Good Credit Management Skills Are More Important Than Ever

Consumers have many options when it comes to selecting a credit card that best fits their needs. For instance, some people may use credit cards strictly for big-ticket items, while others may use them for all their everyday purchases; some may carry a balance while others pay it off every month. Even though people use credit in different ways, one fact remains the same: good credit card management is important to everyone. "Consumers who focus on good credit management are likely to have greater control of their finances overall," says Margo Georgiadis, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Discover Financial Services. "Today, more than ever, consumers are actively looking for straightforward ways to increase their financial confidence."
To hone their credit management skills, Georgiadis recommends people consider the following steps:

1. Develop a consistent payment routine
Years ago, it was possible to tackle household bills on a certain day each month. But today's billing cycles rarely match up, which can mean several different due dates throughout the month.
People can more easily manage their monthly credit card payments by choosing a card that enables them to set their own payment due date based upon what works best. Developing a consistent payment routine can really pay off.
Sometimes even literally. The Discover Motiva Card provides cardmembers who make on-time monthly payments six times in a row their next month's interest back -- twice a year, every year when they pay on-time each month.

2. Pick a convenient time and way to pay your bill
For many, checkbooks are a thing of the past. In today's wired world, there are more payment options than ever making it easier and faster to pay bills.
Do your homework on what options are available and pick the method that's most convenient to your lifestyle or when you get paid each month. For example, some credit card companies allow cardholders to set up automatic direct payments online or by phone for recurring monthly bills. Others allow cardholders to schedule their payments in advance to align with their pay periods or let them pay their bill for free by phone or online -- even on the payment due date.

3. Use account management tools to save time and money
Many credit card companies offer account customization tools that enable cardholders to keep close tabs on their account and budget. To avoid fees, some companies allow cardholders to set up reminders to let them know that their payment due date is approaching, or if they're close to exceeding their credit limit. E-mail reminders can also be set to alert them when a large purchase has been made or help track when a return, credit or balance transfer is posted. In addition, cardholders are able to access their account summary information online to help them track spending, create a budget, and sort transactions by date, amount, description or category which can be helpful for tax preparation.

4. Use your credit card rewards to help pay down your balance or reduce expenses
Some credit card companies allow you to redeem cash rewards in the form of a statement credit, which helps you pay down your balance faster, or you can have the money deposited directly to your bank account. You also can take advantage of other redemption options such as the ability to double their rewards when redeeming for places where they already shop.
For more tips on good credit management and other information, visit www.discovercard.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent

5 Simple Steps to Transform Your Life with Jewelry

By Payson Cooper

You probably have a special piece of jewelry that makes you feel good every time you wear it, but you only wear it on special occasions. Not any more – now’s the time for change. You can easily infuse your jewelry with your intentions and dreams…and use it as a tool to change your life.

Let’s say you have a beautiful necklace that belonged to your grandmother or a ring from your grandfather. Whenever you wear it, see it, or touch it you remember how much that person loved you and you feel connected to him or her. When you wear the piece, the love and joy you feel radiates through your entire body. Because you feel good, your interactions with the world around you are positive, which brings more good feelings…and the cycle continues.

If you took a couple of minutes as you put on the jewelry each morning to focus on these feelings of being loved, grateful, joyful, and simply feeling healthy, how do you think it would change your day – or your life?

Think about the attitude of gratitude – it makes everything seem magical when you view the world from a grateful perspective. If you found a piece of jewelry that helped to bring that feeling into your heart whenever you needed it, imagine the change in your perspective each day, and collectively, over a year or more. The possibilities are phenomenal!

Choosing a piece of jewelry is easy. You can use an item you already have and turn it into an emotional driving force, or buy a special piece with this intention. There are many types of jewelry available that include words and phrases to help you focus on a specific emotion or intention. There are artists who will hand-craft a custom piece that carries the word, phrase, or affirmation, which resonates for you.

To create changes in your life, follow these steps. Focus on one emotion with one piece of jewelry for a period of time or experiment with a new emotion and piece of jewelry each day to be aware of the changes around you.

1. Find, create, or buy a piece of jewelry that symbolizes the emotion you want to focus on in your life. Use a piece of jewelry that helps you resonate or align with the emotion you want to intensify, perhaps with a specific word, phrase, or affirmation inscribed.
   

2. Create a short ritual with the piece. For example, have a special place near your bed or dresser where you can mindfully place the item each night and see it and touch it first thing each morning.
   

3. Every morning and evening, focus your energy on a specific emotion or intention as you look at or touch the item for 60 seconds. You may choose to say a word, phrase, mantra, or affirmation aloud.
   

4. For a few seconds, several times a day (aim for 3), purposefully look at or touch the jewelry and focus your attention on it and on the emotion you are creating.
   

5. Each time you “notice” the jewelry throughout the day (when you happen to look at it or someone comments on it) take a second or two to feel the emotion you are building with the jewelry.
   

After a few days you will be aware of significant changes in your perspective and interaction with the world around you. And this is only the beginning…

“Ordinary things, consistently done, create extraordinary results.”

Payson Cooper, is the owner and head designer of Payson & Co., LLC, a company that is known for their unique jewelry creations. After participating in several Peak Potential courses, Payson has designed a “Peak” line of transformational jewelry to assist others in bringing change into their lives. For more information, visit www.paysonjewelry.com/peak or email info@paysonjewelry.com.

24 Things You Need to Know to Be Successful When Managing Your Real Estate Investment

By Ann Smith

So you’ve decided to invest in real estate – and you’re planning on managing the property yourself. There are several things you can do to ensure the building maintains its value and you lease to reliable tenants. This is a business…and it’s up to you to operate it like one.

Protect the building – your investment:

1. Install coin-operated laundry machines, which are cost-comparable to local laundromats.
2. Install energy saving lights in all areas where you pay for hydro.
3. Make sure all bathroom fans area at least 75 CFM.
4. Direct wire smoke detectors wherever possible.
5. Install motion detector/timing on exterior lighting.
6. Replace plastic flex vent with metal flex vent for dryer.
7. Keep fire extinguishers handy in the laundry room and the kitchen.
8. Keep accurate records on smoke detector inspection and changes.
9. Inspect your investment regularly (add it into the lease). Do a weekly drive by to check for garbage, windows, doors locked. Go inside every 6 months to ensure all is in order. It is your investment – use the premise to check smoke detectors, etc.
10. Make all necessary repairs quickly.
11. Be aware of illegal drug use if any by the tenants. Report it.

Know what to say, do, and look for when leasing your investment:

12. When showing your property, take note…did the prospective tenant remove his or her shoes?
13. Never discuss the personal lives of other tenants.
14. Check spellings…if the name is misspelled, the agreement is void.
15. Do not make the lease inclusive (lights will be left on).
16. You cannot legally discriminate against smokers, but you can say non smokers preferred.
17. Do credit checks. Ask if they are working, for how long, and the last place of residence. Get the name and phone number for past landlords.
18. Never give rent discounts for paying on time.
19. Avoid hassles…don’t use a guarantor when renting to students. Instead, get parents to sign the lease.
20. Have tenants initial each section of the lease to ensure they understand the entire agreement.
21. Don’t let tenants paint the home/apartment. Keep a common colour throughout.
22. Make sure tenants have content insurance – ask tenants to initial this clause and request a confirmation letter from the insurance company each year.
23. Keep accurate records of everything tenants have done and all complaints.
24. Consider joining a local property management association (in London, the London Property Management Association)

As a full time real estate professional, Ann Smith has dedicated her life to helping people achieve their real estate goals. Since 1994, Ann has worked her way from sales representative to achieving her Brokers License. Ann’s solid work ethic has been rewarded with several consecutive sales achievement awards, including Sutton Group’s prestigious Platinum Award. Ann can be reached toll free at 1-866-851-1534 or by email: ansmith@sympatico.ca.

6 Steps to Service Recovery

By Nancy Friedman

In this day and age, where customer service is on everyone's mind, it's difficult at times when it all hits the fan.

What do you do when it's no longer just an irate customer? When it's beyond angry? How do you handle the situation? What can you do to SAVE the account? The relationship? The business?

Well, here, direct from the Telephone Doctor LIBRARY is on SERVICE RECOVERY. We have identified 6 Steps of SERVICE RECOVERY to help you and your company SAVE the account, relationship and the business. Good luck!

1. Respond Rapidly - This is not the time to put the call/problem on a back burner. The longer you wait to handle the situation the worse it will become. Remember, delay increases anger.
2. Take Ownership - The customer doesn't care if you're new, if you weren't there the day his problem happened, or if you don't know anything about it. They want you to take ownership of the problem; of the situation. It is your responsibility. Don't shift the blame.
3. Apologize Sincerely - That means no "sorry 'bout that" which is a cliché, not an apology. The customer needs to hear the word APOLOGIZE. And they need to hear that you mean it.
4. Solve the Problem - It's that old 80-20 rule; 80% of the time, the problem will be easy to solve. It's the next step that is the real problem.
5. Manage the Feelings - This is the HEART of service recovery - the feelings. They've been hurt. Intentionally, or unintentionally. It doesn't matter. What matters is they feel maligned and we need to spend time on those feelings. We'll probably spend more time on the feelings than we did on the problem. But it's a KEY step in service recovery.
6. Verify Satisfaction - In so many cases, if handled properly, all is well. We hope. Well, how do we know? Simple. We ask! Yes, it's that simple. We ask, "Have I done a good job for you Mr. Smith?" or "Mrs. Jones, has everything been handled to your satisfaction?" We need to let the customer know we value their business. We also may need to do or give something 'extra' if we can, to help the situation along. We need to do something the customer is totally not expecting. Something that will say they're appreciated. Each industry has their own appreciation threshold. It doesn't necessarily need to be expensive. It just needs 'to be.'

Service recovery is special. You see, good customer service is expected. That's nothing new or special. You're supposed to give good customer service. What's the big deal? But when stuff 'hits the fan" and that one customer is beyond IRATE - that's when SERIVCE RECOVERY kicks into gear. Good luck!

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the Web site at www.telephonedoctor.com.

What is Your Desk Personality?

After years of coaching and presenting seminars to corporations on time management and organizational skills, I now learn that people with messier offices actually make more money. According to a new survey by Adecco Group, the largest human resource service company in the world, only 11% of those earning $75,000 or more claim they are "neat freaks."

According to Bernadette Kenny, senior vice president of human resources at Adecco North American, this could be for a variety of reasons. “Perhaps this is because they are in higher positions and are inundated with more work. Or, perhaps those with smaller salaries are in more junior-level positions, where they need to comply with someone else’s standards and strive to make a good impression on managers.”

Or maybe it just takes too much time to get organized. “We don’t factor in the time it takes to be organized,” says Eric Abrahamson, co-author of A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder, and a professor of management at Columbia Business School. “Are those benefits commensurate with the time spent to get that way? That’s the downside of order. The value of time can be very high, and we don’t want to waste valuable time getting organized.”

What does your workplace say about you? Researchers claim that desks may reveal the true personality, habits, and ambitions of their owners. Hundreds of workspaces belonging to office workers were studied by Donna Dawson, a behavioral psychologist with Adecco. She examined the layout and patterns of possessions on desks and found six main types of personality.

• The Super-Organized Desk. This functional workplace is very neat with no frills or personal clutter. Likely to be a super-efficient secretary or assistant, only the essentials are prominent; a pen, notebook and stapler. They want to feel needed and can be very charming when they feel others are relying on them. This desk personality can be subject to mood swings and may disguise a chip on its owner’s shoulder from lack of appreciation.
  

• The Organized Chaos Desk. This personality has piles of paper, overflowing onto the floor and window seat. The owner will claim to have a “filing-system” where they can easily find what they are looking for. There may be multiple sticky notes wallpapering the room with reminders and to-do items. To cope with the pressures and stress, this person frequently gets up to warm up their coffee or have a cigarette break. While likely to be a workaholic, they are fun to chat with and are flexible and brilliant for brainstorming.
  

• The Creative Chaos Desk. This desk is filled with an interesting array of clutter revealing a creative and agile mind. Not focused on technology, this owner is a great source of ideas. They are always on the go and only vaguely know where everything is that they are working on. They may misplace projects or papers. Easily distracted, this person tends to be a lateral thinker.
  

• The Personality Extension Desk. Covered with dozens of personal touches, this desk displays poster, photos, holiday cards and zany mouse-mats. The owner may even keep personal items such as vitamin pills, hand cream or perfume easily accessible. This personality is very energetic, and keeps food, drink and other items readily available for quick nourishment. They are friendly and talkative but may not be discreet with confidential information.
  

• The Show Desk. This desk has been carefully scripted to present an image of the importance of its occupant. It is very large with few items visible and no personal memorabilia. Giving the impression of space and control, this individual is likely to have a double sided personality. Although friendly in a social group, they become coldly professional once behind the desk. Few people at work will ever know the real person behind the façade.
  

• The Trophy Desk. This workspace is messy and covered with items that reflect its owner’s social, professional or financial success. These “trophies” may include awards, plaques, pictures of expensive holidays, or sporting equipment. While the look may appear random, each item is strategically placed for maximum effect and visibility. Desktop accessories will be bold and brightly colored. These people tend to think big and are natural leaders, but need to be appreciated or they may sulk or have a tantrum.

No matter what your desk style is, it is important to be aware that it sends a message

to others that could be a factor in your success. Remember people will judge you by what you show them.

Barbara Bartlein, CSP, is The People Pro and president of Great Lakes Consulting Group which helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She can be reached at 888-747-9953 or by e-mail at barb@thepeoplepro.com. Visit her Web site at: http://www.thepeoplepro.com/.

Mystery Shoppers Enhance Tradeshow Performance

By Susan Friedmann

Everything’s perfect. The display is beautiful, your team is well-trained, you’ve got fantastic giveaway items and the best pre-show promotion you’ve ever had. This is going to be the absolute best tradeshow ever.

Are you sure? You might be the last person who can answer this question honestly. It’s not that you don’t want to—it’s that you can’t.

Let’s face it. After you’ve spent weeks, even months, planning, preparing and practicing your exhibit routine, you’re no longer objective. You’re too close to your work to see it as a stranger would. This is no fault of your own. It’s human nature. We can’t engage with our work and distance ourselves from it at the same time.

It is critical that our tradeshow performance be excellent. Your organization’s financial well being depends, in part, of what attendees learn about your company from your exhibit. How will you know, at the end of the day, what they thought of your booth?

This is where the mystery shopper comes in. By stopping by your exhibit and doing a little covert surveillance, the mystery shopper can provide you with a critical and fair assessment of your performance.

This skilled professional will assess your booth on many levels. Was your team as polished as you thought they were? Was that clever signage really that funny? Did the giveaway items appeal or were they just more stuff to haul around the show floor? The mystery shopper can tell you.

Getting an objective opinion of your exhibit is one very valuable and valid reason to hire a mystery shopper. It’s not the only one. There’s another reason to consider hiring a mystery shopper, especially if you have a larger company with several display teams.

When the cat’s away, the mouse will play. It’s an old saying, with more than a little modern truth to it. Any time the boss is out of the office, for example, employees tend to slack off a little bit.

What happens when it’s not the boss who’s away, but the employees? If you’ve packed up your sales team and shipped them across the country to a tradeshow, how do you know they’re performing up to your standards?

We all like to hope that professionalism and responsibility will carry the day. Employees who do a good job all the rest of the year will probably continue to do well in the tradeshow environment. It might be a safe bet—but do you want to take chances with your company’s reputation?

If the answer to that question is no, you have a few options.

The first is to go to the show yourself, and keep an eye on things. If you can’t go, you could delegate this duty to a trusted supervisor.

If that doesn’t work, or you want a wholly objective opinion, you can hire a mystery shopper. Mystery shoppers walk the show floor, and visit your display. Without identifying themselves, they assess your team’s performance. Were they greeted promptly? Did your team ask qualifying questions? Was the level of professionalism and product knowledge displayed in keeping with your company’s expectations?

The mystery shopper will let you know. These professionals are not only objective, the best ones are well versed in what makes an effective tradeshow exhibit. Simply knowing that a mystery shopper will be stopping by the booth can act as a de facto ‘cat’ for your booth staffers. When the important attendee they have to impress is unknown, all attendees become important which is good news for your company!

You might also opt not to let your team know about the mystery shopper. This way, the mystery shopper will get to assess the exhibit as it really is, without any special pretense or put-on behaviors. If your team is doing a good job, the mystery shopper will see that. If things aren’t as you wish them to be, the mystery shopper will see that too.

The mystery shopper can let you know of any performance problems. The first step to improved performance is to have an accurate assessment of the current exhibiting situation. This assessment will allow you to identify weak areas and pinpoint performance problems—information critical for formulating solutions. That’s what a mystery shopper can provide.

From critical exhibit assessment to objective performance review, the mystery shopper provides a critical service to the exhibitor. Everyone can benefit from having a fresh set of eyes on them, from fledgling exhibitors to the ‘old pros’. Consider having a mystery shopper work with you on your next show. You’ll be amazed with what you learn.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, internationally recognized expert working with companies to increase their profitability at tradeshows. Author: “Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market” (May 2007) and “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies.”
www.thetradeshowcoach.com