Welcome to Monday Morning Mindfulness . . . to my Clients, Colleagues and Friends. Join me every other Monday in getting motivated and inspired to act/think/feel something differently. 1. ON SPECIAL OFFERS AND INVITATIONS Would you like to be paid to speak? Learn how to connect with your audience? Persuade people to act on what you say? You can get answers to these questions and more through my new feature, Approach the Coach. Go to this web...more
BOOK REVIEW: Performance of Financial Institutions: Efficiency, Innovation, RegulationIt is rare for a financial text to be written by a Cypriot author yet one of the authors (Stavros A. Zenios) is a Professor at the University of Cyprus.The aim of the book is to examine whether financial intermediaries operate efficiently on a worldwide basis. Due to the fact that the book is written by two academics, it is a well-researched book with many real...more
In my career advising practice, I often find that my clients are not clear about what success means for them. Our society defines success primarily around three elements: power, money and fame. Many of you reading this may be saying, "wait a minute -those elements are not the most important things to me." Success is often intangible. It's certainly unique to each person. Have you considered how you will know when you are successful? For one of my current clients, a definition of success is having autonomy in her work. She wants to set her own goals and direct her own activities. She's considering part-time consulting work as a transition to her success. Another client defines success as a satisfying family and personal life - she's looking for work that allows her flexible hours and telecommuting days. In her book, "If Success is a Game, These Are the Rules", Cherie Carter-Scott gives several examples of success: financial terms - enough to retire by 50 or to buy a cabin in the woods emotional fulfillment and stability - a harmonious family life glory - athletic accomplishments courage - overcoming a serious illness or tragedy making a difference - change people's life in...more
Only the weak ones quit. Is that true? There is a story of a CEO of a multi-national company who decided to withdraw a product from the market when it had consistently failed for nine months and eaten up millions of pounds in advertising, promotions etc. Was he weak? He could have maintained the myth of success and stayed in the market and...more
Most people online are very familiar with the Nigerian Email Letter Scams. They've victimized thousands over the years and continue to do so. I am certain you've received many in your inbox over the course of your online experience. They are easy to recognize to the experienced. But if you are new online check out the following signs. These words...more
Many online marketers work odd hours, with no beginning of the day and no real end. How does this impact support and customer service inquiries? Some small businesses are afraid to reply to customer queries off-hours, fearful that the message time-stamp will betray them as a small business. The Internet however is timeless. The fact is customers appreciate a quick response. With the globalization of the Internet federal holidays are blurred. Customers expect timely responses and often make little note of the time zone the vendor they are working with.While large corporate businesses have a large amount of resources (staff and money) for sales, customer service and marketing are often tied to traditional methods of communication with customers. Sales are in person; customer service is over the phone and marketing by advertising and mail. Email is often used to funnel customers into these traditional channels of communication. When emailing often the reply back is to call back or a request you show up in person. More so in the past then recently, many companies do not respond to email at all. While communicating by telephone and mail is important, email is part of the fabric of how...more
It can be a major source of frustration trying to keep up with all of the business-related information, newsletters, updates, offers and so on that land in your email box. And although there may be no perfect way to ensure that you can read...more
You know, those really important outside groups of people whose behaviors can help or hinder any business, non-profit or association manager in achieving his or her objectives? Are you persuading those key stakeholders - especially those whose...more
Do classified ads really work? Should you include an email address or fax number in them? How about a call to action? Questions like these are often brought to the attention of OhioHelp.net, an Ohio-based company specializing in helping businesses...more
How popular is online shopping? And is there room for improvement? Let's check out some pros and cons of automated shopping and see. Digital carts offer convenience for people around the globe 24 hours a day. Yet an estimated 4 percent of shoppers...more
Are people interested in ebooks? And if so, what are the best ways to sell them? The following statistics reported by the Open eBook Forum, a non-profit organization for the electronic book publishing industry, definitely show an interest in ebooks....more
Some day-to-day work issues can turn into big headaches for small businesses. For example, not having enough help during a busy season or new promotion can hurt production, sales and customer relations in the fulfillment of orders and customer...more