The constitutional standard for an impeachable offense—“treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”—is best understood to require serious official misconduct, but not the commission of a crime. But since Alan Dershowitz’s view implies that any presidential termination of an investigation is constitutionally authorized, impeachment for such an action could not be legally permissible. The dispute over this view is no abstract, academic debate. As a matter of practical politics, a long-running controversy among legal experts on this point could give political cover to Republican members of Congress to resist taking up an obstruction charge.
Month: January 2018
4 Simple Ways To Increase Your Customer Base
So, you’ve been in business for some time now. Do you know how to increase your customer base?
When you started out, you’re probably not so bothered about having little or no customer. After all, it’s normal for new businesses. But now, you’re probably thinking why you can’t keep your business on a steady ride.
What will be the fate of a business without customers?
I’m no prophet of doom but it’s quite obvious that it’ll be a disaster. And that’s because customers are the sustaining factor of a business.
It’s no exaggeration when they say that customer is king. Their patronage provides the revenue that businesses thrive on. Simply put, they are the reason why you are in business.
So, how do you deal with the problem of little or no customers? Unless you want to go out of business soon, you have to be worried about your lack of customers.
Here are four simple ways to increase your customer base.
Provide excellent customer service
Charity begins at home.
A good way to increase your customer base is to work on putting customers at your disposal. When you don’t give these customers a reason to stay, they’ll run into the open arms of the next available competition. The first contact a customer makes with you is worth more than a million dollars.
You know why?
If such a customer is satisfied with your delivery, he/she could transact businesses worth more than a million dollar with you subsequently. A satisfied customer is likely to tell their friends, family, and associates about your services, referring more clients to you even without you asking.
See Also: Live Chat for Business: The Best Investment?
Understand your target market
Needs can only be met when they are understood.
It’s impossible to provide a solution to a problem you know little or nothing about. You could end up spending so much time and resources doing the wrong things.
Identifying prospective customers’ needs gives you better insights on how to provide products or services that are tailor-made for them. When you have the answers to customers’ problems, they’ll naturally be drawn to you. And if you live up to their expectations, you’re likely to keep them around for a very long time.
At the end of the day, every customer wants to be satisfied. If you tick that box, you’ll have their full attention.
Utilize your network
In this digital age, we are bombarded with different modern marketing strategies with the promise of great results. While some of these techniques are efficient, they are still a far cry from the good old proven word of mouth marketing technique.
You see, your social capital isn’t just there for socializing; it can be of great help in growing your business, too.
Your network consists of people who know you personally. While they may not be able to vouch for you on matters of life and death, they trust you enough to give you the benefit of the doubt in trying out your products or services. Don’t be shy to tell them about what you do.
Remember, you are your best marketer. Talk to people in your network about your business. You’ll be surprised at the number of new customers you’ll get from that.
Explore social media
If everyone is gushing about the benefits of social media in business, there’s a chance that there’s something in it for you as well. It’s okay to be a doubting Thomas but sometimes, you have to give the benefit of the doubt.
Look at it this way:
With social media, you can reach people that you may not be able to reach normally. When you do it right, you are likely to generate leads from your social media marketing strategies.
See Also: 4 Good Reasons For Marketing With Facebook
Technology makes it easier for you to streamline your campaigns to consumers who are in need of what you are selling. You can get your products or services right in front of people who are looking for exactly what you are offering.
There’s no such thing as too many customers; the more the merrier. If you made it a point of duty to increase your customer base on a regular basis, you’d have more revenue in your bank account. You get to meet your business goals and even expand. In the end, you stand to lose nothing. So, wouldn’t you rather give it a try?
The post 4 Simple Ways To Increase Your Customer Base appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
18 Things to Try In 2018
You’re reading 18 Things to Try In 2018, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Disclaimer: I’m weird, and like trying new weird things things
As a new year approaches us it is a great time to reflect on the year behind us and dial into the positive qualities we would like to integrate into our lives. When January greets your warmly it brings with it that sense of hope, freshness, and endless possibilities. What better time to try some thing new that could benefit you….
One should always explore new terrains in life. This way one can say “At least I tried and now I know I don’t like it.” or who knows you could easily fall in love with the thing your giving a shot and integrate it into your life.
It is fun, awesome, and rewarding when I can introduce different practices, methods, and experiences to people for the first time as means to help someone become a better, stronger, and wiser person in life. Some of the things below may make you uncomfortable, but maybe that is just the reason to try it. Life begins outside your comfort zone. When we do or face the things that we are scared of thats when we begin to witness growth.
“Experience life in all possible ways — good-bad, bitter-sweet, dark-light, summer-winter. Experience all the dualities. Don’t be afraid of experience, because the more experience you have, the more mature you become.” ― Osho
Here I have 18 fun endeavors to take on. Some are easy, some are unusual, some you may have preconceived notions on(try to put them aside).
-
- Floating – As a float enthusiast this is atop the list for a reason…. it is awesome. Float tanks – also known as sensory deprivation tanks – are one of the best ways to get your body and mind to chill out. Floating will help you get better sleep, melt your stresses away, recover from a workout quicker, and leave you feeling revitalized to name a few benefits it produces. Having gone floating for the last three years it has become a part of my routine, I go once every week – seeing this holistic modality as an investment on my well being. I recommend it to anyone and everyone that wants to listen to me. I read that your should give it 3 tries before you come to your conclusions on floating. Most places do an introductory package three for the price of two.
- Journaling – Writing down my thoughts each morning is one of the best habits I’ve incorporated into my life as it allows my mind to empty onto the pages then in turn being able to think more clearly. Looking back at the past entries is cool to see the frame of mind you had then. The practice of writing can help get your creative juices flowing as well.
- Read The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle – This book has many gems of wisdom in its pages such as suggesting how our minds are basically using us unknowingly and how to turn the tide in becoming more conscious in our daily lives by becoming the watcher of your thoughts and emotions as they arise. It becomes clearer the more present we become the more authentic our actions become. This is the book I recommend and gift the most. To me The Power of Now has so much value I force myself to re-read it every year.
- Listen to the Aubrey Marcus Podcast – Hands down one of the most informative podcasts on being a better human and how to elevate yourself in all aspects of your life. Aubrey is the CEO of Onnit a total human optimization company that sells everything from supplements to kettlebells shaped like monkeys. Aubrey has been a great teacher of life to me. I was fortunate enough to see him talk live at Burning Man, it was quite the treat. His guests range from World-class athletes like Lance Armstrong to entertainers like Jamie Foxx and Joe Rogan with leading Neuroscientists, Psychologists, and health experts coming on to discuss life changing topics. Check it out, theres an episode for everyone on there. Podcasts are awesome – listen while you commute to work, work-out, or clean your room.
- Supplement with Alpha-Brain – Alpha-Brain is nootropic (dietary supplement that helps support certain brain functions, such as memory, mental speed, and focus) made by Onnit. After 4 years of experimenting with this supplement I can tell you that it does work and helps me with daily mental functioning. It is probably the closest thing you will get to the pill from the movie Limitless.
- Leave Your Country – More people need to start traveling – that is a fact. Have you never left your country? Always dreamed of visiting that one paradise you only imagined of going to in your life? Why not just take leap and go?….. We tend to get in our own way when it comes to traveling internationally by coming up with all the reasons that it won’t work out. There is no better feeling then exploring the terrain of what was once a dream, that has manifested itself. Leading one to a vast mind-opening experience of a new culture, that produces a gratitude and better understanding of their native land. As the great Hunter S. Thompson said: “Buy the ticket, Take the ride.”
- Infrared Sauna – Infrared saunas are a type of sauna that uses heat and light to help relax and detoxify the body. Sitting in a 150 degree wooden box for 45 minutes is my new favorite life hack. Reading about the many benefits of an infrared sauna – After getting to try it out and I fell in love with it. Compared to the traditional sauna this one was much gentler on the body. After the first ten minutes I felt a wave of calmness engulf my body. When it was all over I was left feeling rejuvenated and renewed.
- Meditation – This is the one that most people will be scared to try. Many stereotypes are intertwined with meditation. The active art of getting still requires discipline and will. My favorite analogy for meditation is its just like taking a shower for the mind. One can be overwhelmed with where to start when beginning, now there are so many kinds and variations of meditation. It just takes some experimenting to find which is the right one for you. For starters I would recommend trying a guided meditation. Binaural beats can also assist in achieving a meditative state which are worth checking out too. Just like lifting weights start small and gradually build your way up(start with 2 mins and try to work your way up to 20 mins – sit quiet with your eyes closed being observant of the body and mind – focus on the sensation of breath).
- Kava – This ground up root has been around for a while but still not to many people know about it and the medicinal properties contained. Consuming kava will put you in a relaxed state of mind and cure your anxiety and worries . You can get it in a ground up powder, tea, or in a pill form. The taste can be some what earthy and unique, yet drinking it is the best way to reap the rewards of this calming elixir.
- Cold Showers – I’m sure if you have ever had a conversation with me I have touted your horn about the benefits of cold showers. This may be one of the tougher things to do on this list. If and once accomplished you will see your will-power lever trend upwards significantly. Having took cold showers for a year straight I can tell you it is a powerful tool. Check out my post on cold showers.
- Write a Letter to Yourself 3 Years from Now – A teacher of mine had brought this experiment into my life a few years back. The way it works is: write yourself a letter 3 years from now being you 3 years into the future. You tell yourself everything that you have accomplished and done in those 3 years. I did this practice 3 years ago and to my surprise I had done and accomplished most of the goals that I set out to do in the future. It is almost by writing out the things that you want to do in the tense of already doing them forces you to actually do them in real life. I know it sounds like the law of attraction, but it really seems to work. Re-reading my 3 year letter, I had found that I ran a marathon, took a mini-retirement in Asia for seven months, and went to Burning Man three dreams of mine.
- Donating to a Friend’s Cause – This is something everyone should do at leastonce a year. Do you have a friend thats raising money for ….. a family members that house burnt down/ autism awareness/ running an ultra-marathon to save the polar bears in the North Pole/ a Kickstarter to make suitcases from recycled cans????? So many times we see friends raising money for a good cause and often times are first impulse is to just to keep scrolling and say in our heads: “Why should I waste my money on that?” When the truth is the generosity of giving far outways the money donated. Your giving the person hope, gratitude, and inspiration with your currency. Donating a small amount as little as $10 can bring a huge smile to a friend or strangers face leaving them in jubilation. [SIDE – NOTE: IT’S ONLY TEN DOLLARS!] Having been on the receiving end of this I can only tell you how empowering it is when your friends, family, and strangers come together for a good cause.
- Explore the website High Exsistence – Hands down my favorite website. This site is dedicated to personal growth, making the world a better place, and everything awesome. It is full of original content that can inspire and motivate someone to living a more well rounded and fulfilling life. It has been cool to watch the site blossom into something beautiful over the past five years.
Set GoalsWrite Down Goals – Without goals in life we are going in circles with no destination in mind. It is a great idea to get clear and figure out what you want to achieve with your time on earth. When you actually write down a goal something magical happens: you put your thoughts into the physical realm of life. Doing this allows the universe to help you with your endeavors and seeing what you wrote down it becomes easier to stay focus and motivated. It is said that we overestimate what we can do a year, but we underestimate what cam be accomp
lished in three years.
- Drink Lemon Water in the Morning – One easy way towards a healthier way of living is through hydration. It is important once waking that we replenish our body with what it was missing while your physical bodies were repairing itself in our sleep. But why lemons you ask? Lemons will balance or even increase your pH level. They help detox the body by removing unwanted impurities and giving the body the much needed nutrients, while boosting the immune system. I’m accustom to juciing half a lemon then adding it about 12-14 oz of water, then throwing it down the hatch. Even just a small squeeze of a wedge can give you the much needed benefits. I’ll do this right after going to the restroom. NOTE: drink the lemon water before brushing your teeth, as the high acidity of the lemon juice can harm your teeth!
- Probiotics – It has been said that 70 % of the immune system lies in the gut. So in order to remain happy and healthy we need to feed our gut biomes with healthy probiotics. The good bacteria will improve your digestion, as you can supplement with probiotics or find them in fermented foods and drinks. My favorite form of probiotic is kombucha, it is a fermented tea which is highly carbonated and rich tasting. When managing a healthy gut you can notice a change in energy, mental clarity, stronger immune system, and better sleep.
- Gratitude – This is one thing that most Americans and others need in their lives. Gratitude is easily one of the easiest ways to achieve happiness. If you have food on your plate, a shelter, a bed, and clothing your are so much better off than most of world yet you don’t even realize how rich your are. We are so used to thinking in terms of what our lives are lacking – FLIP THE SWITCH – Think of all that you do have: pay attention and give thanks for your health, family, job, friends, cup of coffee, smartphone, car, running water, or whatever it is that you do have. Take a moment out of your day to be more grateful of the positives in your life. It only takes five minutes a day to put some positive energy into your life.
- Couchsurfing – With Couchsurfing you can either be a guest or a host travelers mostly that are in your area looking for an informal place to stay. Personally I’ve only hosted guests at my place. It was a great and memorable experience. A great way to meet people and exchange travel stories and cultures. The hosts allow the guests to stay free of charge. As a safety precaution you can verify you identity to insure the person is who they say they are. I look forward to having the opportunity to stay with someone the next time I travel. This is a cheap means of accommodation when traveling and a good way to get a feel of a place from your local host.
- Floating – As a float enthusiast this is atop the list for a reason…. it is awesome. Float tanks – also known as sensory deprivation tanks – are one of the best ways to get your body and mind to chill out. Floating will help you get better sleep, melt your stresses away, recover from a workout quicker, and leave you feeling revitalized to name a few benefits it produces. Having gone floating for the last three years it has become a part of my routine, I go once every week – seeing this holistic modality as an investment on my well being. I recommend it to anyone and everyone that wants to listen to me. I read that your should give it 3 tries before you come to your conclusions on floating. Most places do an introductory package three for the price of two.
These are just some things I think people should experiment with and give a shot. Sometimes the things we fear the most are the things we need to absolutely do to overcome that fear. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
You’ve read 18 Things to Try In 2018, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
>
The B&N Podcast: James Lee Burke
Every author has a story beyond the one that they put down on paper. The Barnes & Noble Podcast goes between the lines with today’s most interesting writers, exploring what inspires them, what confounds them, and what they were thinking when they wrote the books we’re talking about.
James Lee Burke’s literary triumph was long in coming — but once he introduced New Orleans detective Dave Robicheaux in the 1987 novel The Neon Rain, he quickly became both one of the most acclaimed American crime writers, and an irreplaceable chronicler of the Crescent City’s unique culture and history. His latest novel, titled simply Robicheaux, returns his beloved but battled-scarred hero to a murky world where business, politics and crime intersect. In this episode, James Lee Burke talks with Bill Tipper about his love of New Orleans and the long strange road to becoming an American classic.
James Lee Burke’s most beloved character, Dave Robicheaux, returns in this gritty, atmospheric mystery set in the towns and backwoods of Louisiana.
Dave Robicheaux is a haunted man.
Between his recurrent nightmares about Vietnam, his battle with alcoholism, and the sudden loss of his beloved wife, Molly, his thoughts drift from one irreconcilable memory to the next. Images of ghosts at Spanish Lake live on the edge of his vision.
During a murder investigation, Dave Robicheaux discovers he may have committed the homicide he’s investigating, one which involved the death of the man who took the life of Dave’s beloved wife. As he works to clear his name and make sense of the murder, Robicheaux encounters a cast of characters and a resurgence of dark social forces that threaten to destroy all of those whom he loves. What emerges is not only a propulsive and thrilling novel, but a harrowing study of America: this nation’s abiding conflict between a sense of past grandeur and a legacy of shame, its easy seduction by demagogues and wealth, and its predilection for violence and revenge. James Lee Burke has returned with one of America’s favorite characters, in his most searing, most prescient novel to date.
See more books by James Lee Burke.
Like this podcast? Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher to discover intriguing new conversations every week.
The post The B&N Podcast: James Lee Burke appeared first on The Barnes & Noble Review.
The Barnes & Noble Review http://ift.tt/2Aia0uP
7 Secrets To Help You Make 2018 Super Successful
There are many ways to be successful. As we move into the new year, you are starting to think about how you can make this your most successful year ever.
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
You’re going to learn seven practical tips for reaching your goals and improving your life in 2018. Each of these tips will focus on the following aspects of your life:
- Mind
- Body
- Soul
- Relationships
- Business and career
- Personal finances
- Personal limits
One of the most important keys to goal setting and goal achievement is to take a holistic approach. You are not simply composed of a body and a brain. You are a complete person, with a mind, body, and soul.
When you focus on only one aspect of your life, it becomes too easy for it to become unbalanced. Achieving success in one area of life at the expense of the other areas will cause frustration and will eventually make you miserable and unhealthy.
So, learn from these seven tips and discipline yourself to build a balanced life. Choose goals that are in harmony with one another. When your goals are in alignment, your progress will advance at a rapid rate and your life will improve faster than you can imagine.
Feed Your Mind
Everything begins with your thoughts and your mental health. Successful people think positively. They bring a good attitude to everything that they do. They are optimistic and practical and they have hope for the future.
What does your future look like? When you project yourself five or ten years forward, do you like what you see? What do you want your life to look like a few years from now and how will you make that happen?
Your future life will be determined by the actions you take right now. If your present course will not get you where you want to be, then you must change course.
You must learn new things. You must develop new skills. You must expand your education in order to create new opportunities for yourself. The internet has created a revolution in self-education and you must take advantage of this.
Did you know that you can get a free Harvard education?
We’re not just talking about scholarships here. But any average person can audit online college courses for free.
Just think of the possibilities and check out the free courses available today. See which of them align with your goals.
If you don’t see any classes you want to take, you can still expand your knowledge in other ways.
When was the last time you visited your local public library?
Every topic you could possibly want to learn about can be studied in-depth at the library.
It is said that top business executives read one new book every week, on average. If you want to gain new knowledge in your field, you shouldn’t stop yourself from feeding your mind.
Feed Your Body
To achieve higher levels of success in 2018, you will also want to feed and care for your body. Did you know that your physical condition can affect your mental health, your job performance, and your relationships?
See Also: 10 Brain Damaging Activities You Need To Stop Doing Now
Think about it.
Your brain requires a variety of nutrients and proper blood flow to perform at its best. Mental sluggishness goes hand-in-hand with physical sluggishness. So, let your physical condition support your mental, financial, and spiritual goals.
Begin by only putting quality foods into your body. Man-made, processed foods cannot supply all the nutrients you need for optimum health and peak performance. Instead, spend more time shopping in the grocery aisle.
Purge your kitchen and pantry of junk foods and stock up on fresh vegetables and fruits. Whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds should make the most of your grocery list.
If you live a busy lifestyle and are pressed for time, cook your meals in large batches. You can just divide them into individual storage containers so that you can simply grab one from the fridge as you head out the door to work.
Slip in a little physical exercise every day as well. If you don’t have the money for a gym membership or if you have difficulty carving out time to go there every day, then just park a little bit further from the entrance when you go to work or to the store. The added walking distance can accumulate throughout the week.
You can also take the stairs instead of the elevator or try spending half of your lunch break walking around the office building instead of lounging in the break room and watching TV.
Feed Your Soul
There are so many ways to nourish your soul. Here are just a few ideas:
- Religious practice
- Prayer
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Nature walks
- Music
- Art
All of these activities are good for the soul and they can reap great benefits in your life with only a few minutes per day. The secret is to make them a part of your daily routine. Forming new habits may seem difficult at first but with daily practice, you’ll find your soul craving for them.
Nurture Your Relationships
You are not an island. Your life is greatly hindered or enriched by the relationships you build. But despite being surrounded by hundreds and even thousands of people every day, you’ll find that limiting your interactions to a few key people can be greatly rewarding.
You can’t nurture 100 relationships at once. So, take some time to identify those people who matter most to you. Commit to engaging with them a little more each week.
In order to spend more time with these key people, you may have to spend less time with others. Think about the other people in your life and identify any toxic relationships.
Do some people seem to drain your energy and happiness? Do you feel more stressed out after hanging out with certain friends, coworkers or family members?
If so, recognize that your happiness matters. Start weaning yourself off of those people to free up more time for those who actually enrich your life.
See Also: 8 Types of Toxic Friends That Are Holding Your Happiness Hostage
Build Your Business
Your business or your career takes up a huge part of your life, so it only makes sense that you set goals for achieving higher levels of success there. Your career can affect other areas of your life, too. Before you spend another decade climbing the corporate ladder, you need to make sure that this ladder is leaning up against the right building first.
If you are unhappy with your job, change it. If you can’t stand your boss, fire him. This is not the 2018 BCE. You have freedom and you have choices. Use your freedom to choose the life you want and that starts with your job.
And if you seem to hate every job you’ve ever had, then maybe it’s time to create your own job by starting a business. With the internet, it’s now easier and cheaper to start a business from scratch.
Protect Your Finances
You work hard for your money but does your money bring you more freedom?
It can and it should.
The problem many people face is that they are stuck in the work-spend-work cycle. They work harder to make more money. Then, they spend all the money they make and more, thanks to credit cards. Once they spent all their money, they work even harder to keep up with the credit card bills.
It’s an unending cycle.
This year, you don’t have to live that way.
Begin setting aside a little money every week into a savings account and don’t touch it. If you need to cut back on your spending, then do that. Remember, nobody is stopping you.
If you cannot discipline yourself to save money from every paycheck, then you will never reach your financial goals.
Push Your Limits
This is the year that everything will change for you, but the changes cannot take place if you are continuing to live your life the same way you’ve been living it for the past few years. To get different results, you have to do things differently.
If you want to achieve more, you must become a new person. The old you is stuck in a comfort zone, and that is what is holding you back. To achieve the life you want, you will need to push out of your comfort zone.
This will not be easy, but it will be totally worth it.
As you attempt to make changes in your work life, your body, your relationships and your spiritual life, you will encounter discomfort. Pay attention when this happens! This is good! This is your opportunity!
To achieve the breakthroughs in the life that you desire, you must learn to love the discomfort. You must embrace the uncertainty that comes with trying new things. Everything you want is on the other side of that discomfort, so do not give up and do not give in.
Push through your limitations to create the new life that you envision. Those are the best ways to be successful.
The post 7 Secrets To Help You Make 2018 Super Successful appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Being Chris Ware
Ware has a deadpan self-abnegation that is, by all accounts, genuine. But in such an enormous book as this, which is fairly bursting with photographs of his accomplishments and friends, and all the amazing drawings documenting his rise from lonely, fatherless child to fifty-year-old genius, it does seems a terrific struggle to keep the humble pie hot through 275 pages. About halfway through, Ware’s aw-shucks attitude became, at least for me, hard to take. He needn’t be so abashed about all he has done.
The early hours of the morning provide a unique stillness. Fog…
The early hours of the morning provide a unique stillness. Fog settles, and the light begins to illuminate the underside of clouds. It’s like a scene in a painting. Here’s to a new year and experiencing awe-inspiring moments like this one at Yosemite National Park in California. Photo by National Park Service.
Live Chat for Business: The Best Investment?
If you are like most entrepreneurs, you’re probably aiming to increase engagement, conversion, sales, and traffic to your site.
That’s actually not a problem.
Getting traffic has become relatively easy these days with the plethora of advertising opportunities available. Using Google or Facebook and spending a few bucks on targeted ads, for example, can instantly deliver traffic to your website.
Conversion and engagement, however, are a completely different thing. You need a well-planned and structured website to get the best results. Boosting sales also requires a well-formulated campaign to ensure that you convert new viewers and keep the existing ones happy.
Customer service, therefore, is an absolute must if you want your website and customer base to grow more.
Customer service is a primary key to online success and using live chat for business is a great way of building rapport with your audience. Live chat statistics demonstrate that adding a quality live chat solution to your site can have an immense impact on the success of your website and business.
Here are some good reasons why you need to consider investing in a live chat for business.
Live Chat Boosts Your Site’s Credibility & Reputation
The internet is full of scam artists looking to exploit naïve visitors. Because of that, it has become increasingly hard to determine which sites are not credible and which ones are trustworthy.
Adding a live chat feature to your website can instantly boost your site’s credibility. It lets your customers know you are ready to address any issues or concerns they may have.
Studies suggest 29% of consumers prefer to interact with retailers through online chat. Also, 41% of shoppers trust a brand when they see that live chat is available on its website.
Hence, adding a live chat function to your site is a great way to invest in your brand’s image and credibility.
Live Chat Boosts Your Sales, Engagement & Conversion
Adding a live chat feature also increases the sales and conversion rates of a website drastically.
A customer is 51% more likely to purchase from a site that has live chat available than from one that does not. Additionally, with live chat, support is nearly instant and that is exactly what customers are looking for. It is a fact that 53% of online shoppers will abandon a purchase if support is not quick.
If you fail to satisfy their needs or answer their questions as fast as possible, your customers will likely leave your site.
When it comes to conversion, customers who chat before buying can be more easily pushed towards a purchase and are 40% more likely to convert. Also, these same customers that chat prior to purchase spend on average 10% more per order.
As a general industry standard, a chatting customer is highly engaged and is usually worth 4.5 times as much as a non-chatting visitor.
In essence, an investment in live chat integration is an investment that converts more customers who spend more per checkout and will return in the future to increase further growth and returns.
See Also: How to Improve Sales with Online Chat Software
Live Chat Pays for Itself
Live chat is also very cheap and easy to implement, considering its benefits.
From an ROI (Return on Investment) perspective, the average live chat software has a return of around 300%. This is because a customer who chats before purchasing poses a 48% increase in revenue per chat hour.
Live chat is also highly cost-effective compared to other forms of customer support. It is generally cheaper to implement than phone support. Also, when it comes to effectiveness, the average chat agent can do the work of 15 email support employees.
Considering all these factors, the cost savings alone mean live chat is an investment that not only delivers but also essentially pays for itself.
Live chat is a tool that all businesses should incorporate into their websites and online sales funnels. Live chat on your site can immediately boost your credibility and perceived support reputation.
With how it can boost sales and conversion and lower the costs of customer service delivery and ROI, it becomes obvious that live chat is very likely the best investment you can make right now to strengthen your brand.
See Also: 5 Effective Ways To Sound More Human Over A Customer Support Live Chat
The post Live Chat for Business: The Best Investment? appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
5 Key Signs You Are Working On The Wrong Goal And How To Set Right In 2018
You’re reading 5 Key Signs You Are Working On The Wrong Goal And How To Set Right In 2018, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” – Zig Ziglar.
If you’re like me, sure, at the beginning of the year, you took time out to outline the things you’ll love to achieve; how to make 2018 a more fulfilling year, how to be a better self, how to be on top of your competitors, how to save right – investsmart – make the right financial decisions, and lots more.
Goal setting is a very important aspect of life and entrepreneurship. But out of the good intentions of our goals, all the efforts we put in and all our strifes, only a tiny fraction of us reach the level of achievement! Why’s that?
Generally, goal setting is just like the new year resolution thing. At the beginning of a new year or at the close of the year, almost everyone becomes optimistic. We start stating “what, and what, and what” we want to do and achieve in the new year – the weight loss goals, the business ideas and plans, the attitude change, the financial decisions, and lots more. Meanwhile, only 8% of people achieve their new year resolution goals. (University Of Scranton)
On a bright note, reading this article means you’ve taken the very first and most important step towards achieving massive success this year. But to ensure that you achieve all, I mean all, your stated goals in 2018 you have to carefully analyze and be sure they’re the right goals.
Below therefore are five (5) key signs to look out for that points to the fact that your were working on the wrong goals all the way:
1. Your goal didn’t take you outta your comfort zone:
Safe goals are not promising – at all! They kind of appear realistic and not challenging, but the truth is they are just a waste of time!
“To the degree we are not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us that we have over ourselves.” – Peter McWilliams.
The comfort zone, as defined by Lifehacker, is a “behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk.” In your comfort zone, you tend to enjoy deduced happiness and a low level or zero stress. Your comfort zone makes you reluctant to try new/difficult things, and you automatically become too less-anxious to be productive.
In the real sense of it, your goal should be a demanding ambition, a grim aspiration, that requires utmost efforts. Meanwhile, comfort kills productivity, because without the feeling of anxiety that comes from having deadlines or a major target, we just go ahead doing the minimum. Always remember that a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. So, if your goals didn’t make you step out of your comfort zone, then that goal is not just right!
2. Your goal doesn’t connect you with the right network:
Goal setting is a progressive act. On the other hand, your goals must support your living and connect you with the right individuals.
Life has a lot to do with connection and the more you get connected to the right persons the quicker your achievements. Irrespective of your kind of goals, chances are you’ll need someone else to accomplish them.
Having the right connections — business wise and life in general, automatically gives you a strong edge against life’s turmoil.
If your goals does not connect you with the right persons that would aid your success then it’s not worth keeping such goals. Discard them asap!
3. Your goal seems like an unpleasant mission to you:
“If your goals does not inspire you at least as much as going on vacation, then they are lousy goals.” – Steve Pavlina.
We set goals to motivate us to achieve success. We set goals to serve as our drive.
Once your goal begins to feel like an unpleasant mission to you, then you’ve lost the drive. Once you lose the drive, you lose the achievement. So, if your goals seems like an unpleasant task to you, hey! You’re on the wrong.
4. Your goal is based on others perspective:
Instead of setting your goals based on your sincere passion, if your goal is set following people’s perspective, then you, sure, set the wrong goals!
The weight loss goals, the financial goals, the career goals, if you set them because of your friends/mates, sorry to disappoint you but you were working on the wrong goal all this time.
5. Your goal doesn’t serve a “strike plan”
Goal setting is not just about saying what you want to do or what you don’t want to do. It must include an effective strike plan for achievement. A goal without a strike plan is like a team of players full of defenders, without a striker to aim at the opponent’s post – they’ll certainly go home nil.
“Give a man a bow and arrow and tell him to “shoot” his first response would be, “at what?” When you don’t have a strike plan, your goal is baseless. And a baseless goal is a non-achievable goal!
Below therefore are four (4) ways to set right goals – in the right way in 2018.
1. Make a broad list:
Make a broad list of everything you’ll want to do or work towards. Whatever it is – as long as you’re interested in it, put it in your list.
The process of writing a list of your goals makes it easy to filter what you don’t want. As you write, you tend to realize things that are non-realistic as well as goals that merge.
Just saying your goals makes it vague, meanwhile, vague objectives are basically not achievable! State your goals and make sure you’re able to express them in writing.
2. Set goals that “turns you on”
When setting your goals for 2018, it is important to set goals that turns you on – goals that stimulates you – goals that at the thought of them you’ll swing into action. This directly means setting salient goals.
Irrespective of your kind of goals, achievement/success requires ultimate commitment. Meanwhile, it’s hard to commit yourself to something that’s not important to you.
Most successful persons like J.K Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Nicholas Dutko of Auto Transport Quote Services, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, amongst others, often cite that Setting stimulating goals helps crush doubt. It also reduces the level of uncertainty and boost self-confidence – it keeps you up and going, and makes you achieve success in due time.
Therefore make sure your goals are most convincing and motivating in 2018.
3. Make your goals SMART:
In case you are not familiar with the SMART goals acronym, it is an abbreviation that basically describes that goals are specific, measurable, agreed upon/attainable, realistic, and timely. Study shows that only 3 percent of adults have smart goals, and they tend to achieve ten times as much as people without/with vague goals.
While setting your goals for year 2018, get it designed to be SMART. Smart goals doesn’t only help in achieving your widest goals, it also helps in breaking some productivity-killer habits, like procrastination – since it’s(T) time bound.
4. Plan your first step – “the strike plan”
“The journey of a thousand miles indeed begins with one step.”
Generally, when setting goals we tend to focus more on the outcome, forgetting that goals without a strike plan is a failure from the onset. It is therefore important to ponder on how you’ll like to have your goals achieved and create a strike plan.
Goal setting is way more than simply stating you want to achieve something or you want something to happen. If you want to begin to achieve your goals without forestalls, you should include an actionable strike plan while setting those goals.
By Line:
Life is short, and is becoming shorter at the tick of the clock – it doesn’t wait for anyone. There will never be a perfect time to pursue your dreams and goals. Set right – plan competently – believe fervently – act vigorously. You’ll get there.
Thanks for reading……………..
You’ve read 5 Key Signs You Are Working On The Wrong Goal And How To Set Right In 2018, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
>
5 Key Signs You Are Working On The Wrong Goal And How To Set Right In 2018
You’re reading 5 Key Signs You Are Working On The Wrong Goal And How To Set Right In 2018, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” – Zig Ziglar.
If you’re like me, sure, at the beginning of the year, you took time out to outline the things you’ll love to achieve; how to make 2018 a more fulfilling year, how to be a better self, how to be on top of your competitors, how to save right – investsmart – make the right financial decisions, and lots more.
Goal setting is a very important aspect of life and entrepreneurship. But out of the good intentions of our goals, all the efforts we put in and all our strifes, only a tiny fraction of us reach the level of achievement! Why’s that?
Generally, goal setting is just like the new year resolution thing. At the beginning of a new year or at the close of the year, almost everyone becomes optimistic. We start stating “what, and what, and what” we want to do and achieve in the new year – the weight loss goals, the business ideas and plans, the attitude change, the financial decisions, and lots more. Meanwhile, only 8% of people achieve their new year resolution goals. (University Of Scranton)
On a bright note, reading this article means you’ve taken the very first and most important step towards achieving massive success this year. But to ensure that you achieve all, I mean all, your stated goals in 2018 you have to carefully analyze and be sure they’re the right goals.
Below therefore are five (5) key signs to look out for that points to the fact that your were working on the wrong goals all the way:
1. Your goal didn’t take you outta your comfort zone:
Safe goals are not promising – at all! They kind of appear realistic and not challenging, but the truth is they are just a waste of time!
“To the degree we are not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us that we have over ourselves.” – Peter McWilliams.
The comfort zone, as defined by Lifehacker, is a “behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk.” In your comfort zone, you tend to enjoy deduced happiness and a low level or zero stress. Your comfort zone makes you reluctant to try new/difficult things, and you automatically become too less-anxious to be productive.
In the real sense of it, your goal should be a demanding ambition, a grim aspiration, that requires utmost efforts. Meanwhile, comfort kills productivity, because without the feeling of anxiety that comes from having deadlines or a major target, we just go ahead doing the minimum. Always remember that a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. So, if your goals didn’t make you step out of your comfort zone, then that goal is not just right!
2. Your goal doesn’t connect you with the right network:
Goal setting is a progressive act. On the other hand, your goals must support your living and connect you with the right individuals.
Life has a lot to do with connection and the more you get connected to the right persons the quicker your achievements. Irrespective of your kind of goals, chances are you’ll need someone else to accomplish them.
Having the right connections — business wise and life in general, automatically gives you a strong edge against life’s turmoil.
If your goals does not connect you with the right persons that would aid your success then it’s not worth keeping such goals. Discard them asap!
3. Your goal seems like an unpleasant mission to you:
“If your goals does not inspire you at least as much as going on vacation, then they are lousy goals.” – Steve Pavlina.
We set goals to motivate us to achieve success. We set goals to serve as our drive.
Once your goal begins to feel like an unpleasant mission to you, then you’ve lost the drive. Once you lose the drive, you lose the achievement. So, if your goals seems like an unpleasant task to you, hey! You’re on the wrong.
4. Your goal is based on others perspective:
Instead of setting your goals based on your sincere passion, if your goal is set following people’s perspective, then you, sure, set the wrong goals!
The weight loss goals, the financial goals, the career goals, if you set them because of your friends/mates, sorry to disappoint you but you were working on the wrong goal all this time.
5. Your goal doesn’t serve a “strike plan”
Goal setting is not just about saying what you want to do or what you don’t want to do. It must include an effective strike plan for achievement. A goal without a strike plan is like a team of players full of defenders, without a striker to aim at the opponent’s post – they’ll certainly go home nil.
“Give a man a bow and arrow and tell him to “shoot” his first response would be, “at what?” When you don’t have a strike plan, your goal is baseless. And a baseless goal is a non-achievable goal!
Below therefore are four (4) ways to set right goals – in the right way in 2018.
1. Make a broad list:
Make a broad list of everything you’ll want to do or work towards. Whatever it is – as long as you’re interested in it, put it in your list.
The process of writing a list of your goals makes it easy to filter what you don’t want. As you write, you tend to realize things that are non-realistic as well as goals that merge.
Just saying your goals makes it vague, meanwhile, vague objectives are basically not achievable! State your goals and make sure you’re able to express them in writing.
2. Set goals that “turns you on”
When setting your goals for 2018, it is important to set goals that turns you on – goals that stimulates you – goals that at the thought of them you’ll swing into action. This directly means setting salient goals.
Irrespective of your kind of goals, achievement/success requires ultimate commitment. Meanwhile, it’s hard to commit yourself to something that’s not important to you.
Most successful persons like J.K Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Nicholas Dutko of Auto Transport Quote Services, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, amongst others, often cite that Setting stimulating goals helps crush doubt. It also reduces the level of uncertainty and boost self-confidence – it keeps you up and going, and makes you achieve success in due time.
Therefore make sure your goals are most convincing and motivating in 2018.
3. Make your goals SMART:
In case you are not familiar with the SMART goals acronym, it is an abbreviation that basically describes that goals are specific, measurable, agreed upon/attainable, realistic, and timely. Study shows that only 3 percent of adults have smart goals, and they tend to achieve ten times as much as people without/with vague goals.
While setting your goals for year 2018, get it designed to be SMART. Smart goals doesn’t only help in achieving your widest goals, it also helps in breaking some productivity-killer habits, like procrastination – since it’s(T) time bound.
4. Plan your first step – “the strike plan”
“The journey of a thousand miles indeed begins with one step.”
Generally, when setting goals we tend to focus more on the outcome, forgetting that goals without a strike plan is a failure from the onset. It is therefore important to ponder on how you’ll like to have your goals achieved and create a strike plan.
Goal setting is way more than simply stating you want to achieve something or you want something to happen. If you want to begin to achieve your goals without forestalls, you should include an actionable strike plan while setting those goals.
By Line:
Life is short, and is becoming shorter at the tick of the clock – it doesn’t wait for anyone. There will never be a perfect time to pursue your dreams and goals. Set right – plan competently – believe fervently – act vigorously. You’ll get there.
Thanks for reading……………..
You’ve read 5 Key Signs You Are Working On The Wrong Goal And How To Set Right In 2018, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
>
Sig Nordal 