Open Journalism For All - News, Documentaries And Information Services

In January 2008, Harvard Business Review’s editors Thomas A. Stewart and Gardiner Morse sat down with investment banker / businessman Bruce Wasserstein, who recently received Harvard Law School’s 2007 Great Negotiator Award.

The interview basically talked about how Bruce Wasserstein works as a deal maker. They discuss about his strategy as well as his perspectives in deal making and how he puts emphasis on creating value in his dealings and counseling duties for chief executive officers (CEOs).

The HBR interview is a useful tool not only for people who want to explore the mind of a successful businessman and deal maker, but also for those who want to learn a thing or two while trying to follow in Bruce Wasserstein’s footsteps. For instance, Bruce Wasserstein reveals that his approach to the art of deal making is similar to what he does when problem solving. He examines each deal and weighs whether it is sensible enough to warrant attention or interest before proceeding to consider his next step.

Bruce Wasserstein’s success, as indicated in the interview, is clearly a result of absolute brainpower and ingenuity coupled with his distinctive ideas and persistence. Clearly, these values are the main reasons why Bruce Wasserstein has been a major mover in the field of negotiations, mergers and acquisitions for more than 30 years.

Read the HBR interview with Bruce Wasserstein.

Salehoo: Lowest Wholesale As Seen On Tv
You will need software that allows you to burn CD’s. Most computers these days will have software already installed that you can use. For example, you can use windows media player, which comes standard with windows. There are also free downloads for ripping CD’s so you can always find one to use if you don’t already have something. What does that mean for you? Absolutely nothing I mean how do you tell by verifying someone and making them accept payments through secure methods that they are not dodgy? And if and when you do get ripped off by these suppliers there will be no help or support from the list owners because they can’t do anything if a supplier runs off with your money and you can be rest assured that they certainly will not reimburse you a penny you paid to the supplier so what’s the point of paying for a list? I bet you know many people that view Ebay as a good place to make some residual income and where do you think they will try and locate stock from? That’s right the same premium list you are using to buy yours from and the next thing you know is that half of your category on Ebay is filled with sellers offering the same stuff you are trying to shift.

It contains a database of drop ship wholesale closeout and manufacturing suppliers offering thousands of product suppliers to consumers! Since the profit margin for these retailers is based on the difference between their wholesale cost and their asking retail price the lower the wholesale price of their wholesale products the better. The website provides access to quality high demand products from popular retail categories such as clothing footwear computers furniture consumer electronics and home appliances

Salehoo Wholesale Doll Companies:
One of the myths that are still prevailing in the wholesale business is the business license and tax I.D need in order to achieve wholesale success. It is a big mistake to get such an opinion as a fact and then making such message viral all across the Internet.

So you can guess what my thoughts were when I had this tip from a fellow powerseller about Salehoo’s wholesale directory. You will have a very hard time selling products from these types of dealers. See Salehoo.

Interpersonal communication is something most of us do on a
daily basis, although we may not be aware that is what it is
called.

Interpersonal communication differs from other forms of
communication in various ways. It is also very important in
development.

The following list outlines what interpersonal communication is
and what some of the characterizes are. It also explains why we
need it.

1. What is it?

Interpersonal communication involves a close group of
participants. It is basically the everyday conversations you
carry on and it includes speeches, general friendly exchanges,
arguments and basically anytime you speak to someone.

2. How is it different than other forms of communication?

Interpersonal communication involves face to face encounters.
You are talking in person not over a computer, phone or through
written information. You can get immediate responses.

You are also able to benefit from body language. You hear a
voice where you can pick up on different dialects and speech
patterns.

3. How does interpersonal communication vary?

The variances in interpersonal communication involve the people
and situations. You communicate differently with someone you
know well verses a stranger. You will have different topics of
conversation when talking to your preacher or your best friend.

These variations make interpersonal communication flexibility
important for difference circumstances.

4. How do we use interpersonal communication?

We use interpersonal communication for a variety of reasons. You
use it to learn new information, such as when asking questions.
You use it to share information, such as when telling a story.
You use it to define yourself, such as when giving a speech.

You also use it to fulfill the natural need for contact with
other people. Interpersonal communication is how we develop from
infant to adult. We learn about different cultures and languages
through interpersonal communication as well. It gives you a
human element, a real nature that other forms of communication
can not provide.

5. Why is interpersonal communication important?

Interpersonal communication is important because you need it to
develop throughout the stages of life. You get so much from
interpersonal communication.

You learn, teach and get an identity through interpersonal
communication. You also share with others who you are. You need
interpersonal communication to learn how to pronounce words
correctly, how to speak properly in certain situations and how
to communicate in general.

Interpersonal communication has taken a back seat to other forms
of communication in recent years. More people than ever are
using the internet to exchange information and make contact with
others.

We must also be sure to keep interpersonal communication in our
lives. Without it babies will never learn to talk properly and
we can never expand our language abilities through learning form
others speech. The spoken word should never have its importance
underestimated.

The city is teeming with amazing attractions to investigate. Here are simply 2 ideas.

The famous London Eye is named the Millennium Wheel, and for people that don’t know this, the wheel is, actually an observation wheel; and a chance for the public to rejoice in out capital from abounding and different perspectives from around the heavens.

With up to forty kilometres of amazing views on an unclouded day, the Millennium Wheel provides its visitors with tremendous sights of the city and many of its acclaimed landmarks. The wheel is, ok to visit the Wheel at night or day - the difficult decision is choosing which you want to do, come in daylight when all the landmarks are observable or maybe maybe after dark & for an awfully stunning view of the city’s lights. You’ll be able to find London shows by reading Time Out.

Theatreland around our capital has been evident since the early Victorian times, in truth, many of London’s famous theatres are of later Victorian or Edwardian times. The theatres come with an amazing individuality and this can add to the attraction of going on a night out to them. West end theatre shows go on for a wavering number of weeks. This is often dependent on the theatre’s in takings.

You’ll find that tickets are not now as high priced as they used to be, in spite of this they remain not uncostly. If one orders tickets quickly they might often obtain them at reasonable prices. Keep an eye out & for good buys that several firms may be able to offer. Perhaps it would be enjoyable to go out so one can get a meal before, or possibly stay in one of the London hotels later. Time Out is able to make your time at a theatre more easy - & more agreeing with its great guidance of which can be the foremost shows to go to around the city and perhaps what shows folk should abstain from.

If you let it, email can take over your life. Or, you can choose to be in charge by taking control of the volume, content, and importance of your email.

1. Filter it! To limit the time you waste reading junk emails and spam, you could use a filter program. This is a system that weeds out emails based on subject lines and content. They can be effective, but use caution. They can filter out too much. Some filter programs will put the questionable messages in a separate folder, which you can review. Of course, that will take some discipline on your part to view the messages periodically and ensure that nothing important was trapped.

2. Determine when to unsubscribe. If you subscribe to numerous newsletters, quotes-of-the-day, etc., take the “consistent” and “significant” test. When the item appears, do you “consistently” read it? That is, do you read most of the issues? Secondly, does it past the “significant” test? Do you read quite a bit of the information and find it useful? If you answered yes to both questions, stay on the mailing list. Otherwise, remove yourself.

3. Prioritize! Make a conscious choice regarding when you’ll review email. Once per day may be sufficient for some, while others may need to check for messages several times. Does your job really require you to be glued to the computer screen? In the six years I’ve been speaking and writing about email communication, I’ve never found anyone who had to be as connected as he/she thought! Email is an invaluable tool that helps you in conducting the communication portion of your job. You control this tool. Don’t stop what you’re doing every time a new email arrives. That’s inefficient. If you can’t resist the mystery shrouding the new message, turn off the tone that tells you a new message has arrived.

4. Make a time management plan. When drafting your plan, remember to include not only the time you spend reading messages, but also the time you spend responding to messages. Personally, when I check email in the morning, I catch myself reading junk mail and typing lengthy responses to friends or colleagues. The next thing I know, the most productive part of my day is wasted. To avoid this, I review my email in the morning and wait to respond to “non-essential” messages until mid-afternoon, which is my unproductive (i.e., “sleepy”) time.

5. Implementation. Once you’ve created a plan for reading email messages, implement it. Any time management plan will be effective if you’ll simply use it.

By Kelly J. Watkins, MBA, Louisville, KY. Visit: http://www.KeepCustomers.com to order, Email Etiquette Made Easy (a comprehensive guide filled with exercises & examples) or for tips on communication & customer service! (812) 246-2424 or kelly@keepcustomers.com.

It’s an eventful life being a scholar, in the middle of revision and entertainment, there is little opportunity to left for hunting for telephone numbers and information. Though, with 118 directory enquiries, the UK’s foremost telephone helper services, you are able to get information on private phone numbers in an instant. Got Your Number! 118 can help you with directory enquiries.

Book a last minute yellow cab home or discos or pubs and stay away from the waiting around in extended queues. Get pizzas, an Oriental takeaway, or call a beer & wine home delivery service all without having to move from the chair. 118 118 will put you through to a college, find for you numbers for temporary companies and link you up to helpful firms using 118118’s corporation.

Each day 100,000’s of callers discover areas, information and facilities they want by ringing or texting 118 118 or by using Talk text.

It is painless to make use of our directory enquiry services, wherever you may be. Call now to speak 1 of the expert & responsive directory enquiries helpers. Our employees can support people with almost each and every question in respect to people’s contact information for folk, areas and corporations. You can, moreover, text 118 & obtain a response relayed across to your cellphone.

118118’s online website, www.118.com, allows you to explore 118118’s entire local commercial database now listing almost anything from train info to telephone information. 118118 is an accurate local business directory enquires facility in the United Kingdom.

Get train information and cinema listings from the directory enquiry service. Our directory enquiry service is currently the fastest and most simple mean to come across the train info and cinema info, whether you are surfing the web or you’re using the mobile. 118118 now have movie info for many cinemas coving all United Kingdom and there isn’t any waiting around in galling programmed queues listening to useless self promotion.

Once you have identified the need to own a satellite phone
whether for personal reasons, philanthropic ones or commercial
gains you also need to be cautious about the phone you select.
Buying or renting a satellite phone requires you to spend some
amount of time researching the various options available. This
is the only way to ensure that you buy what you really need and
want rather than what the salesperson wanted to sell you.

Here are some things to keep in mind when getting a satellite
phone.

1. Buying or renting? You need to decide whether you want to buy
the satellite phone and service outright or renting will
suffice. Generally, for one time or infrequent users, renting is
a cheaper and better option. However, for industries such as
aviation, oil and gas, mining, transportation, government and
military and maritime the only choice is to buy. Don’t let the
salesperson push you into a decision. Evaluate the factors
involved in renting Vs buying a satellite phone and then choose.

2. Don’t confuse GSM with satellite phones Some people may try
to convince you that your requirements will be fulfilled equally
well with a GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications
phone. That may be true. A GSM phone generally offers roaming
worldwide and is used by most global travelers. However, GSM
technology does not use satellites. Satellite phones work even
when the infrastructure is damaged or unavailable. GSM phones
are dependent on Earth based infrastructure and landlines.
Hence, in hard to reach areas and in times of natural disasters,
a GSM phone may stop working. Your satellite phone won’t.

3. Check non coverage zones beforehand While most satellite
companies offer extensive coverage and even global coverage
including airways, oceans and the polar regions there are some
zones that are blocked from the network. North Srilanka, Poland
and North Korea are some of the counties that are not covered by
many satellite phone companies. Also, different plans offer
coverage in different zones. So before you buy a plan or a
package that includes a bundled plan, check if the zones you
intend to visit are included or not.

4. Evaluate the cost of the satellite phone, accessories and
package When buying the satellite phone don’t just look at the
cost of the phone. While latest models cost about $1500, a
slightly older model can come much cheaper at $1000. In addition
to the phone itself you will need to invest in satellite phone
accessories like chargers, extra batteries and protective cases.
You will obviously also need to buy airtime so estimate that
cost as well. Often people leap in and buy a satellite phone
without realizing all the other purchases they need to make.
This does not mean you cannot afford a satellite phone. It
simply means you may need to buy a cheaper model or a used one.

Thus, with a little research and careful planning you can ensure
that you get the best deal only

Every business needs reliable communications to function properly and I’m not even talking about anything hi-tech here. If two cans on a string work for you, then congratulations, you’ve found exactly what you need. At least it’ll be easy for you, should you decide to upgrade your system in the future. Just finish off another can of corn and hook it up.

However, (refer to my other article: “What You Should Know Before You Purchase a Two Way Radio” for more information concerning my dreaded “howevers”)…now, where was I? Oh yes, HOWEVER…for most businesses, a can on a string will not do. The good news for you is that there are so many options out there; it would be very hard not to be able to find a system that’s perfect for you.

Your two main options are, or at least the options that will be discussed here are: Two-Way Radios and Cell Phones. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the type of business you’re in. You probably already knew that; but you’re reading this article to find out exactly what those advantages and disadvantages are. You’re in luck, because I’m going to share some of them with you. In the interest of brevity, this article won’t include all I’d like to say. If you’d like more information, stay tuned until the end for contact information.

Cell Phones:

To begin, we will look at cell phones. Today, some cell phones even have a walkie-talkie feature. This has bridged the gap between cell phones and two way radios, but there is still a lot of space in between. Currently, cell phones are the closest thing to the ‘ole can on a string analogy mention above.

If you only have a few people working for you and they are sometimes on the go, cell phones are great. Usually, they’re pretty cheap to buy and maintain. If you get the phones for free, the only thing you’ll really have to worry about cost-wise is the monthly fee, say $40-$50 per month per phone roughly. For reliable communications, this is a small price to pay.

If you have 5 or more people working for you, I would begin to look for other solutions aside from cell phones. The reason for this is not because I have something personal against cell phones. Rather, it is because cell phones have something personal against us and it’s already been mentioned: monthly fees.

Not to name names here, but one provider of walkie-talkie cell phones charges roughly $50 per month for the first phone and around $30 a month for every additional phone on your plan. If you have 10 people working for you, you may have gotten your cell phones free from the provider, but over time they will certainly make up the difference. You’re paying around $800 per month, a whopping $9600 per year and that’s assuming you never once went over on minutes. Ouch, talk about a waste.

Monthly-fee issues aside, there are a few other things to consider concerning cell phones. The first one is a minor issue that can easily turn into a major issue. Cell phones, unlike two way radios, can be abused. Users can call whoever they want, racking up minutes that could end up costing you. There’s also a productivity issue with this as well. As workers are racking up minutes calling mom to make sure everything’s okay, what are they not doing? They’re not working, and even if they are working, they aren’t paying much attention until after that call is done.

In addition to productivity issues, there are control issues. A lot of business owners like to have control. I mean, it’s probably one of the reasons they’ve started a business in the first place. One thing cell phones don’t give you a lot of is control. You have no control over what kind of customer service you get, and from what I’ve heard it’s sometimes very poor. You also have no control over your system if it were to die on you and you have no control over when the phone company will be able to get it up and running again. (Are you sick of reading the word “control” yet?)

Summary:

So, where do I stand with cell phones? The truth is I don’t stand anywhere with them. Don’t get me wrong here, either. I deal with two way radios but I do admit to more than a few occasions where it makes more sense to use a cell phone. For personal use, they are the best. For business use, they can work very well, depending on the type of business. Smaller businesses will find them more practical and possibly more cost effective than alternatives but larger businesses will no doubt require more from their communications.

Two-Way Radios:

After looking at what cell phones can do for you, it’s now time to look at one of the alternatives, two way radios. Just like cell phones, sometimes it makes sense to use them, sometimes it doesn’t. As per my mention earlier, if it’s just you and Frank the assistant manager needing to communicate, use a cell phone. I’ve said this before and you may be asking yourself why. Are small businesses not worthy of two-way radios? Of course they are, but here’s why I say what I do.

If your company wants to use a two-way radio, you must first purchase a license from the FCC if you do not already have one. The licenses are typically a little under $500 depending on your situation and are good for 10 years. For two people, this may not be worth it. However, for medium to large companies, this is worth every penny and can actually end up saving you hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year.

Let’s continue to use the example I gave you above in the cell phones section. Say you have 10 workers needing to communicate. Your cell phone system will be costing at least $9,600 per year and let’s say you need this for about 4 years, which is very typical, especially since cell phones require contracts. Over 4 years, your communications system has cost you $38,400.

Now, let’s say these 10 people are to be given the 4 channel Motorola CP200 UHF model. The average price out there is around $400, you can contact me for a more exact price if you like. 10 people get 10 radios at $4,000 plus we’ll say $450 for an FCC license, which over 10 years is only $45 per year! So, not only will you save about $34,000 over 4 years, but think of everything else you’ll be getting as well.

For starters, you get your control back Mr. Business Owner. You have purchased the radios and the license; therefore you control your airways. The only way the system will crash is if your radios crash and Motorola radios typically last at least 7-10 years. Heck, there are radios still in use older than me and I’m in my mid-twenties.

You also don’t have to worry about poor customer service because you’ve probably purchased your radio from an authorized dealer. Unlike phone companies, most dealers have actual live human beings answering their phones. Plus, you’re connected to a consultant whose job is to work with you every step of the way to ensure your satisfaction…someone like me.

Summary:

There are features that many two way radios have that cell phones do not. These features can be pretty important for most business owners and dispatchers, such as priority scan and stun, but we won’t go into deal about that here. Contact me if you would like more information about any of these features. Also, just as cell phones have added a walkie talkie feature to catch up with radios, radios have now begun to go digital. Digital means it has the ability to send more information, such as text messages; once again bridging the gap.

If you’re still undecided on which way to go, do a simple ROI calculation. Calculate how much it would cost to have cell phones over a 2-4 year period and how much it would cost to have two way radios over the same period. In most instances, it’s more cost effective to buy radios. However, as I’ve said before, cell phones have their place. You’re best bet would be to contact an authorized two way radio dealer and explain your situation. Then, after you’re armed with knowledge and you do your ROI, you can make a smart choice. Thanks for reading!

Eric O’Connor is a communications consultant for Delmarva Communications. If you like to contact him, his e-mail is: e.oconnor@delmarvacom.com. Or, visit Delmarva Communications on the web at:
http://www.delmarvacom.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

With the advancement in mobile technology, mobile networks are
trying to push instant messaging a step further. The Internet
and Java enabled mobile devices make Mobile Instant Messaging a
reality. Fifteen networks have decided to work together to make
it easy to IM across networks. The success of IM on the net has
motivated mobile networks to get it working on mobiles as well.
People are now using mobiles to send IM rather than a PC and the
operators are convinced that they can gain good revenues for
data services. The operators are hopeful that instant messaging
will repeat the success of text messaging, as more and more
people will start using IM for their day-to-day communication.
According to the Mobile Data Association, British mobile users
sent 3.1 billion text messages in December alone, which helped
the operators make good money. With the coming of third
generation mobile networks, IM has received a smother acceptance
by a large number of users. Because of improved bandwidth and
reduced latency, now you can use IM’s in a more suitable way.
The 3G networks can carry more data and transfer it faster
making it easy to message instantly. IM conversations involve a
faster exchange of messages than text messages, thus ensuring
that you enjoy an experience similar to that available as online
chat. The latest technology is quite capable to handle large
amounts of data. Technology therefore is no longer an obstacle
to the IM revolution. The splits between the operators of the
online IM networks was however a big problem. They are now
slowly starting to link to each other. The mobile operators have
learnt that they should start exchanging information among
themselves. 700 million mobile phone users have agreed to use a
single standard for IM, which would work across networks. Later
this year, the operators are looking to launch instant messaging
mobile services. It was reported that to make IM conversations
easy to follow, some work is still needed. Instead of arranging
messages by when they arrive, it would be far better to arrange
them by both conversational thread and time. One more problem
that needs consideration is that IM conversations are often
between large groups of people rather than one-to-one like text
messages. Another cause of concern for operators is the fear
that committing to IM could weaken their brand. No operator
wants to give away too much control to net-based IM operators,
as they may become their competitors in the near future.
Operators still have a huge control over price and user
conditions. But within 2-3 years, operators would not be able to
control that anymore.

A crisis communication plan is essential for any organisation. How an emergency or incident such as the Beaconsfield mine disaster is handled can make or break a company.

A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company. It is usually a disruptive event, incident or situation with large consequences.

A crisis or emergency is usually sudden, acute and unexpected, just like the incident in Tasmania’s Beaconsfiled mine that left miner Larry Knight dead and Brant Webb and Todd Russell trapped in a cage a kilometre underground for 14 days.

Because of the dramatic nature and big impact, it demands the attention of the media. In the case of the Tasmanian incident, Beaconsfield was thrust into the world’s media spotlight.

As the dramatic story unfolded the world watched and waited. The fortunes of the company at the centre could have been ruined by adverse or negative media attention.

Fortunately this story had a happy ending.

It is crucial in an emergency to tell the whole story, tell it fast and tell the truth.

A crisis can be planned for but not predicted. But it does demand an immediate reaction and response. It must be accurate and not specualtion.

So in terms of a crisis communication plan, what worked well at Beaconsfield, what could be improved and what can we learn from it?

What worked well?

The two official spokespeople - Bill Shorten from the Australian Workers Union and the resident manager of the Beaconsfield Mine Joint Venture, Matthew Gill were well briefed, credible and accessible. Simple language was used to describe a complex situation.

The media was regularly briefed as information became available. The focus was on loss of life and human casualties. Police and other services were involved. Financial loss was not mentioned.

There was community support. There was humour. Specialists were included in the disaster team. The message focussed on the human element - the spirits of the two trapped miners, their families and the people of Beaconsfield.

Their eventual release was very well stage managed for the media.

What could be improved?

It turned into a media circus. There were updates when nothing was happening. Some of the simplifying of complex mining terms was overly simplistic at times.

So what can be learnt from the disaster and dramatic rescue?

1. Pull Together Your Resources.

As soon as an incident happens set up a crisis communication team, including management, legal, HR, IR, and corporate communication specialists.

2. Determine The Facts.

Gather the facts. Double and triple check for accuracy. Do not speculate.

3. Prepare A Statement.

The order of priority should be a statement concerning loss of life or human casualties. Then environmental damage if appropriate, followed a long way behind by property damage, pay impact and financial loss if mentioned at all.

4. Notify Appropriate People.

Emergency services, rescue teams, police, medical specialists, hospitals, management.

5. Notify Next Of Kin.

Enough said. They want to hear from those in authority not from third parties or through the media.

6. Handle Media Queries.

Stick to the facts. Don’t speculate. Stay on message. Provide timely information to avoid the rumour mill.

7. Handle Media On-site.

Beaconsfield and the drama became a big worldwide media story once it was known the two trapped miners were alive. The public were captivated with the story of how to get them out safely. The media descended on the tiny Tasmanian town on the banks of the Tamar and handling them on-site became a major challenge in terms of time, effort and resources.

8. Arrange Regular Briefings.

In a case like this, the media have an insatiable appetite for information. Provide regular updates so you control the message rather than the vacuum being filled by informal and often inaccurate sources.

9. Don’t Place Blame or Speculate.

Do not play the blame game or try to judge the future. Focus on the present and now.

10. Evaluate and Learn.

Once the dust has settled - debrief, learn and modify your crisis communication plan for next time. Document the process and plan for the future.

Out of adversity always comes opportunity.

Road-test your crisis plan in a hypothetical scenario so you are prepared before an emergency.

A small investment now will save your reputation later.

Want help? We deliver customised emergency and crisis media communications training. This is an investment to manage future risk.

Email me direct for more information at tom@8mmedia.com

For more great PR ideas visit www.8mmedia.com

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com