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By Dr. Gary S. Goodman Perhaps its only fitting to mark the passing of one of my professors, Peter F. Drucker, by meditating on one of his favorite, and I believe, most important questions. Whenever my classmates and I would boast about our products, our technologies, our specialized experience, or say anything at all self-serving, hed swiftly bring us back to reality by noting: All of that is fine, but what is value to your customers? In other words, it didnt matter if we believed we beat the pants off our competitors by having more branches in more places. If we couldnt argue convincingly to the internationally famous Father of Modern Management that our customers agreed with us, those branches, no matter how sparkling and expensive, were of no consequence, whatsoever. In fact, by focusing at all on our own opinions, instead of actively monitoring and measuring our customers, we err in two ways. We waste time and resources looking inward, which is decadent, and we insulate ourselves more and more from the only people who really matter in businesscustomerswho pay our bills and provide opportunities. Value isnt always obvious, Drucker would point out. We may think were providing one satisfaction when the customer is really deriving another, more significant satisfaction to him. Take a modern gym, such as Ballys or 24-Hour Fitness. Their generally accepted purpose is to get people into shape, if you ask most of the people who work there. Certainly, many people buy memberships for that stated purpose. But there are lots of other reasons people sign-up. For some, its a social outlet, for others, a sanctuary where they can set their own pace, relax, and escape the demands of family and co-workers. For a few, its a chance to preen, to show-off their abs or biceps or whatever the muscle de jour happens to be. If you observe most members, theyre in no rush to move from station to station. They linger, and their heartbeats seldom seem to reach that magical aerobic moment when calories happily burn away. If theyre pushed by the staff or by other patrons to work harder or faster, they rebel, if only silently. They want to get into shape their own way, which of course, isnt always technically feasible, but many folks con themselves into thinking that theyre progressing. Their victory is walking through the gyms door, not in becoming an Adonis. To run a financially successful gym, one would have to accept these customers and make it possible for them to maintain their illusions, because these illusions are satisfactions to them. Illusions constitute value, in the Druckerian sense. He was fond of telling us how his young niece requested a special gift for her birthday, which provided no functional utility at the time–her first brassiere. Instead of dismissing this request, he understood it as a desire to feel more grown-up, and he honored her wish, giving her a truly valued gift, and great joy. Not only do we have to ask the all-important value question. We need to re-ask it, if we hope to keep pace with and to retain our clientele. Realities change, sometimes suddenly. GMs biggest SUV looks very different when the price of gasoline spikes. Ballys has to stay on top of trends, and offer Pilates or yoga classes, depending upon what seems to be in demand. It cant say, Weve always run dance classes, and thats it! Being guided by customer sensibilities can be very scary to some businesspeople. It requires us to challenge tradition and preconceptions, to open up, to ask questions, and to renounce authoritarianism. We need to be willing to really understand the viewpoints of others, and to cater to them, to serve them the way they want to be served. We need to be prepared to abandon our favorite products, the ones that have defined us and nurtured us, when there is the hint that they no longer deliver value to the customer. Thats tough, and that is part of the legacy of Peter Drucker. As former GE CEO Jack Welch said, Professor Drucker had a knack for asking the right question, usually a deceptively simple one, that could add tremendous clarity and value to ones business. Dr. Gary S. Goodman is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. Garys programs are offered by UCLA Extension and by numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He studied directly with Peter Drucker at Claremont Graduate University, for two and a half years, earning an MBA, in the process. When he isnt consulting, Gary can usually be found in Glendale, California, where he makes his home. He can be reached atgary@customersatisfaction.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Gary_S._Goodman http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Is-Value-To-Your-Customers?&id=112664 where to buy phentermine online phentermine diet pills cod buy phentermine no script cheapest phentermine without prescription

By Elaine Sihera How often do we hear the statement from single people looking for new dates: “I’m seeking friendship first” because they like to get to ‘know’ the person before delving into anything more intimate. Men in particular, who fear commitment, love to hide behind this condition, while never really achieving their aim. But is such ‘friendship’ possible? Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? Let’s look at the evidence. Once I got talking online to a seemingly kindly man who fancied me. I explained clearly on the phone that I liked his personality but not enough to take it any further and I didn’t think it was a good idea to meet. He felt I was judging him from afar and that I should give him some chance to prove himself, especially when he was merely inviting me to lunch. He was sure that, if I was proved right, we could at least ‘be friends’. I was not sure about that but felt I ought to give him the benefit of the doubt to meet up and allow the situation to unfold. In the end he was old-fashioned in his views, stuck in the past wishing for the ‘good old days’ and rather mean in affirming people, while being quick with criticism. I didn’t warm to him at all and the great personality didn’t seem so great in close-up! He also kept grabbing my hand to hold it and I wasn’t impressed as I dislike physical contact when I don’t feel comfortable. I reminded him of what I had said on the phone and he left the date promising to be ‘friends’ but was noticeably peeved that I wasn’t more amenable to his overtures. I never heard from him again, which did not really surprise me, because his desire for friendship was not genuine in the first place. It was a way to get nearer to me to help me change my mind about him. His ego was hurt and, as ‘friendship’ was not what he really sought, he didn’t care to keep the connection, even though we had shared a very good rapport. And that’s what happens in most instances like these. It is difficult to be friends when you fancy the person and wish to get closer to them but they are holding you at arms’ length, or vice versa. It is a clear mismatch, and in any mismatch one person is losing out, so friendship isn’t possible because it has an unequal and superficial foundation. The Basis of Genuine Friendship Genuine friendship originates from understanding another’s needs and aspirations and appreciating their pain and joy. It comes out of being able to empathise with them, in both good and bad times. Such knowledge and response are not possible until one knows another for a while and feels comfortable with their presence. Thus true friendship is highly unlikely with anyone we do not know well. When it comes to members of the opposite sex, or instances where there is clear attraction, friendship is the last thing on the cards because the feelings of attraction will overwhelm all other platonic ones and get in the way of real friendship developing. When we fancy someone we can always fool ourselves that should the fancying not prove mutual, it can then turn into friendship and everyone will be happy. But this seldom happens between two strangers seeking to be affirmed and valued by one another. In any failure to have mutual attraction, one person is bound to feel rejected and so friendship is unlikely in such a scenario because he/she will not feel motivated to get to know the other any better. Their sense of rejection will propel them elsewhere to get the affirmation they seek. Controlling Factors Another reason for seeking ‘friendship’ in the first instance is the desire for control. To prevent being ‘hurt’, some people believe that seeking friendship first keeps pain at bay. But if there is going to be hurt, no amount of having friendship at the beginning is going to stave off the pain. Such hurt usually comes when we are at the familiar stage in relationships; when we take each other for granted or when one or both parties begin to lose their appeal. Not at the start of the relationship. So seeking friendship first is really delaying the inevitable in a superficial way, especially where one fears commitment, and has little to do with the desire for real friendship. We cannot replace sexual feelings with friendship because friendship is enduring while fancying someone is likely to be fleeting. Putting the two together is a contradiction in itself, especially when true friendship is only possible when the heady feelings of romance have taken their course and we appreciate the person as someone truly valuable in our journey because we have grown to like/love them more. Next time you are seeking friendship first, ask yourself why you need tons of ‘friends’ instead of lovers. You might be surprised by the answers you get. Not only that, look back at all the dates that have failed to live up to expectations and count up all the real friendships that emerged from them. You are likely to find that once there was any kind of rejection involved, friendship would be the last thing anyone wanted at the time! ELAINE SIHERA (Ms Cyprah - http://www.myspace.com/elaineone) is a media contributor and columnist for Black Britain Online. The first Black graduate of the OU and a post-graduate of Cambridge University, Elaine is a CONSULTANT for Diversity Management, Personal Empowerment and Relationships. Dynamic extrovert with a passion for living and people. An intelligent, confident expert who enjoys every aspect of life. Author of: 10 Easy Steps to Growing Older Disgracefully; 10 Easy Steps to Finding Your Ideal Soulmate!; Money, Sex & Compromise and Managing the Diversity Maze, among others. Also the founder of the British Diversity Awards and the Windrush Achievement Awards. She describes herself as “Fit, Fabulous, Over-fifty and Ready to Fly!” QUOTE: “I do not wish to be any other age because my life at 25 was nowhere as exciting and enjoyable as my life at 50. One thing is certain: no genteel ageing for me - I’ll be going there disgracefully and enjoying every minute!” Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elaine_Sihera http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Friendship-And-Dating-Do-Not-Go-Together&id=421109 buy cheap phentermine without prescription cheap phentermine no prescription needed phentermine forums where to buy prescription phentermine diet pills

By Paul Ashby Here was a man, recently hired at great expense from, literally the largest agency group in the world, now working for one of the worlds largest clients on a global assignment! We had just completed analysing the results from an interactive programme we had recently produced for this company. The results were, to say the least, staggering. At one of the initial presentations on the research, one of the most senior executives, representing this client said, We spend millions of pounds just to hold our share of market, yet look at what this small investment in this form of interaction has produced! Yet when we presented this same research document to the man at the client, his first comment was, what does it do to my brand values? Which is about as meaningless a statement he could make from his lofty perch! He then went on to say, If it produces this kind of increase in sales we should be using the technique, leave it with me and call me in around a weeks time. After several weeks of calling as agreed we gave up and to this day they are still pouring money down the black hole of television and they have never called us back! To be fair, it should be pointed out that this gentleman was hired from Media Buying, therefore, in his job as Media Buyer he really didnt need any communication skills at all. But dont you find it disturbing that here was a man, totally unversed in the art of communication making ultimate decisions that were inevitably resulting in a huge waste of that clients billings! And remember, we are talking about one of the biggest advertising budgets, from a global company where, to be repetitious, We spend millions of pounds just to hold our share of market. The strength of the interactive communication concept has been documented with effectiveness research of a kind and magnitude that is unique in advertising. Interactive communication consists of three important elements: One: Programmed Instruction. Two: Game Playing. Three: Presented as an advertising event. Interactive Communication in this format, properly executed, changes the way people perceive advertising and will increase consumer awareness, increase message comprehension and increase sale.Because the Interactive Communication Technique creates an open, focused and receptive mind, it will: Eliminate the problem of advertising clutter. Increase advertising effectiveness. Make advertising more cost efficient. Like all else in the media world, advertising has changed dramatically since the huge growth in popularity of the Web. The power of retailers has multiplied, television has become the dominant selling medium for consumer goods, market research has become increasingly sophisticated, global brands have flourished, independent media specialists have become a major force, and yet Advertising agencies are in the doldrums that is because the services they provide, the way they should be paid and their relationships with their clients are all in jeopardy. There is much uncertainty, much debate, much nervousness, and no sign of any resolution to the problem. Certainly one of the things agency people have lost sight of is that advertising, like all marketing functions is done to make money! Likewise they have lost sight of the fact that the sole purpose of advertising is to get more people to buy more of your product, more often, for more money. That is the sole reason for you to spend one penny, cent or whatever. If your advertising is not delivering consumers to the cash register with money in their hands to buy your product, the simple answer is fire your advertising agency! Of course you have to have distribution together with a sales force. However in the end the important thing is if nobody wants to buy your product what do you do? Hiring an ex-advertising agency person is fatal all he/she will do is magnify your existing problems…our advice to you is avoid them at all costs. Paul Ashby pioneered interactive communication to the advertising and marketing communities some twenty-five years ago. The communication issues he addresses have been neglected during the explosive grown of advertising in the 60s, 70s and 80s, these are Cognitive Dissonance, Selective Retention and Selective Exposure. Would you like to discover the incredible results to be attained by using interactive communication? Well these are revealed for FREE at http://effectiveaccountablecommunication.blogspot.com or contact Paul directly on paul.ashby@yahoo.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Ashby http://EzineArticles.com/?It-Was-Obvious-To-The-Three-Of-Us,-That-He-Knew-Absolutely-Nothing-About-Communication&id=488643 phentermine no prescription required tree top pharmacy phentermine mexican pharmacy phentermine phentermine online sales

By Naval Langa Rev. Pope Benedict XVI is known for his reasoned behavior. But his statement about Islam religion has set the chain of reactions on. It has come, perhaps, in the most inappropriate time in the history. Whether we believe it or not, todays word is divided over the basic reasons for attacking countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and now preparing to attack Iran. Had there been such a situation in the world before 200 years, it would have been certainly named as an outright war between Christian and Muslim nations. Though it is not so today, as there are fundamental dissimilarities of the situations. What Rev. Pope said in his recent statement refers to Prophet Mohammads acts. (Rev. Pope referred and quoted one historic statement that Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached. NYT article by Ian Fisher on 15th Sept.) There had been occasions where God-like religious leaders had preferred the sward to protect the human race. According to Hindu scriptures Lord Krishna told his disciple Arjuna to use weapons even against his own relatives, as they were professing anti-Dharma, the anti-religious acts. Such preaching, whenever necessary for a noble cause, do not amount to trying to infuse violence as the basic law of such religion. Then comes the question of reason. In which piece of time the world religions have acted with reasons? I dont mean to say that religions are not following the rules of reason. Instead the faith business is, perhaps, beyond the reason. Faith comes from our hearts, and not from the brains. No person other than Rev. Pope can know this better. Jesus Christ, The Son of God, had stirred the hearts and not the brains. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Naval_Langa http://EzineArticles.com/?Rev.-Pope-And-Islam&id=425120 ambien zolpidem insomnia sleep side effects hallucinations ativan treats zolpidem trial ambien generic nonprescrption alternative