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    LTL and TL Shipment Guidelines
    Certain responsibilities lie with the shipper for all LTL and TL shipments. These responsibilities apply across the board with all freight carrier companies. Proper packaging, address labeling, shipment loading and unloading, and proper shipment documents (BOL provided to you by us) are required by all carriers and are the responsibility of the shipper. These are things that your shipping agent will assist you with, but you can get a good idea here of what to expect, along with some resourceful ideas on packaging and other need-to-know info.PackagingPackaging, in most cases, will be the main protection (insurance) against shipment damage (unless factory new/factory packed). All the insurance in the world won't protect an improperly packaged shipment from damage. The main thing to remember is to use your best judgment when packaging an item for shipment. Delicate items should be packed on a stable base and covered in a way to eliminate exposure to scratching or dinging. Crating, pallets, and heavy gauge cardboard should be considered for delicate items. Heavier, tougher items (like a cast iron stove, for example) wouldn't need to be packed so carefully, but mobility must still be kept in mind. Your best judgment applies to packaging all the many millions of items currently being shipped across America.Address Labelingpe the behavior of the salesperson. It consists of such things as:

    -the way sales territories are defined
    -the way salespeople go about their jobs
    -the way markets and customers are targeted
    -the way salespeople are compensated
    -the methods the manager uses to communicate with the salespeople
    -the expectations for the sales force
    -the training and development system of the company
    -the expectation for information collecting by the salespeople
    -the frequency and agenda for sales meetings
    -the

    C x 5= PL What Every Employer Assesses For When They Hire
    What does a company want to find out about you when they interview you? What are they trying to find out when they evaluate and assess you?In most cases, hiring staff or temporary workers starts out with a job description. Someone sat down and consciously thought of what skills and experience they needed on their staff. As such, most firms hopefully start off by assessing for competence (I say “hopefully” because so many people report that they work with incompetent colleagues). Hopefully an employer has developed a series of questions that help them evaluate and assess skills competency for the skills that are needed.But skills competency is only one element of what a company is assessing for. These all fall into the category of soft skills—hard to assess for qualities that differentiate one person from another.The second “c” that companies look for is chemistry. How do you fit in to the firm and its corporate culture? This soft skill is derived from the interviewer’s interpretation of how you will fit in to the organization and how well you will work with your colleagues.For most jobs, the objective is to hire a team player—someone who can work well with others in order to achieve an objective (I have never heard a client ask for someone who is a maverick—someone who is a lone wolf who refuses to cooperate with their colle
    In most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company's sales goals and the realization of those goals. The gritty day-to-day interactions between the sales people and their customers are frequently filtered through the perspective of the sales manager on their way up the ladder. And the aspirations and strategies of the company's management must be imprinted by the realism of the sales manager as they come down from above. Sales managers are the conductors who carefully orchestrate the tentative entanglement of the sales people with their management.

    It's an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire organization. Instead of providing information on the best practices and processes of the job, most companies hope that their sales managers will have learned enough during their days as a field salesperson to provide some roadmap as to how to do this job well.

    Alas, only a small percentage of untrained sales managers ever really figure it out, arriving by trial and error and after hours of study at the best practices of an effective sales manager. The overwhelming majority find themselves caught up in the urgencies of the moment, the tempting details of all the transactions, and the continuing onslaught of crises and are never able to set in place a systematic blueprint for their success.

    The net result? Few salespeople are effectively managed. All parties: executive management, sales manager and sales people, bounce from one frustration to another. Company objectives are met frequently by happenstance, salespeople are not developed to their fullest potential and sales managers lurch from one crisis to another.

    Certain common mistakes often arise out of this unhealthy situation. As a long-time consultant and educator of salespeople and sales managers, I frequently see these three most common maladies suffered by sales managers.

    1. Lack of a focused sales structure.

    This is such a foreign concept to many companies that the term itself is unfamiliar. The structure of a sales force consists of all the articulated and unspoken rules, policies and procedures that shape the behavior of the salesperson. It consists of such things as:

    -the way sales territories are defined
    -the way salespeople go about their jobs
    -the way markets and customers are targeted
    -the way salespeople are compensated
    -the methods the manager uses to communicate with the salespeople
    -the expectations for the sales force
    -the training and development system of the company
    -the expectation for information collecting by the salespeople
    -the frequency and agenda for sales meetings
    -the s

    Direct Marketing VS Word of Mouth
    Which is a better way to do marketing? Using direct-mail advertising or concentrating on word-of-mouth advertising to spread the word? Well, for word-of-mouth advertising to truly work you must first have customers who are completely satisfied with the product or service and believe they were given excellent customer service in the process of their purchasing. Then those happy customers will go tell other people about your great business and service creating the word-of-mouth advertising.With direct-mail marketing advertising you concentrate on those customers who have not heard about your services or products yet. You send them something in the mail enticing them and propelling them to come in to your store and make a purchase.You can therefore see that you need to do first things first. First you need to get customers in the door using direct-mail advertising and then you need to treat them very well so they come back and they go home and tell all their friends. Once you get the ball rolling you can cut back on your direct marketing a little bit and enjoy the word-of-mouth advertising provided you continue to give excellent service.When entrepreneurs ask what is more important word-of-mouth advertising or direct marketing the answer is typically; Both. First you must get the customers and then you must treat them well if yo
    people with their management.

    It's an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it is often the most under-trained job in the entire organization. Instead of providing information on the best practices and processes of the job, most companies hope that their sales managers will have learned enough during their days as a field salesperson to provide some roadmap as to how to do this job well.

    Alas, only a small percentage of untrained sales managers ever really figure it out, arriving by trial and error and after hours of study at the best practices of an effective sales manager. The overwhelming majority find themselves caught up in the urgencies of the moment, the tempting details of all the transactions, and the continuing onslaught of crises and are never able to set in place a systematic blueprint for their success.

    The net result? Few salespeople are effectively managed. All parties: executive management, sales manager and sales people, bounce from one frustration to another. Company objectives are met frequently by happenstance, salespeople are not developed to their fullest potential and sales managers lurch from one crisis to another.

    Certain common mistakes often arise out of this unhealthy situation. As a long-time consultant and educator of salespeople and sales managers, I frequently see these three most common maladies suffered by sales managers.

    1. Lack of a focused sales structure.

    This is such a foreign concept to many companies that the term itself is unfamiliar. The structure of a sales force consists of all the articulated and unspoken rules, policies and procedures that shape the behavior of the salesperson. It consists of such things as:

    -the way sales territories are defined
    -the way salespeople go about their jobs
    -the way markets and customers are targeted
    -the way salespeople are compensated
    -the methods the manager uses to communicate with the salespeople
    -the expectations for the sales force
    -the training and development system of the company
    -the expectation for information collecting by the salespeople
    -the frequency and agenda for sales meetings
    -the

    Benefits of Business Coaching
    As business around the world has become increasingly competitive, the demand for business coaching has increased. Business coaching creates an environment for the overall growth of the business and trains it to adapt to change. A few years ago, just a handful of small businesses used business coaching as a means to augment their business. Today, statistics reveal that almost 58% of the medium or small sized businesses in the US are seeking the benefits of business coaching. Businesses are using coaching because it is a cost effective way to achieve results. It helps to develop personnel skills and performance. Individuals who receive business coaching can expect to find guidance concerning the problems that they face. Business coaching offers new insights into daily business activities and helps improve methods, systems and procedures.Many companies that have undertaken business coaching have reported an increase in productivity and quality of work. When people are coached, team relationships improve and these enhanced relationships lead to an increase in productivity and quality. Many businesses judge productivity by how hard an individual employee’s works, but this method overlooks the importance of synergy and quality of work. Very often, employees tend to overlook quality in their haste to get work done and this forces others to rework what
    at the best practices of an effective sales manager. The overwhelming majority find themselves caught up in the urgencies of the moment, the tempting details of all the transactions, and the continuing onslaught of crises and are never able to set in place a systematic blueprint for their success.

    The net result? Few salespeople are effectively managed. All parties: executive management, sales manager and sales people, bounce from one frustration to another. Company objectives are met frequently by happenstance, salespeople are not developed to their fullest potential and sales managers lurch from one crisis to another.

    Certain common mistakes often arise out of this unhealthy situation. As a long-time consultant and educator of salespeople and sales managers, I frequently see these three most common maladies suffered by sales managers.

    1. Lack of a focused sales structure.

    This is such a foreign concept to many companies that the term itself is unfamiliar. The structure of a sales force consists of all the articulated and unspoken rules, policies and procedures that shape the behavior of the salesperson. It consists of such things as:

    -the way sales territories are defined
    -the way salespeople go about their jobs
    -the way markets and customers are targeted
    -the way salespeople are compensated
    -the methods the manager uses to communicate with the salespeople
    -the expectations for the sales force
    -the training and development system of the company
    -the expectation for information collecting by the salespeople
    -the frequency and agenda for sales meetings
    -the

    Textile Crafts of Gujarat - A Rich Cultural Heritage
    IntroductionThe state of Gujarat in India, popularly known as the ‘Manchester Of the East’, has a rich heritage of textile crafts. The arid region of Kutchh is the richest in the state in terms of cultural heritage. However, there are several other parts of the state which specialize in some form of textile craft or the other. In this article, we have outlined some of the traditional textile crafts of this beautiful state and have attempted to analyze the scope of these crafts.BandhniThe craft of ‘Tie & Dye’, typically known as ‘Bandhni’ or ‘Bandhej’ in Gujarat is practiced in several areas of the state. The term ‘Bandhni’ is derived from the Hindi word ‘Bandhan’, this means ‘tying’. Bandhni from Jamnagar, Anjar and Bhuj are particularly renowned. The Bandhnis from these areas differ from those of other regions in terms of designs and craftsmanship. In Jamnagar, Bandhni work is done on a special type of silky material. Initially, Bandhni work was done only on sarees. Later on, Bandhni salwar kameezes began to be produced. Nowadays, there are many items available in Bandhni, ranging from blouses and scarves to bedsheets and ties. Usually, Bandhni is done in bright colors such as red, green and black. Handmade colors were used earlier; but the scenario has changed now. The traditional patterns used in Bandhnis are dots, squares, wave
    their fullest potential and sales managers lurch from one crisis to another.

    Certain common mistakes often arise out of this unhealthy situation. As a long-time consultant and educator of salespeople and sales managers, I frequently see these three most common maladies suffered by sales managers.

    1. Lack of a focused sales structure.

    This is such a foreign concept to many companies that the term itself is unfamiliar. The structure of a sales force consists of all the articulated and unspoken rules, policies and procedures that shape the behavior of the salesperson. It consists of such things as:

    -the way sales territories are defined
    -the way salespeople go about their jobs
    -the way markets and customers are targeted
    -the way salespeople are compensated
    -the methods the manager uses to communicate with the salespeople
    -the expectations for the sales force
    -the training and development system of the company
    -the expectation for information collecting by the salespeople
    -the frequency and agenda for sales meetings
    -the

    The Importance Of Up Selling And Cross Selling To Increase Margins
    To increase the revenue and margins of an order by selling products and services at a higher price i.e. up-selling or by selling additional products and services i.e. cross selling, we must be able to prove to the customer that there is something in it for them. We must show them increased, i.e. added value.Value is the worth of something when compared with something else. For example, value would be a high pay back for small outlay, also discussed in terms of ROI i.e. return on investment. Pay back is the tangible return delivered by the benefits of your products and services. The greater the pay back, the greater the value to your customer and customers certainly want value.The Value Formula:The formula for calculating value is the benefit minus the cost of achieving or acquiring the benefit i.e. value + benefit - cost. So, it is important that we use rigorous questioning techniques to uncover as many needs as possible, for which we can offer, benefit oriented solutions. We need to be able to explain and sell benefits. The more needs we can uncover, the more benefits we can deliver, the more benefits the greater the pay back, the greater the pay back the higher the value, the higher the value, the better the chance to up sell and cross sell.Proving Value:Using the funnel questioning technique will unco
    pe the behavior of the salesperson. It consists of such things as:

    -the way sales territories are defined
    -the way salespeople go about their jobs
    -the way markets and customers are targeted
    -the way salespeople are compensated
    -the methods the manager uses to communicate with the salespeople
    -the expectations for the sales force
    -the training and development system of the company
    -the expectation for information collecting by the salespeople
    -the frequency and agenda for sales meetings
    -the sales tools used by the salespeople
    and countless other such things

    A highly focused, well designed sales structure can be one of the company's greatest assets, as it ultimately shapes the behavior of the sales force.

    Most sales structures, however, haven't come under the critical review of the company's management. Typically, the structure slowly takes shape over time. Decisions are often made with heavy input from the salespeople, almost always in response to a single event. These decisions slowly become codified into the company's written and unwritten structure.

    As a result, many sales structures are vestiges of years gone by, the legacy of salespeople who may not even be with the company today.

    Why do you have the sales compensation plan that you have, for example? Is it because you crafted a strategic plan that directly compensates the sales force for achieving the company's objective? Or, is it because... it's the plan you inherited?

    Why do some salespeople come into the office every week? Is it because you have determined that this is the most valuable use of their time? Or, is it because... that's just the way some of them like to do it?

    Why is it that some of your salespeople are highly organized, with well designed file systems and effective ways to track their interactions with their customers, while others continue to get by with scraps of paper and yellow pads? Is it because you have invested in a system that helps them become well-organized and information-savvy? Or, is it because... that's just how it's worked out?

    Can you see the point? Many of these structural issues - spoken and unspoken rules about how the salesperson does the job - have evolved by the salespeople in response to their own specific situations.

    And most sales managers are oblivious to the impact of these decisions on the productivity and effectiveness of the salesperson.

    I recently had lunch with a friend -- an entrepreneur who had successfully started and run a number of businesses. As we were discussing the pros and cons of organizing a sales force for his latest venture, he remarked that he has learned how easy it is to gradually cede control of

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