Image and Impression in Sales and Business

In sales image and impression are everything. How people perceive the business person determines whether or not they trust them and if they should make a purchase. In business this impression is also important as people judge each other within the first few minutes of meeting. It is these first impression images you have to worry about as they will last a long time. Enhancing your impression is important for sowing the deal.

It may or may not be fair to be judged quickly by a first impression. Unfortunately, this is they way in which most people's brains work. They simply take a quick look and assessment, compare that to their experiences, and make a judgement. Changing that judgement is very difficult so improving your first impression is important for business success.

Considering that we are a little mentally lazy we go with impressions because they are quick heuristics. A person wearing a Rolex and driving a Mercedes will certainly look more financially secure than someone driving a Timex and a Ford Escort. As we have learned from books like the Millionaire Next Door it is the later who may be on the better financial track and have a bigger bank account.

Regardless, first impressions can make or break the deal. This is especially true if the two business partners don't know each other well or have limited time and resources to dig further into the character of the person. Those who know how to dress and present themselves will naturally do much better than those who don't.

Dress up for work. Wear a suit, tie, black/brown shoes, and appropriate shirt with color. If you work in a casual environment then clash casual and professional to upgrade without going too far. Shine your shoes and make sure you have the right watch. Get a hair cut and think about upgrading your car. The rest....well....no one knows the difference. 

Playing Sports to Get in Shape

Sports are a great way to keep you interested in your fitness goals. The type of sport depends on your interest and what you want to accomplish. If you don't know what type of sport you should play then go ahead and explore. The different muscles and activities will likely push your body to change quickly.

Repetitive exercise is not only not good for you but it can get boring. We see how quickly people get redundant when they start a fitness routine and then quit within a few weeks or months do to lack of interest and life distractions. Mixing traditional exercises with sports can help alleviate this boredom.

Let us say you are on a hardcore workout routine. You go to the gym and mix in your cardio and weights. Your workouts are stagnant and don't seem to give you a well rounded fitness. This is when augmenting your gym work with sports can be helpful.

The type of sport is less important than playing. If you want to mimic sprinting join soccer, basketball or volley ball. If you are trying to gain coordination and upper body strength try boxing. If you want to lose weight and have fun then downhill sill or surf. The options are up to you.

Exercise doesn't need to be stressful or full of all the things we project onto it. This is in your head. Exercise can be social, fun, relaxing, or intense. The type of exercise you choose should complement  your personality. Try and do things you find fun and enjoy doing them more.

Ethnic Shopping Communities

I have been in San Diego for a couple of years and am still dumbfounded by the amount of diversity the area holds. This includes people from nearly all corners of the world. There are shopping places for Italians, Asians, Mexicans, Arabs, and just about every other ethnic group. Besides giving people ethnic food I find it interesting that each culture seems to have their own emphasis.

Shopping for some time in the area I learned that some markets have great butcheries at discount prices. Others might have fruit that is cheaper than anywhere else in town. A few places are great for cereal. What I noticed about the 99 Ranch Market is that they have a huge seafood and spice selection.

Most of the writing is in Chinese (at least I think) but they do offer subtitles. Kind of neat place if you want to check out some of the foods they have and pick up a few things for supper. It is a full service store that includes just about everything you will need for your refrigerator.

Just behind the market are other ethic stores making the immediate area a great shopping place for ethnic Asian food and products. I just got hooked on seaweed as a great snack. I am still looking for dried squid which I had as a teenager but haven't been able to find since. Check out the place, eat at one of their local restaurants, and go shopping before going home.

99 Ranch Market

7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd

San Diego, CA 92111

http://www.99ranch.com/stores/san-diego-california

Fostering Emotional Intelligence in Business Students

Emotional Intelligence (EI) has become popular as a determining factor of success over the recent past. The process of understanding one’s emotions, how they sit on issues, and resolve issues is important for moving forward to higher levels of management. The era of the emotionally infant boss throwing a temper tantrum to get people motivated no longer pushes people to the highest levels of performance. Developing emotional intelligence in business students can raise executive functioning. 

No doubt business is stressful and that stress impacts every aspect of the working and non-working spheres of our life. EI is so powerful that it influences performance, leadership, physical, and mental health (Humphrey, 2013). It is one of those fundamental skills that reaches into every part of our life. 

EI can impact how we manage employees, interact with business partners, make deals and handle the daily frustrations within the workplace. When confronting major business challenges the emotional intelligent person will not only be able to deal with this frustration but still encourage people to overcome obstacles without losing control. 

It is such an important skill for graduates that it is beneficial to start teaching emotional intelligence in college. How this is not easy as there are multiple layers of knowledge that range from definition to personal insight. Yet the process of understanding how to communicate, understanding oneself, and knowing how emotional intelligence influences our lives can be beneficial. 

Better management of one’s emotions and what they mean also impacts how we relate with others and influence them in the business world. People trust a person who has an even keel personality and seems to bring forth trust by their words and demeanor. People with high EI can work through the ups and downs of life to achieve their objectives. Students who can master their own EI are an emotional asset to an organization and have the staying power to manage for long periods of time.

Humphrey, R. (2013).  The benefits of emotional intelligence and empathy to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 3 (3).

Using Apps to Keep Track of Calories

Getting in shape is hard work. There is a lot to remember and take care of. It is not always possible to lug around a journal to write down your eating and exercising. However, some great applications have come out that make life a little easier. If you are seeking to gain muscle or lose weight you will need to have better management of your intake.

I have an Android phone, recently moved from I-phone, and decided to try a few fitness applications. The best overall application I found was My Fitness Pal. It offers three great features I like. This includes calculating the amount of calories you can eat in a day to reach your weight loss goals, calculates the calories of your food and the amount of calories you burned.

Compared to a few other applications I scanned this one seemed to have the best overall rating and reviews. It is free and seems to help you think about the choices and options throughout the day. If you are really serious about the type of food you eat and the nutrients it contains the application will calculate that as well. The technology we have at our finger tips is getting better every year.

Quality of Beach Improves San Diego Tourism Revenue

Beaches are a significant draw for the economy and for the local people. The quality of the beach can have an impact on the economic contribution of tourism. Even though we might not think of it this way a beach is like a service were visitors expect a certain quality and maintenance level.

People pay for anything that meets their desire. Beaches offer an alternative tropical life very different than what most people are accustomed with. Vacations and fun are a service just like any other. 

Without meeting customer expectations they will naturally consider other options and may not come back to visit the region. The revenue spent in restaurants, hotels, clothing and entertainment will go with them.

According to a study published in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy beach choices, and the amount of money people spend, is related to issues like beach width, water contact, pavement, sand quality, etc. (Pendleton, et. al., 2012). The same qualities of service preference also applies to bathroom cleanliness, grooming, safety, facilities, and surrounding shopping.

San Diego is a tourist destination and its beaches are part of its eco culture that contributes such industries such as fishing, biotechnology, military, etc. Beach quality has a direct impact on the economy of the area and is relatively easy to maintain when compared to other types of improvements. Keeping San Diego clean and working toward a more sustainable future should be everyone's goal.

Pendleton, L. et. al. (2012). Size matters: the economic value of beach erosion and nourishment in Southern California.

Burn the Degree and Keep the Knowledge

Students are focused on the degree. How can we blame them? Employers are also focused on the degree as a benchmark of knowledge. The degree is certification of learned knowledge and what it stands for is more important than the GPA. It is possible to burn the degree and keep running a business with the knowledge learned.

We see this process occur when students push for every grade they want but didn't necessarily put in the time to earn that grade. When explaining that giving an easy A won't help them learn they roll their eyes and ask to raise their grade again. Love the persistence but if it was placed on the process of learning it would be better time spent.

The employer also gives too much emphasis to the grade when making hiring decisions. If someone is on the honor roll, even if it means nothing, they are of higher quality than a person in the B range who gained more knowledge. The first impression of the grade point average can be a difficult to overcome.

Let us go back a few hundred years and see the fallacy of believing too much in what is written on a piece of paper. Image if you were considering to two candidates to manage your farm. One had a nice looking piece of paper saying they learned, didn't seem to know what they were talking about, had little persistence, and gave up as soon as something gets difficult. The other didn't have this fancy paper but knew what they are doing and were persistent through difficulties.

Of course if it was your money you would choose candidate two. We have become removed from the idea of knowledge versus the degree. It is important to interview candidates, and view the entire person, their challenges and skills in obtaining objectives. If you find a graduate with persistence and character over someone with a high GPA you may have just hired your next star performer.