The career of Edgar Degas was a long one - about 60 years out of his total 83. And his style, unlike that of most famous artists who worked into their old age, never ceased developing, always seeking out new means of expression and technique.The art dealer Ambroise Vollard one day asked him why he had never married, to which he replied that he would live in constant fear that, whenever he completed a new painting, he would hear my wife say ‘That’s so pretty what you’ve done there!’. In fact, despite today’s almost universal appreciation and popularity of his images, it was never a conventional sense of beauty that attracted his talents.

Hilaire Germain Edgar de Gas (it was only later that he started to sign his works ‘Degas’) was born in Paris, the eldest of three boys and two girls born to a prosperous banker from a Neapolitan family and his Creole wife from New Orleans. He was actually named after his grandfathers - Hilaire Degas, a banker from Naples, and Germain Musson, a New Orleans merchant. However his mother was to die when he was only 13 years old.

He was educated at the lycee Louis-le-Grand, a famous school for the elite, where he received a classical education and also met his long-time friends Henri Rouart, Paul Valpincon and Ludovic Halevy. Having received his baccalaureat in 1853, he enrolled at the Faculty of Law, although he preferred to spend his time in the print room of the Louvre where he had already made some copies from engravings, and also visiting the painting studios of Felix Barrias and Louis Lamothe. In 1855 he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and began to study officially with Lamothe, a pupil of Ingres.

Not needing to study and compete for the Prix de Rome, in 1856 he set out for Italy, first visiting his family in Naples. In October 1857 he visited Rome where he met Gustave Moreau, already an influential figure eight years his elder. They became close friends and visited Florence together between June and August 1858.

From 1865 to1870 Degas exhibited each year at the Paris Salon. He also became friendly with Berthe Morisot and Edouard Manet and, in the summer of 1869, joined Manet in Boulogne and Saint-Valery-en-Caux where he painted some landscapes. Of all the artists of the time, it is doubtlessly Manet with whom he had the greatest affinity. They were both older than most of the Impressionist circle and both came from prosperous families so they could also meet socially within their family circles.

The tragic events of the Franco-Prussian war and the Paris Commune of the years 1870-71, together with a lengthy stay in Louisiana visiting his family from October 1872 to March 1873, marked both an interruption and a turning point in his career. At the outbreak of the war he joined the national guard together with his friend Manet and many other artists, however the extreme cold during the siege of Paris affected his health badly and at the start of the Paris Commune he went to rest in the Orne with his friends the Valpincon family.

It was during the 1870’s that Degas acquired his reputation as a painter of dancers. The reasons for his interest in dance were numerous and diverse but certainly stem from his life-long enthusiasm for music and the opera. The interior of the opera house also had many visual attractions - the possibility of unusual views onto the stage from balconies or the orchestral pit, contrasts between light and darkness, illusion and reality, beauty and banality.

After the theme of dance it was the racecourse that drew most of his attention. Racecourses were a new phenomenon in France, being introduced there from England in the 19th century. The Longchamp stadium opened in 1857 and it was this course which inspired Degas, Manet and, later, Toulouse-Lautrec. The exclusive Jockey Club was inaugurated in 1833 and it naturally attracted the same upper classes who attended the Paris Opera.

His first personal exhibition, which was held at the Durand-Ruel gallery in 1892, consisted of an extraordinary series of semi-abstract monotypes with enhanced colours representing mysterious landscapes. Besides such landscapes his style wasn’t to change dramatically from then on, although his subjects tended to grow in dimension - whereas previously, for example, he would have depicted a whole dance troupe, he now concentrated on perhaps just two or three figures in the foreground. This was undoubtedly to some extend due to his failing eyesight.

Degas himself gave another explanation for the mysterious power of his later works: “It’s one thing to copy what one sees, but it’s much better to draw what can only be seen in one’s memory. It’s a transformation during which the imagination collaborates with the memory … there your recollections and fantasies are freed from the tyranny exerted by nature.”

Degas continued to struggle against his blindness and worked up to about 1912 when he was forced to leave his apartment where he had lived for the past quarter century and move to a more convenient address in the Boulevard de Clichy. But it proved to be an ordeal from which he never fully recovered and, despite the huge international success and high prices commanded by his works from 1900 onwards, he became sad and indifferent to the glory. He died on 27th September 1917 during the wartime, making his death go almost unnoticed by the world - although perhaps a fitting end for the man who had once said “I would like to be famous but unknown”! He was buried in the cemetery of Montmartre.

Learn more about Edgar Degas and find other biographical writing by Bianca Tavares at Vintage Art.

We all know the Diva. When she walks in a room, she makes quite an entrance. Everyone notices and she loves the attention. She will dress to impress and accessorize like no one else. For the Diva, bigger is better unless it’s her dress size.

The Diva with money loves diamonds and lots of them. She wouldn’t dream of having a diamond ring smaller than three carats. She will probably have several other rings with multiple diamonds. Her wedding ring won’t be a simple band of gold. Not for her. Her wedding ring will be covered in diamonds. Don’t be envious; she probably earned every carat on her hand. It’s not easy being a Diva.

Bracelets, whether silver or gold, will be plentiful. One bracelet is never enough. Several bangles and a sparkling tennis bracelet adorn one arm. She may even wear several watches on the other arm. She is never on time; she just likes flashy watches.

Earrings must be long and dangling. The new chandelier earrings were made for her. They scream, “I am beautiful and sexy, and I know it.” Whatever age; the diva is ageless. She has the personality that says I am here; deal with it. If you don’t like me, that’s your problem. Crossing a diva is never in your best interests.

Broaches are a must if the dress allows. If the plunging neckline of a dress will not allow for a large pin or broach, maybe a small diamond on one tiny part of the neckline will do. Now in a suit, the story changes radically. A suit screams for a lovely diamond, ruby, or sapphire broach. A combination of all the jewels might be in order too.

Whether or not to wear a toe ring is a serious question for the diva. If her feet are small and dainty, of course, she will want at least one tone ring to show off with her strappy sandals. If her ankles are similarly dainty, an elegant anklet is the perfect finishing touch.

Now, there are divas who, for one reason or another, are between jobs or sugar daddies. She may even be a Diva-wannabe. For this diva bigger is still better but the gems don’t have to be real diamonds. She can look just as flashy with fake diamonds. In fact some of today’s fake gems are sparklier than the real thing and only a jeweler with a loop can tell the difference. This diva knows she looks good even if her jewelry isn’t real. She is a presence and is not easily intimidated.

We all know divas. They are fun, fearless, and fabulous. They make the world a better place because they love life and add drama to our lives. Long live the Diva.

After years as an educator and more degrees than she can count, Frances Coleman now writes professionally. She is a prolific reader with an advanced degree in research techniques. Although not a diva herself, she loves finding wholesale jewelry.

Have you ever watched a movie on a regular TV set, and then watched the same movie on an HDTV? If so, you would have noticed a huge difference! On the HDTV viewing, you see and notice things you’ve never seen before, even if you’ve seen the same movie several times! The colors are brighter, backgrounds are clearer, and details are better defined. HDTV is like looking out an open window, whereas in comparison, standard TV is almost like looking through a glass soda bottle. Because of CRT (cathode ray tube) technology, TV is often referred to as “the tube”. After watching HDTV, watching standard TV is almost like trying to view through one!

HDTV, or High Definition Television, offers precision sound, original film quality picture resolution, and a wider, better detailed panoramic view. This is made possible by the use of true digital signal which is transmitted via satellite or cable directly to your unit. You’ll notice that not only does HDTV offer extraordinary picture clarity and sound, but the scope of the picture just like watching a movie on the “big screen”, inside a real movie theater!

The use of digital signal is what separates HDTV from your common television set. The reason why there is such a notable difference between the two is that conventional televisions operate on analog signal. Digital signals are much faster, meaning images are is refreshed more rapidly, therefore providing superb picture resolution. Analog signals are much slower. As a result, the images produced by a television using this type of signal are of low resolution. Simply put, the picture is just not as sharp and view is restricted.

Not only do HDTV’s offer superb picture quality, but HD sound is second to none. This is because Dolby Digital surround sound comes standard with HDTV. So, not only does watching an HDTV remind you of a movie theater, it also has the sound system to further enhance the experience.

Along with better quality picture and sound, HDTV’s are quite easily integrated with your computer. They are able to easily communicate directly with one another through the use of a type of data compression software such as MPEG-2. Once this software is successfully installed, a whole new world of multimedia technology is literally at your fingertips! For instance, CD-R applications can be transmitted to an HDTV, as well as HDTV programs can be downloaded onto your computer. Either way, the picture resolution is top notch and the signal is stable.

Lastly, HDTV’s are more affordable than one might assume. There are many different ways to buy or finance an HDTV system. Some companies offer money-saving offers both in-store and online. Some of these include rebate programs; others include special deals, extra gifts or incentive packages offering items such as hundreds of dollars in gift cards. There are both in-store and online promotions as well as savings with shipping and delivery. Bottom line, HDTV is affordable for almost any budget and well worth every penny!

Alan Rhinehart is an avid media and technology critic. He contributes to various online publications including “New Technology TV”, a popular blog covering TV technology and home theater systems. Visit for more information on plasma TVs and exclusive Dish Network deals.

I’d like to talk about the country all parents dread; the place
no one will admit to visiting but where all strangers seem to be
from - the Land of Uninvited Opinions.

When I was pregnant, I felt as if the sign around my neck
reading, “Please tell me your birth story” was dwarfed only by
the one hanging over my expanded rear proclaiming, “Please
comment on the way my body looks.” Here’s a sampling of actual
comments by actual acquaintances (though obviously, not good
friends!): “You’re pregnant? Thank heavens! I noticed your
thighs were getting wider.” “You’re pregnant? You and your
husband have been married so long I just assumed you couldn’t
have kids.” “Look at you:” -to me at 8 months pregnant- “Your
legs don’t look like they’ve gotten too big, or do they just
look small in comparison to the rest of you?”

What is it about reproducing that gives our society free reign
to comment on things that would otherwise be extremely
off-limits? Because as humiliating as such comments were while I
was pregnant, they were largely limited to physical
observations, whereas once you’ve had a child, everyone seems to
feel free to criticize your labor, the way you feed your child,
how you dress them, and so forth. Here are a few of my favorites:

On finding out that I had a C-section (not by choice!), a
(childless) acquaintance of mine exclaimed, “You had a
c-section? That’s cheating! That’s not work, like real labor.”
CHEATING??? EXCUSE ME??? Was it cheating to have major surgery,
live on a morphine drip for two days, then painstakingly crawl
home to start taking care of a newborn? Was it cheating to be
unable to sit up in bed without grasping desperately at the
headboard for weeks? Or perhaps it was cheating when I had to
hold a pillow against my incision to try to allay the unbearable
pain as I coughed or sneezed for weeks afterwards. I understand
what she was saying about not having to go through the pain of
labor, and I am not in any way demeaning the strength and
fortitude it takes to do that, but honestly! Who says something
like that? Another busybody example - one of my Lamaze class
friends was unable to breast-feed. She tried for six weeks, and
trust me, she tried everything, so please don’t send me an email
asking, “Did she try (fill in the blank)?” The answer is, “Yes,
she tried it.” So after six weeks, she had to go to formula for
her son, who is thriving and healthy, but every time it comes up
in conversation she has to endure the “Did you try (fill in the
blank)?” And that’s the best-case scenario; I’m sure she’s been
scolded by many women for giving her son (gasp!) formula. Look,
I think everyone agrees that breastfeeding is far superior to
formula for many reasons. But when the choice is formula or
I.V., well, that’s why formula was invented! What do people
think they will accomplish, making her feel bad for doing what
it takes to get calories in her son? Why do people not feel so
bold in other areas of our life? I have never had someone come
up to me in a park and say, “You know, that hamburger you’re
eating is clogging your arteries and poisoning your liver and
you’re really doing yourself a disservice.” Or how about, “Lady,
I don’t know you, but it’s clearly too cold outside for you to
be wearing such a thin jacket with no hat. That’s just
irresponsible.” Yet I know there are mothers out there who have
had the equivalent said to them by total strangers regarding
their children.

Look, I know there’s something about the helplessness of a small
child that brings out the protector in all of us. I’m simply
saying we should try to remember our social boundaries a bit
better and give people the benefit of the doubt before launching
into a lecture or vitriolic commentary. My thighs thank you.

William Vickrey, highly regarded as the founder of auction theory, was an economics professor at Columbia University when he published two papers outlining his views on auctions:

“Counterspeculation, Auctions, and Competitive Sealed Tenders”, 1961, Journal of Finance

“Auction and Bidding Games”, 1962, Recent Advances in Game Theory

In 1996 he received a Nobel Prize “for fundamental contributions to the economic theory of incentives under asymmetric information.” It’s important to understand that asymmetric information is an essential component of auctions, where potential buyers have varying levels of knowledge about the value of the item.

Although Vickrey considered his work on auctions as “one of my digressions into abstract economics, at best of minor significance in terms of human welfare”, to those of us who work with online auctions, much of what he outlined is useful to understanding our marketplace.

Vickrey identified 4 general types of auctions:

English

Dutch

First-price sealed bid

Second-price sealed bid

English Auctions

The most common type of auction is the English Auction, although it may also be known as an ascending price auction. In ascending price auctions each subsequent bid is higher than the previous one. This is the most popular type of auction for single items.

Although traditional ascending price auctions use a “soft close” format - where bidding continues until a final bid is placed, the majority of today’s on-line auction sites use the “hard close” format - also known as a ‘time interval” auction having a set time limit, regardless of ongoing bidding. It’s important to note that in a “soft close” format, bid snipping, that is bidding during the last few seconds or minutes on an item, is eliminated since the auction stays open as long as bids are being made.

In an attempt to minimize bid snipping and provide more of a “soft close” characteristic to their “hard close” auctions, eBay allows bidders to use “proxy bidding”. In proxy bidding, a bidder enters the highest price they are willing to pay for an item when they first bid. The bid begins at the lowest possible level and increases automatically only if their original lowest bid has been beaten. For more in-depth information on the “proxy bidding capability on eBay go here.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/proxy-bidding.html

Amazon.com currently offers a feature for their auctions called “Going, Going, Gone.” The Going, Going, Gone” feature extends the end of an auction for 10 minutes if a bid is placed effectively creating a “soft close”. For more information on the “Going, Going, Gone” feature on Amazon go here. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/1161360/103-1666189-8415007#going-gone

From the buyers standpoint a “hard close” format is preferable since they may be able to make a final bid before others can react, possibly winning the auction at a lower price.

For sellers, a “soft close” format provides an opportunity to realize the maximum price for an item by removing the time restrictions for an auction. As long as bidders are bidding the auction remains open.

Dutch Auctions

As you may have guessed, the concept of the Dutch auction originates in the Netherlands. Unlike English auctions which utilize ascending price methods, Dutch auctions are descending price auctions and are commonly used when multiples of the same items are to be auctioned. In a Dutch auction the bidding starts at a relatively high price which is driven progressively downward by bids.

As an example of a Dutch auction let’s say you had 10 items you wanted to sell for $20 each.

Bidder A bids $18 for 6 items

Bidder B bids $17 for 5 items

The final result is:

Bidder A would receive 6 items for $17 each

Bidder B would receive 4 items for $17 each

Please note that most Dutch auctions allow bidders to refuse an order for a lesser number of items than what they bid on. A “soft” or “hard close” format may be used in Dutch auctions although the most common is the “hard close”.

First-price Sealed Bid Auctions

Sealed bid auctions differ from the English and Dutch in as much as the bids are not announced to other bidders. The individual bid is only know to the bidder and the seller. This type of auction may be either buyer-bid, where the highest bidder wins the item and pays the amount of their bid, or seller-bid, where the lowest bidder sells the item and is paid the amount of the bid. This form of auction is common for construction contracting, military procurement, foreign exchanges, and other types of goods.

Second-price Sealed Bid Auctions

Another common name for second-price sealed bid auctions is Vickrey auctions (named after William Vickrey) There is a slight variation to the first-price auction for Vickery auctions. In a buyer-bid auction the highest bidder buys the item and pays the amount of the second highest bid. Or in a seller-bid auction, the lowest bidder sells the item and is paid the amount of the second lowest bid.

The above descriptions provide a general overview of the most popular auction types in use today. Depending on the auction website these general categories may include a number of variations and options such as reserve pricing, open or closed venue, multiple items, fixed price and lot listings to mention a few. Before entering any particular type of auctions make sure you study and understand the rules for that specific type of auction, as the rules may vary from website to website.

Copyright © Steven Woodward – All Rights Reserved

Steven Woodward is the owner, editor and publisher of the Auction Sellers Network (ASN); a web site for individuals and companies who are serious about utilizing the online auction marketplace for their business. In addition to topical articles, ASN provides an extensive resource center, news feeds and member forums. For more information, or to become a member, please visit us at http://www.AuctionSellersNetwork.com

No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About the Author tag is left in tact and included. We do request that we be informed of where it is posted and reciprocal links will be considered.

With the lackluster returns in the equity markets, many investors are looking for alternatives for their investment dollars, one of the sectors attracting a lot of interest is the futures markets or commodity markets.

Many of these new investors in the futures markets are looking for someone experienced. They are looking for someone with an established track record to handle the trading decisions of their personal account. In the world of futures, these money managers are referred to as Commodity Trading Advisors or CTA’s. Many investors wrongly assume that they do not qualify to have a CTA manage their personal futures account, I will attempt to clarify some of these misconceptions.

Reasons for this common misconception include:

- Investors do not know that managed futures with a documented track record exist for individual investors

- Investors assume that they would not qualify because of high initial account sizes

- Investors have heard the horror stories of a “truck showing up at someone’s front door with a delivery of 5,000 bushels of Corn”

Managed Futures has been an investment class that has historically been available to institutions and high net worth individuals, like everything this is changing. The track records and performance information for managed futures remains difficult to find for the average investor. While individual investors might assume that they would not meet the criteria of participating in a managed futures program, this is not always the case. Many managed futures programs have lower requirements than most would expect bringing managed futures as an asset class to the mainstream investor.

These managed futures programs have documented track records and the managers are required to be registered with both the NFA (National Futures Association) as well as the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission). All managers are required to provide potential clients with a disclosure document that covers the risks as well as the historical performance for their programs. Client accounts are established with a broker that introduces the account to the Manager.

Many investors wrongly assume that they do not qualify for a managed futures account because they assume that they need to meet high initial account balances in order to participate in these programs, this is just not true. Currently we offer a variety of managed futures programs. You might be surprised to learn that you can open a managed futures account with as little as $35,000.

The different managed futures programs that we offer are programs that have shown consistent positive returns with historically low volatility that are managed by proven Commodity Trading Advisors. While we understand that there are many investors and traders that are looking for triple digit yearly returns, experience has taught us that most investors are not looking for the “flash in the pan” program that shows high volatility but are more comfortable with a consistent return with lower volatility. One of the benefits of investing with a managed futures program is that the performance of the program does not depend on the direction of anyone particular market. Managed Futures have shown to have a low correlation with stock markets. These programs are not dependent on the market direction to provide returns.

Many have heard the old story of “I knew someone that had to take delivery of corn and a truck showed up at his front yard with 5,000 bushels of corn” this is just not true. A futures contract represents the obligation to either buy or sell a commodity of a certain class at a certain time in the future (why they are called futures), it is the duty of the Commodity Trading Advisor to remove this risk from their trading program. Traders should remember that over 90% of futures contracts never go to delivery they are offset in the market. The process of delivery usually only happens to a trader that is new and unfamiliar with the markets and is trading alone. Brokers usually help new traders by making sure that these small but very costly mistakes do not occur.

Les Jones hails from Chicago, IL and passed his series 3 exam in March of 1990. After a couple years with small commodities firms Les went to work for a large commodities firm in Chicago where he spent 14 years. Les recently joined the staff at Extra Mile Trading LLC. With 16 years experience in trading and servicing customers He is well versed in most of the futures markets and many trading methods. Les Jones believes in going the Extra Mile to help his customer.

Hobby Metal Casting enables the home metal craft worker to create
useful products to use around the: -HOME-WORKSHOP-GARDEN or WORKPLACE- Or turn your skills into cash.

Yes,you could also make your own unique products for next to nothing to sell at markets, direct mail, or on the internet etc for big profits.

But first you have to learn the techniques to build the simple tools & equipment needed to get involved in this challenging metal craft. The best place to start is to learn from someone who has been successful at metal casting.

You could start learning by visiting places where you can read
all about the craft before committing your self totally.

Feel free to visit http://www.myhomefoundry.com to read how an
Australian metal caster has created & built a very efficient
backyard foundry.

Any one can do it; all it takes is for someone to show you how.
If you are a practical hands on type of person looking for a new
challenge in life, then hobby metal casting could be just the thing for you.

Many people who restore:

* Vintage Cars.

* Classic Motorcycles.

* Antique’s, Model Toy’s, Art Casters, Sculptors, etc, could easily reproduce all of the special items to complete their projects.

The free ebooks available from our web site can show you how to
begin your journey with the art of metal casting.
The files will take only a few minutes to download, then you can
grab a coffee and start to read about this challenging metal craft.

You will begin to understand how to build your own equipment,
As well as the tools and materials you’ll need to be able to create the things you want, right in your own workshop.
Metal casting is really not that difficult to learn.
Once you know how to create simple patterns, ram up the sand
moulds, and then melt & pour metal… the whole process just
becomes second nature to you.

With practice it is possible to create quite complex things in the home workshop, using simple homebuilt tools & equipment.

Col Croucher
The Home Foundry Publications

Australia

Desk jobs, manual work and gaming - the hidden health scandal

These days a large proportion of the jobs available to the UK
labour force are desk jobs. Even jobs that have always been
associated with being on the road or outdoors type roles now
feature a certain amount of computer time. For example, the
police, who have long been allied with the image of the ‘bobby
on the beat’, out on the streets, hunting for crooks, are
spending increased periods of their shifts writing reports and
filling in forms at their desk.

Although people have been fulfilling desk jobs for many decades,
it is only in recent years that people have realised quite why
they are suffering from acute back pain, tingling fingers and
sore wrists. It has taken some time to grasp the link between
work and pain but nowadays the discomfort that is suffered by a
large number of people on a regular basis is directly linked to
their desk job, the way they sit, the tasks they carry out and
the work station provisions that employers are responsible for.

Work related injuries or industrial illnesses are now recognised
as a very real problem that costs individuals in more than one
way. They might have to bear the brunt of a loss of earnings,
time off work, possible permanent painful disability and the
pain that comes with a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) (also
classed as repetitive strain injury or RSI), such as carpal
tunnel syndrome, vibration white finger and other back, neck and
arm problems.

The key to minimising MSD’s is to eliminate work related risks.
If a role entails stints of high speed typing then breaks should
be encouraged and other activities which take the typist away
from the keyboard should be built into each working day.
Prevention is very important when it comes to this type of work
related illness. Anyone suffering from this type of injury may
not be able to work in their chosen field in the future because
their injury prevents it.

By law, employers also have to ensure that their employees have
a suitable workstation and as such must carry out a work station
assessment. Some of the standards set out in the assessment are
as follows:

Ensure that all staff have a suitable, fully adjustable chair
with lumbar support if they need it, the chair should have a
suitable length bottom cushion so that the employee can sit
right back without pressure behind the knee

The computer screen should be at a suitable height and the
correct distance away from the person using it (20 inches away
is recommended)

That a wrist support is supplied if necessary, this supports the
wrist when not typing

There should be enough leg room under the desk so that the
employee can move their legs around comfortably

The computer screen should be free from glare. All employees
should also have an eye test, paid for by their employer if they
feel that they need one

The area should be free from obstacles such as wires and pieces
of office furniture and equipment

When typing the wrists should be in a flat neutral position

Carpal tunnel syndrome (a type of compression neuropathy (nerve
damage) caused by compression and irritation of the median nerve
in the wrist) and repetitive strain injury are extremely common
complaints amongst people who have to carry out repetitive tasks
such as typing, stapling or any other recurring movement that is
unnatural and awkward. It is estimated that in 2001/2002 12.3
million working days were lost in the UK to work related MSD’s.
Many people who have to type for long periods of time, find that
over time they begin to experience pain in their hands, arms,
neck and back. Fortunately the symptoms can be eased but only
but ceasing the activity that caused the problem in the first
place. Bad news for typists.

The desk job populace aren’t the only ones to suffer however.
With the rise and rise of gaming, from video games such as
Playstation to Internet multi-play games, there has been a huge
increase in the number of people with RSIs that aren’t related
to work.

Children are becoming the new victims of MSD because of their
passion for games. With millions of children owning a game
facility the rise of carpal tunnel syndrome in and out of the
work place could become the new scourge of society.

These days employers cannot argue ignorance as a plea against
personal injury cases brought against them, including for cases
of RSIs such as carpal tunnel syndrome. If they fail to
adequately protect their employees from injury by expecting them
to carry out repetitive tasks such as typing without breaks then
they leave themselves open to becoming liable to pay accident
compensation.

If you have been injured in an accident at work in whatever
capacity, from a slip or a trip to an RSI developed because of
your workload, then you are entitled to seek free legal advice
and can claim compensation for your suffering and for any future
loss of earnings.

For free legal advice regarding making a personal injury claim
or to learn more about carpal tunnel syndrome, you can call us
on 0800 197 32 32.

Once upon a time there was a factory that produced nuts, bolts and washers. There was a highly efficient production line dedicated to each, and each production line ended in an area called Assembly. In Assembly were a group of workers who put the nuts, bolts and washers together before they were despatched to the customer. Each worker sat at a bench. In front of them were three boxes, containing nuts, bolts and washers. They took the components, put them together and then dropped them into a fourth box situated on the floor behind them.

One day the factory recruited a consultant. Some people thought of him as a Work Study engineer. Others saw him as a Time and Motion expert. But, judging by his daily fee, he really was a consultant. This chap reviewed all of the operations. There was nothing he could do to improve the production lines; they were already very efficient. But when he arrived in the assembly department he had an idea that would make things better.

The consultant arranged to have holes drilled into each bench. These were special holes. At the bottom they were in the shape of the bolts. Above that they widened out to accommodate the washer. This meant that the assembly workers could put the nut, bolt and washer together using just one hand. Or, as the consultant explained, the assemblers could now do two jobs at the same time, which meant that they only needed half as many people. This was used by the consultant to justify his big fat fee. He took his cheque, thanked the management and left.

Some time later the factory management were talking to a CRM expert. He said that the most important asset they had was their customers. The CRM expert wanted to talk to the customers. In fact, what he really wanted was for the factory managers to go out and listen to their customers, but he had to sell the idea first. So, off he went to the biggest customer. In order to see the supply chain at first hand he decided that he should travel with the van driver who made the deliveries.

When they got to the customer’s factory he was introduced to the warehouseman, the buyer, the production engineer, the design team and the works manager. They had a long chat about the quality of the products, the timeliness of deliveries, the accuracy of the invoices and the layout of the quality certificates.

He was then given a guided tour of the works. They had one big assembly unit and one small pre-assembly shop. In the pre-assembly shop sat a group of workers at a big bench. On the bench sat one of the large boxes that the van driver had just delivered and three smaller boxes. Each worker was taking units out of the box, unscrewing them, and then placing the nuts, bolts and washers into each of the three smaller boxes.

But this is just a fairy story. Why? Because CRM and the whole Customer Relationship Management idea has been hijacked by the database manufacturers. What was once the simple but highly effective philosophy of getting feedback from your customers is now just another computerised three-letter-acronym database being sold by the likes of Oracle and Sieble. The database lineage probably began with MRP (material requirement planning), which begat MRPII (manufacturing resource planning), which begat ERP (enterprise resource planning) with SAP on the side (and nobody even knows what SAP stands for). It’s a fairy story because a “CRM expert” would never suggest listening to the customers.

Many years ago, back in the ‘70’s, I worked for a firm that supplied M&S with clothing. It was the most successful company in its field, supplying M&S when it was at its height. Each week the boss would go into the stores and watch the ladies shopping. When one picked up a blouse, looked at it and put it back on the rail he would pounce and ask her “why”. And when someone decided to buy he’d pounce again. He knew what they were buying and why, and what they weren’t buying, and why. My boss didn’t do this just in the UK. Once a fortnight he and the head designer (there were over 100 people employed in the design studio alone) flew to New York on Concorde to see what the Americans were buying. He knew the customers and boy, did it show in our figures.

In my job I get to meet senior people who think that you can commission an outside agency to go out and listen to consumers. “But its so easy” I tell them. “Get out of your office, go to the tills and talk to the shoppers – those who are buying and those who aren’t”.

In b2b it’s a bit more complicated. Instead of having a point-of-sale (a blouse rack for instance) where decisions and transactions are made, there is a much more complex interaction between the supplier and the customer. Designers, production engineers, buyers, planners, logistics, marketing support, installation and service engineers, managers, sales reps and accounts are all bringing their influence to bear on the relationship. We’ve all seen a case where, after months of hard work by everyone, initiated by strategic marketing and business development and carried on right through the operation involving the production and quality people, the relationship with the new customer goes sour because of something that was said or done by the finance department – all because when the customer finally arrives in Accounts they magically transmute into a debtor and are treated accordingly.

We here at InfoQuest do b2b customer satisfaction surveys. We have a unique way of doing them, which gives our customers an average response rate of between 70% and 75%. That is, provided we are given good information to begin with. But it really frightens me how little our clients sometimes know about their customers. I’m talking about the basics here. And I’m talking about multi-nationals and blue chip businesses that the outside world might think of as being world class.

The first step in the survey is for our client to draw up a list of their most important customers. Its up to them whether this is based on biggest turnover, most profitable or greatest growth potential, but they have to be customers – not suspects, not prospects but live accounts. Then the client’s most senior person writes a personal and personable letter to each one, asking for their help. Then we call them, to make sure they are willing to take part, but not there and then over the ‘phone. Sometimes the comments we get include: - “sorry, we no longer buy from them”; “Mr X died three years ago”; “Miss Y left the company two years ago”; “We’ve never heard of XYZ Company”; “We used to have one of their machines – we asked them to quote for a new one but they never came back to us”. And it’s very, very frightening.

Years ago, when firms ran MRP systems, there was usually someone responsible for maintaining the Bills of Materials, to keep them up to date, to stop the buyers buying stuff that was no longer used on the factory floor. Businesses today need a similar system for their customers. I’ve only come across one firm that does this. The European Quality Foundation (EFQM) has a nine-part model for business. The most important part of the model (at 19%) is customer feedback. TNT, the logistics company, was the EFQM business of the year and they are the only folks I know that call their customers every three months, religiously, simply to make sure they’ve got the correct contact details. Why don’t everybody’s sales reps do this?

JOHN COLDWELL
Managing Director
InfoQuest Customer Relationship Management Ltd.
The Old Chapel
Chapel Hill, Clayton West
Huddersfield
HD8 9NH
UK
Tel.: +44(0) 1484 868390
Fax: +44(0) 1484 868391
E-mail: jc@infoquestcrm.com
Web: http://www.infoquestcrm.com

I have a confession to make. The other day I was stocking up on necessities at my local supermarket when I came face to face with Duggie, who I haven’t seen for years. We went through all the - “How are you, what have you been up to, what’re you doing now” kind of stuff.

Duggie then says - “Alan, can I have one or two of your business cards in case I need to get in touch and to pass to other people.”

Now, I’m always nagging other people about never leaving home without business cards. Don’t even take out the garbage without a business card in your pocket. And guess what - I had no business cards to give to Duggie.

He then tells me that he was at a Dinner the previous evening and he met several new contacts - however, he’d also forgotten his business cards. Duggie has his own business and he’s always looking for new clients.

So let me say it again (and I’m also talking to myself) -never, never, never leave home without business cards. Don’t even dig the garden, wash the car or visit the supermarket without business cards.

There’s always a chance that you’ll meet someone who says -”And what do you do?” or “It’s ages since I’ve seen you, what sort of business are you in now?”

Be aware - new customers and clients are the lifeblood of any business so make sure you never miss an opportunity to make a new contact.

Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather -”The Motivation Doctor” - is the author of “How to get More Sales Without Selling” To receive your free newsletter and free ebooks, visit: www.howtogetmoresales.com