Actual for You - Business

Voice Of The Customer And Focus Groups
Voice of the CustomerThe ‘Voice of the customer’ is a tool or process of gathering customer input about the proposed or existing services or products depending on the situation. If a company’s success depends on knowing what the customer wants, then it should develop products and services based on customer feedback, and this should be done sooner rather than later.Focus GroupsThe focus groups may be thought of as special purpose vehicles or mechanis

Ring In The New Year
The New Year is almost here and most of us are thinking about how we might be healthier, happier, wealthier and more productive. Here are my suggested resolutions to help you accomplish these goals.For Bookkeepers:Re-educate yourself – there is always something new to learn. See if your company offers education reimbursements and apply for them. You might want to consider non-bookkeeping type classes as well, such as classes in communications, organizat

1. Limit the consultation to 30 minutes!

Remember: your time is valuable. Thirty minutes is plenty of time for the prospective client to get to know you, like you, be impressed by you, etc. and sufficient time for you to get a good feel for whether you would like to work with the prospective client. Make sure the prospective client understands that the consultation will last 30 minutes and, to the extent additional time is requested, your “regular rate” will apply.

2. Ask the prospective client to do some preliminary work prior to the consultation.

Although you’re “giving away” 30 minutes of your time, the prospective client needs to understand your time IS valuable. One way to get this across is by asking the prospective client to do some work. This may be cutting our pictures of rooms she/he likes from home & garden magazines (explain that this will help you understand her/his style, color preferences, etc.). Or you may choose to prepare a brief Questionnaire, asking the prospective client to tell you more about the project she/he has in mind, her/his “design dilemma”, her/his style preferences, color preferences, etc., whether she/he has worked with a professional [designer, decorator, redesigner, etc.] before and whether she is considering hiring a professional for the project. If the prospective client balks at your requested “work”, im

Buying Cubicles
The use of cubicles by forty million Americans, about sixty percent of the workforce of America, clearly establishes the significance of cubicles in the corporate world. It has been felt that cubicles provide privacy at an affordable price. Since they are usually taller than a person sitting in a chair, cubicles tend to block out a lot of a person's voice when they are talking on the phone. This ensures that everybody can achieve greatest efficiency with the least amoun

rk with the prospective client. Make sure the prospective client understands that the consultation will last 30 minutes and, to the extent additional time is requested, your “regular rate” will apply.

2. Ask the prospective client to do some preliminary work prior to the consultation.

The BRAVO Formula
According to Jerry Weissman in his book, “Presenting to Win,” there are over 30 million PowerPoint presentations given every day. Unfortunately, these presentations are not captivating or memorable. Thus, a lack of presentation training in America is creating a business culture that abuses presentation software and the art of public speaking. Let’s get back to the basics and adopt something I like to call the BRAVO formula.“B” is for Bold Boldness is a

consultation.

Develop Your Leadership Styles and Skills
What is it that has set the great leaders and entrepreneurs of the world apart from the rest of the world? You know what I’m talking about- the truly remarkable ones that have made their mark on the world. Sam Walton didn’t create the Wal-Mart Empire overnight, and he certainly didn’t do it alone. He had a group of quality employees working for him, a group that both respected and admired Mr. Walton and of his accomplishments. He is a prime example of possessing the ri

s from home & garden magazines (explain that this will help you understand her/his style, color preferences, etc.). Or you may choose to prepare a brief Questionnaire, asking the prospective client to tell you more about the project she/he has in mind, her/his “design dilemma”, her/his style preferences, color preferences, etc., whether she/he has worked with a professional [designer, decorator, redesigner, etc.] before and whether she is considering hiring a professional for the project. If the prospective client balks at your requested “work”, i

RFID Labels What Do I Need To Know For Products In Canada And The USA!
RFID labels, I hear the term but what does it mean and should I be thinking of using it for my business? RFID is a radio frequency identification . Every product is identified somehow. A sign, a label, a barcode label and an RFID label are all different ways to identify product. Which one should I chose? If I own a lemonade stand chances are I'll make a sign to describe what's in the pitcher. If I manufacture gum, chances are that my label will have words to tell the co

, her/his style preferences, color preferences, etc., whether she/he has worked with a professional [designer, decorator, redesigner, etc.] before and whether she is considering hiring a professional for the project. If the prospective client balks at your requested “work”, impress upon her/him that the “work” will ultimately benefit her/him, given the limited timeframe available and your desire to make the meeting as productive as possible.

3. When you arrive, be sure to thank the prospective client for her/his time and remind

her/him that the consultation will last 30 minutes.

4. Then, ask the prospective client this question: “What is one thing you hoped to walk away with from our meeting? (Try your best to accommodate this…without, of course, giving away your services entirely)

5. Then, begin the consultation, asking the prospective client lots of questions about the project or dilemma, etc. During the consultation, be sure to do 2 things:

First, demonstrate your expertise, without giving away your services. (For example, if she/he says: “I just don’t know how to arrange the furniture,” you can say something like: “When designers design a room, we think about creating conversation areas. Here, the furniture is pushed back against the walls which can take away from a warm conversational atmosphere.”)

Second, remind th

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Is there someone where you work who absolutely, totally, and unequivocally drives you up the wall? Do you sometimes feel like climbing the wall all by yourself as the quickest way to escape? If you are saying Yes! Yes! Yes!, this article is just what the doctor ordered. It shows you how to manage those who play B t B: By the Book.

Dutch Disease gets its name from an economic phenomenon seen in Holland. The discovery of natural gas reserves in Holland in the 1960s led to a slump in other sectors like manufacturing. Dutch Disease is the recession that hits other sectors when one industry dominates, or increases its exports.

If you have spent some time talking about non profit groups and being involved with fund-raisers. I would like to suggest that you should be take one step further and you should volunteer to be part of the executive.

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