More than 15 million businesses and organizations are now part of Facebook. Many corporations also have company Twitter pages. In the financial world, these pages are typically followed or liked by customers and employees.

Merely mentioning the word “negotiation” can evoke fear, stress and anxiety. But for many, the intent is quite simple: to discuss and ultimately agree on a deal. Whether it’s a multimillion dollar contract or just deciding where to meet for lunch, life is rife with negotiations.

In her book, “Game Time: Learn to Talk Sports In 5 Minutes a Day for Business,” Seattle sports broadcaster Jen Mueller states that a lack of sports knowledge can cost you money. You don’t need to be able to break down Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, but knowing enough to realize that a fast break isn’t referencing a quick trip to the locker room is a good start.

Being a sales manager is like trying to be two places at once. You’re simultaneously expected to be both a full-time sales rep and a full-time manager. You’re responsible for hitting your own sales numbers in addition to being held accountable for the numbers of each of your team members.

E-mail is an effective way to increase brand awareness, leads and sales, but many businesses don’t get the response rate they are looking for because their approach is weak, worn out and completely off track.

Do you hire based more on information or on gut feel?
The easy answer should be “both.”
Hiring is both an art and a science. Irrespective of how many hires you’ve made, and how much you’ve honed your expertise, hiring is tough. It’s one of those management functions where you can do certain things to improve the odds, but you can never be perfect.

Alarm sounds. Hit snooze button. Steal 10 minutes of more sleep. Groan. Get coffee. Wake kids. Take shower. Get dressed. Yell at kids. Drive to work. Slump into chair. Check email. Check Facebook. Meet deadlines. Waste time chatting. Watch clock. Check Facebook again. Sneak out early. Wait in traffic. Get groceries. Chaperone kids. Shout about homework. Make dinner. Watch TV. Go to bed.