BLOGSPOT atas

Monday, April 30, 2018

The Definitive Guide to Chatbots: These Bots Are Here to Serve


The Definitive Guide to Chatbots: These Bots Are Here to Serve

Over the past two years, chatbots -- or technology-fueled virtual assistants -- have taken the world by storm.

At first, chatbots were merely a computer-based service that could undertake various customer service tasks. And in that regard, they were a welcome leap forward.

But, in recent years, chatbots, or "bots" for short, have morphed into exceptionally intelligent computer programs able to assist companies with essential tasks ranging from marketing and human resources functions to sales efforts.

However, while these technology assistants have already made their mark in the business world, many people still don't fully understand their capabilities, limitations and many functionalities. That's the reason behind this basic guide: to highlight the different types of chatbots, how they work and how you can create your own artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistant. So, without further ado, let's learn about ... chatbots.

The basics

What are chatbots? Chatbots are computer programs capable of conducting conversations by text and auditory communication. Programs simulate how a human conversation would proceed. Chatbots can include text -- the response you received to your customer service inquiry -- as well as audio and video...

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/306386

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com

Hate Your Boss but Love Your Job? Here's What to Do



Hate Your Boss but Love Your Job? Here's What to Do


Some of us are lucky enough to have great managers who support us and help us further our careers. But what if you get stuck with a bad boss who makes your life utterly miserable? If your job on a whole isn't great, the answer is simple: Dust off your resume, reach out to your various contacts, and find yourself a role that will make you much happier.

But what happens when you actually love every aspect of your job except for your boss? In that situation, the choice to leave isn't so simple, especially if you're currently enjoying a nice salary, great benefits, and the support of fantastic colleagues you can learn from. And frankly, you shouldn't let a bad boss drive you out of an otherwise good position. So rather than rush to quit, here are a few ways to cope with a terrible boss and determine whether you can learn to live with that manager...

https://www.fool.com/careers/2018/04/28/hate-your-boss-but-love-your-job-heres-what-to-do.aspx

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com

Friday, April 27, 2018

7 Effective Ways to Initiate and Cultivate Business Referrals


7 Effective Ways to Initiate and Cultivate Business Referrals

Referral relationships are some of the most lucrative and secure in any business. To acquire these connections, our business must have something of substantial value to offer others. It is imperative that we believe in what we do wholeheartedly. When people sense we're totally excited and passionate about what we have to offer, they become excited and interested as well. Our passion makes us more confident in getting ourselves out there to make ourselves known to those who have a vested need in what we offer. The easiest way to establish a solid referral business is to make sure our current customers or clients feel important and well taken care of when working with us.

1. Networking and/or joining one of the meetup groups.

When looking to increase our referral base, we must find effective ways to get our name out there. Online resources such as LinkedIn, Facebook, the NextDoor app, and other modes of advertising help familiarize others with our face, name and the service we offer. Meetup groups and networking groups are also excellent resources to get us in front of people. It is crucial from the start of any new business relationship, that we establish it to be reciprocal. We must be prepared to ask how we can refer business to others as well. These types of networking groups are sometimes the places we meet and create our more lucrative and enduring connections.

Related: 25 Ways to Ask for a Referral Without Looking Desperate

2. Invest yourself.

All successful relationships require we invest our time, energy and effort into them. If we don't develop solid and successful relationships, we cannot expect referrals. In a business relationship, this means we always consider the question "what is in it for me?" from the perspective of our potential clients or customers. We must make it our mission to discover what they need and want, so we have an idea of what it is going to take to satisfy them. Certain customers may require us to show we can deliver with consistency before they will consider offering anything in return. This means the investment we're engaging in carries a level of risk. But, if we're good at what we do, it will develop into an investment that offers the long-term return we're looking for. This return makes the cost/benefit ratio worth it.

Related: 4 Steps to Getting More Referrals From Everyone You Meet

3. Deliver quality work.

High quality work, service and effort are critical when securing referrals. When we love what we do, delivering high quality work comes naturally, and going the extra mile is not considered a sacrifice. Quality work isn't just centered around the service or product we sell, but also through the appreciation we show our customers or clients. We show our appreciation through flexibility in scheduling times, we are more relaxed with allocated time, and even offer small discounts when it best serves the relationship at hand. It is also important to accept that clients, in many ways are more knowledgeable than we are, and will be able see through our ability and working style. For this reason, it's always best to be transparent. Clients don't expect us to know everything, but if they see that we and our team are working hard, they come to appreciate and count on us even when we fall short. It is our job to deliver what we say we will deliver and to answer all client questions.

Related: How Finder's Fees Can Be a Catalyst for Business Growth

4. Word of mouth.

The higher the quality of work we produce with consistency, and the more open and willing we are to hear, give and receive feedback with the clientele we work with, the easier it is to develop mutually beneficial relationships. When it comes to people referring business our way based on word-of-mouth, trust and a positive working experience with us are essential. If we have a client who trusts us enough to do business with us and they see the value in what we do, they'll refer people our way. It's of great benefit to offer our more satisfied customers a discount off of their next project for each referral pushed our way. This makes our reciprocal relationships even more lucrative, as our satisfied customers essentially build our business for us.

Related: Sell While You Sleep With These 5 Proven Strategies for Getting Customer Reviews That Close Sales

5. Become an expert in your field.

Being an expert in our field of work is imperative to the customers who are going to count on us to know what we're doing and what the next steps will be going forward. Expertise is best established through our continued education and experience. Once we develop our expertise and have the experience necessary, our reputation will begin to speak highly of who we are and of the service we have to offer. This is when we can create a niche that is uniquely ours, as who we are and the integrity we hold becomes as important as the product we sell or service we offer  Another important part of being an expert is to be a good listener and note taker. When a new client or customer feels their needs and core values are truly understood, everything flows easily, and a healthy dialogue can be established in the long-term. When we make others feel important, they are more likely to refer us to others.

Related: How Online Customer Reviews Help SEO and Drive Sales Growth

6. Be of your word.

An important element to any beneficial healthy relationship is respect. To develop a vast referral base, we must treat others the way we would like to be treated. The purpose is to create a long-term relationship with our customer or client base, and we do this through always being ethical. We cannot be all words and no action. We have to be who we say we're going go be. Sincerity is the highest form of respect. When we believe in our product or service, we must follow up asap, not days or weeks after we promised to do something. When we stay in touch and are honest with timelines, it builds the credibility of who we are. It must be our commitment to make our customers or clients an integral part of a good working experience by providing high quality, timely, thorough, consistent and ongoing communication, instead of treating our customers or clients as just another job or person with a need. When people feel cared for and respected, referrals are nearly guaranteed.

Related: 5 Proven Ways to Get More Customer Reviews On Google and Facebook

7. Give excellent customer service.

To acquire a deep referral base, we must always be driven to learn and grow in our given field of work. It is this desire that fuels the properties required to create the business growth we're looking for. If we are learning all angles of our field, if we are helping customers or clients in every way we can, and display excellent customer service skills, we can create our own web of industry knowledge transfer. We want to be able to put what we know on display, so others can learn from us and we can learn from them. We want to become the person our customers and clients use as their main connection in our industry as a whole, not just within our company. We must passionately care about our clients or customers more than we care about the sale because we're not just dealing with a sale, we working to secure an enduring, productive and lucrative relationship. It is important to reach out to our customers occasionally to "just catch up," and to make the time to stop in a few times per year. A little personal touch goes a long way...

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/312486

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Platforms for Finding, Connecting and Managing Social Media Influencers


Platforms for Finding, Connecting and Managing Social Media Influencers

With the rise in popularity and effectiveness of social media influencer marketing, it's easier now than ever to jump right in and find the tools for your needs.

But, with the increasing number of businesses getting into influencer marketing, comes an increasing number of influencer platforms that will help you manage your campaigns.

If you're reading this post, then you're probably already aware of the power of tapping into influencers to promote your brand and products. But, in case you aren't and need some "influential" data to convince you, check these stats out:

  • 61 percent of buyers have been influenced by suggestions found on Twitter (Source)
  • 63 percent of surveyed marketers plan on increasing their budgets for influencer marketing (Source)
  • The number of people using ad blockers online jumped 30 percent in 2016 (Source)

That last stat is important because it means that traditional display advertising is losing its effectiveness and reach. Social influencer marketing bypasses ad blockers because it appears as an organic, social post from accounts, rather than a banner on the side of a site.

Before we get into the different platforms you can use for your next influencer campaign, be aware that there are a variety of cost structures. Many platforms today use a SaaS (software as a service) model, which bundles together account services, influencer management and search, campaign tools, etc. Some may let you use their software for free, but will take a percentage of whatever you pay the influencers. Influencers manage their own cost and normally charge per engagement. If you're looking for pay-per-click or transaction, then your best bet will be affiliate marketing, which some may call another version of influencer marketing. Most platforms use some combination of these different pricing methods in order to meet the needs and demands of their clients...

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/311240

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com

The Three Smartest Ways To Use LinkedIn Early In Your Career


The Three Smartest Ways To Use LinkedIn Early In Your Career

LinkedIn is a great place to build a network, diversify your knowledge, and find new career opportunities–even when you're early in your career. Students and recent grads may neglect LinkedIn, thinking it's premature to start investing time into the platform before actually building up a solid amount of work experience. That's a mistake.

I've found unexpected opportunities lurking within LinkedIn that simply require some ingenuity to take advantage of. Here are a few tips that have worked for me in the past few years I've spent in the tech industry after graduating.

https://www.fastcompany.com/40558963/the-three-smartest-ways-to-use-linkedin-early-in-your-career

===

by Idham Azhari

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Treat Your Social Media Like the Storefront You Want Customers to See


Treat Your Social Media Like the Storefront You Want Customers to See

Running a startup in the social media space has led to numerous conversations with founders, professionals and others about the significance and value of social media. Social media is the digital representation of your brand. Whether you like it or not. It's the easiest way to communicate with your customers, users or fans of your brand. It's also the easiest way to shape the perception of your brand. I began to realize some intriguing similarities between how a business owner would treat the physical representation of a business such as a storefront and its representation on social media.

Related: The Modern Storefront: What Instagram Could Mean For Your Business

Name

One of the most exciting moments for a business owner is naming his or her business. It's typically an "AHA" moment when the right words roll off your tongue. Then you start to immediately think about the next steps in protecting your name. But what about social media handles on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, etc.? It's important to make sure you reserve the name of your business on all social media platforms as soon as you can. This goes for your personal brand online as well. The brand consistency makes it easy for your fans to be able to discover your brand and engage. I've seen businesses (personal and company) begging Instagram owners with particular handles to retrieve them.

Related: 8 Ways to Pick a Great Name for Your Business

Location

Location is critical for any storefront. Deciding where to establish your business has an impact on the type of customer you will attract, how your storefront is perceived and how respected it is. When considering "location" for your social media content consider what your primary platforms are.

If you are creating content geared towards business professionals perhaps you should consider making LinkedIn a primary focus. That isn't to say there aren't business professionals on Twitter or Instagram, but there's a chance you can build an audience more quickly through Linkedin with written content appealing to a "business-centric" platform. If you are in the fashion industry or building a attractive aesthetic is important Instagram should play a role. Knowing where to focus your attention is crucial. Long form video content may make Youtube compelling. On the other hand short digestible video clips may be better served on Instagram.

Related: How to Choose the Best Social Media Platform for Your Business

Aesthetic/Brand

Think about all the business establishments you have gone to. If the decor seemed off or the branding wasn't well put together it would be quite noticeable. Whether it was the color scheme, logo, lighting, etc. These all play a role on our thoughts about the business. It can be somewhat of an indicator to us as to how seriously the company cares about its perception and may even affect our spending behavior. The same applies to social media. How carefully a brand depicts itself on Instagram gives users a good idea of how seriously they take their brand and its perception. On Instagram use consistent editing with regards to content (video or images). Consider following a particular style or format and stick with it. On Twitter use hashtags associated with your brand to help people keep tabs.

Related: 20 Tips to Organically Market Your Brand on Instagram (Infographic)

Consistent Content/Product

Consistency is key. Imagine going to a restaurant and every time you went they didn't have what you wanted on the menu. "Sorry we ran out."

It would be pretty annoying and not to mention frustrating. Or every time you went to your favorite boutique shop for that shirt you want to wear on a date and they don't have it in stock. On social media if you aren't consistently creating and posting it makes it difficult to justify users or fans coming to your page. They never know if there will be content for them to consume or if you are just on hiatus. It doesn't always have to be original content. You can repost content and give credit to the original creator as well. Just make sure to have a content creation schedule and stick to the schedule...

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/312014

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com

Rather Than Lie on Your Resume, Do This


Rather Than Lie on Your Resume, Do This

There's nothing wrong with playing up your skills on a resume to present yourself in the best possible light. But there's a difference between slightly embellishing and downright lying. Countless Americans, though, are guilty of the latter, especially among the under-40 set. In fact, 26% of workers in that age range admit to lying on a resume, according to data from Udemy. Workers over 40 aren't off the hook, though -- 7% of those 40 and above have gone the same route.

If you're thinking of lying on your resume to make up for the fact that it's otherwise not all that impressive, you should know that doing so could end up costing you the jobs you apply for and damaging your reputation in the process. Here's a better approach to making yourself more appealing to prospective employers...

https://www.fool.com/careers/2018/04/24/rather-than-lie-on-your-resume-do-this.aspx

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

How to Choose a Pricing Strategy for Your SaaS Business


How to Choose a Pricing Strategy for Your SaaS Business

How do you figure out the best pricing model for your business? Should you offer a free plan or a free trial? Charge a flat rate or per user? In this post, we'll give you a few tips and options to choose the right pricing strategy for your SaaS (Software as a Service) business.

Pricing a service or a product is one of the most tricky aspects of a business that you need to get just right. Especially with SaaS businesses, you have to figure out the best price for your services to avoid being a cheap scam or an expensive rip-off. Different types of SaaS businesses use several types of pricing strategies and this makes it even more difficult for new businesses to figure out the right plan without giving the competitors the upper hand...

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/311425

===

by Idham Azhari



Virus-free. www.avg.com

I Just Found Out Why Nobody Wants To Hire Me

I Just Found Out Why Nobody Wants To Hire Me

Dear Liz,

I finally got fed up with my job and started job hunting. Six weeks went by and I didn't get one response. I was really surprised because I know my skills are current and it's not that easy to find people with my experience.

Finally I heard from a recruiter. He was really helpful. He said, "Are you getting much response from employers?" I said, "No, honestly I'm not."

He said, "I showed your resume to two of my clients. They like your background but they're concerned about one thing."

I said, "What is it?" He said, "It's your location."

I'm applying for jobs in the city. It's about 45 miles from my driveway to the center of the city. "My clients are afraid to hire people who live so far outside the city," said the recruiter. "They worry that you might not make it in to work when it snows or there's any kind of weather."

"I would move for the right job," I said. I wouldn't move into the city, but I would move 20 miles closer. I'm far out there, I know it. The closest store to me is a farm and feed store. I don't mind a long commute. I listen to books on tape.

The recruiter said, "Let's be honest. My clients are city people. They don't understand why anyone would live in the middle of nowhere. They can't imagine making that choice. I have heard some business people making disparaging remarks about country people. If there's anything you can do to get that rural address off your resume, it would be a good thing to do."

My little town has a population of 380. I'm sure most people who live in the city have never heard of it. I guess my unfamiliar and remote location is keeping me from getting interviews.

How can I overcome this obstacle?..

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2018/04/22/i-just-found-out-why-nobody-wants-to-hire-me/#76f92f828866

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com

Monday, April 23, 2018

4 Red Flags to Watch Out for on a Resume


4 Red Flags to Watch Out for on a Resume

As an employer, you probably receive hundreds of resumes every day, especially if you are the hiring manager of a well-known brand. However, do you know the red flags to watch out for in these resumes? Below are the most common signs to look for.

1. Job hopping

If a candidate changes jobs frequently, this should be a red flag for you. Hiring someone is an expensive process. After hiring, you need to invest in the new hire and train him or her in order to become productive. Usually, it takes around six months for a new hire to become effective in his or her job. As an employer, you can only get efficiency from a new hire after six months. However, if a person changes jobs every seven or eight months, then you should watch out for this person. Also, try to avoid these types of candidates because changing jobs frequently means lack of commitment. 

2. Employment gaps

An employer should watch out for gaps on a candidate's resume. These gaps may raise a red flag but they also may not be a bad sign. Sometimes employees take career breaks in order to care for their children or elders, spend more time with their families, continue studying or even travel the world. These are all reasonable gaps. As an employer, when you ask a candidate about the gap in his or her resume and get a reasonable answer, then you don't need to worry. However, if the candidate cannot explain the gap, then this raises questions and worries.

3. Spelling and grammar mistakes

Spelling and grammar mistakes on a resume can be a huge warning sign because this shows that the candidate is not very detail-oriented. Also, a resume is one of the places where the candidate presents himself or herself and having mistakes shows that this person doesn't care much about his or her presentation. Every job requires detail, attention and a good presentation. Therefore, an employer should really watch out for this type of a candidate.

4. Lack of achievement

A good resume should show evidence of a successfully progressing career. Job responsibilities should increase over time and job descriptions should grow. Therefore, if a candidate cannot show any achievements on his or her resume or shows a decrease of job titles and responsibilities, then this should raise a red flag. Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, a candidate may choose to take less responsibilities but a smart candidate knows that this raises questions...

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/312313

===

by Idham Azhari


Virus-free. www.avg.com