Productivity http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/rss_feeder.php?IDs=12&name=Productivity
In a company it can often be seen that 13% of the top sales people will bring in 87% of the revenue. Much has been written about what it takes to be a good sales person.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=431 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=431 2015-11-09 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
When it comes to relationship, there is a certain spectrum at play. I often think of this as a scale. Where in this spectrum should clients be? Clients should certainly not have to become your best friends, in order to have
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=213 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=213 2015-03-05 12:30:07 Lorraine Coetzee
Just as we use employee engagement as a part of employee retention, we ought to retain our suppliers. . To understand supplier engagement, we must first understand what employee engagement is.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=416 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=416 2015-03-03 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
Where does the service you provide begin and end? There is a common misconception among retailers that your customer service starts when clients enter your store for the first time.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=398 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=398 2014-10-24 14:55:36 Lorraine Coetzee
It is a given that in any business, conflict will arise. Whether you are in a management position, or simply the unlucky employee that answered the upset client’s call, it is important to learn how to deal with these conflicts in a professional manor.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=394 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=394 2014-09-30 12:53:45 Lorraine Coetzee
How to motivate yourself? We have all gone through a phase where work is just getting you down. There are so many different ways to motivate and inspire yourself.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=393 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=393 2014-09-22 13:07:40 Lorraine Coetzee
“That guy has such an ego, I love working with him” said no one ever. As professionals we have spent hours honing our skills. Our perception of our expertise is a massive part of our identity. Which also means when we feel like our hard-earned skills are being criticised or not recognised we inevitably take it personally.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=390 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=390 2014-09-05 00:00:00 Julian Karstel
Are your employees demotivated? There are many things that you as employer or manager can do to that shape the environment and motivation levels in your office. When employees feel motivated, they work with more energy and confidence.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=391 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=391 2014-09-01 00:00:00 Lorraine Coetzee
Blogs contribute to a major chunk of our interactions with clients in the age of digital marketing. This is a way to show off the personality and corporate culture to current and prospective clients while providing them with a post containing either valuable or entertaining content.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=389 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=389 2014-08-26 00:00:00 Mari Roelofse
Effectively planning and scheduling your work day can be a challenge for many. Follow these tips to make sure you get the best start to your day and get the important things done.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=388 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=388 2014-08-14 14:56:01 Lorraine Coetzee
Employers are always looking for ways to boost productivity in the office and minimise activities that waste time. We look at three of the worst time wasters in the office and discuss a few suggestions on how to overcome them.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=382 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=382 2014-07-31 14:36:42 Lorraine Coetzee
“Customer support is the very rare opportunity to connect to your customers on an emotional level. You can’t do that in any other way.” Buffer COO, Leo Widrich.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=370 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=370 2014-06-10 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
Here is a typical brainstorming scenario: a group of employees take an hour or two to brainstorm creative ideas for a content strategy – but more often than not, there is only one person putting ideas on the table.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=368 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=368 2014-06-05 00:00:00 Mari Roelofse
We all have a built-in perception of either our own value or that of our business’. We also have a perception of the value we offer to our customers or employers.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=367 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=367 2014-06-04 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
What you do after a meeting, is just as important as your preparation and presentation during the meeting. Here are six vitally important steps to take following your sales meeting.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=365 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=365 2014-05-23 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
In a previous article we discussed how to prepare yourself for a sales meeting. Now that you have prepped, it is time to implement these preparations, and here’s how:
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=364 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=364 2014-05-22 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
The sales environment has changed a lot over the years – the sales consultant used to be a source of information, but now they are just a representation of the company, there to close a sale and fill in any gaps of information that the client has.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=362 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=362 2014-05-09 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
It's ten years into the future and search engines have evolved to such a level that every search only produces the absolute perfect single result.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=352 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=352 2014-03-31 00:00:00 Julian Karstel
In neuromarketing, the neuroscientific phenomenon of mirror neuron networks, allow you to understand how to deliver information to a browser, blog reader, or social media follower in a way that will actually be of value to them.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=337 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=337 2014-02-27 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
There are two sides to every company, the promise side and the delivery side.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=335 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=335 2014-02-21 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
Imagine if you had stayed in touch with every single person you have ever met through your business dealings. You would have a ridiculous pool of contacts linking you to numerous possibilities, endeavours and benefits.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=333 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=333 2014-02-19 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=329 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=329 2014-02-07 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
The more automated a process, the less alert we become and the long-term effect of following procedures causes mindlessness in people.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=318 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=318 2014-01-16 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
Avoiding stress equates to avoiding challenges. We should rather strive to become stress-fit than stress-free, but how do we become stress-fit? I suggest a conscious and active approach against the urge to avoid challenging situations due to the frightful possibility of stress.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=313 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=313 2013-12-12 13:41:01 Carla van Straten
The general atmosphere in the corporate work place undeniably grows more and more tense as the year approaches its end.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=307 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=307 2013-12-05 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
Fancy branding and cutesy advertising no longer work as the defining factors for closing a sale.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=269 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=269 2013-10-17 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
To motivate your sales force you need to eliminate demotivating factors.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=268 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=268 2013-10-16 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
According to a press release by American Express, 78% of customers have backed out on an anticipated transaction because of poor customer service.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=233 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=233 2013-08-28 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
As a business it is important to see things from the client’s perspective. This is difficult but should be emphasised to become a way of life when dealing with potential clients.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=228 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=228 2013-08-21 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
To motivate those who work alongside you, you need to practise intelligent listening, in-depth understanding, and courageous talking. .
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=224 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=224 2013-08-15 14:21:05 Carla van Straten
A commitment to something, anything, will start and it will perish if you are not constantly motivated to continue.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=221 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=221 2013-08-13 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
Focusing on a group of corporate employees, whether it is a small company, a department within a company or a large enterprise, I would like to argue that a reputable culture of Lifelong Learning can be established and maintained.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=197 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=197 2013-07-11 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
There is no such thing as natural talent. In this article we dispel the myth of innate talent and learn how to practice the right way.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=195 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=195 2013-07-09 17:30:00 Francois Karstel
What do you think? Is it possible to think differently and creatively or is this impossible if you were not born with a creative mind? Creative thinking is present in most aspects of our lives. Whether it’s finding solutions to problems, managing a business, having everyday conversations or writing an article, creative thinking is central. Being able to think differently leads to innovation and this is why it is so important when it comes to business.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=191 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=191 2013-07-03 00:00:00 Carina Claassens
Value is one of the most important elements that people look for in products, services, companies and, most commonly, other people. The thing with value is that it might not be as obvious as one would think. People often do not recognise value for what it is worth – it is more of a given than a gift. If you do not communicate your value to all who favours from it, you simply won’t be rewarded for it.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=188 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=188 2013-06-28 00:00:00 Carina Claassens
According to the book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, by research psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and science writer John Tierney, successful people use their willpower to modify negative habits and to develop new positive habits. This is interesting because habits are stored in a different part of the brain, called the “dorsal striatum”, which uses less energy. You benefit from these new positive habits, month after month, year after year, without depleting you precious daily willpower quota.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=186 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=186 2013-06-26 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
According to Baumeister you can indeed increase you own willpower because it works like a muscle, the more you use it, the more you have.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=181 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=181 2013-06-18 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
Organisation change management is a science in its own right and much has been written on the process of managing inter-company changes like the adopting of new systems such as task management software, or a change in the hierarchy of command. This article does not explain change management procedures in a step-by-step manner. This article is concerned with understanding the phenomenon of change in a business environment as compared to how we approach change in our social lives.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=179 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=179 2013-06-13 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
As humans, we are a social species. We need each other in order to survive because we trade, arrow heads for food, for example. A person’s value is determined by the society in which he or she operates. Success is then again determined by these value judgments and structures. The social perspective of value is most prominent in situations of trade.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=178 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=178 2013-06-12 00:00:00 Francois Karstel
We think in language. How we define our thoughts, feelings, pursuits and the way in which we communicate these to the outside world, is all dependent on the vocabulary at our disposal. In order to properly and healthily reason with oneself, one must have a sufficient vocabulary to do so.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=175 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=175 2013-06-06 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
The term credibility is more often than not defined by combining a few different (and vague) concepts. When asked what the term means hardly anyone can pin point the exact definition. We use terms such as integrity, honesty, relevance and expertise when describing credibility. This does not tell anyone what exactly credibility is or how a business can gain this vague (but necessary) characteristic.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=162 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=162 2013-05-13 00:00:00 Carina Claassens
How much truth is there in the statement that dignity and respect can be bought, if we think about how we ourselves view and behave around people who bear the appearance of wealth? Mentally and morally we reject it, but in behaviour we endorse it. We are hypocrites. What is more is that respect is hardly the only emotional response or state that is purchasable.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=134 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=134 2013-02-20 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
Ego is known to cause problems in a work environment. It is imagined, but not imaginary, because, although a mind-set, it manifests in behaviours. This article deals with how egotistical behaviour manifests within organisations.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=133 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=133 2013-02-11 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
The participant is both the assessor and the assessed, and there are principles that apply to both these roles that require serious consideration. This article tells the story of the participant involved in a 360-degree feedback process.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=125 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=125 2012-10-26 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
Senior managers, supervisors and general managers would come together to make certain decision in preparation for the 360-degree feedback round.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=124 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=124 2012-10-18 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
360-degree feedback is a system by which the skills and behaviours of company members are assessed. The 360-degrees imply that the assessment of each individual is a complete contribution of feedback from all sides.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=123 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=123 2012-10-11 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
The way in which you use your personal budget of mind effort makes all the difference in regard to evaluating that which is in front of you before acting. An old Chinese proverb goes: "Any man who could concentrate for as much as three minutes on any given problem could rule the world".
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=120 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=120 2012-09-20 00:00:00 Carla van Starten
Understanding the art of sculpting and shaping value according to social truths. If you are under the impression that product or service value is a simple equation, you are mistaken. Value is never fixed. Not only does it change shape as perceived from one person to the next, but it also changes from one minute in time to the next.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=119 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=119 2012-09-12 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
There is no universal right and universal wrong. There is only the decision that is right for you. The following article dismantles the decision making process in order to reveal crucial details - those details in the cracks between each consecutive step in the process.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=118 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=118 2012-09-04 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
Trying to keep each and every single customer, or potential customer, happy... A crucial part in walking the path to success is making each and every step count. However, the energy, time and effort put into a step won%u2019t count for much if you step on a landmine.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=117 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=117 2012-08-03 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
We are irrational beings, and rationality is a prominent figure in the equation to success. The following article addresses the human knack to be irrational, the dangers of irrational thinking and decision making and the simple rules to counteract irrational impulses.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=116 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=116 2012-07-02 00:00:00 Carla van Straten
The principle for success in business
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=112 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=112 2012-04-23 00:00:00 Robyn Bloch
How to use Google search effectively.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=108 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=108 2012-02-15 00:00:00 Robyn Bloch
The saying goes “one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel”. That may be, but before launching into an analysis of attitude in the work place and how it effects the overall working environment, I would like to suggest a better, in my opinion, more apt, expression: “One bad potato sneakily stinks up an entire kitchen while also ruining all adjacent potatoes.” (Who has a “barrel” of apples anyway?) I put this forward as a better, if somewhat long-winded, expression as rotting apples have a fruity, sweet smell whereas rotting potatoes can devastate an entire flat for days.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=106 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=106 2012-02-01 00:00:00 Robyn Bloch
With Kodak having filed for bankruptcy, who else will sink beneath the digital wave?
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=99 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=99 2012-01-19 00:00:00 Robyn Bloch
Content marketing and the real-time nature of social media makes big business a meritocracy. The content marketing revolution has affected more than just the way companies communicate with the public. It has opened up an international, real-time dialogue with the public, and that means that companies get what they deserve.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=80 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=80 2011-09-29 00:00:00 Robyn Bloch
What if your dream client is out there and you are not willing to wait for them to come to you. You want to get their attention but, how do you make that first essential contact? More importantly, how do you make a positive impression?
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=76 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=76 2011-09-22 00:00:00 Julian Karstel & Robyn Bloch
Success happens when you have achieved what you set out to achieve. In other words once you have accomplished your intended worthwhile goals, you have achieved success.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=54 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=54 2011-03-01 00:00:00 Lauren Kee
In the book "In Search of the Human Mind", Robert Sternberg outlines twenty possible reasons why seemingly intelligent people tend to fail in one form or another. With this knowledge in hand we can understand ourselves a bit better and possibly even change our future outcomes.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=52 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=52 2011-02-18 00:00:00 Lauren Kee
Who would have thought that social media would play such a pivotal role in the violent protest that lead to the overthrowing of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarack. The cataclysmic events that transpired in Egypt and Tunisia made waves not only in the political sphere but the digital world as well.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=51 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=51 2011-02-17 00:00:00 Lauren Kee
We live in a time of abundance where physical energy does not need to be conserved as it should have been in early hunting days. Why then do we continue to lie on the couch?
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=41 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=41 2010-10-18 00:00:00 Cathrine Versfeld
Malcolm Gladwell wrote, in his landmark book, Outliers, that it takes 10 000 hours to truly master something. I found this fascinating and wondered if it might be possible for me to become, say, a concert pianist by devoting this particular number of hours to practice.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=39 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=39 2010-10-14 00:00:00 Cathrine Versfeld
A productive company is a successful one. This does not happen on its own however. It requires good systems and good teams.
]]> http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=35 http://blog.soundidea.co.za/home/index.php?ipkArticleID=35 2010-10-11 00:00:00 Francois Karstel