Leading the Innovation of Cell Phone Technology

Do you ever ask yourself, what happened before we had cell phones? Then you think back and remember how it all started. First we had the beepers where we had to pull over and call our friends from a pay phone. Then the first cell phones were created. I remember in the 90’s I had to carry around a big fake Louis Vuitton purse so I could fit the phone inside. It was a huge phone with a long black antenna that didn’t fold in. Now we have cell phones that keep getting smaller and smaller and smarter and smarter. Our cell phones are so smart we don’t even need keypads anymore. We now have smart phones with a touch pad and touch screen panel technology that allows us to access the internet, map out directions, take photos and video, listen to music, watch movies and even update our social media websites. Its technology at its fines and here are two mobile phones that are leading the innovation of cell phone technology.

The iPhone Apple announced the iPhone in January 2007. This phone is a multi-media smart phone with a multi touch screen panel. The cell phone is one of the first to implement a virtual keypad on a touch panel screen instead of a physical keypad. It was also one of the first phones to offer visual voicemail along and iTunes capabilities. When caller ID came out I bet 90% of people started screening their phone calls. Now with visual voicemail you can screen the messages you want to listen to and even listen to them in the order you want. With iTunes capabilities your phone is also a mini iPod that you can plug into your car or strap to your arm for a run. It’s completely flexible. The only thing Apple missed on the launch of the iPhone was GPS capability. But, not for long in July 2008 Apple introduced the new 3G iPhone. The 3G iPhone was faster, smaller, cheaper and had GPS capabilities. Both phones synch easily to your computer for software updates that keep making the phone better and better. The iPhone paved the way for advanced cell phone technology.

5800 Xpress Music Nokia is getting ready to unveil the 5800 Xpress Music mobile phone by year’s end. The new device was designed to give Apple’s iPhone some competition. Along with the iPhone the 5800 will have touch screen panel technology and music capabilities. Per an article from PC World the similarities between the two phones stop there. The Nokia’s touch screen virtual keypad will also work with the touch of a fingernail or stylus unlike the iPhone which uses the touch of your finger pad. The new Nokia went after a more user-friendly software approach as well. Some of the features include a contact bar with photos of friends that you most frequently contact that you can send text messages from. And, going one step further than the iPhone, you can also add feeds to your phone that will alert you when friends update their social networking websites. The new Nokia also supports flash software another element the iPhone does not have. Other cool features include video capture, handwriting recognition and louder surround sound speakers. And the best part about the phone is the cost. The new Nokia will cost half the price of the competitive touch screen phones in the market.

We’ve come a long way from beepers and large cell phones. With the advance in technology we can purchase not only a cell phone but a smart cell phone that doubles as your PDA and iPod and it’s small enough to fit in your pocket.

About the author: Lori S.M. Hollenback is a freelance writer for Innuity. For more information about touch pad technology or touch screen panel, visit CIRQUE

Starting and Running a Successful Mary Kay Business

Selling Mary Kay products can be the perfect career choice, especially for people who prefer flexible hours and enjoy connecting with customers. But to move your business from a sideline hobby to a profitable career requires attention to some key factors. This article provides fundamental guidelines that can make the difference between success and failure, from why Mary Kay products are a good choice to effective customer service techniques.

Your business success starts with the company and products you represent.

When you choose selling Mary Kay products as a career, you are choosing a reputable, high-quality product line from a stable, ethical, and successful company. Mary Kay has been providing high quality skin care and cosmetic products since 1963, and is a well-respected global leader in direct sales. Mary Kay as a company and Mary Kay executives have been directly involved with the Direct Selling Association (DSA), an established trade association that requires its member companies to follow best business practices and adhere to a strict code of ethics. And Mary Kay products stand on solid scientific research in collaboration with dermatologists and medical experts worldwide.

Selling products you use and love makes your job easier and much more fun!

Unless youre a good actor, its hard to fake enthusiasm. But its easy to be genuine and passionate about products you use and love. If you have been using Mary Kay products for any time, youre an excellent candidate for a successful career selling Mary Kay. Your knowledge and experience with the products as well as your passion for them is infectious, and will give your customers confidence that theyre buying tried and true products.

Treat your business with professionalism right from the start.

Success as an Independent Beauty Consultant requires you to keep track of myriad details regarding customers, inventory, time, and money. Computers have streamlined such tasks, and a professional-level software program that tracks the details for you is worth its weight in gold. Find out what software tools are available, especially programs that are designed for the Mary Kay industry. Then pick the right one, not the cheapest. Look at the reputation of the company, the software features, the frequency of upgrades and improvements, and customer service. A professional business management software program with excellent customer support puts a winning team on your side right from the start.

Get to know your customers as individuals.

Find out when their birthday and anniversary is. Pay attention to their likes and dislikes, what products they buy and how often. Then keep track of all these details meticulously in your software program. Personal service is one of the reasons customers like to buy from you rather than a department store, and the key to great personal service is anticipating your customers needs before they know they have them.

Manage your inventory effectively.

Besides your customers, your Mary Kay inventory is the next most important aspect of your business. Carry too much and youll tie up too much money on your shelf. But carrying too little means you may not have what your customers need when they need them. If youre tracking your customers buying preferences, youll notice trends. This helps you set the right inventory levels and decide which products to stock. A good software program should allow you to look at your inventory and your customers product usage and give you the exact information you need.

Automate as many aspects of your business as you can.

You make money by servicing your customers, not by figuring out what you should be doing with your time or counting the products on your shelf over and over again. Notice the amount of time you spend on each aspect of your business and look for ways to streamline by using your computer and mobile device. Does the Mary Kay software program you chose have a calendar feature? Does it sync with a PDA? Can you generate invoices electronically? How can you better use web tools? Let your computer and PDA do their job so that you can concentrate on what you do best: interact with your customers.

Follow up with leads and customers.

You never know when youll meet a potential customer. Carry your marketing material with you and develop a way of recording information about each meeting or interaction. Remembering and recounting details about your first meeting and all subsequent interactions with a person tells them they are important to you, and indicates your dedication to customer service right from the start. Follow up on samples and, later, purchases to see how they like your products. Send them birthday cards and offer special discounts during their birthday month. From lead to customer, show them they are special. Chances are, they dont get that kind of treatment from a department store.