Around The Business

Top 5 Cold Fusion Tags

johnr529 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:03:11 +0000

After researching for what felt like an eternity I finally found some information on the top 5 Cold Fusion tags used today. Thanks for the Twitter assist @cfjedimaster.

CFQUERY

this tag will allow you to perform database operations. It will allow you to run queries, add inserts and the always lovable day to day updates. CFQUERY gives the ability to run these various databases where you have set up the correct DSN, Data Source Names, in the ColdFusion control panel.

CFIF

is used for evaluating statements. The general syntax would look similar to this:

…

If the statement opens with the tag will evaluate toTrue, and the code between andis executed.

CFLOOP

CFLOOP is a block of code that executes continuously either a specific number of times, or once per element in the subject. This is every helpful if you have a need to constantly update a database or crash a server

CFSET

CFSET sets a a specific value within ColdFusion. This is used to create a variable, if it does not exist, and assign it a value. Many coders use this within Cold Fusion to run specific preprogrammed functions.

CFOUTPUT

This tag displays output that contains the results of all processed ColdFusion variables and functions. Many programmers like that that this tag can loop over the results of a database query.

To read more from John go to Around The Business.com

Dealing with Angry Clients

johnr529 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:41:24 +0000

So you have an angry client?
Most clients are not thrilled to be calling any kind of support or client service because generally they are having a problem with their service, and they want it taken care of as quick as possible.

Here are some things to think about when you are speaking with an angry or highly frustrated client.

Understand the Source of the Anger

You have to realize that unhappy clients are not unhappy with you, just the situation. You have to remember that most times you are not causing the client’s frustration, however if you do not handle the situation correctly you will cause the client more frustration and become part of the problem.
You can do a great deal to diffuse a client’s anger before you even discuss the situation. When you greet them, give a welcoming and professional greeting. It is more difficult to be rude to someone who’s warm and friendly.

Acknowledge the person’s feelings and apologize for the inconvenience the client has encountered. Make an effort to be sincere. “I’m sorry that happened. Let me see what I can do to get this taken care of for you.” With an upset client you will spend the majority of your time massaging their feelings and a small portion actually doing what you need to do to get the situation resolved.

Sympathize and empathize with the client. “I can understand why you are upset” and other phrases of the sort can really help soothe the client. Pretend it is you calling and then get busy solving the problem.

If your company is actually at fault, take 100 percent responsibility for the situation. This is probably the toughest part. Chances are you had nothing to do with the problem. However, it is your job to accept responsibility and initiate work on a solution.

Never make an excuse to your client

Never make an excuse to a complaining client. No one wants to hear, “The computer is down,” or “My system is not running properly.” When you give excuses, the client hears, “I’m not going to help you now. With a customer having this image of carved into his head, he is already mentally looking for another company to do business with.

3 Tips For Dealing with Angry clients

Empathize with the client, and repeat back your conversation

A client is generally angrier about the fact that they feel ignored than about the original issue that they are facing. Empathize with them, usually by saying something along the lines of “I’m sorry about this situation, and I can really understand that it makes you feel frustrated. Please let me see what I can do to help you today.” The next step is to repeat. See the last comment about how they feel ignored, if you are able to repeat their problem back to them in your own words, then they feel like you might really be listening to them and honestly caring about the issue.

Always be honest and positive

A client never wants to be lied to. I know, I wouldn’t want to be. For instance, if their site is slow, a client isn’t going to want us to tell them that it’s going to be 10 minutes and every thing’s going to be better. So, be honest. Tell them that we have people working on it (the very best people we have) and what that work is. This is where the positive comes in, since you’ve already been honest with them, the key is to make sure that your tone of voice, and inflection all match what you’re telling them (it may not be what they want to hear, but it is going to be an honest answer, which is ultimately what they’re looking for.)

Show them your effort

Send them an email shortly after you discussed the situation with the client explaining your conversation showing them that you were listening and outline the steps leading to correcting their situation. You’ve already acknowledged their feelings, you’ve already let them know that you understand their problem, you’ve been honest, and positive, now they want action.

Always remember the ton of your voice and body language can lead to a happy client or an angry client. The choice is yours.

Building “Brand You”

johnr529 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:45:57 +0000

Jay Abraham was a wise man. He once said, “Understand that you need to sell you and your ideas in order to advance your career, gain more respect, and increase your success, influence and income.” Jay understood that you have to sell yourself before you can sell your product. You are your greatest Brand and you have to realize it, and live it.

To be successful in your industry, you have to allow a gap between yourself, your brand, and your competitors. Brand you begins in your office and will slowly spread over every aspect of your life. “Brand You” doesn’t clock in or clock out, it doesn’t take a vacation, it’s a 24/7 everyday part of life. I know it sounds like a lot of extra work, but with today’s technology (such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Linkedin and whatever comes out this week), it couldn’t be any easier to create in yourself a brand that is stronger then you could ever imagine.

Here are 6 simple steps to help build “Brand You”.

Crap Clean your Social Networking finger prints

We have all heard of spring cleaning, but when was the last time you spring cleaned your Facebook page? All of your social media pages should have a feeling of professionalism and respect for yourself and your friends. Even if your profile is set to private you should take pride in who you are and what image you are providing to your friends. If your friends are looking for someone in your industry to help their boss, they are going to skip you over if they feel you cannot work on a professional level. Remember “Brand You” is every part of your life, not just business hours.

RSS Your Mind

The internet is filled with massive amounts of knowledge, from general news feeds to content relating to your industry, use it. Read as many RSS feeds as you can to grow your knowledge base. You will never walk out of a client meeting with the client saying “Wow, he/she knew too much! We can’t hire them.” By growing your knowledge you are creating a stronger foundation to “Brand You”

Express Yourself

Express your likes and dislikes on your site and others blogs. If in a RSS feed you read a statement you don’t agree with, comment “I don’t agree” and state why not. You can’t be afraid to express your opinion, remember a key word in “Brand You” is “You”.

“Would you like a Card?”

Just because grandfather passed business cards out, does not make them obsolete. Call it old fashion, but they still work. I keep a stack of business cards on my desk from clients and coworkers. Handing someone your information listed on a creative, small sheet of card stock, goes a long way.

Get Linkedin

Linkedin is the number one business to business social media networking tool. Establish yourself in the network and start networking with those people in your address book. Building a strong Linkedin profile allows you to connect with millions of business contacts from all over the world.

For more information on Linkedin checkout http://lewishowes.com. Lewis really has an amazing grasp on how to use Linkedin for your day to day business.

If you need to call an SOS

Building “Brand You” may be too overwhelming for you. If it is, don’t hesitate to scream for help. Use your network to connect with other bloggers online. If you have a question about a post, ask your question. Check out the Q&A section in Linkedin, you may find a lot of your questions already answered there, and if not within 2 days you will be flooded with 15 to 20 answers from real life experience.

Remember this in building “Brand You”, everything has to be about “you”. Products change and business changes, you are always the same. Be different from the world, be “you.”

To Read more from John go to Around the Business.com

Blogging For Coffee Part 1 What’s Your Temperature

johnr529 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:10:05 +0000

Sitting in the lobby of my church, Vineyard Columbus, I began to look at all the people and their coffee cups. Coffee has been a part of the American culture since the Boston Tea Party, but since the creation of Starbucks, Americans have added flavor to their early morning lives. The coffee I like to drink is the Venti Iced White Chocolate Mocha with an extra shot. I began to wonder if my coffee represented me, my business, or my life. I can really see some comparisons between it and my blog. My coffee is easy to handle, iced, a different kind of sweet, white chocolate, and it’s a little strong (the extra shot). I try and hope I succeed at, providing a different type of small business blog. Like the white chocolate mocha and coolness of the ice, my blog is easy for everyone to handle. I also like to provide as much content as possible which is my extra shot.

After reviewing my choice of coffee and my blog, I wanted to review how you can match your blog to your favorite coffee. I came up with 4 different areas to focus on that will improve your blog.

1. Finding your Temperature

2. Finding your Flavor

3. Finding your Strength

4. Finding your size

Over the next week we are going to review these four topics.

Finding Your Temperature

The temperature of your blog is very important when starting out. You have to think how you are going approach your audience. Are you going to be hot coffee, or iced? Here are some pros and cons for each option.

Hot Coffee

· Pros

1. Straight to the point – you provide information to your customers without any fluff.

2. Massive amount of content provided in each blog (because you cover points faster)

· Cons

1. Cannot relate to all audiences. People who are not able to digest the facts right away may be turned away from your blog.

2. Sometimes to the outside world, this blog doesn’t seem to be creative.

Iced Coffee

· Pros

1. Breaks down hard material and simplifies it for everyone.

2. Wider audience due to simplified content.

· Cons

1. Cannot cover as much content as the hot coffee.

2. Sometimes seen as too simple.

I myself spent a lot of time deciding which form of content would be best for my blog. I decided to move forward with the iced coffee approach. I wrote out on a sheet of paper what I wanted to accomplish with my blog. After reviewing all the goals, I decided assisting small businesses to be the most important. By determining my goals, I realized I wanted my blog to be easily understood, no matter the reader’s history with blogging or online business.

Iced is perfect for me, but what’s right for you?