Communicating Creatively with Customers

Businesses that know how to effectively communicate with their customers typically outperform their competitors. Consumers have become more savvy and require more engagement than ever before. It's important to consider that every customer is different, but there are some genuine factors that improve the quality of any service provided. That starts with how you communicate with your customers, but it's important to understand the new and exciting ways you can do that.

The Amazing "Social Media"

Lately, the entire concept of social networking and social media has become a focal point in online customer interaction. Customers online become accustomed to seeing a strong social media presence from all of the businesses whose services he or she uses. Social media tools include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, and the blog world. It's important for a company to have a strong following in each of these areas of networking in order to reach a wide audience and to appear to the rest of the world that other people are using and enjoying the service your business provides. There are a wide variety of social media strategies, and many are time consuming. It's important to gauge the level of social media your business needs before pursuing it further.

Communicate All the Time

Companies that are constantly communicating with their customers are giving them the information he or she needs, when he or she needs it. Many successful and prominent businesses send text messages online to all of their contacts. Over time, these businesses acquire a vast amount of user information and contact methods. More recently, online registration forms have been including an area to input phone numbers. This is another way of being able to communicate with customers. According to CBC/Radio-Canada, almost 92% of online consumers use a cell phone. This means that a simple text message can reach almost every single customer in a business and convey to them important information.

Email is Still King

Although not considered modern and exciting, email is still one of the best ways to communicate with customers. Emails can influence customers' feelings toward a company and its services. They are also used to provide information, distribute surveys, and create special email-only promotions. Emails go directly into a customer's inbox, which makes the conversation almost personal. Successful businesses have advanced email forms and newsletters that captivate an audience. Structuring emails so that they emit a positive response will keep users satisfied and assured that they picked the right company.

Reap the Rewards

A successful business can reach out to a wide audience of customers and convince them to spend money. In a marketplace that grows more complex and connected on a daily basis, customers are craving information that is attractive and doesn't waste their time. If a company can use communication tools to perfect this, it will receive a direct increase in customers and revenue.

Don't Look for the Next Opportunity. The One You Have in Hand is the Opportunity

Do we have to wait for success? How long do we have to wait for the real absolute opportunity? Well, the next opportunity would not probably happens. During our current projects, when we make mistakes and all things gone terribly wrong and everything tend to get worst and messy.

In the end, what we always do is give up and just get over it. To straighten all the mistakes, we make a false promise that the next jobs would be a good one and it will be the real opportunity for improvement.

However, the same situation loops consistently and we are still waiting for the right choice to execute the right move. The waiting continues and follow us until the dead end. Ended up like a total losers.

What is in your desk right now is the actual opportunity. Bring the ultimate efforts and determination and do your best now not then. It is the time now. Don't look for the next opportunity, the one you have in hand is the opportunity.

Quote by Paul Arden from the book "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be"

Content insight by Redzuan Harris, Cariblogger.com

Communicating Creatively with Customers

Businesses that know how to effectively communicate with their customers typically outperform their competitors. Consumers have become more savvy and require more engagement than ever before. It's important to consider that every customer is different, but there are some genuine factors that improve the quality of any service provided. That starts with how you communicate with your customers, but it's important to understand the new and exciting ways you can do that.

The Amazing "Social Media"

Lately, the entire concept of social networking and social media has become a focal point in online customer interaction. Customers online become accustomed to seeing a strong social media presence from all of the businesses whose services he or she uses. Social media tools include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, and the blog world. It's important for a company to have a strong following in each of these areas of networking in order to reach a wide audience and to appear to the rest of the world that other people are using and enjoying the service your business provides. There are a wide variety of social media strategies, and many are time consuming. It's important to gauge the level of social media your business needs before pursuing it further.

Communicate All the Time

Companies that are constantly communicating with their customers are giving them the information he or she needs, when he or she needs it. Many successful and prominent businesses send text messages online to all of their contacts. Over time, these businesses acquire a vast amount of user information and contact methods. More recently, online registration forms have been including an area to input phone numbers. This is another way of being able to communicate with customers. According to CBC/Radio-Canada, almost 92% of online consumers use a cell phone. This means that a simple text message can reach almost every single customer in a business and convey to them important information.

Email is Still King

Although not considered modern and exciting, email is still one of the best ways to communicate with customers. Emails can influence customers' feelings toward a company and its services. They are also used to provide information, distribute surveys, and create special email-only promotions. Emails go directly into a customer's inbox, which makes the conversation almost personal. Successful businesses have advanced email forms and newsletters that captivate an audience. Structuring emails so that they emit a positive response will keep users satisfied and assured that they picked the right company.

Reap the Rewards

A successful business can reach out to a wide audience of customers and convince them to spend money. In a marketplace that grows more complex and connected on a daily basis, customers are craving information that is attractive and doesn't waste their time. If a company can use communication tools to perfect this, it will receive a direct increase in customers and revenue.

By Juan Harris, Cariblogger.com

Do Not Seek Praise. Seek Criticsm

Appraisal is pleasing. Indeed. People are more likely to seek for praise than criticism. We tends to be a pretender rather to be a critical. We love to filter out all the bad and get to hear what we want to hear. If you have produced a piece of work, you will get your colleague of friends for approval and get other people to say good thing about it. What about criticism?

"Please tell me you like my works".

"I don't like people who don't appreciate my jobs".

"I think my work is better".

It probably OK to seek for praise. But it is better to crave for criticism. Try to view from other perspective. Don't see what good you have done, get to find what are the better things that you should have done.

"Whats wrong with it?".

"How can I make this better?".

"What are the things that you don't like about it?".

Try to convert your question and get to know the negative side of your ideas. You may get more improvement's ideas to make it better. Do Not Seek Praise. Seek Criticism.

Quote by Paul Arden from the book "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be"

Content insight by Redzuan Harris, Cariblogger.com

Books Every Startup Founder Should Read

Are you a startup founder? Do you need advice on what to do next but don’t know where to start looking? Do you feel like giving up on your company? Many startup companies do not last long because, after the company is started, founders and/or co-founders do not know what to do next.

They are stuck in the beginning and don’t know how to get to the next level, having received incorrect advice or they have not been advised at all. No growth can take place because you are stuck in the positions for too long.

The best way to move forward, is to gain some knowledge and then apply it. As they say, ‘Knowledge is power’; so knowledge without action is rendered powerless. It is not enough to know. You have to do something with what you have received.

Here is a list of some of the best books on the market for any startup founder. Whether you like to read or not, should not influence your decision on whether you are going read these books. In these books are some great strategies on how to make your company a great success. That should be your number one reason for reading these books.

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

This has become the second bible to most startup founders. If you are dedicated to effectively and efficiently building a business, this is the book to read. Lean manufacturing inspired all of the great lessons found in the book.

Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki

If you want some all-in-one start up advice, take some time out to read this 500-page book. It will be worth it. It may take you some time, but it will be worth it.

The Founder’s Dilemmas by Noah Wasserman

As a startup founder, you will face some common problems. Wasserman insightfully gives some great advice on how to deal with these.

Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

Johnson outlines seven guiding principles in this book. They are applicable not only to startups but everywhere. If you follow these principles, you could come up with some great ideas to make company a success.

The Intelligent Entrepreneurby Bill Murphy

The book chronicles the stories of three graduates (all from Harvard’s Business School) and their businesses. Some great one are ‘Start-up as a couple’, ‘Founders’ relationships with investors’, and ‘Business model pivots and other personal accounts’.

Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson

The author is the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Wired. In the book, Anderson explains why freemium is the future of technology business.

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

When you launch, your product sales will go up. In the course of time, sales can decrease. In this book Moore explains why this is. He also explains how you can prevent your product from completely disappearing by adjusting your marketing strategy at certain times.

Business Model Generation by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur

The book visually shows visual patterns of the common business model; it opens your mind to the business end of what you are building.

Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston

This book features interviews with the likes of Max Levchin (Paypal), Steve Wozniak (Apple), Stephen Kaufer (TripAdviror), Joshua Schachter (del.icio.us) and more. This book will make you realize that even these great companies all had to start somewhere and they all had their challenges. Today they are a huge success, yours can be too. You also get to see things from the founders’ perspective.

The Startup Playbook by David S. Kidder

The book contains some key practices, behaviours and ideas for success. Key founders like Caterina Fake (Flickr and Hunch), Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), Sara Blakely (Spanx) and many more also share some great advice for startup founders.

Start-up: A Resource Book of The Founder by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf

The book shows you, step by step, how to create your new business. It also contains the management of the startup projects course.

The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki

This book is a definite guide for anyone who wants to start anything. It lays out all the tactics of bootstrapping, branding, rainmaking, positioning, recruiting, and pitching.

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

The book as an account of the success of Zappos, what the founders and employees went through and how they ultimately came up with their winning strategy. A great book if you feel like you are ready to give up on your company.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This book is known as one of the best known motivational books. It is also the first one of its kind. Since first published 1936, it has been ‘updated’ quite a few times. If you want to get the best of what the author has to offer in this book, find a copy that was published before the 1960’s. It will be worth all of your efforts.

Summary

Some of the authors of these books, gave a vivid description of what it takes to make a success of your startup company. They shared their own personal stories, or relayed those of others. Whether you are in the beginning stages of your startup or not, I’m sure you will be able to find a book, even in this list, that will help you at the level that you are now.

"I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves"

E.M. Forster, Two Cheers for Democracy, 1951.

By Leandre de Bruyn, Cariblogger.com

It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know

After reading this chapter, It makes me feel bloated. Here are the situations. You are a talented and knowledgeable IT professional. You have an impressive and outstanding skills that makes you big score on your salary and earn company respect. Despite of your infamous fame in the company, you are shy and polite person. Love to stay alone not socialize. Nobody knows you.

Your friend, however, is just a plain person, less knowledge and lack of IT skills. But great in knowing and getting around people inside and outside the company. Your friend, print a business card and with good words and socialize with people. Been accepted into the community and been well recognized as a IT guys with great attitude.

Your friend, is a somebody to the people and was granted, blessed and appreciated with lots of opportunity. While you, with lack of social skills and reluctance to be around people will stay forever alone. Unnoticed and nobody to the people.

Yes. This is the reality of life. It's not what you know, It's who you know. Cheers.

Quote by Paul Arden from the book "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be"

Content insight by Redzuan Harris, Cariblogger.com

The Perosn Who Doesn't Make Mistakes is Unlikely To Make Anything

Paul Arden said that failures and false starts are a precondition of success. Failing is normal. It is just a short breakdown before striving to a successful future path and gateway. We learn from mistakes and gain the experience through foul and stressful steps.

Benjamin Franklin once said,

"I haven't failed, I've had 10,000 ideas that didn't work."

Thomas Edison said,

"Of the 200 light bulbs that didn't work, every failure told me something that I was able to incorporate into the next attempt."

These guys really understood that failures is the process to archive success. Don't get mad or stress if you encounter a painful failure, just learn and go with it and to the best to drive your effort to success.

Failure was a major contributor to life success. The person who doesn't make mistakes is unlikely to make anything.

Quote by Paul Arden from the book "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be"

Content insight by Redzuan Harris, Cariblogger.com

Have You Noticed How The Cleverest People at School Are Not Those Who Make It in Life

In school, everything its all about remembering facts. It is how good you are in manipulating and accumulating the technique to learn and stocking facts into your brain. The more you are able to remember, the better you will perform.

Therefore, those who fail at school is a person who not literally quite good or interested in remembering those facts. It does not means that they are stupid. Clever people get jobs based on their qualification of the ability to remembering the facts learn at school or college. However, they are not on their desire to succeed.

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On the other half, stupid people who does not interested in facts do things on their desire to success.

So, do you noticed how the cleverest people at school are not those who make it in life?

Quote by Paul Arden from the book "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be"

Content insight by Redzuan Harris, Cariblogger.com