May 2019
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National Smile Month
What a True Smile Can Do
May is National Smile Month, which, according to the Oral
your teeth, you're not smiling," I told them. When the pictures were retaken, I took both pictures and compared the two side by side, and they agreed that there was a huge difference! A smile helps people connect with you just like it can help you connect with someone else. Think about the last time you were out on a date, at a conference, or even if you went down to your local Starbucks to grab coffee. Could you tell whether or not the other person was enjoying themselves? Did they laugh when you told a joke, or smile when they told you to have a great day? Chances are, you could! If they gave you a full smile that showed their teeth, you probably didn't mind hanging around to chat with them for a little longer, and the experience could have even lifted your spirits for the rest of the day. A toothy smile will naturally bring people together! In the same way that people say the eyes are the windows to the soul, the smile is the doorway to the heart. You might not realize it, but wherever you find yourself in life, a true smile is pretty important. It doesn't matter if you're a lawyer, doctor, receptionist, barista, or dentist. A genuine smile will make all the difference in how people react to you and how you interact with them. When I first started working on my media appearances, they weren't my best pictures or my best smiles. Comparing my smiles from then and now, you can see the difference, but that didn't just come out of nowhere.
A good smile is like working out; it's something that you have to practice. There are 43 muscles in the face, and just like how it takes time to exercise your arm muscles to lift a heavier dumbbell, those face muscles need to build up, too! You have to make the conscious effort to smile more to get good at it. Ever since I started working on my smile, I've noticed how much it affects other people and myself. Whenever I appeared on CBS, FOX, ABC or other shows, I was getting along better with hosts and really connecting with people who were watching all around the world. Not only that, but my family started noticing a difference in the way I presented myself! My wife and my kids would ask, "What's different about you? You're always happy now." And the thing is, it wasn't that I was unhappy — I was happy, but I didn't show it. To celebrate National Smile Month, I would encourage everyone to smile more and show your teeth. I guarantee that the interactions you have will be that much more positive and enjoyable. Here's to a month of celebrating genuine smiles!
Health Foundation, is the largest and longest running campaign to promote oral health. I think that this holiday is also a great chance to learn what a great smile can do, not just for you, but for the people who surround you in your daily life. people smile: when you're showing teeth and when you're not. Everyone wants to do the "cool" smile you see a lot in selfies, the one that almost looks like they're smirking at the camera. To me, that's not smiling. A true smile is when you show your teeth. take headshots of the team. After all the pictures were taken, I went through them all but didn't let the photographer go. There were a few pictures in which my team members had that cool smile, and I wanted their pictures to be retaken. Those I called back said, "But I am smiling, look!" But I just shook my head. "If I don't see Throughout my professional career and training, I've noticed there are two ways Not too long ago, I had a professional photographer come to the office to
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“In the same way that people say the eyes are the windows to the soul, the smile is the doorway to the heart.”
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THE GOOD KIND OF GOSSIP How to Cultivate Valuable Customer Reviews
1. Cyber security insurance. As data breaches against small businesses skyrocket year after year, it’s practically a no- brainer to invest in insurance that keeps you protected, especially if you collect sensitive data from your customers. 4 INSURANCE PLANS YOU SHOULD CARRY TODAY 2. Sexual harassment insurance. It’s vital to hold employees accountable when they act inappropriately in the workplace. It improves the global working environment for everyone. Unfortunately, you can’t always prevent the bad behavior of insidious assaulters, making sexual harassment claims a constant risk. 3. Flood insurance. Floods have been getting steadily worse countrywide over the past few years. 40 percent of businesses that face damage from natural disasters never reopen. Do you want to be one of them? 4. Umbrella insurance. For every potential liability issue not specifically covered under another policy, it’s good to have your bases covered. This isn’t for every business, but if you’re concerned about things like rental vehicle accidents, slander, or defamation of character claims, it’s a good idea to invest in the added protection.
When you’re thinking about buying a new product or service, what’s the first step you take? If you turn to the world wide web in search of reviews, then you’re in good company. According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 85 percent of consumers regard the customer review to be the single most credible and trustworthy source of advertising. That same survey found that 68 percent of customers surveyed were willing to provide feedback for a company. So, how do you get your customers to write the glowing reviews that help close deals? Don’t rely on customers to go to your website to leave reviews. There are numerous websites you can utilize that make leaving feedback more convenient for your clients. What’s more is that these other platforms are highly trafficked. BrightLocal found that Facebook and Yelp were consumers’ most trusted source of user reviews in the U.S., but you can also use Google My Business or the Better Business Bureau. Most importantly, be sure you are active on all the platforms you use. DIVERSIFY YOUR PLATFORMS
OFFER INCENTIVES
SmallBizTrends.com, February 18, 2019
Give your clients a reason to write reviews. Consider offering incentives like a discount or coupon code, coffee gift card, or an entry to win a contest for an even bigger prize.
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Think of the review process as a conversation rather than a request to be met, and use open-ended questions to start. Before you even request a review, you can ask customers questions like “How was your recent experience with us?” or “How are you liking your product?” That way, you can gauge their satisfaction before they leave any feedback.
Here’s an opinion that’s sure to be unpopular: You shouldn’t be using Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or any other popular free email service for your business accounts. Without a proprietary email address specific to your business to lend your emails legitimacy, prospects are likely to ignore them outright or even assume they’re spam. What’s more, cloud-based email platforms can be quite vulnerable. It’s pretty easy to set up a company email, and once you do, you’ll never look back. DON’T USE THESE EMAIL ACCOUNTS FOR BUSINESS
RESPOND, RESPOND, RESPOND
The last thing you want to see is a scathing one-star review. But no matter how hard you work, they are still bound to happen. When you receive one, take the time to respond thoughtfully — without being defensive — and try to come up with a possible solution to the complaint. And be sure to respond to your positive reviews as well. When you show that you engage with all of your customers, prospective ones will be more likely to give you a shot.
ConversionPipeline.com
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Monday–Thursday
Are 4-Day Workweeks the Secret to Productivity?
Could you get more done with one less day in the week?
a problem in the United States, providing employees with a better work-life balance may be the secret to a happier, more productive workplace. After the successful trial, Perpetual Guardian opted to stick with the four-day workweek permanently. They provide several tips for implementing a four-day workweek at your company. • Do your own web and local research. • Speak to your staff and be clear about your objectives. • Ensure policy is well-supported and resourced. • Create a policy that can flex depending on workloads, projects, or customer requirements. • Let your customers know what’s going on and assure them there will be no drop in service. • Ensure the new employment structure doesn’t cut across legal requirements. • Be clear that the aim of the initiative is to benefit the company as well as the employees. • Recognize that flexible working initiatives aren’t magic bullets. If you’re interested in learning more about Perpetual Guardian’s four-day work week, check out the white paper written by The University of Auckland researchers at 4DayWeek.co.nz/four-day-week-trial.
Of course not! Most of us need more time in the week, not less. At least, that’s the assumption. But a New Zealand company recently proved that when it comes to company productivity, less may mean more. In March of 2018, Perpetual Guardian, a finance management company in New Zealand, began testing a four-day workweek for its 240 employees. Researchers from the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology studied the firm before, during, and after the trial. Perpetual Guardian isn’t the first company to test-drive a four-day workweek, but during the trial period, they did something unusual: They didn’t reduce employees’ salaries. Paying employees for five days of work while only requiring four days sounds like a surefire way to bankrupt a company, but researchers found the change had the opposite effect. By trimming the hours down and maintaining pay, Perpetual Guardian saw a 20 percent increase in productivity. The shorter workweek motivated employees to get their work done quicker by cutting down meeting times, becoming more self-motivated, and telling their colleagues when they were being distracting. After the trial, employees at Perpetual Guardian also reported feeling 7 percent less stressed and a 24 percent improvement in work-life balance. Considering the fact that burnout — and the sick days that come with it — is such
HAVE A Laugh
Shiny New Gadget of the Month
When it comes to driving, the forces that aim to keep us safe seem to be in constant battle with the pull of convenience. We’re supposed to keep our eyes glued to the road while trying to navigate Google Maps without missing a single turn. It’s an inherently dangerous combination. With their new VIZR tool, FIXD automotive hopes to fix that. After selecting the feature you want, you connect the device to your phone and place it on your dashboard, where it creates a transparent display. This way, FIXD says, you can seamlessly navigate without ever glancing at your phone and putting your life in jeopardy.
Though VIZR is a great idea, the reviews indicate it might not be all it’s cracked up to be. You might want to wait until all the bugs are sorted out. For now, just keep your eyes on the road the old- fashioned way.
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Inside This Edition
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Smile Your Heart Out!
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4 Insurance Plans You Should Carry Today The Value of User Reviews and How to Cultivate Them Is Your Company Ready for the 4-Day Workweek?
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Have a Laugh
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Using Chatbots in Small Business
‘How Can I Help You?’ How to Incorporate Chatbots Into Your Business People have long been curious about what robots could do for humans. Historians have even traced robotic inventions all the way back to 400 B.C.! Since then, the field of robotics has come a long way and brought modern society inventions that change how people live, learn, and even run their businesses. One such robotic innovation that has increased in popularity in recent years is the chatbot. According to Entrepreneur.com, Facebook found that over 2 billion conversations were held between customers and the 100,000 chatbots on its messenger platform in 2017. But though chatbots have only become mainstream in the last few years, they’ve been around for decades. Chatbots go all the way back to 1966, when Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA terrified and mystified the masses. ELIZA was the first chatbot to master short, human-like conversations until various improvements were made in the following decades, including ALICE in 1995. ALICE’s capabilities were so profound that she paved the way for today’s widely used artificial intelligence inventions. Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, IBM’s Watson, and the Google Home are all forms of AI chatbots that utilize human-like linguistics, but according to Murray Newlands, CEO of chatbot company Chatty People, bots can also take on scripted forms. These bots are ideal for answering common, simple questions from customers. Today, implementing a chatbot
for your business is more convenient than ever. According to Newlands, you can even create your own bot on Facebook Messenger without having to design a code. To dip your toes into the chatbot world, start by establishing a part-time bot during a busy season, or use one to ease the number of common and simple questions your employees have to answer. This delegation of inquiries will allow your employees to focus on more pressing tasks. Additionally, your chatbots can bridge language barriers and assist clients who struggle with verbal communication. While chatbot technology has various benefits, it also has various limits. Before you dive right in, make sure you’re aware of how much your chatbot can do for your customer before a human customer service representative has to step in. Many inquiries require human interaction, so monitor your chatbot’s responses, program your chatbot to direct customers to you or your team, and let customers know your bots are only designed for certain tasks. Your bot has to be easy to understand, or no one will use it. A lot has changed since 400 B.C. Technology is advancing fast, and when businesses don’t keep up with the times, they fail. If you use it effectively, chatbot customer service is a phenomenon that will surely keep your business a bot above the rest.
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