The best time of day for sending resumes is…

Return Path reports that emails sent early in the morning and early in the week get delivered at a significantly higher rate than at other times. The early hours of the weekend are among the best, along with the early and late hours of Monday and Tuesday, according to a study that looked at 16,000 email campaigns.
READ: Early Emails Delivered More Often

How To Seal The Deal In Seven Seconds

Very interesting article! When reading it, substitute the word “sale” for “interview.” (wink)

How To Seal The Deal In Seven Seconds
by: Lydia Ramsey

Can you close a sale in just seven seconds? You can do it even
faster if you make a great first impression. Seven seconds is
the average length of time you have to make a first impression.
If your first impression is not good you won’ t get another
chance with that potential client. But if you make a great
first impression you can bet that the client is more likely to
take you and your company seriously.

Whether your initial meeting is face-to-face, over the phone or
via the Internet, you do not have time to waste. It pays for
you to understand how people make their first judgment and what
you can do to be in control of the results.

1. LEARN WHAT PEOPLE USE TO FORM THEIR FIRST OPINION.

When you meet someone face-to-face, 93% of how you are judged is
based on non-verbal data – your appearance and your body
language. Only 7% is influenced by the words that you speak.
Whoever said that you can’t judge a book by its cover failed to
note that people do. When your initial encounter is over the
phone, 70% of how you are perceived is based on your tone of
voice and 30% on your words. Clearly, it’s not what you say -
it’s the way that you say it.

2. CHOOSE YOUR FIRST TWELVE WORDS CAREFULLY.

Although research shows that your words make up a mere 7% of
what people think of you in a one-on-one encounter, don’t leave
them to chance. Express some form of thank you when you meet
the client. Perhaps, it is “Thank you for taking your time to
see me today” or “Thank you for joining me for lunch.” Clients
appreciate you when you appreciate them.

3. USE THE OTHER PERSON’S NAME IMMEDIATELY.

There is no sweeter sound than that of our own name. When you
use the client ‘s name in conversation within your first twelve
words and the first seven seconds, you are sending a message
that you value that person and are focused on him. Nothing gets
other people’s attention as effectively as calling them by name.

4. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR HAIR.

Your clients will. In fact, they will notice your hair and face
first. Putting off that much-needed haircut or color job may
cost you the deal. Very few people want to do business with
someone who is unkempt or whose hairstyle does not look
professional. Don’t let a bad hair day cost you the connection.

5. KEEP YOUR SHOES IN MINT CONDITION.

People will look from your face to your feet. If your shoes
aren’t well maintained, the client will question whether you pay
attention to other details. Shoes should be polished as well as
appropriate for the business environment. They may be the last
thing you put on before you walk out the door, but they are
often the first thing your client notices.

6. WALK FAST.

Studies show that people who walk 10-20% faster than others are
viewed as important and energetic – just the kind of person your
clients want to do business with. Pick up the pace and walk
with purpose if you want to impress. You never know who may be
watching.

7. FINE TUNE YOUR HANDSHAKE.

The first move you make when meeting your prospective client is
to put out your hand. There isn’t a businessperson anywhere who
can’t tell you that the good business handshake should be a firm
one. Yet time and again people offer a limp hand to the client.
You’ll be assured of giving an impressive grip and getting off
to a good start if you position your hand to make complete
contact with the other person’s hand. Once you’ve connected,
close your thumb over the back of the other person’s hand and
give a slight squeeze. You’ll have the beginning of a good
business relationship.

8. MAKE INTRODUCTIONS WITH STYLE.

It does matter whose name you say first and what words you use
when making introductions in business. Because business
etiquette is based on rank and hierarchy, you want to honor the
senior or highest ranking person by saying his name first. When
the client is present, he is always the most important person.
Say the client’s name first and introduce other people to the
client. The correct words to use are “I’d like to introduce…”
or “I’d like to introduce to you…” followed by the name of the
other person.

9. NEVER LEAVE THE OFFICE WITHOUT YOUR BUSINESS CARDS.

Your business cards and how you handle them contribute to your
total image. Have a good supply of them with you at all times
since you never know when and where you will encounter a
potential client. How unimpressive is it to ask for a person’s
card and have them say, ” Oh, I’m sorry. I think I just gave my
last one away.” You get the feeling that this person has
already met everyone he wants to know. Keep your cards in a card
case or holder where they are protected from wear and tear.
That way you will be able to find them without a lot of fumbling
around, and they will always be in pristine condition.

10. MATCH YOUR BODY LANGUAGE TO YOUR VERBAL MESSAGE.

A smile or pleasant expression tells your clients that you are
glad to be with them. Eye contact says you are paying attention
and are interested in what is being said. Leaning in toward the
client makes you appear engaged and involved in the conversation.
Use as many signals as you can to look interested and interesting.

In the business environment, you plan your every move with
potential clients. You arrange for the appointment, you prepare
for the meeting, you rehearse for the presentation, but in spite
of your best efforts, potential clients pop up in the most
unexpected places and at the most bizarre times. For that reason,
leave nothing to chance. Every time you walk out of your office,
be ready to make a powerful first impression.

(c) 2004, Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media reserved.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional
speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL -
ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or
featured in The New York Times, Investors’ Business Daily,
Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman’s Day. For more
information about her programs, products and services, e-mail
her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site
http://www.mannersthatsell.com.

Go to jail and get a job…

David Day has a bounce in his step and a glint in his eye unexpected in someone who makes nearly 400 telemarketing calls a day for less than $200 a month. That’s because he has a coveted job where few exist: behind bars. READ: Inmates vs. outsourcing and then ask yourself what I did, “Why didn’t they hire senior citizens and/or disabled workers instead?”

Job Letter Samples

Do need to reject a job offer or accept one? How about withdrawing your application for the position or making a counter offer? Here are a variety of employment-related letters you can edit to fit your circumstances.:

AUDIO: 18 year-old strikes gold with blog

	Entrepreneur Brian Stelter talks about his passion for cable news and how it garnered him national attention. *Original broadcast was 6-1-04.(2:54) UPDATE: Cablenewser has hit the big time and is now part of Mediabistro. Not bad for an 18-year old.

The Rat Race Rebellion

PRESS RELEASE: Staffcentrix, a leading advocate of virtual (home-based) work and provider of virtual career solutions to the US Air Force and other branches, announces the launch of The Rat Race Rebellion, a weekly bulletin of screened telework and freelance jobs. The first in a series of pro-family work-at-home newsletters from Staffcentrix, The Rat Race Rebellion will feature a broad selection of legitimate job leads, chosen by a research team that eliminates an average of 30 opportunities for every one selected.Click here for more info

Mommas making money from home

You’ve opted to stay home to care for the kids. But you wouldn’t mind making some extra income during those hours between sending your charges off to school and picking them up again. Read: Mrs. Businessmom

AUDIO: Myths and realities of working from home.

	Today’s Guest: Pamela La Gioia, President of Telework Recruiting. Telework Recruiting was recently cited in Fortune Magazine as a resource for obtaining professional telecommuting jobs. Pamela discusses the myths and realities of working from home.(3:03)

How many job leads have you missed because of outdated email?

How aggravating would it be to hear about a job you missed out on simply because you changed jobs and lost your email address? Or how about when you change your ISP and lose your coveted “AOL” address? One sure way to safeguard against that is to register your own domain name (like JimStroud.com-wink), but if you are technologically adverse (or just not geeky enough to set this up) there is an alternative.

Return Path
http://www.returnpath.com/
Return Path has a nice little grab bag of goodies. With this tool you can forward email from your old email address to your new one. Find email addresses for lost friends, notify contacts about your new email address and control your email such that you can see who has asked for your new email address and who you approved to have it.

Question: “How many contacts have you lost track of because of outdated emails?

Plaxo
http://www.plaxo.com
A very popular tool for this (if not THE tool for keeping contacts up to date) is Plaxo. They recently announced that in the six months following the launch of their flagship product in May 2003, more than 800,000 members in over 200 countries have downloaded and used Plaxo Contacts, which provides a simple and secure way to keep individuals’ contact information up-to-date and complete.

This is a cool tool for company research…

Remember that issue of Business 2.0 showcasing the top 101 business bloopers of 2002? What about Advertising Age’s “Global Agency Of The Year” issue? If you do or don’t, there must have been some special issue over the past year or so that you would not mind revisiting. If so, check out http://www.Specialissues.com, a solution for tracking and finding industrial and trade magazine special issues. In a nutshell, Specialissues.com is an online database of editorial calendars, special issues and content “mined” from trade and industrial magazine websites. A great tool to use when researching a potential employer. Bookmark it!.