Sun Tzu Art of War – Communication Tools

According to the Book on Military Administration, “In battles, as verbal communication cannot be heard clearly, cymbals and drums are used as commands” As visual communication and eye contact are hampered, banners and flags are used as signals. Now the purpose of using cymbals, drums, flags and banners is to draw attention of the troops and focus them for combat under the direction of the commander. Once the troops are united as one body, the courageous ones will not advance forward by themselves and the cowardly ones will not retreat by themselves. This is the art of directing larges forces in battles. – Chapter Seven, Sun Tzu Art of War

For battles at night, use more torches and drums. For battles in the day, use more banners and flags. These different means of communication can be designed to influence the judgment of the enemy. – Chapter Seven, Sun Tzu Art of War

As mentioned above, during day operations more banners and flags should be used for communication and during night operations, drums and torches should be used instead. From here we can see how observant Sun Tzu is. He even noted down what type of communication we should use during each battle, but of course the list of tools mentioned is not exhaustive, communication channels should depend on the terrain as well. For example, if you are in a flat terrain, a larger banner (daytime) or fireworks (night) should be used for communication because they can convey accurate messages, if you have explained accurately what each signals meant. But note here is that your signals, not tools, should be like your strategy, it should change with every battle. If you have a fixed form of communication signals, sooner or later, your enemy will be able to decipher them and that is would likely be the result of your defeat. This explains why Sun Tzu said the means of communication can be used to influence the enemy.

Business Application

Communication is very important in business. Communication breakdown can be detrimental to a business, like losing a big client or slow reaction to a rival’s move. With a strong understanding of each communication tools weakness and strength would you then be able to use it to your advantage. Good communication system can grant a company great flexibility, shorter reaction time and faster response. It is similar to an irrigation system. With good proper control system of the flow, accurate amount of water, water flowing to the right place, the fields will flourish because of it. These are capabilities that are extremely valuable in this dynamic business environment. Some forms of communication channels are e-mail, letters, internet messenger, telephone, internet telephony or video conferencing and face to face. I shall talk about their usage within the company. Please take note that having the proper communication tools is only one aspect of a good communication system though.

E-mail

E-mail could be formal or informal, nowadays because of the corporate frauds that happened in US, companies are now required to keep a copy of all the e-mails that are sent out to within and outside the company. E-mails does not solicit fast response from the recipients. It can be secure if the security system’s guideline and usage is strictly adhere to. E-mail is a cheap way of sending information and documents within the company and these information can be stored electronically thus cost savings arise from these characteristic. But one downfall of communication is emotions are not properly conveyed out. E-mails would be suitable for clear cut instructions or information that does not require immediate attention and preferably within a department. Cheap because can transfer with least costs throughout company even if overseas. It is prone to technology risks.

Letter

What is described here are paper letters sent from one department to another. It is only needed when you want to formalize a request or a work order. But this kind of communication is slowly being taken over by e-mail. Letters are more concrete than e-mail because electronic files are usually subjected to suspicion of editing or changing. Letter has the same characteristics as that of the e-mail but since it is tangible, it is not like e-mail where you can deny you have received it.. Security wise, it could be better or worse than e-mail depending on situations. It could be costly if you need to send it overseas. It is more reliable than electronic mode of communication.

Internet Messenger (Instant Messaging)

With the popular use of internet, internet messenger like ICQ, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger are being popularized, it allows fast relay of information and nowadays these messengers have the capabilities to help you know whether the person on the other end is around or not. But again, it lacks the transfer of emotions. The voice and tone of your message cannot be sent out through the messenger, even with emoticons, misunderstanding can still occur. What you sent out could be in a tone of offering help like “What do you want me to do?” But others after reading the message may interpret, you are angry with him for doing something. But Internet messenger has its pros as well, it could be used as a channel for informal discussion within the company because some of these messengers can allow multiple users in a single chat windows. And it is cheap since most of them are free and information can be transferred overseas cheaply. It is prone to technology risks.

Telephone

Compare to the other modes that are mentioned, it is a relatively better channel of communication. Because your tonality, voice qualities are also transmitted reducing the chance of your message being misunderstood. But it lacks another communication characteristic that is important and that is body language. It definitely solicits fast response because you can only communicate when the receiver is on the other side at the same time. But it can be very expensive if you need to communicate overseas. And reliability should be better than any electronic channel since this industry has been around for a very long time.

Internet Telephony & Video Conferencing

Internet telephony is slowly becoming very popular because SMEs and MNCs can make overseas call cheaply. This also includes video conferencing, which is made more popular with the prevalence of broadband. It has all the characteristics of telephone, with video conferencing being better because body language, to some extent, can be conveyed as well. But reliability could be a problem depending on the infrastructure and service provider available on both sides. Setting it up is cheap with a web camera and broadband connection.

Face to Face

Up till now, this is the best form of communication, the only downside is you although you can observe and receive the full signals from your conversation party, the same thing can be said for the other party as well.

So choose the proper communication tools to effectively bring your message across. The correct communication tools can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your communication system thus improving your business process.

Baby Boy Clip Art to Liven Up Your Baby Shower Cards

Loads of baby boy clip art images are available, once you click your computer’s mouse and get connected to the Internet. First, you must know what it is all about. It is about copying / cutting the pre-existing images. Yes, these images are already mostly in the books that have made their entry into the public domain for that purpose.

You can have your feast of logos, mascots, identity and business cards, invitations, letterheads. In addition, there are no hassles of license terms. The electronic art available on the Internet is an extension of this concept. These images are digitized drawings on low resolution used for decorating Invitations and E-greetings.

Clipart, including Baby Boy Clip art, are meant for defining digitized drawings and not photography. There are many files in many shapes, sizes and formats. Some of the most widespread formats are PICT, Paint, GIF, TIFF, EPS and JPEG. If you are unsure which format to use, just use PICT. This format is compatible with most programs, and can also adjust to another format type easily.

Standard clipart is usually not a very detailed drawing. Mostly they are images that have little detail or are outline drawings. The standard clipart is for use on the web to use in documents.

Baby boy clip art is the most wonderful way of splashing your work with images that you think can do the magic. It is also the cheapest and the most colorful way of doing so. Most of what you will find will be free printable art.

If you want to make your own baby shower clip art, software is available for just that purpose. Most software is easy to use, and can convert your pictures/snapshots into clipart quickly.

There is a huge collection of free baby shower clip art images and free baby clipart images available on the internet. These will be very useful for your baby shower invitations, thank you notes or baby announcements. You are bound to find baby boy clipart to you liking on the internet for your baby shower needs. This gives you the choice of making your own invitations versus purchasing ready-made invitations or other baby shower cards.

With baby shower clipart you don’t need any special artistic skills for you to make your own beautiful baby shower cards. Not all websites provide baby clipart for free, but many do. If you want more detailed clipart you might opt to purchase clipart. But with so much free baby clip art available, you really don’t need to purchase unless you really want a particular design.

The Art of Personal Letter Writing: 7 Basic Elements

When was the last time you received a personal letter that was not sent by email, but regular snail mail? What type of attitude did it put you in when you received a nice handwritten letter or note outside of the stack of bills that sometimes become daily accessory items for your mailbox? After retrieving a huge box filled with an array of high school and college items from my mother’s house, I found at the very bottom, a smaller box containing letters previously written to me from some of my old friends. There must have been about fifty letters in this box before I discarded them. I couldn’t resist this last opportunity to read every one of them again. After about an hour of non-stop reading, I made a cup of hot tea and sat down to continue my journey “back down memory lane.” I remember rewriting most of my letters, especially if I made a spelling mistake or if my sentence structure wasn’t as I intended it to be. Judging from the amount of paper I wasted on editing, you would think that I was mailing them to a major book publisher instead of a friend!

Letter writing created a manifestation of memories bridging the distance between the sender and recipient. People were as meticulous about picking out decorative stationary to write their letters on, as much as the letter itself. This connection through written communication promoted the exchange of conversation, creativity and artistic expression.

The standard format that I followed practically every time I wrote a letter to my friends, immediate family who lived out of town, old sweethearts or occasionally some of my favorite teachers, was composed of the following basic elements:

1. The Heading (Name and Address)

2. Date

3. The Greeting (Dear So and So)

4. The Body (The message you are writing to the recipient)

5. The Closing (Sincerely, Yours Truly)

6. Your Signature

7. Post Script (There is the occasional comment that was not mentioned in the Body of your letter, but made after the signature, called the P.S. or P.S.S. The P.S.S. was an additional post script).

Sometimes on the back flap of the envelope, the writer would put a smiley face or an acronym like S.W.A.K. (Sealed With A Kiss) which indicated that a love letter was enclosed.

Penmanship in elementary school was extremely important years ago. It came as a surprise to me and some of my friends who are parents that cursive writing is not taught in most schools anymore. Therefore, the meticulousness and pride taken in one’s penmanship is not as evident today as it was when I was growing up. But a personalized letter or note makes you stop, sit down, read and appreciate the thoughtfulness behind the folded message. Personalized letters displayed a unique voice, taste and style. It showed that a lot of thought, even if it wasn’t especially pleasant, went into the written expression.

So why not do something out of the ordinary and make someone smile today by writing a personalized letter to them instead of an electronic one. The memories will be worth the effort, especially if the person is miles away. You will get a great deal of satisfaction from simply taking a few minutes to write an endearing personal message whether on some nice stationary or not. That would be a special gift and welcomed relief for someone to receive in the mailbox amid the endless bills.

Four Tips on How to Sell Tattoo Flash Art

With so many talented tattoo artists who sell tattoo designs, how can you get ahead of the game and start making money through your own designs? Yes, talent is an important part of the business, but it’s not enough to be talented in designing new tattoos; you also have to be skilled as a salesperson.

Even as a beginner, you can show other tattoo artists and sellers what you’ve got by following these tips for you as a tattoo artist and seller:

Tip #1 – Brainstorm Your Brand

It’s never too early to start making your own brand of tattoos. All you need is to come up with a cool brand or business name that would be hard to forget. Try looking for famous brand or business names online so you will have a better idea of how your business should be named. Remember that this is a very crucial step because a good brand name will mean a good number of target customers to take a look at your products and purchase them.

Tip # 2 – Build Your Tattoo Shop

In order to sell tattoos, you will need to have a place of your own where you can display the best tattoo designs you’ve got. As a starting business, it’s better for you to choose a small and strategic place for your tattoo shop so you will save money and figure out the things you need to improve before opening a bigger shop in six months’ time or so. In your tattoo shop, make sure you display your tattoos on a nice set of display racks that can be viewed as people pass by your shop. When potential customers enter your shop, make sure you offer them your portfolios and lead them to the best designs you’ve created.

Tip # 3 – Get Help from Other Artists

Are you tight on budget? Well, you don’t actually have to open your tattoo shop if you’re financially unready for it. For sure, there are several tattoo artists and sellers who will be willing to help you get your business started. To sell tattoos without spending too much, offer your original designs to local artists, tattoo gallery owners, and sellers. See if you could win their hearts and make them agree about how you want your tattoo designs to be sold in their shops even for a matter of more or less three months.

Tip # 4 – Go Online

The Internet tattoo niche is ideal for people like you who are too busy in both creating original tattoo flash arts and selling them. In just an hour or two, you can create your own tattoo shop online and sell tattoos in an instant. To sell flash arts online, simply go to a web hosting site, create an account and choose a website hosting service. Or better yet, you can simply hire an expert on business website creation and let him bring your business to the top of the competition.

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