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6 Foolproof Ways To Make Your Clients Like You More

With the modern technology, an unhappy customer can easily share his or her opinion to various social media platforms, which will negatively affect your business. Truly, keeping your existing clients satisfied is a crucial part of a successful business. Nurturing relationships can increase client referrals and decrease the loss of valued clients.

On that note, here are 6 Foolproof Ways To Make Your Clients Like You More…

1. COMMUNICATE GENUINELY

Communicate genuinely to your existing and potential clients as a knowledgeable representative of the business. Addressing the client by name seems trivial however, it is a simple way to build rapport. Increase your clients’ happy experiences even more by talking to them in a manner that they prefer, whether it be through phone, email, or in person.

2. LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY

Aside from talking to them genuinely, you must actively listen to what they have to say. You may assume that you know what they want but, what if you are utterly wrong? In fact, most companies fail because they are creating a product with a non-existent demand.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

So, accept feedback and take necessary actions to improve your business. Use the following methods to gather feedback from your clients: focus groups, social media, surveys, online Forms, and observation.

3. DO NOT MAKE PROMISES YOU CANNOT KEEP

Set realistic and reasonable deadlines to avoid disappointing others. If you promised to deliver the product or send the contract in two weeks then, deliver it within two. Nothing damages your trusting relationship more than a series of broken promises!

4. PROMPTLY RETURN EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS

In conjunction with No.3, you must promptly return emails and phone calls as promised. Interestingly, the top complaint clients have about lawyers are unreturned phone calls. Adopt a habit of replying emails and returning calls at night before you sleep or early in the morning so, you do not miss a thing!

5. OFFER PROMOTIONS AND ONGOING SUPPORT

A surefire way for your clients to like you is to offer occasional promotions and discounts. Keep them in the loop by sending out electronic announcements and decorating your shop with attractive posters. Additionally, you must offer excellent customer service by responding quickly to clients’ needs. The strong ability to deliver excellent customer service will be your edge over your competitors. One consideration is providing support through a help desk software, such as Zendesk. If you are looking for a Zendesk alternative, check out why Kayako is winning with its ease of use, flexibility and affordability.

6. SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE

You do not have to spend thousands of dollars to extend your gratitude to your loyal consumers. Manifest your appreciation to your clients by saying “Thank You” in person or by sending an electronic “Thank You note”. This simple gesture will impact the way that they view your company. It will make them feel valued and special.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1 & 2

Cosmic Ways To Save Money Like A Jedi

Sometimes, useful financial advice can come from the unlikeliest places. Take Star Wars, for example. It is not only an epic Science fiction film series but also a good place for frugal inspiration.

Learn to save money like a Jedi with these five universal ways:

1. BUILD THINGS FROM SCRATCH

Luke Skywalker, one of the greatest Jedi in the galaxy, spend no expense by making his own lightsaber (laser sword). Like Luke, do not be afraid to Do-It-Yourself!

Start from simple crafts such as making your own shower cleaner or personalized key-chain. After which, turn the difficulty up a notch by making all the crafts for your dream wedding. This can help you save loads of cash.

2. SIZE MATTERS NOT

In “Star Wars:The Empire Strikes Back” movie, Luke was tasked to raise his X-wing (aircraft) from the swap and he complains that it is too big. This frustrates Yoda, a wise Jedi Master. Yoda then explains that size does not matter and excuses are not welcome.

In life, obstacles to saving money can seem unbearable at the moment but, it shall not stop you from pushing through. Furthermore, you must understand that the size of your salary does not matter. What matters most is how you spend and manage it.

3. SHARE AND BE BLESSED

A Jedi shares his knowledge and skills to others with no charge. Apply the hippie-like concept of sharing to your life. Share resources to your fellow classmates and you will not have to buy expensive reference books ever again. Also, you can carpool with your friends to save on gas.

4. KEEP YOUR WARDROBE SIMPLE

Much like Jedi Knights who mostly wear “brown sack-cloths with hoods” or Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg who mostly wears grey shirts, you can save more money by keeping your wardrobe simple. You do not have to wear the same shirt or same outfit everyday! Just avoid hefty designer clothing by purchasing clothes from thrift shops or year-round sales.

5. DO OR DO NOT. THERE IS NO TRY.

When Luke was making excuses about his inability to levitate objects with his mind, Yoda told him these famous words: “Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.”

When you continue to make excuses to saving money or altering your spending habits, you can end up retiring broke. So, start accepting the responsibility and create a monthly budget that is suited for you. In due time, you will see that eliminating your excuses produces meaningful results.

Sources: 1, 2 , & 3

5 Highest Paying Jobs In Singapore’s Healthcare Sector

Singapore’s Healthcare Sector consists of the private healthcare systems, public healthcare systems, and voluntary organizations. A job at this sector entails hard work, long hours, dedication to studies, and attractive pay.

JobStreet.com, a premier online recruitment company in Asia, conducted a nationwide study in 2013 and found that the highest paid fresh graduates were doctors. With an average starting pay of over S$3,000 a month, entry-level doctors even surpassed the starting pay of corporate finance’s fresh graduates!

Salary.sg, a website dedicated to relay information on career and jobs, used the Ministry of Manpower Wage Data (2014) and excluded the bonuses and profit-sharing to generate the monthly gross wages of over a hundred jobs in Singapore.

Applying that information with your desire to earn big, you may consider these five jobs:

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

5. MEDICAL RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

Medical Research Scientists can be found in universities, research institutions, and hospitals. They make and conduct experiments in order to increase our scientific knowledge in areas such as treatments or drugs. They earn a median monthly wage of S$6,489.

4. HEALTH SERVICE MANAGER

The Health Service Manager is responsible for the daily running of the hospital or the community health center. Managers liaise with clinical and non-clinical staff while considering the demands of the local laws and local situations. Interestingly, they earn about S$7,848 a month.

3. GENERAL PRACTITIONERS

General Practitioners (GP) give primary and continuing care for patients by taking physical, emotional, and social factors into account when diagnosing disorders and prescribing the appropriate treatments. GP’s in Singapore earn an average of S$16,354 per month.

2. CLINICAL DIRECTORS

A Clinical Director’s responsibilities include the management and quality assurance of clinical services as well as the training and supervision of all the healthcare staff. They earn a median monthly salary of S$25,000.

1. SPECIALIST MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS

Specialist Medical Practitioners diagnose and treat the disorders of patients in a wide range of areas including anaesthesiology, pathology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, pediatrics, dermatology, surgery, and radiology. Depending on the area of specialization, Specialist Medical Practitioners can have demanding and irregular shifts. But, all is compensated as they earn an average monthly salary of up to S$30,250!

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Sources:1, 2, 3, & 4

Learn To Play A Musical Instrument For Free In 5 Ways

There is something extraordinary about being able to learn a new skill or achieve something new on your own, especially if you started from scratch. For instance, self-made millionaires are so admirable that we want to know their secret to success.

If you aspire to become a self-taught musician, look no further because this article will give five ways to achieve your dream. Start by finding the right instrument for you. The instrument that you shall choose must dictate the type of music you like or must resonate the type of music you visualize recreating.

1. EXPLORING THE WORLD OF MUSIC

If you want to explore the world of music, it is a good idea to start with the history first. Annenberg Learner’s Exploring the World of Music consists of a series of half-hour videos that examine topics such as sound, melody, harmony, music memory, music composers, and so on.

The featured artists perform music from Bosnia to India and Ireland to West Africa. Learn even more with the related printable materials that are available on the website for free.

2. ONLINE MUSIC THEORY GAME

With its simplistic lessons and user-friendly interface, a beginner can truly appreciate the “Online Music Theory Game”. Online Music Theory Game offers a myriad of lessons on multiple instruments such as keyboard and guitar. Its lessons include the discussion of the music fundamentals such as note duration, major and minor scales, and key signatures.

Try browsing through the lessons, here.

3. SELFTAUGHTGUITARLESSONS.COM

If you are eyeing on the sleek guitar as your instrument of choice, SelfTaughtGuitarLessons.com is a good place to start because it covers everything from the basics including how to purchase your first guitar and what its parts are. Little by little, you will be able to learn the chords and scales with the informative articles and videos. A glossary that includes the musicians’ lingo is just an added bonus of the site.

4. PLAYPERFECT MUSIC PRACTICE SOFTWARE

PlayPerfect Music Practice Software allows you to practice musical pieces by setting its speed, tempo, and visual cues. Notes display a change of color as you play and you can practice playing with or without the metronome. You can use it for any instruments such as violin, guitar, piano, cello, bass, flute, or saxophone. It is available to download for free on your Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, and XP.

5. YOUTUBE

YouTube, a video-sharing website, is not limited to the cute cat or provocative music videos. It stores a lot of tutorials too! Simply type the musical instrument you want to play on the search tab and put the word “tutorial for beginners” beside it and click enter. Now, you will see a screen full of tutorial videos you can choose from.

Here are just some of them:

a. Flute Tutorials

b. Violin Tutorials

c. Piano Tutorials

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Have fun learning! 🙂

Haze 101: Here’s How to Survive and Thrive during Haze

The haze is back, and you know what it means: harmful effects to your health. Haze pollutants, which are usually fine particulates, are small enough to be inhaled and penetrate the lungs, causing different respiratory problems and even premature death.

While the government works to reduce the impact of haze, you can keep safe with these tips:

Know your risks

The haze pollutants are bad for the health, but they’re more dangerous for certain people. These include:

Children
Pregnant
Elderly people
People diagnosed with heart or lung disease
People who are prone to respiratory problems like asthma

Use the chart below to help you plan your 24-hour activities:

Source: http://www.e101.gov.sg/

If you have been feeling unwell especially since the beginning of the haze, seek medical help as soon as possible.

Monitor the haze

The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) measures the level of pollution in the atmosphere based on 6 factors. In normal conditions, PSI is moderate or between 51 and 100. However, when there’s haze, it can go up to more than 200.

To know whether it’s a good time to put on the mask, go outdoors, or do certain activities, keep track of the PSI readings. The readings may vary from day to day, depending on other weather-related factors such as wind direction and speed as well as presence of rain. It can also be different in terms of location.

Invest in an air purifier

One of the safety precautions you can take if there’s a serious haze is to stay indoors, but sometimes particulates can still get inside your home, not to mention your own house can have plenty of pollutants from dust, mould, and pet dander. To control the ill effects of indoor pollution, buy a good-quality air purifier, which filters and cleans air more effectively than carbon or UV filters.

Air purifiers, depending on factors such as brand and features, are more expensive than filters. To save on costs or to get rewards points, charge this purchase to your credit card. If you don’t have one yet, you can apply for a credit card now and start saving money.

Wear a mask

A mask is your best option if you need to be outdoors and the haze level is unhealthy or critical. The Ministry of Health (MOH) recommends an N95 mask, which is available in major supermarkets and pharmacies such as FairPrice, Cold Storage, and NTUC. They are considered to be at least 95% efficient against particulates from 0.1 to 0.3 microns and 99% against 0.75 microns and above.

There are different types of N95 masks based on comfort, design, and size. Regardless of your choice, these masks must fit your face properly. Below is a guide on how to wear your mask:

Prolonged mask use may cause discomfort and sometimes difficulty in breathing. If this happens, remove the mask and rest. You can also choose not to wear them if you’re indoors or travelling only short distances. These masks can be reused, but they need to be changed if they are already soiled or the shape has been distorted.

Although many sell masks to children, N95 masks are not generally designed for them, so you may want to adjust the length of the cord and carefully pick the right size. Lastly, N95 masks are not surgical masks as the latter cannot offer the same protection against particulates that N95 masks do.

Consider working from home

Ask your boss if you can do your work at home while the haze is still actively present to limit your outdoor movements.

When it comes to fighting the haze, it’s always best to put your safety and health first above everything else.

(This article is brought to you by SingSaver.com.sg)

Resources

http://haze.asean.org/?page_id=249

http://www.e101.gov.sg/haze/psi.htm

http://www.haze.gov.sg/haze-updates/psi-readings-over-the-last-24-hours

http://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/the-haze-is-back-bring-out-the-air-purifier-singapore/

http://www.singsaver.com.sg/blog/7-ways-the-haze-in-singapore-is-costing-you-money

http://www.singsaver.com.sg/credit-card/cashback