I recently received a survey from the U.S. Postal Department asking for my opinion on their plan to do away with Saturday mail delivery. I’m not sure I would miss it as a consumer but bet it would be problematic for many businesses.

The post office contends they have been very aggressive at cutting costs but project financial losses for this year and for several years to come. We all know the price of stamps has increasingly risen, as has the price of mail delivery at any level. Of course, a significant decline in volume would be expected, and without the volume of mail, your operating budget stays the same but with less money coming in. And what about their other money concern that a “major requirement to prefund its retiree’s health benefits” has also contributed to their losses.

As an alternative to even larger price increases, this transition from a six to a five day delivery schedule is being seriously considered. The key components of the five-day plan include:

- No Saturday delivery to homes and businesses.
- No mail collection on Saturday.
- Maintain Saturday delivery for Post Office Box mail.
- Post Offices currently open on Saturday will remain open.
- Maintain delivery of Express Mail on Saturday and Sunday.
- Continue to make available remittance mail, caller service mail and national firm hold out mail at plants on Saturday.

What do you think? How would this plan affect you or your business?

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If you can make the Guinness Book of World Records for sales, you must know something about how to do it! Joe Girard sold cars but his suggestions for sales success can work for just about anything. I’ve customized them here to include selling product and services and yourself too at a job interview!

Positive Attitude. Even if you have to pretend, act like everything is great. Surrounding yourself with upbeat people is also a good idea.

Organize. Make lists and keep track of everything. Know where you’ve been, where you are going and how you will get there by planning ahead. For a job interview, know all you can about the company you are applying to work for.

Work. Dig in and work, even when job searching! Even at a lunch break, find those who will help your cause.

No-Nos. Don’t be late, chew gum, smoke, tell dirty jokes, wear too much perfume or cologne, or leave your cell phone on.

Dress. Dress to impress but also to fit the occasion or position. If you’re selling to blue collar workers, don’t wear expensive clothes and too much jewelry.

Listen. Listening shows that you care. Listen more and talk less. But, if asked a direct question, be ready for a well thought out answer.

Smile. A smile is a great asset and makes others feel more comfortable around you.

Return messages. Return all calls, emails and any message just as soon as possible.

Tell the truth. Just one lie will label you a liar for life.

Don’t overcharge. Be fair and offer value. You should assume comparison shopping will be taking place.

Stand in front. Stand in front of your product. You are the service they are actually buying. In job interviews, make sure the focus is on you. Reposition yourself if there are distractions in the interviewer’s line of sight.

Lock up the sale. Ask for feedback. Ask if there are any unresolved questions. Reinforce their trust and leave on an upbeat.

Reward yourself. Treat yourself well and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.

And don’t forget to send Thank You Cards to those who interviewed you or Business Appreciation Cards to those who made a purchase!

Any other tips you’d like to add?

Source: {Joe Girard’s 13 Rules to Success}

I’m a writer so I love words. I love words that sound funny like blurp, fizz, tweak and twitter. I love big words because I like to think they make me sound intelligent, aka smart. Usually, but not always, I even try to know the meanings of the words before using them! I love it when children use big words with absolutely no clue as to what they’re saying.

Anyway, I digress. Just now my daughter texted me to see if she could go out tonight with friends. She of course probably feels she should not have to ask permission, but I’m glad she did. Of course I came back with the usual mom response- who, what, when, where and why. (I suspect those are left over from my days in journalism school but they seem to apply in mom-world as well.)

Now this is where the fun begins. I added watermelon to the above list just for fun and texted her back, partly to see if she even reads my responses. She came back with a suggestion that I might have enjoyed my lunch break a little too much. Well, I followed up with- nope, I’m blogging, twittering, posting and composing. I’m also looking for chocolate but that is an entirely different matter.

Whether it be words shared via texting or as imprinted verses on your favorite greeting cards for example, why not infuse your writing with words that are unusual now and then just to see if you get a reaction! And so I ask, when someone texts, tweets or facebooks you (ie- asks what’s on your mind?), what words do you use in response?

Commemorative stamps are quite popular among collectors and those who simply like to dress up their mailed greeting cards, bills and more. Based on the total number of stamps saved, but not necessary used, here is the Top 10 List of United States Postal Service most popular commemorative stamps.

Each year the Postal Service receives suggestions from the general public regarding commemoratives. The narrow the search, the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee was formed and a 12 point criteria for selection was implemented. The Postmaster General makes the final decision on which stamps to launch each year.
What commemorative stamp would you want to see added?