Local Enviro News

Here is a list of some interesting environmentally friendly news from Canadian companies.

Eco-Tec has a biogas purification system, that captures and purifies bio-gas and uses it as an alternative energy source for greenhouses.

Wind power project generates new energy opportunity for NewFoundland & Labrador. A 20 year power purchase agreement to build, operate and sell power has Sky Power Corp and NewFoundland & Labrador Hydro working to have 9 3.0 MW wind turbines operational by end of 2008.

Greenfield Ethanol is buying corn. The plant is scheduled to open at the end of 2008. It will require 20 million bushels per year.

GO Lighting Technologies Inc. Introduces a Flat LED Lighting. It will reduce energy costs in office, commercial & retail. The lighting does not emit UV radiation and contains notoxic chemicals like mercury, lead or cadmium and is 100% recyclable.

Facebook Fear

Everyone is so uptight when it comes to his or her employees using facebook at work. This recent article highlights those fears “Employers tackle Facebook problem” Honestly there is a simple way to avoid the whole situation get rid of the Internet and personal phones at work! Now that was easy right? Forgive my sarcasm the fact of the matter is that people will follow their own agenda when it comes to there social lives and they very much resent being told how to act and what to do! They will find a way to sneak their facebook time in. Why not use facebook to your companies’ advantage. Every company should be excited at the fact that their employees are talking about them. If you don’t want every employee to be your spokesperson then you have something seriously wrong with your company! Why not make facebook breaks apart of your day, as some call it CRACK Book, its health risk are low unlike smoke breaks. If you need someone to be at his or her computer and answering calls facebook breaks would allow for that.

Me and my big mouth

Have you ever noticed that you can say too much in a sales meeting. This has happened to just about every consultant I know. You try to sell your services but end up teaching how to do your job. It is difficult enough convincing someone to trust you to provide a service without showing a few tricks of the trade.

I had this guy once who was looking to promote his internet business where he provided self service divorce papers online. He did not want to promote it online though because he knew that sites were offering for free this same service. So he wanted to promote in other ways. Talk about delaying the inevitable, he thought his business would be ruined if it ever got out. His success in the past was by running little word ads in the classified section of papers in the US. The majority of his clients were American and I guess he thought if he puts ads in Canadian papers they would figure it out? Anyways I told him my thoughts of what I would do to promote it. He said why didn't we think of that and I never heard from them again. Well that's one way to get free consulting.

How can you keep from selling yourself out of a job. Here are some easy tips that have worked well for me.

1. Plan Presentations- planning before hand what questions you think will come up. Answer them directly and without hesitation. If they ask for you to elaborate have a prepared answer for that like " If we are contracted to do the work we can go into more detail!"

2. Short Stories-Keep your stories of past examples of jobs short and do not expand on more than you have to.

3. Confidence-Be confident in what you are saying "um's" and "ah's" do not exude confidence. If they ask you a question and you don't know the answer tell them straight and that you would need to get back to them!

Telling exactly how you are going to do it, in an intial meeting will not help you to close the sale. If they say we are not convinced, Say why don't you give me a try, I can show you better than tell you. In the end the value they would get would be much larger than the handshake that says better luck next time.