As a business leader, it’s your job to manage and grow your business as effectively as possible. A big part of accomplishing that comes down to improving employee performance. Businesses that successfully nurture and inspire their best employees are, understandably, more likely to reach long-term goals and achieve sustained growth. Figuring out how to vet, review, and inspire your team is essential. To that end, today we’ll explain how business leaders can hold positive performance reviews with their team members. Check it out here:

Set Clear Expectations

Even the best employees need guidance from management if they’re to improve on a consistent basis. As such, business leaders must make it a point to set clear expectations for their team members regarding their workload, assignments, and priorities. Regardless of whether you want your team to communicate with each other more often, or to focus on developing a new line of tissue culture flasks, you have to let them know well in advance of their review date.

Stick to the Facts

The best business leaders are able to manage their emotions when they make important decisions. While you may personally like or dislike a certain employee, it’s important not to let your subjective feelings affect the way you treat your team. It’s best to stick to the facts when you sit down to have performance reviews with your staff. Use evidence such as sales figures, marketing data, ecommerce production etc. to objectively measure the value of your team. Anecdotal evidence of employee behavior may be useful in some instances, but it tends to skew the bigger picture in one way or another.

Solicit Feedback

The employer-employee relationship is a two-way street. That’s why many business leaders encourage their team members to provide feedback during review meetings. Perhaps there are mitigating factors that are inhibiting an employee’s performance that business leaders should know about. Or, alternatively, maybe certain changes around the office have resulted in an uptick in their mood and productivity. The point is, you won’t know these things unless you ask and allow your team members to speak for themselves.

Inspire

Ideally, every employee should leave their performance review meeting feeling inspired and fired up to do better in the future. Rather than focusing on how an employee failed or what they could have done differently, progressive business leaders use performance reviews as an opportunity to inspire their team members. A word of support, a bit of useful advice, or even an exciting challenge can all resonate with employees in need of a lift. Now is your chance to do something positive for your employees –– don’t miss it!

 

Some may think of reading simply as an enjoyable past time, or a way to learn new information. While reading is great for those things, the reality is that there are other benefits to reading as well. Not only can it help improve your brainpower, but it can have other benefits as well, whether you read a modern fable about politics or the newspaper. 

It Improves Your Focus

One great benefit of reading more is that it can help you to focus better. This is because unlike listening to an audiobook or watching a show on TV, reading requires more of your brain to process information. Because of this, it can be great for strengthening your brain and learning to increase your focus. Additionally, the great news is that it doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you take at least 15 minutes to focus on reading each day. 

It Improves Your Vocabulary

Reading isn’t just great for focusing, it can also help you to boost your vocabulary, too. When you read, you are likely to soak up all kinds of words that you may not use on a daily basis, even if you are familiar with them. Reading them in a book not only gives you more exposure to these words, but can also show you new ways to use them, and new meanings they can take on, depending on the context. Not only that, but reading more frequently can cause the part of your brain related to vocabulary to become more active in general. 

It Improves Your Creativity

Another one of the top benefits of reading more often is that it can help increase your creativity. Reading exposes you to new ideas, which in turn helps you to generate more ideas of your own. This can be true no matter what your favorite genre is, or what you like to read the most. Even if you choose to read things like biographies and nonfiction, by exposing yourself to new ideas, you are also increasing your creative capacity and opening up new neural pathways in your brain that can help you to think differently than you might otherwise.

Last Thoughts

While some may think that reading is just a nice past time, or a good way to reduce stress and escape into another world, the reality is that reading can have even more benefits. From improving your focus to rounding out your vocabulary or increasing your creativity, there can be many reasons to begin reading more today. 

 

People want to know what is going on in a company they do business with or a site that helps them make decisions, such as investment decisions. For example, investors can glean a lot of knowledge through Insider Trade News, an online newsletter for investors. A newsletter is a great way for your business to build relationships with customers, and it can offer a sense of connection with them. It increases the communication between you and the customer, and it can make the customer feel as if they are an insider with your business.

If a customer receives a newsletter, they will be more than likely to use it if they feel as if it will be beneficial to them and will give them the information they want to know. Continue reading below to learn more about the importance of newsletters and how to get customers to read them.

Gives Company Information

One piece of information that you can give to a customer in a newsletter is awareness and direct information about your company. Customers can understand more about what you offer, and you could even publish basic information about how successful the company has been in the last quarter. The more a customer learns about your company, the more he or she will become interested in it.

Builds Trust

A newsletter also has the ability to build trust with your customer as they learn more information about your business and feel as if you are truly communicating with them. You can share your information to showcase how you are a leader in the specific industry that your business is a part of. Include, if you are sending your newsletter as an email, links to articles about your company that your customer may click on out of intrigue. You can also give information about events to really captivate the customer throughout the entire newsletter and keep their eyes on it.

Offers Deals

One way to build interest in your newsletter with your customer base is to offer deals and promotions through it. You could even send your newsletter through direct mail so that customers actually receive a physical coupon that they can use at your business. Customers become much more interested in what you can offer as a company when they know that you are willing to make your products more affordable. The promotions could even be for your newest products so that customers are truly drawn into what you have to offer them.

Develops Relationships

The development of a better means of communication and a better relationship with your customers has continually been mentioned throughout this article. Your customers will truly be more likely to read your newsletter if you are working to develop a relationship with the customers. This can be done by sending out your newsletter on a regular basis so that customers come to expect it when it comes and actually looks forward to it. Consider even sending extra letters to customers who may not be as frequent or may be new to really build trust.

Increases Your Customer Base

Newsletters not only have the ability to increase communication and develop relationships with your current customer base, however. They also have the ability to help you find new customers and build your customer base so that it becomes even larger and so that your business becomes even more successful. Encourage individuals to sign up for a newsletter when they visit your website by asking them to either put in their email address or enter their address in a form. Give some type of promise behind the newsletter to encourage individuals to read it though, whether that be a promotional discount or exclusive information that only comes to those who sign up for the newsletter.

Though you may initially think of a newsletter as something that is meaningless for the marketing plan of your business, it can be a very powerful tool for your arsenal. It can encourage customers to return to your website as they become more loyal to you and you can gain more customers through the use of this tool. Encourage your customers to read it though whether that be through offering deals in the newsletter or through offering information that can build trust. It will be truly worth it when you see the results in the end.

I believe thаt еvеrуоnе іn thіѕ wоrld is ѕtrіvіng tо, in thеіr оwn unіԛuе way, fіnd thеіr оwn happiness. People hаvе vastly dіffеrеnt реrѕоnаlіtіеѕ, bеlіеfѕ, rеlіgіоnѕ, vаluеѕ, аnd іdеаlѕ but in thе еnd, nо mаttеr whісh раth wе take thrоugh lіfе wе all just wаnt tо еnd uр іn a рlасе where wе can simply be hарру.

Words аrе just ѕуmbоlѕ ѕо whеn I use the wоrd happy I’m rеfеrrіng tо a lasting joy thаt permeates your being on a dаіlу bаѕеѕ. Mу uѕе of the tеrm hарріnеѕѕ саn rеfеr to a ѕеnѕе оf іnnеr peace, jоу, bliss аnd fulfіllmеnt. When I tаlk аbоut the ѕесrеt of happiness I’m mean rеасhіng a state іn your life whеrе уоur dеfаult ѕtаtе іѕ hарріnеѕѕ, аnd thаt happiness іѕ рrеѕеnt іn your being fоr thе vast majority оf the tіmе. I am talking here about non materialistic life goals.

Aѕ I’vе travelled I’ve mеt a good numbеr of реорlе аll wіth dіffеrеnt life ѕіtuаtіоnѕ аnd lеvеlѕ оf hарріnеѕѕ. I’vе mеt people with vеrу еаѕу lіvеѕ surrounded bу lоvіng friends who wake uр every dау bоrеd, dіѕсоntеnt or еvеn annoyed with thеіr ѕіtuаtіоn. I’vе mеt financially wеаlthу people whо in a fit оf аngеr аbоut thеіr unhарріnеѕѕ ѕсrеаm “I саn buу оr do аnуthіng I wаnt! Shouldn’t that bе еnоugh!?” and I’ve аlѕо met fіnаnсіаllу poorer реорlе, with busy mоrе dіffісult lіvеѕ whо саn’t kеер a bеаutіful smile off thеіr fасе duе tо thеіr everyday lasting hарріnеѕѕ. Thіѕ dеfіnіtеlу posed thе ԛuеѕtіоn іn me, whаt’ѕ thе difference? Whаt іѕ thе secret tо happiness?

In оrdеr to fіnd thе secret оf hарріnеѕѕ wе have tо ask and аnѕwеr a vеrу important ԛuеѕtіоn. What is it еxасtlу thаt makes a person happy? Pеорlе have mаnу іdеаlѕ fоr whаt thеу wаnt іn thеіr lіvеѕ tо make them hарру. Fоr ѕоmе іtѕ fіnаnсіаl abundance, for others its lоvіng relationships, some want a sense оf fulfіllmеnt from hеlріng оthеrѕ, оthеrѕ wаnt tо fееl successful in thе саrееr they рurѕuе, аnd ѕоmе ѕіmрlу wаnt to bе frее from оррrеѕѕіоn оr persecution. A mоrе bаlаnсеd реrѕоn wіll decide hарріnеѕѕ соmеѕ frоm асhіеvіng a dеgrее оf ѕuссеѕѕ and hаrmоnу іn аll оf thе іmроrtаnt аrеаѕ оf hіѕ lіfе, something that іѕ fаr еаѕіеr ѕаіd than dоnе. Now while pursuing thеѕе thіngѕ these thіngѕ саn create varying dеgrееѕ of оutwаrd hарріnеѕѕ, аrе they rеаllу thе secret to hарріnеѕѕ? Lеt’ѕ lооk deeper.

Can you bе completely hарру just tаkіng a wаlk thrоugh nаturе? Cаn уоu fееl реасе ѕіttіng аlоnе іn ѕіlеnсе? If уоu wеrе ѕtrаndеd оn a dеѕеrtеd island соuld уоu ѕtіll bе joyful?

In the core оf everyone іѕ their dеfаult emotional ѕtаtе. When thеrе іѕ nо оutѕіdе fоrсеѕ dіѕtrасtіng уоu, and your mіnd іѕ frее frоm thinking оf thе past оr future what dо уоu feel? Iѕ уоur dеfаult ѕtаtе оnе of реасе оr іѕ it ѕоmеthіng negative lіkе bоrеdоm, dерrеѕѕіоn оr mild аnnоуаnсе?

I bеlіеvе thаt dеер wіthіn all of uѕ аt оur cores is a fееlіng of dеер реасе аnd jоу but оftеn times іn lіfе wе become ѕо dіѕсоnnесtеd frоm wіthіn that wе lоѕе sight of іt and thе іnnеr реасе almost seems tо fаdе аwау. Wе bесоmе ѕо distracted bу еvеrуthіng оn the оutѕіdе thаt wе dоn’t hаvе tіmе tо focus оn what’s dеер wіthіn us. Fоr mаnу реорlе our mіndѕ never give uѕ a chance tо rеѕt. Thе nеаrlу соnѕtаnt chatter іn оur hеаdѕ kеерѕ us рrеоссuріеd frоm еxреrіеnсіng anything іntеrnаl.

Learning tо quiet оur minds, lооk inside and fееl thіѕ deep jоу wіthіn uѕ, thеn tо brіng thаt out аѕ a раrt оf our dаіlу lіvеѕ іѕ thе ѕесrеt tо lasting hарріnеѕѕ. Thе еvеr present jоу deep wіthіn is thе оnlу tуре of happiness thаt саnnоt be lоѕt or tаkеn. Pеорlе whо hаvе lеаrnt tо feel good fоr no rеаѕоn tap into this source аnd іt іѕ the rеаѕоn thеу are happy whіlе others wіth bеttеr lіfе situations mау nоt be.

Today’s digital landscape has become increasingly competitive. Businesses from around the world are looking for effective ways to not only acquire and retain customers but also provide them with a unique, personalized experience. Whether you’re running a brick and mortar or online store, you need to have a marketing strategy. With so many marketing channels to utilize in today’s digital age, it can be easy to overlook and ignore a valuable traditional marketing method that can help your business stand out from the competition.

Direct mail might seem like an old-school marketing strategy but, when done right, can work with other marketing channels and have a huge positive impact on your prospects and your bottom line. Direct mail marketing refers to any physical correspondence—catalogs, classy 5×7 envelopes with postcards, brochures, flyers, and physical letters—that you send to your prospects’ and/or current customers’ mailbox through the U.S Postal Service or any other delivery service.

According to a 2017 survey, direct mail campaigns have a greater ROI than online display ads and paid search. In addition, 76% of customers trust the marketing material they receive in the mailbox. Direct mail has also been shown to have better response rates and extensive personalization capabilities than email. That said, here’s how you can launch your own direct mail marketing campaign.

Define Your Goals

Before you invest your valuable time and money into direct mail marketing, you need to establish your objectives first. Think about what you want to accomplish with your campaign. Are you looking to spread the word about your current offers? Do you want to attract new customers? Or you’re hoping to increase brand awareness? Every other decision you make is dependent on the goal(s) you want to achieve.

Understand Your Target Audience

Once you’ve established your objectives, you need to define and understand your target audience. You need to identify their unique problems and needs and figure out how your business can help solve them. To better reach your prospects and customers, you need their behavioral, demographic, and psychographic data.

Psychographic information includes your customers’ opinions, lifestyle habits, attitudes, values, and hobbies while demographic information includes their income, ethnic background, age, gender, and marital status. You can gather customer data by looking at your social media sites, reviewing site content, and checking previous email promotions to determine what might have prompted customers to take action.

You could also interview some of your customers and find out about their preferences, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and any other relevant information as well. Understanding your target audience can help you tailor your direct mail campaign to suit their unique needs. Think about how your set of goals fit into your customers’ needs.

Create Your Mailing List

Now that you have a clear goal you want to achieve and have identified the customer segments you’ll be targeting, it’s time to determine how you’re going to reach them. Use the customer data you’ve gathered to build a targeted direct mailing list of potential leads. You don’t want to waste your hard-earned money sending mail to everyone out there. Your goal should be to target potential new leads who will buy your products or services.

Chances are you already have house mailing lists—the addresses and names of prospective and existing customers. Focus your efforts on those as they already know your brand. Now, you may not have any mailing lists at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t launch your direct mail campaign. Go ahead and encourage your prospects and customers to share their contact information with you online- whether in a newsletter signup form, as a way of signing up for coupons and promotional emails in the future, or to gain access to some of your gated content.

Consider segmenting your mailing list based on customer behavioral, demographic, and psychographic information. This will help you create personalized content that speaks directly to your customers’ unique needs.

Create Your Mailer

When creating your direct mail piece, keep in mind the goal of your campaign and your CTA. Your messaging should be engaging, attention-grabbing, and memorable to each customer segment. Consider the type of content your prospects and customers are consuming and your competitors’ offerings, and then create a compelling piece of mail with a strong offer that will compel your recipient to act. The message should communicate who and what you are as a brand. As such, the direct mail piece should be consistent with your product offerings.

Make Sure you Have a Compelling CTA

Think about what you want your prospects and/or customers to do next once they open the mail. Remember you’re not creating a direct-mail piece to entertain or inform people about your business. You want action. You want the recipient to respond to the offer. And that means you have to take your time to craft a compelling call-to-action (CTA). If you can’t create a good CTA yourself, consider hiring a copywriter to help.

Schedule Your Mail and Track Response

Once you’re done designing your mail piece and it has been printed, it’s time to send your mail out. But that doesn’t mean your job is finished. You need to track your mail and test how well your direct mail campaign is working. You can track mail responses using offer codes or coupons. Alternatively, you can have your marketing team casually ask prospective customers how they came across your brand or simply ask prospects and/or customers to follow your brand on social media. This will help you figure out whether or not your campaign is making a difference.