Education and Study Guides Tips about education, how to study and improve study skills

Case Studies Deliver High-Value Stories of Customer Success

Posted on 10 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

Customer case studies are powerful promotional tools for a high-tech product or service. Yet convincing customers to participate in a case study can be a long and frustrating effort. It can be equally difficult to motivate a customer to review and approve the story once it is written.

You can reduce this effort and produce higher value case studies by following the essential strategies described here for recruiting candidates and handling the approval process.

Recruiting Good Candidates

It is always tempting to say "yes" to any case study candidate proposed by a sales rep or product manager. But your marketing and publicity efforts will be better served if you qualify the candidate before committing to a case study.

The following questions will help to identify the best the candidates and obtain a good story.

Story appeal. Does the customer have a story you actually want to tell? For example, does the story offer the potential to discuss an interesting problem, solution, or application? Is the company in a particular industry, country, or market you want to target?

Timing. Is the story ready to tell? Is the product implementation complete and does the customer have interesting results to report?

Participation agreement. Have any agreements been made with the customer for telling the story? Sometimes technology companies request that customers agree to a case study as a condition of receiving a beta version or early shipment of a product.

Customer preparation. Has the customer been briefed about the case study process? A standard letter or information sheet can be emailed to the customer to simplify this process.

Contacts. Are you talking to the right person within the customer organization? You may need to talk with multiple people in order to get a full perspective and someone with the right authority to speak for the organization.

PR involvement. Do you need to involve or get approval from the customer's public relations person before starting the interviews or publishing the case study? Do you need to arrange access to employees and facilities for photography or filming?

Handling Reviews and Approvals

Certainly, an accurate and well-written case study is essential for gaining the customer's approval. But your follow-through during the review process will determine whether, and how quickly, the customer will approve the case study.

These guidelines will help you develop a good follow-through process.

Internal reviews first. Always complete any internal reviews before sending the first draft to the customer. Customers should never be asked to go through the approval process more than once because of late comments or follow-up questions from your internal reviewers.

Fast turnaround for the draft. Deliver the first draft soon after the customer has given an interview. Delays on your side can send the message that the case study isn't urgent, which can lead the customer to give the review a low priority.

Send a complete package. Along with the draft text, send any photos, video clips, diagrams, or other illustrations that will accompany the case study.

Use an approval form. The approval form should allow the customer to check the specific approved uses for the case study information; grant releases for all photography, video, and other multimedia elements; and specify any other conditions. Don't publish the case study until you have received the signed approval form.

Follow-up for approval. If your customer contact is slow about responding with comments or approval, be polite but persistent in your follow-up messages.

Send a thank-you. Send the final case study, thank-you notes, and perhaps a nominal gift such as a company T-shirt to everyone involved. Include the URL for a Web version or printed copies of the published case study.

Celebrate! Promote the case study internally. Giving salespeople a useful story will encourage them to help you with future case studies.

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How To Study Effectively

Posted on 09 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

People acquire knowledge by reading writing and organizing. People have their own way of studying, and no two people study the same way. In spite of different methods people used to study, all students may follow certain basic guidelines to help them study effectively.

Every student possesses thinking skills, but not all students utilize them effectively. These skills cannot be learned; rather, they have to be developed. People who think well rarely see any difficulties, while others just see dead ends. It is wise for students to ask themselves questions that are related to the subject while reading to develop these skills or habits. By interacting with good thinkers, there are possibilities for students to exchange creative ideas that will help them while studying.

A proven method that helps enhance students to study effectively is the SQ3R method. This abbreviation stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. By surveying, students get a fair idea of the overall picture before studying in detail. Students get to know the topics they will be dealing with in the near future.

It is advisable for students to ask themselves relevant questions while learning. By asking themselves questions regarding important points of the lesson students are able to study more effectively. They are able to retain matter easily and this also helps to retain better while studying.

Another important step towards effective studying is reading. Reading simply does not mean just glancing through the book. When students read they should also be able to answer questions. It is recommended that they should also go through the points that are in bold or in italics.

While studying it is wise for students to recite. While reciting students need to stop reading periodically and this helps student to recall whatever they read earlier. Reviewing is another important aspect for students as it proves to be a survey of what the students have covered.

If students follow methods that help them study effectively it helps them enhance their performance and makes them good thinkers.

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The 5 Bible Study Basics - Making Your Bible Study Time Bear Good Fruit

Posted on 08 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

Even in the 21st century, sitting down and reading the Word is still one of the most used forms of Bible study. Just pick it up and read it. Sounds simple enough. Right? But, grabbing your Bible ten minutes before you fall asleep and reading a few verses. That does not qualify as fruitful study time. Sure, you'll be able to say you read something. And, if that was all you wanted to accomplish, then you hit your goal.

But, your Heavenly Father does not want your time in His Word to just be another item to check off of your to-do list. He wants it to be a time where He can use His Word to renew your mind. Where He can change you into the person He predestined you to be. So, how do you study the Bible? Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that's How!

"But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth)..." - John 16:13 (Amplified)

So, now you have discovered the first of your Bible Study Basics.

Bible Study Basic #1: Never Study Without The Spirit of The Lord!

But what other techniques can help you make your Bible study time bear good spiritual fruit?

Bible Study Basic #2: Don't be afraid to write in your Bible!

Some people are scared they'll mess up their Bibles. Don't be. Make notes in the margins of your Bible and highlight passages that touch your heart. This makes it easier to sit down from time to time and revisit the things you've learned.

Reading over your notes and revelations regularly is one of the best ways to remind yourself of thing that the Holy Spirit reveals to you as you study.

Bible Study Basic #3: Invest in mini post-it notes and sticky tabs.

Want to leave a larger note right on the page of a specific scripture? Use a mini post-it so that the revelation you received will be there waiting for you next time you flip past. Instead of using bookmarks, use small sticky tabs to indicate verses you want to come back to or meditate on. This way, you can color code your study topics by using different colored tabs, and even keep track of more scriptures.

Bible Study Basic #4: Select A topic or reason for your Bible study.

Focus your study around something you're interested in, and you'll never forget to study your Bible again! Find out what God has to say about developing faith or raising godly children? Hunt for all of the wisdom in the Proverbs or pick apart the story of creation in Genesis? This is the best way to personalize your Bible study experience.

Bible Study Basic #5: Keep a Bible Study notebook.

As you study, write down the things that you learn. You can keep a running list of your favorite scriptures or write down things that God reveals to your heart as you study. Using your notebook to journal is also key. Journal on specific scriptures, what they mean to you, and how you'll incorporate them into everyday life.

Of course, reading the Word is not the only way to study the Bible. Bible study workbooks and classes can be excellent ways to grow closer to God through His Word. You can also do your Bible study online. Free online Bible study lessons make God's Word available wherever you are. While everyone else at work is taking a smoke break, take a Word break and shoot over to your favorite Bible study online website!

No matter how you study God's Word, don't forget your #1 Bible Study Basic. Pray before you begin your Bible study sessions and invite the Holy Spirit in to be your guide. That way, your study time will always bear good fruit!

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Setting Your Study Goals

Posted on 06 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

According to a recent study, students who had study goals performed better than those who did not. Somehow, setting goals helped them achieve more in their academics. What are study goals and how do they help the student? How do you set study goals?

Understanding why study goals are important

Setting goals is a vital step in achieving success in life. A goal is something that you aim for, something that you reach for, and something that you work for. A goal helps you set a mark and helps assess your progress as you go along. Without a goal, you will not have a very clear idea of where to go and which steps to take.

Study goals simply reflect your aspirations for your studies or the things that you are hoping to achieve in your studies. They serve as an excellent tool to keep you focused in your academics.

Setting your study goals

There are two kinds of goals: long-term and short-term. A long-term goal, as the name suggests, can be achieved over a longer period of time. A short-term goal can be accomplished in a shorter period time and is aligned with or is intended to result in realizing the long-term goal.

For example, you can set a long-term study goal of finishing your degree in four years. In order to reach that goal, you set short-term goals like setting aside a number of hours each day to study or passing the weekly quizzes or getting good grades in your exams.

Your study goals should be measurable. In other words, you need to provide parameters by which your goals can be gauged. For example, you can say, "In the next exam, I should aim for this grade," or "By the end of this week, I should finish writing my paper."

Formulating your action plan

So how does it work? First, you need to specify your long-term goal. After writing down your long-term goal, you can start making your action plan. This contains your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly (if applicable) study goals and the steps you will take to achieve them. The idea is to reach your ultimate goal by doing smaller and manageable steps as you go along. As the old saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is, "One bite at a time." Your elephant is graduation, your short term goals are your bites.

Say, for example, your long-term goal is to graduate with a certain target GPA. To reach this goal, you have to make sure that the average of your grades for each semester will fall within your target GPA. If a particular subject weighs you down, then you can set short-term goals to improve on that subject, such as doing efficient note taking in class or focusing on particular topics during daily study hours or writing a brilliant paper to boost your grade.

After identifying your short-term goals, you can now make a daily schedule of activities to help you attain these goals. For example, if you need a higher grade in History because it is weighing you down, then you have to spend more study time for that subject. Perhaps you will also need more library time for research and further reading.

Creating a daily schedule not only helps you focus your activities; it also helps you identify time wasters. You will be amazed at how much more you can do in a day just by dropping certain habits and unnecessary activities. Discipline is of the utmost importance in following your schedule. If you are not used to following a daily schedule, then be prepared for a change in lifestyle.

Checking your progress

You can review your action plan against your study goals periodically so you can see which ones you were able to follow and which ones you were not able to do and why. This helps you monitor your progress in light of your short-term and long-term study goals.

Sometimes, circumstances will keep you from following your action plan, in which case you need to revise it to keep it aligned with your goals. The important thing is for you to keep going and maintain your focus on what you are hoping to achieve in your studies.

Many students grope their way through their academics, hoping to make it better but not really succeeding. If they only knew how to set study goals and formulate and apply their action plans, they would be able to get better grades and perform well in school. You can avoid this mistake. Study goals will help motivate you to do better in your studies.

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Why Using Study Tips is So Important

Posted on 05 May 2012 by admin | Filled under: uncategorized

Studying is an important part of the learning experience, and it seems that an increasing number of students would greatly benefit from effective study tips and study methods. One of the best study tips is to have good study habits from an early age, and parents help by providing their school age children with a set time every day to study. It is also important that they provide a space that is quiet, with few distractions. While the set times can vary, it is important that it is set as close to when they get home from school as possible, so that the information they have learned over the course of the day is still fresh in their minds.

It is not enough to have these study tips and methods, you also have to be available to help your kids if they need it. One of the most important study tips for parents is to take an active interest in their child's study habits, and what they are learning in school. Even parents who are younger than most find that the curriculum has changed quite a bit from when they were going to school and older parents can often be very confused at the things taught in school today.

There are many different study tips and study methods available today, both at school and at home. You can find an abundance of information to help you online, and many sites offer this information at no cost. It is important that parents as well as students try to find the ones that work best for them, and that are easy to do. It is more important to study smart, not longer. If your kids can learn to study smart, then they don't have to spend long hours to get the job done.

Another issue students have to face today is that the schools often don't give any study tips to children. There are many budget cutbacks, and in some cases, students are required to learn the class materials on their own, which is of course very frustrating not only for teachers but also for parents. With the lack of effective study methods offered by schools, it is important for parents to get involved and find ways to help their kids help themselves.

Truth is you can take countless hours trying to find the right study tips online, with hit and miss results. Many study methods are incomplete and just don't give clear details on what tips are the best. Instead of trying to find tips that way, you could try and find a website which does it for you.

There is a number of really good websites with valuable resources and also several articles available that can provide helpful information. No matter how old your child is or how well they are doing in school, such resources compiling lots of useful study tips and effective study methods, are very likely to be well adapted to your child's individual needs.

One of the best study tips that can be used by any student is actually to read each lesson before class, especially if you know what you are going to learn about the day before. This gives the prepared student an upper hand, but they still have to pay attention in the class to make sure they understand everything they read.

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