack when our awareness is heightened around an instance of trauma.