Black In Business

If your customers buy disposable products on a regular basis and you want to keep their business, there are 2 keys. One is your ability to understand their need for your product and how it benefits them. Two is a relationship based upon trust and respect. We all have pressure to find new business but no business is more valuable than that of your current loyal customers. Often times the strategy for customer satisfaction includes, a rushed salesman asking, is all ok, is there anything I can do?

We use to arrange formal business reviews with our top revenue and profit customers, a minimun of 2 times per year. For very large customers quarterly reviews are recommended. We would have our contacts arrange for a conference room, a projector screen and their top mangement. We would have our sales person bring his manager and often times the service organization would be represented.

Items reviewed, included year over year billings by products, savings provided, cost of service provided, regarding services we provided for free we would asign a dollar value, to demostrate our investment. We would discuss any burning issues and have stats to show the reliability of our service or product. We would talk about any unsolved needs and our solution. We would provide insights on future trends and make recommendations that may benefit our cilents.

The first few of these meetings may start of formal and stiff but over time the trust and rerspect leads to rapport and more business. This is a very professional way to communicate.

Blogging provides another communication tool to use in between face to face meetings.It is a simple way to keep in touch with your most valuable customers. Business reviews combined with effective blogging can keep surprising business loss to a minimun. What are some of the things you use to ensure customer satisfaction? Let us know.

I remember as a child there were times when an item of importance would become lost in the Walton house hold. It may have been The Yellow Pages, or a can opener. My mom would loves these moments because it would be a contest to see who would find it. Mom would always say, she would find it because she had brains. This would lead to a conversation about how important school is and how you have to have brains.

I agree and have found a couple of facsnating blogs from Brain Institude. Robyn Mcmaster, has a mission to equip leaders with practical brain based tactics that optimize satisfaction and output at work. Robyn has brains and can provide scientific reasoning as to why we react the way we do and how brian chemicals need certain stimuli in order to be released. She also has a lot of practical advice.

Ellen Weber has brains as well. Ellen has always been interested in how the brain works when leaders use it well. Ellen has taught executive MBA programs for classes in communication, leadership and organization development. Ellen can get real deep in understanding how the brain works and comes up with compelling post on a regular basis.

A great thing about blogging is you can find usefull information from many people. These are 2 of my favorites and when you visit you will see why. You would never expect a black, street guy, rough around the edges would have much in common with 2 brainy PHD white ladies. They have inspired me and have been supporters of diversity and blackinbusiness.They all live in the nation’s Empire State, my home state. Check them out

A key for business is looking for ways to improve on a perpetual basis.You will discover information to make you think on these blogs.

I came across a must read from a new friend, Esq Francis Holland. Esq Holland s a part of the Afro spear, a network of black bloggers that share information and discuss issues related to the black community. There are several other bloggers involved in this important collective strategy. I was recently given an invitation to join and my first reaction was the group may be too conservative for my views. But I did my research and this is a group that really cares about the betterment of the black community.

Esq Holland is a international brother and he walks the walk exhibited by his knowing several languages. Ebonics may be another but not counting Ebonics, he speaks 4. Wow! I want to do a profile of Esq Holland later but today I will share his advice to black students.

I recall a time in Geneva when I caught a cab so I could get back to London for a late night dinner. I like to engage with people and tried to talk with the cabbie. The cabbie said I do not speak English. I speak, French, German, Swiss, Italian and Russian, we can speak in those lanaguaes. Here I am, big time international businessman suited down but mute because the dumb cabbie could not speak English Typical American attitude, everybody should speak English. I have news for you. English is an international business language, but we know now, even in America everyone dose not speak English. That is why, Esq Holland post is a must read.

March 31, 2007
Can Black Students Afford NOT to Study Overseas?
.

Studying overseas is often thought to be an upper middle-class or wealthy bourgeois privilege that Black students cannot afford. Don’t believe that hype! Because tuition, housing and transportation costs are higher in the United States than in many other countries, and educational subsidies are often lower here, astute Black students may find that they cannot afford NOT to study overseas.

For example, the annual tuition at United States colleges and universities is rarely less than $5000.00 per year and often comes closer to $$50,000 per year. Meanwhile, tuition at some French universities is as low as $500.00 per year, including a comprehensive health insurance package that covers prescription medicine. Effectively, the cost of college health insurance in the United States may exceed the cost of health insurance AND tuition in France.

Comprehensive US financial aid may be available for American students to study overseas. Many United States colleges and universities permit students to remain enrolled in the United States, paying a nominal fee of perhaps $15.00 per semester for continued enrollment, while actually earning many of their degree credits at a foreign institution, and paying the substantially lower foreign tuition. Because the students remain enrolled at US institutions, they remain eligible for all available US financial aid, but they can spend it overseas in an environment where money goes much further.

Moreover, foreign schools and governments often offer education subsidies that are not available in the United States. For example, when I studied in France, the French Government paid 30% of my apartment rent, so that I paid only 70% of the market rate for my apartment. That is a substantial educational subsidy that is not available in the United States.

Another reason to study overseas, as a high school student or college student, is that knowing a foreign language and having inter-cultural experience is an excellent way for Blacks to gain admission the most prestigious American universities and graduate schools and to increase earning potential afterward. One Black student of my acquaintance, whose mother was on welfare and could not afford to help her financially, nonetheless spent a year studying overseas, after which she was admitted to and graduated from a top Ivy League graduate school. Now, she has a top-flight job in the private sector.

Studying overseas can lead to higher pay afterward. With America becoming increasingly multicultural and multilingual, a lawyer, teacher or accountant who speaks Spanish or French often can achieve a significant hiring and pay advantage over one who speaks only English, particularly because clients in the United States are increasingly from diverse linguistic backgrounds and the international economy is increasingly integrated. A year of study in Brazil, Argentina or Spain offers students the opportunity to learn a language that is in demand in the United States.

Black students can hardly afford to be stranded in monolingualism while the world becomes increasingly integrated linguistically and culturally. Studying overseas helps Black students to appreciate the immigrant experience and prepares them to deal more effectively with increasing diversity here at home.

So, if a foreign university offers our students the chance to earn credits toward US graduation, learn a foreign language while doing so, AND pay significantly less tuition, with comprehensive health care and significant housing subsidies, can Blacks afford to say “no”?

Black students wishing to study overseas should discuss it with their academica advisors, contact their schools’ foreign study offices, and research foreign study opportunities on the Internet.

Posted by: Francis L. Holland Blog at 8:26 AM

0 comments::
Post a Comment

Links to this post:
Create a Link

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

One of my favorite blogs in the Political Grind Network is authored by Media Lizzy She is a conservative blogger and does an incredible job. Her writing style is full of energy, fresh and sassy. Just think how difficult it must be to support George W. Bush, the war in Iraq, the direction of the country and still be able to rally fellow conservatives. Please pay a visit and you will be impressed and will revisit regardless of your views.

Poor conservatives, sell us on good old American values. Here are some news clips. Another bloody day in Iraq,March Housing sales dive, 8% nationwide, 22% in Chicago, probe into allegations of illegal political activity within the executive branch. This probe includes a White House Office lead by Carl Rove, Ann Coulter calls Democratic Canidate for President, John Edwards a faggot. I have to wonder how she refers to canidate Barack Obama?

Perhaps the most damaging and embarrassing recent episode took place yesterday on Capital Hill. The family of Pat Tillman, or has he referred to himself, when being killed by “friendly fire,” Pat F—ing Tillman, testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government reform. In a separate testimony America witness a confident and polished former Army Pfc Jessica Lynch. It was sad by not surprising to learn of the length the Bush lead government would go in using deception to gain support for this unwise and ethical war.

All the bs, support the troops, Bush and his team does not care about the troops. Have you learned of bigger hero’s than Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch. The stories all of us felt good about, even a war protester like myself, are lies. If Bush and his team lied about the death of an American hero, Pat Tillman, what else have they lied about? If Jessica rejected Bush attempt to make her America war Princess, because she was uncomfortable with the lies, what else have they lied about?
Bush used these 2 troops and their families to promote a story of heroism that suited their own purposes. The family of Pat Tillman and former Pfc Lynch showed us what honor is all about. I hope the President watched and took notes.

Several prominent blacks, including black bloggers want to go after black rappers for disrespecting black women. Oprah Winfrey is taking up the cause.This is misguided and troubling. Let’s gang up on the hip hop community America despises them. I have news for you. Hip Hoppers are now mainstream. P Diddy, Ice Cube, Ice Tea, 50 cent, Jay Z, here in Chi Town Common and Kanye, In St Louis Nelly, are all respected men.

Oprah is respected for many reasons but also for her broadway play. Her Color Purple play sheds a very harmful light on the behavior of blackmen and reinforces some of the worst stereotypes for black people. Yet the Theater in New York was filled with women from around the US, many black and down on black rappers.

Why not protest the white own record companies? Let’s line up, line one, Warner Brothers records offers you 1 million dollars to call black women bitch and ho and God forbid use the n word , and in another line we have people who would take the high road and turn down the money to show respect for black women. A million is a lot of jack! As Pryor used to say I know what line I will be in . The long MF.

We have bigger fish to fry and you can help by having your congressmen and Senators support the All Healthy Childen Act. The act wii provide Insurance options for health, directed to the 9 million children, 2 million of whom are black. Black America web.com has a way to discover who your congressman is and will provide contact information.
I was just made aware of a 12 year old who died from a toothache and a 75 dollar pulled tooth would have saved this life. Oprah and black bloggers, let’s put this one out there.

Healthy Children