At the turn of the 20th century, it is said that Philadelphia's captains of commerce and industry came together to form a country club dedicated to golf, baseball, tennis and the pursuit of happiness through social interaction. Towards this end, the group built two fabulous golf courses, about a dozen tennis courts, a swimming pool and a sprawling clubhouse. Constant improvement and regular gatherings soon formed a strong familial bonds and friendships that made Philmont a home away from home.

Decades later, Philmont Country Club continues to offer a wide array of activities to suit every member and guest. Topping its list of services is for golf enthusiasts. Philmont Country Club offers an unprecedented setting for a round of golf or a tournament for your business, charity or organization. Featuring 36 holes and operating seven days a week, Philmont Country Club members can golf all they want.

Their Championship North Course -- designed by world-renowned golf course architect William S. Flynn -- boasts old world charm with its mature trees and spectacular greens. Their South course features wide open spaces and punishing greens for the player looking for a challenge. Both the North and South courses offer full caddie or cart services for your enjoyment of the game.

If you need to improve your game, Philmont also offers fantastic practice facilities, including two large putting greens, an oversized chipping green and long driving range. If practicing on your own is not enough, a private lesson from one of our PGA professional staff may help put your golf game on the path to success. Philmont's fully stocked Pro Shop features a wealth of signature gear and sportswear, a true treasure for the golfing enthusiast.

If you are looking for a more active sport, Philmont's Tennis program is worth looking at. The Club's outstanding indoor and outdoor facilities are home to a year of activities for men, women, and children of all ages.

The Indoor Tennis Pavilion is a thirty one thousand square foot Butler Building. Three hard playing courts made of compressed cork, it is one of the only tennis facilities in America with this unique surface. With a thirty-two week indoor season that runs from September to May it is easy to find time for a game of tennis, even in the coldest of winters.

Meanwhile, Philmont's two and a half acre Outdoor Tennis Complex offers ten of the finest hard courts in the Delaware Valley. The courts also offer stadium lighting for night time play. With its 20 week outdoor season running May thru September, members can rely on Philmont Club to add many hours of enjoyment for you and your family and friends.

For weddings and other special occasions, Philmont Country Club's newly renovated 88,000 square-foot clubhouse presents a perfect scenic and spacious facility to host any event. It has four banquet and event rooms, as well as spectacular outdoor accommodations from their Brazilian hardwood porch to red bricked patio overlooking an Olympic size swimming pool.

Philmont caters to a variety of different types of social and business functions, including: Weddings, Engagement Parties, Rehearsal Dinners, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Corporate and Business Dining, Conferences, Golf Outings, Seminars, Receptions, Retirement Parties, Anniversary Parties, Baby Namings, Awards Programs, Holiday Events, Fundraisers, Charity Balls, and more.

Children will also enjoy the amenities of Philmont's Country Club. Their children's program provides childcare and activities for children of all ages. They have a fully trained staff that provides activities that promote fun, socialization and learning, so that parents can enjoy golf, tennis or just socializing. Philmont's outdoor children's center provides a full playground, basketball court as well as a full range of activities for children of all ages. The club provides activities for its younger adults, including, but not limited to, summer camps, golf and tennis seminars, yoga, and hourly pool activities.

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Author: Russell Peskin

About the author:
Russell Peskin is the General Manager of Philmont Country Club, a Philadelphia Country Club with a web site (http://www.philmontcountryclub.com) that offers a full array of activities and services to suit every member and guest.


Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

Sales prospecting or business development is a key activity for most sales driven organisations and for most salespeople. It is also the cause of demise of most sales careers. Business development is a skill and must be mastered if you are to sustain a long-term sales career.

The current volatile economic environment, sagging consumer confidence, increasing customer distrust, more informed customers and tougher competition have put excessive pressure on sales teams in all companies making it harder and harder to get out there and develop new business.
As a professional salesperson you:

* are facing growing pressure as others compete for your accounts,
* find yourself having to discount to bring home deals,
* struggle with sales cycles that just seem to get longer and longer

If that's not bad enough, you still have to struggle to maintain a full pipeline. Do you ever wonder how others seem to manage?

The fear of rejection Do you dread the 'prospecting' part of sales? Do you find the constant rejection excruciating?

Whilst effective prospecting is a critical component of sustainable sales success, it is not selling. As a salesperson, you may be a well trained in selling skills and product knowledge; you may not have learned specifically about prospecting. Business development is mostly learned through trial and error and unfortunately for many, ends up as a career disaster.

Effective training and coaching, tailored to suit each individual salesperson and their own specific issue around prospecting/business development, will have a huge impact on your sales revenue. It shouldn't ever take a suit of armour and great gulps of courage to deal with the issues of fear of rejection during prospecting. It takes understanding and a plan.

Effective business development/prospecting requires a plan Winning salespeople recognise that to be effective at prospecting, it should never be done by the 'seat of one's pants'. Effective sales prospecting/business development requires a well thought out plan. This means sitting with your manager or Sales Performance Coach and objectively assessing your current situation, setting realistic and achievable goals and creating both strategies and tactics to achieve that goal.

If you've been taught that Sales Prospecting is just a 'numbers game', and to believe that a prospect is someone who can be convinced that they need your product, you've been playing the wrong game. One of the major causes of failure in sales is the fear of rejection. If your sales strategy is to see lots of people and play the numbers game, regardless of how qualified they are, you are simply setting yourself lots of rejection. If you believe that you need to get in front of as many prospects as possible, you're confusing a 'true prospect' with people who may be 'interested' but unlikely to do business with you. When you play the prospecting game by attempting to 'sell' an appointment with as many people as possible, you're setting yourself up for failure and probable burnout.

'Don't Go Fishing in the Sahara!' Traditionally salespeople are taught to 'sell' to everyone they contact. They are taught that selling is a 'numbers game.' As a result of this out dated and out-moded way of selling, salespeople:

* Waste much of their time.
* Avoid sales prospecting and business development because of rejection
* Lose interest and become demotivated
* Face prospects who don't want to and have no interest in hearing about what they have to sell

Effective business development means shifting the paradigm from attempting to 'sell' to everyone you contact, to contacting those potential customers who actually want what you're selling! Winning salespeople effectively target those prospects with whom they to want to work. They identify, plan, and execute a well thought through prospecting effort.

Author: Ian Segail

About the author:
As one of Australia's leading authorities and coaches in sales management, Ian Segail has been involved in the coaching, training and development of sales managers and salespeople for over two decades.
You can access other great resources on sales management and training from Ian at http://www.salestutor.com.au/Content_Common/pg-Salestutor-Tools-and-Resources-Articles-and-Whitepapers.seo

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

A company or group logo is a great way to establish brand identity in an attractive, memorable way. If you look at the biggest corporations, you see that their logo is displayed prominently in every bit of promotion that the company puts out. You find logos on websites, in magazine ads and on the products themselves.
Clothing is another excellent way to use a logo to your advantage. Your logo gets seen every time that garment goes out the door. This is also one of the most versatile uses for your logo as clothing could be created for your employees, customers and even prospective clients. Clothing with logos on it is one of the least expensive ways to get your logo seen on a widespread basis and can be utilized by so many types of organizations.
If you have employees that are out and about in the public eye, customized logo apparel helps your employees present a professional image as well as allowing customers to easily identify them. Not only are your employees identifiable, they are also helping to impress your company's brand identity upon every person who sees them.
Your employee's LogoWear apparel doesn't stop working for you when they punch out at the end of the day, either. Many of these workers will make at least one stop on the way home each day - at the store, the post office or just to get gas. Think of how many prospective customers are seeing your company's logo? The more often they see your logo, the greater the impression made in their minds. When they need the product or service your company provides, who are they going to think of first?
Another use for custom LogoWear is as gifts for your customers, suppliers and prospects. Not only will you be reinforcing your brand image to the ones you give the clothing to, they also will be wearing that apparel elsewhere. It's like having a whole army of people out there advertising your business to the rest of the world. When someone wears your customized LogoWear, they are indirectly providing an endorsement of your product which is an extremely effective method of promotion.
The uses of custom LogoWear isn't limited to business, either. Any organization needs to establish a brand identity in order to grow and expand, even charitable or sports organizations. Donations have been shown to increase when a small gift is received so why not reward donors with a t-shirt with your logo on it? Again, just as with businesses, these custom LogoWear items keep on promoting your cause every time the person wears it.
Brand identity is a crucial component of the success of any organization. Custom apparel from LogoWear Direct can reinforce your brand in those who wear it and those who see it worn. It's like having a whole army of living business cards presenting your brand to the world. Unlike ordinary business cards, your LogoWear Direct apparel are useful and durable. Let LogoWear Direct help with your brand identity today!

Author: Sandy L Parker

About the author:

Sandy L Parker is an Independent Rep for LogoWear Direct.�Logo apparel is great for:Company Wear, Corporate,Giveaways, Fundraising, Brand Identity, Team Wear, Employee Incentives, Meetings & Outings, Advertising, Uniforms, Customer Appreciation, Golf Outing.Take a look at our online catalog at:
http://www.logoweardirect.biz/sparker81

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

Most dollarstore business owners don't really understand the huge positive impact that press releases can have on the success of their business. In fact they see creating a press release as a difficult, time-consuming, low priority task. As a result they miss many great opportunities to get the word out about their company. Don't join that crowd. Make creating press releases a part of your overall strategy to inform shoppers and others about your store. Soon press releases will pay dividends as readers visit your store and make purchases. If you'd like to know more, read on. In this article I present when you open a dollar store leverage press releases to build sales.

When you open a dollar store you need to continually be on the lookout for press release opportunities within your business. Everything starts with your dollarstore business opening. But after the grand opening, what else can you do? Some of the options might be the addition of a new manager or assistant manager for your dollarstore. Store expansions, completion of significant training, the addition of a new department, or even the addition of new product lines all qualify for mention.

Make it your practice to jot down every potential press release idea whenever if comes to mind. Save those ideas up for review at a later date. Then about every other week examine the list of potential ideas. Eliminate those ideas that do not make sense, or didn't come to be. For the ideas you still feel are a good possibility for a press release, stop and write the press release immediately while the idea is fresh. If you want to delay until a future date, then take a few minutes to add some of the details you want to be sure you include whenever you do decide to create the press release regarding that topic.

Be sure you follow the basics of writing a high quality press release. There's nothing worse than going to all the work to open a dollar store and coming up with a great idea for a press release, and then throwing together and submitting a poorly written press that isn't read by your target shoppers.

When you open a dollar store always remember the power of creating quality press releases. Getting the word out there about your dollarstore is critical to growing sales and profits. Well written press releases are one of the keys to getting the word out about your dollar store business.

To your dollar store success!

Author: Bob Hamilton

About the author:
Learn how you can Start your own Dollar Store Business.

Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, author, writer,
business consultant and trainer.


Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

What is an ezine? It's a newsletter sent out via email.

How is ezine pronounced? There was actually a poll on the VA Networking Association forum... Mostly it was pronounced 'e-zeen,' like electronic magazine, but there were a few responses for 'e-zine' like 'pine'.

What is the purpose of an ezine? There are many purposes of an ezine. First, it keeps you in front of prospects and clients by providing meaningful, helpful and informative content. Your ezine counts towards those 6 to 12 contacts it takes to make a sale. For your clients, it helps them remember you, and hopefully even provide referrals to you.

Next, it helps your prospects see you as an expert in your field because you are providing 'meaningful, helpful and informative content'.

You can build your prospect list by providing a sign up on your website. Very seldom does a potential client 'buy' from visiting your website the first time, and you have no way to follow up with those visitors. But if you offer an ezine, your prospect can subscribe to your ezine and allow you to work on those 6 to 12 contacts. You can even offer a bonus for subscribing, like a special report or other valuable information they can't get anywhere else.

An ezine can also be used to drive prospects to your website. There are numerous websites geared towards article marketing and ezine publication. Both provide more exposure for your website, thereby driving more traffic to your business.

So, you're thinking, 'Yes, I need to be publishing an ezine, but how often? What will I write about?' The 'how often' is up to each individual. I've seen some quarterly, some monthly, some twice a month, some weekly. I was, however, on a recent teleseminar with Alexandria Brown -- a/k/a The Ezine Queen -- who said if you're only doing it once a month, then it's a waste of time. And really, if it takes 12 contacts to close a sale, would you rather close that sale in 6 months or 12 months?

Now, 'what will I write about?' I have to admit, some weeks I do have difficulty trying to figure out what to write, but it has always seemed to work itself out. Some articles come easier than others, and some are better than others. Don't be afraid to publish an ezine because you're afraid you won't be able to come up with the content... You will be able to. It's amazing how, when you put your mind to something, it happens. You just want it to be related to your field. You wouldn't want to receive an ezine from me full of recipes or horse training tips. Make sure your ezine is relevant to your industry.

Author: Jama St. John

About the author:
Virtual Assistant and Online Business Manager Jama St. John of Gulf Coast Office Support publishes a biweekly e-newsletter with tips for office efficiency. To receive your subscription, go to www.gulfcoastos.com.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

As a 34-year-old, born-and-bred New Yorker, as I read the details of Barack Obama's stimulus plan, many memories come to mind. A product of the NYC public school system, I have worked hard for my money, and according to government classifications am 'rich', as I have made many sacrifices to get to where I am. I've weathered a divorce, failed friendships, dwindling family time, and many others sacrifices entrepreneurs make, and I am sure these self-sacrifices will continue.
Growing up in a Bronx household where my mother worked very hard, we were 'latchkey' kids. I worked 40 hours a week from the age of 11 in a local pizzeria run by a 30-something, hardworking Italian immigrant. This man saved his money to open the business and worked 90 hours a week there to send his two young children to Catholic school. My mom was the daughter of Holocaust survivors, who had instilled in her a unique endurance, but she was stubborn and refused to ever accept help from anyone. It had to always be her way, and she refused to lose. We never asked nor received any help from the government. My mother raised my sister and me to believe in ourselves, and she sacrificed herself tremendously so we could advance.
Prior to entering the field of Public Relations, I had one job. I worked in that same local pizzeria every day until I was 23 years old. Summers? Eighty hours a week doing dishes, mopping floors, and delivering pizza. Though it was grueling, I loved it and wouldn't change it for the world. But from a young age, I promised myself my children would never want for anything.
I was blessed to be accepted to an elite NYC public school, Stuyvesant HS. I managed to avoid attending my local Bronx high school, described at the time as 'one of the most dangerous high schools in the country,' by taking the subway system an hour and a half each day in the pre-Rudy Giuliani NYC. Those were the lovely days of boom-boxes, graffiti and muggings every minute. From the age of 14, I learned to navigate those causeways safely in order to reach school. In high school, I met driven, focused young people for the first time, and was inspired to work harder. Despite being accepted to numerous elite private colleges, I attended a NY State School, which I graduated from in 3 years after working hours and hours. Memories of my mother clipping coupons, always picking up pennies from the floor, having me return bottles for the 5 cent return (in the pre-green days), and never using credit cards because you never knew if you'd be able to pay the bills remain in my mind then and now.
I started my agency, 5W Public Relations, in 2003. Since then, it has grown to become one of the 20 largest independent PR agencies in the U.S., ending 2008 with nearly $12 million in revenue. We have no debt, pay all vendors on time, and have always had a profitable business, as we work very hard and deliver results. We don't accept complacency; we demand and deliver. We have never had a line of credit, don't carry credit card balances and pay our bills.
Government to date has affected my firm in many ways: we have footed the bill for jury duty for countless employees; we have matched Medicare tax rates (with little faith the system will exist when most of my employees will eventually need it); and as my firm grew, we paid extra commercial real estate taxes. Yet, we have always followed the letter of the law and kept forging forth.
Over the last few months, my firm, like many other companies across the world, has seen our business depreciate. We have lost clients due to finances, collections have become much harder, and we have had layoffs. Yesterday, the stimulus package arrived at my business. We learned that my firm will have to pay 65% of COBRA's costs for each laid-off employee, eventually to be reimbursed in some form of tax credits (as a business owner I pay and pay and pay - and never seem to get credits). This stimulus package adds bills to my business, which is already down and suffering from lower cash flow.
I hear about New York's governor proposing to raise taxes another 4 percent and Obama consumed with the popular tale of 'taxing the rich.' Growing up in NYC, I always viewed the rich as elite folks who were billionaires - Rockefellers who ran humongous publicly-traded corporations - not my boss from 20 years ago, who owns seven local pizzerias and surely makes more than the $250,000 a year our President and Governor deem as the salary of the rich. These so-called rich are the people who create jobs and who sacrifice. People who work hard.
Today's government is putting more strain on the hardworking entrepreneur. It is taxing energetic people who sacrifice every day to create opportunities for others as well as themselves. This is simply not the answer to the nation's devastating problems. Countless small businesses are comatose and need stimulation; it's not their responsibility to bail out individuals. The drivers of the American economy aren't the poor and the jobless, but the entrepreneurs who create the opportunities for these jobless Americans.
The new government taxes will result in more job losses. They will penalize the productive and give needlessly to the unproductive. They will relinquish an entrepreneur's motivation to work even harder to provide jobs. This political hurricane sweeping through our businesses will change the country's landscape for the worse. It's nothing more than un-American. (And by the way, don't forget, when I die, my kids will be taxed another 50 percent on my money.)

Author: RonnTorossian

About the author:
As a 34-year-old, born-and-bred New Yorker, as I read the details of Barack Obama's stimulus plan, many memories come to mind. A product of the NYC public school system, I have worked hard for my money, and according to government classifications am 'rich', as I have made many sacrifices to get to where I am. I've weathered a divorce, failed friendships, dwindling family time, and many others sacrifices entrepreneurs make, and I am sure these self-sacrifices will continue.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

PR News Wire Service lets you convey your special messages to people around the world that matters. If you have developed a new technology, launched a new product or if your restaurant menu has some special menu items that the whole world doesn't have, they are all news. Let PR News Wire Service take this news to the editors of several hundreds of newspapers, magazines, websites, news syndication sites, and more.

News delivery has evolved over the centuries and it has become easier for everyone to convey the message across. Press release services have changed its shaped several times before the digital delivery took place after Information Technology has changed everything.

Send Electronic Press Kit Instantly to Thousands of Editors

It is the latest thing and trend in news syndication. Just like the traditional press kit, electronic press kit too has all the details of the company or organization providing the news. Reporters might be a bit disappointed, as they can't find the freebie items like notepads, pens, and other pleasantries they used to receive. It is a good thing for the companies that want to get their news published and the best thing, they can send the electronic media kit to editors located anywhere in the world and in a minute.

You can use web services to reach several thousands of editors who are looking for interesting news items for their newspaper, magazine, websites, etc. A stripped down version of the press kit or a simple press release too can be circulated, so that automated news syndication services can easily pick the news. It was not even imaginable not so far away.

Video News Release -VNR

Internet too is fast becoming a video medium. Video news release is not just for the TV channels, but also for the internet. There are different websites that now offer people to host videos even without charging them anything. Video syndication sites make it easier for you to take your video news releases to people in your city and to around the world.

In both electronic press kit and video news release, you only need to provide newsworthy events - like developments in new healthcare facilities, some entertainment news, and a lot more. Syndicate media outlet of any size or reputation can help you to take your message to the editors. However, appealing to them and letting your 'news' in is at the sole discretion of the editors. However, in most cases, you can get past the door by offering a good product - an irresistible piece or well-presented news item.

Electronic press kits and video news release are becoming the norm of the day and syndicate media outlets also change their style of functioning. It is time for you to plan promotion through news through PR news wire services. Because, without people knowing the existence of your business, it is extremely difficult for it to survive, let alone succeed.

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Keywords: Press release, video news release, PR & VNR, electronic press kits
Category: Media, Public Relations, News or similar

Author: Dev Sri

About the author:

Are you planning to take your piece of news to the mass market? Let PR News Wire Service help you gain instant exposure through newspapers, local news channels and several hundreds of news and video websites.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

Electronic press release kits are the same as regular press release kits - the only difference is that they don't have any pleasantries for the journalists. Well, and they are distributed in CD or over the internet. When it is made available online, editors of newspapers working around the world can download the content straight from the news syndication website. They can also receive them through email. There aren't any restrictions, especially when it comes to delivering news online.

Electronic press kits (EPK) have the news article or press release. It also has necessary background information of the company. They can be quite extensive, as you can include all relevant data in the kit for the editors to explore. A good option for marketers and everyone who wants to get his/her news across to a maximum number of people. Companies, non-profit organizations, political parties, etc all now use EPK for possible inclusion in newspapers, magazines and websites.

Drafting electronic press release kits require some skills and understanding of what the editors need. No editor will like to make his editorial space another advertising billboard. They need news - what is in it for the readers type news stories. Your success with EPK depends on your ability to convey in clear language that there is something for the readers. Newsworthy events, development of new technologies, curious uses of different products, etc all make for news. If the release has no news value, it won't get published.

Video News Releases

They are also like EPK. The difference is they are aimed at television channels. A news video, which can be included in the local channel as news, companies can get some exposure through VNR. Just like in case of EPK, you need to have a newsworthy or interesting story weaved into the video. You can very few seconds to sell the story, you need to make sure the video passes like a bullet. There are techniques that you can use to make your VNR irresistible by TV news editors.

Apart from the local TV channels, you can also target the websites catering specific geographic locations or target demographic groups. There are several websites now available online, streaming videos. The visitors of such websites use high speed broadband connection and they watch the videos just as TV programs. When planning VNR production, make sure you target this group too.

There are different strategies of gaining attention of the editors. They include releasing a funny or entertainment video, a compelling news story that editors can't overlook, and videos featuring celebrities are always in demand. They go to both TV channels and websites delivering online videos.

Entertaining or informing news releases also go to newspapers - both local and national papers. Some editors pick shorter news items - less than 200 words, while others have 700 word releases OK. Also think about the newspapers and magazines that give snippets of less than 20 words.

When it comes to electronic press release kits, your primary requirement is to get your release printed or published in websites. We can help you reach hundreds of editors in a matter of minutes.

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Keywords: Electronic press kits, video news release, epk, vnr,

Category: Communications, mass media, news, or similar

Author: Dev Sri

About the author:
Are you looking to get exposure for your company's activities, technologies or products? Make Electronic Press Release Kits a big part of your public relations strategy. Gain instant exposure through websites, newspapers and magazines.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

Every now and then I think of public relations, I ask myself with utmost dismay if indeed practitioners of the profession in Nigeria will increasingly get a seat at the top management - the height of any organization - in years to come.

It is no more news that the public relations profession dates back from the 15th century. And that its activities are widely used and well appreciated in countries like the USA and UK to mention just two.What is however news is that the Nigerian government is never really aware if public relations practitioners do exist in the country, not to talk of patronizing them! It is disheartening also to hear corporate executives talk down on public relations people. You hear such comments like 'What exactly are public relations functions in an organization?' or 'How does a public relations job fit into our corporate goal of maximizing profit?'

This cold disposition shows an inadequate orientation on the objects, scope and roles of public relations in industry.In a recent study of the US bureau of labour statistics, about 700,000 jobs were held by advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers in 2002. It was observed that sales managers held almost half of the jobs (343,000); while marketing managers held more than one-fourth (203,000). Advertising and promotions managers held 85,000; and public relations managers held only 69,000 of the total jobs.

The result of the study above is a crystal clear indication of the low recognition corporate executives the world over place on this highly priced profession.From my point of view, I believe this misunderstanding and skepticism of public relations role can be attributed to the fact that many of the traditional corporate executives had a management background which placed little or no emphasis on public relations or reputations management. Many CEOs are ignorant of what a public relations function is, and what it is not.

A look at the educational curriculum for social and management sciences department of many higher institutions in Nigeria shows dearth of requisite courses in Public Relations. A typical example is the department of Business Administration of Olabisi Onabanjo University, BUS 407 (Promotional Management 1) is the only course one would notice a Public Relations mention. And, you need to know the worst of it all: It is an elective! (I guess for students who specialize in Marketing.)This perhaps is the reason heads of both marketing and public relations department dispute over the right to plan and present communication strategies.

The public relations practitioner is faced also with a similar problem. As a result of his narrow exposure to management principles and techniques, he lacks managerial and administrative skills that modern CEOs look out for. Public Relations courses are often housed in a journalism, mass communications or communications department which makes it difficult. (But, that is not to say it can't be found in a business school.)

As Chief Bob Ogbuagu, an expert in public relations sums it up: Broaden the base of the training of public relations people so that they'll do a bit of accounts, do a bit of everything because when you become a manager, really your profession is not strictly what you do.The pressure is on public relations people to acquire sound managerial skills.

Though effective writing is absolutely a critical skill; judgment may be the most important single qualification needed in their field; the capacity to think analytically under pressure; confidence, sensitivity, organizing and planning ability may be the hallmark of a public relations training; nevertheless, management skills are invaluable for successful climbing the public relations ladder.

For a career in Public Relations, a university or polytechnic degree or diploma respectively is essential, and a basic grounding in the liberal arts is strongly recommended. The practitioner need give it a thought also on earning a degree (probably a master's) in Management, Administration or Business, and attending short training courses or certification programmes related to his field and specialization in order to remain relevant in this highly competitive job market.

Further more, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) should fight for more Public Relations courses to be taught in the social and management departments of institutions of higher learning and ensure only professionals teach those courses.Conclusively, every true public relations practitioner has a role to play in this revolution.

All hands must be on desk to ensure her rightful place in the society. Public relations professionals are role models. Once, the simple operation of publicity today has emerged as an important management function. Gone are the days when public relations executives are pegged at the manager level. The public relations head should hold strategic positions like vice president, assistant general manager, deputy managing director, or even managing director/CEO status.It is high time practitioners equipped themselves with the required training and skills in order not to be relegated to incidental activities in corporate hierarchy.

Author: Ayokunle Bankole

About the author:

Owner of www.rulingideas.com and CEO at Loud Media Company - a promotional and marketing consulting firm, with an operational client-service base in Lagos, Nigeria. As a passionate and creative resource person, he helps small businesses to communicate effectively using cheap, simple but efficient marketing tools and strategies.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

China continues to be a seemingly never-ending source of products and/or materials resulting in the need for recalls by manufacturers and retailers worldwide. Operational and communications response to the need for a recall can dramatically affect an organization's reputation, for better or worse. Here are some experience-based tips for effective product recalls:

1. Remember that rapid response to a known product problem minimizes damage. The time to examine the systems you have in place for recall is now, not when you already have a product needing recall.

2. Have a product recall plan ready to use anytime, one that covers the operational, legal and public relations (internal and external) components of making a recall. Hint: 'We'll wing it' is not a product recall plan.

3. Have the core members of a product recall team identified and trained in advance. It may be necessary to have one team at a corporate level to direct recall activities overall, and individual teams more focused on the operational aspects of product recall at the sales/marketing and/or manufacturing levels. And you'd be amazed at how some people you think will be cool in a crisis actually aren't, and vice versa - behavior that often is identified through training that includes simulating a recall.

4. Have back-ups for critical people and recall systems. Assume that some recall-related lead personnel will not be available when you need them. Assume that the computer system where you maintain your stakeholder contact lists has crashed. Assume other similar worst-case scenarios and make your back-up plans accordingly.

5. Have contact lists for all stakeholders set up on automated notification systems. This is particularly important for end-users and distributors of your products. You can't rely on the media alone to reach them.

6. Consider the use of virtual incident management. There are a number of Internet-centered systems that allow recall team members to exchange real-time information, access current communications documents, and keep team leaders updated even if the team is geographically scattered.

7. Make recall-related decisions that are based on protecting your brand/reputation and not just on your legal risks. The infamous Bridgestone-Firestone recall started far too late because the company's leadership was considering risks other than the most important one -- the risk of aggravating the court of public opinion.

8. Communicate internally and externally. Remember that every employee and, often, dedicated contractors are public relations representatives and crisis managers for your organization, whether you want them to be or not. You must empower them with reassuring messages about the recall suitable for use at their respective levels of the company, and you don't want them to learn of the recall from external sources before they hear about it from you.

9. Don't wait for the CPSC, FDA, USDA or other regulatory agencies to protect your reputation. While each regulatory agency that can get involved in product recalls has its own process to follow, that process can often delay how much time passes before product consumers and distributors are notified -- a delay which, in worst-case scenarios, can cause injuries or deaths. In that event, the court of public opinion may react very negatively to both your organization and the regulator -- but you're the one whose revenue and reputation will be most impacted.

10. Focus special communications on highly disgruntled customers and distributors. In this Age of the Internet, and in a litigious society, a few angry people can make waves completely disproportionate to their numbers or even to the injury suffered (if any). The recall process should include an 'Escalated Cases' team to focus on such complaints when they're received.

CEOs need to remember that the public expects them to do what's right, not just what's required. There are a lot of companies whose leadership learned that the hard way - don't let it happen to you.

Author: Jonathan Bernstein

About the author:
Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. (BCM), http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com, providing crisis prevention, response, planning and training services. The BCM website has more than 500 articles on crisis management available free to visitors.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

Team have emerged as a powerful management tool, because it involve and empower employees. Teams can cut across organizations in unusual ways. Hence, workers are more satisfied and high productivity and product quality typically result. Work team effectiveness is based on two sources- productive output and personal satisfaction. Satisfaction relates to the terms ability to met the personal needs of its members and hence maintain their membership and commitment, Productive output relates to the quality and quantity of task output as defined by term goals.

This include structure, strategy, environment, culture and reward system. Manager must decide when to create permanent terms with in the formal structure and when to use a temporary team. Leader must understand and manage stage of development, norms, and conflict in order to establish an effective team.

Vertical team composed of a manager and his or her employees in the organization formal chain of command. Horizontal team, composed employees from about the same level but different areas of expertise. When there Is problem in organization, manager should build a problem solving teams, which consist 5-12 people in same department who team together and discuss the ways to improve quality, efficiency and work environment. For example BHP, adapt this and knows that the quality takes a team effort. Self-directed teams consisted multi-skilled workers who product the entire produces, Federal Express have boosted productivity up to 40% by doing that. Virtual teams

For a team to be successful over long run, it must structure so as both to maintain its members social well-being and to accomplish its task. People who play the task specific role spend time and energy helping the team reach its goal. They offer propose new solutions to team problem, offer opinions on task solution, ask for task relevant facts, stimulate the team into action when interest drop. People who adopt a socio-emotional role support team members emotional needs and help strengthen the social entity. They are ware and receptive to others ideas, reconcile group conflict, tell jokes to reduce tension, go along with team, agree to other team members idea and shift own opinions to maintain team harmony.

Manger should focus on team interaction, the greater the amount of contract among team members and the more time spend together, the more cohesive the team. They are encouraged to share goals, if team member agree on goals, they will be more cohesive. Team has personal attraction attached to it, meaning that members have similar attitude and values and enjoy being together. When there is presence of competition, when team is in moderate competition with other teams, its cohesiveness increases as it strives to win. Team success and favorable evaluation of the term by outsiders add to cohesiveness which increase the commitment to their team.

It is informal, they are not written down. But they are valuable because they define boundaries of acceptable behavior. It identifies clear value, clarify expectation, and facilitate team survival. However, there may be some conflict between individual to block the goal of the teams. There is concept called superordinate goal, which large mission that cannot be attained by a single party. To the extent that people can be focused on team or organization goals, the conflict will decrease because they see the big picture and realize they must work together to achieve it. Mediation, in which using high- level manager to settle a dispute, they can discuss the conflict with each party and work toward a solution. Manager should facilitate communication to ensure that conflicting parties hold accurate perceptions. Manager should keep team discussion focused on issues, not personalities, by having multiple alternatives to consider concentrates team members energy on solving problem. Manager should balance the power, they should accept the teams decision as fair, even if they do not agree with it and never force a consensus.

Social facilitation, refers to the tendency for the presence of other to enhance an individual motivation and performance. Team work increase employees felling of dignity and self-worth because the whole person is employed. Team work empowers employees to bring greater knowledge and ability to the task. It increase organizational flexibility, team can exchange jobs and share resource easily and increase the responsive to rapidly changing customer needs. However, there is some costs of teams, when organization form shop workers into teams, the major losers are low- and middle- level manager. These manager are reluctant to give up power. When team are successful, fewer supervisor are needed. Free rider may occur, when team member who attains benefit from team membership but does not do a proportionate share of the work. The time and energy to coordinate the activities of a group to enable it to perform its task is called coordination cost. Some manager feels that they could do the same project by themselves in less time.

Author: Tom Feinberg

About the author:
Tom Feinberg has spent more than 15 years working as a professor at the University of Maine. Now he spends most of his time with his family and shares his experience about dissertation writing. Tom Feinberg is a right person to ask about dissertation abstract.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

The Treasure Hunters Roadshow rolls into town to help many people like Jerry Stockton.
His comments, 'I came in just to find out how much my dagger was worth, I had an idea and they were in the ball park with a good offer, so I decided to sell it! This has been a cold winter, utilities have been high, and money has been low so I decided my family could use the money.'

Stories like Jerry's were the norm for the day. With today's troubled economy the Treasure Hunter's Roadshow has created an avenue for people to cash in on those coins, broken gold, silver or platinum jewelry items you have lying in your jewelry box.

While talking with many of the other attendees, I asked why they chose this avenue as opposed to sending their items thru the mail to other gold companies. Sheryl Koker explains, 'I didn't trust those advertisements on TV, I was afraid they were a rip off , what if they sent me a check and it bounced, then I would be out my gold and the money.' Melvin Herely states, 'I liked the idea of being able to bring in more than just my gold or coins, I have several items that I've kept thru the years, and they were able to tell me what it was worth. It was fun, informative, I got to sit and visit with folks I haven't seen in a very long time and see what things other people were bringing in, I would definitely come back again.'

The Treasure Hunters Roadshow hosts yet another successful event.

Author: Patricia Patton

About the author:
PMC News

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.

There are two main ways to increase revenue, even in a recession:
SEO marketing
Good Customer Service

By giving consumers the best customer service you can beat out the larger corporations who are also your competitors. When customers are satitisfied, you retain customers and increase your companys bottom line.

Could better customer service mean more sales for your company? Of course.

Customer expectations are continuously increasing, and lets be honest. Bad customer service is everywhere these days. Delivering excellent customer service is paramount to any business's long-term success. Customers seek out products and services that are best able to satisfy their requirements: Filling a need, good customer service and price.

Customer loyalty is a major contributor to sustainable profit growth. To achieve success, you must make superior service second nature of your organization. A seamless integration of all components in the service-profit chain - employee satisfaction, value creation, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profit and growth - links all the critical dynamics of top customer service.

The fact is, companies that have been around for a while often forget the very thing that made them successful in the first place: their customers. They often lose focus on the customer and start focusing on the numbers and profits. They look for ways to cut costs or increase revenues, often at the expense of the customer. Hands down, one of the single most important aspects of a successful business is good customer service.

Great customer service is a key selling point that can set you apart from your competition, so making it convenient and easy for customers to do business with you can lead to new business and profitability.
Large companies tend to forget that satisfying customer needs and continuous value is the only path to sustainable growth. This creates opportunities for new, smaller companies to emulate and improve upon what made their bigger competitors successful in the first place and pull those customers their way.

Lets face it, the whole purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer. If a business successfully creates and keeps customers in a cost-effective way, it will make a profit while continuing to survive and thrive, even in a recession. If, for any reason, a business fails to attract or sustain a sufficient number of customers, it will experience losses. Too many losses will lead to closing your business down.

In speaking with doing business in a recession, good customer service is even more vital as consumers patience tend to decrease during stressful periods such as in a slow or bad economy. Although there is a direct correlation between good customer service and higher sales, consistence is key.

Customers Are Your Bread and Butter, So Treat Them Right.

Studies have proven that effective customer service complaint handling is one of the top five drivers of brand loyalty. And yet for all the money spent on trying to understand customers and make them happy, an increasing number of people report being extremely upset about the way their complaints were handled. When bigcorporations get even bigger, many tend to place good customer service further down the priority list. This is a great opportunity for smaller businesses to step in.

Customer Care Measurement and Consulting in Virginia, together with Arizona State University, conducted the National Customer Rage Survey in 2004.

The researchers referenced a 1976 study conducted for the White House by the Technical Assistance Research Program (TARP) as their benchmark. In the TARP study, 32 % of those surveyed indicated that they had experienced a serious problem during the past year. In the 2004 study, this number rose to 43%.

This is clearly a jump in the wrong direction, even more remarkable in light of all the investments made in automated telephone response systems and call centres over the last three decades. North American companies have spent as much as $1.75 billion in software to help manage relationships with their customers.

All this begs the question, 'Why do we have more problems today than in 1976?' You might suspect quality problems but, as the researchers discovered, both product and service quality have improved.

The most important reason for dissatisfaction is linked to increased customer expectations. What customers really want is to be treated fairly. This doesn't seem unreasonable. Yet participants in the 2004 survey said it took an average of 4.3 interactions with a company to get a problem resolved. Researchers call this phenomenon 'ping-ponging.'

And let's face it, if you have to contact a company four or more times, how happy are you likely to be when the problem finally gets resolved?

In some cases, ping-ponging can be avoided. No one likes to disappoint a customer, but if you know the answer is going to be 'No,' it's better to say it right up front. Don't drag it out and make the customer get back to you while you 'check into it.'

According to the survery, respondents also cited the time it took to resolve complaints. Only 11% were resolved within 24 hours, 15% took one to seven days, 19% took more than 28 days and 46% of complainants said their problems were still outstanding months later. For situations that were resolved, 56% of respondents felt they got nothing as a result of their complaint.

In all likelihood, even if the company did give them something, if it takes 4.3 interactions over a month, customers probably feel as if they get nothing.

The study also found that most complainants didn't want free products or services as compensation. What they really wanted was an explanation (23% of respondents), an apology (25%), a chance to vent their frustrations (38%), and some assurance that the problem won't happen again (17%).

All of these things cost your company nothing, something any business can afford to do.

Whether you are a large corporation, or a small business owner, customers all want to same thing. Good customer service. Effective complaint handling practices produce brand loyalty, higher ROI's and increased profitability, yet many complaints are still poorly handled.
Perhaps companies that fail in this area are overcomplicating matters with unnecessary policies and procedures when a fair approach and a simple apology would suffice. No matter how your company approaches customer service, one thing is clear - the moral of the 2004 National Customer Rage Study is 'Do it right or don't do it.'

Being helpful, professional and friendly can build customer loyalty, and if missing, can drive them to a competitor.

Here are some tips to help you improve your customer service:
Be youself, Not a Script -LISTEN to what the customer is saying and respond to what's really going on.

Following through - Companies should take advantage of communication they are already having with their customers to find out how things are going by following-up.

(Phone) Add a smile to your voice. It's true, customers can detect your demeanor without even seeing your face. When you physically smile when taking a call, your customer can 'see' it in your voice.
Acknowledge the customer's issue by relaying it back to them to make sure you understand they're asking. It validates the customer and ensures that you understand the issue.

Return all emails promptly. Each email you receive represents someone who may be interested in doing business with you, or is awaiting an answer. Treat every email (or phone call) with the same sense of urgency you'd show if that person was standing in front of you.

Take ownership. When customers complain to you, it is your responsibility to find a solution. If you can't solve the situation yourself, bring the customer together with someone who can.

Make it Personal - When someone emails you with an inquiry or request, always respond by using their name in the e-mail and thanking them first and foremost for their interest/business.

Be specific. Rather than telling the customer you will provide an answer 'sometime next week,' put yourself on the line with a deadline. 'I'll have an answer to you no later than noon on Tuesday.'
Listen to customers: The temptation is to always be in selling mode, but try to tone down the sales pitch and deal with the situation at hand. Let your customers talk, actually listen to them and show that you are listening to them, and you will be able to accurately fulfill their particular needs.

Don't pass from pillar to post: If possible, deal with customer complaints / queries at their first point of contact. Nothing alienates customers faster than shuffling them to several different people to handle a simple matter.

Author: Nic Soto

About the author:
Niccolinas Soto is a founder and the CEO of PRDepotChicago.com, www.prdepotchicago.com, a U.S. based marketing firm whose innovative Search Engine Optimization services, and online PR campaigns help small and new businesses increase their visibility, traffic and sales. Employing a staff of 8, the firm's business comes from around the world, with clients from every industry. Offering inexpensive rates to small business owners.

Article source: Free Public Relations Articles.