Social Networking: The New Face of Marketing

In August, Google reported that Facebook and Myspace were both among the top 10 most visited websites worldwide. Facebook has reported having over 200 million active users, 75% of which live outside of the United States.

In Clara Shih's book, The Facebook Era, She explains that "sales reps can use online social networking to become more productive in two ways: to glean insights about customers and to engage in casual communications with customers." Clara then goes on to explain that groups can be formed that target specific audiences, users interact with each other, commenting on their thoughts and opinions.  Any marketer can use this information to get great insight on what their customers want, and then can engage in conversation with them through the same discussion forum.  The vast diversity of users allows for global markets to be tapped quickly and effectively, and for target audiences to be reached more efficiently than ever.  If your company has yet to engage in social network marketing, now is the time to start.

Collaboration Techonlogy

      The implications of working in groups have changed drastically over the past few years with the innovation of collaboration technologies.  Just a few years ago, in order to complete a group project, a group would need to meet together several times in order to compile and organize information in a timely manner.  Collaboration technologies such as Google Docs and Linkedin workspaces allow for information to be compiled, stored, and organized on the internet.  Collaboration can take place remotely from anywhere with an internet connection, and the need for groups to meet together in person has become almost irrelevant.  These technologies have increased efficiency and performance in the business world, and will continue to evolve and improve in the future.

Presenting in a Classroom Setting

An informational website, studygs.net, gives strategies and tips for various kinds of classroom communications.  These strategies for communication are researched and revised frequently by Joe Landsberger.  His section on classroom presentations lists several tips that apply to presenting in a classroom setting.  One of his main suggestions is good development of the basic idea. It is important to start out by stating where you are going and what you will prove. Doing so will allow for your points to be developed with better understanding by the class. After giving a summary of your purpose, make sure to communicate clearly and to gain credibility by using convincing facts and logic.
Brown University's Italian Studies Department also offers some tips for classroom presentations. The article states that after you have presented your main idea, that you can follow up by clearly and concisely summarizing your main points, and then if time is available, you can as a few open ended questions pertaining to your topic and open the discussion up to the class.

Economics of Sweatshops in India

A sweatshop is a location where citizens are hired on to do hard labor on low wages. Recently, there has been some controversy over the civility of sweatshops in India. Workers are hired on to manufacture goods at a substantially lower wage than would be acceptable in the United States.  Many people argue that this is inhumane and that the wages should be raised so that the Indian people can improve their conditions.

I recently watched a report on the economic effect of sweatshops in India and the effect that they have on the natives there. The report showed college students from various prestigous universities around the nation that have formed protest groups against sweatshops in India. Then the interviewer interviewed citizens of India to get their input on the impact and civility of these sweatshops.

It turns out that sweatshops allow for the unemployed of India to gain employment, and actually allow for higher wages than average for the country.  The Indian people are very much in favor of the sweatshops as it allows for children to work instead of starving. The children were also very much in favor of working instead of starving.

The report was very interesting, I think that the protesters should reconsider their protest and find the facts of the economic impact that these locations actually have on a country like India.

I have posted a link to the report, you can find it at this site:
http://stosselintheclassroom.org/video_activityAug08.html

The Effectivity of the Indirect Approach

In Jane Gough's book, "Write it down: guidance for preparing documentation that meets regulatory requirements," She states that "using the indirect approach... will help you when you need to convince someone to take action, to respond to a request when you anticipate the initial reaction may be negative."  She then profoundly stated that "it's human nature to be happy to be asked but reluctant to comply."

The indirect approach allows writers to effectively address issues that are not generally well-liked by the reader. It allows for persuasion to occur before asking for a favor from someone, or for bad news to be acknowledged in a gentle manner that can soften the blow.

The indirect approach is very useful in a variety of forms of writing and the writer that masters its use, will be more persuasive and influential in his or her writings.

The Importance of Letter Writing

Letter writing is an essential part of the world we live in today.  Letters can be used in innumerable ways and in various contexts. According to the book "Letter Writing as a Social Practice," by David Barton, letter writing:

• Is one of the most pervasive literate activities in human society.
• Crosses formal and informal contexts.
• Has a wide variety of forms that can be found in most domains of life.

In order to be successful and influential in life, it is extremely important to be proficient in letter writing.  Employers pay close attention to letter writing and composition skills when considering potential employees, and graduate schools do the same when considering admissions to their programs.  If an individual is proficient in writing, there is a much better chance for that individual to be persuasive and successful in all that they do.

What is Proper Attire for a Business Interview?

In an interview your attire plays a supporting role, but what is the proper attire for that upcoming business interview, you might ask?   According to the career center at Virginia Tech University,  the safest bet is always a two-piece matched suit.  It is important to look clean-cut, making sure that all clothing is clean and pressed.  Hair should be well groomed and maintained.  Extreme styles and fashions should be avoided, and when in doubt, it is always safer to edge on the conservative side. Collegegrad.com states that "even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don't buck the trend."  There is a substantial amount of non-verbal communication that is transmitted through your attire. Dress for success and you'll be much more likely to be successful.