The Six Minute Book Summary of Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay

Posted on November 2, 2011 by
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Executive Summary

Harvey Mackay is the author of Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate, and Outnegotiate Your Competition. He purchased a imperfectness envelope company at the age of 26, which is now a multimillion-dollar corporation. This entire book is written in lessons. He presents apiece lesson in a way that makes you want to read his book. This man has done and can do just about anything.

The book might have been written in 1988, but it is most certainly not out dated. Automobiles might not still be ,000 but everything he talks about can be twisted to fit present-day situations. In the most basic sense of the words, management and marketing have not changed. Tactics, on the other hand, have. Harvey Mackay expresses ideas that are basic and can be changed according to what characteristic of life it is that one is referring to.

The Mackay 66 is an important tool that can be used to get the most information out of your customer about your customer. This profile utilizes a battery of questions in order to get insight into your customers’ wants and needs. Only the customer knows what they want and why they want it. It is your job to find out what and why that is. 

You always need to keep in mind who your customer is. You need to make it a point to find out who they are in order to give them the services they require. When you know your customer, you will never run out of things to speak about, whether they are work-related or not.

Negotiation and management are two major aspects of being successful. Negotiation, by definition, is the mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement. Key points that are worth remembering are to smile and state no until your tongue bleeds. It pays off in the long run if you are healthy to achievement away from a deal without a deal. You are always healthy to go back to the plateau and get even superior terms. Everything is negotiable, because in a capitalist society everything is for sale.

Management, on the other hand, is defined as being in control of running an organization. Managers must encompass leadership skills that run deep. The tiny things mean not just a lot, but everything. The tiny things can be used to score big. As a manager, you must encourage thinking. Your ideal people might spend their most productive time staring at the wall. Efficiency reached at the expense of creativity is counterproductive.

In order to achieve success, do not plan on sticking around just to collect the gold watch. You need to challenge yourself and keep learning. You need to find something you like doing and make it pay. If you like something, you can make it pay no matter what field of business you are in. No matter where you are, you need to learn how to communicate effectively. Communication is one of the keys to success.

There is no future in saying that it can't be done. You need to take chances. There is less to lose attempting change than to hang on to old ways in a system that rewards change.

In order to succeed, you must have a combination of determination, goal-setting, and concentration. You need to keep doing what it is you love to do. Do not quit. Your efforts will be well worth your results.

The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Swim with the Sharks

1.            Make your decisions with your heart, and what you will end up with is heart disease.

2.            The single most powerful tool for winning a negation is the capability to achievement away from the plateau without a deal.

3.            Tiny things don’t mean a lot; they mean everything.

4.            Anyone who thinks he or she is indispensable should stick a finger into a bowl of water and notice the hole it leaves when it is pulled out.

5.            Your ideal people might spend their most productive time staring at the wall.

6.            Everything is negotiable, but not everything that is negotiable should be negotiated.

7.            He who burns his bridges superior be a shit good swimmer.

8.            Dig your well before you are thirsty.

9.            Do not get angry and do not get even either. The only way you can achieve true revenge is not to let your enemies cause you to self destruct.

10.            Nothing is greater to one than one’s self is.

Full Summary of Swim with the Sharks

“I’d Like 15,000 Tickets for Tonight’s Game, Please”

This chapter introduces Harvey Mackay. The opening paragraph explains that he is in a nationally publicized effort. He is trying to stop Calvin Griffith’s efforts to sell the Minnesota Twins baseball team to outside investors who would move the team elsewhere. In order for Griffith to sell the team back to Minneapolis, Mackay and Bill Veeck had to sell 2.4 million tickets. As it turns out, the Twins was sold to Minneapolis, the team was not removed, and that was that. Mackay’s efforts to save the Twins paid off. He states that most business problems can be solved if you can look beyond the money. Money is not the root of why certain people do things.

The closing line of the chapter tells us what the rest of the book is about. Its about how successful people got that way and how we can be successful, too. Mackay breaks the book down into a few major sections. The chapters on salesmanship, negotiation, and management are broken down into lessons. Following the lessons are what Mackay calls “quickies.” The Quickies are just small, straight-to-the-point chapters. The final two chapters discuss, simply put, perseverance and determination.

Harvey Mackay’s Short Course in Salesmanship

Knowing Something About Your Customer Is Just as Important as Knowing Everything About Your Product

Before you decide which approach to use with a customer, you first have to know who your customer is. When you know your customer you will always have something to speak to them about. Knowing your customer means knowing what your customer really wants. When you know what your customer wants it makes for an easier sale. You are healthy to wage them the service that they need.

The Mackay 66

Mackay states that it is critical to know your customer. When you know your customer you can outsell, outmanage, outmotivate, and outnegotiate your competition. You get most of the information about your customer from individualized contact and from observation. Other resources can be gained from suppliers, publications, and assistants.

This information is compiled into one form: The 66-Question Customer Profile. The profile is valuable because, as salespeople leave, it prevents their accounts from leaving with them. The Mackay 66 asks a battery of questions relating to the customer, such as individualized information, as well as education, family, business background, special interests, and lifestyle questions.

What Each Salesperson—And Not Enough Entrepreneurs—Know

The main point of this lesson is to know who it is you are working with. Mackay describes a headmaster of a private school who learned the obloquy of each kid who attended his school. It makes a difference to the customers when you take a individualized interest in them.

Believe in Yourself, Even When No One Else Does

            This lesson tells you to never quit. You can accomplish anything if you believe in yourself. Experts said that the human body was incapable of running a mile in four minutes. No one had accomplished it until Roger Bannister. The only reason why he finished the four minute mile was because of his attitude. Training, obviously, played a large part. But, because he thought he could do it, he broke the mold and evidenced everyone wrong.

Seek Role Models

Mackay continues speaking about Bannister’s feat. After Bannister had succeeded in the four minute mile, many other people were healthy to run it, too. Bannister was a role model. He evidenced that it could be done.  Mackay continues that you are the way you are because you were most likely trying to be like someone you admired. He states that you never stop needing role models. You want to be like the people you admire.

Harvey Mackay’s Short Course on Negotiation

Smile and State No Until Your Tongue Bleeds

            Mackay asks the reader to refer how many banks unsuccessful in 1986 because the banker said NO to too many loans. The answer is none. The longer you take to make a deal, the longer you are in control. Sellers always want you to purchase now. If you wait, they are going to have to give you a superior deal. No seller wants to do that. Your inactivity pays off significantly when terms improve because you said no. You must be prepared to state no. If you feel like you can get a superior deal, do not settle or be taken advantage of because good things come to those who wait.

The Single Most Powerful Tool for Winning a Negotiation Is the Capability to Walk Away

from the Table Without a Deal

This lesson is really just a continuation of the previous one. Mackay states that just

because it is negotiable does not mean it has to be negotiated. You have to be prepared to state no and achievement away from the table. You also have to mean it. Just because you said no, you will still be healthy to go back to the plateau and get even superior terms.

Send in the Clones

            Mackay advocates that before you go try to make a negotiation, send someone in before you. This mortal is your substitute, your clone. They feel out the seller and their terms. Your ringer pretends to be interested in whatever it is the seller is selling. They give you information on how low or how high the seller is willing to negotiate. This all grants you to see what the real price is and has conditioned the seller to anticipate a lower price than what they had originally advertized.

He Who Burns His Bridges Superior Be a Damn Good Swimmer

This lesson describes a man who owned a chain of hotels. The man was years behind on

the mortgage and the insurance company had come to collect. The insurance rep announced that the company would take over the operation of the hotel the following Monday. The man replied that the guests would not have anywhere to park their automobiles because he owns the parking lot behind the hotel and he was going to fence it off if they took over. He mentioned that there was no other sufficient parking for a three-block radius. The insurance company decided it could live with his payment practices.

            The company was going to come in and take over the business before it realized they would not have a parking lot. Had they gone through with the deal, the hotel chain would have failed. Like the lesson title says: he who burns his bridges superior be a shit good swimmer.

Everything’s Negotiable

            According to the dictionary capitalism is an economic system based on a free market, open competition, profit motive and private ownership of the means of production. Capitalism encourages private investment and business, compared to a government-controlled economy. Investors in these private companies, such as shareholders, also own the firms and are known as capitalists.

Mackay defines capitalism as a system in which everything is for sale. He goes on to say

that if the opposite celebration can see it to their benefit then a deal can always be made. Whatever it is you are trying to purchase or sell can be purchased or sold when the other side sees how the deal can work to their advantage.

Harvey Mackay’s Short Course in Management

Little Things Don’t Mean a Lot; They Mean Everything

            In order to refrain screw-ups a manager needs to pay more attention to detail and common courtesy. Leading by example is large when it comes to managers. Use the tiny things to score big. The smallest details could mean the difference between keeping a customer forever and losing them.

Never Let Anyone, Particularly a Superstar, Pick His or Her Own Successor

            Mackay states that when managers select their predecessor they try to ensure that they are incompetent. He advocates that whoever he recommends, to smile and cross that study off your list. They do not always select the ideal successor. They usually select someone who will change and will make them look good. Mackay said that anyone who thinks he or she is indispensable should stick a finger into a bowl of water and notice the hole it leaves when it’s pulled out.

Owning 1 Percent of Something Is Worth More Than Managing 100 Percent of Anything

An entrepreneur’s employee was the ideal he had. When the manager asked for a share of the company, about one percent, the entrepreneur turned him down. The manager quit and the man hired another employee. The new employee was even more demanding and the entrepreneur was trying to keep from being thrown out of business. If only the entrepreneur had let his ideal manager have one percent, he would still have the country of his company. The moral of this lesson is that it is superior to give up owning one percent than grappling losing it all. Do not be selfish when it comes to ownership.

Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty

Mackay prefabricated Bill doc an owner of Mackay Envelope when he saw how effectively he was running it. Some of the major competitors have offered him jobs, but he will not take them up on it. It is smarter to act when you see value long before it is recognized in the marketplace rather than purchase when everyone else is bidding.

Quickies

Buy Cheap Automobiles and Costly Houses

Mackay states that it is not as impressive to own a prestige automobile as long as anyone can purchase them. If you can afford a fancy car, it makes a larger impact when you drive an ordinary one, such as a Chevy. Automobiles depreciate, and houses appreciate. Automobiles are a necessity, but they aren’t worth anything when you pay them off. Houses, on the other hand, can be sold at the buying price or higher because the value of a home goes up.

“Nothing Is Greater to One Than One’s Self Is”

            The higher self-esteem someone has, the more he or she gets along with his- or herself, with others, and the more he or she will accomplish. Will Rogers once said, “If you done it, it ain’t bragging.” One should feel a sense of achievement and be chesty when a rough task is completed. Being optimistic about completing a task that is not supposed to be accomplished gives a mortal high self-esteem. Having optimism is a more productive than having humility.

To a Normal Person, Million Will Seem Like Enough

            Mackay has only a quote by entrepot publisher saint K. Glassman as a lesson. “But anyone who thinks that’s enough is not the type who can acquire that much in the first place.” You have to draw your own conclusions to what this means. Reach for the stars. million might be enough to live off of, but when it comes to a business, do not stop there.

How to Beat the Law of Supply and Demand

            Two scenarios are used in this quickie. The first scenario is about a sports franchise whose ticket holders cancelled their season tickets. They ran false ads in the paper in order to sell the tickets so that the general public would not find out about the cancellations.

            The second scenario was of a restaurant chain that in the first two months tells half of the people who call for reservations that they are full and to call back. Both of these stories create the illusion of demand. Something will not sell if it is too simple to get; and if it is in demand and one can't get it, then everyone wants it. This creates the illusion of demand regardless of supply.

Helping Your Children Beat the Odds

Don’t Plan on Sticking Around Just to Collect the Gold Watch

            This lesson in disguise states that you need to challenge yourself in your career. The example of medical treatments works very well here. Treatments are constantly being improved so you need to keep learning and never stop. If you do not then the world will keep moving forward without you.

Find Something You Like to Do and Make It Pay

            This section teaches you to do something you like. Mackay states that if you like something, you can make it pay no matter what business you are in. When you take the time to enjoy your work, it does not seem like work anymore.

There’s No Future in Saying It Can’t Be Done

            The old saying is that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The people who make it large are the ones who fix it before it is broke. The section goes on with quotes from different individuals. Harry Warner, president of Warner Brothers in 1927, said at the time speaking photos were coming onscreen, “Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” Nobel Prize winner Robert Millikan said, “There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom.” And in 1899 Charles Duell of the US Patent Office said, “Everything that can be invented, has been invented.” All three of them were wrong. We need to take chances. There is less to lose attempting change than to stay hung up in old ways in a new system that rewards change.

The Closer: How to Succeed

How to Succeed

            Determination is what it takes to succeed. Mackay tells the story of his late dad and how his determination turned him into who he was. He tells us to not throw in the towel no matter how rough the waters get. Do not quit. The illusion formula for success includes determination.

            Success is executing determination, goal-setting, and concentration. The capitalist economy provides opportunities for those who possess these three skills. There is always a good chance you can go all the way to the top. Armed with what you learned in this book, there is no reason you can't be successful.

Personal Insights

Why I think:

The author is one of the most brilliant people around…or is full of $ %, because:

The author is one of the most brilliant people around because he wrote this book on the tactics he used in order to be successful. The prices of automobiles and houses and other things are always going to go up, but the fundamental aspects of what he talks about will stay the same. What the author wrote is always going to be true. He talks of management and negotiation and how to both of them well to be successful.

If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1.            I would have combined a few of the lessons. To me, they seemed a bit repetitive. I would have enjoyed the book just as much if some things were only said once.

2.            I loved the examples Mackay gave, but I had to draw my own conclusions on what some of the lessons meant. I had to more or less read between the lines of what he was saying rather than being driven straight to the point.

3.            I would have focused a tiny more on external aspects of business success.

Reading this book prefabricated me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1.            There are so many methods to get to know customers. I never realized that a few hand-picked questions could tell you what you need to know about your most important buyers.

2.            The tiny things count for most of what you do in business. It is the tiny things that mean the most.

3.            You have to dig your well before you are thirsty. You have to be healthy to see value long before it is recognized in the marketplace.

I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1.            I know now what it takes to be successful. Just by reading this book, I outlined what I need to do in order to succeed.

2.            I know that I need to show leadership in each tiny thing that I do.

3.            I know that I can be successful. I just have to have determination, goal-setting, and concentration.

Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

I have not read any bad reviews of this book. I totally loved it and I think most people who have read it did too. One reviewer said that the title states it all. They state that it can be used both inside the business world and in your individualized life. Another reviewer said that this book is great if you’re an MBA or someone trying to benefit on each day life.

The back of the crown on the book has more than a dozen rave reviews. Ted Koppel states it is an “…easy reader ride to success in the business world.” Bob Knight said that it is “…a great text…I thoroughly enjoyed it…” Billy Graham states “Harvey’s business acumen shows on each page…”

Bibliography

http://www.amazon.com/Sharks-Without-Being-Eaten-Alive/dp/0449911489

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Swim-with-the-Sharks-without-Being-Eaten-Alive/Harvey-B-Mackay/e/9780060742812

Mackay, Harvey. Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate, and Outnegotiate Your Competition. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1988.

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Contact Info: To contact the author of this book summary and review, please email Ainsley Bossom Ainsley.Bossom@selu.edu .

Biography

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of works he has helped his students to turn into editorially-reviewed publications at the following sites:

Management Concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/)

Book Reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and

Travel and International Foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).                

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The Six Minute Book Summary of B-A-M (Bust a Myth): Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World

Posted on November 1, 2011 by
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Book Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction

            Let’s grappling it: customer service is confusing.  Customers want it.  Companies know they are supposed to deliver it but yet sometimes it’s like trying to place the feathers back on birds.  Customer service is a very complicated issue to deal with.  “Good customers service or no customer service, we all have stories that we love to tell, but as consumers, what are our expectations really of customer service?”  One reason customer service is so confusing is because so many myths have grown up around it.  If we are going to move forward into the new way of achieving customer service, we have some serious myth busting to do.

            Myth #1: “The customer” is a single thing or entity.

The belief: Once I can figure out the profile of my “typical” customer, then I will be healthy to come up with a system to keep apiece customer happy and satisfied.  All I will have to do is give my employees an outline.  As long as they will follow it, they will be healthy to satisfy “the customer” and the business will flourish.

The reality: Different customers react to the same situtation and the same service differently.  The same customer will react to the same action and attitude on a different day differently from the way he or she reacted the day before.  That is why satisfying the customer is a very difficult task to do.

            Myth #2: The customer is always right.

The belief: The company that professes this myth believe that apiece customer is too priceless to lose or that the risk of the bad press that might come from dissatisfied customers is too great for the company to bear.

The reality: Let’s grappling it, how could “the customer” always be right? First of all, as we have already said, there is no such entity as “the customer”.  Second of all, no mortal is always right.

            Myth #5: Customer service is just plain common sense.

The belief: Good customer service is something everyone understands-like wearing a coat when it’s cold outside or not touching a hot stove.  What we need is well-intended, rational people as our front-line interface to the customer, and we will be all set.

The reality: Eminent customer services boils down to training.  The fundamental attitudes and techniques of good customer servie must be taught and understood by apiece person, no matter how much common sense they have or how well-intended they are.

            Myth #9: Taking Care of the customers you have is more important that getting new customers.

The belief: It is a lot easier to sell more merchandise to the customer you already have than it is to go throguth the steps to attract a new customer.  It is more agonizing to attract and close a understanding with a new customer than to keep the one you have happy enough to keep buying from you.

The reality: It maybe true that the marginal cost of selling that additional product or service to and existing customer is less than selling to a new customer.  It is very true that apiece business will certainly lose customers.

            Myth #12: Customers don’t care about great services; they just want the lowest price possible.

The belief: At the end of the day, the only thing a customer cares about is price.  This a really true when the economy is not doing to great.  Customers “know” that sometimes you have to cut some services inorder to wage a lower price.

The reality: If the product is a commodity and can be bought or received anywhere, customers might think about only the price.  Increasing customer demands will both lower price and have great service.

            Myth #13: Customers can’t anticipate a company to fix all complaints overnight.

The belief: Customer’s need to learn to have some tolerance when something goes wrong.  Each company will get weighed down at sometime or another they will have to wait.

The reality: Unhappy people hate to move the most!  Waiting means something bad for your business-always.  But on the other had inactivity is invenitable.  Sometimes customers are going to have to move to matter what happened. 

 Chapter 2: Defining Customer Service the Way a Customer Does

Customer’s will tell a company in person, when they are visiting them, in focus groups, and even in cancellation letters what they think whether it be good or bad.  Documentation from case studies are well documented, and for readers who like the real-time, anecdotal approach, all you will have to do is raise the topic up over coffee/tea, as virtually everyone who has ever bought or sold anything will have an view or even a story to contribute to the conversion.  If a company is going to wage customer service that satisfies their customers, owners, managers, and asociates have to accept that the definition of customer service is:

Notwhat companies say it is;

Nearly never the same from customer to customer; and

A constantly changing, perpetually moving target.

Customer service is what the customer states it is.  There are two independent view-points of customer service: the company’s view and the customer’s view.  The company’s view is consisted of all the actions a company takes to wage a level of satisfaction to customers and potential customers before, during, and after the sale.  The customer’s view is determined by the level of satisfaction that the individual customer receives apiece time they use the product they bought and apiece time they apiece an encounter with a representative.  “Instead, customer service is defined by how satisfied or dissatisfied the company’s customers feel during apiece moment of apiece interaction with the company and over time.”  Customers and prospects get to define whether the company’s customer service is good or if it is bad.  That evaluation will be calibrated by the customer’s feeling of satisfaction.  The definition of what customer service is not.  Customer service is taking responsibility for satisfying apiece and apiece customer who is doing or going to do business with you.  It also means to take responsibility for satisfying the prospects who you think or hope could reasonably become customers.  However, that does not give the all clear to compromise the company’s integrity, morals, or self-respect to accommodate that rare customer that the company can't satisfy, no matter what the company or any of its people do.  The actuality is that customers are either right or wrong.  An unhappy customer maybe right about a certain policy that makes logical sense to your business but doesn’t make any sense from their point-of-view.  The same customer maybe wrong because they just prefabricated a simple misunderstanding or a common mistake.

Chapter 3: Determining the Value of Customer Service

            Customer service is somehow a repeated stipulation of all business practices that is hammered into us as primeval and often as possible.  Public sectors and public utilities are sometimes economic monopolies which might not have to deliver all of the customer service at once.  “Businesses are ethically or socially bound to give good customer service.  The ethics argument goes like this:  When a customer purchases your product in good establishment and pays hard-earned money for it, you are ethically indebted to wage the service to support that product and ensure that the customer can use it.  If the product doesn’t work or if it breaks, you, as the bourgeois of the product, are indebted to replace it or fix it.”  That is very straightforward and to the point.  By definition ethical standards are unwavering.  If it is ethical under all circumstances then it is the ethical thing to do.  Ethical companies will only make the promises and commitments that they intend to and will keep.  Therefore they will adopt that they have to wage a level of customer service that has not been committed to the customer before.  Revenue is the first measure of the B-A-M good customer service.  The first step in recognizing the economic value of a customer is determined by how much money apiece customer spends with your company in a year period.  Referrals are very important to a company.  Satisfied customers have a tendency to tell other consumers about the services and products that they like and are buying.  “Customers-whether they are individual consumers or company types-tend to speak to and associate with people with similar interests, lifestyles, and occupations.” 

Chapter #4: Why Don’t We Deliver the Customer Service We State We Want to Deliver?

            “Every mission statement from apiece company in the world includes giving “good” customer service.  If this part of apiece mission, why do so many companies change so miserably?  Why do customers get frustrated and so angry?”  After being contacted by the “help-line” the aberrant company will nearly always end up resolving the problem the way the customer would have wanted them to resolve it the first place.  The company will go above and beyond what the customer wanted originally asking for.  Roadblocks are both systemic and situational when it comes to customer service.  Obstacles are place on the companies from external forces that they can’t control but businesses also create many problems for themselves.  The roadblock to delivering customer service is call B-A-M!Blockers.  They begin into three categories:

Beliefs, lamentations, and excuses block the delivery of good customer service.

Preventable actions and attitudes can impair customer service.

Unpreventable challenges to customer service can occur when the business isn’t prepared to counteract their effect.

Preventable actions will repair customer service levels.  There are practices and actions in apiece business that owners who are committed to good customer service can eliminate, improve, anticipate, and even fix.  Product features in the past companies could use to close the customer service gap, which are now an essential in order to enter the marketplace.

Product quality: There are so many options out in the marketplace this day that if the product doesn’t work them we don’t have to purchase it.

Product availability: In the past, Companies that use to have wonderful logistics systems used to have a competitive advantage because their products were easier to find, order, replace, or refill than their competitors’ products.  With the proliferation of virtual stores on the world wide web and outsourcing of distribution, companies can deliver terrific availability without investing in technology, warehouses, inventories, or trucks.

Usability: Products have to be simple to use and intuitive.  Generation X and Y buyers, as well as Baby Boomers, insist on it.  There are a lot of examples, from the screens, icons, and buttons on cellular phones-with the iPhone the most current example.

Features/Functionality: There is constant “one-upsmanship” in the marketplace.  AT&T comes out with its 3G network, and six months later a competitor is touting its 4G.

Chapter 5: The B-A-M!-good Customer Manifesto

            When you do business with any customer there will always be a spoken, unspoken, and written contract.  These contracts happen automatically as part of apiece day normal transaction.  When we purchase something from someone or sell something to someone, there is a basic and implied promise that the exchange will be finished in a clean and mutually satisfying way.  The vow you make to your customer needs to be a manifesto- a public declaration of all that you intend to do for the customer to make your business relationship mutually satisfying and keep them coming back.  When someone has a public manifesto, customers know exactly what they can anticipate from the company they are doing business with.  Employees of the company also know what they are devoted to deliver to their customers.  “A manifesto holds the company to a standard without wiggle room.  The customer manifesto is the most complete reflection of a company’s attitude and actions in dealing with its customers.” 

Chapter 6: How to Deliver B-A-M!-good Customer Service in a Self-Service World

The first concern is delivering B-A-M!-good customer service is to comprehend what your customers think about the service is to comprehend is or is not delivering today.  Most businesses long for feedback from customers no matter how well or poorly a company treats its customers.  “Feedback usually only happens under two circumstances.  One, the company tends to ask for feedback right after the initial transaction and then not much after that.  And, two, many customers will initiate feedback only when there is a problem and they are evenhandedly fed up.”  Mystery shopping is another way of direct measure of the customer.  This is a billion dollar industry used by the marketing research companies to measure the calibre of retail service and to gather specific information about products or services.  The mystery shopper goes into the store and anonymously shops for the product, asks certain questions, and behaves in a specific way.

Chapter 7: For Customers Who Color Outside the Lines: Delivering for the Ideal and Worst Customers

            Each business has its preferred customers!  These could be the clients who spend the most money with your company, who are pleasant and simple to do business with, and who signed up with you when you were just starting out.  In a service company, there might be customers who have the most significant problems or are willing to try the most inventive or innovative solution to acquire an edge on their competitors.  There are also the customers that we hate to love or love to hate!  The more gracious term for these customers’s is “problem customers.”  These are the same customers that we knew on the first day as “this customer is going to be a problem,” but because of financial considerations at the time, we had to take them anyway.  We also think that it is good business to treat all customers differently because they are all different.

Chapter 8: Take Action: What Do I Do Now?

            Why should we deliver customer at the end?  “Susan Landa of The Fossil Cartel sums it up: ‘Because it helps make income and helps make the bottom line.  It’s also good for morale.  Being pleasant, friendly, and gracious makes it a superior workplace.’”  Now you are healthy to bust your own myths.  The first thing to do is evaluate your customer service myths to see if they are getting in the way of your business goals and undercutting effective customer service plans.  Second thing to do is define customer service for your company and define it how you want it to be.  The actions are defined by actions and attitudes, list to your company’s attitudes toward customers as individuals, and deliberate what actions you feel take that specific intention of making your customers feel more satisfied.  Thirdly, determine the economic value of your customers.  Each company needs to refer the specific economic value that customer service has to their business.  The company needs to throw out pride, ethics, and altruism argument as the prime motivator for your customer service policies.

Personal Insights

1. What did others’ have to say about this book and its author?

            MPM, screen study on Amazon.com reviews, states about the book “B-A-M! is a great read for a round-trip flight.  It is also a book you’ll want to pass along to colleagues, especially those who have responsibility for customer service in a company.  It also has lists of the various myths and examples that are real and ready to use.  I highly advocate B-A-M! to anyone in business or those thinking about starting a business, so that they are ready to offer good service to their clients and customers.”  B-A-M! is a really detailed book.  It gives real life situations and it will advocate the way you should handle it.  Adam Zak wrote about B-A-M!, “The people we do business with constantly tell us that our capability to deliver customer service is critical to their experience of satisfaction with our companies, our products and our services.  Barry and Mary Jane demonstrate that no matter what our business, be it manufacturing energy saving solar panels, flying passenger airplanes, or conducting executive searches for Lean CEOs, delivering customer service which is appropriately plain to the needs of apiece of our one-of-a-kind customers is at the core of our long term viability and success.” 

            There are many more reviews about this book and they all are positive, everyone including me really liked this book.  It was an simple ready, it kept you interested in the material, and it is an important topic to learn about.  The material in the book was linked with real life instances.  I haven’t read too many books about customer service but I would advocate this book to anyone who is trying to or even thinking about opening a business for the first time.  This would give them a feel on how to handle their customer’s for the first time and be healthy to keep them as a loyal customer of the business.  Once they are healthy to do this then the loyal customers are likely to spread the word about your newly opened business.

http://www.amazon.com/B-Bust-Myth-Delivering-Self-Service/product-reviews/1449007945/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R1RQOW6DQDGX5N

2. Why I think the author’s wrote this book is because of business conditions today?

                  I think the author’s wrote this book because from their love of the subject and their on hand experience through their careers’.  They clearly say the reason why they wrote this book in the book.  “We are a practical pair, and this book expresses our combined experience with our own companies and in the companies we have worked for and with.”  Also another reason I think they wrote this book was because of the economy.  A lot of companies have had to cut back their spending, marketing, and so forth.  But the one thing they can’t cut back on is customer service.  The reason being is because if you are unable to offer a certain service that your customers are use to because of the economic downturn and you wage them with excellent customer service that might be even superior than  being healthy to offer that service they are use to.  The importance of customer service is an experience for the customer.  You would want that to be a pleasant one so when they are in your business and are upset because something is out of stock or unavailable if they have a amusing experience then they are more likely to return back because of the service and forget about the item out of service or not acquirable at that time.

3. What are the ten concrete things practicing managers should take from this book?

Deliver on what your promised

Staying consistent is the most important thing

Listen carefully

Incorporate customer service into your revenue

Customer service is a aspect

Customer service is also a part of your brand

Treat everyone with respect and dignity at all times

Empower your employees!

Admit when you have prefabricated a mistake

Accomplishments should be rewarded

4. If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently.

I really wouldn’t change anything about this book.  It was a really good book.

5. Reading this book prefabricated me think differently about the topic in what ways?

It is ok to let the customer’s move sometimes.  Sometimes that is the only way doable in order to keep the customer service level high for everyone.  I personally don’t like making customer’s move when I can get them in and out.

The customer is not always right!  The customer’s are human beings just like everyone else.  They do make mistakes just like we do in a business.  So it’s hard but absolutely understandable that the customer’s is not always right.

Customers can’t anticipate a company to fix all the complaints overnight.  We can only do some much at one time!  An acceptable timeframe for your customers is going to depend on what type of business you have.

6. I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career byunderstanding customer service, customers, and their competitive advantage.  Since my degree is in Accounting, this will help me when I complete my degree and begin in the job world.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  

To contact the author of this book summary and review, please email Laura.Gurka@selu.edu.

Biography

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of works he has helped his students to turn into editorially-reviewed publications at the following sites:

Management Concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/)

Book Reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and

Travel and International Foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).                

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How To Have A Successful Book Signing

Posted on October 31, 2011 by
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You know what you’re after when you plan to do a book signing, but what makes it successful?  For most writers, especially if you are new or self-published, the signing is successful when you show up, your books are there, and you manage to sell even one book.   It doesn’t sound like a lot, and might even feel like a waste of time, but the point is that you have prefabricated public contact and opened the market for your book.

Making more than one understanding and more than a single contact takes planning on your part.  Don’t forget that as an author, you will have “celebrity” position and an astonishing opportunity to build your audience, so plan for your success by using the tips in this article.

Your “ground work” will start at least two months in advance of your actual promotion.  Start calling bookstores, libraries, and civic groups if you want to be included in their calendars.  This will give them enough lead time to get your study and book into their in-store flyers and post it on their websites. 

Write a press release.  Most stores will forward their own, but there is nothing wrong with individualized contact, and your list might be different from that of the store.

For a massive bookstore chain, ask to speak with the Community Relations Coordinator.  For small individually owned stores, ask to speak with the owner.

Ask if the store has a book club or other group that you might hold to be the featured speaker for.

When arranging the signing, ask if there is a suggested list of media or community contacts – some stores don’t have them, but if they do, add them to your contact list and forward your press release long with a individualized invitation.

Build enthusiasm for your signing.  Share the information with friends and family.  Forward the information to local libraries, introduce it on your website, blog, online groups, and chats (especially with other authors).

Once you are satisfied that you have done all of the preparation, head for the nearest copy or print shop.

Have your book cover(s) blown up to poster size.  You will want this in color and it doesn’t have to be HUGE, about 11” x 17” will be perfect.  Have the copy laminated and mounted on poster or core board.  Either have a stand attached, or purchase an easel. Some stores will create their own poster for your signing, others will not.  Don’t be caught off guard. 

Have your book cover printed as a postcard announcing your signing.  Get AT LEAST 100 copies.  Plan to send these cards to everyone you can think of, including business associates and media reps.

Get at least a thousand, colorful, professionally done bookmarks.  Your bookmarks should include your book title, the isbn, your name, and your website contact info.  These bookmarks will be included with ALL correspondence, and given away to everyone you speak to at your signing, and of course, with all books.

“Autographed Copy” or “Local Author” stickers are not mandatory, but they do add a nice touch to the books you are signing.  You won’t have to purchase them often as one order will most likely last for several books over several signings.

About a month in advance of your signing, check with local broadcasting and TV stations to find out if there is a chance of being interviewed on local shows.  This will be free publicity for your book and your signing – if you can get it.  If not, don’t take it personally.  Move on.

Also take this opportunity to confirm your signing date and time.  People forget things and you don’t want to show up and find that no one has prepared for your visit (including you!).

On the day of your signing, you should be ready to meet the people who will become your readers.  Planning ahead never hurts, so:

Attire – think “business casual” and opt for clean, comfortable, and attractive.  Jeans are ideal left at home, and nothing too spirited or controversial should be included (like buttons expressing your political views, unless it is tied DIRECTLY to your book).

Plan to arrive early, and with small tokens of thanks for the store owner and staff.  Little boxes of chocolates, flowers, etc. will do fine. 

Remember that YOU are YOUR responsibility.  Bring a bottle of water, go to the bathroom BEFORE sitting down, turn your cell phone off (or at least set it to vibrate), bring a sweater or  crown – in short, take care of yourself.  High maintenance writers are not often invited back.

Once you are at your signing location, you are going to need to set up  an captivating display of your work and yourself.  When you set up your table:

You might not need it, but pack a plastic tablecloth from the Dollar Store in your bag – just in case your plateau is bare or worn.

 Have plenty of books, bookmarks, business cards, duplicates of your backlist, note pad, and working pens (take a lot, you know how they can “walk” away!). 

Have a guest register on hand for people to add their names, addresses, and email addresses to (you can do this on your computer).  This will help you to build your mailing list for future events.

Put out a small dish of individually wrapped candies – chocolate works very well.  Candy will attract people who might have otherwise passed you, to your table.  While they are unwrapping and savoring the candy, they will usually check out your poster and speak to you. 

Have something to give away.  If you’re on a tight budget, place everything into a single basket and have a drawing.

To attract attention to your presence in the store, be creative.  Some of the things that should be at the top of your creativity list should be:

Write your own brief declaration for the store intercom.

Ask the store manager to display your book at the register – you never know if it will become an instant impulse purchase or not.

Don’t just sit at the plateau they have for you – stand up and interact with customers instead of inactivity for them to come to you.

At the end of your signing, offer to sign duplicates of your book and a few (about 25) of your postcards and/or brochures for the store so that they can be handed out with buys and  be prefabricated acquirable to customers who missed the signing.

And finally, always remember what your mom stated about good manners: 

Don’t complain.  Always be gracious, even if you don’t sell any books.  Just because people are not buying on the day and at the time that you are signing does not mean that they won’t come back later, or head to your website to purchase the book.

Send a written thank you note to the mortal who booked the signing.  They will remember you, and you will likely be invited to sign there again.

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Buying Your First House: Protect Yourself

Posted on October 29, 2011 by
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As you begin shopping for your first house, it is ideal to be wide-eyed and well-informed. Spend time speaking to friends, family and acquaintances to pick their brains for information, tips, advice, and — yes — horror stories, too. Visit your local library and investigate topics from home buy to financing to finding a realtor to evaluating a community. Go online to view home listings and home particulars, and to find out more about doable neighborhoods and developments. Tour as many homes as doable before narrowing your search. Quite often the 15th or 20th home you see will end up being a far more suitable buy than the 3rd or 4th. (And, after seeing 15 or 20 houses, and thus becoming more knowledgeable, you are much more likely to be comfortable and satisfied with your final choice.) Keep a journal of your evolving thoughts and all the factors that will affect your eventual buy decision.

You can also look to others for various layers of protection:

1. Library and world wide web sources can wage you with dos, don’ts and checklists, or with home inspection advice.

2. City building departments, town halls and village offices can wage valuable information about a community, its housing stock, and range of price options. Civic officials can also advise if there are any local point-of-sale inspection stipulations or mandated home understanding disclosures or certifications.

3. If you will be buying a home within a development or directly from a builder, you can request detailed information on all materials, components, appliances, fixtures and finishes in the home, along with any guarantees, warranties and maintenance manuals that pass to a new owner. Make sure any new home has a properly issued Certificate of Occupancy, and that all stipulations and fees of the local building dominance have been met and paid. Also make sure any utility service, tie-in or ‘tap’ fees have been paid, and that no contractors or subcontractors remain unpaid.

4. It is likely that any buy or mortgage lender you will be using will have its own particular processes of appraisal, certification, insurance and lien release, etc. You might therefore be provided with various assurances and certifications as a normal part of the lending and buy process.

5. You can further assure yourself of the particulars of your first home and its value vs. price by undertaking a thorough home inspection. If you do not feel up to the task, you can certainly enlist a eligible and knowledgeable builder or architect (or perhaps even realtor) to undertake the inspection for you and wage you with sound advice on their findings.

Above all, if you do not fully comprehend or are unclear as to any viands of your first home buy agreement, real estate contract, mortgage, loan, Certificate of Occupancy, inspection, appraisal, etc., take whatever time you need to feel absolutely comfortable to move forward. A new home buy entails one of the largest expenditures you are ever likely to make, and it therefore deserves adequate time for analysis, rumination and reflection.

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Buying The Best Dishwasher For Your Home

Posted on October 28, 2011 by
buy appliances

Dishwashers were originally found in the homes of the wealthy, with many of us wondering when we would be healthy to afford such a convenience. Now they are inexpensive enough that most people have one.

Before you select a dishwasher, make a list of the features you enjoy in any dishwasher you are familiar with. Realize the more features you must have, the more costly the dishwasher might be.

Today’s dishwashers offer steaming cycles, warming cycles, and gentle wash for delicate dishes and glasses. You can buy a dishwasher with a prewash or pots and pans cycle, as well as buy one with a timer to begin at a time when you are not there. Also, dishwashers can be well insulated so that you do not hear the endeavor dishwashers of yesterday made.

Once you think you know what you want in a dishwasher look online for different styles. Do you want a standard model that will fit between two existing cabinets? Do you want a drawer dishwasher? What about two dishwashers? Many people opt for this for several reasons, including being healthy to use the clean dishes straight from the dishwasher, while continuing to load the used dishes in the second one.

Some dishwashers are designed to fit into a kitchen sink. These are great for single people, or couples who usually do not take at home. They are a tiny harder to find, but can be special ordered through home improvement stores and online.

Don’t forget about the color choice you will have. Also, stainless is a consideration, as well as dishwashers that are designed to match kitchen cabinets. These are more expensive, but might be what you are looking for.

Make a list of the features that you must have. Check online to see what reviews are acquirable on the dishwasher you choose. Also read reviews about specific features you are interested in.

When you feel you are ready to buy a dishwasher, call some stores in your area to see who has what you want on hand. Double check for income going on now. When you actually go to buy the dishwasher, ask for a discount, especially if you are paying cash. Most larger stores will give you a discount just because you asked for one.

After you select a dishwasher, think about how to recycle or donate your current one. Even if your old dishwasher is not working now, the landfill doesn’t need it, but an independent appliance repair store might want it for the parts still work.

Which Dishwasher is the Ideal One for You?


What about the drawer dishwashers?

I like the drawer dishwasher for several reasons. A huge issue for me was having a dishwasher that prefabricated sense to run with a small amount of dishers. There are many new features with these you might like as well as I do.

Search online for information about appliance rebates from the government and the manufacturer. Sometimes the manufacturer’s website will give you more information about sales. This could be a major incentive for many who want to buy any appliance.

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Remember When You Didn’t Have to Get a Mortgage to Buy a Book?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by
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When I was in my primeval teens, back in the primeval 1980s, apiece summer I used to mow yards in my neighborhood for money. A lot of yards. I charged ten dollars for most yards, maybe fifteen or twenty bucks if it was a really huge yard, and most weeks I was rolling in from 0 to 0. That was a lot of money back then for a young teen. Heck, there are times I’d like to have that extra money now.

But what did I spend all my money on?

There was a shopping center about a mile from where I lived then, and usually at least once a week I would achievement down there. I was quite frugal, but I gave myself a spending limit of . In fact, I enforced that by only taking with me.

With maybe the exception of a soft drink or a burger, I kept my buys down to three items: a video game cartridge, a music cassette and a book.

Most of the video game cartridges were for my Atari 2600, though sometimes I’d pick up a game for my Intellivision. Game cartridges in those days usually cost more than , at least the new ones did, but I could usually pick up a game on understanding for or sometimes even less.

My taste in music in those days was just beginning to grow, but I could pick up a cassette in the cheap bin for or a tiny more.

Most times when I got around to buying a book, I had or less to spend. In those days I was mostly reading fantasy fiction, usually by writers like Terry Brooks, Robert Asprin, J.R.R. Tolkien (of course), etc. For a while I got into reading men’s action fiction, specifically Don Pendleton’s The Executioner series of novels about the vigilante Mack Bolan who waged a individualized war against the ingroup and later against terrorists.

Anyway, that was quite a haul for a young teen back then. I’d get a calibre game, some cool tunes, a fun read, maybe something to munch on and slurp, and quite often I’d still go home with a few bucks or at least some pocket change in my pocket.

How the times have changed.

Sure, I’m older now, and the economy has moved on and the world has moved on. Yaddyyaddy. I realize I sound like one of those old guys going on about “how things were superior back in my day.”

But I don’t mean to.

It’s just … well, I remember when I officially hit the work force as a grocery store clerk in the mid-1980s, I was making the minimum remuneration then of .35 an hour. Sounds like chump change, right? It would be today, and it wasn’t great back then, but it wasn’t as bad as it sounds today. Minimum remuneration never is, because it’s just that minimum wage.

Still, making .35 an hour, I could go to a book store and pick up one of the shorter adventure novels, usually no more than 250 pages at most, for .25 or thereabouts. For a thicker novel, I might have to pay up to .95. Hardbacks and brand new hot books were obviously out of my price range, usually because they cost anywhere from .95 to .95.

In other words, for one hour’s worth of work, I could still go out and purchase a novel than would give me hours of reading fun. If I got short novels, usually the 80s equivalent to pulp-like fiction, I could get two novels.

I don’t see that being doable today. And this is my whole point.

The current federal minimum remuneration in the U.S. is .25 an hour. When I go to one of my local chain book stores, I never see a new novel for less than .99. Sometimes you can find something in the bargain bin for .49 or thereabouts, but that’s pretty rare, and it’s often garbage no one is really interested in reading anyway.

And what gets me is that despite the constant barrage of media and online messages that fewer and fewer people are reading, it’s a heck of a lot easier this day to find books than it used to be. It used to be quite the challenge, and sometimes even fun, to have to search for a book you really wanted.

Of course we’ve got ebooks and e-readers today, like the Kindle and the Nook, and it is easy to find cheap or even free literature in that market. But even there the new ebooks are as costly as their paper versions, or you have to move for months upon months because the publisher holds off on releasing the electronic version of a novel.

And then there’s the price of new hardback books. Easily the price ranges are to . Which is just silly. A consumer willing to pay that much for a book that isn’t a signed collector’s edition or isn’t some kind of antique is just being foolish with their money. But to apiece their own.

To recap, I don’t mean to be the old fart grousing about “how the days or yore were dipped in gold compared to the slime of today,” but I just believe the price of books has risen above the level it should be.

And let me add, it’s not the authors’ fault. Sure, Stephen King makes millions, but he’s not the one who repairs the prices on his books. His publishers do that. Most authors don’t make enough money to make writing their full-time job.

And I’m exhausted of hearing publishers moaning about how they’re never making any money, and about how they are always losing money. I’m sorry, but someone is making money in the publishing industry. There are more books readily acquirable in today’s world than there ever have been, so someone is making money. The whole book publishing industry is feeding authors, publishers, editors, agents, printers and whole slews of other people while remaining in business. Publishers might not be rolling in millions of dollars with apiece book they place out, but they’re making money.

What do I think could be done about all this? The consumer has to take charge, because they’re really the ones with the power. Stop staying up all night in line inactivity for the latest, greatest Whatever novel that’s coming out. Harry Potter will get along just fine without you if you move until his latest book appears at the used book store in a year, and it’s not as if author J.K. Rowling needs to money. Begin going to those used book stores. Begin buying the cheap books for 99 cents on your Kindle. Let your pocket book talk for you.

Eventually publishers will take notice. They’ll change. They’ll adjust. And your favorite author will continue to make money. It’s that simple.

Related links

What is the longest novel ever written?

Is Reading Dying?

Violence in Fiction: How Does the Writer Know When Enough is Enough?

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The Rocket Blender Is One Handy Little Appliance

Posted on October 23, 2011 by
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The Bella Cucina Rocket Blender really stands out from the crowd in the individualized blender market.  It not only looks great, but it shows power and speed.

With so many people looking for a way to keep up with a hectic lifestyle while still maintaining a healthy diet, the popularity of smoothies and accelerator drinks are on the rise. The only problem is, you need a blender to prepare these nutritious drinks and nobody has time to drag out another appliance and clean up the mess afterward. With the Bella Cucina Rocket Blender, there are no more excuses.

This handy individualized appliance can do everything a traditional blender can do in no time flat and clean up is swift and easy. The compact size takes up a minimal amount of space and if your cabinets are full the stylish design will match virtually any kitchen decor.

The power base is outfitted with a pair of stainless steel blades that will blend fruit or grind coffee beans equally well. You can also chop, mix and whip your way through meal preparation in minutes flat.

This single serving blender comes with one tall cup, one short cup and one celebration cup plus two comfort rings that grant you to drink your smoothie straight from the blender. The cups are prefabricated out of durable see through plastic that grants you to keep an eye on your progress as you blend. Use the airtight lid to safely store leftovers in the refrigerator or the shaker lid to serve.

You no longer need to have a blender, a coffee grinder and a food processor. This one appliance will replace all three and it takes up no more space than the average coffee mug. The brushed chrome finish will fit right in on any kitchen counter top.

This item makes a great housewarming or wedding gift and any college student just starting out will find several uses for this handy tiny device.

Buy a Rocket Blender this day and you will be blending, chopping, cutting and dicing with the ideal of them.

For a full review of the Rocket Blender go to GoBlendIt.com. You will also find in-depth blender reviews of all of the major blender brands on the market today, as well as healthy smoothie recipes and homemade cover cream recipes.

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How I Published My First E-book

Posted on October 22, 2011 by
buy books

Notice how the title isn’t How TO???  That’s because I know my way isn’t the only or ideal way.  It’s just how I personally did it.  Here’s my experience: 

1.  Months ago I purchased an e-book called FishMama’s Guide to Cooking With Children because I’m always looking for things to cook and for the patience to cook with my kids.  It was nice to be healthy to save it to my personal so I could print it out later or refer to it when I needed to.

2.  Then an intent came to me when I was reading Writer’s Digest.  The short blurb was about writing short humor books that people purchase at the checkout counter at bookstores.  I joked to my husband that I could do one on how to be a lazy mom.

 3.  The intent festered, so I looked online for e-book publishing info.  There was too much with not enough real information.  Everything seemed to lead to buying an costly e-book about publishing an e-book AND buying costly software.  It can’t be that hard, I thought.  Plus I’m broke, so I have to find a way to do this cheap.

 4.  Before I even had a few pages of the e-book written, I had a cover idea, so I whipped that up in PowerPoint, then starting working on page layouts.  I didn’t want to steal anyone else’s layout ideas, so I just kept it simple and colorful.

 5.  I talked to my husband, the Engineer.  He stated it was simple to convert something to a PDF file from PowerPoint, that he has something called Primo PDF on his laptop.  This is something free you can download …

 6.  Decided to sell it for a measly 2 bucks since “2-buck e-book” sounds good.  The next will retail for like many other e-books.  NOT.

 7.  Had to get down to the business of writing.  Was blowing off the e-book writing process when I got the opportunity to interview JA Konrath for my blogs.  He gets 1,000 hits per day on his blog, so I was hoping to have my e-book uploaded to Payloadz (I selected this seller because FishMama used them and there are too many other crappy ones out there*) by the time his interview hit my blogs.

 8.  Had about 2 days to finish the darn thing up and paste it into PowerPoint and format it.  I scoured pregnancy and baby-raising books for things I could make fun of or convert to the Lazy Mom’s way while simultaneously being a Walking Baby Oven and homeschooling my other sweet children and caring for the toddler.

 9.  Converted the PowerPoint file to a PDF with the help of my husband (you just open the PowerPoint doc, then choose Print, then Primo PDF, and it converts and renames for you), and uploaded it (the pdf file) to Payloadz.  Everything is still FREE at this point. 

 10.  There’s a bunch of stuff to fill out at the Payloadz site … book description, etc.  Make sure you have a PayPal statement first, and know they’ll take a fee out for each e-book transaction).  I guessed on the “affiliate fee” stuff … I assumed that was the amount I’d give someone for selling my e-book on their site, so I just popped in 10 cents, but have since upped it to 75.  I now realize it someone is selling my book from their site, they should get close to half of what I’m getting.

 11.  Added the link (not the unhelpful code Payloadz gave me; instead I went to the Payloadz Store like I was going to purchase my own book, then used THAT link) to my blogs and whipped up a blog post about the e-book.  Made sure the link worked in case anyone wants to purchase the e-book.

 12.  Sold about a dozen.  Didn’t have the time to market it like crazy, but it’s never too late.

 *If an e-book seller web site has typos, looks unprofessional, gives you pop-ups and states they might NEVER get your book uploaded, close that page, friend.

Go out and publish your own e-book!  Have fun!

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6 Appliances That Will Save You Money

Posted on October 21, 2011 by
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However, some smart choices can be prefabricated to save you money.  Most experts will tell you when you select energy efficient products there usually are upfront cost that you will recoup in saving over the lifetime of the product. 

When you begin to replace your appliances, begin with the oldest and least efficient ones.  Begin your research now and not when your appliances begin to breakdown.  Most of us find it difficult to make a reasonable decision when visaged with an emergency.  For example if your water heater goes out, you might not take the time to buy the right one, just the one you can get installed now.  Here are some tips on common household items.  See how you can buy energy efficient and save more money:

1. Washers:  When purchasing a washer, you are given two types to choose.  Front loaders and top loading machines.  Using less energy and water, the front loaders are typically gentler on clothes.  Front loaders also have a faster spin cycle to wring more water out of your laundry, meaning less time in the dryer and saving energy costs.

2. Refrigerators:  With superior compressors, improved insulation, precise controls and defrost mechanisms, today’s refrigerators are much more energy efficient than ones manufactured 15 years ago.  Select one that is configured with top or bottom freezers rather than side-by-side models that are less space and energy efficient.

3. Dishwashers:  If your dishwasher is more than six years old and in need of major repair, replace it.  The payback on a dishwasher is long, however the water savings is immediate as many of them now use as tiny as 3 gallons of water to clean dishes.  This is due to the improvement on sensors, high-efficiency pumps, and filtration systems. 

4. Thermostats:  This should be a no-brainer, however many consumer don’t think to replace their manual thermostats with programmable ones.  Having your temperature set lower when you are sleeping or out of the home will save you substantial money.  Be sure to buy a thermostat that is simple to read and program so that you make the most out of heating and cooling savings.

5. Furnaces:  Heating your home can be nearly half of all your energy costs in a year.  Many older furnaces are much too huge for the homes they were installed.  This was to compensate for older homes that were drafty and poorly insulated.  Hire an experienced professional to do a heating load calculation on your home before buying a new furnace.  Furnaces are rated by Annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE).  Look for the lowest number to get the ideal energy efficiency. 

6. Water Heaters:  This is a buy that you can do ahead of it breaking down.  Most water heaters have an average life expectance of 10 to 15 years, so if it is getting close, now is the time to begin shopping. 

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How To Detect Bad Plumbing Before You Buy A House

Posted on October 19, 2011 by
buy appliances

Lets begin with my definition of a house flipper who you might be buying from: My definition of a home flipper is an investor who purchases a home in a preferably good neighborhood in original condition at a price he/she hope’s is under market value. They fix it up a tiny with as tiny money as doable and swiftly try to understanding the property to YOU an unsuspecting buyer who comes along with more money to pay for the house.

When someone sells you a home and they have not owned it or lived in the home for at least two years I would be extremely cautious. With today’s market and the understanding of homes taking longer you might want to increase the time frame another year or two.

I’m not trying to scare anyone out of a buying a house, I’m just saying be smart.

Always hire a realtor when buying a house. It does not cost you a dime to hire one and they will assist you with the buy of your home.

I have been hired as an expert to look at homes for the seller and the buyer to evaluate the condition of the plumbing and make fixes for the owner before selling the home and for the buyer to evaluate the condition before purchasing the home.

What you can do to detect bad plumbing before you buy a home:

1. Test apiece drain in the house.

   (a) The way you check apiece drain is to fill the sink, lavatory, bathtub, and others all the way to the overflow of the fixture with water. Let the water go down the overflow and insure it keeps up with the water volume and does not overflow the bathtub, lavatory or other fixture that has an overflow. You will be looking for water pressure, leaks under the fixture, proper drainage, insuring that hot water is coming out of the left side and cold water is coming out of the right side, insuring the water lines are not crossed, and determining how hot the water is getting by doing this. If the drain does not drain when full you probably have a plugged sewer on that line. If only one fixture does not drain properly and all other’s do, than you only have to be concerned about that fixture and most likely the main sewer is not plugged. Flush apiece toilet and look in the tank to insure the water is not rusty and all the parts work properly. The other two fixtures to check carefully is the dishwasher and clothes washer. Run both of those by filling them up with water and then turn on the drain cycle when full of water.

2. Check the main water valve.

    (a) This test is to insure the valve shuts off. Turn the water off and have someone at the furthest point open a faucet. Within a short period the water should be off.

3. Check the hot water heater or boiler:

    (a) Look for a date on the tank to determine age. Look for leaks around the tank and look to see if the piping to the heater has dielectric unions connected to them. See my articles in Bukisa “How and when to install a dielectric union”, ” How to prevent hot water from entering your cold water line”.

4. Check for lead pipe and asbestos insulation.

    (a) Many older boilers will be insulated with asbestos. The only sure way to know is to test the material. Lead pipes might be present if the home is older than forty years or so.

5. Check all other Miscellaneous fixtures one-of-a-kind to the home:

    (a) Insure you have water pressure and check for leaks on fixtures like water dispenser, cover maker, water softener, garbage disposal, water humidifier, pumps, and anything I might have left out.

You don’t have to be a plumbing expert to check these things out to determine if you want to buy the home. By simply doing most of my recommended list of items you will know if you should invest or proceed any further with the buy of the home. If sinks are not draining and you find leaks under cabinets, loss of water pressure, rusty  water, and old plumbing appliances, there is a high chance that the electrical, mechanical, roof, siding, and other aspects of the house are bad.

True story: I once checked out a home for a friend and found the home to look very nice. The home was around forty years old and the seller prefabricated some beautiful cosmetic changes like new carpet, new paint, new roof, all new plumbing pipes under apiece sink, and many new fixtures. When I began the inspection I found the roof had new shingles over a dilapidated old roof because when you walked on it you could feel sinking areas on it. On further review I found wood under the roof that was dilapidated and should have been replaced. When I filled up the fixtures with water the drains would drain properly. They looked good and new but behind the walls were old pipes that wouldn’t drain. The shower stall had a new plastic enclosure, but when you pressed on the surround you could feel areas that sunk, indicating potential mold behind the surround from probably being wet prior to the new plastic enclosure. Electrical circuits that when you turned on a switch to the garbage disposal and turned on a light in the same area the breaker would blow. Many other covered up problem areas that just make you sick to your stomach.

If you check the plumbing out and feel comfortable with it, than you should place a bid on the property and invest on a professional home inspection. If the inspector finds problem areas he/she can advise you on the cost to make the fixes and you and your realtor can request a deduction of the price to make repairs.

One more true story: I bought my second home knowing the plumbing was a problem and the electrical had some minor problems. I replaced the main sewer, replaced all the old galvanized pipe, and a few other items while we lived there for around ten years. I later sold my home for more than double what I payed for it, and even with the fixes I prefabricated a very nice profit.

Be assured the seller acted like nothing was wrong and said this when asked questions that are mandatory when selling your house. 

Good luck and happy plumbing.

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