Beware of Boredom, it's contagious!

Let's face it, we have all walked out of a meeting (or class) before and said, "That was the worst meeting ever." This is because you are suffering from a condition known as compulsive boredom. No matter what subject, time or place, or presenter, you always manage doze off, doodle, or find a way to entertain yourself through a meeting. Stefan Kroes managed to conduct an entire study on how to detect boredom in a meeting. Check out his paper by visiting this website. The good news is, boredom is preventable and treatable. As aspiring young professionals, it is important that you know how to stop the spread of boredom, so your team or group does not become apart of the problem.

Boredom is spread easily in a group setting by a lack of organization and planning on the part of the person running the meeting. To combat the disease in this form, remember a simple phrase: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. This means; formulate a comprehensive agenda, send it to all meeting attendees two days in advance, show up early to the meeting room, and respond to pre-meeting questions quickly. Be sure to have copies of the agenda with you at the meeting. These tips, and several more, can be found in this sample meeting agenda article by Estella Kennen. Even with proper preparation, boredom is still extremely dangerous.

Excitement, humor, and heated discussion are the most effective weapons against this condition. In the days leading up to the meeting, flaunt your excitement to your co-workers! Although it might seem a little bit tacky and lame, you can guarantee that if you're not excited, no one else will be either. As the leader of the meeting, your energy should be contagious. Keep in mind, communication is key.

Humor works well when used at the right moments. However, remember that all humor must be politically correct and must be something the audience will respond to. Humor can be used in your speech, PowerPoint, the agenda, and a number of other places. If a tasteful joke fails to invigorate your audience, perhaps a brief recess is needed to recover.

Finally, encourage discussion amongst all team members. Few things can persistently stave off boredom like a heated discussion within a group. If a member is not participating or is seemingly excluded, call on them or ask for their input. As the meeting moderator, you must control how intense the environment gets.

If these tactics are ineffective at stopping boredom, the last defense someone has comes from reading the meeting minutes. The minutes are accurate, impartial records of what transpired at a meeting, and can serve as a recap for the weary employee. Minutes are a crucial part of every meeting, and should be taken very seriously. For tips and pointers on taking the minutes, check out this article by Dawn Rosenburg McKay. Even if you were paying attention, read the minutes anyways to jog your memory.

Failure to attend meetings prepared, actively contribute to discussion, or read the minutes are all factors that can lead to employment fatalities. Websites like effectivemeetings.com serve an excellent one-stop shop for all of your planning needs. If you have never planned or organized a meeting before, this site might be the easiest way to get some of your questions answered. Boredom is preventable, but you have to take the right steps to stop its spread.The only question left is, are you going to become a part of the problem, or the solution?

How to Rock Your Interview

You've spent the past 4 years preparing for you dream job. You've made it through the rough chemistry exams, all nighters and late night partying. Now you are in the real world and ready for your interview. You have some tough competition ahead of you; the current job market isn't as promising as it seemed in college. You're probably thinking "How am I going to make myself stand out against 100 applicants?" That may be a tad over played but it's still a nerving thought. Don't sweat it, I have some great pointers on how you can rock your interview!

As I was looking online for help with interviews, I noticed there are a lot of websites designed to do just that. Interviews play a huge part in getting a job, so it's something you want to do right. I came across this website called jobopenings.net; it had information similar to the text book, but they also had some other great pointers. Interview questions are always difficult, it is always a good idea to practice your answers to some questions before you go in. Jobopenings.net had some great sample questions to think about such as; "Where do you expect to be in your career in 10 years?" Do not explain that this job will be your stepping stone in your career. They know that 75% of the people they hire are going to be elsewhere in 10 years. They just want to hear that you are dedicated to your career and want to learn as much as you can. And to be honest no one knows where they will be in 10 years. They also had another great question to think about "Why did you leave your last job?" This is definitely not an opening to bash your previous employer. No matter how much you hated the job, or if you were in the wrong, here and now is not the time or place to air any dirty laundry. Simply say that there was no room for advancement in your former company, or you want to reduce your travel time to work, or you need a new job challenge; all of which are acceptable answers.

Jobopenings.net also gives some great tips on what to do during an interview. They give similar tips that the text book does as well but, they also give more great tips. They tell you to;

1. Not be embarrassed by your nervousness. It's a good thing to be nervous, that means you actually care about the job and the outcome of the interview. Just be sure not to show your nervousness in any annoying habits such as tapping your toes or clicking a pen.
2. Don't exaggerate or lie. Anything that you embellish upon will come back to haunt you sooner or later! You don't want that to ever happen.
3. Don't be afraid to think before you speak. sometimes you need to think or reflect upon something that you previously did and that's ok. The interviewer will respect you for taking the time to correctly tell a story and it shows you are taking the question seriously enough to think about how to answer it.
4. Watch your grammar and manners. Never use any slang that is not work related. Interviewers look for people who can express themselves properly and professionally.

Many people fret over what to wear to an interview. It may seem harsh but it's a fact we are judged by how we look. If you have awesome talent and are perfect for the job but, your suit is wrinkled and it looks like you haven't taken a shower; you may not get the job. As I was looking online I noticed many websites had the same advice that the text book did. All though I did find something useful on ehow.com; they suggest that we;
1. Call the receptionist or secretary at your prospective employers office to see what the employees wear.
2. Consider the location. If it is in the mall you can wear slacks or a sweater. If it is in a corporate office wear business attire; such as a suit or skirt suit.
3. Choose between pumps, loafers, and open toed shoes. If you are wearing a skirt panty hose are a must.
4. Avoid mini skirts, overalls, tight sweaters, and sandals with a strap.
5. Check your outfit for holes, stains, scuffs, or wrinkles.
6. Inspect your hair, nails, hems and, shine your shoes.
7. Tone down the use of hair spray, make up, perfume and, jewelry. One nose ring is one too many, it may cost you your job.
8. Carry a nice briefcase or portfolio. Leave the unorganized over sized bag at home.

So you're ready for your interview and look professional! You'll do great, but they threw you a curve ball, you have to do an over the phone interview. Don't freak, it's easy and similar to a face to face interview. According to jobinterviewquestions.org here are some things to remember.
1. Introduce yourself clearly and directly. Engage in small talk just like you would in a traditional interview.
2. Speak clearly into the receiver and modulate your voice. Your voice is the only way they interviewer can detect your enthusiasm for the job. Your voice can reveal your personality and attitude toward the caller. So make sure you are smiling it makes all the difference and you can tell on the phone.
3. Have your resume and the job advertisement with you for reference. Also have a pen and paper with you to take notes.
4. Dress as you would for a traditional interview, it helps you feel more prepared for the interview.
5. Eliminate any distractions
6. Prove that you are the person for the job, just like you would in a traditional interview.

So now you are fully ready for any interview that you have. Get out there and show the job market your talent! Good Luck!

Dossiers & Portfolios: Compiling your Awesomeness

Searching for a job can be a daunting task, and in today's job market, you need anything that gives you a one-up on others looking for jobs! Two great ways to give yourself such a head start are by compiling two different collections of information. The first is a DOSSIER--which is just a fancy word for a file of information created by others (but compiled by you) containing information relevant to you and your job search, like letters of recommendation, transcripts, and letters praising your work. The second is a CAREER PORTFOLIO--which is a binder of information created and produced by you, like personal statements, a copy of your resume, pertinent examples of graphic works, copies of awards, examples of written works, newspaper articles about your work, promotion letters, etc. I'll risk stating the obvious by defining a webfolio as a portfolio on the web. Essentially, both a dossier and a career portfolio should be full of evidence of your awesomeness and reasons to hire you!

According to the textbook, letters of recommendation are a very important part of any dossier, so choosing the right people as references is essential. The book advises asking previous employers, professors, community leaders, or military supervisors (if it applies to you), but it doesn't specify how to use them effectively. I found a great site to supplement the information in the book that shows the importance of references and how to use them strategically. It even gives examples of the types of questions that a potential employer would ask a reference. The book and the website both agree that the most important thing to remember when dealing with references is to ask permission before using someone as a reference!

In conjunction with the general information provided in the book (pages 246-51), eHow was very helpful with the basics of sending either a hard copy or electronic copy of a job search dossier. It breaks down the construction of a dossier into 4 simple steps, for a mail or an electronic submittal. However, eHow is not as informative as the book when advising which documents to include. One good piece of advice that it offers-that the book does not- is to begin work on a dossier months before you think that you'll need it.

A really good resource for Career Portfolios that I found was QuintCareers.com. It provides a lot of extra guidance on the types of documents to include in a portfolio. Just like the book, it advises compiling all of your documents in a traditional 3-ring binder and using traditional tabs to divide it into sections. The bottom line for anything that you include in your portfolio is that it should give a potential employer a reason to hire you!

YouTube has a whole series of informational videos by Street School Network 1 about different ways to build a portfolio. Another good resource I found for both dossiers and career portfolios is Interfolio. Additionally, Interfolio has a great blog full of resources and advice for every part of your job search preparation- from tips for writing a personal statement to how to write an email.

The thing to remember when compiling information for a dossier or a portfolio is that this your chance to set yourself above the competition. Show off your accomplishment! Include documents that display your achievements, excellence, and professionalism, and leave out anything too personal (like family photographs or unrelated document) or unprofessional (like a Facebook page). Good luck getting started!

Why Should I Hire You?

Applying for a job can be a stressful task, but what's even more stressful is drafting a perfect Cover Letter. A Cover Letter is one of the most important pieces of correspondence you may ever write. Its goal is to get you an interview and the job you have always been waiting for. If a Cover Letter is done properly, it can greatly improve your ability to compete for jobs and higher career positions. It adds a personal touch to your resume and shows employers that you are a professional candidate. Since the job market has been struggling, a Cover Letter is an ultimate must to push you that extra mile to stand out from other job seekers.

I searched several different websites and came across a few great ones. The first website is Advanced Resume Concepts by Pat Kendall. Pat shares 4 cover letter rules to always abide by:

1. Customize to Fit: Take the time to customize your Cover Letter to fit the employer's requirements.
2. Meet the Employer's Needs: Write the Cover Letter with the employer's needs in mind - not your own.
3. Actively Sell Yourself: Tell the employer WHY they should hire you.
4. Keep it Simple: Use a simple block format with left flush margins and ragged right margins.

Pat Kendall says a great quote to always remember when writing a Cover Letter, "Impress employers with your qualifications and relevant experience, not with your fancy language."

My second website is Cover Letters Do's and Don'ts by Randall and Katharine Hansen. They list a variety of great do's and don'ts that everyone should read before starting their Cover Letter. The very first Cover Letter DO is to always send out a Cover Letter with your resume. It is the most important part of your application. My favorite advice was to avoid the three most common Cover Letter mistakes:

1. Not addressing your Cover Letter to a named individual.
2. Failing to be proactive by requesting an interview.
3. Telling what the company can do for you rather than what you can do for the company.

My final website is Cover Letters: Types and Samples by the Virgina Tech University. This website answers almost every question about how to write a Cover Letter. It lists the differences between email and hard copy Cover Letter versions. This was the only site I came across that was specific about what font size and style to use. Appearance is just as important as the information in the Cover Letter. VTU also includes sample Cover Letter format guidelines. It visually shows the reader what information goes where. In addition, they include a few other sample Cover Letters addressed to actual employers which are great tools to look at when writing your own Cover Letter.

If you all ready sent out a Cover Letter and broke a couple of these rules don't worry about it. Brush that one off and get a fresh start on a new one. If you follow all of these Cover Letter guidelines, I am sure you will impress the employer and earn that interview and hopefully the job!

Earn that Interview with the Perfect Resume!

Every college student struggles to prepare the perfect resume before they graduate, and we all hope to land the perfect job right after graduation. In order for this to happen, here are some helpful tips to think about when preparing your resume. The textbook includes helpful information on how to format your resume, what to include, what not to include; however, college students like the information to be quick, to the point, and easy to read. I took this into consideration while I searched for more sources online and I narrowed it down to three websites that I found were very helpful and easy to follow. Here is what I found:

Write a Resume is a bit more wordy than the others; however, I found it to be beneficial because of how you can follow it according to each topic. For example, it talks about why you need a resume, what employers look for, questions an employer asks, etc. Some of this information is stuff we wouldn’t think we need to know, but it turns out to be helpful. Also, I like how they include what not to put in your resume. This section is easy to read and a good guide to look over when revising your resume.

The first website is very helpful, but I wanted to look for something more straightforward. Which is why I liked Jobstar Central; it provides strict "5 Key Concepts for Powerful, Effective Resumes" that weren’t really mentioned in the textbook. They are more personal but also very helpful to remember:

1. Your resume is YOUR marketing tool, not a personnel document.
2. It is about YOU the job hunter, not just about the jobs you've held.
3. It focuses on your future, not your past.
4. It emphasizes your accomplishments, not your past job duties or job descriptions.
5. It documents skills you enjoy using, not skills you used just because you had to.

This website also includes "10 Steps in Creating a Damn Good Resume," which are different from the textbook and I strongly encourage everyone to check it out!

I then found this website, careerbuilder, that has a ton of information and links to different topics about resumes; such as, “13 Most Overused Resume Phrases,” “8 Resume Editing Tips,” Resume samples, etc. The link I focused on here was “5 Ways to Improve your Resume,” which are:

1. Spell check…the old-fashioned way.
2. Put it in reverse chronological order.
3. Simplify your language.
4. Eliminate clutter.
5. Read it aloud.

*Each of these tips include more in depth information and examples that I find to be of
great help as well as the sources I mentioned above.

Preparing a resume is something all of us will need to do before we graduate. And in order to make this process a bit easier for us all, I suggest checking out these websites for the helpful tips and following the format suggestions in the textbook!

--Rachael

Important disease prevention tips!

Let's face it, we have all walked out of a meeting (or class) before and said, "That was the worst meeting ever." This is because you are suffering from a condition known as compulsive boredom. No matter what subject, time or place, or presenter, you always manage doze off, doodle, or find a way to entertain yourself through a meeting. The good news is, boredom is preventable and treatable. As aspiring young professionals, it is important that you know how to stop the spread of boredom, so your team or group does not become apart of the problem.

Boredom is spread easily in a group setting by a lack of organization and planning on the part of the person running the meeting. To combat the disease in this form, remember a simple phrase: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. This means; formulate a comprehensive agenda, send it to all meeting attendees two days in advance, show up early to the meeting room, and respond to pre-meeting questions quickly. Be sure to have copies of the agenda with you at the meeting. Even with proper preparation, boredom is still extremely dangerous.

Excitement, humor, and heated discussion are the most effective weapons against this condition. In the days leading up to the meeting, flaunt your excitement to your co-workers! Although it might seem a little bit tacky and lame, you can guarantee that if you're not excited, no one else will be either. As the leader of the meeting, your energy should be contagious. Keep in mind, communication is key.

Humor works well when used at the right moments. However, remember that all humor must be politically correct and must be something the audience will respond to. Humor can be used in your speech, PowerPoint, the agenda, and a number of other places. If a tasteful joke fails to invigorate your audience, perhaps a brief recess is needed to recover.

Finally, encourage discussion amongst all team members. Few things can persistently stave off boredom like a heated discussion within a group. If a member is not participating or is seemingly excluded, call on them or ask for their input. As the meeting moderator, you must control how intense the environment gets.

If these tactics are ineffective at stopping boredom, the last defense someone has comes from reading the meeting minutes. The minutes are accurate, impartial records of what transpired at a meeting, and can serve as a recap for the weary employee. Even if you were paying attention, read the minutes anyways to jog your memory.

Failure to attend meetings prepared, actively contribute to discussion, or read the minutes are all factors that can lead to employment fatalities. Boredom is preventable, but you have to take the right steps to stop its spread. The only question left is, are you going to become a part of the problem, or the solution?

Designing a Successful Website

www.Squidoo.com says it best about homepages, they say that its like a "first impression". Your homepage is a “first impression” of your company. Based on this “first impression” customers will make a decision to continue in your website or begin a new search. Therefore, a well-designed homepage is essential for a successful website. Many sites provide recommendations for what information to include on a webpage. The website www.cyberindian.com is a comprehensive informational site that one can use. This site has eight great steps that will really help you get started:

1. Select a Color Scheme of no more than 2 or 3 colors and stick to it.
2. Use a Template that comes in the web design software you’re using.
3. Insure that navigating is easy and user friendly.
4. Make sure you balance the use of special effects such as; videos, audio and graphics.
5. Make sure the Background highlights your text and links instead of obscuring them.
6. Have External Links that open in a new window so visitors can easily go back to your site.
7. Include a Site Map & Search Feature if you have more than 15 pages to make sure your customers can find what they are looking for.
8. Remember that Content is “King”.

Although having a website that looks professional and works efficiently is important, the most important aspect of a website is the content. Your website must contain all the information about your products and services that your customers need to know. There should be no mistakes whether it’s the spelling, prices, dates, phone numbers or links. And, all that information has to be easy for your customers to find and look professional.

Besides the information from the internet, I also learned a lot about website design from a friend who has a Masters in Computer Science and Engineering and has his own website designing business, (www.floencode.com). According to him, the eight steps are a great guideline and adds that after a website has been created, it should be periodically proof-read and tested to insure it is always up-to-date and accurate. He says with regular monitoring, a company’s website will continue to make that professional “first impression”, which is so important to a successful website.


~Sean

Helpful Site for Web Design Principles

Hey all-I came across this web design principles page and thought it might be helpful. I posted it so I wouldn't forget, even though one of the presenters may also have come across this page. :)
Annie

Successful Design of Documents!

Designing successful documents can lead your company to have more sales and gain more clients. Creating a excellent document with all the correct styles and fonts that appeal to your certain crowd, can help sell yourself to anyone.

A bad document can cause you to loves your reader/audiences attention. Without having the proper document you can cause your reader to fall asleep or all in all think less of you and/or your company.Creating a successful document is all about the ABCs, page layout, typography, graphics and color.

After reading through a few sites, and one I used in my presentation from another blog I was researching about typography, it talks about the famous butterfly ballot of palm beach county that was used in the 2000 elections (hanging chad!)

I also found a great site with a visual guide to document design that goes into further detail about designing documents successfully, DocSymmetry. This site shows u how and what designs are well for what occasion.

The last webpage I came along was prob. the best one yet Ten Steps to Good Document Design, it explains again just about everything that was talked about in my presentation, but in about 2 min. LOL.

I was unable to find some videos on writing documents, I did find one but it was a hour and I don't think any of you would sit there for that long

- Shea Gaudio "Vinny"

The Research about Research

The methods of research discussed in the book, and the ones that seemed to be used the most in the work place, are that of interviews, focus groups and surverys. Alot of tips and information on these research methods could also be found online.

This career builder blog provides tips for conducting a research type interview. This blog provides some great tips and pointers on how to conduct an interview of a professional in a field you are interested in joining. Many of the tips on setting up the interview, conducting the interview, and follow up activities were the same as those provided by the book. One interesting point this blog talks about though is to allow the conversation to go off topic and follow an interesting “tangent.” This may help you learn more interesting and helpful information in your continued job search.

This next link provides more useful information on setting up, conducting, and analyzing information obtained from focus groups. The tips this link provides agree with the book, while also providing some more in-depth comments. Some of the most useful of these was the tips about getting more than one moderator or observer. Having more than one allows for: incorporating more people into these focus groups, obtaining the most information, and incorporating multiple viewpoints to reduce the impacts of biases.

The most additional information I found was surrounding the topic of surveys. Almost all of the websites I looked at surrounding this topic agreed with and provided very similar information to the book. One additional tip I found helpful was to pre-test your survey. This article states that you should give your survey to co-workers or a small group of your intended audience and get their feedback about how good it is at getting the information you need. Another article I found addressed what survey type was the most effective. The author of this post believes that an online survey is probably the most useful because it provides customers with a faceless, anonymous way to answer. This makes it more likely that the customers will respond, and provide the most honest responses. Any additional tips or information you may want can also be found by google searching “tips on surveys.”

Research is something that all of us are going to have to do at some point in our professional lives. Knowing how to conduct the three most important types-interviews, focus groups, and surveys-will ensure success for your business career.

Businesses will always have problems but there will always be solutions...

In the work place you may encounter a problem that you believe should be solved in order for the company to better itself and improve. An internal proposal is the method and writing style that you will want to use to get your solution across and heard. Information on internal business proposals is located all over the Internet if you search for it and many sites confirm the same styles and formats to use. Visual examples of an internal proposal were hard to find using the Internet but descriptive methods were everywhere.
On this site http://www.internetraining.com/6art1.htm the internal proposal method and content was explained in a great way using more basic wording then what are book used. You want to not use any emotion in you proposal when announcing a problem to a boss or supervisor. As they say sometimes the messenger is the one to get shot. So this keeps the messenger from being the target and it keeps the reader with a nonclouded mind.
I was surfing around some proposal blogs when I found this one by Deborah Kludge called "The importance of an Outline" http://www.proposalwriter.com/weblog/archives/2004/07/the-importance-of-an-outline.html. She stresses the point that before you construct your proposal you should create an outline. This keeps you on track while writing and keeps your ideas and thoughts from becoming all mashed up. Having an outline is in fact a good way to start the process. Be sure that when you write your proposal though that you do not outline any important details or strategies. The more information in detail the better.
In this article "Better Internal Proposals" Robert Abbott explains great ways to construct the proposal to make sure that it has a better chance of succeeding. You want to make sure that you state the problem and your solution clearly. A strong way to get the attention of the reader is to fully explain to them what the consequences and benefits are with the problem and solution.

-Jeremy

Guidelines for Writing Short Reports

Short Reports Guidelines

There are plenty of different kinds of short reports. One thing they all have in common though is they are all written for readers who need factual information. I found the book to be the easiests to comprehend, but listed below is a website i found helpful too.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5093184_write-short-report.html

The website listed above lists 7 simple steps. If you follow these steps you will be able to manage writing a short report. Below I will give a brief description of these 7 steps and any more important details to writing a short report.

Give a statement about your reports subject- explain why the report is being written and summarize its contents. Present the facts clearly, try and compose a complete report. Make sure to give the readers all the information so they can make an informed decision. Use appropriate headings, first of second level. Present both sides to your report. Do not just give one side- let the readers know both sides so their decision is yet again informed. One example would be to not sugar coat what you are trying to write about. Give your readers the positive and negative sides to your issue. This lets the readers believe they can trust you and believe your being honest with them. Next would be citing your sources, this is another reason your readers can trust you. They want to know that your information is reliable. If asked to share your recommendations or suggestions-do so. And finally, proofread your short report.

Another website that discusses the objectives of short reports and proposals is http://www.stanford.edu/~harryg/pretected/secured6/Chapter17.htm. This is a website from Stanford University. Some of the objectives discussed in this website are identifying the parts of a formal report and the contribution each part makes to the overall report effective. Another objective is preparing short reports in a letter format. And finally prepare proposals for a variety of purposes. This website also gives tips when writing a short report and proposal and guides you along to which problems you may come across and how to deal with the problem.

A third website I found to be useful for writing short reports is http://ezinearticles.com/discover-how-to-write-short-reports&id=865442. This website gives the basics of short reports. It explains what a short report is, the steps to take to writing a short report, and the key to writing a successful report. This website also goes into detail about trying to sell a short report. It also lists another website to visit giving the latest tips on how to write a report.

And finally one last website I found lists the typical components of a short reports format. This website is http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~writing/handbook-shrtrept.html.

I do believe its important to realize that no matter what type of short report you are writing, but to be aware all reports are being written for an intended audience. Short reports should be explained why they are being written and followed by summarizing its contents. As I had mentioned from the first website listed, by giving your audience both sides to your report and not just one side (your opinion) can offer your audience to trust you and the information you are feeding them. And finally, by citing your sources shows your audience that your information isnt false. You audience can see that you have reliable information and factual information as well. I agree that all of these tips are important and can be useful to writing a successful short report.

Proposals aka How to get what you want!!!

Proposals must answer the questions what, how, when and how much? In my research I found a more direct outline for preparing proposals, which may be easier for people to follow. The outlines included percentages of how much space a specific section should fill within your proposal. Giving percentages is something I found to be very helpful, since I am not familiar with proposals. I also found that it is a good idea to develop a preproposal and write a first draft. When discussing a point it is important to not over explain it. You want to just state it, support it, and then move on. Unlike the text where the appearance guidelines were only explained my research explained language that is not appropriate to use, such as might, could, ought, may, should, hope, will consider, and it appears. Just like the text correcting errors is significant and sometimes it is helpful to seek the help of an editor. Many tips on editing were offered on the websites I researched.
Organization is important to a proposal. Techniques for doing this include headings, marginal notes, sectional introductions and prefaces, summaries and appendices, outlines, charts and diagrams, which were stated in the text. Also check lists and planning sheets were made available to help in the organization process.
I found that is important to include a bibliography or a work cited within your proposal. Most of the research I found was the same as the text but just gave a more detailed explanation on each guideline for writing a proposal.

It's all about the clients what can you do for them... specifically

Tips on writing a good sales proposal can be found everywhere on the internet and believe it or not they all say the same stuff. Granted, it is all useful information. You will find all the tips you need to write a solid sales proposal. Examples were hard to find. This site, esmalloffice, however gave you enough examples in each section for it to make sense. I did find a video on youtube, but this lady was really annoying and all the videos were spilt into minute sections.

The tips that were given in most websites made it clear that you want to focus on the clients problems not your company's achievements. This guy seems to be pretty angry about it on his blog, secrets to a great proposal. You really want to save talking your company up until the end. You do however want to point out benefits over your competitors through out the proposal.

I never thought I would say this, but the best example you can find is in the book. Unless you want to sign up for a site or pay one hundred dollars.

Top ten reasons proposals fail is a good way to review your sales proposal. Make sure you can feel the clients pain and can help them. Make sure to sell the benefits for the client. Make sure it is well structured, good grammar and spelling, make it nice formatting and packaging. Lastly make sure there is a call for action at the end.

As you can see the main theme is that your company is there for the client and that they are not there for you. Make sure you do your research and understand what they need before you send it or you won't get the client.

Resume Tips

Hi all,

Found this article about phrases not to use on your resume on Yahoo today, and thought people might be interested. Hopefully we can discuss these suggestions later in the quarter in more depth!

Annie

Hey Good Lookin': Making Your Letters Pretty

Advice about how to format business letters is surprisingly unvaried. This is perhaps because letter writing has been in use much longer than other forms of business writing, like blogs and email, and has therefore had more time to become standardized. As a result, there are only a few minor departures from the textbook in the sources I researched. My presentation outlines the formatting suggested by the textbook, but the advice from the following sources is also beneficial.

One of the top sources on my list for all writing advice is Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL). OWL suggests placing the writer’s address after the date, although most other sources have the date following the writer’s address. Another nitpicky difference is OWL’s distinction between “Modified Block” form and “Semi-Block” form. The book lumps both of these under the “Modified Block” category by stating that one may or may not indent the first line of the paragraphs.

One of the biggest variations I’ve seen in business letter formatting is what to include in the writer’s address. The textbook only includes the street address, city, state, and zip. Many other sources have the writer include his or her name and/or the company name. This seems to be primarily a matter of preference, and obviously won’t impact your letter’s professionalism in any way.

There are many sources on the Internet to help format your letters, but one of my favorites that I’ve found is UpWrite Press’s blog and video, which I’ve included below. UpWrite covers a number of writing topics in their blog.

I do want to touch on the use of formatting "wizards" such as the one in Microsoft Word. The templates in MS Word can be very useful and there are many different types available—from apologies to thank you letters. These templates even have the full body of the text completed for certain situations (e.g. "Apology for problem caused by another company." That's right, MS Word will help you pass the buck.) However, a basic knowledge of letter writing is still necessary despite this useful technology. Imagine an already angry customer’s ire at discovering the adjustment letter they were sent by your company is identical to the Microsoft Word apology template! Also, different situations require different formatting—particularly if you will be using company letterhead paper. So, feel free to use this helpful tool, but with caution.

UpWrite Press has created this very helpful video to assist you in your business letter endeavors.

Adjustment Letters (and dealing with cranky customers in general)

An adjustment letter is a company’s response to a complaint letter. The textbook provides pretty thorough information about adjustment letters. My presentation outlines the main points made in the text, but here are a few key points to remember:

 -Look at adjustment letters as an opportunity to build goodwill

 -Avoid sending a noncommittal letter. This says that you haven’t taken the time to investigate their claim and are not taking it seriously. Instead, investigate their claim and get back to them with an answer as quickly as possible

-It’s important to be sincere. Complying begrudgingly or overdoing an apology will make the company look bad and destroy any potential to build goodwill.

-Maintain a positive and friendly tone

-Don’t make a promise you can’t keep. Furthermore, watch your wording to avoid sounding like you could give the customer what they want but are choosing not to (avoid the words “grant”, “claim”, and “reject”)

-Always be customer-centered

 

Most of the information I was able to find online about adjustment letters reiterated what the book stated. Here are a few useful websites I came across:

Colorado State University's website provides a lot of the same information as our text (it stresses the opportunity to build goodwill and the importance of a positive approach), but it includes helpful information about how to draft and revise an adjustment letter with focus on objective and scope. It also provides sample letters.

Businesswritingblog.com features a post about "waging peace" in business writing. Lynn Gaertner-Johnston provides techniques for connecting with the reader, communicating negative messages kindly, and apologizing for mistakes.

Businessweek.com has an article that refers mostly to interacting with customers over the phone, but it provides some insight that is useful in dealing with cranky customers in general. This article stresses the customer-centered approach and provides a real life example of the difference good customer service and building goodwill can make.

Ehow.com Provides seven basic steps for dealing with customer complaints. It stresses that customers want to feel heard, complaints can help you learn to improve your business, and not to take complaints personally.

What are you conveying through your e-mails? Dorothy, we're not in Facebook territory anymore...

As college students, we come into contact with e-mails on a daily basis. In the current time of Facebook, AIM, Twitter, etc., sometimes it gets tough to draw the line between professionalism and entertainment. We're accustomed to not using correct spelling and grammar, posting about personal opinion, and using slang. When we communicate with professors and employers, though, we must remember to put our bad habits aside, and get back into "professional mode," which is sometimes hard to do. Much of the information that I have found about e-mail seems pretty common sense, but it never hurts to get a refresher on proper etiquette. Offending someone, appearing unprofessional, or being unclear could end up being a costly mistake.

I started my research by visiting the Business Writing Blog. I found Lynn Gaertner-Johnston's advice on e-mails very current and useful. Some specific articles I looked at were: A Disconnect in Email Subjects, Casual Email Loses Customer for Caterer, Does "Free" Work in an Email Subject Line?, Dear John et al., and When Lights Go Out on the Web. Much of her advice agrees with the content presented in the textbook, such as the importance of professionalism in e-mail discussed in "Casual Email Loses Customer for Caterer," and the importance of an appropriate email subject line in "A Disconnect in Email Subjects."

A few of Gaertner-Johnston's topics were not mentioned in the textbook, but I feel that they are worthwhile discussions. "Does Free Work in an Email Subject Line?" sparked my interest because it questions whether Emails whos subject lines start with the word "free" will get stuck in spam folders or if recipients will simply delete them. It is a topic that makes a lot of sense, but that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. "Dear John et al." explores the idea of using "et al." as a way to avoid listing many names in a greeting. Gaertner-Johnston advises against this practice, but offers some other solutions such as "Dear John and team members," or "Hello, Marketing team." I agree with such advice because as she mentions, not everyone knows what et al. means, and it isn't a very friendly or warm greeting.

One thing that she disagrees with the textbook on is the "24/7" aspect of the Internet ("When the Lights Go Out on the Web"). She talks about how sometimes when we don't receive an email from someone, we can't assume they didn't send it. She goes on to give an example of some of her emails getting "stuck in cyberspace."

This leads me to my next source of information: How to Write a Business Email. This site agrees with Gaertner-Johnston in that it encourages the writer to put their phone number in the signature of the email so the recipient has the option of making telephone contact if he/she deems it necessary (the textbook aims to "eliminate phone tag"). Most other advice on this site agrees with the textbook, but it is a good refresher. The information is bulleted and to the point, and there are some good examples posted.

The last place I looked was on YouTube, and I found a video tutorial that step-by-step edits an e-mail (ESL Business Writing Video - Email Tune-up 01). It covers everything from the subject line all the way to style and tone. It is about ten minutes long, but again is a good resource all-around, and I found it easier to watch, rather than simply read the information.

So remember, leave the LOLs and the gossip for your personal sites (although employers seem to be accessing them more as well), and stick to a professional tone when handling business matters--your future could depend on it!

Blog PREZIntation

Okay, so let me get this out there: I chose the 'BLOG' topic because, admittedly, I am addicted. I love to blog. So, in signing up for a key topic presentation I thought "OMG, how hard could this be? I LUV BLOGZ! because I think in AIM shorthand/lingo. I was also really excited to use PREZI (After signing up for my Prezi account and playing with it, I've come to the conclusion that Prezi is like the new iPhone and Power Point is like my old Cingular flip phone that didn't have web access).

"INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BLOGS?! What in the world .." is what I thought after reading pages 142-148 of our book. I immediately took to Google to learn a little more about the internalization and externalization of blogs. I actually came across some really informative sites. It was a lot easier to find information on internal blogs (blogs designed exclusively for employee readers) than external blogs (blogs that are public relations tools).

First website I came across gave Seven Reasons for Your Company to Start an Internal Blog.

[****]

The next one I stumbled upon was Benefits and Uses of Team Blogs.

[***]

Lastly, I found Internal Blogs: So, Are They Different From External Blogs?

[*****]

All right, those asterisks are my pathetic attempt at rating each website by stars.

Here's my reasoning:

Blog #1: The main idea was this "proponents say an in-house blog can be like a bulletin board, communication tool and culture enhancement. Plus, it's better than tracking projects by e-mail." I especially liked the culture enhancement part. I felt like these seven reasons were coming from a professional place. 'Too much time wasted checking in with employees,' 'Organizational openness and accountability,' 'With blogs, the humble and the egotist both win' were some of my favorite reasons.

Blog #2: The main idea was "good communication and interaction is part and parcel of a successful team." You can't really argue with that and an internal blog allows that axiom to remain true. Group, sharing, discussion, etc. were the words that resonated with me. Better Business Blogging bolsters the belief that (internal) business blogs are beneficial for the team.

Blog #3: The main idea was "an internal blog has a “closed” audience from an organization that has its own culture, its own set of rules of conduct, its own politics. " Dennis Hamilton, the author of the article, says that "to be successful, the author (or authors) of the internal blog must be sensitive to these perimeters." I like this guys style. He's speaking from his own experience as an internal blogger when he's giving his advice. He also touches on A LOT of guidelines that the book touches on, which makes me feel that this man knows what he's talking about. Hamilton also kind of lays down some ground rules when it comes to blogging, like "if you value your job, your organization certainly must never be criticized."

Sorry I wasn't a tad more helpful on the external blog front. Everything I know about that, I learned from the book.

I'll leave you all with some words of wisdom about the advantages of internal blogging from Darren Cornish, Director of Customer Experience at Norwich Union.

(I give Darren ten stars for speaking from experience and for having an accent)

-Courtnie Elston