Santa Online – Making Unwanted Presents, Wanted

December arrives, the weather takes a turn for the worse, relatives’ and loved-ones’ Christmas lists arrive by the dozens, and since you’ve grown up, Santa doesn’t seem to be pulling his weight. All in all the winter months have a tendency to be a time to dread rather than a time for cheer.

Once again, however, technology has come to our aid. Now, instead of trawling around the shops, weighed down by bag after bag of presents, Christmas shopping is no further than a mouse-click away. From the comfort of your own home you can purchase a set of floral tea towels for your dear old Nan and a new Nintendo Wii for your favourite Nephew (or the other way ’round!) all from the same source – the Internet.

With the ease of the process, and increased user familiarity with the Internet, it is little wonder that online Christmas sales figures have soared in recent years. Indeed, one national newspaper estimated a record-breaking £14bn worth of Christmas shopping being spent online in the UK this year – making the UK Europe’s most dedicated online shoppers during the festive period.

However, like the risk of buying your dear old Nan a games console, the reception of the gift is something the Internet cannot guarantee. And so not all the money spent this Christmas will have been money well spent. A recent survey showed four out of five people are likely to receive presents that they either don’t want or don’t like, while Abbey Bank estimated the total money spent on unwanted or novelty gifts this Christmas as being a whopping £1.3bn.

Again, however, the Internet has come to the rescue; working from the belief that ‘one person’s rubbish is another’s treasure’ (or that one person’s weird white box with a weird white stick is another’s prized gaming machine), people up and down the country have started using online UK classifieds as a way of sorting out the problem of unwanted Christmas presents. Rather than braving the shops during the January sales in order to return unwanted items to a variety of stores that may only offer an exchange for something else that you don’t want, online classifieds offer users the opportunity to sell all of their unwanted gifts – again from the comfort of their own homes.

It could be said, then, that with the help of UK classifieds and the Internet, Santa Claus can work right into the New Year, making unwanted presents, wanted.

Photo Beer Mugs Can Make a Great Present

Maybe you’re like me and always thought photo beer mugs were a bit tacky. It’s the kind of thing you might pick up after you’ve been on some crazy theme park ride in Florida. You know the ones I’m talking about. Where you look like you’re having the time of your life. Or in some cases a heart attack! Recently my opinion has changed quite a bit as I’ve realized just how cool a present they can make for someone. You can get it custom made and tailored in anyway that you want.

The fact that we’re talking about beer mugs has its up and down side. Firstly, if you like a beer you’ll know that the best way to drink is by using a fantastic beer mug. It just seems to make the beer taste that little bit better. If you’re not a beer drinker then don’t worry. It doesn’t have to be filled with beer. It can hold soda just as well. So you can see that a photo beer mug would actually make quite a cool present for your kids. I’m sure they’d love to have a mug with their favorite superhero or sport star on the side. Not only would it have the picture but you can have a little text in there too to totally customize the experience for your child.

The best way to get your customized photo beer mug is undoubtedly online. It’s by far the cheapest and quickest way to get it done. There a numerous sites online now which specialize in creating custom mugs to suit your needs and desires. All you need to do is get a picture you want to see on the mug and upload it to the site. If you won’t want a picture you can simply choose some text such as “Happy Birthday Dad”. Although I’m sure you could be much more imaginative! Then you have to pick the type of mug you want to use as they come in all different shapes and sizes. Typically you’ll have the choice of either a 10-ounce or 16-ounce mug which should suit all your requirements. You can also customize the look of the mug. You can pick either the classic frosted mug look or go for a more unique stein if you want to be just that little bit different.

“Killer Insights That Will Make You A Better Negotiator” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

There are factors that determine the degree of success you’ll have in a #negotiation. Those factors are what will also make you a good #negotiator or one that’s significantly better. The following are a few of those #killer #insights and how to use them to your advantage in a negotiation. Using them will ensure that you have a #better negotiation outcome.

Negotiation Environment:

Where you negotiate can have hidden advantages for the person controlling that environment. But there are also ways to control an environment that you’re not in control of.

  1. Your environment – When you control the environment, you can control the temperature, lighting, and other creature features that would make one more comfortable while negotiating. If the negotiation becomes tense, you can increase or lower the temperature in the environment to coincide with the adjustments you want the other negotiator to make (e.g. he gets heated, you turn the room temperature up or down to make him hotter or colder).
  2. Not your environment – When you don’t have control of the environment, if things become intense, you can offer to change venues. If it’s accepted, you will gain the advantage of not being in the environment that the other negotiator controlled. Plus, he will have allowed you to take the lead simply by his acquiesces.

Negotiation Positioning:

The way you position yourself before a negotiation determines how someone perceives you – it will also play an important role in the way you’re treated. If you position yourself as a tough guy, a tough guy negotiator type may treat you harshly – that’s his form of protecting against you perceiving him as being weak. If you position yourself as being weak, the tough guy may attempt to take advantage of you, while the weak type of negotiator may become emboldened to become more aggressive.

For the best positioning, consider the negotiation style (e.g. hard, soft, meek, bully) that your opponent may use – and assess which negotiation style you should adopt to offset any advantages he might gain from negotiating in that manner.

Negotiation Strategies:

Control – You command a negotiation by the degree of control you exercise. When appropriate, you can give the impression that you’re led by the other negotiator – you might wish to do that to gain insights into where he’ll take you with his control. You might also do it to put him at ease – less powerful negotiators become fearful when they sense they’re up against a more knowledgeable negotiator – letting him lead will allay his fears of being dominated by you.

Offers – Some negotiators will insist on getting a concession for everyone they make. You don’t have to do that. Depending on the negotiator type you’re negotiating with, consider saving the chits you gain from making concessions and using them in a combined force (e.g. I’ve given you this and that and I’ve not asked for anything. Will you please give me this?) – Accumulating concessions in this manner and calling in the chits earned from them can become a very strong persuader for the other negotiator to make concessions. Just be sure not to grant too many of them before making your request. The more concessions you make without getting a return, the more likely it becomes that they will lose their full value.

No matter the type of negotiation you’re going to be in or find yourself in, using the above insights will improve your negotiation abilities. And, it will improve your negotiation outcomes. So, always be mindful of how and when you use them… and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator