Will You Add? - Business

Young Beef Cattle Bull Notes and Reminders
Yearling bulls should be well grown but not too fat. The energy content of a ration should be reduced if bulls are getting too fat. Fat bulls may fatigue rapidly, contributing to fewer cows conceiving.For a yearling bull to be used successfully, he should have reached puberty 3 to 4 months before breeding time. The age of a bull at puberty depends on several interrelated factors, but size or weight and breed are probably the controlling factors.The production of semen by a young bull largely depends on his overall growth as well as the development of his testicles and other reproductive organs. The size of testicles and volume of semen produced are positively correlated

ng customer expectations is something we will discuss more in depth in a later article.)

Truck Lease-Purchase? Leave It Alone!
More and more, I hear brand new truck drivers contemplating the lease purchase programs many companies are now advocating. It never ceases to amaze me how these companies will target new drivers. Swift Transportation and Prime Trucking are two of the most aggressive lease purchase companies out there, but it seems all of the companies have jumped on the band wagon.After all, why wouldn't a trucking company want to pass along the costs of fuel, purchasing a truck, truck maintenance, truck insurance, permits and health insurance? Not to mention, they no longer are expected to provide a 401k plan with company match. And they get to charge the driver much higher prices than market val

Inevitably, being a technical support contact, you are going to have to speak to a client, whether it's being the first point of contact and they have called you to report a problem, to get more information about a particular problem, or to let them know an issue has been resolved. Unfortunately, in my experience, most technicians do this the absolute wrong way.

What's the wrong way, you ask? Well let me explain. For the purposes of this article, I will define a "user" as someone who has between 0 and 10 hours of total training of a particular product. Whether this means that they went to a night course on how to use Microsoft Word more effectively, or they looked at the sticker on their phone that tells them how to get their voicemail is irrelevant; they are not power users by any stretch of the imagination, just someone who knows enough to get by. Also, for our purposes the words "client" and "user" can be used interchangeably.

Problem Description: User calls the helpdesk and says "I can't save my document to my network folder."

What I almost always hear the technician ask is something along the lines of "Ok, and what server and share is giving the error?" There are so many things wrong with that sentence, I don't even know where to begin.

1. As much as it may pain you to do so, empathize with your client, but don't sympathize. Start out replying by saying something like 'I understand how that can be frustrating, now let's see what we can do to fix it.' Letting the user know that you relate to the problem will let them know that you have formed some sort of personal attachment to their issue. Also, most users will realize that the problem isn't your specific fault, so emphasizing that you're willing to help them fix it actually lets them know that you are taking personal responsibility for the problem and will invest all of your resources into fixing it. The reason I use 'we' is to set the customer expectation that they will be involved and that you need their help. This is something I think is critical in setting customer expectations and allowing them to feel involved in the process. (Setting customer expectations is something we will discuss more in depth in a later article.)

Trade Show Lead Follow-Up
The Dreaded SLBH If you're like most exhibitors, your first day back in the office after a trade show contains a myriad of competing priorities. Messages from current clients who need you beckon, the list of daily to-do's has piled up for several days, and business-as-usual marches on. Now's the time NOT to let the trade show leads that you worked so hard to get (not to mention spent so much money getting!) fall into the infamous SLBH – the Sales Lead Black Hole.What is the Sales Lead Black Hole? It's where 80% of all trade show sales leads end up…it's the no-follow-up-zone…it's lost sales…it's lost trade show investment…it's a crying shame! But it's a hard, cold fact. Why

g of a particular product. Whether this means that they went to a night course on how to use Microsoft Word more effectively, or they looked at the sticker on their phone that tells them how to get their voicemail is irrelevant; they are not power users by any stretch of the imagination, just someone who knows enough to get by. Also, for our purposes the words "client" and "user" can be used interchangeably.

Problem Description: User calls the helpdesk and says "I can't save my document to my network folder."

Expanding the Business
Before starting up your business I am sure you will have done plenty of research. The recommended ways to research businesses is by taking advice from someone you trust or by reading books, magazines or use of the internet. Businesses that survive the early days need to develop and move on to the next stage; the aim of all start up businesses is to build the business on a solid platform. There are many ways to expand a business, listed below are simply a few ways:List your Business as a Franchise – Business costs can be very expensive, by franchising your business it will be significantly expanded it at a reduced cost. A lot of successful businesses have been successful simply due

t always hear the technician ask is something along the lines of "Ok, and what server and share is giving the error?" There are so many things wrong with that sentence, I don't even know where to begin.

Undisclosed Tip To Less Business Arguments
In the Tittha Sutta, some monks remarked to the Buddha that there are many followers of other teachings with differing opinions, who bicker with one another on what is and is not the truth. The Buddha described the situation with a story... Once, a king gathered men blind from birth before an elephant. To some, he "showed" a tusk, and to others the trunk, body, foot, hind, tail and tuft. Next, he asked what they "saw". Those who touched the head said it was like a winnowing basket, while the tusk was like an iron rod, the trunk like a plow pole, the body like a granary, the foot like a post, the hind like a mortar, the tail like a pestle, and the tuft like a broom. The blind men then arg

al attachment to their issue. Also, most users will realize that the problem isn't your specific fault, so emphasizing that you're willing to help them fix it actually lets them know that you are taking personal responsibility for the problem and will invest all of your resources into fixing it. The reason I use 'we' is to set the customer expectation that they will be involved and that you need their help. This is something I think is critical in setting customer expectations and allowing them to feel involved in the process. (Setting customer expectations is something we will discuss more in depth in a later article.)

5 Compelling Reasons to Learn to Shop Online-Today!
It seems as if everybody else is doing it – shopping online, that is. There’s the co-worker who bought all their Christmas gifts online without ever setting foot in the crowded local mall. Or the friend who won a bundle of like-new, brand-name baby clothes on eBay. Or your son’s college roommate, who paid hundreds of dollars less than your son did for his college textbooks, simply because he ordered them online rather than from the University bookstore.If you've been meaning to learn to shop online - whether at an online retailer like Amazon.com or an auction site such as eBay - it's time to quit procrastinating, conquer your fear and dive into the waters of cybe

ng customer expectations is something we will discuss more in depth in a later article.)

2. 'What server and share...' assumes that the user first of all knows what a "share" is, and secondly what server this 'share'-thing is on. Never assume that your user has any technical knowledge beyond what they've just explained to you in whatever technical or non- terms. Ask more user-friendly questions like 'Where are you trying to save to?' This will allow the user to respond in whatever level language they feel comfortable in. Also by listening to their response, you should be able to make a good guess as to their technical competency and tailor your next questions accordingly. The initial call is an excellent time to learn client lingo and educate the client on proper terms. While educating a client on proper terminology is something that we will focus more on at a later date, it is very important at this stage to note that the use of the exact words used by the client should be noted to determine where the issue lies. This is often how the user and technician get confused.

3. She didn't say anything about an error, so don't assume one is showing up. Feel free to ask 'Is there an error message on your screen?' but don't assume that there is one just because something isn't working. Maybe she had a mapped network drive that is no longer showing up under My Computer in a Save As dialog box. That would satisfy the criteria of not being able to save to her network folder, but not having an error, would it not? You must play detective for the users and realize that more often then not they have left out information inadvertantly, as they're really not sure what to be looking for in the first place. Ask more probing questions like 'What is the title of the window that you're currently looking at?' or 'Can you describe what buttons you have available to you?' More often than not, even something as simple as knowing that there is a certain button available on the window she's looking at will help you immensely in narrowing down what the user is looking at.

Now, that's three major problems in a 10 word response; that's pretty bad, if you ask me. Never mind that 2 out of the 3 issues could be resolved by not assuming anything. Being a proficient help desk technician requires more than just being able to solve a technical problem, but also to be able to tailor your responses to the client so that they feel comfortable doing what you're asking (e.g. converting 'geekspeak' to 'normalspeak').

I can tell you that 99 times out of 100, if you are able to communicate on the same level as your client (whether that means dumbing things down to the

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The old way just isn't working. Why do industrial suppliers consistently lose hard earned customers to their rivals? The answer? You cannot sell yourself until you know yourself. Let me show you what you can't see but what I can.

Encouraging prompt payment is at the heart of good cashflow management. Conversely, late payments by your customers can make your business vulnerable as you risk getting into financial difficulties. So how do you encourage prompt payment by your customers? Read our top tips below for some practical ideas.

How you sell your business and at what price are critical considerations to be aware of BEFORE the sales transaction is ever contemplated. This article presents strategies for sale that consider virtually every kind of potential buyer.

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