Articles

Writing a successful e-mail promotion: 10 tricks of the trade

March 22, 2004
1. Place a strong emphasis on benefits. Say you sell skin-care products. You need to highlight the benefit to the customer (younger-looking skin) rather than the features (it contains 12 different moisturizers).

Stand up to problems

March 8, 2004
You can reach difficult decisions up to 20 percent faster when standing instead of sitting, says research from the University of California.

Practice the four R’s of ‘power listening’

January 1, 2004
Power listening is listening with empathy, putting yourself in the other person’s shoes, and responding with what you understand the other person has said. The best way to become a power listener is to develop the specific skills of active listening, especially the “four R’s”:

9 ways to improve collections, speed pay-ups

December 1, 2003
Making a sale is worthless if you never receive payment. Many companies make the fatal mistake in their collection process of either letting debtors off too easily or turning them off for good.

Rise above soft boss

November 1, 2001
Q. My boss’ standards are way too low. She’s lax and far too accepting of average work—by myself and other managers. I find myself doing just enough to get by. Should I care?

Keep open mind when headhunter calls

September 1, 2001
You’re delighted with your current employer, so you politely brush off all inquiries from headhunters. Big mistake.

Compel others to listen to you by starting off with these attention-grabbers

July 1, 2001
6 ways to get their attention fast.

Rushing to a big meeting?

December 1, 1997
Give yourself an extra few seconds before you burst in.

Hold a waffler accountable

September 1, 1997
Wafflers constantly change their minds and give wishy-washy answers to even the most simple fact-finding questions. To hold a waffler accountable, try these techniques.