There are several ways to ensure that the rate you are paying is for one of the best available insurance policies. The first is to research the names of the possible insurance companies and contact them personally to find out what they offer and at what price.

The other option is to use the Internet to do the same thing. There are now sites that will take information about your house and valuables and calculate which companies and/or policies will give you the best bargain with the best coverage.

Whether you use the phone or the Internet, you will need to know certain details about your property, such as: the square footage; the year the house was built; points regarding the foundation and roof of your house; the distance your home is from emergency facilities such as fire hydrants and fire stations; as well as the security features such as deadbolts, security systems and alarms.

Of course, everyone wants to benefit from the latest deals when they buy insurance or any other product designed to protect their investment. That’s what you’ll be able to discover once you complete the online forms with the information you’ve gathered. Shortly after your submission, several companies will send you quotes which you can then compare as you go about making an informed final decision.

Gauge Your Passions

Your perfect small business needs to be something that you are interested in. In many cases, you can combine interests to come up with a good business idea. If you enjoy sports and developing graphic arts, then you should consider starting a company that develops graphic art designs for sports organizations such as sporting goods manufacturers or sports franchises. Find your passion and make it your business.

Gain Experience

Just because you know how to cut a lawn does not mean you know how to be a landscaper. Once you have your business idea, get a job with an existing company and gain valuable work experience that you will need to start your company. Spend time analyzing all of the important aspects you will need to understand to run your own company.

Talk to Successful People

Before you start your own business, talk to people that have successful businesses of their own. Get advice on how you should proceed, and take notes on how to become a successful small business owner.

Choosing the right small business can take time and planning. But it is an extremely important decision that will guide you on the path to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

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Whether you engage in forex currency trading online or speak to your broker by phone to place stock purchases, diversifying your investment portfolio is an important strategy for limiting risk and loss. Spreading your investments out across a variety of investment vehicles will offer the necessary protection in the event of unexpected events and economic downturns.

Avoiding Loss in Volatile Markets

One of the repercussions of investing all of your capital in one currency or only in the real estate market is that when volatile economic changes occur, your capital becomes tied up and is more susceptible to greater loss. When forex currency trading online, trade smaller positions in volatile markets. During economic news release events, such as non-farm payroll, volatility increases. Entering the market with smaller positions and diversifying your currency trading portfolio by investing in multiple pairs can potentially offset loss.

Choosing a Variety of Investment Options

In general, investing in multiple investment vehicles will give you greater peace of mind. Investing in homes, currencies, stocks, commodities and bonds allows you to benefit from the upswing of these markets. As one investment type sees growth, you can move funds around, keeping stop losses in place in the event of unexpected price reversals.

Balancing the Fast and Slow

Currency prices can move quickly. Particular currencies, specifically the Great British Pound can move especially rapidly. Bonds, on the other hand, are known for being a slower moving investment vehicle. Diversify by investing in currency pairs and investment vehicles that vary in volatility and pace of price movement.

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With so many changes in the technology world, it can be difficult for businesses to maintain good customer service. However, it is vital to earning the trust of new customers, as well as keeping the business of established customers.

Many businesses are choosing to advertise through the Internet, which is a great decision since millions of people all across the world will be online at a given minute. Without a doubt, it is currently the farthest-reaching means of communication. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have new accounts created constantly, so the number of users continues to grow. When creating a website, it’s smart to make it easy for the customer to be able to contact someone directly. Some might prefer contacting through an email, while others will choose to call on the phone. Catering to both demographics makes it simpler for anyone to contact the company, and will allow for a customer service agent to be reached.

It is also crucial to make sure that the inbox for emails, or voicemail box for phone messages is checked and updated frequently. It doesn’t do much good to have customers sending emails and receive no response. In fact, this could end up frustrating customers even more and force them to stop using the product or service.

Although there are changes in the technology world, making sure every customer feels valued will help boost business and keep the clients happy. This will happen through excellent customer service skills and options for every client.

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There is no sense of sitting on the sidelines waiting for your moment to do what you love. If you have a passion for fashion then you ought to be doing something about it. These days, with the marketing possibilities online and with the amazing networking that can be done through social media platforms, there is no reason why you can’t take your drive and heart for passion and do something with it.

Now that you have the drive(and that is half the battle) and you need an education. Fashion schools are popping up all over the country. You might be thinking that you have all the goods it takes to get started without, but think again. Yes, your raw potential is good enough to make a few inspired designs, but to take your game to the next level you need the assistance of good teachers who can help give you direction for your flawless talent.

If you want to create the next hot label like Rocawear, then it’s certainly within your grasp. Once you have the training you need that’s the time to put your designs into action. Start simple by getting the basics of your line. No need to get into one million different accessories if your desire is to create a simple clothing line. Start with the staples of everyone’s wardrobe as the staples of your own wardrobe.

The passion for fashion can turn into a career of doing what you love. If you have the drive then it’s only right to take advantage of the opportunities available to you

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The real sign of a courageous individual is that he or she knows when to pull out of a confrontation. You may be a boss and may have complete authority over certain activities in your office. An employee may be consistently repeating mistakes.

He or she may not be prepared to admit fault despite being warned frequently. In such a scenario, you may feel that it is necessary to give up a dressing down to the employee. A sharp retort in front of others, in your opinion, may help the employee see sense.

However, what if your employee reacts predictably and insists that he or she is completely blameless? To back out of the confrontation now would be to lose your face. To take it any further is only going to create complications. What if your employee loses it and throws the papers in your face and walks out? What sort of authority would you retain your office after such an incident?

Does this mean you should take things lying down? Obviously not. It is your job to maintain productivity in the office. If an employee is not pulling his or her rate, you have complete authority to terminate the services. A short e-mail specifying your intentions to reconsider the appointment of the employee may be enough to bring him or her to the senses.

If the employee does not tone down after such a warning, you can go ahead and execute it to ensure you have peace and productivity in your office. This is a much better option than picking up a slanging match with an employee in front of your subordinates.

If you are interested in acquiring a business the first thing you should be doing is talking to a professional. You will need a Los Angeles business attorney in order to make sure that you follow everything in a legal way. There will be a lot of paper work in acquiring a new business and if you make a misstep you could be paying for it dearly. So, make sure a lawyer is there to guide you through the difficult times.

Next thing you want to do is figure out the financial picture of the business you are looking to acquire. This will not only let you be informed about the business you want, but knowing where their money situation is at will allow you to gain leverage in the negotiations. You can’t go wrong by knowing everything you need to know.

Also, make sure you are clear on whether or not you want to buy a piece of the company, a division of the company or all of it. These choices will matter. Buying a business is no different than buying a car. With the right information you can make any decision informed and to work out in your favor.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular scheduling software programs businesses are using today.

Time Trex and Attendance 

 

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Time Trex and Attendance is a program that allows employees to track their time, mark off missed time and keep track of their projects from their computers. This program is available for Windows and Mac computers and is just a click away. This program also helps the payroll department  because all time tracked through it can be used to generate invoice and pay stubs.

eHour

eHour is a program that can help schedule and track employees’ time on projects. There are separate areas where employees can schedule their time for projects and track them in a timely spend on each project. The administer of the program can assign different pay rates to each user as well as assign specific tasks to each person. This is a great tool for both administration and employees. eHour is open source so it works on all types of computers and is free to use.

Using employee time tracking software programs like eHour and Time Trex and Attendance businesses will avoid any scheduling conflicts or what tasks need to be done. It will also help employees and employers efficiently track the time each employee spends on the job.

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Faxing has become an integral part of business operations. Unfortunately, it came with a very high cost of the machines, printer ink, and paper. Many businesses have a better use for the money spent on these supplies. With the convenience of email and the speed of the Internet, faxes have evolved into a much easier process.

What Is Online Faxing?

Online faxing works with just a fax number and Internet connection. You can send a fax just by logging onto an online portal and entering the fax number of the recipient and attaching files that you want sent. Applications on smartphones can also be used to receive and view faxes, so you can receive faxes on the go. The fax service covers the U.S. but also extends into Canada and Puerto Rico with no additional charges.

Internet faxing is a simpler and smarter use of business resources. A 30 day free trial gives a business a chance to test out how an online fax system would work in the business setting before buying a single piece of fax paper. Continuation of the fax service is clearly listed with an adaptability for businesses of every size depending on how many faxes need to be sent in a month. Pay all twelve months at once to get an additional discount.

The fax system has become infinitely easier. The cost savings in time, ink, and paper make online faxing a smart business move. While faxing is a part of the business system, it no longer a hassle to get the fax to where it needs to be.

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Sad but true, we may experience a difficult employee because of the way we specifically manage our employees within our company. Though we many charge the employee with the problem, and it very well may be their problem, something happens when we don’t want to look at ourselves as open to improvement.

Managing the difficult employee is made easier the closer we are to knowing what it is we do well as a manager and what, quite frankly, we can improve upon. If we do well at the hiring stage, but fall short when the employee is struggling to learn new procedures, we need to take a look. How long does the average employee need to learn something new? How long are you willing to extend that time for an employee who is quick to grasp customer relations, for example? Do you wait and wait to speak with them, or do you talk to them one on one early on?

Personalities can and do clash. Does the employee remind you of your mother-in-law? Does the employee suddenly seem to be a poor listener? Perhaps he or she has a problem with anger. Be open to listening. There may have been a death in the family, or another concern at home. Though no employee should let outside challenges affect their work, they often do, and being aware and understanding will assist in the positive effort your employee will make because you care.

If you know you are the cause of a particular problem, make a shift. The sooner you make the positive shift, the sooner the employee will make theirs.

 

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If you are the owner of a small business then you probably know how tough it can be to market your business well on a shoe string budget. You want to reach the maximum number of people and yet can’t afford to spend too much on advertizing. However, you don’t need to opt for expensive advertizing and marketing campaigns to promote your business. Here are some great tips that will get your business more sales and won’t cost you much either!

1. A onetime effort goes unnoticed so you need to be consistent with your marketing efforts. If you send out a newsletter once, then make sure you send it out at a regular frequency. Inconsistency in marketing shows a lack in commitment on the part of the business.
2. Make an effort to get in touch with your customers personally. Try to make as many phone calls in a day to potential customers. A mailer can’t convey a message as effectively as verbal communication. Telemarketing is known to yield better marketing results.
3. You don’t have to keep your prices too low for customers to buy your products. In fact, if your prices are too low, they just might end up thinking that your products are substandard! So keep your prices even with competitors. However, make sure that if you increase your prices, your customers see a corresponding addition in value to the product as well.
4. Keep an eye on current events and use the hype generated by these events to promote your business. For example, name a promotion after the Superbowl when baseball fever is at its peak!

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Those of you with a business mind and an ambition to work in finance are in luck. These days the financial sector is growing exponentially and there are jobs opening up to smart people who are motivated and willing to work hard to manage money and bring businesses and individuals the security they need. Here is an overview of the insurance side of the finance sector.

Many people think that all the hot jobs for finance are right in the financial sector but that’s not necessarily the case. These days there is more than enough work in the insurance game. These days insurance has a decent reputation and everyone is looking for protection. With the rising cost of medical bills, homes, both working parents and the dependency people have on their cars, insurance is a must for most people. This is the reason why so many people are moving into it.

The job of the insurance salesman is to make those who need it aware of why they are getting it. While there are things like a payday loan out there for people who get into financial trouble, still the safest form of protection is to be insured in the first place. Your job will be to find a policy or policies that work best for the needs of your clients and to make sure that you are adjusting their insurance needs based on the changes that happen in their lives.

Insurance is a noble profession with a lot of money to be made. People who work in the insurance game not only make money but feel rewarded by getting people the protection they need.

 

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Good manager subordinate relations is a lot about the rapport shared between a supervisor or team leader with his or her subordinates. Along with the pay scale and benefits that an organization provides, employees also look for a good boss and this is what defines their loyalty to the organization. However, maintaining a healthy relationship between managers and subordinates isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Here are some tips on how you can improve this rapport:

1. Don’t give your subordinates tasks that they would find degrading or something that you would mind doing yourself. If you feel that no job is too small, then try leading by example and demonstrate how doing a task lower than your capabilities is not bad so long as it helps the organization.
2. Don’t underestimate the power of an open door policy. Let your subordinates know that you can be approached to discuss issues anytime during the day. Also, give your subordinates the assurance that your efforts to understand their problems are sincere and genuine and not just something you say.
3. Communication is often the key to a successful manager – subordinate relationship. Clearly define what you expect from your subordinates and take time out to discuss these expectations with them on an individual basis. Take feedback from them and make a sincere effort to see and incorporate their point of view and ideas.
4. Nothing boosts employee moral than having the faith their boss will stand up for them. Whenever possible, seize opportunities to show your support for their initiatives. If they have a genuine problem, back them up and make an effort to get it resolved.

What is an NPS?

A net promoter score is based on the principle that your customers are divided into three categories: passives, detractors, and promoters. Passives buy from your business, but they may buy from other companies, too. They’re not “diehard” fans of your company. They’re neutral. Detractors will not promote your business; instead, they are unhappy with your business and may warn others not to use your company. Promoters, on the other hand, will actively promote your business. They’ll recommend you to others and use you as their go-to source for your product or services.

Why is Knowing Your NPS Important?

Figuring out your NPS is incredibly important. First, it shows you how likely it is that your customers will recommend you to others. This means more new customers, which in turn means more revenue for your company. You should see your NPS grow over time; if it doesn’t, you need to take a hard look at your company and figure out where you can improve.

Your net promoter score will show you your biggest fan base. You may want to develop a rewards program or other incentives to reward the customers who are promoting you. While an NPS isn’t terribly complicated, it’s an incredibly important company statistic to know.

You have to protect your business by carefully researching who is already registered with the affiliate program that you are looking at. The easiest way to do this is by taking advantage of the services of a trusted affiliate review site. This way, you can obtain a variety of honest opinions regarding the program, its past history and the legitimacy of its services. You will benefit greatly of by taking the time to research your potential partnership in this manner. The primary advantage is that you will be able to avoid scams that could end up costing you money in the long run.

It is essential that you have completed this research before you register with the affiliate marketing program. Knowing who you will be doing business with, what others past experience with them has been and related facts can give you peace of mind when choosing to build your product brand in this manner. Then you can start to gain more of a threshold in your product niche and offer your customers more services and products to increase your profits.

 

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Many problems in work environments are a result of bad communication. Deficits in written and verbal skills can make miscommunication errors. There are steps that can be done to alleviate these types of problems.

• Look for comprehension cues- People that actively participate in conversations should notice verbal and body signals. Facial expressions are a good indication of successful message interpretation. A nodding head or eyes that look confused will display a person’s status of incoming messages.
• Explain Differently- A good approach for effective work communication is to explain concepts in multiple ways. Use different words or incorporate visual aids to help convey a message. Difficult concepts should be broken down in to smaller easier to understand blocks of knowledge.
• Adjust Speech – Consider the volume level of speech depending on the situation. Informal meetings should be at a louder intensity than reserved business appointments. Remember to speak at a speed that will be easy for others to follow the train of thought. A speedy talker makes comprehension difficult for the listener.
• Consider word choice- Think about the words used when offering constructive criticism, the wrong expression can result in an insult or offensive situation. All business correspondence should contain work appropriate language.
• Remain Polite- Some meetings can result in disagreements, but a civil demeanor should be kept. Different view points can be expressed without being disrespectful or rude. Clearly state your viewpoints giving ample time for rebuttals or questions for further explanations.

Summary

Bad communication within the business environment can be avoided. Simple rules can enforce positive and full comprehension.

While, in fact, marketing is important, advertising is the element of your business that keeps existing customers loyal and aware of new products and services. There are many ways to promote your business; however, there are a specific few that should always be at the top of the list.

Postcards

Monthly postcards are a great way to keep your customers in the loop as to what changes are taking place within the company. Vibrant and friendly postcards are eye catching and very cost effective marketing tools.

Release Catalogs

Mail quarterly or annual catalogs to existing and previous customers. Chances are, if they purchased something from your company before, they will have a sense of loyalty and be interested in the new items that are available, and more than likely make another order utilizing the convenience of catalogues.

Coupons

Mail monthly or quarterly coupons to customers. These coupons can offer limited time promotions, interest grabbing sales, or hard-to-pass-up deals. Coupons are among the most effective promotional measures currently utilized, and act as a strong motivation for customers to continue to buy.

• Savings – A personal account is one of the best ways to finance a new business. An advantage is that there is no need to borrow money from an institution. This money is more readily available without the extras of interest and extra paperwork.
• Retirement accounts -  Company sponsored or other retirement accounts are a good source of money for starting a business. Retirement savings are a good source for large sums of money for entrepreneurial enterprises.
• Federal agencies – The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides different loans for business owners. The agency has several different types of funding. depending on specific requirements.
• Banks – Financial institutions offer loans specifically for people who own a business. They will request financial records and other asset information. Most people use banks to finance their company.
• Credit – Some people use credit cards to fund a start-up company. Cards are used because they are readily
   

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  available for making important purchases. Potential owners should consider the credit card’s interest rate before using.

• Peer Lending -  Peer lending is a new concept where individuals make short term loans to small business owners. Various on-line companies have websites for lenders and borrowers to connect.

New business owners need to consider all choices available to find money. There are multiple places to find funds including savings and retirement accounts, bank products and federal monies.

The International Statistical Classification of Diseases or ICD and Related Health Problems are a system published by the World Health Organization that uses codes to classify diseases and treatments. It also classifies the symptoms, findings and causes of disease or injury. This system assigns every health condition a category and a code.

It’s important that your support staff understands and can utilize this coding, especially the latest edition ICD 10 codes,  because it’s a globally used system that provides statistics on the spread of illness or disease, treatment protocol, mortality and morbidity, reimbursement systems and decision support. It’s also designed to promote collection, classification and presentation of this data.

The coding system is currently in its 10th edition (ICD-10). While adoption of this system has been slow in the U.S. these codes are required for Medicaid and Medicare claims. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that these codes will be used for reporting procedures and diagnoses of healthcare transactions.

As you can see it’s important that your staff is current with these codes; their use will help make your business both financial and clinically successful. Consider hiring a consultant to help your staff make the transition to the new ICD 10 codes. With all of your staff members up-to-speed and trained, your business and medical success will be greatly enhanced.

 

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Many large corporations have excellent policies for nurturing employees. Good incentive programs and an open door policy is the beginning of proving good upper management. Continue reading to find the worst practices used in administration.

• Low staff – A short-sided technique that supervisors use is keeping a non-efficient number of employees. Managers will hire temporary workers for increased work loads, but all workers are still over worked.
• Rewarding slackers – One of the worst offenses made by a manager is treating slacker and ambitious employees the same. Trainings and other profitable prospects should be offered to workers who have proved good labor values.
• Stealing credit – The insecure supervisor will not acknowledge the efforts of all who had contributed to the project. Actions of this nature, creates a rift between employees and questioned loyalty.
• Mock discussions -  An open discussion meeting that turns in to a one-sided presentation is a bad occurrence for a manager with control difficulties. These situations results in non-resolved or changing of faulty methods.
• Priority problems -  Administrators that label all tasks and projects as urgent create a false sense of demand that leads to burn out or indifference of employees. The best measure is to individually evaluate the proper status of work.
• Obsolete procedures -  Employers that maintain out dated instructions are doing a dis-service to employees and customers. Technology changes quickly, but that is no excuse for not being prepared.

Businesses need to avoid the above practices for creating a more productive work environment. The result of such actions results in unhappy employees and customers.

To know your customers, you have to know their technology. That’s why it’s essential to stay up to date on the newest technology and gadgets that connect your business to your customers. You don’t have to go to a college campus to gain this type of knowledge. You always have the option to earn a degree online so that you can still manage your business while gaining valuable new insights.

Besides direct customer service training, sessions on how to use essential office software will keep your business running smoothly, which is something customers will notice even if they don’t say so. They’re more likely to come back if they get fast service as a result of your efficiency.

Because bad customer service is something that stays in a customer’s mind, teaching employees how to retain customers is important. Those bad experiences get shared verbally and through social media. That means you could easily lose potential customers without even realizing it. Consistent training helps employees remember how to interact with customers.

Customers need to know they’re the most important part of your business. Good retention means keeping up with them and keeping them happy.

Many managers set out to resolve conflict in the workplace to keep employee relations at their most optimal.  However, an important aspect about conflict is to realise that it is never really solved.

Keep the following in mind if an employee relationship has dissolved into conflict:

• Conflict will never be resolved.
• The best way to approach employee relationships and conflict in the workplace is to set out to manage them.
• Conflict, whilst a destructive way of communicating, can be a powerful tool of facilitation if used correctly.  In fact, sometimes conflict needs to be created in order to manage certain situations.
• Don’t automatically view conflict as negative.  Whilst conflict can evoke many negative things, the results can quite often be positive for those involved.
• Understand there are many causes of conflict.  The conflict that is happening in the workplace between two employees may be caused by external non-work related sources.
• Understand that conflict goes through stages.
• Be aware that there are overt and covert ways of engaging in conflict.
• Be culturally sensitive.  People of different cultures and backgrounds approach conflict differently.  They may not even be aware that they are in a conflict situation.

The greater management can understand the conflict that is occurring in their workplace, the greater chance there is of managing it.

• Short-term loans are a virtual lifesaver for small businesses. No matter how much you plan for the financial aspects of your business, you cannot control everything. You should know how and where to obtain a short-term loan and how the process works in case you experience a temporary decrease in revenue.
• Short-term loans can be obtained by proving your revenue history over a set amount of months. Once you are approved for the short-term loan you can spread the costs with a payment that won’t stress your finances.
• You’ll need to find a company that offers short-term loans for small businesses; GreatPlainsLending is a good place to start. Remember that short-term loans should be for emergencies only. Because interest rates are a major concern with this kind of loan and the fact that the business may need another loan during the first year, paying off the original loan as soon as possible is essential.
• If business is better than you expected and you have to hire more employees, a short-term loan can help you cover the additional payroll expense until revenue comes in.

If you find yourself needing a short-term loan month after month just to cover expenses, you may need to re-evaluate your financial status and seek a more appropriate long-term solution. Payroll is one of the largest expenses that your new business will face, so make sure you plan well and have a good emergency lending process in mind.

Competing involves a person putting their interest before anyone else’s.

The style of competing should be used:

• when immediate and decision action is required.  An example of such a situation is an emergency.
• in situations when important yet unpopular decisions need to be made.  An example of such a situation cost cutting or discipline.
• when a decision needs to be made against people who are taking advantage of non-competitive behaviour.

Collaborating involves people working together, usually to get a win/win solution.

The style of collaborating should be used:

• when you need to find an integrative solution for two sets of concerns that are too important to be compromised.
• to merge insights from people with different perspectives

Compromising involves people getting satisfaction for some of their interests.

The style of compromising should be used:

• when opponents of equal power are committed to mutually exclusive goals
• to achieve temporary settlements within complex issues

Avoiding involves not getting involved in conflict.

The style of avoiding should be used:

• when an issue is trivial to the business
• to let people cool down and regain perspective

Accommodating involves a person putting their interests last.

The style of accommodating should be used when:

• to allow a better position to be heard
• when issues are more important to others
• to allow employees to learn from their mistakes

How you can Change This

If this has been your attitude, there are ways you can change this, and choosing which conferences and workshops to attend is the best way to start. Use online resources such as canada 411to find local workshops or conferences (no need to add travel headaches to the mix) that specifically address your career and duties. Use specific keywords to find meetings sponsored or conducted by businesses and organizations that match your job field.

By narrowing down your small business search, you’ll be attending meetings that you know will provide you with information and knowledge you can use as well as put you in contact with others who share your interest and work in the same or similar professions.

While Attending the Workshops or Conferences

Use the same strategy that you did for your online search; seek out only those attendants, sponsors or organizers who share similarities with you. There’s really no need to try to network with someone if you can’t offer them the full benefit of all your services or products. If you’ve done your research, though, you will have already “leveled the playing field” and will see a better advantage and more success in your networking efforts.

You have most certainly been a customer yourself, many hundreds of time.  With this experience you know how important it is to be treated properly by the people whom you are giving your business (and hard earned cash) too.

• It’s too much to ask to remember hundreds of customer names off the top of your head.  However when dealing with a particular customer face-to-face, or on the phone, be sure to interact with a personable style that includes using their name and enquiring as to how their day is going.
• Your customers are your livelihood, and as such should be treated with respect.
• It’s an oldie, but a goodie.  The customer is always right!
• Show consistency and reliability.  If you tell your customer you are going to do something for them, then do it.
• Keep in contact with your customers.  Send out regular email updatings.

Maintaining relationships with your customers involves some very simple, yet effective methods.  Something as simple as saying”hi, how are you today?” could send the mesage that you care about them and their business.

Customers who feel looked after will feel more satisfied and you know what that means?  They will be coming back to your business, and they may even recommend you.

Maintaining current customer relations can ultimately bring in more customers.

Heraclitus says that ‘conflict is the father of all things’.  It’s true, conlict is present in all kinds of situation, and that negotiation is therefore also present.

Negotiation Strategies:

Distributive negotiation

• Also know as ‘positional bargaining’.
• Parties hold on to an idea, or position, arguing for it and it alone, regardless of any underlying interests.
• Haggling is a good example of this strategy.
• This type of negotiation is important as it tends to be the first strategy adopted when entering into a negotiation.  However it is good to be aware that this type of strategy is less constructive than other strategies.

Integrative negotiation

• Also referred to as ‘interest-based bargaining’ or ‘win-win bargaining’.
• Parties collaborate to devise a situation in which everybody wins.
• The ‘interests’ are the underlying reasons the conflict has occured in the first place.
• This type of negotiation is important because it usually produces the most satisfactory results for eveyone involved.

Mixed-motive negotiation

• Involves meeting the needs of all or most parties as much as possible and then claiming an appropriate share.
• Almost all negotiation situations involve mixed-motives.
• Involves the use of tactics common to the other two negotiation strategies of distributive and integrative negotiation.