October 4-8, 2010 is National Customer Service Week.  We would like to hear from you!  Send us your best and/or worst customer service story and if yours is picked by our judges, TTN will send you a new iPod Touch preloaded with 5 of TTN's newest courses.  The winning story will appear in our October 2010 publication.

Click here to submit your story.

TTN TIDBITS

Mile Markers -by Joel Arnold, TTNLearning

You’ve probably heard people say something along the lines of ‘You can’t manage time – you can only manage yourself,” or ‘Time will keep on trucking no matter what you do or don’t do.’ Both are true. But luckily for us, we can manage ourselves in relation to time. Since time is measurable, it is also predictable. We can plan. Based on past experiences, we can predict, for example, that if we leave home 30 minutes early, as long as traffic cooperates, we can make it to our job in plenty of time to settle in with a cup of coffee before the workday begins.

Or - if we want to accomplish a goal, we can figure out what steps need to be taken, and then make educated guesses as to how long each of those steps should take. From there, we can make a fairly accurate prediction of when we might accomplish our goal. The goal can be something as simple as having a successful day at work, or as monumental as losing fifty pounds and running the Boston Marathon. Either way, you need to take measurable steps.

I like to think of day planners and calendars as odometers. When driving, I know that I need to pass certain mile markers to get to my destination. Each mile, each tenth of a mile, that goes by on the odometer is one step closer to my destination. On a day planner, I can write down my own mile markers – the little things I need to do to reach that day’s destination. On my calendar, I can write down the larger goal markers, the ones that I must pass before I reach those larger goals, those destinations that take months or years to reach.
So while time does keep on trucking no matter what we do or don’t do, we have the ability to truck right along with it, and get a lot accomplished in the meantime.

   
 Leadership Content

TTN Webinar

Date: October 20, 2010

Time: 2:00-3:00 pm CST

Title: Learning Trends for Today: Prepare Yourself for Tomorrow

Who Should Attend?: Any TTN user that is looking for further information on learning trends and ideas to improve their organization's training culture. 
 

We have limited space so click here to register today!
 

                         Smartphone Apps for Business People


Whether it is syncing your daily calendar to your phone or installing an app for mobile banking, we definitely rely on technology to save us time and money.  Many of us travel for business and may only have access to our phone.  What time is my flight, how do I get to my meeting, and where can I grab a quick lunch?  Below is a list of smartphone apps that may be helpful for business people on the move.

1.  Flight Update:  A great app to track incoming flights and stay on top of things at airports. Provides you with seating charts and even meals in your flight.

2.  Airport Guide by iFly:  Details on services and amenities covering all US/CAN airports with commercial service (plus over 100 International airports... and growing). Find restaurants, cafes, and shops by terminal and gate, along with hours of operation and contact.

3.  Currency Converter:   Access latest foreign exchange rates and convert currencies on the go.

4.  Dropbox:  Your files everywhere you are. 

5.  Kayak:   Kayak makes it easy and fun to find the flight, hotel or rental car that's right for you.

6.  Goodrec:   Locates your position and shows nearby restaurants rated by other users of the app. 

7.  AllSport GPS:  This app turns your cell phone into a GPS-enabled trainer and workout tracker for biking, running, walking and other sports activities.

8.  YOGAMazing:  Beginner and advanced video-based yoga lessons. 

9.  Pandora:  Now you can listen to Pandora on your mobile phone - in the car, at the gym, on the train - wherever and whenever you're in the mood to listen to great music.

10. The New York Times:  Start or finish your day with the latest news by category: world, politics, science, technology and so on.

New Sales Speak

In today's competitive marketplace, whether selling a product, a service, a philosophy, an idea or, most importantly, yourself - everybody sells something. An individual's success often depends upon his/her ability to deliver a polished and persuasive presentation. Salespeople spend 80 percent of their time verbally communicating; many suffer from common shortcomings in their sales presentations that adversely affect their results. Consider all of the different types of presentations a business professional might deliver: promoting an idea at an office meeting, delivering a 3-minute elevator speech at a networking event, giving a sales presentation to a prospect, or selling yourself in a job interview. All require the ability to deliver a solid professional performance!

Click here to place your order while supplies last!