Everyone has things about them that they don't necessarily want their employer to know. Generally, one wants their employer to know as little about one's home life as possible without making one appear to be psychotic. This is a difficult balance to strike at times, particularly if you happen to be a geek like me.
Quick aside: I play Dungeons and Dragons every week. I'm the treasurer for VCU's literary society. In addition to blogging about my favorite board games, I love going to conventions and renaissance faires.
As Meriah is fond of saying: honesty is not always the best policy. While I'd never lie about who I am or what I enjoy doing, I don't want every boss of mine to know the extent of my geeky-ness.
Why? For the same reason that one normally wouldn't want to disclose a health condition, history of drug abuse, or domestic problem unless you are legally required to do so: your employer may discriminate against you if they know.
It may sound like I'm overreacting, but I'm not. Should I ever enter government service, I could be denied security clearance (effectively fired) just for playing D&D. Even though my hobby is as harmless as any, it has a lot of baggage associated with it that I need to be aware of.
Of course, it's not always possible to keep the secret. One time I actually got caught mid-game by some people I worked with. While I wasn't elated to be "outed", I didn't have much to worry about. Most people don't actually care what I do with my free time, but then again, some do, and some of those people have power.
For this reason, I usually don't mention what I do with my free time.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Advertising Plan
Succeeding without TV, Radio, or Newspapers
Our corporation, Negative Weight Solutions, is a company that creates low-fat, healthy, and delicious culinary alternatives and then sells them to restaurants in the market for healthy food. We decided to form a health food company due to a shared concern in interest in healthy eating among the board members. However, we realized that supermarkets are already pretty choked with health food from a billion different brands. We did not wish to try our luck by throwing more money into the veritable constellation of competitors that make up this very saturated market. Instead, we decided that rather than create an entire line of healthy food and market it to grocers, we’d create recipes and market them to restaurants. Additionally, once we were established, we could begin operating on commission, extending our efforts to creating McDonald’s next Fruit and Walnut Salad, or whatever came our way.
Among the corporations making up the class, Negative Weight Solutions is rare, perhaps unique, in offering services to the business community rather than the consumer market. Due to this unusual arrangement, Negative Weight Solutions has additional concerns and restrictions to consider. For one thing, our board has unanimously decided that most marketing channels would be ineffective at moving our products. We reached this conclusion on the assumption that restaurants do not purchase recipes in the same way that consumers buy groceries. There’s a greater investment on the part of the restaurant, for if a consumer doesn’t like the brand of ricotta cheese they bought one week, they can change their decision and suffer only minor consequences. If a major restaurant buys a recipe and it doesn’t fly, then the restaurant is probably out several hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising alone. Given their circumstances, most restaurants simply can’t afford to purchase anything based on television, newspaper, or radio advertisement.
With this in mind, Negative Weight Solutions determined that the best way to sell our products was to make direct with our customers, putting a focus on trade shows. Using the trade show as a springboard, we could talk directly with buyers and management, offer samples, network, and negotiate. A secondary focus would be querying these companies with our products directly. Our reasoning is that once a company realizes the large demand for healthy food and our expertise at creating it, they’ll be happy to do business with us, to the enrichment of both parties. We would also, of course, have a presence in trade magazines.
Our corporation, Negative Weight Solutions, is a company that creates low-fat, healthy, and delicious culinary alternatives and then sells them to restaurants in the market for healthy food. We decided to form a health food company due to a shared concern in interest in healthy eating among the board members. However, we realized that supermarkets are already pretty choked with health food from a billion different brands. We did not wish to try our luck by throwing more money into the veritable constellation of competitors that make up this very saturated market. Instead, we decided that rather than create an entire line of healthy food and market it to grocers, we’d create recipes and market them to restaurants. Additionally, once we were established, we could begin operating on commission, extending our efforts to creating McDonald’s next Fruit and Walnut Salad, or whatever came our way.
Among the corporations making up the class, Negative Weight Solutions is rare, perhaps unique, in offering services to the business community rather than the consumer market. Due to this unusual arrangement, Negative Weight Solutions has additional concerns and restrictions to consider. For one thing, our board has unanimously decided that most marketing channels would be ineffective at moving our products. We reached this conclusion on the assumption that restaurants do not purchase recipes in the same way that consumers buy groceries. There’s a greater investment on the part of the restaurant, for if a consumer doesn’t like the brand of ricotta cheese they bought one week, they can change their decision and suffer only minor consequences. If a major restaurant buys a recipe and it doesn’t fly, then the restaurant is probably out several hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising alone. Given their circumstances, most restaurants simply can’t afford to purchase anything based on television, newspaper, or radio advertisement.
With this in mind, Negative Weight Solutions determined that the best way to sell our products was to make direct with our customers, putting a focus on trade shows. Using the trade show as a springboard, we could talk directly with buyers and management, offer samples, network, and negotiate. A secondary focus would be querying these companies with our products directly. Our reasoning is that once a company realizes the large demand for healthy food and our expertise at creating it, they’ll be happy to do business with us, to the enrichment of both parties. We would also, of course, have a presence in trade magazines.
Public Relations vs. Advertising
In the world of communications many people confuse the Public Relations and Advertising industries with one another. It is not rare for companies to being a hiring process for someone in the advertising field and then expect them to perform public relations duties or vice versa. This is mostly due to the lack of understanding in the difference between the two fields.
Public Relations and advertising are similar because both deal with reaching out to different publics, both participate in publicizing whom ever they are representing, and both work in the interest of whom ever they are representing. However, there is in fact a major difference even with these similarities.
Public Relations is more concerned with publicity of something or someone rather than producing sales through publicity like advertising. For public relations, publicity is gained on relationships that are made; in public relations publicity is never bought or paid for. This is because typically the publicity typically sought is to inform, raise awareness, make an important announcement, or attract attention. This is why it is crucial to the careers of people in public relations to build relationships with other members in the communication industry like journalists, broadcasters, and news reporters.
Advertising must always pay for their space whether it be on television, radio, or in a newspaper. This is due to the fact that advertising is trying to achieve goals that correlate to sales through the placement in any of these mediums. Advertising is extremely important for companies to have within their business because not only does their placement correlate to sales, but can also persuade an audience to do something, change minds or perceptions, and create awareness of a product.
Both professions are equally important because they affect a business’ publics in different ways in order to help their growth. However, when improperly hiring for these positions the tasks are not performed correctly and can either be ineffective or actually hurt the business. There are certain ways each profession is taught to research, plan, communicate, and evaluate. The processes are quite different in the two industries. If they are not carried out in the correct manner it will not produce the desired outcome.
Therefore, when hiring for either position it is crucial to the betterment of your business to hire a person that has studied or has extensive experience in that particular field. Pay close attention to the kind of publicity the business needs, whether it is to raise awareness or sales. It will make all the difference in the world.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Handling Business in France
The manner of communication in France varies slightly between the social and business scene. Generally, France uses a high-context manner of communication, and is often indirect to avoid confrontation or speaking in an overly direct way. This indirect way of speaking changes in the business setting, where the French can be argumentative and blunt during negotiations. Generally, French businessmen tend to place importance on relationships and status, but still conduct business with high-context communication. Verbally, the French favor indirect language to direct speaking, and often use Cartesian logic to explain themselves. The French language allows for this flourish in speaking, which may get lost if explained in a different language.
Upon meeting in a business setting it is normal to shake hands while keeping eye contact. With men, the man of higher status must initiate the handshake, and with women it is optional whether or not to offer one’s hand. When speaking to French businessmen, French is the language generally used, although several of the businessmen can speak English. Buyers will usually allow English or German to be spoken, but when dealing with exporters they expect French. Even written business items should be written in French, and Parisians especially expect your French to be good.
To initialize contact in France for business matters, usually meeting at trade shows or through mutual contacts is a good start. It is also normal to be introduced through business associations such as trade associations or banks. Requesting to meet through a formal letter written in perfect French is acceptable as well. Upon meeting, business cards are exchanged without any type of proper ritual. Cards from France are normally larger than other countries. On the business card it is common courtesy to include a side that is translated in French. It is also common to include the academic degrees you may have on the card.
Managing in France is influenced by the social manners and etiquette of the country. Some of these common manners that are conducted in France include maintaining eye contact, avoiding confrontations during negotiations, as well as precise contracts to set agreements in stone. In French negotiations business is conducted in a proper and formal manner. Following France’s polychronic behavior of ‘taking their time’ decision making in France is a longer process than in other countries. Decisions are not made in business meetings, which are simply meant for discussion. Generally the decisions are made by the senior member in France, but are not necessarily a fast procedure. Business meetings conducted slowly as well. This is due to the fact that the French analyze all the details of proposals or negotiations. Business presentations should explain everything in a logical manner without high-pressure tactics. If it so happens that serious business matters needed to be discussed, they would be put off until an invitation was offered to have a business lunch.
There are several characteristics that define France’s management style. One of these characteristics includes the autocratic manner in which France conducts business, placing authority on managers. Managers are expected to be able to answer any questions its employees may have, and are unwilling to delegate authority. Team work is not common in French companies, and when information is given it out it’s on a selective basis. Reporting to the manager is not common as well. The French consider reporting a sign of weakness and an opportunity for criticism. There are also a few business etiquettes that should be followed when managing in France. Before conducting business in France it is important to build rapport with the people you are dealing with. Normally this involves discussing your knowledge of the French culture and language, as well as the food and art. By building rapport and earning their trust, it is building a relationship with them so they can better communicate with you. It is also important to understand that they are more concerned with the quality of the business negotiation as opposed to the amount of time it takes. Business presentations should be detailed and any questions they pose you must be able to answer. In negotiating business it is also preferable to be face-to face, but you must remember to not speak of business during meals.
Upon meeting in a business setting it is normal to shake hands while keeping eye contact. With men, the man of higher status must initiate the handshake, and with women it is optional whether or not to offer one’s hand. When speaking to French businessmen, French is the language generally used, although several of the businessmen can speak English. Buyers will usually allow English or German to be spoken, but when dealing with exporters they expect French. Even written business items should be written in French, and Parisians especially expect your French to be good.
To initialize contact in France for business matters, usually meeting at trade shows or through mutual contacts is a good start. It is also normal to be introduced through business associations such as trade associations or banks. Requesting to meet through a formal letter written in perfect French is acceptable as well. Upon meeting, business cards are exchanged without any type of proper ritual. Cards from France are normally larger than other countries. On the business card it is common courtesy to include a side that is translated in French. It is also common to include the academic degrees you may have on the card.
Managing in France is influenced by the social manners and etiquette of the country. Some of these common manners that are conducted in France include maintaining eye contact, avoiding confrontations during negotiations, as well as precise contracts to set agreements in stone. In French negotiations business is conducted in a proper and formal manner. Following France’s polychronic behavior of ‘taking their time’ decision making in France is a longer process than in other countries. Decisions are not made in business meetings, which are simply meant for discussion. Generally the decisions are made by the senior member in France, but are not necessarily a fast procedure. Business meetings conducted slowly as well. This is due to the fact that the French analyze all the details of proposals or negotiations. Business presentations should explain everything in a logical manner without high-pressure tactics. If it so happens that serious business matters needed to be discussed, they would be put off until an invitation was offered to have a business lunch.
There are several characteristics that define France’s management style. One of these characteristics includes the autocratic manner in which France conducts business, placing authority on managers. Managers are expected to be able to answer any questions its employees may have, and are unwilling to delegate authority. Team work is not common in French companies, and when information is given it out it’s on a selective basis. Reporting to the manager is not common as well. The French consider reporting a sign of weakness and an opportunity for criticism. There are also a few business etiquettes that should be followed when managing in France. Before conducting business in France it is important to build rapport with the people you are dealing with. Normally this involves discussing your knowledge of the French culture and language, as well as the food and art. By building rapport and earning their trust, it is building a relationship with them so they can better communicate with you. It is also important to understand that they are more concerned with the quality of the business negotiation as opposed to the amount of time it takes. Business presentations should be detailed and any questions they pose you must be able to answer. In negotiating business it is also preferable to be face-to face, but you must remember to not speak of business during meals.
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