Going Above and Beyond for an Affluent Clientele

I read a story about the Ritz Carlton Hotel recently that has me thinking about what it means to truly court and cater to an affluent clientèle in a way that will keep them interested and involved with your product or service.

The Ritz Carlton Hotel has a policy that any employee (and I mean, any employee from the housekeeping staff to the desk clerks) can spend up to $2,000 a day (without prior authorization from management) to solve the problems or needs of any of their clients.

A business man was staying at the Atlanta Ritz Carlton and headed out to Hawaii for a very important meeting and presentation. He realized he had forgotten his laptop in Atlanta. Without his laptop, he had no presentation. He called the hotel and his call was routed to housekeeping who had informed him that they had found his computer.

The client asked them to send the computer by Federal Express. He explained that he had to have it the next day for his presentation.

Early the next morning, a woman from Atlanta Ritz Carlton's housekeeping department showed up in Hawaii and handed him his computer. She said, 'This was too important.'

Will this man ever stay anywhere else when he's in Atlanta? Doubt it. Will he tell this story to all of his friends? You bet he will. And his friends will tell their friends who will tell their friends. And the publicity and good will that was created by this one interaction will further ingratiate an already well respected organization in the mind of the clientle they cater to: the affluent.

Going above and beyond doesn't mean we have to spend $2,000 a day. Sometimes it means an effortless consideration. Sometimes it can be as simple as a note, a birthday card even.

One of my coaching students, a financial adviser, recently told me a story about sending a birthday card to one of her EX clients. This was an EX client only because she was prevented from courting her due to a non-compete clause which was about to expire. My student followed up the birthday card with a phone call a few weeks later and the ex client (soon to be reinstated client) said to her, 'You know, my husband's financial adviser sent out a birthday card as well. But instead of sending me the birthday card, he sent it to my husband, whose birthday isn't for seven months.'

Mistakes happen. But this was totally avoidable and costly for that other financial adviser.

Attention to detail, going above and beyond, simple pleasantries, even a kind word. . . all of these things not only make other people feel compelled to do business with you, but they make the recipient feel good. Funny thing is, they also have the added bonus of making the person giving them feel good.

Furnishings for Your Home How to Choose Your Bathroom Accessories

Top 10 Most Popular Magazines

We all see those magazines at the checkout counter, from entertainment to news to food and celebrity gossip. Have you ever wondered which magazines are the most popular? Well, here are the top 10 from bottom to top:

10. TV Guide - The first TV Guide was published in 1953 and featured Desi Arnaz from I Love Lucy, the most popular current show of that time. Though many newspapers publish their own TV listings, TV Guide is still going strong.

9. Sports Illustrated - The most popular sports magazine, Sports Illustrated enjoys a big boost in readership every year for their annual swimsuit issue. The current incarnation of Sports Illustrated published its first issue in 1954 and covers all the major sports. The #1 cover athlete is Michael Jordan with an astonishing 49 covers. The magazine has a weekly circulation of over 3 million.

8. Time - Time is one of the oldest entries on this list, with the first issue being published in 1923. Time is known for picking a "Person of the Year" each year. Time covers a variety of topics but is mainly a news magazine.

7. Woman's Day - As the title states, Woman's Day covers topics of interest to women including food, recipes, beauty, fashion and fitness. The first issue was published in 1928.

6. Game Informer - Game Informer is a monthly magazine dedicated to video games and consoles. The magazine features reviews and articles on PC games, as well as Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation and PSP games. Game Informer started publishing in the summer of 1991.

5. Ladies Home Journal - This magazine is the oldest on the list, with its first issue being published in 1883. Ladies Home Journal was one of the most popular magazines of the 20th century and it is still being published today. The magazine showcases content aimed at women and housewives.

4. Good Housekeeping - This magazine was started in 1885. Another magazine aimed at women and housewives, Good Housekeeping is famous for its "Seal of Approval" that it gives to different products that have passed their testing. Many famous female writers have contributed articles to the magazine, including Virginia Woolf and Somerset Maugham.

3. National Geographic - The magazine of the National Geographic Society, this magazine helps to broaden knowledge of world history, science, culture, nature and geography in order to document and conserve them. The monthly magazine was first published in 1888. The magazine is published in many different languages.

2. Better Homes and Gardens - This is a monthly magazine that showcases homes, gardens, cooking, gardening and decorating related content. Founded in 1922, it has a readership of nearly 8 million.

1. Reader's Digest - With over 8 million subscribers, this is the #1 magazine in the United States. Founded in 1922, Reader's Digest offers content of interest to families. Many international editions are published and worldwide readership of Reader's Digest magazines is estimated to be over 100 million people.

Furnishings for Your Home How to Choose Your Bathroom Accessories

How to Start a Webinar

So you've decided to run a webinar. Good for you! Webinars are a wonderful way to create information products. In fact, they are probably the easiest media for the new learning content creator.

But how do you start a webinar?

First off, you need to put the old "I am different" argument away. All learning content is roughly the same. Only in the design and the actual creating do they differ. All products need to follow the same basic structure and process. What is different is the number of sub-topics (or chapters or modules) and the number of items to be covered by each sub-topic and section.

In other words, you need to start your webinar with an introduction.

Traditionally, a webinar starts like a live seminar. It begins with a number of housekeeping elements.

For example, a typical webinar might start like this:

1. Title page

2. Welcome

3. How to ask questions

4. Who is giving the seminar

5. A personal picture or family picture

6. What will be covered (topic)

7. What will be covered (table of contents)

And in many ways this traditional intro makes sense. The title page exists because people will be joining the webinar over an extended period of time. In fact, one of the tricks is to tell everyone to sign up 5 minutes early in order to get on. The title page helps these early folks to know they are in the right place.

The welcome page helps to start the webinar and make the audience feel valuable. (You know they are -- they don't know that you do.

In a live seminar or speech, you need to do a bit of housekeeping. Such as telling the audience where the washrooms are. How to use the microphones. How to exit the building in case of fire. And so on. None of which exists in a webinar. But its equivalent does. Things like how to ask questions. Should you mute or is everyone muted from the beginning etc.?

Because not everyone attending a webinar knows the speaker it's important to introduce them and why they should be listened to. In a traditional live speech this is where the speaker walks on. Unfortunately, unlike most other video formats, webinars don't normally show the speaker. To make the speaker human, pictures of the speaker are useful. Especially if those pictures are of them doing normal human type things. After all, you want the audience to like you.

In a traditional live speech, the first words you hear from the speaker is the introduction and the content. Specifically, what the topic is about and what will be covered in the seminar or speech. In a webinar the speaker typically has been doing the speaking all along. And he or she simply continues on telling the audience what will be discussed in general terms and then goes into the details of what will be covered. Effectively this is the "Tell them what you will tell them" portion of the old training saw.

And it's not a bad way to start. But there is a better way!

How to Choose Your Bathroom Accessories

Does Your Cleaning Business Have a Mission Statement?

Along with a business plan, a mission statement is an important tool that will capture the spirit of your business. A mission statement helps to clarify the goals and objectives of your company. In just a sentence or two, the mission statement for your cleaning business will set your business goals, your underlying philosophy, and what special benefits you have to offer to your customers. A good mission statement will reflect that special niche that your cleaning business is catering to and provide a long-range vision for you to build on.

Following is a sample mission statement:

"ABC Cleaning Company is committed to delivering the exact services our commercial cleaning customers want, listening closely to their expectations, taking a pro-active approach in defining their needs, and building the best partnering relationship possible. We are also committed to acting with honesty and integrity at all times in all aspects of our business, to being professional in doing our job, and to delivering a consistent, high level quality of work."

A well thought out mission statement will take more than just a few minutes to develop - it takes careful thought and planning. Spending time developing those few sentences that define your business can be just as valuable as the final statement. Going through the process of evaluating your cleaning business, and then defining your customers and your services will help you to look at your cleaning business from your customers' perspective. Don't get bogged down with technical jargon. Focus on defining your company's strengths and why those strengths benefit your customers.

When you are ready to begin, sit down in an area with no distractions. To come up with the statements that will sum up what your cleaning business is all about, consider the following:

- What specific need does your business satisfy?

- What are the principles and values that guide you in the everyday operation of your business?

- Who are your customers?

- What level of service will you provide?

- What image would you like your business to portray to your customers?

To write an effective mission statement, sit down with those who are closest to your business and jot down notes to answer the above questions. Look at mission statements from other businesses and start brainstorming. Once you have a couple of key ideas draft those thoughts into complete sentences.

Once you have formalized your mission statement use it in your promotional materials. The statement will be a quick and easy way for your customers and potential customers to learn about your cleaning business. Keep your mission statement visible and live up to it everyday. This will show your employees and customers that you practice what you preach.

Copyright 2006 The Janitorial Store

Furnishings for Your Home How to Choose Your Bathroom Accessories

What Are Your Long Term Career Goals - Job Interview Question

This open-ended question, and others like; "Where do you see yourself in five years?" throw most candidates off balance. The object of the question is to check for your self-awareness and communication skills.

Dan Harrison is the staffing manager for Wesco Corporation and is about to interview three candidates for a project manager position. He is looking for someone with planning and long-range vision skills.

Phil Holmes describes his goal - "To be a Marketing Manager within five years, and have a hand picked team reporting to him."

This is a very specific and narrow goal, which may not be an option at this company. The "hand picked" team demonstrates a lack of flexibility. Best to stay away from too specific a goal.

Shawna Green answers - "I have been so busy with my responsibilities and achieving company goals, that I have not focused on personal long-term goals.

While a strong work ethic is certainly desirable, this answer does not demonstrate vision or planning.

Marsha Severson states- "I plan to return to school to earn my MBA, and have my own consulting business one day.

While it pays to be honest, this answer could turn the interview in the wrong direction very quickly. The employer is looking for someone to stick around for the long run, not to stop over on the way to a new career.

Focus - Exercise

If you are the type of person who prefers an organized way of life, you may find this question a "piece of cake". But, if you are among the majority of persons who let life happen as it comes along, you will probably not have a smooth answer without some forethought.

* What are your goals? - The best answers will come from you thinking about what you want. Most successful business people will tell you that a key success factor is the ability to set and achieve goals.

Begin by setting short-term goals. Right now your goal may be "to get a job". But, what kind of job? And, where do you go from there?

* Be employer-centered - The employer is looking for someone to come in and solve problems. Since planning is a key factor in this job, think of examples where your planning has made a difference in results.

Scripting

After giving some thought to where you want to go and how you can help the employer achieve results, try scripting your answer to focus.

I have learned that long-term goals are best achieved when I break them into shorter goals. My short-term goal is to find a position that will place me in a forward-moving company with solid performance and future projections. As part of a team, I want to add value and continue to grow the company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. My plan is to move into a position of responsibility where I can lead a team.

No one can tell you exactly how to answer this question - it will come from what is important to you. However, the more and focused and employer centered you can be about your goal, the better your chances will be of steering the interview in the right direction.

How to Choose Your Bathroom Accessories Furnishings for Your Home

Vegetable Stir Fry

Try this quick, delicious and healthy recipe - the classic stir fry. Good Housekeeping Videos: www.goodhousekeeping.com Good Housekeeping Magazine: www.goodhousekeeping.com Subscribe to Good Housekeeping: subscribe.hearstmags.com -

Furnishings for Your Home

Necchi Bu Nova Sewing Machine Heavy Duty Industrial!

Up for auction is a "NECCHI BU SERIE NOVA" sewing machine that was "MADE IN ITALY" and "Guaranteed by Good Housekeeping". The serial number is "U317410" and is marked on the bottom. The tag on the motor is marked "Necchi Sewing Circle ~ AC-DC ~ 115 VOLT ~ 1.1 AMP ~ SER. NO. B9763 ~ SPEC. NO. 211 ~ NEW YORK ~ MADE IN USA". This sewing machine is 8 3/4" from top to bottom, 16 3/4" from side to side, and 7 1/2" from front to back. This would be a great addition to your craft or sewing room! We are listing this item on eBay, so if you're interested in purchasing this item, please contact us at grainery@adams.net.

Furnishings for Your Home