Do you remember when you would check the mirror, adjust your hair and perhaps, put on cologne before seeing your mate? You wanted to put your best foot forward to make sure you would impress and attract.

Now, let’s be real.

After a few years in a relationship, we become so comfortable with one another that a lot of those little details don’t happen anymore.

Becoming complacent in a relationship is a double-edged sword. It shows that the love is unconditional and that our partner accepts us for who we are, good things and bad. The problem, however, is that you no longer put the effort you were giving before. When we start acting as though those details don’t matter anymore, a lot of things in the relationship change.

Now, if you are starting to worry about being complacent in a relationship, check these signs below.

You no longer hide the array of sounds (and smells) that your body produces

You may be thrilled that your relationship is close enough that you no longer have to leave the room every time you let out a bit of air. Unfortunately, your partner may not share your enthusiasm. Consider it something to keep to yourself and take it somewhere else whenever possible.

You have lost interest in personal grooming

It isn’t necessary to slap on some aftershave each time you walk past the mirror. In fact, it would probably be an overkill.

You should, however, make it a point to shower daily and brush your teeth regularly. Yes, your partner may love you no matter what but you shouldn’t make her work to remind herself why.

You mumble some version of “love you babe” frequently and without eye contact

Remember when you first told her you love her? You probably looked into her eyes when you said those words. You definitely felt their meaning.

If “I love you” has morphed almost exclusively into “love you babe” or some version of that, you probably have forgotten what those words are supposed to convey. It’s time to remember and make a change.

You think “dates” are no longer needed

Believe it or not, dates are still necessary. What brought you together as a couple and helped you gain the comfort and closeness you now have was developed through dating.

Just because you are a few years into things doesn’t mean you should stop putting effort. People (yes, even your partner) change and grow continually. If you don’t spend enough time to enjoy each other’s company, you’ll eventually grow apart.

Closeness is a moving target. You can’t stop working on it just because you think you have it.

See Also: 6 Hobbies For Couples That Can Strengthen Your Relationship

Sex has become like a well-loved recipe

If your intimate life has a set routine and you could and possibly have done it in your sleep, you are probably too comfortable. Just because you achieve a successful…ahem…end result does not mean you have had a successful experience. Sex is far more enjoyable when there are a few new moves here and there. So, throw out the recipe and try exploring a bit. You might find yourself surprised by the result.

There is a difference between trusting someone so much that you can be completely comfortable in their presence and being so comfortable that you seem not to care. That difference can be a very fine line.

If several or all of the above points ring a bell, you have probably crossed that line. Try changing things up and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by your partner’s reaction and what you get in return.

See Also: 6 Signs You’re In A Long-Term Relationship

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It is important to pay tribute to the people you have lost. Make time to honor their memories and the moments you shared through simple or elaborate acts.  You can raise funds or awareness on the sickness that got your loved ones. You can also write a blog or plant flowers that remind you of them. There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to honoring the dead.

To get you started, here are 7 unique and creative approaches to remembering the departed:

Set up a fundraiser in their name

Those whose loved ones fought a particularly sensitive or difficult illness, such as brain cancer, may consider supporting a related cause. Because of social media, you won’t have too many difficulties setting up a fundraiser.

As memorial gifts pour in, you can channel them to an established foundation or a research center for a certain disease. Another option is to create a nonprofit organization that will carry your loved one’s name. However, in order to make this endeavor sustainable, you and your family will have to invest a lot of time and energy.

Publicize their work

Any creative, academic or even entrepreneurial work left by a deceased family member or friend will forever hold their memory. If you feel its importance, you can store it in a safe place. You can keep it in a bank vault or you can share it with others.

You can put together all of their work and present it to the public. If it happens to be a journal that contains the most private thoughts of your departed loved one,  just select a few entries that you believe will inspire or strengthen other sick people.

Blog about them

When someone you hold dear has passed away, raw emotions usually take over. It can be very difficult to process these feelings.

If you have a blog, you can tell stories, memories and experiences you shared with that person. The simple act of writing can help release some of the grief, sadness and confusion inside you. After a couple of years, you can use those stories you wrote as a reminder, commemorative piece or a source of comfort for others.

Pass on memorial jewelry from generation to generation

You may be familiar with third-generation kids receiving a piece of jewelry from their grandparents. For instance, the family matriarch’s wedding ring gets passed on to a child and then to a child’s child.

In honoring the dead, you can commission the creation of a cremation jewelry piece that is made from the ashes of a loved one. Instead of storing the cremation ashes in a jar, you can have them turned into diamonds. This way, you can keep your loved one close to you and carry the memories you shared wherever you go.

Preserve their photographs

Another way to keep the connection from one generation to another intact is to use photographs. Pictures are said to immortalize the subjects they contain. By hanging a portrait of a departed person at home, you’ll have a way to introduce that person to the younger members of the family.

Plant flowers around their grave

If it is allowed, plant perennials at the burial site of a loved one. According to Allison Gilbert, author of Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive, you may also create a memorial garden in one of the person’s favorite places, such as the backyard. The flowers will grow every spring, a beautiful phenomenon that can remind you of someone for many years.

Eat, pray, travel

It is devastating to lose a family member or a friend to tragedy. You may require a different way of healing. Healing is one way to honor the departed, too.

Some parents believe that praying for a sign has helped them let go of their children and move on with their lives. You can do the same thing or you can choose to travel. Being in a new place may trigger a different response to grief from you. It will help you make peace with the loss easier and handle the pain better. In turn, this experience may spark a creative way for you in honoring the dead.

See Also: Living After The Death Of A Loved One

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I have been a pianist all of my life. I took lessons when I was about 13 and have never regretted it. By learning the basics of music and the piano at such an early age, I was able to build a foundation for music that lasts a lifetime. I play mostly by ear but by having the essential basics behind me, I am able to play a lot of things.

Not everyone takes lessons, though. Some people wait until they are middle-aged to learn an instrument and that’s okay, too! You’re never too old to learn, as long as you have the passion and desire to do so.

Do you find yourself wanting to become a more accomplished pianist or musician but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve become so frustrated at times that you just want to give up on your dream of playing altogether. Don’t do that!

If you want to do something, just try another way.

The piano has evolved over the years and there are several forms of this instrument. There’s the electronic keyboard, synthesizers, computerized musical composition software and much more. If you learn the basics of the piano, you’ll gain a wealth of skills and knowledge that you can use in a lot of ways.

In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the best ways to improve your piano skills and become a better musician.

Three Ways to Improve Your Piano Skills Now

These tips are not magical solutions for you to become the next Carnegie Hall performer. Instead, these practical tips can help you polish your act when it comes to achieving your music goals.

Make Use of Online Training Tools

There are tons of online tools you can use nowadays. One good example is the Online Pianist. It has created a piano online tutorial self-study that makes it easy for anyone to learn how to play the piano from home or on-the-go. This online tool allows you to learn the basics of piano and music theory in a fun and engaging way.

In addition to this, you can take a wide range of courses on Udemy, the famous online training and educational site that allows you to learn at your own pace. Simply visit their site and search for “piano”. From there, you’ll see the courses they have.

Feel free to browse and search on Google for more online training solutions and tools that can improve your piano skills as well as your music ability. By using these online tools, you can learn to play any instrument whenever and wherever you want.

You can also find a lot of helpful videos on Youtube. Instant Piano Genius is a great program that is showcased on that site. Pick up a few free tips or take the whole course. It features a non-traditional approach to learning the piano that you’ll surely enjoy.

Record Yourself Playing and Analyze It

One of the best tools you can use to improve your piano or musical ability is to record your performance and evaluate it. There are many cheap recording software solutions online, like Multitrack Studio. This software allows you to record both midi and standard audio inputs, mix it with other tracks and save your recordings. The cost of this nifty software is only $69.

If you would rather use a mobile app solution, try J4T. It’s a 4-track digital recorder that allows you to record up to four tracks and mix them together for your final output. You can record yourself playing piano using an external mic and this software. Once you are done, you can just mix in other tracks later, such as vocals or other instruments.

If you’re after an external solution, try the Xoom™ H4N handheld multitrack recorder. Amazon has this nifty recorder at some competitive prices. You can use this device to record up to four tracks. It allows inputs from professional XLR mic and other similar devices.

If you want to improve your music ability and skill, you will need to get used to the idea of recording as it’s a part of being a musician. Doing so will allow you to evaluate your performance and take notes of the things that need improving.

It can also help you be familiar with the recording techniques you can use professionally. Who knows? You might be able to sell your finished music on iTunes, CD Baby or Amazon in the future.

Practice and Review Your Weak Points

Once you have a recording of your musical performance, you can listen to it carefully to see where you need to improve. Accomplished musicians and pianists will tell you that there’s no substitute for practice when it comes to developing your performance. Training does, indeed, make perfect.

You can also watch other performers that you admire and get ideas from them. Don’t copy their style but notice what makes their music high and see how you can apply some of their techniques.

Conclusion

Finally, have fun with your music!

One of the most successful groups in music history was “The Beatles”. When asked how they planned to become so famous, they said that they didn’t plan to be celebrated. They just wanted to have fun with it!

Perhaps, it is this kind of passion and dedication to music and not the actual ability or equipment that makes a great musician. So, play in your house, in the streets or in front of 10,000 people.

Whatever you do, just enjoy it.

Try our tips and see if they can help improve your piano or music skills. If they do, tell them where you heard it, okay?

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Buying a car can put a dent in your wallet. If you aren’t careful with your choices, you can even end up spending more than you should. This is one good reason to be extra vigilant about what car features to look for.

To help you out, here are 8 of the best features you should consider.

Engine Size and Type

Choosing a model with a smaller engine will lower a car’s price both at the dealership and at the insurer.

In general, bigger engines use more fuel and have a lower MPG (Miles Per Gallon) or the distance a vehicle can travel on a gallon of fuel. Apart from that, big engines are also considered to be powerful, making them prone to accidents. This is one good reason why insurers are likely to charge higher.

If you are looking for ways to save money, it’s better if you stick with a smaller engine.

Adaptive Cruise Control

Cruise control is not just a feature used to attract lazy drivers; it can actually cut down on fuel usage, saving you money in the process.

When driving on an open road, cruise control prevents you from driving at a fast speed. This can save you fuel since you won’t have to accelerate or step on the brakes needlessly.

Some systems even have the ability to detect the speed of the vehicles ahead, adjusting your speed to a consistent and safe level. This means you are less likely to have to brake aggressively in case you fail to anticipate the speed of the car in front.

Start-Stop Technology

In addition to cruise control, another feature that helps reduce fuel consumption and money is ‘Start-Stop’.

Keeping your engine running when not actually driving is a massive waste of fuel. This modern technology detects when you have stopped and cuts the engine off automatically. It’s a great help if you’re frequently stuck in traffic.

You don’t have to worry about restarting your engine or using a lot of fuel to do it. The feature has the ability to seamlessly restart once you release the brake.

Ford, the company that pioneered the technology, even shuts the engine off whenever the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

GPS / Sat-Nav

When you travel to a new area or go on a long journey, it’s pretty common to accidentally take longer routes and wrong turns as you try to find exactly where you’re going.

In the past, you would need to use a map to plan your journey, often pulling to the side of the road to double check. Today, many vehicles come with GPS navigation devices to solve this issue. Some of them even have displays to show you how far you’ve traveled and how far you are from your destination.

If your car doesn’t have this feature, you can purchase one separately or you can just use your smartphone.

Tire Pressure Monitoring

If you are buying a brand new car, you will likely find a tire pressure monitoring system installed already. Although this is a standard, make sure to double check before making a purchase.

Flat or over-inflated tires are dangerous. They can also make you consume a lot of fuel, too. In fact, around a fifth of fuel is used against the rolling resistance of a vehicle’s wheels, which drastically increases if tire pressure is low.

You’re also going to wear out and damage your tires quicker if they aren’t inflated properly. Obviously, this will increase your expenses.

If you don’t have a built-in tire pressure monitoring system, just using a pump to regularly check and inflate tires can save you money.

Safety Features

Having a number of good safety features will save you money in two ways. Firstly, it can lower your insurance because they reduce your likelihood of crashing and damaging your car. Secondly, you won’t have to fork out for repairs and replacement vehicles.

From airbags to parking cameras, anything that helps you remain safe and avoid accidents is a money saver. Sensors, for example, can help you avoid nearby vehicles, lanes or the sides of the road while you’re parking.

Likewise, features that protect your vehicle from being stolen can reduce insurance cost. They can also lighten the financial burden of having to replace your car.

Steering Lock or Immobilizer

With how the technology works these days, you might think that a steering lock is a bit of an ancient concept. However, technology can actually make your vehicle more vulnerable. Thieves can use the same technology to find out your vehicle’s weaknesses.

Vehicle Tracking

Even if your car is stolen, there are still features that can help you recover it. Investing in them can lower all the associated costs of losing a vehicle permanently.

A GPS tracking system is one good example. It can let you know if your car is on the move or where it’s currently located, allowing the police to find the vehicle faster.

Knowing the exact figure you’ll save with these features can be tricky. However, you can get a clear idea of your insurance savings by using tools and resources you can find on your insurer’s website.

See Also: How To Get The Best Deal From Your Local Used Cars Dealership

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A lot of organizations deal with challenges like maintaining productivity and quality of work. Employees constantly complain about the increasing chaos that hampers their productivity and this directly affects the business. Because of that, managers are quite pressed to find a solution that can motivate their team members while boosting their productivity.

In this article, we’ll share with you few essential tips on staying focused at work.

Prepare a To-Do List

Half the battle is won once you prioritize your tasks. Make a master list of what needs to be done.

For example, you can put all tasks that require urgent attention under “A”.  Create a list “B” for things that are important but not urgent and List “C” for tasks that can wait for a while. Complete all tasks under “A” first before you move on to “B” and “C”.

Plan your day through these lists and set realistic deadlines to accomplish each one of them. Once you’ve completed everything, don’t forget to reward yourself to keep your spirit up. When you start prioritizing, you won’t just be focused but efficient, too.

Start With Cognitively Challenging Tasks

After preparing your to-do list, start with cognitively demanding tasks. Suppose your List “A” has three tasks. Start with the most difficult tasks before moving on to the easier ones. Do the same thing for the “B” and “C” lists.

Once you complete the difficult tasks, you are all set for the rest of the day. Now, you can relax and take care of the other tasks that aren’t as mentally draining.

Schedule Your Work

Don’t overstretch yourself with your work. Rather, split your work into segments and sub-segments. Try working within a 2-hour window and then take a break. Don’t sit for more than two hours at a stretch or else you’ll feel exhausted. Even a leading study suggests that “Sitting is the New Smoking”.

To avoid such burnouts, take a walk to revitalize your brain, allowing it to concentrate better. Though breaks are essential for a healthy workday, you must learn to take them with a pinch of salt. Frequent breaks can be addictive and can hamper work.

To draw a line, you can optimize your breaks by doing the following:

• Schedule your breaks
• Keep a track to ensure you are not overdoing or under doing your breaks

Learn to Set Priorities

Responding to each and every request of your co-workers can immediately affect your focus, preventing you from doing deep work. If you have a habit of entertaining every request, you are most likely to lose your value. On top of that, tackling on-the-fly requirements can also deplete your focus.

With that, you have to make others understand that their requests will be entertained but only once you are finished with your priorities. For better focus and results, it’s also important to avoid indulging in non-work related discussions or “grapevine.”

If there are sudden urgent tasks, you can deal with them with a simple project management tool. Simply make a note of the new task, assign a deadline and you are good to go. Once you’re done with your current task, start finishing the others one at a time.

Desist Multitasking

It might feel tempting to do multiple tasks simultaneously to enhance your productivity. But, honestly, it just makes things worse.

Multitasking drains your mind and it can cause a significant decline in your mental sharpness with time. It can prevent you from achieving your most important goals and make you more vulnerable to work errors.

Avoid Distractions

Nowadays, being online on various social media platforms is a trend. Several notifications pop up every now and then, commanding your attention. If you are constantly attending to such notifications, how are you supposed to do meaningful work?

One of the greatest tips in staying focused at work is to identify distractions and just get rid of them. While working on an important project, put your phone on silent or switch it off. If you really want to stay updated with your social media accounts, you can designate dedicated time slots to check your phone.

Be an Email Ninja

Though emails are important, they can be distracting, too. They have the potential to divert your attention from your work to something that can wait.

So, lay down personal rules and follow them religiously. Set specific times for your emails and stick with them.

Pay Attention to Chat Status

More often than not, people take your chat status wrongly. If your chat status says “available” all the time, they’ll think of it as a sign to forward more requests.

When you are doing a task that demands a razor-sharp focus, set your chat or email setting to ‘busy’ mode. Needless to say, you can change the chat status after you’re done.

Cut Outside Noise

Managing your focus in an office environment can be quite tricky. Until you do away with noise, you won’t be able to focus.

Limiting auditory distractions is crucial in increasing attention span. You can use noise-canceling headphones for that. If you still feel distracted, you can move to a quieter place, such as a conference room. In case that doesn’t solve the problem, opt for remote work for a day or two to regain your lost focus.

Manage Stress

Working on a crucial project with close deadlines? Growing expectations, increased competition, and pressing deadlines can increase your stress at work. This can make your productivity suffer.

To solve this, try turning on a soothing music to lower your stress and calm your mind. Apart from that, you should also pay close attention to your diet. As much as possible, avoid the following:

• Nicotine
• Caffeine
• Alcohol

Don’t forget to exercise regularly and sleep well.

See Also: 4 Ways To Reduce Stress Inside and Outside of Work

Declutter Your Workdesk

Visual clutter can take away your focus, preventing you from doing any meaningful work. Therefore, you must declutter your office desk to increase work performance.

Keep everything that’s essential to your work, like your pen, notepad, marker, and files, on top of the table so you can easily get them when needed. Lock all other unnecessary things inside your drawer.

See Also: 12 Desk Hacks To Make You More Productive At Work

In Summary

Focus on bringing tranquility to your workplace, so the whole environment undergoes a positive change. You can add positive images to your work desk or you can write down quotes to boost your focus. Practice a simple routine of keeping a clean desk and make sure that you don’t leave food or other things lying on your desk.

Keep on practicing these positive habits and you’ll surely see a noticeable improvement in your productivity level at work.

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Business strategists routinely cite several games when discussing the most effective methods to run an organization. Power players in the business world often refer to games like chess, soccer and even poker when deciding upon what strategy to use.

Unfortunately, too much emphasis is placed on the knowns – playing your cards close to your chest, bluffing when appropriate etc. These clichéd adages will not add value to your business operations unless you understand the psychology beneath these references.

Poker Pros and Business Leaders: A Deeper Understanding

World-class poker players and strategic business people have many things in common. They know how to read situations and they both have big match temperament. Winning the war is what they do, even if it means losing a few battles along the way.

An astute poker player is much like an astute business person. Both of them have great mental acuity to understand what is needed in a situation and how they can make the most out of their resources and environment.

Of course, it pays to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Nobody likes a braggart in the game of poker or in the game of life. And nobody likes a sore loser, too.

In business and in poker, everybody wins and everybody loses at some point or another. The goal is to smoothen out that whipsaw motion and build a strong uptrend over time.

Fold to Play Another Day

The world’s most skilled poker professionals take it all in their stride, much like the legendary business people of our time – Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson.

Business and poker are predicated on hard data and not on intuition. Professional online poker players dabble in numbers, whether it’s Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Stud or Razz.

Pro players know how to pick their battles. They are strategic about the games they play and the competition that they go up against. They carefully pick the right variant of the right game and the right betting structure.

Whether it’s pot limit, fixed limit or no limit, be sure that your bank account can service the game’s requirements.

It is no secret that the world’s finest poker players, such as Nate Silver, are experts at probability. They are skilled at adopting a multi-option approach to betting and the associated probabilities.

In much the same way, a typical business person cannot expect his high-tech startup to be as big as Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. That is simply delusional thinking. Poker players aren’t expected to continuously pull an inside straight flush either.

The game of life, like the game of poker, is based on reality. The shrewd player knows how to manipulate odds in his/her favor by molding the situation to expectations.

Defeats Serve as Lessons

Poker players and business professionals should bear in mind that losing is okay. What’s not okay is accepting defeat and not learning from it. Everybody loses a hand every now and then since there are things that are out of our control.

If you are given lemons, learn how to make a lemon juice. If you know you have an edge over your competition, make sure to maximize that edge by fully exploiting it.

It’s okay to sacrifice short-term profits for long-term gains as that is the name of the game. Many business professionals and market leaders make seemingly silly short-term decisions. Why did Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos purchase the Washington Post? We’ll know in the long-term.

Perhaps the most important lesson we can take from poker players and business professionals is the following: Don’t throw good money after bad. You must know when to throw in the towel so that you can live to play another day.

Most skilled online poker players and traditional poker players sit out most starting hands. They simply don’t want to chase down pots with weak hands.

It never pays to get baited into a game if you don’t have the goods to deliver. Fold now and live to play another day. In a no-win situation, why waste valuable resources? If you’re dealt a poor hand, suck it up and toss in your cards. Be patient since it can’t rain all the time.

See Also: 7 Poker Skills You Can Use in Real Life

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Collaboration is what the new workplace is all about. These days, it’s all about keeping everyone involved in all facets of a process so that everyone can contribute his or her expertise.

This rise in collaboration has made frequent meetings a necessity. Unfortunately, however, they aren’t always as productive as we would like them to be.

How Much Time Is Actually Wasted In Meetings?

The average worker attends or prepares for meetings more than a quarter of his work week. And almost never do you walk out of a meeting feeling like every second of that time was completely productive.

There are anywhere between 36 and 56 million meetings every day in America with ineffective meetings costing the U.S. economy as much as $283 billion a year. In this age of amazing technology, why are we still wasting so much time?

Some of the biggest pet peeves people have about meetings include:

• 76% think most meetings are unnecessary
• 58% report that meetings are repetitive
• 59% report that meetings don’t stay on topic
• 51% of people say that others will take calls in the meeting

Three-quarter of people report that they try to complete other tasks during meeting time. These tasks include things like eating lunch, taking a restroom break, checking personal emails and responding to work emails.

Unfortunately, multitasking isn’t usually very effective. So, why are we spending so much time in meetings when that time could clearly be spent better elsewhere?

How To Make Meetings More Effective?

Clearly, we need to stop wasting everyone’s time and make sure that meetings are more meaningful and productive. Collaboration depends on it, so getting everyone on the same page is important.

In order to waste less of everybody’s time, here are some of the things you can do:

• Utilize collaborative tools to eliminate the need for status update meetings
• Clearly define meeting objectives ahead of time
• Make sure that everyone stays on the topic for the meeting
• Check in after the meeting and see whether everyone got the right message
• Utilize technology to make meetings with remote workers or clients more productive

It’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page but it’s equally important to recognize that meetings are not the best or most effective way to do that. Survey the needs and consider the goals of your team.

Meetings are great for things like brainstorming and team building. However, for keeping everyone on the same page, collaborative tools might be a better bet.

How Can Tech Make Meetings Better?

One of the biggest and most common gripes about meetings is that the tech doesn’t work properly or that it doesn’t work easily. Updating your tech can help eliminate some of the biggest sources of stress and frustration from within your team.

Start with the WiFi. When was the last time you got a new router?

Having trouble connecting to the WiFi is one of the most common problems to have in an office or conference room and it’s also one of the easiest to fix.

There are also great new collaborative tools that can help bring everyone to the same page – literally. Using a screen sharing software is a great way to ensure that everyone is seeing the same thing at the same time, even if they are in different locations. Interactive whiteboards can also help make collaborations more effective.

Many of the available tools today are very easy to set up, which is great because 79% of workers say they would be more open to using these tech tools if they were easy enough to set up.

Learn more about how to make meetings more effective with technology, check out the infographic below.

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Frequent calls and customer complaints are staples in every business. This, however, doesn’t mean that they are completely harmless. In fact, the increasing number of calls and customer complaints can mean that your business isn’t doing well.

Today, customers aren’t afraid of switching. If they are unhappy with your services and goods, they’ll just move on and find another company or brand that can meet their needs and expectations.

So, whether you are a startup or a big player in your niche, providing the best services and products for your clients is essential. After all, the more unhappy customers you have, the less chance you’ll succeed.

With that, we have jotted down 5 things customers find annoying and what you can do to avoid them.

Slow response

One of the most common things that customers find annoying is when they can’t find a quick and instant solution to their problems. If your business fails to impress with a quick response time, it creates a negative experience and forces customers to switch to a competitor.

Introducing a live chat solution can permanently fix the problem. Your customers can connect to a live chat agent in seconds and get their questions answered in real-time, creating a positive impression.

See Also: Know Your Customers In The Digital Age

Irrelevant Information

Most businesses today focus on acquiring customers through social media campaigns. Posting engaging content with appealing headlines is the most common way to do that.

But, are you false-trapping your buyers through click baits? If yes, then you need to reconsider your strategy as soon as possible.

Customers feel annoyed when they aren’t provided with the promised content. They are likely to leave and never return if they feel like they’ve been fooled.

As a way to solve this, make sure you live up to your promises. If you are offering a solution to your customers’ problem, ensure that your content has it. In addition to that, you should also consider the way you deliver your promise.

Most web users are short on time these days and they want solutions that they can consume in a matter of minutes. If you provide that, you are most likely a step ahead of your competition.

Insufficient Value

Valuing your customers is one of the best things you can do for your business. If your customers feel privileged, they will stay and ultimately become members of your loyal tribe. On the other hand, not offering what they expect can make them switch to a competitor product.

That said,  you must focus on getting regular feedback from your audience. You can use the information you get from them to improve the products and services you offer.

Introducing a live chat can be one option but it’s not the only thing you can do. You can also offer discount coupons, freebies and more to make them feel valued. Never miss an opportunity to show how your customers are important to you.

Uniform Treatment

 

A business has both loyal and occasional customers.  While occasional customers expect discounts and better services, loyal customers may demand more.  They should be given some liberty points, coupons or schemes to make them feel more special. Customers observe each and every detail, so you should always keep these things in mind.

Not listening to your customers

Every business has problems that their customers also feel. If you are a smart business person, you will find a way to make sure that your customers are heard.

If your customers have no platform where they can put their thoughts, they may feel neglected, annoyed and angry. This can decrease customer retention and negatively affect your overall business. A live chat can help in this case as it allows your customers to speak their mind.

See Also: 4 Surprisingly Easy Tips To Improve Customer Engagement

The Solution

You obviously don’t want to continue making those mistakes. So, here are a few notable suggestions to avoid unhappy customers:

• Provide 24/7 online support by integrating live chat for website
• Improve the quality of your services and products
• Take immediate actions on customer’s feedback and complaints
• Keep refining the products

Conclusion

Businesses should aim to improve their relationship with their customers to increase retention. The more loyal customers you have, the better your business’ survival rate is.

Avoid having unhappy customers by giving them exactly what they want. Provide a solution to their problems and make that solution easy to achieve. Be consistent in your efforts in making them feel valued and they are highly likely to stick around for a long time.

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Career ruts are anything but pleasant. Unfortunately, they are all too common. Many professionals have felt unhappy and unfulfilled at work.

I once felt this way, too.

The good news is that you don’t have to stay in that rut forever. Like I did, you can make changes that can get you out of your funk.

If you’re unsure where to start, here are some steps I followed that may help you as well.

Assess Other Jobs That May Be Available to You

Getting out of a career rut doesn’t mean that you have to change fields entirely. I, for example, worked at an advertising agency in a big city. It felt stuffy and I felt completely uninspired and unmotivated. Once I moved to a smaller agency with young and motivated co-workers, I started enjoying my job.

If you are in a rut but like what you do for work, start by looking for available positions at other companies similar to yours. Look for one with a more vibrant culture.

If the problem lies in what you do and experience day to day, consider assessing your working environment. It could be that you have a boss who doesn’t appreciate you or you’re unhappy with your co-workers. Also, check your working space to see if it’s making you unproductive.

See Also: 7 Steps On How to Figure Out Your Career

Pursue a Pastime

Your dissatisfaction may not be totally related to your job or even your work environment. You may just assume it is. If you’re unhappy and feel like you’re in a rut, you might be unfulfilled in other areas of your life.

Maybe you don’t have any type of creative outlet or you feel like life is work and work alone. There are no opportunities for fun and excitement.

If that’s the case, you should think seriously about pursuing an activity that interests you. Pursuing a hobby that’s enriching could give you happiness in all other areas of your life. You can take a photography class at a local community college or you can start learning new culinary techniques. Your choices are actually unlimited.

Try to Move Ahead

If you feel stuck at your job, it’s probably because you have absolutely no room for growth. That’s why it’s a good idea to sign up for a leadership development program if one is available to you. It can help you learn about what makes a successful and strong leader.

The best leaders tend to possess strong communication abilities. They tend to be great listeners. They know how to get all of their team members excited and keep them feeling motivated and enthusiastic. If you want to get “unstuck” and change your career for good, learning how to become a skilled leader can be a terrific and productive first step.

Establish a Business on the Side

Your existing position doesn’t have to be the “be-all and end-all” in your career. If you want to get a brand new lease on life, you should consider establishing a side business you can call your own.

Think about the things that interest you the most in life. You may be a foodie who has a passion for fine dining. You may be a fashionista who loves thinking about creative and imaginative clothing designs.

If you want to find the fulfillment and satisfaction you crave, the concept of starting a business can ignite your passions.

See Also: Entrepreneurship: A Better Career Choice For Generation Z?

Remember to Be Patient

Patience is a great quality for anyone who wants to succeed career-wise. If you want to say goodbye to your career rut for good, you need to have a lot of patience and understand that career success doesn’t come overnight.

Knowing how to get out of a career rut isn’t easy. It requires a lot of effort, time and discipline. But if you push yourself hard, you should be able to get what you want in the end.

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Do you ever feel like you are so busy that there is never enough time in your day?

If that’s the case, it’s likely that you aren’t as productive as you think you are. You’re busy but you are wasting time on a lot of unimportant things. So, to help you improve your efficiency and overall productivity, here are some tips you can use.

Start tracking the time you spend on a specific task

This will be a game changer for you.

If you’re like most people, you’re probably underestimating the amount of time you allocate for your tasks. What you think only needs an hour to finish can end up eating away 3 long hours from your day. As a result, you get a lot of unfinished tasks.

To solve this, you can use apps like Everhour to track the amount of time that you spend on a specific task. You only need to add it to your web browser and it will document the amount of time you spend on a task.

At the end of the day, week or month, you’ll receive a report that will detail how you spent your time.

Utilize the Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro technique involves working on specific tasks for a certain number of minutes and taking a short break to reward yourself.

For example, you can work on completing a task for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break to recharge. After that 5 minutes, you can continue working on where you left, repeating the cycle until the task is completely done. After that, you can start working on the next task.

 

See Also: Hack the Pomodoro Technique to Boost Your Productivity

Eliminate administration tasks and meetings

Administrative work and meetings can drain your working hours. They can consume too much of your time that you won’t have enough hours left to finish your other tasks.

As a way to boost your productivity, eliminate as many administrative tasks and meetings from your work schedule as possible. The only exception should be if the administrative task or meeting will add value to what you are trying to achieve. You can use online collaboration tools to get the job done.

Plan your tasks in advance

By not planning ahead, you will find yourself wasting time jumping from one task to another. Instead of trying to finish everything at the same time, schedule your tasks for the whole day or even a week in advance. In addition to boosting your productivity, planning can also help you stay on track on your deadlines.

Work in isolation

Many people choose to work in co-working spaces. Although helpful, it’s not always the best choice. There will be people swinging by to have a chat, people asking you questions and noises that can easily distract you.

To boost your productivity, you should consider working in isolation. You can set up an isolated office or a working space at home.

Utilize a project management tool

Knowing how to use a project management tool can dramatically improve your productivity. There are tools like Asana and BaseCamp that can help you keep track of your projects. You’ll be able to see which tasks have been delivered, what is yet to be completed and what new tasks need to be delegated.

Keep a clean desk

Having too much clutter on your desk can take away your focus. To minimize distractions, make sure that your desk is free from paper clutter, scattered pens and the like.

See Also: 12 Desk Hacks To Make You More Productive At Work

Learn processes that will improve your productivity

Commit to improving your efficiency by learning more processes that can scale your productivity. You can request to get better training or invest in tools that can boost your overall productivity.

Build a team of virtual assistants who can help complete the work

Investing in the right virtual assistants can help you finish your tasks quicker. However, before you actually outsource your tasks, make sure to identify first which of them can be delegated and to whom. This is to ensure that the tasks are completed properly and on time.

If you want to be productive, you have to know how to work smarter. By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you’ll surely see an improvement in your productivity level soon. Your bosses will be proud and your working habits will be more efficient.

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