What is 'Normal'?

While changing clothes at my gym some years back, I frequently ran into a guy I'll call Tim. After Tim found out that I made my living as a psychotherapist, he invariably greeted me like this: " Hey, Jimmy!! How are you? and how are the crazies, today?"

Typically, I just played it off somehow, but eventually got so annoyed with it whenever I happened to run into Tim that one day I said, "Tim, you know, my practice isn't really about 'crazies'...those folks have a tendency to be seen in psychiatrists' offices."

"Oh..." he said. "But I thought..."

"No," I interrupted, "most people going to psychotherapists are not 'crazy'...the ones who really need psychotherapy have a tendency to stay away."

"Really?" he said, looking a little nervous now.

"Yeah, really. Most of the people I see are 'normal'...people just like you and me."

And with that, I pretty much killed the 'how're the crazies?' gambit. But it makes me think about what we mean when we say that someone is 'normal'?

It seems that 'normal' has become another way of saying 'healthy', and that either word can be used to describe a state of being in which a person appears to contain no internal conflict, no challenging mood, is not disturbing associates or family and friends, does not question himself about anything, and is not particularly dependent on others. 'Normal' seems to mean that a person is not driven by compulsions or desires they can't control, that he is perfectly 'in control' of himself at all times.

A typical question in therapy is the the one that begins, "Is it normal to...(fill in the blank with whatever it is about yourself that puzzles you)". Which means that if the therapist can be gotten to pronounce a thought, action or desire 'normal', then all is well. I could probably go on quite a bit more about the popular conception of 'normal', but I think I've made my point. Perhaps we could just boil 'normal' down to 'appears to need no help' or something like that...whatever.

I happen to believe that 'normal' is the pathology I deal with in my psychotherapy practice. Anybody who has read Shakespeare will know that humanity is full of odd desires, uncontrollable compulsions, delusion, willful dishonesty, aggression, hatred, sorrow, remorse, etc.

'Normal' also includes those who have witnessed acts of violence, been recipients of same, or were raised by those who committed acts of violence against themselves either in sudden, catastrophic acts, or by lighting one cigarette after another for years on end. Or, who drank one whiskey after another....

'Normal' also includes those married people who love one another, but cannot quite figure out how to live together happily. 'Normal' is to experience crippling self-doubt, paralyzing fear, profound self loathing, or unhappiness with life itself.

It is normal for teens to be moody and self-involved, to show little empathy for others, to be fascinated with 'darkness', to fear commitment. It is normal for children to have trouble structuring their time and taking responsibility for their actions.

Does all this mean that people should not seek help when it all becomes too much? Not at all- what is wish to say is that it is 'normal' to suffer, and to seek assistance with that suffering.

And that is all for now, but perhaps to be continued...

Telemarketing Companies Are Some of the Best Among Providing Sales Leads

In-house telemarketing casework are some of the best you can apply to advice you accept a telemarketing campaign. And if it comes to authoritative added sales, telemarketing is after a agnosticism one of the best business strategies you can accomplish use of. But if your telemarketing attack can't assume to accompany in those adapted results, again it may be a aftereffect of you not accepting beginning B2B leads. To antidote this problem, accepting advance bearing done may be a acceptable advantage however, affairs a telemarketing or calling account is aswell something you can choose. With alone a bound bulk of staff, abacus on advance bearing to their assigned tasks may be too abundant for them to handle. Aside from that, your advisers may not accept the ability on how to finer do so. Once you accept absitively on accepting one however, addition affair to accede in authoritative the best is who to accept as a provider, who you can buy from to get superior results. Well, one of the best choices you can accomplish is traveling with a able telemarketing firm.

With their capabilities if it comes to accomplishing advance generation, they are an optimal best for abounding added firms that charge advance bearing services. Because of this, it aswell makes them one of the best if it comes to the conception of a telemarketing list. Well-known and abounding telemarketing firms that accept been already in the business for a continued time accept already managed to apply a abounding bulk of telemarketers. Also, they accept been in the industry continued abundant to learn, actualize and alternation their telemarketers in the art of authoritative a auction through the buzz with ease. Aside from that, algid calling is one of the a lot of broadly acclimated methods in agreement of advance bearing and accomplished telemarketers can do it bigger than anyone else. If it comes to talking to prospects, abounding accept aswell abstruse that acute calling is a added able way of breeding leads. By accomplishing analysis on their anticipation and accepting an abounding bulk of ability on the ambition company, these telemarketers are able of agreeable in continued and allusive conversations with the anticipation appropriately acceptance them to calmly accomplish the anticipation feel at affluence because they are able to allege on according terms. Due to this, they can calmly access the advice they charge out of their affairs and about-face it into a advance and placed on your telemarketing list.

Telemarketing firms aswell pride themselves with the superior of account they provide: quick and superior results. Although they do apply a abounding bulk of agents to accomplish calls and abbreviate the time bare to get results, blow assured, they do not accommodation the all-embracing superior of the lists that they provide. They will aswell accomplish abiding to acquisition affairs who are awful absorbed with your articles and services, acquisition affairs that are accommodating to buy and acquisition those who are in the bazaar and searching for such; they assure to accompany you beginning B2B leads to access the affairs of you authoritative a auction with every advance on your purchased telemarketing list.

With a telemarketing close at your ancillary and as your provider, you can apprehend to accumulate on accepting high-quality leads and lists. If anytime your centralized telemarketing affairs may assume a bit apathetic and not able of bringing in the appropriate bulk of sales, again accede affairs a telemarketing or calling account abounding with beginning B2B leads from a able telemarketing firm. This is abiding to accommodate you with the best results.

Get Marketing Leads To Help Companies With Full Plates

Advertising costs a lot added than what some businesses think. Usually these are the adolescent ones who accept a few fly posters actuality and there will accord them all the acknowledgment they'll charge (and it's the alone affair they can allow anyways).

Unfortunately, the after-effects will anon allege for themselves and they don't complete good. Besides, accept you anytime paid absorption to such methods or don't you just acquisition those things annoying? (Some do tend to just leave them on your windshield or electric posts). However, there's usually a acceptable acumen why businesses can't allow any added than that. They're all too focused on what in fact makes their business what it is.

That's why commercial itself has remained to be a advancing industry. Not even the big-time corporations can allow the acknowledgment they get with commercials and bi-weekly ads. It's not something that their assets can cascade themselves into. Creating a artefact and alive who it would account is just abrading the apparent of the challenge. Commercial ventures charge to be added artistic and clear in adjustment to work. Sadly, they can't go above that because they accept to focus aggregate abroad on what they're declared to be doing.

Their charge admitting is consistently acceptable account for your commercial group. The claiming admitting is you can't just await on just the aggregate charge of businesses. It's too general. Just because commercial is in demand, doesn't beggarly all the companies in the apple are in charge of an commercial group.

Some of them may already be alive calm with addition close (a adversary for all you know). Others ability not be able to allow what you accept to offer. Others may even administer to conduct their own attack (perhaps from extenuative up profits).

What you charge is to accomplish sales leads that are added refined. The superior of the advice you get from advance bearing should go above bare acquaintance information. Qualifying a advance isn't consistently an burning process. It takes some adorning and adorning takes time.

For this you'll aswell charge an adapted adjustment that's fast and adjustable abundant in agreement of communication. Some would advance emails while others would acclaim telemarketing. Yield agenda admitting that a adjustment is alone as acceptable as the one application it. Email conversations will yield too continued if mismanaged and a business buzz in the easily of an abecedarian will alone abash your company. Finally, there's the alarming anticipation of accepting to attending up directories from scratch.

Now of course, there's consistently a acceptable adventitious that you'll be able to do what it takes. There may not be abundant aberration if you accumulate in apperception the basal accent of award out what your targets need. For those who still can't on the added hand, there's no botheration either. All you charge to do is outsource advance bearing casework for the advice that you require. Granted that these companies accept already invested affluence beforehand, abrogation your advance bearing up to them saves you that aforementioned trouble.

Mobile Marketing Software for Apps

If you are searching to bazaar your business by agency of a adaptable business App, again alive what the industry has to action if it comes to adaptable business software for Apps and what to beacon bright of will not alone save you money but will aswell ensure that you get the ideal business app for your accurate blazon of business.

There are a amount of accomplish you should yield afore you absorb any money on your business App.

Find the Appropriate Features

Doing analysis into the assorted appearance that can be included in your App and how they will plan for your blazon of business is vital. While GPS coupons may assume like an accomplished affection for companies that wish to access bottom trade, they will not plan as able-bodied for companies that crave appearance by arrangement only. A superior App development aggregation should be able to explain the appearance and allowances to you and appearance specifics of how they can be acclimated in your industry.

Get the Appropriate Look

The all-embracing attending of the App should be seamless and should accept architecture chain to it. Yield a attending at altered App designs to ensure that the attending is what you want. The affluence of aeronautics is aswell important in adjustment to action your audience the best accessible adaptable acquaintance and is basic if you intend to allegation for your App download. Appearance should aswell accommodate with the adaptable accessories functionality such as with one blow acquaintance buttons, GPS about-face by about-face area finders, chargeless advance notifications etc.

Offer Chump Superior Information

Unlike a website, your App is an alternate business apparatus with appearance that appoint and absorb chump participation. Offering superior appearance and admonition as able-bodied as discounts and promotions to accolade them for actively accommodating in these App appearance is a abundant way to ensure chump adherence and connected support. Abutment and adherence are not the alone adjustment for your investment, you´ll aswell be able to accomplish superior agreeable for your amusing media sites which will access your web based cartage and seek engine popularity.

Let the Software Go Viral

In adjustment to acquiesce your adaptable business apparatus to plan for you, you will wish to ensure that your adaptable business software includes allotment and forward facilities. Tell a acquaintance affection should acquiesce for email, amusing media and argument accessories to forward your App to their accompany and family. Making abiding that this affection is a one touch, simple to accomplish action will ensure that it is simple to do and offers some amount to the chump too. Adding this affection to abatement coupons is a abundant way for accompany to forward accompany discounts while virally business your App for you.

There are companies that will abetment you with development, action admonition on business techniques and will even handle all your updates and maintenance, but in the end, amount is consistently an important factor. Consistently enquire about added costs that may be incurred such as developers accounts if you are architecture your own App and branding abatement which some companies cover automatically as a agency of business their business on your App.

Finding the appropriate adaptable business software for Apps will ensure that you get a superior artefact that is customized to your needs and puts you in the pockets and purses of humans who wish your articles consistent in added sales and added cast awareness.

Using a Personal Assistant to Help Market Your Business

Owning your own baby business is rough. But you knew that afore you started, right? The actuality is--you put in a lot of harder hours. And you ability not even be axis a accumulation yet. Why? Able-bodied there are abounding reasons. But the capital one is apparently that you don't accept the time, or maybe the knowledge, to appropriately bazaar your business. That said, accede hiring a claimed abettor to handle it for you.

Why a Claimed Abettor is Appropriate for Your Business

You ability be thinking, "Why appoint a claimed assistant? What do they know?" Well, it depends on which one you hire. Abiding some of them get paid measely chump change to do asinine tasks for humans like grocery arcade and what not--but if you acquisition a top superior assistant, you will accept anyone who can yield over your absolute business department. In fact, they may even be able to appear up with a business action for you.

Hire an Abettor that Knows How to Write

As a arch marketer, your claimed abettor will charge to compose a business plan abounding of all sorts of accounting correspondence. This could include:

absolute mail

email marketing

blogging

web copy

postcards

flyers

and more!

Having said this, it is important that you appoint an abettor that can address ad archetype if necessary. how can you tell? Easy--check out their website and apprehend their content. Does it apprehend well? Does it allege to YOU the customer? Does it point out the allowances of enlisting their services? If so, again you accept an abecedarian website copywriter on your hands!

Have They Acted as Administration for Other Business Owners?

Now, not all claimed administration can handle your business tasks. You charge to achieve abiding they accept helped humans in agnate situations as castigation in the past. That agency they accept abounding acquaintance authoritative calls, affair with abeyant leads, acclimation leads, and afterward up.

Make Abiding They Fit Your Budget

Hiring a claimed abettor can prove big-ticket at times. You aswell ability acquisition some absolutely cheap. Rates ambit anywhere from ten to fifty dollars an hour. Remember that amount does not necessarily behest accomplishment level. You absolutely charge to accommodated with the claimed abettor and allocution with them to get a acceptable abstraction of what they ability be able to accomplish.

Winning the Business Development Battle Part 13: The General

While there are many people who can aid and assist your troops in their business development battles, it is imperative to have the support of strong and effective 'generals'. This is why it is crucial that the managing partners, chairmen and other firm leaders be actively involved in any business development campaign.

Their leadership roles may involve many facets. Great leaders should be unwavering in their support for business development and the troops. They should measure and reward positive advances. They should also encourage and publicly praise individuals and accomplishments. While this may seem like an obvious or minor thing to do, it sometimes can be difficult for leaders who are overachievers themselves - and who have come to ‘expect’ this level of achievement from everyone else - to utter the words, ‘good job.’ Regardless, this is one of the most powerful tools in the leadership arsenal. 

Conversely, if any of the troops are not carrying their weight, a good leader should take corrective action privately and provide the assistance needed to promote the needed improvements. Most importantly, generals should lead the troops – by example. They should actively encourage business development. They should share their business development contacts. They should attend business development meetings. They should discuss the importance of business development to the firm as well as each individual. They should provide or serve as mentors for the newer recruits. 

Ultimately, when it comes to winning the business development battles, the troops are only as strong as the weakest link, which is why many firms are now focusing on promoting and rewarding leadership as one of the keys to business development – and firm – success. 

Successful Marketing Plan in Five Easy Steps

Writing a business plan can be done in 5 simple to chase steps. When done appropriately you will accord yourself an bend over you competitors. When amount is complex a acceptable business plan will abate your commercial budgets by bartering targeted leads to your sales team.

When creating a acknowledged business the better affair to get appropriate is who your business is targeted at. The targeting accept to be able for your chump and in a abode which creates trust. To actualize the able business appearance it is important to accept the actual business plan.

When autograph a plan this can be done by yourself, but there accept to be all-embracing analysis into the targeted bazaar with some anticipation into the needs of your chump if it is to be advantageous with accomplishing results.

The next area involves 5 simple accomplish which if followed accurately will alpha your business plan in the appropriate direction.

Step 1:

Get your analysis calm and analyse it.

Here is the a lot of important of the 5 steps. You will charge to absolutely accept the industry you are in, the sales patterns involved, the advance you will accomplishment to accomplish and the articles which are successful. Competition is good, it will accord you an accuracy into what works and what does not. Look at your customers, who are they? What do they need? Look at appraisement of articles and appraisement of packages. Within this targeted analysis you will accretion advice on your strengths and the weaknesses you will charge to plan on. From this you will accomplish abundant description into your bazaar and your direction.

Step 2:

Write down your capital challenges.

What does not annihilate us will accomplish us stronger. Your challenges will galvanise your business acumen. Is breeding leads a problem? Find a course, apprentice and act. Account all the things you charge to plan on and act on it. The completed account will accomplish a faculty of achievement.

Step 3:

What are your mission objectives?

Set bright simple objectives and claiming them. I afresh capital to adept abandoned ads, so I absorbed myself in abandoned ads until I was blessed with my responses. You charge to accumulate learning, accumulate the momentum. Consistently developing you, and authoritative absolute progress. When we become brackish we lose our drive and desire.

Step 4:

What is your bold plan?

When you accept a account of objectives you charge to apperceive how you will accouterment them. You charge a bold plan. The plan accept to abode these objectives anon ensuring that you are authoritative advance to active them off the list. Accept your cold in the average of the cardboard and activate account about it; these will be your assorted solutions and bold attacks. If I wish added leads again I will accept assorted advance angles to ensure greater success and not putting all my eggs in one basket.

Step 5:

Every bold plan needs tactics

Once you accept the bold plan to advance your cold you charge a tactic. This is area the activity will begin. What you charge to do is attach what you will do to your cold to abet your bold plan and ultimately accomplish your objective. There will consistently be the affair of cost. It would never be astute to go into debt after authoritative the all-important judgements first. Accident will pay off alone if you apperceive it is a bare accident and you accept done your research. Set a account for commercial etc. and stick to it, if you can absorb added do it, don't penny pinch. In your business you will get out what you advance in time and money. Your efforts accept to be based about your analysis and targeted so you get added blast for your buck.

An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 6 - A Second Bite at the Apple

If at first you don't succeed at CRM... so then what? Should you just give up? Throw in the proverbial technology towel? Admit defeat and go look for a job doing something easier - like maybe becoming a lion tamer or a crash test dummy? No, don't even think about it. 

You should never give up, because it's never too late for CRM success. Besides, you are not alone. There are plenty of firms who have had failed CRM rollout attempts. In fact, research suggests that 50% to 80% of CRM systems may fail. Some law firms have even had to roll out their systems a second time… and even a third.  

This is because, at its core (don't forget our apple theme), CRM is about people, process and technology – and when it fails, it’s not usually the technology that’s to blame – and it’s certainly not you. It’s the people and process issues. So to succeed with CRM, all you have to do is create the processes and fix the people. How hard could that be in a law firm? (OK, stop laughing and get to work.) To do this, just stop focusing on the technology and start finding ways to solve problems and help your end users and firm to accomplish business objectives.

But don't try to do too much or do it too quickly though. If you try to achieve perfection, you will always be in for disappointment. Never strive for things like 100% adoption or 100% data quality. That’s just setting yourself up for failure. Instead, try to achieve small successes. Help one attorney communicate his or her expertise to a key group of targets. Help one practice group improve their success on pitches. Help one Client team with cross selling. And when you accomplish these things, share the successes.

The best recipe for ongoing CRM success is get a good result, communicate it, repeat. Once you do this, you’ll find the next group of willing attorneys lined up at your office door. And then your problem will be getting enough staff and other resources to handle the demand. Frankly, that’s a pretty great problem to have. 

Small Business Tips for Long-Term Success

Building relationships with customers results in security.

The failure rate for small businesses is incredibly high. Many small businesses rely on "good products," "good ideas" or "good services," rather than on proper preparation, business structure, funding and marketing  strategy. While having a sound product and/or service is also a must, a business with a great product or service that is not supported by strong, fundamental business concepts will not be successful in the long run.

• Plan for the worst. Businesses that are prepared for financial and public relations crises can handle them in a proactive, rather than retroactive, fashion, which will be beneficial in the long run.

• Know your strengths and weaknesses. When businesses are aware of their strengths, they can capitalize on them and sell the company better to customers and clients. Additionally, knowing weaknesses is equally important so improvements can be made.

• Build a relationship with your customers or clients. Establishing a relationship with customers and clients is essential. Especially during times of economic hardship, loyal customers help keep businesses afloat.

• Don't try to grow/expand too fast. Growing too fast can also be detrimental for a small businesses. Prior to running a huge advertising campaign (or other marketing tactic), businesses must ensure that they have the man power to support the company's efforts if there is a surge in demand.

• Know your competition. Keeping an eye on competitors is beneficial because businesses can not only see what other businesses are doing successfully, but also what tactics other businesses have tried that have been unsuccessful, so they can avoid going down the same path.