Are You Putting Technology Before Your Customers?

Which is more important the technology or the customer?

The one thing about the online world you can be sure of is change. It seems like every day there is a new technology being added which will make the internet more accessible. As online marketers, we strive to keep up with all these trends and incorporate them into our marketing arsenals.

Going back to when the internet started, it was a bit of a nerdy place to be, with lots of people communicating in text only. Some savvy individuals saw how this growing community could be exploited and used to advertise their wares, and with all the hyperlinking joining them to other sites they could be easily found.

Then the world wide web evolved from the basic internet adding pictures and multimedia and eventually adding videos too, and it became even more useful to marketing. Added in with email which made it possible to reach a large audience at low cost the web became irresistable to businesses.

Each step forward brings with it even more opportunities for us online entrepreneurs to get our messages seen.

Year 2010: Permanent Employees Not Needed Anymore

Jack Welch joined a conference that was held in Duke Fuquay Business School where he was invited to promote his new book called "Winning". He told audience about how culture is important in a company. Culture builds integration and integration guarantees better products and services for customers. In GE's 1994 annual report his statements were no different. "Boundaryless behavior..." he said "...has become the right behavior at GE, and aligned with this behavior is a rewards system that recognizes the adapter or implementer of an idea as much as its originator. Creating this open, sharing climate magnifies the enormous and unique advantage of a multibusiness GE, as our wide diversity of service and industrial businesses exchange an endless stream of new ideas and best practices."

A little over 10 years, does his story still stick? Yes but only in theory... Many multibusinesses have figured out harshly that they need to understand their core business competency and capitalize on that in order to survive, rather than surrendering their many businesses with one culture like Welch said. Simply because, it was not working! Since that was understood plainly, across the globe, multibusiness managements have been under increasing pressure, as they struggle with decisions about what businesses they should be in and how they should structure and influence these businesses. GE, Siemens, Tyco, 3M, and few others have escaped from this fact as they could answer the crucial question: What is your corporate strategy? But this doesn't mean that they could answer the upcoming question: What is the value behind having permanent employees?

Your Actions Tell Your Clients How You Expect To Be Treated

There is a widely accepted principle of human behavior that goes something like this. "Your actions tell the world how you expect to be treated." Look all around you and you will find that the truth of this statement is as evident as the clothes you wear.

So, if you don't expect to be successful, you're telling the world you probably don't think you have what it takes to succeed, if you don't expect to get the order, you probably won't, if you don't expect to get referrals from your clients, you probably don't believe in your heart that you deserve them.

Recently, I did a survey of the readers of this newsletter (thanks to those who participated) asking what the number one thing was that you wanted to know about generating referrals. Somewhat to my surprise, an overwhelming amount of people suggested that the number one thing that held them back was fear of asking for referrals.

Now what is that saying to your clients?

One the absolutely most effective way to generate a flood of new business by way of referral is to simply make receiving high quality referrals a condition of doing business with your firm. Build referral lead generation right into your service.

Documenting the Exit Strategy in Your Business Plan

All investors greatly desire and are motivated by a clear picture of a company's exit strategy, or the timing and method through which they can "cash in" on their investment. This picture best comes into focus when the key valuation and liquidity drivers of the company are clearly delineated. An excellent method to accomplish this is through descriptions of comparable firms that have had successful liquidity events, either through acquisition, merger, of initial public offerings (IPOs).

It is helpful to show other companies in your market, or similar companies in other markets, who have successfully exited, and how and why these companies were successful. For instance, were they successful since they acquired a large customer base? Or were they successful since they accomplished fast growth or high profit margins? It is also important to tie their success to their exit price. Was the exit price based on earnings or the number of customers the firm had at the time? The business plan should tie these metrics (e.g., exit price of $X per customer) to the business to determine its future price.

5 Steps to Greater Workplace Productivity

Step 1 - Learn a powerful key to increase financial success

Yantras are a visual representation of a mantra. A mantra is a sound that resonates in the atmosphere and creates a specific effect. A yantra is similar to a radio being turned to a specific station that, in this case, represents prosperity. The Shree Lakshmi Yantra is the yantra for financial success. It attracts abundance, prosperity, peace and harmony. Research has shown that its energetic effect is 70 times greater than that of a pyramid. By placing the Shree Lakshmi Yantra in your office, you will have a powerful ally.

Step 2 - Where to sit for maximum creativity

The east is the source of positive creative solar energy. Many studies have shown that neurons in the thalamus section of the brain fire differently depending on which way you face. This can affect how you think, as well as your ability to focus creatively on tasks without becoming fatigued.

By facing east while seated at your desk you will align yourself with this positive energy. It will enable you to get into a more creative and productive zone.