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IN THIS ISSUE
8 Tricks That Will Help You Connect With the Right People
The Little Things Can Add Up
GPS in the News
Tech Corner
8 Tricks That Will Help You Connect With the Right People
11 yrsIt's a question most of us have asked ourselves: What makes successful people so, well, successful? It's tempting to think that those at the top of the ladder know something the rest of us mere mortals don't-quite simply, what sets you apart from the competition is your ability to connect. Here a few simple tips that have helped some of world's most successful.

1) Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that reads, "Make me feel important."   This was the life philosophy of Mary Kay Ash, the well-known cosmetics mogul.   Her genuine concern for others catapulted her out of poverty and was the secret to her success.

2) Seek out a common interest.   People want others to be like them.   Establishing that you and a client root for the same baseball team or volunteer at the same charity will go a long way in making you relevant in his eyes!

3) Don't work from a script.   Try to scrap the memorized pitch in favor of a more natural conversation.   You'll seem more at ease and authentic-and your prospect will be less tempted to think that you're fluffing up the facts.

4) Remember the remarkable.  Entrepreneur Sunny Bates makes a point to identify and write down the things that stand out to her in every conversation.   She then references those statements in future interactions-and has been amazed by the reactions she's gotten when others realize that she has paid attention to and valued what they've said!

5) Cultivate curiosity.  According to Lee Iacocca, former Chrysler CEO, "A leader has to show curiosity.   He has to listen to people outside of the 'Yes, sir' crowd in his inner circle. Businesspeople need to listen at least as much as they need to talk.   Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions."

6) Act like a good listener.   (Don't let your body image betray you!)   We're constantly bombarded with information, so it's almost instinctive to tune it out.   When you're interacting with someone, you need to consciously change your body language to reflect that you want to receive information; otherwise, it may appear that you're trying to get away from it. Remember, your face says it all.

7) Resist the urge to be a one-upper.   Perhaps you feel compelled to share that you battled the flu for twice as long as your colleague.   Or maybe you're dying to tell your client how great your vacation to Hawaii was after she mentions her trip to the lake.   Three words: Don't.   Do.   It.   When you're always trying to top other people, you're ruining communication.

8) Ask effective questions.   When you're communicating, remember:   garbage in, garbage out.   If you ask the wrong questions, you'll get the wrong answers-or at least different answers from the ones you were hoping for.   Think about what you're hoping to learn, and remember that an open-ended question is almost always more effective than one that elicits a simple "Yes" or "No" answer.

The Little Things Can Add Up

What driving an extra ten miles a day can do to a business' bottom line.

Have you heard the story about how much a Starbucks Coffee Break costs?

The employee who wants to earn $ 50,000.00 annually is clocked at $24.03 per hour or $6.00 per quarter hour.   Two fifteen minute breaks a day = $ 12.00 per day x 5 days = $60.00 + a 12 ounce latte @ $2.75 per cup 2x per day = $5.50 per day or $27.50 per week.   Combine the time and latte for a weekly investment of $87.50 or $4,550.00 per year.
   Can the same be said for driving an extra 10 miles due to routing, side trips or unauthorized vehicle use?

Let's assume a driver's total of side trips, routing errors, unauthorized use or getting lost averages 10 miles a day.   What are the simple costs involved?   Gas right?   Let's take a closer look.

Total Mileage: 10 miles per day or 50 miles per week

A vehicle averaging 12 mpg = .08 gallons used daily x 5 days = 4 gallons used weekly @ $2.75 per gallon = $11.00 cost per week or $572.00 annually.   Not enough to make a major change right?  Then consider this:

Let's say your technician is paid a base rate of $ 20.00 per hour.   If the technician drove 10 miles out of the way is that also 10 additional miles to return?   A vehicle driving an average of  40 miles in a one hour period equates to 20 miles in a typical half hour or $10.00 of the labor paid.  $10.00 per day (1/2 hour of lost labor) equates to $ 50.00 per week or $2600.00 per year.  The loss of time devoted to driving means a loss of billable or productive time to the company.   A technician billing $75.00 per hour would essentially lose $187.50 per week or $9750.00 per year.

Now come the tougher questions -

  • What cost is the extra mileage or wear (oil/tire/engine) on a vehicle based on driving an extra 2600 miles annually?
  • What additional fuel is being used if the driver is speeding? According to Money magazine, every 5mph over 60mph costs an additional .20 more per gallon of gas.
  • What liability from insurance or risk does the company have during these additional ten miles?
Naturally, the costs can vary depending on each situation.   The problem is, those numbers would actually drive up the loss.  Whatever your case, most business owners don't realize the total monetary loss from such a minor infraction.   Scheduling or running a FleetBoss Stop Detail/consolidation report will identify this type of problem instantly.   In a year of driving an extra ten miles a day,  a single employee can produce $12,922.00 of bottom line profit losses. With this annual figure, the bigger question may be how long has this employee been working for you and is there more than one?   Pass the Starbucks.

GPS In The News
Army Special Forces To Get GPS- Enabled Watches

These proposed GPS watches will come with 20 channels all-in-view tracking with a large LCD and 80000 tracking points. "The watches will gives forces an ...

Yuppie 911: Rescuers fear tracking technology could lead to avalanche of aid to unprepared hikers, climbers

The Detroit News
Because would-be adventurers can send GPS coordinates to rescuers with the touch of a button, some are exploring terrain they do not have the experience, ...

Child Safety and GPS Tracking

By GPS News
Here are some methods that can be used with GPS Tracking to help keep children safer.

New GPS tracker opens doors for marine research

Planet Earth
'GPS tracking will open a huge research field and it will allow us to learn many new things about how fishes move in the oceans. ...

Tech Corner
Tech Tip
 
Q. Should I disconnect the vehicle GPS tracking device before jumpstarting a vehicle?
 
A. Whether the unit is hardwired or connected at the diagnostic port of the vehicle you should always disconnect the GPS device before jump starting or replacing the battery. In most cases it will not affect the GPS device; however an improper jumpstart could inadvertently damage the device.
 
Floyd Honeycutt
Vice President of Operations


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