March 2010
In this issue

> You're in Sales
> Social Networking
    Scams
> Smarter Printing
> Cartoon & Quote
 

You're In Sales No Matter What Your Title
by Debra J. Schmidt - used with permission

If I ask you right now whether or not you are in sales, chances are you would say, "No, I'm in accounts payable or customer service or marketing." You might even say, "I'm the CEO."

No matter what your job is, you are in sales. Every time you interact with a customer, you are selling your professional credibility, the company's products or services, and the company's image. So, even if you don't work in the sales department, read on.

When a customer has a bad experience in shipping, in accounting, in technical support or any other department in your company, you can bet that negative word-of-mouth will follow. That word of mouth reduces sales in the same way that customer testimonials increase referrals and sales. You are selling all the time, so it's important for you to recognize what your customers want from you.

Regardless of who your customers are, there are 5 key actions they want from you:

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Don't Be Fooled by Social Networking Scams
reprinted from Symantec

Has your business taken the leap into social networking yet?

Recent studies show that more and more small businesses are catching on to Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites as powerful workplace tools. According to a study published by New York-based AMI Partners Inc., the number of small businesses using social networking services is expected to double from 300,000 to more than 600,000 this year.

Increasingly, business workers are using these sites to communicate with colleagues, prospects, business partners, and clients. Numerous studies also cite the usefulness of social networks in competing under current market conditions.

And because networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Plaxo, and Ning cost little or nothing to join, there's no reason you shouldn't try them for the purpose of expanding your business. Stories abound of small businesses using social networking sites to dramatically increase the pool of qualified candidates when job openings arise.

Another advantage of using social networks: it shows candidates (especially younger ones) and potential customers that even though you're small, you can be as "bleeding edge" as any company. This is also a way to extend your business globally, as the Internet doesn't have boundaries.

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