Beginners’ Guide – Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media

We all are beginners at some point. For the beginners the biggest challenge is to know the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media. Today we are going to talk about the Social Media – Advantages and Disadvantages. Many small business owners have not yet taken advantage of social media to help grow their business. It has become so vital for us to stay connected and convey the right message. To get the best out of this platform here are some tips and guidance for the beginners to know.
First of all some facts and figures of social media sites:
One in every nine people on earth is on Facebook
Twitter is adding nearly 500,000 users everyday
One in four Americans watches a video online everyday
During the second half of 2010, LinkedIn membership base grew, on average, by 1 million new members every ten days

Connect: Facebook helps you connect and share with people in your life. Just think what was your life before Facebook invented? Was it more relax, exiting, boring or challenging? In Facebook we can create a personal profile, add other users as friends & exchange messages. If we talk about LinkedIn, it gives us the opportunity to connect with professionals across the globe. Whether you are using it for personal growth or spreading your business. It also gives you the opportunity to connect with business minded people like you. If we talk about Twitter, it is simply amazing! Twitter is a real time information network that connects you to the latest stories, ideas what you find interesting. It gives you an opportunity to know what’s happening around the world in 140 characters long tweet!

Interact: With your connections Facebook gives you an opportunity to let people know about you. You can share your photos, stories and create fan page. As a business, Facebook pages are a good source of feedback on your product/services. In LinkedIn you can interact with professionals on one single platform. You can discuss business, resources, ideas, learning opportunities and lot more. In Twitter, tweets are text based posts of up to 140characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the followers. On a personal level Twitters allows one to communicate with friends and families. On business level it connects your current & potential customers with your product & service.

Exchange: With the use of Facebook, we exchange joy, fun, sorrows, help and many more things at one place! Facebook slowly also being used like email. So this is one of the cost-effective ways to connected. With the use of LinkedIn we exchange professional expertise along with useful information which eventually enhances our professional brand. It also exchanges stronger business ideas with each other. On a business level, it helps us to exchange feedback, comments which eventually lead to increase business. On a personal level, it helps you in personal development. Twitter is a powerful tool for exchanging information and news as Twitter user often link to useful sites or articles & can be source of alternative news.

Disadvantages: As we discussed the Advantages of Social Media but we cannot ignore the Disadvantages just to be more secure on online platform.
Think about the viral potential of media. When news are negative and bad in taste, the same will happen with that brand. It is hard to undertake damage control when you are dealing with social media. Your name might get spoiled within hours. The best example is MacDonald’s Twitter promotion. According to Mail Online news article – Mac Fail! MacDonald’s Twitter promotion backfires as users highjack hash tag MacD stories to share fast food horror stories. Opponents accused the burger franchise of making customer vomit, serving pig meat from gestation crates and dishing up a burger containing a finger nail. Another disadvantage is to face threat from fake profile and ID. This is one of the biggest disadvantages of Facebook. People often use fake profile to insult or harassing someone. Students who are Facebook addicted do a bad result on his or her exams. One of the major risks of social networking and the Internet in general is breaches in privacy. These sites collect considerable amounts of personal information, with email addresses being one of the most collected pieces of personal data. Also these social networking sites possibly reduce persons’ compassion. You can check Twitter updates from your phone and send messages from anywhere. Social networking sites have the potential of having spreading negative or Anti-social messages. Amongst

As discussed above there are both Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking. One thing is clear; it is up to the person how he/she wants to get benefit from Social Media platform. In life we are often subjected to good and bad choices it is only we ourselves, who can decide what we want.

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Are you following these Six Steps of Selling?

Sales is a noble profession. Aren’t we selling on a daily basis? Today, selling has become more challenging than it was yesterday. Today, a buyer has many options and it becomes extremely important for a sales person to have right kind of skills. Here are the 6 simple steps which anyone can follow not only to sell their product or service but create a long lasting relationship with customer.

1. Build Rapport: Definition of rapport –
Customer like you
Customer trust you
Customer respect you

Building rapport is the most important ingredient of any sales process. Without building the rapport you won’t be able to create trust. To create trust we need to create the environment of comfort for the customer so customer will be at ease and relax. Building rapport will help us to build bridges with customer for long term. By building rapport customer will like you, trust you and give respect. For a effective communication, building rapport is a skill and an essential tool of influence. By building rapport we can create a feeling of connection with other person.

2. Find need: How do we find need –
Use/ask open ended questions
Listen

Open ended questions encourage authentic responses & two way communications in both personal and professional relationships. By asking right questions we can gain vital information of customer’s current state and their expectations.
Listening is the part of finding right need of the customer. Active listening shows respect to the speaker. It shows that you are genuinely wants to understand them. It helps the listener stay focused on the conversation.

3. Build value: What is value –

Well value is fair return or equivalent in goods, services or money for something exchanged. In order to build value our product needs to be unique, offer returns, and provide after sales support. It is not about how big or small the market is, it is about how you create value. Value is about how people think and most importantly feel about something. By building the value customer can assure themselves that they haven’t taken the right decision.

4. Create desire:

To make a sale, you must create a desire in customer’s mind. Marketers don’t sell products, they create desire. Then it becomes much easier to get someone to buy your product or service if they are convinced they already want it! Basically desire is defined as creating a gap between a person’s perceived state and their desired state.

5. Overcome Objection:

Again, this is the important stage where sales people need to gain mastery. Previously explained, you build rapport, find out customer’s needs, build value and create desire. In back of customer’s mind he/she will always have question: Am I buying the right product or service? Remember every objection is an opportunity to close. In the event of objection sales person needs to be honest, empathize, point out the benefits and answer their questions by putting yourself into customer’s shoes!

6. Close the sale:

A good sales professional identifies prospects needs and where it fits with his own product offering. He aims to satisfy customer’s needs with the right solution. After building the rapport, finding customer’s needs, built value, create desire and finally overcame objection they hesitate to close. Due to fear of failure sales people don’t ask for sale. Instead of having fear of failure, asks customer is there any questions he can answer. Sales people get paid for getting sale. So go and ask for sale!

Happy selling

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How to create Positive Personal Impact?

Impact is everything. To be successful in life you need to be able to make instant positive impressions on others, communicate powerfully with them and to be persuasive and memorable. Everyone can have impact if they want it – and to know how to get it. Personal impact will take you from where you are to where you want to be.
What is personal Impact?
Personal Impact is not easy to define, but when you actually see it, you will realize the meaning of it. For example, when we meet someone and pretty soon we recognize they have a special quality. What we call that quality? Is it magnetism, charisma, impression, personality, call it what you like-but they stand out from the crowd.
Dictionary definitions of impact include:
• The force of impression of one thing on another
• An effect or change caused by some factor
This is what individuals with personal impact do: They make an impression on others, and through that they bring about some kind of change.
It is not how you are but it is who you are. Ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact.
When do you need it?
When do you need personal impact: Everywhere: at work, play, in the office, factory or at home. You need personal impact to pass an interview, get your point across at a meeting or to give an effective presentation.
Benefits of having personal impact
 Getting the job of your dreams
 Earning more money
 Influencing others
 Meeting your soul mate
 Achieving your goals

How you create personal impact?
1. Believe in yourself: When you believe in yourself and think things are possible, they start to turn into reality. So much of your success is down to your attitude.
2. Be Positive: Your attitude shows through in everything you do. Project a positive attitude, even in the face of criticism or in the case of nervousness. Strive to learn from your meeting and to contribute appropriately, maintaining an upbeat manner and a smile.
3. Be on Time: Someone you are meeting for the first time is not interested in your “good excuse” for running late. Plan to arrive a few minutes early. And allow flexibility for possible delays in traffic or taking a wrong turn. Arriving early is much better that arriving late, hands down, and is the first step in creating a great first impression.
4. Be open and confident: When it comes to making the first impression, body language as well as appearance speaks much louder than words. Use your body language to project appropriate confidence and self-assurance. Stand tall, smile (of course), make eye contact, greet with a firm handshake. All of this will help you project confidence and encourage both you and the other person to feel better at ease.

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Five things to do when dealing with failures:

The great Motivational thinker Napoleon Hill once said: Every difficulty contains the seed of an equivalent opportunity.

Essence of success is to learn from failures. Let us take the example of great visionary Steve Jobs-
Dropping out of college, Getting fired & being diagnosed with cancer and how he was able to give his life meaning, purpose & richness as a consequence. Some time life can hit you with a brick. Don’t lose faith.

During our lives we all fall & stand again towards achieving our goal. Each day life sends you chances to learn, grow & step into your best. Regret is a choice. Every day brings challenges to those who dare & risk to dream.

So here we are with the tips on dealing with failures:

1. Think positive: This will help you to stop having negative thoughts into your mind. By having positive thoughts you will feel relax & re-energized. When all the doors closed another opens. But we often so concentrate on the closed door that we cannot see the door which is open. Stay away from people who are too negative. For time being keep away yourself from the situation. By doing this you will refrain your mind from being negative. Sometimes it’s better to be detached with the situation rather than running blind in dark room. Think Positive Stay Positive.
2. Do what you love to do: While dealing with failure you will be stressed out so by doing what you love to do will give you confidence and energy to fight against the failure. Read books, go for a walk, paint a picture, listen your favorite movie or play with your kids.
3. Re-think the situation from a different point of view: Some time It happens that what we think/ do does not fulfill the meaning of task. To see things from a different perspective may change the result of the current situation.
4. Take help from friends, families, colleagues etc: Nothing happens until you ask. Remember people are not mind readers. You will never know if you don’t even try. There is enormous power in asking for what you want. According to Steve Jobs, most people fail because they don’t ask. He never found anybody who didn’t want to help him if he has asked for the help.
5. Move on: Life is all about success and failures. Life is all about good and bad experiences. Learn from your own mistakes. Not only try & find mistakes but also try & find out the solutions

Conclusion: Try & implement above points and I hope this may make positive change while dealing with failures.

And finally, don’t forget to visit inspirational videos (right side of the bar) & show your support tab.
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Seven ways to ease your job hunting experience:

Looking at the current economic climate depending on your particular career area, it can be challenging to find job opportunities. Question is: Are we doing enough to find a relevant job? How to improve your chances to find suitable employment? Below are few points we need to keep in mind while looking for work:

1. Design a strategy: Have you prepared a right strategy? Always always have strategy on a piece of paper. It’s very important to have a strategy in mind before you jump to find suitable position. Write down, how you going to find work. Are you going to use traditional way or you will think outside the box and try something new. Are you going to approach Recruitment Agencies? Are you going to use different job sites? Are you going to use social media platform? Are you going to use word-of-mouth publicity?
2. Conduct market research: Have you gathered the right information? Research the field which area you want to work. Use different way to extract information, use different job sites, read articles, read blogs, read newspaper. Take help from industry expert. This will give you an overview of the current scenario for job market and update on your respective job field.
3. Prepare CV: Once you gather relevant information, start preparing a professional CV. Remember, a CV can get you an interview so prepare it according to industry standard. Make appropriate headline. If need take help from career professional. Take help from CV expert. Showcase your current skills. Show genuine information on your CV. Remember to keep your CV short & simple.
4. Approach Recruitment Agencies: Call and discuss the openings with them. Ask relevant questions to recruitment consultant. Generate interest and send your CV along with covering letter. Never send CV without the covering letter. Remember, first impression is not last impression but create lasting impression. Try to create lasting impression.
5. Attach cover letter: Write why you need particular job, how you going to add value to the organization, how you going to do the job differently, etc. Build your personal reputation in a covering letter.
6. Flow your CV on different job sites. As and when needed update your CV. Showcase your talents and establish yourself as an expert.
7. Social Media: Organization always looks for talented people but are you ready to be found? Social Media now opened the new world of opportunities. Use professional networking site like LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows you to display your full resume online for any future employer or recruiters to see. Make industry connections, join different groups, share your CV, ask for relevant feedback etc.

Wish you all the best for your job search.
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Say Good Bye to Smoking Forever – Benefits of Not Smoking

Science Daily (Sep. 5, 2011) — Children who live in households where they are exposed to tobacco smoke miss more days of school than do children living in smoke-free homes, a new nationwide study confirms. The report from investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) — which finds these children have higher rates of respiratory illnesses that can be caused by second-hand smoke and details the probable economic costs of their increased school absence — has been released in the online edition of Paediatrics.

It’s never too late to quit smoking

I have been a past smoker & wanted to quit for long time and finally I have managed to quit this bad habit. Many people admit that they often smoke against their own will. Research says when you smoke, Oxygen level decrease by 15% to be replaced by carbon monoxide.

Now let us discuss the main reasons people smoke:

• Smoking help us to relax
• Smoking blow my trouble away
• It’s a package of pleasure
• Smoking is fun
• Smoking  is reward
• Smoking is pleasant & relaxing
• Smoking is stimulating
• Smoking provides support when things go wrong
• A way to deal with stress & anxiety

Now we will discuss the benefits of NOT smoking:

Health Benefits:

• Blood pressure & pulse rate lower and approach normal
• Mouth & hair no longer smell of smoke
• Palms will be free from smell of smoke
• Taste & smell improve
• Stamina increase significantly
• Energy level increase
• Walking becomes easy
• Risk of all disease caused by smoking is reduced – emphysema, heart attacks, cancer etc
• Increase appetite

Emotional  Benefits:

• Improved self-image
• Improved self confidence
• Feeling of accomplishment and self-respect
• Put yourself in charge of your life
• Becoming happier, less depressed
• Never again will you have to lie or make excuses, or feel guilty about needing cigarettes
• Gain more love and respect from loved one/family/society

Personal Social Benefits:

• House, car & cloths don’t smell of cigarette
• You will have more time to devote to family & friends
• You will not become burden on your family members because of illness related to smoking cigarette