Business and Money Tips

The iPhone 6 has been declared a success by experts since the day it was officially launched.  There are 6 success factors of iPhone 6 that you too can copy to your business, even if you are not from Samsung: Sell to a Already Hungry Market .  The market is hungry for a bigger screen phone, especially those bigger than 5 inches.  The iPhone 6 Plus with 5.5 inches has huge potential demand as many people that bought Samsung for its bigger screen were disappointed with it and are ready to switch anytime.   Your application : Attraction Selling is better, sell to people that already want to buy is the best New Software never seen before, namely the iOS8.  Unlike Samsung Galaxy Note 4 which is still using the 1.5 years old Android 4.4, Apple has a totally new software.   Your application : Improve your personal software, which is your core soft skills like problem solving, thinking and persevernce. Competitive Pricing . Apple's pricing is just US$100 hig...

Last year, we gave away one iPad Mini to a client that purchased from us more than $6,800 training services from April to June 2014.  This year 2015 we like to repeat this good offer.  The following are the updated top 5 things to give to our clients: Apple i-Phone 6 64GB (4.7 in) worth $1,288 - for $6,000 of training services purchased Apple i-Phone 6 Plus 64GB (5.5 in) worth $1,488 - for $7,800 of training purchased  Samsung Galaxy Note 4+ Edge 32GB (5.7 in) worth $1,288 - for $6,000 of training purchased Samsung Galaxy Alpha 32 GB (4.8 in) worth $998 - for $5,000 of training purchased Samsung Galaxy K Zoom (4.8 in) worth $788 - for $4,500 of training purchased Conditions: Offer is until 31 March 2015 and will NOT be extended.   The above gifts are given as long as you incurred and paid for our training services Our list of courses are at www.asiatrainers.com/SeminarsList.php Enquiries: 6225-1784 or text to Andy at 8201-4347 or email to andytheco...

You know, people only take salespeople seriously when they think that the salesperson can really make a difference to their lives. Many salespeople are trained on how to ask questions to get the sale, but few are trained on how to ask 'Tough' questions that get you the sale immediately. In our sales training (eg  Selling Ice to the Eskimos  or  Winning Sales Strategies ), we often teach the following 3-stage questions: 1st stage: make a factual statement that can’t be refuted E.g. “Most sales staffs rarely meet the sales targets set for them by their company”; E.g. “Most businesses tend to do well in the initial years and falter as the years go by” 2nd stage: make a personal observation that reflects your experience and creates instant credibility E.g. “Experience from other companies has shown us that the reason for stagnant sales is not the competition but the lack of drive in the sales team.  Often the salespeople have little on-going training and most don't hav...

The other day I talked to one manager about how to upgrade his team so that they can perform better. He answered me, "I don't know, if I upgrade them, wouldn't they be more capable than me and soon take over my job?" This is a clear example of the thinking of a messenger not a manager. There are 7 ways that you can tell your manager is just a messenger and not a manager: Never Develop himself or his team .  You'll be shocked to find out that there are many managers out there that have never attended any non-technical courses since they left school.  Some of them don't even know that such courses exist!  Unbelievable but true! Good in Passing the Buck .  As we know, a manager must take up the blame even though he has no control over the hiring of his team.  As long as the team is under his responsibility, he must be responsible for ALL their actions Hardly Motivate, Inspire or Encourage his people. Worse still, such 'managers' often de-motivate...

5,000 years ago, without computers and machines, how did the ancient Egyptians built hundreds of massive hundreds pyramids in the African desert?  Did they use half a million workers to build just one pyramid over 20 years?   Now physicists at the University of Amsterdam have found the answer.  They investigated the forces needed to pull weighty objects on a giant sled over desert sand, and discovered that dampening the sand in front of the primitive device reduces friction on the sled, making it easier to operate.  Adding water to the sand, however, increased its stiffness, and the sleds were able to glide more easily across the surface. This is because droplets of water create bridges between the grains of sand, which helps them stick together, the scientists said. It is also the same reason why using wet sand to build a sandcastle is easier than using dry sand. But, there is a delicate balance, the researchers found. "If you use dry sand, it won't wo...

If you work with no passion, you are no different from a machine.  How to produce quality work?  Without quality work, how can you earn more?  Without earning more, how can you live your dreams and fulfil your life's aspirations and obligations? Unfortunately, most people do not work in a vocation that is their passion, and most have to work even if they have no interest in what they are doing.  But we know that passion at work can be built , and if you do the following 12 things, you'll become more passionate about your work: Look Beyond What You’re Doing What value are you creating for the society?   We are not just workers, our work do produce value for the society, and without our contribution, the society would be worse off Go into the depths of your work Learn Something New Everyday  Go the Extra Mile (GEM) – Do Beyond What’s Expected Without the Thought of Compensation  Adopt the FISH! Philosophy at work, which is a fun way of doing ...

It's very obvious: in the heart of busy Chinatown's New Bridge Road, 2 famous bak kwa shops lie side by side: they sell almost the same seasoned barbecued pork that is popular in Asia.  One thing stands them apart: the shop on the left is packed with shoppers with queues while the shop on the right has zero customers.  This is despite the fact that the right side shop sells at half price than his neighbour, yet he has no sales.  Fact 1: If you sell on price, you may not have more business Fact 2: If you cannot differentiate what you sell, you have to sell on price Fact 3: It is not your competitors that cut your price, it is you that cut your price Fact 4: People follow the crowd.  When you sell well, you sell even better Fact 5: If you don't know how to sell differently, cutting price may be the most silly thing to do Fact 6: Product differentiation is not easy to do.  Most would rather cut price first Fact 7: Improve your product to be better ...

According to Samsung, its market share for smartphones has declined by 28% as at June 2014.  The market share now stands at 25%, compared to 35% in 2013.  Samsung attributed the drop in business to the onslaught of cheap smartphones from China (they never mentioned Xiaomi, but we all know who they're talking about).   So is it true that your competitors take away your business?    We know that even if you half your price, you may still not able to beat your competitor.  (read here for explanation) If you look at the models introduced by Samsung in 2013 and 2014: they are all iterations, that is, incremental improvements over the previous models. Whether it is Galaxy Note 4, S5, Alpha or Note Edge, they all spotted faster processors, sharper screens and higher pixels for cameras. All these are good, but they are just iterations and not major improvements or quantum leaps, unlike the revolutionary Note and S 2 in 2011.  The point is not whether t...

The biggest charity you can do today is to do your role well.  We all come into this world with a purpose, and that purpose is to serve others by doing our role well .  You role could be a leader, a follower, housewife, businessman, employee or the government.  For when you do your role well, you can really helping others on a continuous basis.  Isn't this the biggest charity in the world? How to do your role well?  You need to work hard.  In this age of smartphones, many people think that working hard is stupid.  In fact it is not easy to work hard, for you have to not just use your body but also your mind and heart as well.   If you want to get rich, you need to work hard.  In fact, working hard is not the same as hardworking, as when you are working hard, you may not realize that you are working hard.  For  work has become a joy , and working hard is second nature as you are just fulfilling your calling. If you enjoy your...

Yes, everyone is talking about productivity, which we all know is dependent on sales volume. To leap frog productivity, the fastest way to do so is to leap frog your sales.  This is called Sales Productivity: how you can sell more on higher profit margins .  In this course, you will learn the secrets of selling that make companies like Apple and H & M famous. You will discover what are the 7 must-have strategies to sell effectively. We will also reveal you the secrets of successful salespeople and how you too can become a sales expert.   You'll also avoid the reason that make Samsung sales drop in 2014 (read here for write-up) Whether you are new or experienced in sales, if you too want to not just learn, but get inspired to achieve more than you think possible, this course on Successful Sales Strategies will reward you many times over. *** This course qualifies for PIC (Productivity & Innovation Credit), where you can get 60% Grant. This means your n...

Everyone spends two-thirds of their waking hours working, including commuting to work and talking and thinking about work issues even if they are off work.  It's thus paramount that people must be happy at work or life would be so miserable.   The sad truth is that  happiness , like all phenomena,  is impermanent. It lasts for only one moment : if the next moment doesn't have peace of mind, concentration and mindfulness, happiness will disappear.  Just talk to the man who was happily drinking and driving until an accident happen and you'll know what I'm talking about.   The happy truth is that since  happiness  is impermanent, it  can be renewed . And it can be r enewed by anyone, at any time, at any where and everywhere .  Most of the time, renewal is costless.   All you need is to have the right thought.  The secret to happiness at work is to have  renewals of happiness . Everyone has plenty of ideas how to...

Find out why Samsung's new models including Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Edge won't sell that much at here .  The 9 secrets that most sales trainers must cover include: How to Not Sell on Price but on Value  Attract new customers like a magnet  Increasing the average spending of existing customers without raising your price  Converting all sales objections into buying impetus  How to Sell the Impossible so as to sell ice to the Eskimos  How to Present your product and service so that your product features make sense for the buyer  Using social media tools and the power of internet marketing  Waking up hesitating customers with Irresistible Offers  How to expand your target market without leaving Singapore  On top of that, sales training must also cover the 4 soft skills: Dealing with Difficult customers using LOVE Strategies  Working pro-actively as a team and do Team Selling  How to use your brain more than 10% ...

Because of the tight labour policies adopted by the government since 2011, every organization, from government agencies to MNCs, from small enterprises to professional firms, from F & B establishments to manufacturing, are facing labour shortage.  This has brought about the following 5 common frustrations: Overworked staff , leading to fewer people wanting to join your industry and making new people leaving faster than before. Such outcomes only aggravate the situation and leave the overworked staff even more overworked Giving Up Opportunities to Expand Business .  Business opportunities are plentiful, but there is simply no one to do the work.  Not to talk about overseas expansions, even expanding from Payer Lebar to Potong Pasir poses logistics problems for companies Customer Service Compromised .  Unfortunately customers still expect the same level of service as before, even when there are fewer people doing the work.  Many a times managers and even...

What is the main reason for business problems? If you were to analyse the reasons, you will come up with one common reason - lack of sales. What then causes the lack of sales? Is it the economy? Product? Pricing? I say that at the end of the day, it can boil down to one cause: the salesperson did not close the sale. How important is closing the sale? Well, if you are not closing sales for your own company, you are closing sales for your competitor . For the prospect will simply go to whoever that closes on him, even though he may not be close to him. Sales Closing is defined as Moving the Sale forward . Throughout the different steps in the sales process, the salesperson has to close the sale and move the sales process forward, not backward. Many salespeople know that selling is just about 4 steps: you first have to find the prospect, you need to present to the prospect, you have to answer the prospect’s questions and you follow-up with the prospect until close. At every ste...

The Thirty-Six Stratagems 三十六计 is a unique collection of a mysterious ancient Chinese military book that describes not only battlefield strategies, but tactics used in psychological warfare to win with deception. Its origins are unknown, and no one knows who is the author or compiler. The modern version is derived from a tattered book discovered at a roadside vendor's stall in China in 1941. It turned out to be a reprint of an earlier book dating back to the late Ming or early Qing dynasty entitled, The Secret Art of War or The Thirty-Six Stratagems 三十六计. A reprint was first officially published for the general public by a government-related printer in Beijing in 1961. Today most scholars agree that the Thirty-Six Stratagems is likely a collection of idiomatic expressions taken from popular Chinese folklore, history, and myths.   Here are the 36 Stratagems in listing and our translation in simple English: Stratagems When You’re in Superior Positions 1.  ...