Bill Collecting Q & A

Jim: When I work up the nerve to call someone about an overdue bill I always seem to fold or lose my cool as soon as the other guy throws a reason at me for why the bill hasn't been paid. Do you have any suggestions? Patrick, NJ

Rooting Out Spyware + Hard Drive Installation

Can you help? I've got XP Professional on my PC, and every now and then it decides it's going to dial the internet. No particular reason, no applications calling for it, just now and then. If media player is running it interupts that, or otherwise just throws up a screen saying no dialtone (I don't have it permanently connected to the net). Can I stop…

Cause-Related Marketing

Altruism. Corporate responsibility. Philanthropy. These are often used to describe cause-related marketing, an activity in which businesses join with charities or causes to market an image, product, or service for mutual benefit.

The Training Trap

Lots of my clients call me up to ask that I train their staffs in various skills. The concerns usually sound like, "These guys need to learn to communicate" or "They just can't seem to get things done" or "Our customers always seem upset with us."