1．创业者要有成功的欲望

　　成功的开始不过就是一个追求成功的强烈想法，这是奋斗拼搏的动力，没有破釜沉舟不留后路的意识不可能挖掘出自己的潜能。

　　2．与志同道合者做朋友

　　面对困难和超出自己能力的事，需要有智囊团的指引或朋友的支持，否则会处处碰壁，贻误商机。得到成功人士的指引会少走弯路，有时候仅仅有一句鼓励的话也相当受益。

　　3．要遵循客观规律

　　有许多人相信运气，把一切不顺看成是运气不好。其实，好运气是自己努力的结果。处理问题时要事实求是，多一些理性少一些感性的判断，因为真理是事实规律的总结。

　　4．要养成好习惯

　　一个好习惯能成就一个人的事业。注意自己的举止并逐步养成好习惯，这会对生活工作带来意外的帮助。

　　5．设立目标并列出计划

　　自己的目标要作为自己的誓言来对待，应养成按自己的承诺完成任务的习惯，这一点非常重要。为实现目标作出计划，这样可以更有效地工作，能清晰知道工作进度，使目标更明确。

　　6．不要过多依赖于经验

　　很多时候经验是靠不住的。在今天这个变化多端的世界，作决策或是对市场进行分析的时候，仅靠过去的经验是十分危险的。有时候过去的失败或者成功的经验会按思想的惯性把自己带向泥潭。

　　7．讲诚信是创业者立足之本

　　作为一种特殊的资本形态，诚信日益成为企业的立足之本。创业者的品质决定着企业的市场声誉和发展空间，不守诚信或许可赢一时之利，必然失长久之利。反之，则能以良好口碑带来滚滚财源，使创业渐入佳境。

　　8．创业者要有坚定意志

　　对创业者来说，坚定的信心和毅力就是创业的原动力。要对自己有信心，对未来有信心，特别是遭遇坎坷和困难的时候，要坚信自己能战胜一切困难。想出办法要立即行动，不要停留在遐想、憧憬和顾虑之中。

　　9．短暂失败是巨大的财富

　　失败的结果或许令人难堪，却是取之不尽的活教材，每次失败都是缔造下一次成功的宝贵经验。创业的过程就是在失败中摸爬滚打，只有在失败中不断积累经验、不断前行，才有可能到达成功彼岸。

　　10．良好的交际能力是创业成功的加速器

　　如今是一个提倡合作双赢的时代，单枪匹马的创业方式已越来越不适应时代要求。扩大社交圈，通过朋友掌握更多信息、寻求更大发展，日益成为成功创业的捷径。

　　11．创新思维是创业成功的翅膀

　　在竞争激烈的市场中，缺乏创新的企业很难站稳脚跟，改革和创新永远是企业活力与竞争力的源泉。一些细小的改变也许会成为企业的出路或产品的卖点。

据国家统计局调查资料显示，我国目前正进入新的婚育高峰期，全国每年有超过1000万对新人结婚。粗略计算，全国每年婚庆产生的消费总额擦超过3000亿元，全国每对新人的加权平均消费金额达到12.58万元，同时，未来5年中国婚庆消费额将在此基础上还要再翻一番。因此婚庆市场被业内人士称为“甜蜜金矿”。 婚庆行业是一个新兴的行业，蕴藏着巨大商机。目前在各行业中逐渐走俏，受到社会各界的青睐，是一项朝阳产业。婚礼是人生中最重要的一件事情，每一对新人都想让自己的婚礼浪漫而独具特色。时尚，有品位，文化性强，个性化定制婚礼是每一对新人的追求，婚庆公司满足新人的需求成为制胜法宝。

　　你也可以在婚庆行业当中的一个环节上做文章。例如，你只负责婚礼现场布置或者婚车装饰，婚庆用品的买卖也是十分巨大的市场，总之，只要你能想到新人的需求，你就能抢占商机。

模仿并超越

坐在办公室里，重复着千篇一律的工作，发邮件，收邮件……很多人干了几个月却没有订单，甚至一点头绪都没有。相信多数的业务员都经历过这样的情况。本人在工厂时也有过这样的迷茫，来到贸易公司，才知道，原来的客户开发很没有目的性，即，根本没抓重点客户，而是泛泛的联系，自然很难有成果。做业务，在开始向新客人发邮件前，一定要确认你的邮件对客人是有价值的。例如，如果你是做廉价小礼品的，又想开发美国市场，你就要知道目标客人是wal-mart,dollartree,dollargeneral.……做文具的就要知道目标客人是 officemax,officedepot……做家电的就要知道circuitci[ty,radioshack,staples……这些客人只要攻下一家，业务量就够老板笑几个月了。

作为一个生意人，要想别人知道你，你最好先知道别人。如何去认识更多的公司呢？方法有二：首先你必须购买当年的企业名录电话簿；其次是大量收集阅读别人在电视、报刊上刊登的广告，就是走在大街上，你也要做个有心人，留心路牌广告，看人家的广告伞，穿的广告衫。通过对这些广告进行筛选，抄下你认为有用的地址、电话号码、传真号及网址。然后根据这些资料逐个邮寄资料，打电话、发传真或电子邮件甚至亲自上门介绍你的公司或你所经营的商品。不用着急，每天只需要发出去10来份就行，一个月就是300份，这些就是你的潜在客户，就算只有20的成功率，一年下来也有600多个客户。 

这就是关键。人们习惯从认识的人那里买东西。你也许不爱听但这是事实。基本上，只要你目标客户有熟人好像听说过你，就足够让他们来听听你的说法了。

至关重要的建议：服务到位。如果你没法让客户高兴，那么这一切都没谱。

要提高讲话和写作水平。你的沟通能力是人们评价你这个人时最重要的看点之一.

别把专业沟通理解成堆砌华丽辞藻和长句。如果你能够言简意赅，你的话被听进去的几率更大。

小结

如果你是无名小辈，请不计报酬

大伙儿都是看人买菜，所以热情点博学点

去接触每一个点头之交

为巨头做笔小生意，你就有了安生立命的支柱

跟大公司打交道口碑会传得更快些

注意形象，更重要的是，书写专业、讲话专业

别幻想 SEO、广告和名车名表能帮你搞定销售合同

What’s Next for Native Advertising?

• Video: Video is the most promising asset for scalable native advertising. Brands and agencies are doubling down on video production, beyond traditional 15-30 second ads. WPP’s (the largest ad agency holding company in the world) recent investment in Vice and commitment brand content production and native video advertising pours yet more fuel on the fire of branded video content.
• Standards and metrics: A new category of advertising requires new pricing models and new metrics for success. The IAB has not yet set standards for native ad formats, but with the pressure of billions of dollars of shifting ad spend, they’ll most likely chime in. Keep an eye on this conversation.
• Scale: Scalable buying platforms will accelerate the shift in advertisers’ ability buy native ads across multiple platforms, starting first with “social DSP’s” built on top of Facebook, then Twitter, StumbleUpon, Linkedin, Zynga, and beyond.
• Product innovation: Breakthroughs in design and interactive features will bring native advertising to new levels. Facebook’s new in-feed “offers,” Sharethrough’s native promoted videos, and LinkedIn’s personalized recruiting ads all hint at the future for native ad placements.
• Closed platform adoption: Keep an eye out for platforms like Pinterest launching Promoted Pins, Google Plus launching promoted discovery ads, and Instagram/Facebook mobile to introduce new native ad strategies to the market.
• Open platform adoption: As open platforms like WordPress, Forbes, New York Times, and beyond begin to adopt native advertising, it will create further opportunity for marketers to distribute brand content at scale.

 “勤敬”二字，是成为大商人的立业之本。“勤”是勤动手，勤动脑；“敬”是敬业，敬人。只要把牢“勤敬”二字，一生不愁没机会，无论起点多么低，也能出人头地。

    香港“珠宝大王”郑裕彤，出生在一个农民家庭，自幼家境贫寒，15岁时即中断学业，到香港“周大福珠宝行”当学徒。临行前，母亲叮嘱他：干活勤快，遵守规矩，多动手，少动口。郑裕彤牢记母亲的教诲，干活勤快又机灵。他处处留意，向老板和同事学习做生意的经验，还利用业余时间去观察别的商店如何做生意。

    一次，他去一家珠宝店观察人家做生意的方法，不料回来时遇上堵车，迟到了。周老板发觉后，问他何故迟到。他便据实相告。老板不相信一个小学徒竟如此敬业，就问：“你说说，你看出了什么名堂？”

    郑裕彤不慌不忙地说：“我看人家做生意，比我们要精明。客人只要一进店，伙计们总是笑脸相迎，有问必答。无论生意大小，一概客客气气；就是只看不买，也笑迎笑送。我觉得，这种待客的礼貌周到是最值得我们学习的。还有，店铺的门面也一定要装饰得像模像样，与贵重的珠宝相配。我看人家把钻石放在紫色的丝绒布上，光亮动人，让人看起来格外动心……”〕

    郑裕彤侃侃而谈，周老板暗暗动心。他预感此予必成大器，有意培养他。郑裕彤成年后，周老板还将女儿嫁给他，后来干脆将生意全交给他打理。

    郑裕彤不是无义这人，他暗下决心，一定要把生意做好，报答岳父的知遇之恩。在他的苦心经营下，“周大福珠宝行”发展成为香港最大的珠宝公司，每年进口的钻石数占全香港的30％。后来，郑裕彤又投资房地产业，成为香港几大房地产大亨之一。后来，有人问郑裕彤为什么取得如此成功？他说出了自己的秘诀：“守信用，重诺言，做事勤恳，处事谨慎，饮水思源，不应见利忘义。”

    有些人将“勤敬”二字作为一种谋事手段，他们在“需要”的时候才会表现得格外“勤敬”，如果“不需要”，他们宁可选择懒惰不负责任。但是，“勤敬”应该是一种基本素质，不因环境与情势而改变。所谓“厚德载物”，无此二字，则根基浅薄，难以善始善终。有此二字，则根基深厚，立业而不倒，即使一开始能力稍欠，迟早必达到一流水准；即使一开始起点甚低，迟早必有步步登高的机会。

    吉米是某娱乐公司属下一家电影院的小职员，电影院经理是公司老板的儿子，对工作的兴趣远没有对女人的兴趣大，在生意方面甚少用心，每天不到十点半是不会来上班的。经理天天迟到，他手下的人也觉得按时上班是一件很愚蠢的事，一般要过了十点钟才跚跚而来。

    吉米知道，照这样做生意，迟早会倒闭的。可他人微言贱，也没有办法。但是，他不愿像别人一样，马马虎虎对付工作。他想：既然我按每天八小时拿工资，就要干八小时工作。不管别人如何，他天天按时上班，从不迟到。没有事情干，他就将电影院打扫一下，然后看看经营管理方面的书籍，钻研生意之道。

    有一天，老板来电影院视察。他知道这里经常不善，想弄清原因，来之前没有通知任何人。这时已到了八点半钟，整个电影院只有吉米一个人在打扫，显得非常冷寂。

    老板走过去，问吉米：“年轻人，你是这里的清洁工吗？”

    吉米认识老板，诚惶诚恐地说：“不，先生，我是放映员。”

    “那你为什么在打扫呢？”

    “我做好了放映准备，但没到放映时间。所以我顺便打扫一下，让观众感觉舒适一点。”吉米老老实实地回答。

    老板又问了一些有关电影院经营的问题，吉米尽自己所知，谈了一些见解。当经理和其他管理人员都来上班后，老板召开了一个会议。他指着吉米说：“从今天起，这位年轻人就是你们的经理。”他对那些管理人员说：“至于你们，吉米会告诉你们是否适合在这里工作。”

    吉米成为经理后，对工作认真负责，他手下的人都不敢马虎，电影院的生意渐渐红火起来。后来，吉米成了总公司的高层领导。

    在生活中，我们可以发现，处于同一起跑线上的一群人，最后能成大器者，必是“勤敬”之人。世上任何成果都要靠劳动创造，得一“勤”字，可保衣食无忧；凡事敬则诚，诚则专，专则精。对人诚敬，则关系畅通，机会多多；对事业诚敬，则孜孜以求，必居上流。

1) import raw file
2) select the pic>click on create virtual copy (x2)
3) select 1 "virtual copy", click on increase 1 stop exposure, another "virtual copy" for decrease 1 stop exposure
4) select all three pic, right click export> photomatrix pro
5) click ok in photomatrix pro

now you can adjust in photomatrix pro if wanted.

Some of the most important elements used in promotion are as follows : advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and public relation!

The promotion element of marketing mix is concerned with activities that are undertaken to communicate with customers and distribution channels to enhance the sales of the firm.

The promotional communication aims at informing and persuading the customer to buy the product and informing him about the merits of the products.

Promotion mix:

It refers to all the decisions related to promotion of sales of products and services. The important decisions of promotion mix are selecting advertising media, selecting promotional techniques, using publicity measures and public relations etc.

There are various tools and elements available for promotion. These are adopted by firms to carry on its promotional activities. The marketer generally chooses a combination of these promotional tools.

Following are the tools or elements of promotion. They are also called elements of promotion mix:

1. Advertising

2. Sales promotion

3. Personal selling

4. Public relation

1. Advertising:

Advertisement can be defined as the “paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of idea, goods or services by an identified sponsor”.

It is an impersonal presentation where a standard or common message regarding the merits, price and availability of product or service is given by the producer or marketer. The advertisement builds pull effect as advertising tries to pull the product by directly appealing to customer to buy it.

From the above definition we can find that the three distinct features of advertising are:

1. Paid Form:

The sponsor has to pay for advertising he has to bear a cost to communicate with customers.

2. Impersonality:

There is no face to face contact between customers and advertiser. It creates a monologue and not a dialogue.

3. Identified Sponsor:

Advertisement is given by an identified company or firm or individual.

Features of Advertising and Advantages/Merits of Advertisement:

(i) Reach:

Advertising can reach a large market. As through various media of advertising there is benefit of mass reach for example, any message given on All India Radio or TV can reach in different corners of the country wherever TV and Radio network is available.

(ii) Choice:

There is wide variety of media available for advertising for video, audio, visual audio, print media etc. Under each category large variety is available for example, in print media we can select from magazines, newspaper, banner etc. This variety or choice helps the marketer to select the media, keeping in mind the target customer.

(iii) Legitimacy:

In advertisement the messages regarding the product or service are given publicly to customers so there is always a proof for it and customers believe that publicly the company will not give false information of the product. The customer feels comfortable to buy a product which is widely advertised.

(iv) Expressiveness:

Advertising provides enough opportunities to marketers to dramatize the message with the help of drawings, colours, pictures, music, dance
etc. They can easily express the use of product through various techniques, and can add multimedia effect also.

(v) Economy:

It is always felt that advertising increases the cost of product or service but advertising is considered economical as compared to other promotional techniques because it reaches masses and if we calculate cost per customer it is very low or nominal.

(vi) Enhancing Customer Satisfaction and Confidence:

Customer feel more assured about quality and feel more comfortable if sponsors claim these benefits in advertising.

Disadvantages of Advertising:

(i) It is an Impersonal Communication/Less Forceful:

In advertising there is no direct communication between the customer and marketer. The marketer assumes that the message is communicated but the audience or customers do not pay any attention to impersonal messages conveyed through advertising. The response of customer cannot be known in advertising.

(ii) Advertising is less effective:

In advertising there is only one way communication i. e., communication from seller only, but two way communication is always more effective as in two way communication the customer gets chance to clarify his or her queries. Sometimes customers have many doubts regarding the use of product, these doubts can be clarified only when there is two way communication.

(iii) Difficulty in Media Choice:

In advertising various media are available. Each media have its own advantages and disadvantages. So the effectiveness of advertisement depends to a great extent on the right choice of media. When choice of media is faulty or wrong no matter how good the advertisement is it will not reach the target customer.

(iv) Inflexibility:

It is very difficult to change advertisement as companies use standardised messages which cannot be changed according to the need of customers.

(v) Lack of Feedback:

The evaluation of effectiveness of advertisement is very difficult as there is no immediate and accurate feedback given by the customers.

Objections to Advertising or Criticism of Advertising:

Advertising has been subject to lot of criticisms. The following are main objections raised on advertisements by a group of people. Along with objections the answers to these objections are also mentioned below:

(i) Effect of Advertising on Values, Materialism and Life Styles:

The major objection on advertisement is that it promotes materialism. The advertisements inform people about more and more products, the use of existing products and the new products are shown dramatically to attract the customers.

This knowledge about more and more products induces the customers to buy more and more products. They start demanding the products which they don’t even require. If there was no advertising we would be less aware of material things and we can be more contented.

We do not agree with this objection as it is wrong to say that a person who is least informed is most contented or satisfied. The advertisement increases the knowledge of customers by informing them about various products along with their utilities.

The advertisement only informs the customers, the final choice of buying or not, lies with the customers only.

(ii) Advertising Encourages Sale of Inferior and Dubious Products:

The advertisements show all types of products irrespective of their quality. With the help of advertising anything can be sold in the market.

The objection to sale of inferior goods is not correct because what is inferior and what is superior depends upon the economic status and preference. Every one cannot afford to buy superior quality expensive products but it does not mean they should not use the product.

The lower income group people satisfy their needs with low cost inferior goods for example; those who cannot afford to buy shoes of Nike or Reebok have to satisfy with local brand only. So it is not advertisements which encourage sale of inferior goods; it is one’s pocket or financial capacity which decides this.

The real criticism of advertisement is that it encourages sale of duplicate products. Some producers exaggerate the use of products and innocent consumers get trapped in and buy duplicate products.

(iii) Advertising Confuses Rather than Helps:

The number of advertisements shown in TV and Radio are increasing day by day for example, if we take TV, there are so many advertisements of different companies shown such as LG, Onida, Sony, BPL, Samsung, Videocon etc. each brand claiming they are the best. These claims by different companies confuse the customer and it becomes very difficult for him to make choice.

We do not agree with this objection because advertisements give wide choice to customers and today’s customer is smart enough to know and select the most suitable brand for him.

(iv) Some Advertisements are in Bad Taste:

Another objection to advertisements is that advertisements use bad language, the way they are speaking may not appeal everyone, sometimes women are shown in the advertisements where they are not required for example, a woman in after shave lotion and in advertisements of suiting etc. Some advertisements distort relationship between employer-employee, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law etc. for example, in advertisement of Band Aid, Detergent Bar, Fevistick, etc.

Although those types of advertisements should be avoided but it can’t be an objection because good or bad taste differs from person to person. It is a matter of personal opinion as to what was not accepted by yesterday’s generation is accepted by today’s generation and they may not find it of bad taste.

(v) Advertisement Costs are passed on to the Customers in the Form of Higher Price:

The most serious objection to advertisement is that it increases the price of product because the firms spend a huge amount on advertisement and these expenses are added to cost and consumer has to pay a higher price for the product or service.

This objection is also not correct because with advertisements the demand for product increases which brings increase in sale and this leads to increase in production. With increase in production the companies can get the economies of scale which reduces the cost of production and thus the increase in cost due to expenses on advertisements gets compensated. So if advertisement is used properly it brings reduction in cost the in long run.

2. Sales Promotion:

Sales promotion refers to short term use of incentives or other promotional activities that stimulate the customer to buy the product. Sales promotion techniques are very useful because they bring:

(a) Short and immediate effect on sale.

(b) Stock clearance is possible with sales promotion.

(c) Sales promotion techniques induce customers as well as distribution channels.

(d) Sales promotion techniques help to win over the competitor.

Sales Promotion Techniques for Customers:

Some of the sales promotion activities commonly used by the marketer to increase the sale are:

(i) Rebate:

It refers to selling product at a special price which is less than the original price for a limited period of time. This offer is given to clear off the stock or excessive inventory for example; coke announced 2 liter bottles at Rs 35 only.

(ii) Discounts:

This refers to reduction of certain percentage of price from list price for a limited period of time. The discounts induce the customers to buy and to buy more. Generally at the end of season big companies offer their products at discounted price to clear off the stock e.g., season’s sale at Snow-White Jain Sons, Paul Garments, Bhuvan Garments, etc.

(iii) Refunds:

This refers to refund or part of price paid by customer on presenting the proof of purchase for example, Rs 2 off on presentation of empty pack of Ruffle Lays.

(iv) Premiums or Gifts/or Product Combination:

These are most popular and commonly used promotion tool. It refers to giving a free gift on purchase of the product. Generally the free gift is related to product but it is not necessary for example, Mug free with Bourn vita, Shaker free with Coffee, Toothbrush free with Toothpaste, etc.

(v) Quantity Deals:

It refers to offer of extra quantity in a special package at less price or on extra purchase some quantity free for example, buy three get one free e.g., this scheme of buy three get one free scheme is available on soaps.

(vi) Samples:

It refers to distribution of free samples of product to the customers. These are distributed when the seller wants the customer must try the product. Generally when a new product is launched for example, when Hindustan Level launched Surf Excel it distributed the samples as it wanted the customers to try it.

(vii) Contests:

It refers to participation of consumers in competitive events organised by the firm and winners are given some reward for example, Camlin Company organizes painting competition, Bourn vita quiz contest and some companies organise contest of writing slogans and best slogan is awarded prize.

(viii) Instant Draws and Assigned Gifts:

It includes the offers like ‘scratch a card’ and win instantly a refrigerator, car, T-shirt, computer etc.

(ix) Lucky Draw:

In this draws are taken out by including the bill number or names of customers who have purchased the goods and lucky winner gets free car, computer, A.C., T.V., etc. Draw can be taken out daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

(x) Usable Benefits:

This includes offers like ‘Purchase goods worth Rs 5000 and get a holiday package’ or get a discount voucher, etc.

(xi) Full Finance @ 0%:

Many marketers offer 0% interest on financing of consumer durable goods like washing machine, T.V. etc. e.g., 24 easy installments 6 paid as front payment and remaining 18 with post-dated cheques. In these types of scheme customers should be careful about the file charges etc.

(xii) Packaged Premium:

In this type of sales promotion the free gift is kept inside the pack. The gift is kept in limited products but the excitement of getting the gift induces the customer to buy the product for example, gold pendant in soap, gold coin in Tata tea etc.

(xiii) Container Premium:

This refers to use of special container or boxes to pack the products which could be reused by the customer for example, Pet Bottles for Cold Drinks. This bottles can be used for Steering Water, Plastic Jars for Bourn vita, Maltova, etc. which can be reused by the housewives in kitchen.

Merits of Sales Promotion:

1. Attention Value:

The incentives offered in sales promotion attract attention of the people.

2. Useful in New Product Launch:

The sales promotion techniques are very helpful in introducing the new product as it induces people to try new products as they are available at low price or sometimes as free sample.

3. Synergy in Total Promotion Efforts:

Sales promotion activities supplement advertising and personal selling efforts of the company. Sales promotion adds to the effectiveness of advertisement efforts.

4. Aid to other Promotion Tools:

Sales promotion technique makes other promotion techniques more effective. Salesmen find it easy to sell products on which incentives are available.

Demerits of Sales Promotion:

1. Reflect Crisis:

If firm is offering sales promotion techniques again and again it indicates that there is no demand of product which can create crisis situation.

2. Spoil Product Image:

Use of sales promotion tool may affect the image of product as buyer feel that product is of low quality that is why firm is offering incentives.

3. Personal Selling:

Personal selling means selling personally. This involves face to face interaction between seller and buyer for the purpose of sale.

The personal selling does not mean getting the prospects to desire what seller wants but the concept of personal selling is also based on customer satisfaction.

Features of Personal Selling:

(i) Personal Interaction:

In personal selling the buyers and sellers have face to face interaction. This closeness allows both the parties to observe each other’s action closely.

(ii) Two Way Communication:

In personal selling the sellers give information about the product, at the same time the buyer get a chance to clarify his doubts. It is suitable for sale of complex products where buyer wants to interact with the manufacturer.

(iii) Better Response:

When seller is personally explaining the utilities of product to the customers then customer do pay some attention and listen to the information.

(iv) Relationship:

When the seller and buyer come together this may improve relation between the customer and seller. Salespersons normally make friendly relations with the customers.

(v) Better Convincing:

Personal selling is most effective form of promotion because with this the sales person can convince the buyer by demonstrating the use of product and making changes in the product according to the need of customer.

Qualities of a Good Salesman:

The qualities which are commonly found among effective salesman are described below:

1. Physical Qualities:

A salesman must have good health and pleasing personality. He must be well built and free from physical defects. A pleasing and charming personality boosts self-confidence. Good grooming, appropriate dress, clean and tidy appearance and a good posture will go a long way in creating a first impression. More importantly, a salesman must always have a cheerful smile on his face.

2. Social Qualities:

A salesman must have good manners, courtesy in dealing with customers. The practice of greeting and thanking customers, using polite expression are necessary for success in personal selling. He should not be shy or reserved but an extrovert and a good listener. He must have the ability to say the proper things and do the right thing without offending others.

3. Mental Qualities:

A good salesman must have a high degree of intelligence, initiative and foresight. He must be intelligent and imaginative enough to understand the customer quickly and read his mind accurately.

Salesman must have two basic qualities i.e., empathy and ego drive. Empathy means he must have ability to understand the problem from customer’s point of view. Ego drive means salesman must pursue sale not just for money but for recognition and personal success. A good salesman must have presence of mind and good common sense.

4. Technical Quality:

The salesman must have full technical knowledge about the product.

5. Other Qualities:

Other qualities, a salesman must possess, are:

(i) A salesman must have a good power of memory and observation.

(ii) A salesman must be honest and should not try to win the customer through false and misleading representation.

(iii) A salesman must be a man of sound character, loyal and dependable. He must perform his duties sincerely.

(iv) The salesman must have wide knowledge about the product he is selling and company he is representing.

(v) He must have capacity to inspire trust.

Role of Personal Selling:

Personal selling plays a very important role in marketing of goods and services. It is important tool for businessmen, customers and society.

1. Importance to Businessmen:

Personal selling is an important tool to increase the sale. It is important for businessman due to following reasons:

(i) Effective Promotion Tool:

Personal selling is an effective tool to increase the sale of product. Salesmen explain the merits of products to customers.

(ii) Flexible Tool:

Personal selling efforts can be changed according to the type of customer salesmen are attending. They may change the offer in varying purchase situations.

(iii) Minimum Wastage of Efforts:

As compared to other methods of promotion in personal selling the wastage of efforts is minimum.

(iv) Consumer Attention:

Through personal selling it is easy to get the attention of customer as there is face to face interaction between salesman and customers.

(v) Relationship:

Personal selling helps to create lasting relationship between customers and sales-persons which help in increasing sale.

(vi) Personal Support:

Through personal selling salesmen can create personal support with the customers. This can improve competitive strength of organisation.

(vii) Very Effective to Introduce New Product:

Personal selling is very effective to introduce a new product as salesman can explain the merits, show the demonstration and clarify the doubts of customers.

(iv) Importance to Customers:

Personal selling is very important from customer’s point of view, as customers can get required information about the product from customers. Customers are benefits by personal selling in the following ways:

1. Helps in Identifying Needs:

Salesmen help the customers to discover their needs and wants and they also help customers to know how these needs and wants can be satisfied.

2. Latest Market Information:

In personal selling salesmen provide information regarding the new products available in market, uses of those products etc.

3. Expert Advice:

Customers can get expert advice and guidance in purchasing various goods and services.

4. Induces Customers:

Personal selling induces customers to buy products for satisfying their needs.

(v) Importance to Society:

Personal selling brings following positive effects for society

1. Converts Latest Demand into Effective Demand:

Personal selling creates effective demand which results in increasing sale and more income. With more income there will be more products and services which in turn bring economic growth.

2. Employment Opportunities:

Unemployed youth can work as salesman and earn their livelihood.

3. Career Opportunities:

Personal selling offers attractive career with job satisfaction and security.

4. Mobility of Sales Persons:

Sales people move from one place to other, this promotes travel and tourism industry.

5. Product Standardisation:

With the help of personal selling there can be uniformity of consumption by supplying standardised products.

4. Public Relations:

Apart from four major elements of marketing mix, another important tool of marketing is maintaining Public Relations. In simple words, a public relations means maintaining public relations with public. By maintaining public relations, companies create goodwill.

Public relations evaluate public attitudes; identify the policies and procedures of an organisation with the public interest to earn public understanding and acceptance.

Public does not mean only customers, but it includes shareholders, suppliers, intermediaries, customers etc. The firm’s success and achievement depends upon the support of these parties for example, firm needs active support of middle men to survive in market, it must have good relations with existing shareholders who provide capital. The consumers’ group is the most important part of public as success of business depends upon the support and demand of customers only.

Role, Significance, advantages of public relations:

Public relations are significant in the following ways:

1. Help to convey the policies and programmes of the organisation.

2. Help to collect information about public opinion about the organisation, management activities etc.

3. To overcome the complaints and dislikes of public.

4. To mould people’s attitude in favour of organisation.

5. To maintain goodwill and understanding between organisation and public.

6. To build an image of the organisation.

Ways/Methods and Tools of Public Relations:

The companies can use the following tools to improve their relations with public:

1. News:

Sometimes companies get involved in such kind of activities or make such policies so that they get some positive coverage in news. For example, a company’s name may be covered in news for reservation of jobs for women or for introducing new technology etc.

2. Speeches:

The speeches given by the leaders of corporate sectors influence various members of public specially banks, shareholders etc. Public relations department creates occasion when the speeches are delivered by the leader of company.

3. Events:

Events refer to organizing press conferences, multimedia presentation, matches, stage shows etc.

4. Written Materials:

Sometimes written materials such as Balance Sheet, Annual Reports, Special documents, Brochures etc. are circulated to various parties to improve and maintain public image of the company.

5. Public Service Activities:

Big business houses often associate themselves with various social service projects such as women welfare programmes, charity shows, up-keeping of parks, planting trees on road side, training schools, running schools, colleges, hospitals etc.

In the business world, everyone should understand the five elements of a good sales technique. Why? Shoddy sales is about using fancy closing techniques and deception just to make a buck, whereas superior sales solves problems.

Quality sales is the foundation of a strong and lucrative relationship between a supplier and its customer. Inadequate sales technique is a sure ticket to a supplier closing its doors before it gets a chance to enjoy one full year in business. When everyone can identify a sales professional with a top-notch sales technique, then it is easier to weed out the scam artists and under-performers.

If you are a company owner and you cannot identify an effective sales strategy from a poor technique, then you will not be in business for very long. A second-rate sales professional can harm your company's reputation. They are the ones on the front lines representing your company and interacting in important deals with your customers.

It's important to help sales professionals understand what they are doing wrong so they can fix it. Once the errors have been repaired, then a sales professional can focus on what is working well and amplify it. 

Customers want to work with professional sales representatives, those who have determination, understanding, empathy, can solve their problems, and connect with them emotionally. These are the elements of a good sales technique. 

Determination

Sales professionals should not can confuse determination for being a pest. 

What is Pestering?

Pestering simply means that you are contacting a client constantly with no new information and without the client asking to be called back.

So if you are constantly calling a client to try and get a sale with the same information that has been rejected several times before, then you are pestering your client. If your client is in a buying mood but has not requested that you call back every day until they cut a purchase order, then you are being a pest.

If you put together a pitch and the client says no, then you did something wrong. Fix what you did wrong with new information before you call the client back. When the client expresses an interest in buying a product, then ask when you can call the client back. If the client invites you to call them back, then you are doing your job and not being a pest.

What is Determination in Sales?

Determination is the undying desire to improve your technique. It is also the strong sense of dedication you have towards supplying your clients with the right information. You should be determined to analyze your own technique constantly and make changes that will make your presentation smoother. You should constantly rewrite your elevator pitch and work on how you handle rejections. Most of a sales professional’s true determination is focused on themselves and not the customer.

The determination a sales professional shows towards a client is a strong need to supply the customer with the information they need to make a buying decision. That could mean that you have to go back and present new information to a client who has already rejected you, but that is all part of being a determined sales professional.

A quality sales professional is also determined to stay up to date on all product information and committed to learning new sales methodologies. You are intent to know everything there is to know about your product and the competitors’ products as well. Information is always the best sales tool available.

Understanding

Does your sales technique center around asking questions to find out what your customer wants, or are you the kind of sales professional who shoves information down a customer’s throat until the customer buys or runs away? There are plenty of sales professionals who believe that the customer will listen to whatever the pitch is and then buy the product based on the pitch. Those are the sales professionals who are struggling to make ends meet and keep sales jobs.

If you do not understand what your client wants and needs, then you cannot sell to that client. You have to ask questions, listen for the answers, and then use that information to create a winning pitch. While many elements of your pitch are rehearsed, you are still creating a customized pitch for every customer you talk to.

Successful sales is based on the personal feelings and needs of each individual customer. If you want to sell a product to a customer that will result in referrals from that customer and glowing reviews, then you have to understand what the customer wants. In order to do that, you have to include your customer in the sales process by asking questions and using that information to craft the ideal pitch.

Customer Empathy

Empathy can help you to make more sales. Remember your past, put yourself in your customer's position, and use that standpoint to sell to the client in front of you.

Recall trying to finance your first major purchase. You remember knowing that you could get the credit to buy that item, but you were unsure if you could afford it or not. Too many sales professionals get to the point of getting the customer to fill out the credit application and then hand the pen to the customer while staring at them. The next time you have a young couple or a person just starting out in their adult life trying to buy their first television from you, use your empathy to make the sale.

Ask the customer if it is their first television. It may even be the first time that the customer has ever filled out a credit application. Think back to how much easier it would have been for you if the sales professional who sold you your first television stopped to explain everything to you. 

Now think about your emotional state at that time. Wouldn’t it have been great if the sales professional had put the pen down and just asked if it was your first television? A conversation would have developed that would have put you at ease and resulted in a sale you were confident with.

Not only will showing empathy help close more sales, it will also result in more referrals as well. Customer empathy is an important part of the sales process in any kind of sales. You may not have any experience as a purchasing agent, but you know what it is like trying to keep a boss happy. Always keep your customer’s situation in mind when you are selling and you will develop more lucrative relationships and sell more product.

Problem Solving

Sales people are problem solvers. Your customer has a problem and you use your product to solve that problem. That is the core of the sales process. Upselling and all of the other parts of revenue generation are only effective when you have solved the customer’s problems.

Always remember that the customer is going to be hesitant to tell you the real problems you need to solve, and there will often be more than one problem. Your customer desperately needs a new business suit for upcoming job interviews, but also has a limited budget. Not only do you have to solve the problem of needing a good interview suit, but you also have to worry about price. If you ignore the budget problem, then you won’t make the sale.

Sometimes issues such as budget or time are problems, but only in the respect that the customer has to be given a reason to spend more money or wait a little longer to get a product. You have to spend time talking to the customer and determine what the real problems are before you can make the sale.

Do uncover customer problems, but avoid stating them back to your customer. A common technique used by sales professionals is to say something such as “I’m hearing that you need a business suit, but your budget is limited.” Don’t do that. The last thing you want the customer to think is that you have turned their problems into a game that you are trying to win. Once you know the problems, just set about solving them and getting the customer what they need.

Emotional Leverage

The honest truth is that emotional leverage is extremely dangerous when used improperly. Emotional leverage is:

• Getting information from the customer that can be used to create an emotional desire for the product.
• Getting the customer to trust you.
• Using the information and your status as a trusted advisor to make the sale.

Sales professionals who have no empathy or understanding for a customer’s situation will often abuse emotional leverage and leave the customer feeling cheated. But even sales professionals with good intentions can sometimes misuse emotional leverage and cause problems.

Every sales transaction is an emotional event for the customer. Whenever a customer spends money, even if it is the company’s money, it has an emotional impact on the customer. Utilizing emotional leverage helps to make the buying decision easier for the customer.

The problem is that the word “leverage” has such a negative connotation to it that people misinterpret what emotional leverage really is. When you acquire and use emotional leverage, you are putting yourself in a position to close the sale and solve the customer’s problem without putting the customer under unnecessary financial stress. If you are not really solving the customer’s problem or if you are causing the customer unnecessary financial stress by using emotional leverage to make your sale, then you are using it for the wrong reasons.

You acquire emotional leverage by asking the right questions, listening to the answers you get, and then properly interpreting the customer’s body language. It is a process that takes a few years to perfect, but it is a necessary element in the sales technique.

Perfect Your Technique

There is no such thing as the perfect script or template you can use to create an ideal sales method. Your technique is the result of practice, refinement, and a comprehensive understanding of the five essential elements of a good sales approach. Take the five elements and use them to create a sales approach that makes you successful.

 现在想想，我们以前经常说的“分享观念第一，销售产品第二”，是销售的另一个精髓。这里引申出一个销售技巧：友好、诚恳、强调服务第一；销售第一的方式。

把销售这个科学变成一门艺术，其实在旧的销售观念中，我们可以增加些许思想，成为新的理念和销售方式。

1.以顾客喜欢、需要和理解的方式去说话（或销售）。不要只顾着自己的想法和方式。

2.收集客户个人信息。并且学会运用这些信息。

3.建立有价值的客户关系——友谊。人们都喜欢从朋友而不是推销员那里买到东西。

4.建立壁垒。这是对第三点作用的一种强调。建立了友谊，和客户成为朋友，市场竞争对手自然不能从你手中抢走你的客户，从而形成壁垒。

5.寻找和建立共同点。任何人都想和与自己有共同话题的人一起谈天说地、相互学习。这会令你与客户不会冷场，拉近距离。

6.享受乐趣并做有趣的人。营销是一个伟大的职业，只有我们在过程中去享受乐趣，才有好的心态去对待客户，如果你能让客户笑起来，你就能让他买你的产品。

7.永远不要表现得像推销员，即使你是。这是最难以做到的。每个客户都极想和朋友分享产品的好处，而不是跟一个势利鬼交易。

8.赢得信任。这是前面所有原则的结果和目的。当客户信任你的时候，就是和你成交、签合同的时候。

       销售是一门非精确性的科学，只有不断的融入新的原则和知识，不断的加于运用，才能成为一门生活的艺术。

客服不僅是企業內的一個部門，而是每位員工所做的每一件事。如何設計出讓顧客開心買單的服務是最重要的課題。為此必須有所取捨，放棄面面俱到的想法，集中焦點在顧客最在乎的關鍵服務。 

如果你能讓顧客讚嘆不已，他們就願意不斷與你交易，因為所得到的消費經驗十分美好。但是基於成本與組織能力的現實因素，提供服務的企業幾乎不可能面面俱到，所以必須先承認自己的服務不可能包山包海，選擇重要的關鍵重點加強落實，讓客戶有「甜蜜」的感覺，是吸引顧客支持並且勝出的關鍵。 

讓顧客讚嘆連連的 7 大策略 

只要企業員工上下一心，致力為顧客創造讚嘆連連的驚喜，你就能比任何一位競爭對手更具有優勢，讓顧客成為你的忠實粉絲。 

策略 1 會員獨享 

要在心態上將顧客視為會員獨享俱樂部的成員，提供特殊的優惠。要提供會員獨一無二的好處及優待，致力創造讓顧客著迷的會員獨享經驗。 

策略 2 營造樂趣 

為你的員工營造愉快的工作經驗，能同時讓顧客服務品質提升──也就是一種高度滿意的經驗，尊重每位員工的獨特性，並創造加入公司下一場挑戰的參與感。要設法讓每日的工作充滿樂趣。 

策略 3 夥伴關係 

提供顧客獨特的服務，包含主動為顧客解決問題。要讓顧客依賴你，把你視為寶貴的盟友，日後他們才會一再回頭與你進行更多交易。要在顧客最需要你的時候，設法為他們排解疑難。 

策略 4 員工人品 

盡可能雇用並留住那些人品優異的員工。要開發並採用聘雇與留任員工的新制度，以吸引那些願意全力以赴、創造出色顧客經驗的人才。設法讓公司的員工，都成為關心顧客的專業人士。 

策略 5 提醒顧客 

不要只重視交易時的顧客經驗，也要同時提供顧客強而有力又具有個性的「交易後經驗」。要努力為顧客關係持續注入活力，不斷提醒顧客你的商品或服務有何優點。 

策略 6 經營社群 

務必支持並激勵公司內外的宣傳大隊。透過深受鼓舞、全心投入的員工（內部宣傳大隊）以及特別滿意的顧客（外部宣傳大隊），來贏得顧客的認同與感動。 

策略 7 起而行 

裡外一致──公司務必每日實踐不斷讓顧客讚嘆的目標。要持續令顧客驚喜、滿意，以贏得顧客的認同與感動。致力創造驚奇的企業，從上到下都秉持著同樣的價值觀。不同公司的價值觀或許注重不同的議題，但一定都堅持顧客至上的原則。

一、犹豫不决型客户

　　

　　特点：

　　

　　情绪不稳定，忽冷忽热，没有主见，逆反思维，只想坏的，不想好的

　　

　　应对策略：

　　

　　这个项目很适合你，你立即做，现在不做将来会后悔等强烈暗示性话语，由你为她做决定。如果客户是两个人会谈，如果那个带来的人很有主见，沟通的眼光集中在那个人的身上

　　

　

　二、脾气暴躁型的客户

　　

　特点：

　一旦有一丝不满，就会立即表现出来，忍耐性特差，喜欢侮辱和教训别人来抬高自己，唯我独尊，与他们在一起随时都会闻到火药味

　　

　　应对策略：

　　

　　用平常心来对待，不能因对方的盛气凌人而屈服，绝对不能拍马屁，采用不卑不亢的言语去感动他

　　

　　

三、自命清高的客人

　　

特点：

　　

　　对任何事情都会扮出我知道的表现，不管你的项目有多好，都会觉得你是普通的，缺乏谦卑，觉得我是最好的，用高傲的姿态对待你

　　

　　应对策略：

　　

　　恭维她，赞美她，特别喜欢有幽默感的人，不要直接批评挖苦她，而是告诉她，我们的优势在哪，如何去赚钱

　　

　　

四、世故老练型的客户

　　

　　特点：

　　

　　让你找不到东南西北，很圆滑，当你销售时，他会沉默是金，对你的讲解会无动于衷，定力很强，很多人认为他们不爱说话，当你筋疲力尽时，你会离开，这是他们对你的对策，

　　

　　应对策略：

　　

　　话很少，但是心里很清楚，比谁都有一套，我们要仔细观察，他们的反应（肢体语言）来应对，只是表达的方式很特别，多讲解趋势，多讲解产品的功能

銷售之神基特瑪大學沒畢業，卻打造了龐大的業務培訓帝國。經過 40年的銷售歷練，他深刻體悟推動銷售就像駕船一般，只要順著風勢， 便能更輕鬆、更快速地創造更多銷售。

傑佛瑞．基特瑪經營過 3 家公司，生產與銷售均成績裴然。他的顧問工作遍及全美與海外各地，並曾於年度會議中，對 3000 名聽眾發表演說。1988 年，基特瑪成立一家顧問諮詢公司，提供廣泛的業務訓練、行銷顧問，在全美各地提供企業發展服務。

1992 年，基特瑪首次發表「SalesMoves」專欄便一鳴驚人，並在多家報紙上連載披露，包括亞特蘭大、丹佛、達拉斯、匹茲堡等大都會區報紙，據此集結而成的暢銷著作《銷售聖經》還被列入卡內基進階銷售課程必讀書籍，成為業務人員必練的葵花寶典。

回顧 40 年的銷售生涯，基特瑪發現：

■他在第 1 個 10 年，學到了銷售的原則。

■在第 2 個 10 年，增加對銷售的熱愛，也更信賴自己的產品。

■在第 3 個 10 年，他開始迫切想要將自己知道的一切透過書寫和演說傳達給他人，讓其他人也能將他的技巧和成就，轉為他們自己的技巧和成就，進而創造財富。

■現在，在第 4 個 10 年之後，他終於明白銷售和大自然一樣存在牢不可破的法則，而且決心不藏私，一次將他淬鍊得來的21.5 銷售鐵則大公開。如同孔子說的「六十而耳順；七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。」

來到這個年紀的基特瑪雖然仍舊活力無限、創意十足，卻也更用心領悟世界的真相。他剴切叮嚀，你可以打破遊戲規則，卻不能撼動根本法則。太多業務人員遭遇的困境，純粹因為明知故犯。

如果連基特瑪都打破不了這些鐵則，那麼你還是要逆勢而為嗎？

第 1 部 21.5 銷售鐵則

就像自然界一樣，銷售世界也有 21.5 條通用鐵則，適用所有場合和情境。就是這些鐵則決定你能否勝出或庸庸碌碌無所作為。這21.5條鐵則分別是：

鐵則 1 不要做陌生電訪，做些事吸引有興趣的買家

鐵則 2 總是保持「YES!」的態度，並傳達給客戶

鐵則 3 明白你必須先相信才能成功

鐵則 4 學習如何在工作中運用幽默感──它真的很有用

鐵則 5 隨時打造你的品牌才能創造未來契機

鐵則 6 贏得卓越名聲並當作資產守護

鐵則 7 和藹地展現自我肯定與堅持──便會獲得人們尊重

鐵則 8 無論在個人或工作上都展現你的卓越

鐵則 9 先給價值，再求銷售

鐵則 10 對話時總是從客戶角度，而不是「我們這麼做」

鐵則 11 銷售時一定要先提問再陳述

鐵則 12 為所有客戶提供難忘的服務

鐵則 13 對客戶忠誠，客戶也會對你忠誠

鐵則 14 贏得客戶信賴，就是為將來贏得保障

鐵則 15 利用客戶的聲音做推銷

鐵則 16 一定要搞清楚客戶不購買的原因

鐵則 17 釐清你的意圖，以及這些意圖如何驅動成果

鐵則 18 務必讓他人覺得你與眾不同

鐵則 19 努力熟練並做出生動有力的簡報

鐵則 20 靈活運用社群媒體加強參與

鐵則 21 贏得客戶向其他人推介你的權利

鐵則 21.5 熱愛你的銷售工作，不然就離開──不要要做不做

It can be quite difficult to clearly explain the difference between a business and an entrepreneurial attitude, but, as this is something I have been reflecting on a lot recently, I would like to share my draft outcome with you.

In my opinion what distinguishes a Business from an Entrepreneur attitude is a person mental model (way of thinking): Business men, in fact, are more ‘Analytical Thinkers’ while Entrepreneurs are more ‘Possibility Thinkers’.

This means that, for example, a Business man main focus is not on innovation, but more on making sure a company is making profit. Entrepreneurship on the contrary focus on generating value, and this value could be social, emotional, aesthetic and/or financial. I will write another post on the concept of value as it is a quite complex topic. What counts for now is that Value for an entrepreneur is not necessarily profit, but can also be something less tangible but considered more rewarding for the person running a business.

Also, whilst Business people  focus more on small improvements of an existing situation, entrepreneurs try to imagine how things may be in the future  and work toward making that idea a reality (this attitude, by pushing the boundaries of what we know, entail higher risks but also higher rewards when successful).

To simplify, the main focus for Business men is:

•  Administration of business
• Search for truth, Short-term
• Logical, Linear, Utility, Incremental
• Features
• Facts, Verbal, Measure
• Minimal Risks, Predictable, Smaller Rewards
• Profit

While, on the contrary, the main focus for Entrepreneurs is:

• Invention of business
• Search for what is interesting, Intuitive, Long-term
• Holistic, Significance & Meaning, Leap forward
• Benefit
• Emotion, Visual thinking
• Risk, Uncertainty, Potentially High Rewards
• Value

If someone granted you one wish, what do you imagine you would want out of life that you haven’t gotten yet? For many people, it would be self-improvement and knowledge. New knowledge is the backbone of society’s progress. Great thinkers such as Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and others’ quests for knowledge have led society to many of the marvels we enjoy today. Your quest for knowledge doesn’t have to be as Earth-changing as Einstein’s, but it can be an important part of your life, leading to a new job, better pay, a new hobby, or simply knowledge for knowledge’s sake — whatever is important to you as an end goal.

Health

1. Shake a leg. Lack of blood flow is a common reason for lack of concentration. If you’ve been sitting in one place for awhile, bounce one of your legs for a minute or two. It gets your blood flowing and sharpens both concentration and recall.
2. Food for thought: Eat breakfast. A lot of people skip breakfast, but creativity is often optimal in the early morning and it helps to have some protein in you to feed your brain. A lack of protein can actually cause headaches.
3. Food for thought, part 2: Eat a light lunch. Heavy lunches have a tendency to make people drowsy. While you could turn this to your advantage by taking a “thinking nap” (see #23), most people haven’t learned how.
4. Cognitive enhancers: Ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo biloba is a natural supplement that has been used in China and other countries for centuries and has been reputed to reverse memory loss in rats. It’s also suggested by some health practitioners as a nootrope and thus a memory enhancer.
5. Reduce stress + depresssion. Stress and depression may reduce the ability to recall information and thus inhibit learning. Sometimes, all you need to reduce depression is more white light and fewer refined foods.

Balance

1. Sleep on it. Dr. Maxwell Maltz wrote about in his book Psycho-Cybernetics about a man who was was paid good money to come up with ideas. He would lock his office door, close the blinds, turn off the lights. He’d focus on the problem at hand, then take a short nap on a couch. When he awoke, he usually had the problem solved.
2. Take a break. Change phyical or mental perspective to lighten the invisible stress that can sometimes occur when you sit in one place too long, focused on learning. Taking a 5-15 minute break every hour during study sessions is more beneficial than non-stop study. It gives your mind time to relax and absorb information. If you want to get really serious with breaks, try a 20 minute ultradian break as part of every 90 minute cycle. This includes a nap break, which is for a different purpose than #23.
3. Take a hike. Changing your perspective often relieves tension, thus freeing your creative mind. Taking a short walk around the neighborhood may help.
4. Change your focus. Sometimes there simply isn’t enough time to take a long break. If so, change subject focus. Alternate between technical and non-technical subjects.

Perspective and Focus

1. Change your focus, part 2. There are three primary ways to learn: visual, kinesthetic, and auditory. If one isn’t working for you, try another.
2. Do walking meditation. If you’re taking a hike (#25), go one step further and learn walking meditation as a way to tap into your inner resources and your strengthen your ability to focus. Just make sure you’re not walking inadvertently into traffic.
3. Focus and immerse yourself. Focus on whatever you’re studying. Don’t try to watch TV at the same time or worry yourself about other things. Anxiety does not make for absorption of information and ideas.
4. Turn out the lights. This is a way to focus, if you are not into meditating. Sit in the dark, block out extraneous influences. This is ideal for learning kinesthetically, such as guitar chord changes.
5. Take a bath or shower. Both activities loosen you up, making your mind more receptive to recognizing brilliant ideas.

Recall Techniques

1. Listen to music. Researchers have long shown that certain types of music are a great “key” for recalling memories. Information learned while listening to a particular song or collection can often be recalled simply by “playing” the songs mentally.
2. Speedread. Some people believe that speedreading causes you to miss vital information. The fact remains that efficient speedreading results in filtering out irrelevant information. If necessary, you can always read and re-read at slower speeds. Slow reading actually hinders the ability to absorb general ideas. (Although technical subjects often requirer slower reading.) If you’re reading online, you can try the free Spreeder Web-based application.
3. Use acronyms and other mnemonic devices. Mnemonics are essentially tricks for remembering information. Some tricks are so effective that proper application will let you recall loads of mundane information years later.

Visual Aids

1. Every picture tells a story. Draw or sketch whatever it is you are trying to achieve. Having a concrete goal in mind helps you progress towards that goal.
2. Brainmap it. Need to plan something? Brain maps, or mind maps, offer a compact way to get both an overview of a project as well as easily add details. With mind maps, you can see the relationships between disparate ideas and they can also act as a receptacle for a brainstorming session.
3. Learn symbolism and semiotics. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. Having an understanding of the symbols of a particular discipline aids in learning, and also allows you to record information more efficiently.
4. Use information design. When you record information that has an inherent structure, applying information design helps convey that information more clearly. A great resource is Information Aesthetics, which gives examples of information design and links to their sources.
5. Use visual learning techniques. Try gliffy for structured diagrams. Also see Inspiration.com for an explanation of webs, idea maps, concept maps, and plots.
6. Map your task flow. Learning often requires gaining knowledge in a specific sequence. Organizing your thoughts on what needs to be done is a powerful way to prepare yourself to complete tasks or learn new topics.

Verbal and Auditory Techniques

1. Stimulate ideas. Play rhyming games, utter nonsense words. These loosen you up, making you more receptive to learning.
2. Brainstorm. This is a time-honored technique that combines verbal activity, writing, and collaboration. (One person can brainstorm, but it’s more effective in a group.) It’s fruitful if you remember some simple rules: Firstly, don’t shut anyone’s idea out. Secondly, don’t “edit” in progress; just record all ideas first, then dissect them later. Participating in brainstorming helps assess what you already know about something, and what you didn’t know.
3. Learn by osmosis. Got an iPod? Record a few of your own podcasts, upload them to your iPod and sleep on it. Literally. Put it under your pillow and playback language lessons or whatever.
4. Cognitive enhancers: binaural beats. Binaural beats involve playing two close frequencies simultaneously to produce alpha, beta, delta, and theta waves, all of which produce either sleeping, restfulness, relaxation, meditativeness, alertness, or concentration. Binaural beats are used in conjunction with other excercises for a type of super-learning.
5. Laugh. Laughing relaxes the body. A relaxed body is more receptive to new ideas.

Kinesthetic Techniques

1. Write, don’t type. While typing your notes into the computer is great for posterity, writing by hand stimulates ideas. The simple act of holding and using a pen or pencil massages acupuncture points in the hand, which in turn stimulates ideas.
2. Carry a quality notebook at all times. Samuel Taylor Coleridge dreamed the words of the poem “In Xanadu (did Kubla Khan)…”. Upon awakening, he wrote down what he could recall, but was distracted by a visitor and promptly forgot the rest of the poem. Forever. If you’ve been doing “walking meditation” or any kind of meditation or productive napping, ideas may suddenly come to you. Record them immediately.
3. Keep a journal. This isn’t exactly the same as a notebook. Journaling has to do with tracking experiences over time. If you add in visual details, charts, brainmaps, etc., you have a much more creative way to keep tabs on what you are learning.
4. Organize. Use sticky colored tabs to divide up a notebook or journal. They are a great way to partition ideas for easy referral.
5. Use post-it notes. Post-it notes provide a helpful way to record your thoughts about passages in books without defacing them with ink or pencil marks.

Self-Motivation Techniques

1. Give yourself credit. Ideas are actually a dime a dozen. If you learn to focus your mind on what results you want to achieve, you’ll recognize the good ideas. Your mind will become a filter for them, which will motivate you to learn more.
2. Motivate yourself. Why do you want to learn something? What do want to achieve through learning? If you don’t know why you want to learn, then distractions will be far more enticing.
3. Set a goal. W. Clement Stone once said “Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve.” It’s an amazing phenomenon in goal achievement. Prepare yourself by whatever means necessary, and hurdles will seem surmountable. Anyone who has experienced this phenomenon understands its validity.
4. Think positive. There’s no point in setting learning goals for yourself if you don’t have any faith in your ability to learn.
5. Organize, part 2. Learning is only one facet of the average adult’s daily life. You need to organize your time and tasks else you might find it difficult to fit time in for learning. Try Neptune for a browser-based application for “getting things done.”
6. Every skill is learned. With the exception of bodily functions, every skill in life is learned. Generally speaking, if one person can learn something, so can you. It may take you more effort, but if you’ve set a believable goal, it’s likely an achievable goal.
7. Prepare yourself for learning. Thinking positive isn’t sufficient for successfully achieving goals. This is especially important if you are an adult, as you’ll probably have many distractions surrounding your daily life. Implement ways to reduce distractions, at least for a few hours at a time, else learning will become a frustrating experience.
8. Prepare yourself, part 2. Human nature is such that not everyone in your life will be a well-wisher in your self-improvement and learning plans. They may intentionally or subconsciously distract you from your goal. If you have classes to attend after work, make sure that work colleagues know this, that you are unable to work late. Diplomacy works best if you think your boss is intentionally giving you work on the days he/she knows you have to leave. Reschedule lectures to a later time slot if possible/ necessary.
9. Constrain yourself. Most people need structure in their lives. Freedom is sometimes a scary thing. It’s like chaos. But even chaos has order within. By constraining yourself — say giving yourself deadlines, limiting your time on an idea in some manner, or limiting the tools you are working with — you can often accomplish more in less time.

Supplemental Techniques

1. Read as much as you can. How much more obvious can it get? Use Spreeder (#33) if you have to. Get a breadth of topics as well as depth.
2. Cross-pollinate your interests. Neurons that connect to existing neurons give you new perspectives and abilities to use additional knowledge in new ways.
3. Learn another language. New perspectives give you the ability to cross-pollinate cultural concepts and come up with new ideas. As well, sometimes reading a book in its original language will provide you with insights lost in translation.
4. Learn how to learn. Management Help has a resource page, as does SIAST (Virtual Campus), which links to articles about learning methods. They are geared towards online learning, but no doubt you gain something from them for any type of learning. If you are serious about optimum learning, read Headrush’s Crash course in learning theory.
5. Learn what you know and what you don’t. Many people might say, “I’m dumb,” or “I don’t know anything about that.” The fact is, many people are wholly unaware of what they already know about a topic. If you want to learn about a topic, you need to determine what you already know, figure out what you don’t know, and then learn the latter.
6. Multi-task through background processes. Effective multi-tasking allows you to bootstrap limited time to accomplish several tasks. Learning can be bootstrapped through multi-tasking, too. By effective multitasking, I don’t mean doing two or more things at exactly the same time. It’s not possible. However, you can achieve the semblance of effective multitasking with the right approach, and by prepping your mind for it. For example, a successful freelance writer learns to manage several articles at the same time. Research the first essay, and then let the background processes of your mind takeover. Move on consciously to the second essay. While researching the second essay, the first one will often “write itself.” Be prepared to record it when it “appears” to you.
7. Think holistically. Holistic thinking might be the single most “advanced” learning technique that would help students. But it’s a mindset rather than a single technique.
8. Use the right type of repetition. Complex concepts often require revisting in order to be fully absorbed. Sometimes, for some people, it may actually take months or years. Repetition of concepts and theory with various concrete examples improves absorption and speeds up learning.
9. Apply the Quantum Learning (QL) model. The Quantum Learning model is being applied in some US schools and goes beyond typical education methods to engage students.
10. Get necessary tools. There are obviously all kinds of tools for learning. If you are learning online like a growing number of people these days, then consider your online tools. One of the best tools for online research is the Firefox web browser, which has loads of extensions (add-ons) with all manner of useful features. One is Googlepedia, which simultaneously displays Google search engine listings, when you search for a term, with related entries from Wikipedia.
11. Get necessary tools, part 2. This is a very niche tip, but if you want to learn fast-track methods for building software, read Getting Real from 37 Signals. The Web page version is free. The techniques in the book have been used to create Basecamp, Campfire, and Backpack web applications in a short time frame. Each of these applications support collaboration and organization.
12. Learn critical thinking. As Keegan-Michael Key‘s character on MadTV might say, critical thinking takes analysis to “a whole notha level”. Read Wikipedia’s discourse on critical thinking as a starting point. It involves good analytical skills to aid the ability to learn selectively.
13. Learn complex problem solving. For most people, life is a series of problems to be solved. Learning is part of the process. If you have a complex problem, you need to learn the art of complex problem solving. [The latter page has some incredible visual information.]

For Teachers, Tutors, and Parents

1. Be engaging. Lectures are one-sided and often counter-productive. Information merely heard or witnessed (from a chalkboard for instance) is often forgotten. Teaching is not simply talking. Talking isn’t enough. Ask students questions, present scenarios, engage them.
2. Use information pyramids. Learning happens in layers. Build base knowledge upon which you can add advanced concepts.
3. Use video games. Video games get a bad rap because of certain violent games. But video games in general can often be an effective aid to learning.
4. Role play. Younger people often learn better by being part of a learning experience. For example, history is easier to absorb through reenactments.
5. Apply the 80/20 rule. This rule is often interpreted in dfferent ways. In this case, the 80/20 rule means that some concepts, say about 20% of a curriculum, require more effort and time, say about 80%, than others. So be prepared to expand on complex topics.
6. Tell stories. Venus Flytrap, a character from the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, once taught a student gang member about atoms, electrons, and protons by saying that an atom was one big neighborhood, and the protons and neutrons had their own smaller neighborhoods and never mixed. Just like rival gangs. The story worked, and understanding sparked in the students eyes.
7. Go beyond the public school curriculum. The public school system is woefully lacking in teaching advanced learning and brainstorming methods. It’s not that the methods cannot be taught; they just aren’t. To learn more, you have to pay a premium in additional time and effort, and sometimes money for commercially available learning tools. There’s nothing wrong with that in itself, but what is taught in schools needs to be expanded. This article’s author has proven that a nine-year old can learn (some) university level math, if the learning is approached correctly.
8. Use applied learning. If a high school student were having trouble in math, say with fractions, one example of applied learning might be photography, lenses, f-stops, etc. Another example is cooking and measurement of ingredients. Tailor the applied learning to the interest of the student.

For Students and Self-Studiers

1. Be engaged. Surprise. Sometimes students are bored because they know more than is being taught, maybe even more than a teacher. (Hopefully teachers will assess what each student already knows.) Students should discuss with a teacher if they feel that the material being covered is not challenging. Also consider asking for additional materials.
2. Teach yourself. Teachers cannot always change their curricula. If you’re not being challenged, challenge yourself. Some countries still apply country-wide exams for all students. If your lecturer didn’t cover a topic, you should learn it on your own. Don’t wait for someone to teach you. Lectures are most effective when you’ve pre-introduced yourself to concepts.
3. Collaborate. If studying by yourself isn’t working, maybe a study group will help.
4. Do unto others: teach something. The best way to learn something better is to teach it to someone else. It forces you to learn, if you are motivated enough to share your knowledge.
5. Write about it. An effective way to “teach” something is to create an FAQ or a wiki containing everything you know about a topic. Or blog about the topic. Doing so helps you to realize what you know and more importantly what you don’t. You don’t even have to spend money if you grab a freebie account with Typepad, WordPress, or Blogger.
6. Learn by experience. Pretty obvious, right? It means put in the necessary time. An expert is often defined as someone who has put in 10,000 hours into some experience or endeavor. That’s approximately 5 years of 40 hours per week, every week. Are you an expert without realizing it? If you’re not, do you have the dedication to be an expert?
7. Quiz yourself. Testing what you’ve learned will reinforce the information. Flash cards are one of the best ways, and are not just for kids.
8. Learn the right things first. Learn the basics. Case in point: a frustrating way to learn a new language is to learn grammar and spelling and sentence constructs first. This is not the way a baby learns a language, and there’s no reason why an adult or young adult has to start differently, despite “expert” opinion. Try for yourself and see the difference.
9. Plan your learning. If you have a long-term plan to learn something, then to quote Led Zeppelin, “There are two paths you can go by.” You can take a haphazard approach to learning, or you can put in a bit of planning and find an optimum path. Plan your time and balance your learning and living.

Parting Advice

1. Persist. Don’t give up learning in the face of intimdating tasks. Anything one human being can learn, most others can as well. Wasn’t it Einstein that said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”? Thomas Edison said it, too.
2. Defy the experts. Dyslexia, in a nutshell, is the affliction of mentally jumbling letters and digits, causing difficulties in reading, writing and thus learning. Sometimes spoken words or numbers get mixed up as well. In the past, “experts” declared dyslexic children stupid. Later, they said they were incapable of learning. This author has interacted with and taught dyslexic teens. It’s possible. Helen Keller had no experience of sight, sound, or speech, and yet she learned. Conclusion: There is more than one way to learn; never believe you cannot.
3. Challenge yourself. People are often more intelligent than they realize. In a world that compartmentalizes and categorizes everything, not everyone is sure where they fit in. And genius can be found in many walks of life. If you honestly suspect that there’s more to you than has been “allowed” to be let out, try an IQ test such as the one offered by MENSA. It’s unlike the standardized IQ tests given in many schools. You know the kind — the ones which traumatize many young students into thinking they are stupid, simply because the tests don’t really assess all student’s knowledge and learning ability. And the ability to learn is far, far more important than what you already know.
4. Party before an exam. Well, don’t go that far. The key is to relax. The worse thing to do is cram the night before an exam. If you don’t already know a subject by then, cramming isn’t going to help. If you have studied, simply review the topic, then go do something pleasant (no more studying). Doing so tells your brain that you are prepared and that you will be able to recall anything that you have already learned. On the other hand, if you didn’t spend the semester learning the ideas you need, you might as well go party anyways because cramming at the last minute isn’t going to help much at that point.
5. Don’t worry; learn happy.