Source: TeeMajor Fitness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POdzasJklxw

Working Together with Directors

Directors are very time-sensitive, so never waste their time. Be organized and get to the point. Give them bottom-line information and options, with probabilities of success, if relevant. Give them written details to read at their leisure.

Directors are goal-oriented, so appeal to their sense of accomplishment. Stroke their egos by supporting their ideas, and acknowledge their power and prestige. Let Directors call the shots. If you disagree, argue with facts, not feelings. In groups, allow them to have their say because they are not the type who will take a back-seat to others.

With Directors, in general, be efficient and competent.

Adapting To Socializers

Socializers thrive on personal recognition, so pour it on sincerely. Support their ideas, goals, opinions, and dreams. Try not to argue with their pie-in-the-sky visions; get excited about them.

Socializers are social-butterflies, so be ready to flutter around with them. A strong presence, stimulating and entertaining conversation, jokes, and liveliness will win them over. They are people-oriented, so give them time to socialize. Avoid rushing into tasks.

With Socializers, in general, be interested in them.

Dealing With Thinkers

Thinkers are time-disciplined, so be sensitive to their time. They need details, so give them data. Support Thinkers in their organized, thoughtful approach to problem-solving. Be systematic, logical, well-prepared, and exact with them. Give them time to make decisions and work independently. Allow them to talk in detail.

In work groups, do not expect Thinkers to be leaders or outspoken contributors, but do rely on them to conduct research, crunch numbers, and perform detailed foot-work for the group. If appropriate, set guidelines and exact deadlines. Thinkers like to be complimented on their brain-power, so recognize their contributions accordingly.

With Thinkers, in general, be thorough, well-prepared, detail-oriented, business-like, and patient.

Adapting To Relaters

Relaters are relationship-oriented, want warm and fuzzy relationships, so take things slow, earn their trust, support their feelings, and show sincere interest. Talk in terms of feelings, not facts, which is the opposite of the strategy for Thinkers. Relaters don’t want to ruffle feathers. They want to be assured that everyone will approve of them and their decisions. Give them time to solicit co-workers’ opinions. Never back a Relater into a corner. It is far more effective to apply warmth to get this chicken out of its egg than to crack the shell with a hammer.

With Relaters, in general, be non threatening and sincere.

In summary, the Platinum Rule provides powerful life-skills that will serve you well in all your relationships: business, friends, family, spouse, and children. Improved relationships create infinite possibilities and think of the right things to say when you interact with people.

The alternative to the Golden Rule is the Platinum Rule: “Treat others the way they want to be treated.” Say what?! So there is a difference. The Platinum Rule accommodates the feelings of others. The goal of The Platinum Rule is personal chemistry and productive relationships. The Platinum Rule divides behavioral preferences into four basic styles: Director, Socializer, Relater, and Thinker

Everyone possesses the qualities of each style to various degrees and everyone has a dominant style.

Directors

Directors are driven by two governing needs: to control and achieve. Directors are goal-oriented go-getters who are most comfortable when they are in charge of people and situations. They want to accomplish many things-now-so they focus on no-nonsense approaches to bottom-line results.

Directors seek expedience and are not afraid to bend the rules. They figure it is easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. Directors accept challenges, take authority, and plunge head first into solving problems. They are fast-paced, task-oriented, and work quickly and impressively by themselves, which means they become annoyed with delays.

Directors are driven and dominating, which can make them stubborn, impatient, and insensitive to others. Directors are so focused that they forget to take the time to smell the roses.

Socializers

Socializers are friendly, enthusiastic “party-animals” who like to be where the action is. They thrive on the admiration, acknowledgment, and compliments that come with being in the lime-light.

The Socializer’s primary strengths are enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. They are idea-people and dreamers who excel at getting others excited about their vision. They are eternal optimists with an abundance of charisma. These qualities help them influence people and build alliances to accomplish their goals.

Socializers do have their weaknesses: impatience, an aversion to being alone, and a short attention span. Socializers are risk-takers who base many of their decisions on intuition, which is not inherently bad. Socializers are not inclined to verify information; they are more likely to assume someone else will do it.

Thinkers

Thinkers are analytical, persistent, systematic people who enjoy problem-solving. Thinkers are detail-oriented, which makes them more concerned with content than style. Thinkers are task-oriented people who enjoy perfecting processes and working toward tangible results. They’re always in control of their emotions and may become uncomfortable around people who very out-going, e.g., Socializers.

Thinkers have high expectations of themselves and others, which can make them over-critical. Their tendency toward perfectionism-taken to an extreme-can cause “paralysis by over-analysis.” Thinkers are slow and deliberate decision-makers. They do research, make comparisons, determine risks, calculate margins of error, and then take action. Thinkers become irritated by surprises and glitches, hence their cautious decision-making. Thinkers are also skeptical, so they like to see promises in writing.

Relaters

Relaters are warm and nurturing individuals. They are the most people-oriented of the four styles. Relaters are excellent listeners, devoted friends, and loyal employees. Their relaxed disposition makes them approachable and warm. They develop strong networks of people who are willing to be mutually supportive and reliable. Relaters are excellent team players.

Relaters are risk-aversive. In fact, Relaters may tolerate unpleasant environments rather than risk change. They like the status quo and become distressed when disruptions are severe. When faced with change, they think it through, plan, and accept it into their world. Relaters-more than the other types-strive to maintain personal composure, stability, and balance.
In the office, Relaters are courteous, friendly, and willing to share responsibilities. They are good planners, persistent workers, and good with follow-through.

Relaters go along with others even when they do not agree because they do not want to rock the boat.

Relaters are slow decision-makers for several reasons: 1) their need for security; 2) their need to avoid risk; 3) their desire to include others in the decision-making process.

In summary, analyze yourself and figure out which one you are. I guarantee you will have at least two characteristics. If you cannot seem to figure out – ask your three friends and have them describe you. If you’re a Mongolian – you’re highly likely to be the thinker and be really good at math.

Media is good for you. Only when you do it right. While talking to FedEx’s America’s Small Business Summit representative, I learned the following important media tips.

1. KNOW YOUR THREE KEY POINTS. This is your opportunity to tell your story. Select three key messages that you want readers to learn. Think of facts and anecdotes to develop and support your three key points, making a compelling story.  Keep bringing discussion back to the three points that you want to make.

2.  YOU ARE ALWAYS ON THE RECORD.  Only say things that you believe are fit to print anywhere and everywhere.

3.  IT IS OK TO ASK QUESTIONS. If the reporter approaches you for a 1:1 interview, ask questions so you understand where they are coming from.  This will help you better fit your story and their needs.  What kind of story is it? What’s the angle? Who else has been or will be interviewed?

4.  WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW, SAY SO. You are an expert but you don’t have all the answers. Say “I can’t speak to that, but what I can tell you is…” or “I’ll get back to you.”  It is extremely tempting to hazard a guess, but this may be published … you want to be accurate.

A few additional tips:

Be assertive. Don’t just answer questions, seize every opportunity to drive your messages. Reporters grab audiences’ attention by leading off with the most important, newsworthy information. Do the same thing with your answers.

Use flags. Signal that a key point is coming up with a phrase like; “the key point is,” or “what makes this important is.”

Turn negatives to positive. Don’t repeat negative language or allow the reporter to put words in your mouth. Anticipate tough questions and develop responsive answers that are not defensive. Bridge to one of your key messages with phrases like “let me put this in perspective,” or “the real problem is”.

Avoid jargon. The public doesn’t know your industry jargon so don’t use it even when the reporter does. Explain abbreviations and technical terms.

Focus on your objective. Don’t get mired in statistics or lengthy explanations. It’s OK to pause and think!

In summary, you should know your three key points, bear in mind that you are always on the record, it is okay to ask questions, and if you don’t have the answer just say so in a polite way. It will add to your values.

1. EMAILS: As I arrive at 8:30am, M-F, and turn on my computer, the very first thing I do is read my emails. I receive, on average, 30-50 emails per day. I answer every one of them – personally, professionally, and in as much details as I can. (Since it is set up in Microsoft Outlook – the incoming emails are easily categorized/organized and all are assigned to their certain folders)

2. ORDERS: I go through each order that was received from http://www.SerolaBelt.com and separate them by type: RETAIL CUSTOMER’s order VS. WHOLESALE CUSTOMER’s order. I keep ONLINE SALES ANALYSIS spread sheet and keep track of the Total Annual Sales, Average Sales per Day, Retail Daily Sales, Wholesale Daily Sales, and Total # of Transactions. In addition, a Sales Graph is created for each month – it makes sales analysis look so much easier. There are also Declined Orders – if it is the case – I contact the customer to let him/her know why their online transaction was declined. It usually happens when they enter the incorrect billing address and/or CVV code.

3. MAGAZINE ADS: We advertise on 10+ different magazines, newspapers, and medical journals in which I coordinate which ads due for publication, and what artwork is due by when, etc. It is uniquely important to keep track of dates and deadlines for each magazines. Making changes is time sensitive – and once the publication is gone for print, there is nothing you can do about the ad. Ads cost anywhere between $800-$1,500 depending on size, color, & magazine. My favorite is Annual Buyer’s Guide because you reach potentially to 100,000′s of prospects with one single print – and these ads are distributed in big trade shows, medical shows, & expos.

4. MARKETING CAMPAIGNS: As a Marketing Manager, I determine the expected marginal revenue and the cost before we announce any campaign. I sit down with my boss and discuss it in details and analyze any potential risk(s) that may come from the campaign. When things go normally, you can just relax – but when you see the sales starting to decline, it is that time to think “What Campaign Can I Create Differently?”, “How Can We Acquire New Customers?” etc.

5. TALK TO PEOPLE: Yes, I love it. This diverse list includes Advertising Magazine/Newspaper/Journal Managing Editors, 3D/Flash Animation Artists, Photoshop Artists, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Distributors, Wholesalers, Retailers, and people with severe back pain. By email, phone, fax, or even Skype – we try to acquire as much customers as we can. I also closely interact with our production manager, Tom, and administrative assistant; between the three of us, we can solve any resentful situation.

6. KEEP LOGS: In other words, keep record of what you did, as often as possible. Yes, it definitely helps me what I did and when I did. If possible, in any project, try to use MS PROJECT – it helps you define the project scope, budget, resources, and the time line. Great software. In addition, there are always bunch of Post It notes on my desk and I use them to take quick notes.

7. ONLINE ADVERTISING: I love this part and it is what I enjoy the most. We utilize Google AdWords (pay-per-click), Facebook Ads (pay-per-click) Yahoo Search Marketing (pay-per-click), SEO, and other social media sites.

If you were to go on to Google and searched for “Sacroiliac Belt”, “Back Pain”, or “Sacrotrac” – the chances are you’re probably looking at the ad I created: “Serola Belt – Slick Design, High Quality: Support Your Back Because It Supports You” or see something like “Serola Sacroiliac Belt – Heal Your Back. 100,000′s of Americans Wear Our Belt – They Loved It.” Pay-per-click ads great in the short run but keeping the keyword bid in the long run can be “expensive.”

On the other hand, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is free. You just have to use the right keyword(s) and define the META TAGS of your web site.

Facebook and other social media sites is great, as well. We have a company profile page wherever possible. We can announce any events, photos, videos easily and share it with our subscribers.

8. PLANNING : A comprehensive plan is created at the beginning of the year, and it determines our marketing plans: Online Advertising vs. Magazine Advertising. Usually more budget is spent on the traditional marketing channels. If you have the SWOT Analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Treat) created – it is easy to see which areas need more planning and improvement. Also, I keep track of what our competitors doing. Where are they advertising more? How are they creating strong call-to-actions? Are they declaring a price war? Keep a note of all of this, and check it bi-weekly. Competition is a harsh yet fair game when it comes to selling – and always compare what you are doing with the industry leaders.

9. DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL: It used to be simple, before the Amazon.com era. Know everything about your wholesalers, retailers, and distributors both in the US and overseas. If someone asks where he can buy our goods in Australia – I send them our eight distributors’ address in Australia. Then, follow-up in a week or two to see how it went.

10. SELLING IN EUROPE: We have been negotiating with FedEx and MIDL (both trying to earn our business), and after a series of scrutinized cost-and-benefit analysis, we selected MIDL to become our logistics & warehouse partner for our European operations. The outcome of this project will potentially increase our company revenue by at least 40% by 2015.

So, that’s it folks – this is the short list with only ten bullet points.

Step-by-Step Instructions On How To Create Your Own Reflection:

• Step 1: Go to www.mirror.me, and sign-in using your Twitter account
• Step 2: Fill out the profile section and verify your email address.
• Step 3: In the right upper corner, click on your username, then select “Settings”

• Step 4: Make sure to claim your Personal URL. For example: mirror.me/bilguun
• Step 5: Scroll to the bottom and you will be able to get the HTML code or the actual image.

• Step 6. You’re done. Enjoy.

Redirect Old domain to New domain using htaccess redirect

Create a .htaccess file with the below code, it will ensure that all your directories and pages of your old domain will get correctly redirected to your new domain.
The .htaccess file needs to be placed in the root directory of your old website (i.e the same directory where your index file is placed)

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Please REPLACE www.newdomain.com in the above code with your actual domain name.

In addition to the redirect I would suggest that you contact every backlinking site to modify their backlink to point to your new website.

Note* This .htaccess method of redirection works ONLY on Linux servers having the Apache Mod-Rewrite moduled enabled.

Redirect to www using htaccess redirect

Create a .htaccess file with the below code, it will ensure that all requests coming in to domain.com will get redirected to www.domain.com
The .htaccess file needs to be placed in the root directory of your old website (i.e the same directory where your index file is placed)

Options +FollowSymlinks
RewriteEngine on
rewritecond %{http_host} ^domain.com [nc]
rewriterule ^(.*)$ http://www.domain.com/$1 [r=301,nc]

Please REPLACE domain.com and www.newdomain.com with your actual domain name.

Note* This .htaccess method of redirection works ONLY on Linux servers having the Apache Mod-Rewrite moduled enabled.

2. You attend party & your friend goes to a girl & pointing at you
tells her. He’ is very rich, marry him. “That’s Advertising.”

3. Girl walks to you & says u are rich, can u marry me?
“That’s Brand Recognition“

4. You say I m very rich marry me & she slaps u
“That’s Customer Feedback“

5. You say I m very rich marry me & she introduces you to her husband
“That’s Demand & Supply Gap“

6. Before you say I m rich, marry me, your wife arrives
“That’s Restriction from Entering New Market.”

[Source: This post originally appeared on my friend Bayasaa's Facebook wall]