Simpler approach to stay in contact with your Clients

I have found the term "smart ping" recently, and I thought it could be intriguing to some of you, so let me share the main idea.

Every business manager needs to push the client consistently

Unfortunately, it does not function productively when we simply send endless "Hi, did you have an opportunity to look through the presentation/proposal yet?" This message will get lost among numerous other similar ones.

Here comes the "smart ping" — when you don't simply remind the customer about yourself, but, give some update, some valuable data or attempt to find another approach which could interest the client.

Here are the illustrations:

1) "Greetings, did you have an opportunity to look through the introduction about Tabschool?

By the way, a week ago we've connected few new traffic sources with really good results — that is truly new, it is not available in other retargeting engines".

2) "Hello, I wanted to share our new article about retargeting on our blog. It covers a few inquiries regarding course content which I had mentioned last time. I think it could be interesting.

By the way, did you have an opportunity to look through the proposal?"

3) "Hello there, did you have an opportunity to look through the presentation?

By the way, it will be the White Nights Conference in St. Petersburg soon, our Executive Director will be there. Are you going to visit it? In the event that you do, we have a promo code with 20% discount".

From my experience, it works truly well. Now I realize why it has such unique name — smart ping.

What to write about?

Better believe it, sometimes it can be very time consuming to think of an idea to write on. There are a few tips:

• .      Read a company newsletter and industry news to know about what's happening;
• .      Get some information about what's happening with your content marketing, what's new can be shared;
•        Ask product owners of new products what to write about. 

One more clever little tidbit,

For specific products, it can be valuable to compose several messages ahead of time and use it in a chain. For instance, for some products it can be this way:

• 1.      In the primary email, you write on key advantages for the client.
• 2.      In the second email, you depict a particular feature deeply.
• 3.      In the third one, you describe another feature which can be particularly fascinating to the client.

Also, you can have a go at using Rebump for Gmail in order to set up such smart email chains.

How to build momentum at Work

Raise your hand if you've recognized past the point of no return that you haven't been doing the stuff that truly matters, just to go ballistic, get overwhelmed, and set out to work longer and harder — while as yet doing the same things that you just beat yourself up for doing.

Don't worry; if I weren't writing, my hand would be up, too.

This issue emerges because there are two particularly challenging parts of the day for us creative people:

1. Getting an incredible start on the day.
2. Letting go by the end of the day.

These two difficulties are personally related. Since we often don't realize what we ought to be doing, we get involved in a great deal of easy -to -engage in tasks that often aren't the things that matter the most. By the time we get our heads straight, a great deal of time has been wasted, so we end up trying to overcompensate by working longer.

Then, at exactly the time when you're obviously not ready anymore to accomplish something without messing it up, you remember all the stuff you should've been doing in the first place. You realize that it won't complete regardless of how hard you beat yourself up about it, yet you also can't simply not do it.

Yes, my hand would even now be up.

It doesn't need to be this way. Interfering with this pattern is as simple as figuring out what we have to do, doing it, and after that checking by the end of the day to ensure we did it. Keep in mind, something's being simple is not the same as its being easy.

Here's the deal, however: unless you're great at planning your day, it's truly difficult to do it first thing in the morning. It's considerably easier to check email and begin the Loop, which only serves to repeat the similar pattern that you're trying to interrupt.

So, rather than trying it that way, attempt what I'm calling the 10/15 Split. The 10/15 Split is basically a quick check in and check out process. You spend 10 minutes in the beginning of your day checking in and 15 minutes by the end of the day checking out.

The way to getting the 10/15 Split going is actually in the check-out instead of the check in. That is the reason it gets more time, but at the same time this is on account of you asking harder questions. We'll start by discussing the check out.

To sleep or Not to sleep

Sleep, once seen as a thing to do less if you needed to succeed, is currently a "measure of success — a skill to be developed and nourished" as per a New York Times article. A sleep focused industry is booming in response, offering the tired masses everything from sleep tracking devices to special goggles intended to reset your interior clock. This raises an important question however: With all we know about how screens can disturb our sleep, are tech-centered solutions truly our best options?

On one hand, writers paint an empowering picture of just how wide the pro sleep movement has spread: From Jeff Bezos to the Army, an ever increasing number of individuals and organizations are recognizing the significance of a good night's sleep for enhanced performance. Studies have also connected lack of sleep to a large group of intellectual and physical issues from impaired decision making to trouble recognizing feelings.

Many know first hand the magic of an great night's rest, something sleep specialists confirm: "Sleep is the absolute best thing you can do to reset your mind and body," Matthew P. Walker, Ph.D., from the University of California Berkeley tells NYT. It's even turning into a tool that you can use to gain an edge in work and life.

Sleep is a "human potential enhancer," Marian Salzman, a trend spotter and CEO of Havas PR North America, telling NYT, "I can see sleep being another weapon in competitive parenting and career- building."

Utilizing technology to help unplug and sleep is however complicated. Latest research in view of anecdotal evidence suggests that using sleep trackers may make individuals so worried about getting great sleep (and meeting a quantitative objective) that they fail to get the rest they require.

To summarize, the cons of bringing a screen-based sleep gadget into the bedroom may outweigh the potential pros. "If you want to enhance your sleep, you need to roll out a few changes. Your Fitbit and your Apple Watch are not going to do it for you," Nancy H. Rothstein, chief of Circadian Corporate Sleep Programs tells NYT. "We've lost the simplicity of sleep. So much of writing, so many sites, so much stuff. I'm thinking. Just rest. I want to say: 'Shh. Make it dim, quiet and cool. Take a bath.'"

While we believe that well- planned technology can prompt self-change, if the answer requires bringing a screen into your bedroom, consider a simpler choice (like good sleep hygiene and unplugging at least 30 minutes before bed) to get the rest you need.

Motivational habits to learn from Millionaires

Have you ever been awed by the motivation of a successful business man, leader or competitor? I have. It's not jealousy, either. Far from it. It's regard for how spurred they are. Despite the fact that I see myself as fairly motivated, their examples urge me to become even more engaged and driven.

Good news however, is that by embracing the following ten habits, anybody can become more inspired.

1. Discover your why.

"Exceptionally energetic individuals begin with their WHY. WHY do you do what you do?," asks J.D. Meier in an article for Time.

"If you climb a mountain only because it's there, that is likely not enough to keep you going when hard times arise. If you know WHY you do what you do, and it makes a difference deeply to you, only then you will discover your strength in any circumstance," includes Meier.

Why would you like to begin an exercise regiment? Because it was recommended by your specialist? Did you life partner murmur a remark? It is safe to say that you are tired of feeling lethargic? When you discover your why, you can use that to spur you to finish working out.

2. Feel what you feel.

"While baffling or upsetting things happen, a few people get overpowered with negative emotions, while others endeavor to avoid that negativity all together," writes author Erika Anderson in Forbes. "Neither one of the alternatives works extremely well - getting stuck in outrage, frustration, pity, or disappointment can paralyze you, while pretending that you're not feeling anything can have long haul negative consequences for your wellbeing and mental state."

Rather, locate where you really feel your emotions and after that travel through them. In case you're truly ticked off about a colleague who stole an idea, it's okay to give that anger a chance to get out in a healthy way, for example, venting to your close friend. Rather than giving it a chance to fester, get it out into the open and move on.

3. Kick your morning off on the correct foot.

One of the easiest and most powerful habits that drive inspiration is commencing your day effectively by having a morning routine. Consider. Kicking your day off with the correct charge makes it a lot easier to remain motivated through the whole day.

To guarantee that you wake-up on the right side of the bed, try these tips:

Have motivation to get up. It could be anything from walking your puppy to ensuring your children are off to school to squeezing in a workout before work.

Stretch and breathe deep. This gets the blood and oxygen flowing to your brain, and helps you get up.

Accomplish something easy to begin the day. I make my bed immediately once I'm up. It's not because I need the room to look presentable. This is on the account that it's a simple task that makes me feel like I've already finished something - despite the fact that I've just been up for two or three minutes!

Set goals for the day. This doesn't need to be long. Simply list your priorities for the day.

4. Switch it up.

There's an old saying: Variety is the spice of life. Variety keeps you motivated to meet goals when you haven't made much progress and risk falling into a rut.

Switching things up is like your exercise schedule. You can't simply work at your legs. Other parts of your body require some attention as well. Continue doing same exercises and you'll soon plateau.

The same is valid for any part of your life. Switching things up offers you the opportunity to break the monotony, experiment with new abilities, and have new encounters that can lead to new ideas or develop another passion.

5. Monitor your progress

This is a simple way for you to perceive how far you've come along. Sounds simple, but consider that you set a reading goal. Maybe you want to read more books. Your initial objective is to read for only five minutes every day; except once you begin, you're reading for 10 minutes and now you're up to 30 minutes per day and you're flying through books.

If you can do thirty minutes, then why not knock up to forty? Simply imagine all the books you'll be able to read!

6. Make environmental anchors

This is simply writing your goals or quotes on a Post-it or 3x5 card and putting it on the wall of your office, within your car, mirror or calender. A daily reminder of your objective will push you to achieve it.

7. Join a gathering, online or offline

Self-motivation is tough. Think about going to gum on your own or when you attempted to stop smoking. It was probably a lot less easy when you had a partner with a similar goal to push each other.

Whether it's joining an online forum, taking a class or joining a support group, being with people who share a similar objective will keep you focused and engaged. You can share advice, give moral support and inspire each other to keep pushing forward when you feel like quitting.

8. Create appreciation.

Just by identifying one thing everyday that you're appreciative for is powerful enough in helping you accomplish both your small goals and your big goals since it develops the ability to look for a daily opportunity that you can grow from.

For instance, in case you're thankful that you just landed a new client today, then utilize that inclination and experience to secure two new clients tomorrow.

9. Find your passion.

Obsession can be an extremely powerful motivator since it creates its own motivational might. Truth be told, most successful people are those are who pursued their passion and are doing what they love to do.

When you end up being passionate, regardless of whether if it's at work, working out, or volunteering, it no longer becomes laborious. It becomes something that you appreciate, anticipate, and feel the need to improve.

10. Visualization.

"Visualization is the process of forming mental images and pictures of a desired future," writes Hanan Parvez for PsychMechanics. "Individuals who have dreams and visions of a perfect future life visualize more naturally than others.

Visualization is not idle, fruitless activity like day dreaming but rather it can significantly increase a person's odds to transform his dreams into reality."

In what manner would visualization be able to empower inspiration?

"We are motivated by emotions and when we visualize we also experience the emotions that are aqssociated with the thing we are visualizing," writes Parvez. "By visualizing how your life will be like if you did or didn't achieve your objectives, you can motivate yourself massively. You can both positively and negatively motivate yourself by visualization."

We spread EdTech, but is it working?

Edtech is a crucial precursor to "work tech"— the tools that today’s students will need in school, career training and eventually the work environment. In an economy that is moving quickly toward more independent workers executing high level projects for a variety of businesses, exploring an ever changing eco system of new technologies will be a central skill for workers. Students need access to tools that work. Be that as it may, today, the choices teachers make in regards to the tools they use with students depend on hypothesis instead of solid evidence.

School, district, and state leaders make decisions on technological choices every day that will influence student’s tech fluency, also learning results. These leaders burn through billions of dollars on equipment and resources to implement their decisions. The New Schools Venture Fund evaluates that K-12 schools on the whole spend about $9 billion every year on instructional software, digital assessments, laptops and tablets for students and teachers. But how do these pioneers know whether their investments will lead to the students learning outcome they desire? What methods for evaluating whether the tools work will lead to selection of the best tools for learning?

Unfortunately, many of them may never know because there essentially is insufficient research about what works—and good, existing research rarely makes it to the policymaking table. In addition, high-impact practices and technologies remain comfortable at the "pilot" stage, never accomplishing the transformative scale they promise because little is known about effective scaling across different school and district contexts.

The time has arrived to dive in and investigate what works. For much of the last year, roughly 150 researchers, policy makers, business people, educators, investors, and institutional pioneers have been teaming up in 10 working groups (each supported by a professional researcher) to study and discuss data, procedures, and frameworks that show generous guarantee.

This May, these pioneers and another 150 or so partners will met for the first ever EdTech Efficacy Research Academic Symposium, sorted out by The University of Virginia Curry School of Education, Digital Promise and the Jefferson Education Accelerator. At the symposium, we will keep on developing a shared understanding of the concrete steps we can all take to ensure that real research drives the development, determination, and organization of education technology. We hope this will commence a more intense push to advance research that leads to better strategy and practice in both adopting and using technology.

Five factors currently drive this demand for enhancing the quality and scalability of education technology:

1. Higher academic standards nationwide
2. An attention on school and career training readiness
3. The changing role of a diminishing supply of teachers
4. Rapidly emerging technologies
5. Static state budgets.

Rather than thinking of technology as a tool for implementing old forms of pedagogy method, we should expand the notion of what great teaching looks like—and the role of the teacher. Teachers aren't becoming less vital in the period of quickly emerging technology; rather, they're becoming the critical navigators of newly available tools and information. Research and technology communities play an important part in helping instructors and leaders effectively serve that part.

The Alliance for Excellent Education has been addressing the challenge of utilizing new educational technologies to make education delivery better. Working with 60 education partners and the U.S. Department of Education, we at the Alliance for Excellent Education have created Future Ready Schools—a venture that helps school district leaders to actualize digital learning systems that customize learning and better serve the future needs of students and the areas where they will live and work. Up until this point, 3,100 school districts have vowed.

To best help these education leaders as they deploy proven advanced learning strategies, we need to keep continue investigating practices and offer strong proof with respect to the fidelity of new tools and strategies that continually arise. The EdTech Symposium is designed to kick off this procedure and inspire increased cooperation between tool developers who aim at making exciting, engaging technologies and teachers who aim to ensure that each students has access to the high- quality education she or he needs and deserves. By beginning the dialogue, we intend to spur deeper, more research-driven discussions that lead to the educational transformation our country requires.

Multitasking’s making you worse at your job

I love TV. But I'm bad at watching it. Which is crazy since it only just includes three very straightforward steps:

Turn the TV on.

Face eyeballs toward the TV.

Watch.

I typically go wrong by adding a fourth step in with the general mish-mash: Scroll through my phone until the point that the battery dies or my thumb goes numb — really whichever comes first. Also because of that, I have to rewind a lot. An hour long episode takes me, on average, around four hours to get through.

I mean, I don't plan on this happening. I always think I can do both. However each and every time, I'll get so fascinated in my social media that when I glance back at the TV, the main character's dead.
And I'm all like, What? How did that happen? Mere minutes ago she was getting married.

Furthermore, now her ex (they wedded and separated!) is at her burial service with their three children (she didn't even want kids!)… in space (they used to live on Earth!).

I approach meetings at work the similar way. I get my laptop along just in case I have to reference details, facts, emails, dog memes, charts, et cetera. I generally plan on focusing. But one "let me just respond to this email real quick " transforms into another. Also, before I know it, I'm deep into a project that is not due for months. What's more, I don't realize I'm not exactly focusing until I'm called on.

You know who doesn't earn a reputation as a hard working employee? The person who reacts to "Jenni, what do you consider of that?" with "Um, well, in my brain I have thoughts, which do things like think, so I think a lot about that, however with my reasoning thoughts, I'd have to say, yes? Or, on the other hand the face you're making suggests that the appropriate response is no? Hm, is it not a 'yes or no' question? Would I be able to get a hint? Can I interest you in a dog meme?"

Recently, I had a three-hour meeting that my colleague banned laptops from. I protested. I cried. I claimed the world would fall apart. The answer remained — even if I got my laptop with me, I was not permitted to even consider opening it up.

And I'll tell you what!

In that meeting, not only did the world not fall to pieces, but I so much more out of it. It's astonishing how productive a meeting can be when you're not half-listening, half-passsive-aggressive-email-chain-fighting about a bridal shower gift.

 So, why am I telling you this story? Because I bet you're like me. That you believe you're the one special case to the "multitasking makes you less productive" rule. Even if you can't bring your laptop to meeting, or you don't have meetings, I'd guess there are times when you attempt to do two things at once. And, that you're worse off for it.

This week, I challenge you to try doing one thing at a time. Maybe that's putting aside time to check your email — and just your email. Maybe it's turning off your Wi-Fi while you complete that big presentation. Maybe it's putting your phone away till your project's finished. Or, maybe it's not deep diving into your secondary school frenemy's Instagram while you're trying to watch your favourite show.

Whatever you do, do it — just for one week. I don't want to play psychic, but I feel confident that you'll be amazed at how much better you are at accomplishing something when you're concentrating on just that.

Customized Learning: Teachers listen when the Student speaks

Customized learning is turning out to be a major player in the 21st-century classrooms. It's a new approach to dealing with teaching and learning that includes less teacher talking and more contribution from students. It's changing the way students are learning around the world.

The thought behind customized learning is straightforward. Students direct their own learning, going at their own pace and, now and again, settling on their own choices as to what to learn. Preferably, in a classroom using customized learning, students pick what they're interested in and teachers fit the curriculum and standards to the students' advantages.

This sort of adapting totally reverses the traditional approach in the classroom. Rather than the teacher being the focal point of attention and leader of the classroom, the students are in the spotlight. Customized learning gives students a voice and enables them to take responsibility for their education.

For teachers who need to bring more customized learning into their own particular classrooms, it may appear to be threatening. Surrendering control of the classroom can be startling. Teachers may wonder, will the Students truly be interested in this? Will they get the hang of everything that they have to know for the year-end tests? Will I totally lose control over my classroom?

Customized learning doesn't need to be win big or lose. Teachers can begin by talking somewhat less and giving students a chance to have to a greater degree of control. Enabling students to settle on a few decisions in the classroom can have a powerful impact.

Teachers can give students various options for showing proof of what they've learned. One approach to this is to specifically give students the standards they have to know and request that they present proof that they've aced those standards. Another alternative is to give students choices, for example, composing an article as opposed to making a visual representation of their learning.

Teachers can take another course and give students diverse alternatives for how they learn the material. This requires somewhat more preparation, yet teachers can enable students to pick amongst say reading and watching a video. Again, this enables students to have more options and they feel that they have a voice in the classroom.

Small changes like these are simple for teachers to make, and they empower students. When students have little power in the classroom, they start to put resources into their learning.

Customized adapting also enhances student and teacher relations. In the traditional classroom, teachers are frequently struggling for control. They need to demand that students sit down, quit talking, and pay attention to the teacher. This automatically makes a sort of power dynamic that can cause issues. Teachers are basically telling students, "I have more value than you."

But when teachers give students a voice, they're telling the students, "You are important." They are giving students control over what and how they learn. Students often react positively to this change in the power dynamic. Students who are given the power to decide, feel esteemed and regarded. Thus, they are less likely to create issues for teachers. When teachers quit demanding that students take a seat, be calm, or respect them, students will probably do every one of those three things.

For teachers who are searching for a way to get students engaged and excited for what they're learning, customized learning is the way. Teachers who talk less and give students a voice in the classroom are engaging students and empowering them to take responsibility of, and really appreciate their learning.