Sales Management: Tips For Conducting Performance Reviews

Author: Jerry Glynn
Author's Email Address: jglynn@chaosmap.com

One of your tasks as a sales manager is to conduct performance reviews, and whether they are conducted at the end of the year, monthly, or otherwise, these reviews are very important for you, for the company, and of course, for the members of your sales team. Feedback can boost morale, improve performance, and can also help resolve issues and get to the bottom of factors effecting employee performance.

Tip One: Have your sales team provide a list of individual accomplishments achieved since their last review. Not only will this make them feel as though they are going into the performance review with a good measure of their actual performance, but it will also help to refresh your memory when it comes to deals they have closed and projects they have worked on.

Tip Two: Be honest. Of course you should mention the good things, but you shouldnt shirk from mentioning the areas that you feel they need to focus on and improve. This is a performance review, after all, and if you do not take this time to point out problems, the chances are good that they are not going to magically disappear by the time of the next performance review.
Avoid blanket statements such as you did a good job, you need to work on this, this is what I would like to see, my door is always open, etc. Try you are an asset to the sales team, what would you do over again if you could, where would you like to be, and how can I help, instead,

Tip Three: Provide concrete examples. When you are offering your feedback, positive or negative, be sure to provide concrete examples that illustrate your point. You can say that you admire someones leadership and drive, or that you think that they need to be more proactive, but without examples, your helpful insights will sound vague.

Tip Four: Relocate. What does this mean. Typically, performance reviews take place with the reviewer behind a desk facing the employee, which, as you have probably noticed, does not do very much to alleviate anxiety and stress for either you or the person whose performance you are reviewing. Why not choose a more neutral location, the cafeteria, the lobby, or somewhere else that will facilitate a less tense atmosphere for both of you.

Remember, performance reviews are meant to facilitate communication and improve productivity, but, as you know, they also create anxiety on both sides of the table. Following these tips will help make the review process go more smoothly for both you and the members of your sales team.

Cloud9 Analytics delivers easy-to-use business intelligence applications directly to sales, marketing, and support organizations as a service over the Internet.For more information visit http://www.cloud9analytics.com

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Online Training Workshops: Expanding Your Network Marketing Expertise From Your Desktop

Author: John Meatte
Author's Email Address: johnameatte@q.com

Network marketing isn't new concept. The idea, also known as multi-level marketing (MLM) has been around for decades. Online network marketing, however, is a modern idea.

The World Wide Web took network marketing to an entirely new level in less than twenty years. Now entrepreneurs launch, promote and conduct business online. They may also learn basic and advanced MLM techniques through free online training workshops.

The biggest benefit to participating in free online training workshops is the ability to train without leaving one's desk. Network marketers are often consumed with trying to run their businesses. Garnering contacts and cultivating customers and recruits leaves little time for personal and professional development. Free online training workshops can help alleviate the pressures of time by providing at-home instruction.

Another benefit to taking advantage of free online marketing workshops: they are, as the name implies, free. It's hard to beat free, especially when you don't even have to leave home for it.

There's no cost for the information, tickets or transportation. Participants need not worry that they might be paying for irrelevant or misguided information. Networkers are free to pick, choose and use the information they want and can discard the rest. They won't have to feel like they haven't gotten their money's worth.

It's also beneficial to use the World Wide Web for training simply for the plethora of workshop opportunities. Few other modes of online marketing training exist which offer such a broad range of choices. Network marketers have thousands of speakers and topics available to them with just a click of the mouse.

Naturally not every free online training workshop is going to be relevant to every single MLM business person. The point, of course, to using these types of tools is to save time. Time isn't being saved if it takes hours of Internet surfing to find the best ones. Network marketers looking for basic or advanced lessons relevant to their needs should try these tips instead of surfing for good training:

* Get recommendations from the parent company. There's a pretty good chance they'll have a lot of their own training materials that marketers may access online. These will provide information that is relevant to a marketer's own niche, products/services and professional level.

* Talk to other MLM business people. This is usually the best source for relevant information. Ask around at the next sales meeting. Pay attention to links to training sites that trusted colleagues send.

* Search Google for specific authors, speakers or sales "gurus." Pay attention to the latest books on network marketing and the current top authors and speakers. Find the websites for these books or people. They are often gold mines of links to other similar resources, including free online training workshops.

The beauty of the Internet is that is has a wealth of information available to anyone who wants it. Much of it is free as well as quickly and easily accessible. Free online training workshops offer a simple solution to anyone looking for ways to grow an MLM business.

John Meatte brings a dignified, professional approach to network marketing. He's a top recruiter and marketing expert willing to share his knowledge with everyone. Learn more about Permission Marketing at : http://www.johnmeatte.com/ or call him at 520-744-6786/520-744-4924

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Tips For Selecting Counter Stools

Author: Victor Epand
Author's Email Address: ve_kd_marketing@hotmail.com

If you have a breakfast bar or wet bar in your home, then you need bar stools or counter stools that will add to beauty of your bar as well as represent your own unique style.

With so many designs on the market today from which to choose, you can be sure that there are many varieties of styles that will look beautiful in your home, while at the same time offering complete functionality. There are some options to consider so that your bar stools or counter stools will be completely comfortable and sturdy as well as look fantastic in your home.

First, swivel counter stools and bar stools are great since you can get on and off easily and they turn three hundred sixty degrees to get a view of the room from any vantage point. These types of stools offer a traditional classic appeal that works well with many types of home decor. If you want a touch of elegance, then you could choose the swivel bar stool and counter stool that are made from cherry or mahogany and have upholstered seats with a rich and warm fabric design. If you prefer some thing from the Mission period, then you could choose a stool with the slated backs.

If you have a wet bar in the home or prefer a sleeker more contemporary look, then leather bar stools and counter stools would be an excellent consideration. For this, you have many different styles such as the solid hard wood stools that feature clean lines and a traditional scrolled back. These counter stools and bar stools come with and without arm rests and are available in a number of wood types and leather colors.

Now, if you want some thing more industrial looking, then you could change up the leather bar stools and counter stools by choosing taller model made from chrome and that has straight legs, no arms, and a black leather seat. Metal counter stools and bar stools are beautiful and contain an elegant charm that will fit with any transitional, art deco, French, traditional, or modern style home. Without a doubt, metal counter stools and bar stools are often made with classic wrought iron for a more stylish look and with scroll work that is gorgeous that could be embellished with casting accents. With this, you could choose a bold and colorful fabric or some thing neutral, what ever works best for your needs.

Two other options for counter stools and bar stools include a tropical look stool and some thing a little on the whimsical side. For the tropical stool, these are made from bamboo or metal painted like bamboo, metal leafs, and other tropical motifs that have a cane back and a nice swivel design. For fun bar stools, then you could choose one made from bright red, blue, or yellow with a curved back and chrome stand and foot rest. Prices run the gamut and can be found in a variety of ranges from eighty dollars and up on average, depending on the manufacturer and materials used.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for home goods, home supplies, home automation and security. Find the best shopping here: http://www.shopdepartmentstore.info, http://www.countryhomestore.info, and http://www.4homeautomation.info .

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The Benefits of Natural Dog Food

People should know that commercial dog food is killing our best friends. You don't hear about dog food recalls until you go to make a buy your favorite brand and find it's been recalled. Do you know what you're really feeding your dogs? Do you understand the benefits of natural dog food?

If you knew that natural dog food would improve your pet's health would you change it? Hear are some reasons to make the change.

Out of the 570 ingredients used in commercial dog food, 68 ingredients are potentially lethal. Most of these dangerous ingredients are fillers, dyes and man made substances. Check the label of your dog's current food. You may be shocked as you read the long list of ingredients. So if you're wondering why your pet is itchy or has more than his share of infections, it's probably in his food.

On the other hand natural dog food is worth it to discover the countless benefits. Feeding your dog should begin with meat. Dogs are carnivores so they naturally like meats, such as chicken, turkey, beef or even fish. Dogs need other healthy ingredients such as vitamins and minerals. Make sure whichever brand you choose contains no artificial flavoring or coloring. It's not good for humans and it's not good for dogs. Also, stay away from food made with grain, such as wheat, corn or oats. If eaten consistently, some dogs become itchy and can develop infections. Make sure the label includes a small amount of fat and some omega-3.

There are several excellent brands of natural dog food on the market. First ask your veterinarian which natural dog food he would recommend and why. Make sure his answer includes the above-mentioned ingredients. Most cities have pet stores that sell ONLY natural dog food products. I found one particular food that included all natural products and to my surprise, both of my dogs loved the natural dog food over the commercial dog food. So, I'm a believer.

When you learn about the benefits of natural dog, know that you're prolonging your dog's life. You're also reducing the chances of disease, such as diabetes and cancer. It feels good to know that your dog is leading a happy and healthy life. It may also mean fewer visits to the vet and fewer medications. The bottom line is that the benefits of natural dog food definitely outweigh commercial dog food.

Hi, my name is April. I'm a dog lover. After hearing about how bad commercial dog food is, I decided to research natural foods. Please visit my website http://www.savemoneysavetimenow.com/naturaldogfood.

Author: April Claeyssens
Author's Email Address: aprilchloe@cox.net

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Tips On Buying The Right Food For Your Pet

by: Derek Rogers

Food is one of the most important necessities in your pet’s life. It provides the nutrients they need in order to grow and develop into mature animals as well as giving them the energy they need each day to enjoy life by your side. There is a vast array of manufacturers that provide food for all animals and it can be a confusing task to decipher all the ingredients, proteins and benefits of each one in order to choose the very best one for your pet.

Depending on the type of pet you have, you will still have to do some research to find out exactly what you should be providing them for their main meals as well as any snacks or treats on the side. You can find a multitude of information on the Internet, from friends or family with similar animals, or even from sales representatives at your local pet shop. When it comes down to the final decision though, you are the responsible one who will choose what you feel is best for your pet, not your aunt or the guy in the pet store.

With the awareness of organic foods for the public in every supermarket and health food store, there has also grown the niche for organic pet food. There are many painstaking efforts that go into providing a balanced meal for your pet that is free of many additives that are not necessary for your pet’s nutritional health and yet are included in many other manufactured pet foods.

Organic pet foods are not always available at every pet store or grocery store where other popular brands are sold, thus making it harder to find for some pet owners. With the increased awareness, organic meals are being produced more than ever, but due to the nature of the process, these types of foods for your pet are generally more expensive than a store-brand bag of dry food that you could pick up at any local corner store. As with any food for your pets, there are positives and negatives to each.

Price is not always an indication of the quality of food, but it tends to be a good guide for the market shopper. If you examine the store-brand plain dry food, you may find the ingredients to list not as many proteins or pure foods like some other popular brands. Additives may be more abundant in cheaper brands, but they can still be apparent in many higher-priced brand name pet foods. Just like you shop for your own health and wellness, be sure to read the labels and shop for your pet’s health and wellness.

There can be side effects to supplying the low-cost alternative food for your pets in some cases. Your pet can develop anywhere from mild to severe health issues that are directly related to the type of food provided. With some cats, liver problems and kidney stones can develop rapidly if not provided with a good quality food each day. You will want to be sure that you are doing everything you can in order to maintain your pet’s health and wellness for years to come.

About The Author
Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For advice on pet food, he recommends Seapets, one of the UK's leading suppliers of http://www.seapets.co.uk/ pet supplies.

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How to Successfully Navigate Your Business through an Economic Downturn

by: Terry H Hill

An economic downturn is a phase of the business cycle in which the economy as a whole is in decline.This phase basically marks the end of the period of growth in the business cycle. Economic downturns are characterized by decreased levels of consumer purchases (especially of durable goods) and, subsequently, reduced levels of production by businesses.

While economic downturns are admittedly difficult, and are formidable obstacles to small businesses that are trying to survive and grow, an economic downturn can open up opportunities. A well-managed company can realize the opportunity to gain market share by taking customers away from their competitors. Resourceful entrepreneurs capture the available opportunities, from an economic downturn, by developing alternate methods of doing business that were never implemented during a prior growth period.

The challenge of successfully navigating your business through an economic downturn lies in the realignment of your business with current economic realities. Specifically, you, as the business owner, need to renew a focus on your core clients/customers, reduce your operating expenses, conserve cash, and manage more proactively, rather than reactively, is paramount.

Here are best practices that will help you to successfully navigate your business through an economic downturn:

Goals:

The primary goal of any business owner is to survive the current economic downturn and to develop a leaner, more cost-effective and more efficient operation. The secondary goal is to grow the business even during this current economic downturn.

Objectives:

• Conserve cash.

• Protect assets.

• Reduce costs.

• Improve efficiencies.

• Grow customer base.

Required Action:

• Do not panic… History shows that economic downturns do not last forever. Remain calm and act in a rational manner as you refocus your attention on resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

• Focus on what YOU can control… Don’t let the media's rhetoric concerning recessions and economic slowdown deter you from achieving business success. It´s a trap! Why? Because the condition of the economy is beyond your control. Surviving economic downturns requires a focus on what you can control, i.e. your relevant business activities.

• Communicate, communicate, and communicate! Beware of the pitfall of trying to do too much on your own. It is a difficult task indeed to survive and to grow your business solely with your own efforts. Solicit ideas and seek the help of other people (your employees, suppliers, lenders, customers, and advisors). Communicate honestly and consistently. Effective two-way communication is the key.

• Negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate! The value of a strong negotiation skill set cannot be overstated. Negotiating better deals and contracts is an absolute must for realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions. The key to success is not only knowing how to develop a win-win approach in negotiations with all parties, but also keeping in mind the fact that you want a favorable outcome for yourself too.

Recommended Best Practice Activities:

The Nuts and Bolts… The following list of recommended best practice activities is critical for your business' survival and for its growth during an economic downturn. The actual financial health of your particular business, at the outset of the economic downturn, will dictate the priority and urgency of the implementation of the following best practice activities.

1. Diligently monitor your cash flow: Forecast your cash flow monthly to ensure that expenses and planned expenditures are in line with accounts receivable. Include cash flow statements into your monthly financial reporting. Project cash requirements three-to- six months in advance. The key is to know how to monitor, protect, control, and put cash to work.

2. Carefully convert your inventories: Convert excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory items into cash. Consider returning excess and slow-moving items back to the suppliers. Close-out or inventory reduction sales work well to resize your inventory. Also, consider narrowing your product offerings. Well-timed order placement helps to reduce excess inventory levels and occasional material shortages. The key is to reduce the amount of your inventory without losing sales.

3. Timely collection of your accounts receivable: This asset should be converted to cash as quickly as possible. Offer prompt payment discounts to encourage timely payments. Make changes in the terms of sale for slow paying customers (i.e. changing net 30 day terms to COD). Invoicing is an important part of your cash flow management. The first rule of invoicing is to do it as soon as possible after products are shipped and/or after services are delivered. Place an emphasis on reducing billing errors. Most customers delay payments because an invoice had errors, and therefore, will not pay until they receive a corrected copy. Email or fax your invoices to save on mailing time. Post the payments that you have received and make deposits more frequently. The key is to develop an efficient collection system that generates timely payments and one that gives you advance warning of problems.

4. Re-focus your attention on your existing clients/customers: Make customer satisfaction your priority. A regular review of your customers' buying history and frequency of purchases can reveal some interesting facts about your customers' buying habits. Consider signing long-term contracts with your core clients/customers which will add to your security. Offer a discount for upfront cash payments. The key is to do what it takes to keep your current customers loyal.

5. Re-negotiate with your suppliers, lenders, and landlord:

i) Suppliers: Always keep your negotiations on the level of need, saying that your company has reviewed its cost structure and has determined that it needs to lower supplier costs. . Tell the supplier that you value the relationship you have developed, but that you need to receive a cost reduction immediately. Ask your supplier for a lower material price, a longer payment cycle, and the elimination of finance charges. Also, see if you can buy material from them on a consignment basis. In return for their price concessions, be willing to agree to a long-term contract. Explore the idea of bartering as a form of payment.

ii) Lenders: Everything in business finance is negotiable and your relationship with a bank is no exception. The first step to successful renegotiations is to convince your lenders that you can ultimately pay off the renegotiated loan. You must point out to your lenders why it would be in their best interest to agree to a new arrangement. Showing them your business plan and your action plan that includes your cost-savings initiatives, along with "the how" and "the when" of the implementation of your plan is the best way to achieve this goal. Explain to them that you will need their cooperation to insure that you can survive, as well as, grow your business during the economic downturn. Negotiated items include: the rate of interest, the required security to cover the loan, and the beginning date for repayment. A beginning date for repayment could be immediate, within several months or as long as a year. The key is to realize that your lender will work with you, but that frequent and continual communications with them is critical.

iii) Landlord: Meet with your landlord. Explain your need to have them extend the term of your lease at a reduced cost. Make sure you have a clause in the lease agreement that entitles you to have the right to sublet any or all of the leased space.

6. Re-evaluate your staffing requirements: This is a very critical area. Salaries/wages are a major expense of doing business. Therefore, any reduction in the hours worked through work schedule changes, short-term layoffs or permanent layoffs has an immediate cost saving benefit. Most companies ramped up hiring new employees in the good times, only to find that they are currently overstaffed due to slow sales during the economic downturn. In terms of down-sizing your staff, be very careful not to reduce your staff to a level that forces you to skimp on customer service and quality. Consider the use of part-timers or the current trend of outsourcing certain functions to independent contractors.

7. Shop for better insurances rates: Get quotations from other insurance agents for comparable coverage to determine whether or not your present insurance carrier is competitive. Also, consider revising your coverage to reduce premium costs. The key is to have the right balance-to be adequately insured, but not under or over insured.

8. Re-evaluate your advertising: Contrary to the other cost-cutting initiatives, evaluate the possibility of increasing your advertising expenditures. This tactic realizes the advantage of the reduced "noise" and congestion (fewer advertisers) in the marketplace. The downturn period a great opportunity to increase brand awareness and create additional demand for your product/service offerings.

9. Seek the help of outside advisors: The use of an advisory board comprised of your CPA, attorney, and business consultant offers you objectivity and provides you with professional advice and guidance. Their collective experience in working with similar situations in past economic downturns is invaluable.

10. Review your other expenses: Target an across-the-board cost-cutting initiative of 10-15%. Attempt to eliminate unnecessary expenses. Tightening your belt in order to weather the downturn makes practical, financial sense.

Proactively managing your business through an economic downturn is an enormous challenge and is critical for your survival. However, through well-planned initiatives, an economic downturn can create tremendous opportunity for your company to gain greater market share. In order to take advantage of this growth opportunity, you must act quickly to implement the above best business practices to continue realigning and resizing your company to the current economic conditions.

Copyright © 2008 Terry H. Hill
the author's web site, http://www.legacyai.com

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3 Reasons Why Adsense Is Essential For Content Sites

To know why Adsense is essential for your content sites is to know first how this works.

The concept is really simple, if you think about it. The publisher or the webmaster inserts a java script into a certain website. Each time the page is accessed, the java script will pull advertisements from the Adsense program. The ads that are targeted should therefore be related to the content that is contained on the web page serving the ad. If a visitor clicks on an advertisement, the webmaster serving the ad earns a portion of the money that the advertiser is paying the search engine for the click.

The search engine is the one handling all the tracking and payments, providing an easy way for webmasters to display content-sensitive and targeted ads without having the hassle to solicit advertisers, collect funds, monitor the clicks and statistics which could be a time-consuming task in itself. It seems that there is never a shortage of advertisers in the program from which the search engine pulls the Adsense ads. Also webmasters are less concerned by the lack of information search engines are providing and are more focused in making cash from these search engines.

The first reason why Adsense is essential for content sites is because it already has come a long way in understanding the needs of publishers and webmasters. Together with its continuous progression is the appearance of more advanced system that allows full ad customization. Webmasters are given the chance to choose from many different types of text ad formats to better complement their website and fit their webpage layout.

The different formatting enables the site owners the possibility of more click through from visitors who may or may not be aware of what they are clicking on. It can also appeal to the people visiting thus make them take that next step of looking up what it is all about. This way the people behind the Adsense will get their content read and making profit in the process.

The second reason is the ability of the Adsense publishers to track not only how their sites are progressing but also the earnings based on the webmaster-defined channels. The recent improvements in the search engines gives webmasters the capability to monitor how their ads are performing using customizable reports that has the capacity to detail page impressions, clicks and click-through rates. Webmasters and publishers can now track specific ad formats, colors and pages within a website. Trends are also easily spotted.

With the real-time reporting at hand, the effectiveness of the changes made will be assessed quickly. There would be time to sort out the contents that people are making the most clicks on. The ever-changing demands would be met while generating cash for the webmasters and publishers. The more flexible tools are also allowing webmasters to group web pages by URL, domain, ad type or category, which will provide them some accurate insight on which pages, ads and domains are performing best.

The last and final reason is that the advertisers have realized the benefits associated having their ads served on targeted websites. Thus increasing the possibility that a prospective web surfer will have an interest in their product and services. All because of the content and its constant maintenance. As opposed to those who are no using Adsense in their sites, they are given the option of having other people do their content for them, giving them the benefit of having successful and money-generating web sites.

Adsense is all about targeted content, the more targeted your content is, the more target the search engines’ ads will be. There are some web masters and publishers who are focused more on their site contents and how best to maintain them rather than the cash that the ads will generate for them. This is the part where the effectiveness is working its best.

There was a time when people were not yet aware of the money to be achieved from advertisements. The cash generated only came into existence when the webmasters and publishers realized how they can make Adsense be that generator. In those days, the content were the most important factors that is taken quite seriously. It still is. With the allure of money, of course.

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