The VXA Packet Technology Data Storage Media.

Author : Mike Nicholson

VXA is a tape backup system utilizing Packet technology to store and retrieve data. With VXA Packets, you enjoy peace of mind with unmatched reliability, speed and capacity.The VXA Packet Technology offers greater advantage compared to the outdated track-based technology utilized in other tape formats, Packet Technology and VXA drives have many advantages such as the elimination of "back hitching". Back hitching occurs when the data rates between the drive and the host computer system get out of sync - as computers tend to send data in short bursts, while tracking tape drives must transfer data to/from the tape speeds. This means the drive must stop transferring data, rewind, and then move at fixed forward to 're-sync' with the data tracks on the tape. Since VXA Packet drives read packets and not tracks, the drive can actually match the host transfer rate without back hitching-even to the point where the drive can stop completely, and start up again without ever having to back hitch. This dramatically reduces the wear and tear on the data storage media and ensures greater reliability and longer tape life. VXA X Tapes are the only tape cartridges extreme-tested by independent labs under the most severe conditions-including violent vibration, immersion in volcanic dust, boiling water and hot coffee, and even freezing cartridges in a block of ice-to assure reliable and complete data restores. VXA is 183 times more able to restore data-even from a damaged tape-than any other tape format. You will find the full range technology tape cartridges including IBM 3480, IBM 3490E, IBM 3590, IBM 3590E, IBM 3570, IBM 3996, SDLT DLT, LTO 100GB, LTO 200GB, LTO 400GB. Packet Technology enables VXA Packet drives, autoloaders and tapes to read and write data in packets just like the Internet, providing far superior restore integrity, exceptional transfer speeds and scalable tape capacities. With excellent reviews by analysts and data storage media experts, and adoption by major OEMs like IBM, VXA Packet Technology is the new standard in tape backup.Leading companies around the world have formed and launched the VXA Alliance to promote and support VXA Packet technology as the new standard in tape backup and restore. For more information on how you can buy the latest VXA Packet data storage media please visit www.firscall.co.uk Mike Nicholson

Category : General Computers

Innovation Goals and Original Ideas

Author : Lance Winslow
Most people think that innovation is always free flowing and if you force the process you destroy creativity. In other words if you stress out over performance and deadlines you cannot remain creative. I completely disagree in that they also say that necessity is the Mother of Invention.Few would disagree with that very profound statement which keeps getting repeated from politicians to academia; now there is something they can agree on? Now then consider a hardship, catastrophe or war. If you fail to innovate, overcome or adapt you could die; hence the other saying; Adapt or Die.Indeed, now then consider in World War II, which was one of the fastest innovation periods of mankind's 10,000 years of recorded history. Or think of the cold war as a motivator, with deadlines and sense of urgency to literally move mountains, did that slow innovation? No, we put a man on the Moon; yes a giant step for mankind no doubt.Now then this brings me to my next point and that is it is okay to have innovative goals; in fact it works really well. I can prove it in that I have a personal goal of two-original thoughts each day. Generally I consider these to thoughts to most often be inventions or technology type things, but occasionally other things; social, political or even economic.To have 2-original thoughts per day you cannot limit your topics or subject matter as you will run out of things to think of and thus not achieve the goal. I would recommend that everyone set innovation goals; start with one original idea per quarter or every 3-months at first. That is what I had to do, then work up to it. Try it and tap into your own personal creative and innovative mind for original ideas. Consider all this in 2006.Lance Winslow
Category : Self-Improvement:Innovation

Astrology: What is It?

Author : Michael Russell
Astrology is a science, which, together with the knowledge gained in astronomy, observes and records how celestial bodies and zodiacal influences affect life on our planet. Generally it is related to the effects upon humans, but also takes into account mineral life, vegetable life and animal life. The influences from the planets and beyond form complex patterns, much like weather conditions, and also indicate calm or turbulent atmospheres-but these are beyond the visible range of influence.The science is based upon the fact that at any particular point in time, a chart may be drawn up which records and focuses upon all the different incoming influences and energies upon the particular life concerned, and in this case, we consider an individual person. These vibrations which could be seen to correspond to different instruments in an orchestra, establish a co-operative and harmonious invisible climate to which that individual life has opportunity to respond, or, in the case of clashing energies, adverse conditions which the individual must learn to deal with.All energy, although invisible, is a power. The sun's light we can see and its power we can feel as we can to a lesser degree, the moon's energy. But that of the other planets, although it exists, is not obvious to the average person. However, since early history, we have acknowledged their subtle power and even named them as gods named in our days of the week.Regarding the influence of the other far galaxies and celestial energies, we must rely upon what the science of Astrology gives us as a basis to understand how human beings react to them. There is no better place to start our observations, but with ourselves, at the moment of our birth.At that very moment, there were astronomically calculated positions of the sun, moon and all the planets. The other planets were in particular location according to the system which designates different areas of the sky and to which have been given names of the zodiacal signs. And according to the hour of your birth, there was one of these twelve signs rising above the horizon. This is placed in your Astrological Chart as your Rising Sign and it is just as important as your well known Sun sign which we determine by the day and the month of birth. In the middle of all these influences we take our first breath by which we assert the beginning of our life.The influences which existed at the time of our birth however, are very strong and affect our personality, our basic temperament, early family life, and determine a great deal of our instinctive attitudes in thought and feeling, beyond those that develop through our environment. However, regarding human life it must be understood that each person by their free will, can react positively or negatively in any situation as we do under changing weather conditions. These initial influences will pervade much of our life as we live to capitalize on our good fortune and learn to cope with the difficulties in our circumstances.Although a professionally drawn up horoscope is seen as a set pattern, it should be understood to have certain flexibility. It is like a blueprint which the individual by use of free will, modify, utilize or alter the inherent tendencies and pattern of his life.Any experienced astrologer will confirm however, that the fundamental ingredients in the make up of a personality will not change quickly or easily. This allows certain confidence in analysing character and in predicting future circumstances.Astrological science can be applied in many ways - including personal health, psychology, relationships, analysing national conditions or in matters regarding world trends and events. Once the principles are known there is opportunity to apply the knowledge in the avenue of your personal interest in consultation with a professional astrologer.To quote Astrologer Dayne Rudhyar: "The young people...hope to find in astrology not only answers to poignant personal problems, but even more, some sort of inner security. Many of them...refusing to participate in a culture increasingly dominated by a de-humanized and de-natured approach to knowledge, long to discover their place and function in a more-than-human, universal or cosmic order."Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Astrology
Category : Arts-and-Entertainment:Astrology

Exposing The Online MLM Myth

Author : Ewen Chia

Some people view the internet with much scorn, loathing and
hesitance. For them, the World Wide Web is a breeding ground for
scam artists, and the only thing it's good for is finding naked
pictured of underage pop stars.

This is quite unfortunate as these people tend to miss out on
the opportunities, the real opportunities, that could provide
for them some excellent income streams that would supplement, if
not surpass, their earnings from their day jobs.

One of these opportunities is online MLM. Online MLM, or
multi-level marketing facilitated over the internet, has become
a very popular avenue for many people to earn amazing profit
over the World Wide Web. In this article, we're going to take a
look at the reasons why online MLM has provided such levels of
success for a lot of the internet denizens the world over...

The Reality That Is Online MLM

First and foremost, online MLM is not a scam. It is not an offer
that promises instant wealth for you and your family. Online MLM
can actually be considered as a job, one which can be
facilitated from the comforts of your own home.

Online MLM makes you an agent of the manufacturer, and your duty
is to sell, or pre-sell, the said manufacturer's products. For
every sale you manage to refer, you'll earn a commission.
Furthermore, the people you manage to refer will also become
your agents, the members of your down line.

Online MLM is designed in a way that you will also earn stated
commission for every sale that the members of your down line
would be able to refer, and sometimes, this extends up to the
fifth tier.

Online MLM is a real opportunity. It is not something that
should outright be dismissed as a fraud. Many people have earned
handsome income from online MLM, and you will be depriving
yourself of an excellent opportunity if you do not consider what
online MLM could offer for your life.

What Is Needed For Online MLM?

A lot of people are turned off because online MLM often asks
them to make an initial purchase to avail of the benefits of the
program.

This shouldn't be the case. The product you will be asked to buy
can be considered as a membership fee for the online MLM
program. This is what would push the ball into motion, and this
is one of the selling points of an online MLM system.

You could use this to your advantage later on, after all. You
could ask your leads to consider the profitable advantages they
would receive as part of their purchase, and you'd have better
chances of convincing them to buy the manufacturer's product and
consequently join the online MLM program.

Is An Initial Purchase All That Is Needed For An Online MLM
Program?

Most definitely not. As we have mentioned earlier, an online MLM
opportunity can also be considered as a job.

As such, your commitment, time and hard work are also needed to
ensure your success in this field. An online MLM program is not
a "get rich quick" scheme. You have to earn your keeps. You have
to strive for your success. And you have to be patient to be
able to reap all that an online MLM program promises.

Category : Software

The Changing Art of Pro-Wrestling Commentary

Author : Eoghann Irving
Commentary has always played an important part in the presentation of professional wrestling. Unlike many sports, it's actually perfectly possible to follow a match without any commentary at all. But good commentary can turn an average match into a great match. Conversely bad commentary can severely hurt a good match.The commentary team for professional wrestling is loosely based on the normal arrangement for commentary in America TV, a play-by-play commentator and a "color" commentator. However the color commentator in wrestling is a role that has usually been held by a heel character and was used to both further the storylines and to rile up the audience at home by cheering on the heel wrestler.For many years this formula was followed pretty closely with play-by-play focusing on the details of the match and the color commentator trying to justify the heel's actions. It was a formula which worked very effectively and was close enough to what you would expect to see in any other sports event that it helped further the illusion that wrestling was real.Play By PlayWhen the Wrestlemania era began, that started to change. Increasingly the emphasis moved from sports to Sports Entertainment. With that change in emphasis came a change in commentary. The change which took place over several years was to increase the emphasis on play by play announcers "telling the story" rather than calling the match.That move to "tell the story" gradually came to dominate match commentary, to the extent that commentators often now spend as much time talking about what will be happening next week as they do about what is happening in the ring right now.Compounding this problem was the increasing push to make each show seem more impressive than the last (a trend started by the Monday Night Wars). This has resulted in announcers losing all credibility as they claim that a perfectly average match is the match of the year or that that a tedious beat down is the most horrific thing they have ever seen.The play-by-play commentator is supposed to be the audience's identification point. By slowly turning him into a blatant shill for the company both WWE and TNA are damaging their connection with their own audience.How can we possibly believe anything Mike Tenay says when we know he is going to claim that every PPV he hosts is the best PPV ever? It isn't a believable claim. In fact it's outright silly.Jim Ross has a similar problem in that he's selling every beatdown on RAW like someone is having their teeth extracted without any painkillers. Nobody believes it any more. While Ross is one of the few people who can slip in the odd criticism of the product it seems that even he has trouble openly disagreeing with the company line any more.Color CommentatorsThe situation with Color Commentators is a little different. Their primary role has been to get the audience riled up. However over the last few years there has been a move away from the heel commentator so that now they are tweeners at best and in some cases (I'm thinking someone like Taz) they're clearly a face.That change has radically altered the dynamic of the commentary team, and not for the better. Now the heel doesn't have a proper voice making his case while the match goes on. There's no one there to point out when he is wrestling well and help get him over. Nor is there anyone to try and justify his heelish actions and make the wrestling story work properly.Right now the only heel color commentator on national TV is JBL, who shows considerable promise and could easily become the best color commentator in the business given some time and experience. One of the reasons he works so well in my view is because while he defends all the heels, he does it without pretending he likes every single one of them. When the heel does something stupid he says so, when it's smart he explains why it's smart.Don't Talk Down To the AudienceThe fundamental problem I see with wrestling commentary currently is that there is a complete lack of respect for the audience. It's not just that the companies think they can actually get away with telling their audience what to think, its that they think we won't even be aware that they are doing it.Insulting your audience's intelligence is one of the quickest ways to get them to turn off.Visit Pro-Wrestling News Direct for more news and commentary on professional wrestling.Eoghann Irving runs the Professional Wrestling News site Pro-Wrestling News Direct. A wrestling fanatic he posts reviews of all the national pro-wrestling tv shows each week in addition to daily news and rumor updates. Eoghann can be contacted at webmaster@sflare.com
Category : Recreation-and-Sports

Xbox Catching Up in 2006

Author : Chris Robertson
Although there was a delay in delivering the number of Xbox 360s that consumers demanded for the 2005 holiday season, Microsoft is expected to manufacture over 2 million of the gaming consoles in the first quarter of 2006. It's estimated that about 1 million Xbox 360s made it to stores in time for the holidays, so there's a pent-up demand for the console. In addition, reported bugs and cooling problems will likely be worked out in the near future.

The Xbox isn't the only consumer electronic hitting the news these days. At the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, a number of manufacturers of cell phones will be honored with innovation awards. For example, Firefly Mobile will be honored for their "Mobile Phone for Mobile Kids," which is specifically designed for tweens. In addition, Auvi Technologies will be presented an award for their innovative PHIP100 VoIP-enabled cordless speakerphone with a built-in webcam.

CES will also honor a number of innovative computer manufacturers, including Hewlett Packard. HP has two products, the Media Center Photosmart PC and the Pavillion desktop PC, which combine computing with cutting edge digital entertainment features. Logitech will be accorded the 2006 Best of Innovations award for its customizable computer mouse, which allows the user to change the mouse's weight and balance.

Consumer electronics continue to be integrated into car design and sold as after market features. Audivox, for example, offers dual DVD players that offer backseat passengers a choice in which DVD they each watch, while Panasonic has an in-dash DVD monitor and receiver. Manufacturers are also producing after market products to integrate MP3 players and iPods into a vehicle's sound system. As a result, drivers and passengers no longer have to rely on a CD to bring their favorite tunes on the road.

Although many developers of video games seem to be waiting until the next generation of gaming consoles saturate the market, a few recent titles are noteworthy. Psychonauts is a hit, and for the role-playing crowd, Jade Empire is the video game du jour for the Xbox. In portable gaming, the Sony PSP comes out on top with Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, while the Nintendo DS offers Mario Kart.

On the whole, consumer electronics continue to improve in reliability and performance, while becoming increasingly affordable. In all respects, 2006 looks like it will be a stellar year for everything from video gaming systems to cell phones.Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Visit this Electronics Website and Majon's Electronics directory.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:Personal-Tech

Vending Machines (2)

Author : Hans Bool
According to the European Vending Association (www.eva.be) the Consumers' increasingly nomadic lifestyle is a great opportunity for the vending industry. They expect this out-of-home market to develop significantly in the next decade.
Recent years have been difficult for the vending manufacturers and operators. As we have seen – the manufacturing industry provides the majority of the demand for these machines, but this market is slowing down, because of a shift from blue-collar to white-collar workforce, also means that the type, range and quality of products supplied must be adapted. (www.eva.be).Some development that are to be expected in the near future are;
Machines that sell products with payment via mobile phonesMachines equipped with internet browsers
Order panels with tactile screens
Machines that talk, for the blind or visually impaired
More environmentally-friendly machines, that use refrigerants that are harmless for the environment, that make better use of environmentally-friendly materials, or recycled ones, that use less energy... (www.eva.be)
Other trends could be imagined that the control of the machines could be arranged on distance by using mobile information technology.
The growth-rate of the production in the US, measured over ten years is moderate. An increase of about 70 percent over ten year is less than 5% growth per year. Difficult to tell is what the development of different products and sectors have done in this period. But the numbers "hide" this information.
The European Vending association provides numbers of machines sold per period. This information is not sales oriented, but production oriented, for example:In Spain there were sold 29,049 machines in 2001 up to 34,148 in 2004. And overall growth rate of 18 percent, and nearly due to the growth in 2004.The situation in the Netherlands shows a growth rate of 25% but this is due to the growth in 1999. The situation stabilized since then. For Europe as such, the growth is also moderate of a twelve percent over the years 2001 to 2004 and in that case, this increase took place in 2004.Google Trends demonstrates that people search less for "vending-machines" since 2004 and the Search engine suggest to read the following headline: Sex Toy Vending Machines Popular In Britain (http://www.nbc4.tv/irresistible/7779805/detail.html - 7 mar 2006).That headline sheds some more light on the usage of these machines. It is not (only) that it facilitates a purchase at any moment in time. And it goes beyond the nomadic lifestyle.
Also interesting to know is that South Africa is the Top region for vending machine searches.
But although the trend line seems to decline slowly it is difficult to tell what really the trend is for vending machines. But it seems reasonable that these machine are still dependent of industry developments and that there are shifts from one category (manufacturing and beverages) to others (specialties and niche markets). Automatic teller machines, which could be seen as a family product dedicated to banking operations, have increased over the years and provided a massive shift in consumer behavior.
The question is what tendencies in society will make that vending machines will grow beyond normal demographic growth.© 2006 Hans BoolHans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
You can apply for a free demo account
Category : News-and-Society:Economics

Conquering the Number One Problem in Business--Poor Communication

Author : Tracy Peterson Turner, PhD
The Number One problem in business is poor communication: between coworkers, with clients, across functional areas, up the food chain. When I ask anyone I meet "What's the one thing that causes problems in your company?" the answer is always Communication: poor communication in relaying instructions, miscommunication because of irresponsible delivery, too little information when conveying changes in policies or procedures, not enough exchange of information when relaying new concepts or ideas.The result of every one of these communication down-falls is misunderstandings, missed deadlines, hurt feelings, and a lot of wasted time.Consider this ideal world: you have ample time to ask questions and deliver feedback; you have full support from management for taking time to slow down and consider the receiver of the messages you send; you are encouraged to write your letters and emails from the perspective of your audience rather than from the perspective of your company position; your management values the time you take to talk with staff, coworkers, and clients one-on-one and face-to-face rather than relying on mass communication sent via cryptic emails.While email has become the unofficial standard of communicating in our business environments, it's not always the best choice. We need the opportunity to have spontaneous feedback that can only come from a one-on-one conversation—especially when relaying instructions or attempting to win over associates to a new way of doing things. We need to encourage questions and take time to respond in order to ensure cooperation and support. We need to slow down and build relationships rather than simply force-feed our ideas to an unreceptive or resistant audience.Okay, you say these are great ideas and would certainly help; but who has time? Consider these questions:• How much time are you wasting every day cleaning up the messes of your associates because others in your organization didn't take the time necessary to get their ideas across clearly?• Are you spending time answering questions your peers have about something they've been asked to do?• Do you find yourself being a sounding board for disgruntled associates who feel they've been bitten by a shark simply because they are trying to do their jobs?If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, then you are on the receiving end of the Number One problem in business.While the trend in business for the last three to five years has been to do more with fewer resources—and do it faster, companies are seeing the negative effects of that trend. They are recognizing the loss of committed clients because of a reduction in the quality of customer service (automated answering systems that require us to listen through lengthy menus of numerical options is a perfect example of this), they are seeing a loss in morale in the work place causing staff to resist change at every turn, they are seeing a loss in productivity because of exhaustion, and they are seeing a large percentage of burned-out and frustrated employees.Companies that recognize this negative trend are making changes. They're placing more emphasis on relationships among employees at all levels of the hierarchy, encouraging flexibility and camaraderie, and placing more value on quality than quantity.While what I'm suggesting in this article may not yet be the culture of your company, you can begin to adopt some principles for your own personal performance now that will help you be more effective in your work today and in the future. Three things you can do now are:• Choose to call people on the phone or see them face to face rather than communicate via email all the time• Give people the "why" along with the "what" when you are giving them instructions or asking them to adopt a new procedure or policy• Listen to people when they speakEmail is a fine tool to use for communicating—as long as it's balanced with some actual human contact. And that human contact comes through most clearly face to face. Your second best option is to use the telephone. When we talk to people face to face, they get the opportunity to notice our body language and hear our vocal inflections. Both of these give them a sense of our personality. People do business with people they like. Give people an opportunity to get to know you, and they'll be more cooperative in the long run.No one likes to be told what to do. In fact, most often when people are told what to do in a directive fashion their gut reaction is to rebel. Resistance and negativity come from a lack of understanding and buy-in. When we simply deliver the "what" of the message, people begin formulating a stance to protect themselves. This is usually labeled defensiveness. We can begin helping them reduce their defensiveness and resistance by giving them enough information (the "why") to help them understand the "what." Unfortunately, when we're in a hurry this is the part we most often leave out.Most of us think we're pretty good listeners. In reality, we're pretty good hearers. We hear the words people are saying, but we fail to listen with our eyes and ears; then we miss out on their inflection and body language signals. These signals tell us when we're facing resistance and when the people we're talking to are confused by our messages. Rather than assuming we're completely clear in our communications, we can listen attentively to what people are actually saying to see where our communications might be unclear—and then clarify as necessary.Each of the three things I suggest above requires time. But this investment of time is worthwhile. In the long run, you'll accomplish more with fewer disruptions because you'll have• Built solid relationships• Eliminated misunderstandings• Cultivated cooperationI guarantee you'll notice results.About the Author:Dr. Tracy Peterson Turner works with organizations that want to turn their managers into leaders and with leaders who want to get their messages heard. She is an expert in both written and verbal communication and conducts presentations and workshops to help individuals and corporations meet their communication goals.Visit Tracy on the web at http://www.Mgr-Impact.com.

Email her at Tracy@Mgr-Impact.com
Category : Business:Management

If You Need to Put Negotiating Pressure on the Other Side, Try Good Guy / Bad Guy

Author : Roger Dawson
Good Guy/Bad Guy is one of the best known negotiating gambits. Charles Dickens first wrote about it in his book Great Expectations. In the opening scene of the story, the young hero Pip is in the graveyard when out of the sinister mist comes a large, very frightening man. This man is a convict, and he has chains around his legs. He asks Pip to go into the village and bring back food and a file, so he can remove the chains. The convict has a dilemma, however. He wants to scare the child into doing as he's asked, yet he mustn't put so much pressure on Pip that he'll be frozen in place or bolt into town to tell the policeman.The solution to the convict's problem is to use the Good Guy/Bad Guy Gambit. Taking some liberty with the original work, what the convict says in effect, is "You know, Pip, I like you, and I would never do anything to hurt you But I have to tell you that waiting out here in the mist is a friend of mine and he can be violent and I'm the only one who can control him. If I don't get these chains off-if you don't help me get them off-then my friend might come after you. So, you have to help me. Do you understand?" Good Guy/Bad Guy is a very effective way of putting pressure on people, without confrontation.I'm sure you've seen Good Guy/Bad Guy used in the old police movies. Officers bring a suspect into the police station for questioning, and the first detective to interrogate him is a rough, tough, mean-looking guy. He threatens the suspect with all kinds of things that they're going to do to him. Then he's mysteriously called away to take a phone call, and the second detective, who's brought in to look after the prisoner while the first detective is away, is the warmest, nicest guy in the entire world. He sits down and makes friends with the prisoner. He gives him a cigarette and says, "Listen kid, it's really not as bad as all that. I've taken a liking to you. I know the ropes around here. Why don't you let me see what I can do for you?" It's a real temptation to think that the Good Guy's on your side when, of course, he really isn't.Then the Good Guy would go ahead and close on what salespeople would recognize as a minor point close. "All I think the detectives really need to know," he tells the prisoner, "is where did you buy the gun?" What he really wants to know is, "Where did you hide the body?"Starting out with a minor point like that and then working up from there, works very well, doesn't it? The car salesperson says to you, "If you did invest in this car would you get the blue or the gray?" "Would you want the vinyl upholstery or the leather?" Little decisions lead to big ones. The real estate salesperson who says, "If you did invest in this home, how would you arrange the furniture in the living room?" Or, "Which of these bedrooms would be the nursery for your new baby?" Little decisions grow to big decisions.People use Good Guy/Bad Guy on you much more than you might believe. Look out for it anytime you find yourself dealing with two people. Chances are you'll see it being used on you, in one form or another.For example, you may sell corporate health insurance plans for an HMO and have made an appointment to meet with the Vice-President of Human Resources at a company that manufactures lawn mowers. When the secretary leads you in to meet with the vice president, you find to your surprise that the president of the company wants to sit in and listen in on your presentation.That's negotiating two on one, which is not good, but you go ahead and everything appears to be going along fine. You feel that you have a good chance of closing the sale, until the president suddenly starts getting irritated. Eventually he says to his vice president, "Look, I don't think these people are interested in making a serious proposal to us. I'm sorry, but I've got things to do." Then he storms out of the room.This really shakes you up if you're not used to negotiating. Then the vice-president says, "Wow. Sometimes he gets that way, but I really like the plan that you presented, and I think we can still work this out. If you could be a little more flexible on your price, then I think we can still put it together. Tell you what-why don't you let me see what I can do for you with him?"If you don't realize what they're doing to you, you'll hear yourself say something like, "What do you think the president would agree to?" Then it won't be long before you'll have the vice-president negotiating for you-and he or she is not even on your side.If you think I'm exaggerating on this one, consider this: Haven't you, at one time or another, said to a car salesperson, "What do you think you could get your sales manager to agree to?" As if the salesperson is on your side, not on theirs? Haven't we all at one time been buying real estate and have found the property we want to buy, so we say to the agent that has been helping us find the property, "What do you think the sellers would take?" Let me ask you something. Who is your agent working for? Who is paying her? It's not you, is it? She is working for the seller and yet she has effectively played Good Guy/Bad Guy with us. So, look out for it, because you run into it a lot.Power Negotiators use several Counter-Gambits to Good Guy/Bad Guy: The first Counter-Gambit is simply to identify the Gambit. Although there are many other ways to handle the problem, this one is so effective that it's probably the only one you need to know. Good Guy/Bad Guy is so well known that it embarrasses people when they get caught using it. When you notice the other person using it you should smile and say, "Oh, come on-you aren't going to play Good Guy/Bad Guy with me are you? Come on, sit down, let's work this thing out." Usually their embarrassment will cause them to retreat from the position. You could respond by creating a bad guy of your own. Tell them that you'd love to do what they want, but you have people back in the head office who are obsessed with sticking to the program. You can always make a fictitious bad guy appear more unyielding than a bad guy who is present at the negotiation. You could go over their heads to their supervisor. For example, if you're dealing with a buyer and head buyer at a distributorship, you might call the owner of the distributorship and say, "Your people were playing Good Guy/Bad Guy with me. You don't approve of that kind of thing, do you?" (Always be cautious about going over someone's head. The strategy can easily backfire because of the bad feelings it can cause.) Sometimes just letting the bad guy talk resolves the problem, especially if he's being obnoxious. Eventually his own people will get tired of hearing it and tell him to knock it off. You can counter Good Guy/Bad Guy by saying to the Good Guy, "Look, I understand what you two are doing to me. From now on anything that he says, I'm going to attribute to you also." Now you have two bad guys to deal with, so it diffuses the Gambit. Sometimes just identifying them both in your own mind as bad guys will handle it, without you having to come out and accuse them. If the other side shows up with an attorney or controller who is clearly there to play bad guy, jump right in and forestall their role. Say to them, "I'm sure you're here to play bad guy, but let's not take that approach. I'm as eager to find a solution to this situation as you are, so why don't we all take a win-win approach. Fair enough?" This really takes the wind out of their sails.This Gambit is very, very effective even when everybody knows what's going on. It was how Presidents Carter and Reagan got the hostages out of Iran, wasn't it? You remember that? Carter had lost the election. He was very eager to do something about the Iranian hostage situation before he left the White House and Reagan could take credit for their release. So, he started playing Good Guy/Bad Guy with the Ayatollah. He said to him, "If I were you, I'd settle this thing with me. Don't take a chance on this new team coming into office in January. My goodness, have you taken a look at these guys? The President's a former cowboy actor. The Vice President is the former head of the C.I.A. The Secretary of State is Alexander Haig. These guys are crazier than Englishmen. There's no telling what they might do."Reagan, playing along with it, said, "Hey, if I were you, I'd settle with Carter. He's a nice guy. You're definitely not going to like what I'll have to say about it, when I get into the White House." And sure enough, we saw the hostages being released on the morning of Reagan's inauguration. Of course, the Iranians were aware of Good Guy/Bad Guy, but they didn't want to take a chance that Reagan would follow through with his threats. It demonstrated that these Gambits work even when the other side knows what you're doing.In 1994, Jimmy Carter was again called upon to play the Good Guy when he and Colen Powell went to Haiti to see if they could get General Cedras to give up power without a fight. Powell was there to impress the might of the armed forces upon Cedras. Carter was there to cozy up the dictator, even suggesting he come to Plains, Georgia, and teach a class in Sunday School when the crisis was over.KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER: People use Good Guy/Bad Guy on you much more than you might believe. Look out for it whenever you're negotiating with two or more people. It is a very effective way of putting pressure on the other person without creating confrontation. Counter it by identifying it. It's such a well-known tactic that when you catch them using it, they get embarrassed and back off. Don't be concerned that the other side knows what you're doing. Even if they do it can still be a powerful tactic. In fact, when you're Power Negotiating with someone who understands all of these Gambits, it becomes more fun. It's like playing chess with a person of equal skill rather than someone whom you can easily outsmart.Roger Dawson
Founder of the Power Negotiating Institute
800-932-9766
RogDawson@aol.com
http://www.rdawson.comRoger Dawson is the author of two of Nightingale-Conant's best selling audiocassette programs, Secrets of Power Negotiating and Secrets of Power Negotiating for Salespeople. This article is excerpted in part from Roger Dawson's new book - "Secrets of Power Negotiating", published by Career Press and on sale in bookstores everywhere for $24.99.
Category : Mesothelioma

She Said/She Said: The Real Way Women Communicate With Each Other

Author : JoAnn Hines
We all know that there is a distinct difference between the way men and women communicate in business. But what about woman to woman communication? Who talks about the way women deal with each other in their communications? It's not all that pretty and proper like some would have you believe.I'm always astounded when I read a feel good article that talks about women dealing with other women. You know all about the mysterious women who have never had a problem, exchanged a cross word or damaged a relationship. Where do these women live? In La La Land.I have worked almost exclusively with women for 10 years and have encountered almost every conceivable behavior both good and bad. I am bombarded with calls and emails every day that run the gamut. The repeating links that stand out are the lack of professionalism, support and empathy that is evoked from women.The simple truth is that women's dealing with other women is a very complex connection. Many factors influence our communication style some of which have been inbred from when we were small children. We can't change those influences now but we can pattern ourselves to think before we speak and work within the boundaries of shared experiences.Think of your communication in terms of the roles you play in your relationships: businesswoman, confidant, wife, mother, friend, sister, boss, associate, colleague and so on. Each character requires a different persona and different style of communication. Be prepared to support that part in your communication style. Speaking gives you more ways to legitimize your communication context. If you are verbally communicating face to face, body language, inflection, eye contact and (most important) overall appearance can sway the recipient before you even open your mouth.Let's start by talking about how women communicate. In our time crunched, stressed-out over-committed lives we rarely communicate in a proactive way. When we reach out to other women, it's usually because we need something (not because we are staying in touch). Establishing a bond before you actually need something will greatly increase your chance of positive communication. One method I find highly successful is staying in touch through a weekly ezine that I write and distribute. The ezine includes helpful tips and information. When I send it, I'm not asking for anything. I'm working toward building a rapport and establishing a familiarity. The truth is that this will be to my benefit at the time when I might need assistance. Whether the recipient reads my column or not, they get a weekly communiqué that builds brand awareness of who I am and what I stand for. One sure way to build an affiliation that is not based on need is to send a person a note commenting on a job well done, an award, a promotion or other newsworthy event in their life. People love to be flattered and even the most hardened profession likes to be told she is making a difference.Along the same lines of selfish communication comes from women who want to do business with you. In my case, it's women who want to do business with me expect me to do all the work. They go to my website and find out all about me and become a star catcher. Well, this is annoying to me. The fact is that when doing business you have to be prepared to hold up your end. Get to the point immediately. Tell the receiver who you are and what you can do for them – not what you expect them to do for you. Keep your communication benefits driven. Don't go in blind. The entire time you are communicating with someone in business, they are thinking WIIFM (what's in it for me).On this front, a reactive common communication issue is our response when we hear from someone out of the blue who wants a favor. We know that they came out of no where and want something, but will never return the favor. Forget all that hocus pocus about good deeds being returned. The plain and simple truth is that it doesn't work and that serves to build hidden resentment. If someone asks a favor and you expect it to be returned, then communicate the trade up front. Call it reciprocity or whatever you like. Just make sure the person understands the handshaking going into the bargain.Email communication is doubly hard because we all carry the baggage of preconceived notions about a person's message. This is the case even when we have never met them! We are judged by the written language used to communicate. Spend time carefully crafting your written communications. Would you be offended if some one wrote the same thing to you? Is there something you would read into the message? We have become notoriously lax in business etiquette in our email correspondence because it's so easy to use. Before you hit that send button, think about what you are writing and how you are communicating it.One of the most common written communication errors is to either misspell or get someone's name wrong. For example, we may use Katherine instead of Catherine or Kathleen instead of Caitlyn. For some unknown reason women freak out over this misstep. Some of the nastiest messages I ever received resulted from making this type of simple error. If this happens to you, apologize and move on. If this mistake has soured the relationship, accept that nothing will salvage it.What about our covert communication techniques? During my sales days in calling on women in a decision making role, I constantly ran into a brick wall with the gate keeper. Have you encountered this gate keeper? It is like Cerberus guarding the inner sanctum. How frustrating is that when you know you have something of value to offer? Seriously, we have all had the experience of trying to soothe or nurture that bull dog guarding their master. And worst of all is the abrupt, abrasive, antagonistic women that let's our male counterpart waltz though the door.How do you overcome the sentinel posted between you and your mark? Simply put, you have to cultivate the gatekeeper before you can engage in any meaningful dialogue. Why is this person so suspicious and wary of your intentions anyway? It is important to remember she is protecting her turf. Her role is to keep out unwanted persons from making it to the next level. Why does she consider you unworthy? She considers you insignificant; after all you are just another woman. How could you possible be anyone of import?Let's explore this mindset. Have you ever found yourself in a predominately male crowd with a few women sprinkled throughout? Did you find yourself gravitating toward the men and ignoring the women? I have done that. Why with my vast experience am I engaging in this behavior? I've been conditioned. We all have! With so few business women in the male dominated business environment, I am forced to make snap decisions about the women in the room. Why are they there? Are they any help? What is their purpose? Given that they are a woman too; can they be of any significance? Did I scrutinize their appearance? You bet. I checked her out down to the last detail. Interesting analysis, huh? That's what the gate keeper is thinking about you!One unfortunate communication characteristic most of us have encountered from another woman is the one who delivers as the ugly green-eyed monster: jealously. Consciously or unconsciously we evaluate and compare our successes or failures with others in our circle of acquaintances or even high profile women whole accomplishments we can never hope to replicate. Making these assessments puts a slant on our communication style. If someone is more successful r has a higher profile, we automatically assume the worst. Our suspicious minds want to know how she got there. We think she must be sleeping with the boss, have the goods on someone in the company or is the "token" women (not to worry you are not alone men have these same thoughts too). Get over yourself! She won!! Maybe you can't control the emotion but you can keep from interjecting the thoughts into the tenor of your conversation. Think before you speak. Dispel any preconceived notions about the person you are speaking to which might distort the message you are conveying. Engage some benign small talk while you marshal your thoughts. Put yourselves on equal footing. It's an old saying, but it resounds with truth: She puts her pants on one leg at a time just like you do.Moving on, what about the convenient non-communicator? Have you ever had an associate who worked her way to the top of the company only to disassociate herself with those at a lower level? I know such a person. She went so far as to say to me, "I don't have time to associate with any one not at my level on the food chain." I've known this person a long time and until this she was just a regular "gal." This phenomenon is much more prevalent than you think. Psychologists named it "drawbridge syndrome." You bring up the bridge behind you as you cross it and advance up the corporate ladder. Don't let this happen to you. Remember where you came from. Be true to yourself and those who support you. Treat all women with equal respect no matter how high you climb on the ladder to success.A glaring problem with women's communication is that on the receiving end, we take everything personally. Whether it's an unfavorable reply, a statement about a situation, or an issue to be resolved many women take it as a personal affront. Wrong! What is happening is business. It may be good business practice and has nothing to do with you personally.Here are some successful methods to open a door for a long-lived relationship.• Get a referral from someone who already knows you or is working with the person you are trying to foster. Communication by word of mouth is a strong influencing factor among women. A referral gives you instant credibility.• Ask for assistance or help with a project. Depending upon the type of appeal you make will influence your success rate. Make your request short and sweet with clear cut benefits to them with solid results. "You will get X for your help."• Use humor. It lightens the moment and softens the situation. This works well when you have committed a faux pas.• Make a clever, interesting, or powerful statement. Remember women are busy and multitasking. Capture their attention with an important message.• When you receive or experience an unsavory communiqué, let it rest before you respond. Women are notorious to come back with clever repartee.On occasion, even the great communicator still won't get it with another woman. I recently sent a message to my readers that was quite funny. 95% of the people thought it so and replied with that thought in mind. The other 5% let me know that they thought the message abrasive, arrogant and condescending. The fact is that you are never going to please ever woman you interact with. There are some women you will never "connect with" despite your best effort. My advice? Move on to the next relationship and put the unsuccessful one on the back burner. Don't destroy it with a nasty, condescending (responsive) rebuttal.Above all think before you communicate with another woman. Run the sound byte through your head before you open your mouth. How does it sound to you? Would you be offended or antagonized if someone said the same to you? Is your connection on a deeper level? Do you clearly state a benefit? Remember it's not always what you communicate, but the method and manner in which you communicate it.Discover the easy way to make yourself stand out from others. How to become an expert in your field; How to write a better resume; How to write a personal press release; How to accomplish things no one else is doing and to get people to think about you in ways they have not thought before and much more including critical checklists for those important business meetings.This indispensable workbook will show you specific ways to accomplish your personal branding goals and launch your career into the stratosphere. We have done all the work for you with guidelines, cheat sheets and easy-to-use templates to customize for your own use.So don't put off building your brand any longer. Don't wait till your associates get your promotion or raise or even a better job.Order Packaging Yourself now @ http://www.packaginguniversity.com/pkgustorefront.htmIf you find that the strategies and tactics in these materials don't work for you or in your business, we don't feel like we should keep your money. We want you to try them for 30 days with zero risk.
Category : Business:Workplace-Communication

The Entrepreneur Test

Author : Kim Haas
Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? This article could help you decide if you're ready to take the leap into the world of business ownership.Being an entrepreneur is more than just having a lot of ideas or a keen business sense. It is also about drive, determination, ambition and guts. You must have self confidence and an all consuming desire to succeed against all odds. You MUST want to work hard to develop a business and have the drive to work it until it begins to take off. Then, you must constantly nurture and promote it.If you do not enjoy your business and the product you will offer, I mean absolutely LOVE it, you are probably going to fail. I say this because starting a business takes determination. More determination than anything else. You must have a burning desire to succeed and make the business work no matter what might come along. You will face stumbling blocks, family and friends will tell you it won't work and that you are doomed to failure, but don't let someone else's negativity get in your way. Surround yourself with positive people who will support you in your efforts.Some questions to ask yourself before you start a business are:1. Do I have a strong desire to be my own boss?
2. Am I able to be the master of my own financial destiny?
3. Do I have significant specialized business ability based on education and experience?
4. Do I have an ability to conceptualize the whole of a business; not just the individual parts, but how they relate to each other?
5. Do I have a sense of what is "right" for a business and have the courage to pursue it?
6. Am I able to take calculated risks?
7. Am I able and willing to work long hours to make a business succeed?While not every entrepreneur can answer Yes to all these questions, answering no to three or four of the questions should be sufficient reason to reconsider starting a business on your own.If you scored well on the questions above, don't go out and quit your job just yet. You still need to make sure your family is fed and your financial obligations are met. It's great if you look forward to the day you will succeed in your own business venture, but to begin, just take tiny baby steps. Once your business has a strong foothold and begins to show an income, that is when you can reduce your hours and work part time. Once your business starts generating an income substantial enough to support you and your family, you will be on your way to financial freedom.Building a business is not an easy task and it doesn't just happen because you slap together a web page with a few products or affiliate links on it. If you have the right mindset, you will find it a most enjoyable and rewarding experience.Kim Haas is a WAHM and Founder of Womans-Net.com, a popular online networking community focusing on working from home and women in business. To learn more about Kim, visit http://kimberlyhaas.com

Copyright 2005
Category : Mobile Phones

Barclays Stockbrokers goes green with launch of new alternative energy investment note

Author : PR Sending

_date">January 31st, 2007

How To Appeal To Different Personalities

Author : Ayat Shukairy

IntroductionWe all think differently. We read different books, listen to different music, and have different opinions on things.Yet with our websites, we often develop the voice, copy, and style with what we want and how we do things. What about the customer? Chances are, the customer won?t feel and do things the same way you do. The site must be client-centric and visitor-focused.Keep the customer in mind and construct a website that leads the customer to buy your product or service. Your copy and design will grab the attention of the right visitors and get them to act.So, when the customer hits your site with the obvious question of ?what?s in it for me?? You?ll grab their attention if you?ve constructed a website that considers their wants and speaks in their voice. You?ve got to know what the customer wants to hear, and how they need to hear it to make the sale.?But?, you say, ?I?m me. How can I write copy or talk in a way which appeals to another person voice and style?? The answer is to understand your customer and speak to them personally. It can be a little like dealing with Jekyll and Hyde, but once you?ve get the knack of it you?ll find that split personalities are easier to handle than you think!Personality typesTake the following different personality types:An easy going likes a personal approach. They will ask the question ?Why is your product the best?? To satisfy the easy going person, provide reassurance and opinions. These personalities are humanistic in nature so testimonials and such appeal to them and may help them move through the conversion process.An analytical person is all business and detail oriented. They are disciplined, and will ask you ?How does your product differ from others?? For analytical people, provide evidence. A simple paragraph explaining your products will not suffice, you need to give this personality type in-depth information about your process, details about your products/services, etc.A spontaneous person likes brief, to-the-point answers! The expressive person will ask ?What are the benefits and how can this (product/service) help me?? For this person, you need to display the points, give them the reason to buy your products or services, and help them convert right away by placing call to actions throughout your copy.An assertive person is powerful and strategic. They will want to know ?What can your product do for me and why is it the best?? This personality is competitive in nature and always wants the best, wants to know why it?s the best, and wants to see the advantages of your service/product over the rest. For this include person comparisons, assurances, and satisfaction guarantees.The method?You mean I have to write different copy to suit all these different personalities?? Don?t panic, not at all. With careful thought, you can combine the approaches and come away with something for everyone. Take a look.?At INVESP, our approach is customized to meet your objectives and concerns. Your results are guaranteed. Explore our methodology to discover how hundreds of clients have been satisfied. Our solutions include:?Traffic builder designed to drive more online visitors to yoru site.?Optimized conversion solution designed to lead users through the conversion process.?Community builder designed to keep your traffic coming back to your site for more.?Different types of people will all find something here they like.?Easy going, humanistic personalities will identify with the ?hundreds of clients?.?Those that are analytical will identify with ?methodology? and most likely click on that link.?The spontaneous will explore like the list of solutions and their immediate benefits.?Assertive/competitive people will like the ?guaranteed results? and satisfaction guaranteed.Something for everyone, pretty easy concept. However, before imploring this technique, you must identify who your clients are. The majority of your clients may be analytical and spontaneous in nature, so you would have to try to appeal to them mostly. Identify with your customer and they are more likely to complete the sale, so start appealing to their personal side. Remember, the site must be constructed for them, not you. About The AuthorAyat Shukairy leads the creative team at http://invesp.com INVESP consulting. She works closely with clients to drive traffic to their sites, http://invesp.com/cs increase website conversion rates, and establish customer loyalty.

Category : Marketing

Computer Cables

Author : Elizabeth Morgan
Computer cables can be data cables used to move data between various components such as keyboard, CPU, monitor, printer, scanner and other multimedia systems. These cables enable high-speed data transfers within the input and output components of the computer.A computer uses different kinds of cable to operate. It needs an AC power cable, a high-speed serial bus connector, an USB cable, a digital video cable, and a modem connector cable. A new PC comes packed with all these cables. These cables are also sold as a single commodity and are readily available in the market.All types of cables used in a computer have different purposes. The ac power cable is just an insulated conductor and gives power to the PC. The high-speed serial bus connector is a data cable used to transfer bits and bytes from the input devices to the output devices. USB cables are used to transfer data from other sources such as digital cameras, video recorders, mobile phones, mp3 devices etc. the digital video cable is used to transfer high resolution video contents from the computer to a TV. Modem connector cables are used to link the PC with Internet service providers for accessing the Web.Earlier computer cables had far less speed and connectivity. With improvements in technology, the quality of cables has improved. Still all these cables occupy a lot of space and need to be replaced when needed. Accessories such as cables are expensive and should be maintained properly.Computer cables are an important component of any desktop PC. The boom in Internet technology has increased the demand for PCs and in turn, the demand for cables. However, an increasing number of people today have started using laptops and mobile phones to access the Internet. These devices need fewer cables. The popularity of these devices is growing, as they are more handy and manageable.Cables provides detailed information on Network Cables, Cables, Computer Cables, USB Cables and more. Cables is affiliated with Cable Modem Reviews.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:Hardware

Chinese good luck symbols - part 1, Power of Chinese dragons

Author : Keiko Entwistle

Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon is the symbol of protection and success. It is regard>Download as Text |