A New Need For Secure Webconference – The Rising Prices Of Energy
Just when you didn’t think it was happening, or when complacency took full possession of our comfort zones – it started to happen again. This time, apparently, it means business.
What is this new version of an old problem? Why it’s our old friend, the energy crisis.
This past week, gasoline prices jumped back above $3 a gallon at the pump. This was on Monday, even as concerns about the economy and increases in crude oil supplies sent oil prices lower.
It becomes more important than ever to find ways of doing business and meeting with friends and relatives. The days of just jumping intp the car and driving across town or out to the far away city are coming to an end. We just can’t do it any more.
Retail gas prices have been slow to catch up with soaring crude prices, which have gained nearly 39 percent since late August. They are now at a trading high of $96.24 on Thursday. Gas prices only started rising steadily in mid-October. They haven’t stopped since.
The national average price of a gallon of gasoline rose 1.5 cents overnight to $3.004, It has jumped almost 25 cents in three weeks, according to the AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. The sharp jump in gas prices could continue if oil keeps surging to new heights.
The price of diesel fuel sold to truckers, railroads, and bus companies are tied to the price of crude oil. There is no reason to believe the oil refineries will increase their yields of these products in the face of steady or rising demand for gasoline. With the onset of winter, the demand for gasoline might slow down, but the demand for home heating oil will pick up.
Some industry experts predict that if oil prices don’t retreat, gasoline prices could reach $3.50 or $4 a gallon by next summer. This would make it almost mandatory that business and the public consumer adopt cost-cutting measures before they cycle once again and pass their rising costs to their customers.
If companies were to adopt a new culture regarding meetings, training sessions, sales promotion, and interactive work sessions, they could eliminate 50 percent or more of all the travel required to bring people together into a conference room. Webconferencing is the answer to this now critical need to lower the costs of doing business. Webconferencing technology is here now. Not only is this technology getting better, but it is getting cheaper to buy or lease secure webconference software per month.
Conducting meetings and training sessions via webconference is totally secure. The VOIP communications networks that drive webconferencing systems have not as yet been successfully hacked. The moderator of a web conference maintains complete control of the attendees. He or she can ban a participant from a meeting if that person becomes unruly or counterproductive.
Many people will still prefer the old “face to face” way of conducting meetings and training sessions. Resistance to change is understandable. However, with the current surge in energy costs now upon us, the old “face to face” meetings may soon be a thing of the past. Only time will tell.
Bob Carper is a veteran consultant in information systems He holds a a MBA from Pitt. For additional information go to
http://www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/10561. His blogsite is http://www.html-secrets.net/blog. You may also contact him at robertcarper06@comcast.net
The Invisible Audience at The Trade Show
When preparing your booth for a Trade Show you might think the attendees should be your primary focus. After all, that’s why you paid the big bucks, right?
In all actuality, this is only partially true. In fact, the full truth just may surprise you.
In most industries and organizations there are people that Malcolm Gladwell refers to as “connectors” in his book The Tipping Point.
These connectors seem to have a knack for knowing a lot of people. They trade a lot of information on a daily basis. It’s just in their nature to be friendly and pass along useful information to others they connect with, even in casual conversation. It’s not uncommon to find someone like this in almost every organization. This is the person who, at the end of the day, seems to know what everyone is up to.
These connectors are the people you want to get to know. Why? Because when they see something of value, they don’t keep the information to themselves! They freely share it with everyone; especially people they think may benefit from it.
When you attract the attention of connectors, everyone soon knows something about you and your level of sophistication in the competitive arena. They pass along a wealth of information that most of the time is surprisingly accurate. You targeted the message of your Trade Show booth toward the usual attendees, but by also being aware of potential connectors in your industry and by seeking them out, you now have double the means to spread the word about your company.
People who act as connectors in the marketplace, connecting your company with people you need to reach, usually aren’t going to be major competitors. He or she may be a person who represents an accessory product or service which is sold to everyone in your industry, but is not a direct competitor themselves.
This person is usually a great talker; and a great listener. He’s a walking score card and billboard all packed into one.
At the end of the day, a connector can tell you a little something about everyone, but he can also give exacting perspectives on what the prospects are for a new company based on his wealth of information on all the competitors and observations that he’s gathered over many years.
A connector will go out of his way to say nice things about you if he’s been continually impressed with your innovative products, your success over a short period or even with you personally.
In fact, whenever the opportunity arises, he shares your success story with others. In the process of sharing your success with others, he plants a seed in the minds of countless people who tell others.
And what has it cost you? Perhaps as little as a couple of beers at the bar telling war stories at the end of a long hard day on the show floor.
Over the years, he identifies with you and your business in ways that you can’t even imagine, all because he just seems to like you and the values that you and your company represent.
Because this person is a walking advertisement, people come to him for knowledge. They will ask his opinion on who’s doing good work in the industry these days. What they’re really saying when they ask that question is: I’m not satisfied with my present supplier and I might be ready for a move when the time is right. Because of his reputation as a knowledgeable source of information, they will trust his opinions.
In an imperfect world it may not always happen this way, but I’ve seen people like the one I just described help a manufacturer double their distribution without it costing them a penny.
Even at home, a connector I knew many years ago seemed to be able to help countless entrepreneurs build their business just by free word-of-mouth advertising. He never bought anything from any of them, but he somehow knew all of their potential customers. It’s the old third-person testimonial that makes this avenue of approach so valuable.
So when you’re preparing your booth for the next trade show, don’t forget that the biggest catch may not be standing in your booth during the show at all. They may be exhibiting just like you are a few aisle away, but they have the ability to reach many times over the people that you can simply because of a natural tendency toward connecting.
Lowell Nickens has been in the trade show arena for 27 years as decorating contractor, exhibit builder, and currently markets trade show exhibits and architectural signage via 3 different webs sites:
http://www.shopforexhibits.com/
http://www.shopforsignage.com/
http://www.shopfordisplays.com/
Digital Gadgets and Your Business – Creating a Safe Haven
Most businesses lately are turning more and more towards the use of laptops, smart phones and even PDA’s or Pocket PC’s to help keep in touch with clients and keep the business running in tip top shape. From the tiniest communication device to the priciest laptop, there are several things you should keep in mind to keep your personal information safe and keep yourself up and running with few security breaches, less viruses, and fewer expensive repairs.
First, your laptop needs a good strong anti-virus program. This is something that is essential and cannot be skipped over no matter what. If you are connecting to the internet, downloading any files or attachments or even reading e-mails then you need this software. Which brand you choose is ultimately up to you, but this is not something that you should ever skip over. Some viruses give hackers access to your computer, which can mean valuable sales information, client contact information, payment information, and even your own personal information to use against you in identity theft.
Second, always use a secure password. Something such as your name or even your business name is not considered acceptable or secure. This is something that should be a mixture of numbers and letters if possible. However, just as important as a secure password is something that you will actually remember! There is no sense in password protecting your computer if you lock even yourself out of it. Strive for a password that you can remember first, then try to make it more secure.
Third, if you are using a PDA or a Pocket PC always synchronize your data at least once a day. If you make constant changes to information or your schedule, you may wish to synchronize more often. This process is quick and simple, involves simply connecting the PDA to the cord that is attached to the computer and takes only a few moments. This time spent synchronizing your PDA to your computer can ensure that all of your information is up to date and all changes are made immediately.
Fourth, never sign onto any wireless network without first ensuring that your computer is locked and protected. This means ensure that your computer is not sharing any information with any networks that you are not personally responsible for. This includes places such as restaurants, hotels, business centers and anywhere else you go. If you are not personally responsible for the network then you should not allow other computers or PDA’s connected to the network to have access to your device. This is a time where an encryption key is essential and quite helpful.
Fifth, if you even remotely suspect your computer has a virus then remove it immediately from the internet. Depending on the type of computer this may be as easy as unplugging a cable, for others such as wireless it may be as complex as shutting off the wireless card. Regardless of the method used it is essential to remove the computer from the internet until the virus is removed and the computer is restored to ensure the virus does not spread to other computers on the network.
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Six Steps To Mastering The Art Of Great Conversation
Becoming a great conversationalist takes proper planning and hard work. But, mastering the art of conversation is worth it. Outstanding conversation gets noticed and so does the person behind it.
Have you ever been to a social event and watched someone with an “Aw Shucks, I’m from a farm down home” look about them because they can’t string two words together. They may be too shy or just have nothing to say. Either way, it’s not pretty. In most cases it’s not because a person can’t hold a conversation, it’s because they haven’t prepared for conversation. As with everything in life, great conversationalists understand this simple but important tenet: proper planning prevents poor performance (P5).
The following six steps should help you be better prepared when you next enter a room full of people.
Say something
Readers are leaders and good conversationalists. Keep up to speed with the latest events happening in your world through newspapers, television and radio. There’s always something topical happening … make sure you know about it and that you have an opinion on it.
Ooze with confidence
Confidence is a massively attractive trait. People like talking to confident, authoritative and powerful people because it makes them feel safe. You’ll attract more people to you than bees to a honey pot if you can appear confident.
Eye contact is critical
Make sure that you establish good eye contact when speaking to someone. Not the Charles Manson “thousand yard stare” kind of eye contact … that’s just scary. Never break eye contact when you’re busy making an important point. If you start looking like a sneaky, edgy Coyote, it puts doubt on your integrity and on the validity of your words. So does touching your face, nose and ears whilst speaking. This just makes you look like a fibber. This normally happens when you’re not sure of yourself or your subject. Sigmund Freud once said that the body oozes deceit.
Compliments help you make friends
We all love compliments don’t we? Make the compliment sincere, brief and specific. Most important of all, the compliment must be based on fact otherwise it just becomes empty flattery. For instance, if you saw someone helping an old lady carry her groceries to her car, your compliment would go something like this: “When I saw you helping that old lady with her groceries the other day, I realized that you’re a kind and thoughtful person.” That compliment is based on evidence.
However, if you say, “That’s a beautiful red tie you’re wearing … wow, you’re a real go-getter and confident person.” Well, that’s just plain old flattery, isn’t it? Wearing a red tie is certainly not evidence of any kind of personality trait, is it? Of course, if someone compliments you, you should react in an appropriate way. When you receive a compliment, simply smile and say “thank you”. By doing this, you do wonders for your confidence and you acknowledge the thoughtfulness (and courage) of the person who complimented you.
Become a great listener
Any conversation should follow the 80/20 rule. You do 20 percent of the talking and the rest of the time you’re listening. People like to talk, so let them talk. It makes them feel important and it turns you into a friend. And, the bonus is that they think you’re a great conversationalist. Sometimes its hard to get someone to open up. You can get them talking by …
Asking great questions
Ask elaborating questions that force a person to open up. Here are some examples: “Really?” “How did that make you feel?” “That must have been exciting. Tell me more.”
Try some of these tips next time you’re at a cocktail party or conference and become the person people want to listen to.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of Be Successful News, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business. http://www.besuccessfulnews.com/