Tag Archives: name

Builders & Contractors: Marketing 101

by george michaels

Builders and Contractors are you doing anything different in these hard times to increase your business? Or are you doing the same ole same ole? There is an old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

Is that you?

What I’m trying to say is the old ways no longer work. In by gone days all a contractor had to do was give the customer good quality and good service and he/she would be set. Then set back and let your customers do your selling for you. They would tell a friend and then that friend would tell a friend. Your phone would be ringing off the hook. I remember as an Architectural designer some days I would have up to four people wanting to schedule appointments for designs. That was the good ole days. But now!

There are problems. Most of us in the construction industry we’re not prepared for what happened. We never marketed ourselves,
never had to. So what do we do. Answer: start by doing the basics. Below are a few simple but powerful must does marketing.

*You must Brand your name. That means you have to become known in your town. Think of insurance company’s. There might be
50 insurance company’s in your area but there is always a few that are known by name. Example: “All Davis, State farm” see what I
mean, make your name synonymous with building.

*Become easier to find. “The phone never rings”,boo hoo hoo. Well why would it? Customers don’t mysteriously know who you are
or what you do. If they are looking for your service they will use the internet to find you. You have to have a Website.

*Easy payments. This day and time credit still is king! You have to have the ability to get customers financed or at the very least take credit cards. It is just the way the world does business.

The above are just a few of the things you have to be doing to survive in the building industry. As you can see they are not hard but you do have to take action.

If you would like more tip’s and help you can follow my news letter the Construction Times

About the Author

George Michaels has spent his entire life in the construction industry. He currently is editor of the the Construction Times a weekly ezine dedicated to the help and support to the Building Contractor

Remembering People’s Names

by Alexander Rorty

Remembering people’s names is one of the most important parts of social etiquette. Even if we don’t admit it, we dislike when people can’t remember who we are. One remembers the scene in American Beauty when Kevin Spacey’s character says, “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t remember me either”. Having one’s name forgotten makes them feel unimportant.

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to remember the names of lots of people. However, there are some fairly straightforward tricks you can do to help you jog your memory. Most of them come from the tricks of medieval poets who had to remember long lines of verse. The trick is that, while sounds (especially arbitrary sounds, like names) are difficult to remember, patterns and images are very easy to remember.

Some of these tricks will work better or worse for you, depending on how your mind works. Pick and choose from the following list:

Make a rhyme: Take the person’s first name and rhyme it with something starting with another word starting with the first letter of the person’s last name. So, for example, if the person’s name is “Jane Smith”, think of the name as “Jane Smane”. The rhyme will stick more easily in your mind than the actual name, and you’ll be reminded of the name when you hear it.

Turn it into a number: If you’re one of those people who is very good at remembering numbers, but not names, just turn the initials into a number. Every letter of the alphabet can be mapped onto a number from 1 to 26. So, when you meet Jane Smith, you can turn her name into 1019. With a little practice, you can easily remember everyone’s initials, which can be used to remember the names. Don’t forget to use zeros, so that you’ll always have a four-digit number. For example, Andrew Barnes should be 0102.

Use an image: If you don’t remember rhymes or numbers very well, try using an image instead. In these cases, what you should do is to think of something that sounds similar to the person, and then imagine that thing right on the person’s face. So, for example, Jane sounds a little like “chain”, so when you meet Jane smith, imagine a chain going from her nose to her ear, for example. It takes a little imagination, but once you’re good at it, you’ll be able to recall anyone’s name with ease.

Different people remember differently. However, for most people, rhymes, numbers and images are easier to remember than the arbitrary strings of sounds in which names normally consist. The above three tricks can help you remember others’ names.

About the Author

Alexander Rorty, M.A. has been writing articles on the internet since 1997. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Janet, and their two children. Their latest site is called Island Hood, and features articles such as the one on under-cabinet range hoods.