Archives for February 2013

 The rise of internet and social media networks has provided companies with more opportunities to directly engage with customers. From tweeting to answering questions on live-chat, businesses have been able to interact with customers on daily basis.

Despite the increasing means of communication technology, going face to face with customers still acts as a strong strategy to produce leads, sell products and generate revenue. Companies like Cydor are still using this communication model, and company clients who follow Cydor on Twitter: @cydcor get the latest updates which includes tips on going face-to-face with consumers.

Being a face-to-face seller is possible through acquisition of some skills.

Here are some of the skills that are required;

1. Courtesy

Consumers are different. Some may be easy to handle, while others will be difficult. The salesperson needs to show courtesy all the time. If the consumer is upset due to some reason, the salesperson needs to understand the cause and convince the consumer the issue is going to be resolved as soon as possible, while informing about a satisfactory solution.

2. Listen

Listening to consumers is another important skill required for going face to face. Consumers are going to come up with queries, feedback, problems, suggestions etc. The salesperson needs to listen to varying requests, and tailor his/her response to meet specific needs in order to gain satisfied consumers.

3. Understand body language

Understanding body language of the consumers is one of the indicators of attitude and how interested they actually are in making a purchase. If the body language of the consumer is not being matched with what is being said, the salesperson should try to present a different angle. The salesperson should also be able to analyse posture and facial expressions and interpret them into different signals and gestures.

4. Knowledge about the product/service

Consumers are often looking for considerable detail about a product or service they’re looking to buy. This means the salesperson should have in-depth information about the features, the advantages the consumer can expect to receive. Knowing information about delivery times, maintenance plans and payment options is also necessary. Salespersons should keep on updating their knowledge about the products and services of their respective companies.

5. Confidence

Confidence matters a lot when going face to face with consumers. A confident sales person gives the consumer confidence to invest in the product or service. The consumer has a high chance to contact the sales person again, which gives opportunities later on.

These skills are required in order to be a face to face salesperson, generating leads and driving revenue.

One of the options available to people spread betting in the UK is now spread betting on carbon emissions.

The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme was the world’s first large-scale emissions trading scheme and is still the largest. It was launched in 2005 to address climate change and is a major element of EU climate policy. It is a “cap and trade” system.

As of June of this year, the Scheme covered over 11,000 factories, power stations and other facilities in the 27 member states of the EU in addition to Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway. Together, these installations generate almost half the CO2 emissions of the EU and 40 percent of its greenhouse gases. Australia, one of the world’s leading emitters of greenhouse gases per capita, will join the scheme in 2015.

The cap is a limit to the quantity of greenhouse gases that can be emitted, which reflects the industry of a company. The trade aspect occurs when companies reduce emissions by more than required and can save the unused allowance for the future or sell it. If emissions are not reduced below the given limit, a penalty is imposed unless an organisation buys an allowance.

It grows ever more difficult to reduce carbon emissions. Market forces will determine whether an organisation modifies equipment or merely purchases an allowance.

There is no such thing as an experienced trader in carbon emissions. Everybody has to learn as they go along. Large investment banks including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Barclays are said to be becoming interested in carbon trading.

The market is highly volatile and illiquid, and subject to the whims of politicians. When spread betting on carbon emissions, you should study charts to identify resistance and support levels and trend lines. You can test a trading plan on historic data and then on a demo account for a week or two.

You should keep abreast of government intervention. Periodically, auctions of carbon credits cause the market to move dramatically. It is safest to refrain from betting in the run up to an auction, but gamblers will place a bet on how they believe a government will act.

The EU recently modified its Scheme, although by less than campaigners and green businesses had demanded: the timing of auctions will be changed. After changes were announced in July, the price of carbon fell, because analysts had expected greater change. The current price is around £5.40 per tonne of carbon, well below the price of £20 to £32 believed by analysts to encourage companies to change their actions. Connie Hedegaard, the climate chief of the European commission, said further, greater reforms would be forthcoming.

Because economic activity in Europe is depressed and possibly because emissions forecasts were overstated when allocations were set, there is a surplus of carbon permits – Certificates in Emission Reductions – of six or seven percent. Many companies will pay no price for carbon emission for years. The EU could cut credits dramatically.

If alternative source of energy such as biofuels become more productive, emissions will reduce and so will the price of carbon credits.

There is, however, pressure in the other direction. The EU members, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy, have declared that they will move away from or phase out nuclear power. Throughout the EU, expensive carbon capture and storage (CCS) mechanisms will be fitted to power plants that use fossil fuels. These systems remain untested on a commercial scale.

There are people who say that within ten years, carbon will be a major, globally-traded commodity like oil.

Studying abroad is a great idea on so many levels. If you’re lucky enough to get the opportunity, there are plenty of incredible cities to choose from, each offering a unique experience for the adventurous student. Here are 10 of the best in Europe.

Manchester

With the biggest student population in Europe, students are very well catered for in Manchester, with half the expense of London and twice the convenience. Manchester is home to two of the best football teams in the world and after hosting the Commonwealth Games, the sporting facilities throughout the city are excellent. Students are spoilt for choice with nights out and shopping and make sure you check out Curry Mile for the best curry this side of the Himalayas. Manchester not only has a long and illustrious musical history, with the Happy Mondays, Oasis and The Smiths to name a few, but it also remains at the cutting edge of youth culture.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam really is totally unique, where you will find canals instead of roads and the bike is king. Language will not be a problem as the Dutch speak English beautifully and everyone has heard about the liberal atmosphere and the coffee shops. If you want, ‘laid back’, there is nothing to beat it.

Barcelona

If you like clubbing and hanging out on the beach, then head straight for Barcelona. You can go clubbing until 6 every night of the week and then nurse your hangover at the open-air market, La Boqueria. Spend your days swimming in the Mediterranean, lazing on the beach or being inspired by the Gaudi architecture.

Budapest

Is spending an issue? Then Budapest is the place for you, as it’s cheap as chips for a night out. Don’t forget to check out Szimpla, the third best bar in the world, as voted for by Lonely Planet.

Munich

People in Germany love drinking beer and Munich is their unofficial capital. The best place to drink outside is the English Gardens and don’t miss ‘Surfers Wave’ or Oktoberfest, a festival dedicated to beer.

Prague

Prague has everything Budapest can offer, being a bit more Westernised, however and slightly more expensive. The Prague Beer Museum is worth a look; who knew museums could be so much fun?

Paris

Get past the snobby attitude and Paris has a lot to offer. Some excellent bands are from Paris – Daft Punk and Justice to name a couple. The French love their food and Paris has plenty to offer in terms of culture; this is the city of the Mona Lisa after all.

Dublin

Guinness tastes better in Ireland and there is live music in nearly every bar for that perfect drinking atmosphere. The Temple Bar District is the place to go and sample the famous Irish hospitality.

Malaga

On the Costa del Sol, Malaga has the beach and better weather than Barcelona, with less of the culture. Be warned, however, as you will need to brush up on your Spanish to get by here.

Ibiza

The original party island and still home to a hippy commune. Party in one of the superclubs and then watch the sunrise at Caff del Mar. You will feel like you are on a permanent summer holiday; your wallet won’t, though. Ibiza is not cheap.

Lloyd is a marketing blogger who is currently working on behalf of SO Switch, visit them if you’re thinking of travelling abroad and want to buy your travel money online.

When it comes to business profits, any small business owner will tell you that they sometimes live week to week, and month to month, so that when a nice profit comes through, it can be difficult not to take it right out and use it to pay the rent or a mortgage on your house, or to buy some much needed and much overdo things like, say, groceries, or your car’s mechanical bill. That’s all good and fine, of course, but it’s also critical to invest back into your business to ensure long-term success of your company as it grows and diversifies.

In fact, it’s critical to invest in your business just so it can grow and diversify over time, and here’s why:

Investment Means Long-Run Strategy

When you invest in your business, you do so with the long run in mind. Whether that investment looks like adding employees, or developing infrastructure to better help your business run, it call comes down to one thing: making sure that, over time, your business runs much more smoothly and your company develops strongly to avoid recessions and the pitfalls of the economy.

Investing Shows You Are In It For The Long Haul There’s nothing better than a business owner who invests money back into the business, if only to show the employees, contractors, clients, and customers that he or she is here for the right reasons, and not looking out for only themselves and a big, fast payday. In fact, investing in your business in the long run can make you even stronger to close clients and loyal customers, who see your organization as the long-term go-to business to work with over time.

Investing Makes You Recession Proof

Well… almost recession proof. While we can’t guarantee you will over come every single recession or major economic obstacle thrown your way, we can guarantee that your business will become significantly stronger when it comes to dealing with economic downturn if you have invested back into it wholeheartedly. With money and assets in the business, you can ensure that you can wisely and moderately navigate through rough economic patches, and come out strongly on the other side, no matter the financial outlook or your specific industry.

In all, it’s critical to invest back into your business. Your business is not just a place where you can cash a paycheck, but a place that you can build, grow, and improve the lives of the community and your clients and customers around you. Investing in it proves you care for your company, and you want to see it do well as you move forward with your businesses goals, hopes, and dreams. Invest wisely, and good luck with your financial stakes in the company!

After Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, Canada has the third large crude reserves in the world. However, Canadians still face the energy dilemma along with the rest of the globe. There’s lack of planning on how to put the natural resources of Canada for optimal use.

Tar sand lands are going through extraction process that has a negative effect on the environment. The methods are not sustainable, and the process needs to be revised to reduce or eliminate the negative impact. Alberta Heritage Fund is an example of such processes.

Transmission of renewable energy from remote to urban areas is facing difficulty due to ageing electrical infrastructure. The demand for natural gas is expected to rise by a double amount till 2035. The demand will be composed of use of natural gas to produce local bitumen in oil sands and electricity as well as LNG (liquefied natural gas) for exports. New entrants are required for deregulation of storage services in states like Alberta. A list of energy providers for respective provinces can be obtained from the web. For example, people living in Alberta can visit websites like http://www.albertaenergyproviders.com/, while residents of Ontario check out Ontario energy providers.

A warning has also been issued by International Energy Agency that rising use of fossil energy along with planned policies will lead to severe effects on the climate. According to Megan Leslie, NDP MP (Halifax, N.S.), all the focus is on oil industry and even the investment in green technology is geared towards this particular industry. Other industries are being neglected.

The implementation of solar energy will depend upon technological investment and infrastructure changes. For reducing the harmful effects on the natural environment from traditional electricity production, solar photovoltaic energy will allow for a more sustainable production system that doesn’t compromise the well-being of the society. Solar is still an untapped and an immature area in the country, and by achieving economies of scale, the cost can be taken from within the system. The behavior of ordinary citizens, such as votes for alternative energy, and installation of solar panels, will also play a major role in determining the future of solar energy.

Wind energy has seen an investment of CAD $2.5 billion for giving electricity to 300,000 houses, with ‘per years’ employment provided of 10,500 according to CanWEA. The provinces leading the way in wind energy projects include Nova Scota, British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. CanWEA also predicts 2013 to be a record year for the wind industry in Canada.

GHG emissions are also a result of rising energy demands, and they’re expected to rise by 1.5 percent per year.

The solution lies in making adequate investments, public engagement and timely decision making. These solutions can help to overcome many challenges and expand the groundwork beyond conventional supply for improvements in energy efficiency.

Regional differences in terms of energy and efficiency need to be considered, along with the changing environment. To replace the aging infrastructure and develop new methodology, a balance will be needed between decision making and public investment.