Culture of United States of America

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CULTURE OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Culture of the United States of America
 The culture of the United States of America is a Western

culture, having been originally influenced by European cultures. It has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, and folklore. Today the United States of America is an ethnically and racially diverse country as result of large-scale immigration from many different countries throughout its history.  Its chief early influences came from English and Irish settlers of colonial America. British culture, due to colonial ties with Britain that spread the English language, legal system and other cultural inheritances, had a formative influence. Other important influences came from other parts of western Europe, especially Germany, France, and Italy.  American culture includes both conservative and liberal elements, military and scientific competitiveness, political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and moral elements. Despite certain consistent ideological principles (e.g. individualism, egalitarianism, and faith in freedom and democracy), American culture has a variety of expressions due to its geographical scale and demographic diversity. The flexibility of U.S. culture and its

Languages of the United States
• The variety of English spoken in the United States

is known as American English; with 82% of the population claiming it as a mother tongue, and some 96% claiming to speak it "well" or "very well", Spanish is the second most common language in the country, and is spoken by over 12% of the population. The United States holds the world's fifth largest Spanish-speaking population, outnumbered only by Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Colombia. Throughout the Southwestern United States, long-established Spanish-speaking communities coexist with large numbers of more recent Hispanophone immigrants. Although many new Latin American immigrants are less than fluent in English. • According to the Latest Survey the following is the percentage of total population's native languages in the United States: • English (82.1%)

Religious statistics for the United States
• It should be noted the following information is an

estimation as actual statistics constantly vary. • According to the Survey the following is the percentage of followers of different religions in the United States: • Christian: (80.2%)
– – – –

Protestant (51.3%) Roman Catholic (23.9%) Mormon (1.7%) Other Christian (1.6%)

• • • • • •

Jewish (1.7%) Buddhist (0.7%) Muslim (0.6%) Other/Unspecified (2.5%) Unaffiliated (12.1%) None (4%)

Climate of the United States
• The United States includes a wide variety of climate

types due to its large size, range of geographic features, and non-contiguous arrangement. In the contiguous United States to the east of the 100th meridian, the climate ranges from humid continental in the north to humid subtropical in the south. The southern tip of Florida is tropical. The Great Plains west of the 100th meridian are semi-arid. Much of the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and the Cascade Range are alpine. The climate is arid in the Great Basin, desert in the Southwest, Mediterranean in coastal California, and oceanic in coastal Oregon and Washington. The state of Alaska—on the northwestern corner of the North American continent—is largely subarctic, with an oceanic climate in its southern edge and a polar climate in the north. The archipelago state of Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is tropical. • Extreme weather is not uncommon—the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are prone to hurricanes, and tornadoes regularly occur in the area of the

Education
• Education in the United States is provided mainly by

government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the elementary and high school levels (often known outside the United States as the primary and secondary levels). • Students have the options of having their education held in public schools, private schools, or home school. In most public and private schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary school, junior high school (also often called middle school), and high school. In almost all schools at these levels, children are divided by age groups into grades. Post-secondary education, better known as "college" or "university" in the United States, is generally governed separately from the elementary and high school system. • In the year 2000, there were 76.6 million students enrolled in schools from kindergarten through graduate schools. Of these, 72 percent aged 12 to 17 were judged academically "on track" for their age (enrolled in school at or above grade level). Of those enrolled in compulsory education, 5.2 million (10.4 percent) were attending private schools. Among the country's adult population, over 85 percent have completed

Many children attend schools before they reach the age of five. These pre-schools are often private and not part of the public educational system although some public school systems include pre-schools. Age five: Kindergarten Ages six-11: Elementary school. Children start in grade 1 and advance to grade 5 or 6. Ages 12-14 or 11-14: Junior high school or middle school (usually grades 7-8 or grades 6-8, respectively). Ages 14-18: High school (usually grades 9-12 or 10-12, depending on whether the community uses middle schools or junior high schools). The entire span of primary and secondary education, from Kindergarten to grade 12, is often abbrieved in the US as K-12 or K12, which in spoken American English is rendered as "K

Public education Public education in the United States is provided by the individual states, not by the federal government, all states provide public school education from kindergarten through the twelfth year of high school free of charge Private education Private school education in the United States at the primary and secondary levels generally receives little or no governmental support in the form of direct funding or subsidies, although non-profit bodies running private schools may receive favorable tax status. Conversely, because of the constitutional prohibition regarding governmental establishment of religion, most private religious schools are in fact barred from such direct governmental support. Most of the private institutions have traditionally been religious institutions funded by, for example, Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish communities. Some private secular schools, military schools, and multilingual schools also exist. Private secular and multi-lingual elementary and secondary education may cost $10,000 to $20,000 per year per student in large metropolitan areas, placing these schools out of reach of all but the wealthiest of middle- and upper-class families. However, many of these schools provide academic scholarships and need-based assistance. Religious schools vary in price, from nearly free to costs on par with private secular schools. Poorer families may send their children to these lower-priced schools for a religious education, or because they consider the schools better than the available public schools. Home schooling is allowed in many states and is an alternative for a small minority of households. The motivation for home schooling is often religious or political. Many times, home schooling is used because of particular sports. Higher education The United States is a great center of higher education, boasting more than 1,500 universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning. Common postgraduate degrees are master's degrees or Ph.D.s, or specialized professional

Literature
• The right to freedom of expression in the American

constitution can be traced to German immigrant John Peter Zenger and his legal fight to make truthful publications in the Colonies a protected legal right, ultimately paving the way for the protected rights of American authors. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, American art and literature took most of its cues from Europe. During its early history, America was a series of British colonies on the eastern coast of the present-day United States. Therefore, its literary tradition begins as linked to the broader tradition of English literature. However, unique American characteristics and the breadth of its production usually now cause it to be considered a separate path and tradition. • Writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry David Thoreau established a distinctive American literary voice by the middle of the nineteenth century. Mark Twain and poet Walt Whitman were major

Cuisine / Food
The cuisine of the United States is extremely diverse, similar to those in other Western countries. Wheat is the primary cereal grain. Traditional American cuisine uses ingredients such as turkey, whitetailed deer venison, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, and maple syrup, indigenous foods employed by American Indians and early European settlers. Slow-cooked pork and beef barbecue, crab cakes, potato chips, cotton candy and chocolate chip cookies are distinctively American styles Contributions from these ethnic foods have become just as common as traditional “American’ fares like hotdogs, hamburgers, beef steaks (for example,, chicken-fried steak, a variation of German schnitzel), cherry pie, Coca-Cola, milkshakes, fried chicken and so on. Nowadays, Americans also have a ubiquitous consumption of foods like pizza and pasta, tacos and burritos to “General Tso's Chicken” and fortune cookies. Fascination with these and other ethnic foods may also vary with region. Fruits- Fruits included strawberries dwarf mountain strawberry, as well as huckleberries, blueberries, cherries, currants, gooseberries, plums, raspberries, sumac berries, juniper berries, hackberries, elderberries, hawthorne fruit, pitaya, white evening primrose fruit. Seafood- Saltwater fish eaten by the American are cod, lemon sole, flounder, herring, halibut, sturgeon, smelt, drum shrimp, lobster, crayfish, and dungeness crabs Livestock and game- Commonly hunted and eaten game included deer, bear, buffalo and wild turkey. The larger muscles of the animals were roasted and served with currant sauce, while the other

Sports
• Sports in the United States is an important part of

American culture. The four most popular team sports are ones that developed in North America: baseball, American football, basketball and ice hockey. The major leagues of these sports, the National Football League (NFL), the Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) enjoy massive media exposure and are considered the preeminent competitions in their respective sports in the world. Each of these leagues besides the NFL have teams that play in Canada, and all four are among the most lucrative sports leagues in the world. Soccer (association football) is less popular as a spectator sport in the United States than it is in many other countries, though it has wide amateur participation, particularly among youths. • Homecoming is an annual tradition of the United States. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former residents and alumni. It is built around a central event, such as a banquet, a parade,

Scientific
There is a fondness for scientific advancement and technological innovation in American culture. Some of these efforts are centered in Silicon Valley and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Other strong scientific areas include nuclear research, space (NASA), military research, and biotech. Respect for scientific advancement still ranks high in the U.S. and the element of competitiveness is exercised as early as in elementary school.

Federal Government of the United States
• The Federal Government of the United States is the

national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government, a legislature, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and their various powers are delineated in the U.S. Constitution; the powers are specified in greater detail in laws enacted by Congress. • The seat of government of the United States is in Washington, D.C. President • The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. The president is

United States

Vice President of the United States
The Vice President is the second-highest executive official in rank of the government. As first in the U.S. presidential line of succession, the Vice President becomes President upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President, which has happened nine times in U.S. history. Under the Constitution, the Vice President is President of the Senate. By virtue of this role, he or she is the head of the Senate. In that capacity, the Vice President is allowed to vote in the Senate, but only when necessary to break a

Service
• The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an

independent agency of the United States government established by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 26 1775 as an "independent establishment of the executive branch", responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. While officially known as the "U.S. Postal Service," despite the passage of years the public still refer to it as the "Post Office" or "U.S. Mail" • The United States Postal Service employs some 596,000 workers, making it the second-largest civilian employer in the United States (excluding the federal government), following only Wal-Mart. In a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court decision, the Court noted: "Each day, according to the Government's submissions here, the United States Postal Service delivers some 660 million pieces of mail to as many as 142 million delivery points." As of 2010, the USPS operates 36,400 post offices and locations in the U.S., and delivers 177 billion

United States time zones
• From east to west, the times zones of the contiguous United • • • • • • •



States are: Eastern Standard Time zone: (EST; UTC-05; Zone R), which comprises roughly the states on the Atlantic coast and the eastern two thirds of the Ohio Valley. Central Standard Time zone: (CST; UTC-06; Zone S), which comprises roughly the Gulf Coast, Mississippi Valley, and Great Plains. Mountain Standard Time zone: (MST; UTC-07; Zone T), which comprises roughly the states that include the Rocky Mountains. Pacific Standard Time zone: (PST; UTC-08; Zone U), which comprises roughly the states on the Pacific coast, plus Nevada.   Alaska Standard Time zone: (AKST; UTC-09; Zone V), which comprises most of the state of Alaska. Hawaii-Aleutian standard time zone: (or unofficially Hawaii Standard Time: HST) (HAST; UTC-10; zone W), which includes Hawaii and most of the length of the Aleutian Islands chain (west of 169°30′W).  

Day light savings
Start of Spring Start of Fall(Winter)

DST Begins at 2 a.m. 2011 2012 2013 2014 13-Mar 11-Mar 12-Mar 9-Mar

DST Ends at 2 a.m 2011 2012 2013 2014 6-Nov 4-Nov 3-Nov 2-Nov

Day light savings
SPRING (Summer) Zones Eastern Central US Time 8.00 AM 8.00 AM India Time 5.30 PM 6.30 PM 7.30 PM 8.30 PM Fall (Winter) Zones Eastern Central US Time 8.00 AM 8.00 AM India Time 6.30 PM 7.30 PM 8.30 PM 9.30 PM

Mountain 8.00 AM Pacific 8.00 AM

Mountain 8.00 AM Pacific 8.00 AM

SR. NO

Official USPS Abbreviations
STATE ABBREVATION CAPITAL EASTERN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Kentucky Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan North Carolina New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohia Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Virginia Vermont West Virginia CT DE FL GA KY MA MD ME MI NC NH NJ NY OH PA RI SC VA VT WV Hartford Dover Tallahassee Atlanta Frankfort Boston Annapolis Augusta Lansing Raleigh Concord Trenton Albany Columbus Harrisburg Providence Columbia Richmond Montpellier Charleston

PRONUNCIATION

TIME ZONE

KHE NED DI KIT DEL A WARE FLA RI DA JOR JA KEN A KEE MASS A CHEW SETS MAR LIND Main MISHI GIN NORTH CARO LIE NA NOO/NU HAM SHER NOO/NU JER ZEE NOO/NU YORK O HIGH YO PEN SIL VAIN EE YA ROAD EYE LIND SOUTH CARO LINE NA VER GIN YA VER MAN WEST VER GIN YA

EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN EASTERN

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

CENTRAL 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Alabama Arkansas Lowa Illinois Indiana Kansas Louisiana Minnesota Missouri Mississippi North Dakota Nebraska Oklahoma South Dakota Tennessee Texas Wisconsin AL AR IA IL IN KS LA MN MO MS ND NE OK SD TN TX WI Montgomery Little Rock Des Moines Springfield Indianapolis Topeka Barton Rouge St Paul Jafferson City Jackson Bismarck Lincoln Oklahoma City Pierre Nashville Austin Madison AL A BA MA ARC IN SAW EYE O WA ILLI NOY IN DI YANNA KEN SIS LOO EASY YANNA MIN NEH SODA MIZ E REE MISSI SIP EE NORTH DA KO DA NE BRASS KA OKLA HO MA SOUTH DA KO DA TENNIS SEE TECH ZIS WISS KHAN SIN CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL

MOUNTAIN 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana New Mexico Utah Wyoming AZ CO ID MT NM UT WY Phoenix Denver Boise Helena Santa Fe ARI ZONA CALLER RA DO EYE DA HO MAN TA NA MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN

NOO/NU MEXZ CO MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN

Salt Lake City YOU TAH Cheyenne PACIFIC WHY O MIN

45 46 47 48

California Nevada Oregon Washington

CA NV OR WA

Sacramento Carson City Salem Olympia

CALI FOR NIA NEH VA DA ORE GIN WASH IN TIN

PACIFIC PACIFIC PACIFIC PACIFIC

OTHER ZONES 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Alaska Hawaii Virginia Island Puerto Rico American Samo Distict of Colombia Federated States of Micronesia AK HI VI PR AS DC FM Juneau Honolulu Carlotte Amalie San Juan AL ASK AA HAWA YEE VER GIN I LIND PORTO RICO AST HST EST EST SST

56 57 58 59

Guam Marshal Island North Marina Island Palau

GU MH MP PW

ChST

ChST

Abbreviations
Designator APARTMENT BASEMENT BUILDING DEPARTMENT FLOOR FRONT HANGAR LOBBY LOT LOWER OFFICE PENTHOUSE Abbreviation APT BSMT BLDG DEPT FL FRNT HNGR LBBY LOT LOWR OFC PH Designator PIER REAR ROOM SIDE SLIP SPACE STOP SUITE TRAILER UNIT UPPER UPPER Abbreviation PIER REAR RM SIDE SLIP SPC STOP STE TRLR UNIT UPPR UPPR

Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security Number (SSN) is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2). The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent agency of the United States government. Its primary purpose is to track individuals for taxation purposes. The original purpose of this number was to track individuals' accounts within the Social Security program and to bring all "person" under the interstate commerce

What do the SSN numbers mean?

SSNs are not assigned consecutively; the first was not the lowest number, and the most recent is not the highest. They are assigned regionally and in batches. The nine-digit SSN, which has been issued in more than 400 million different sequences, is divided into three parts: area numbers, group numbers and serial numbers. The SSN is one of the most important numbers an individual can have. You must have a social security number to apply for a job, receive any government assistance, file taxes, and obtain a mortgage or credit. For all of these reasons, a SSN is also one of the most private pieces of personal information an individual uses. The Social Security Administration is an office of the United States Federal Government and the only source for obtaining a legally issued social security number. In recent years, the SSN has become interconnected with more than just taxes, because it used by banks, colleges, and other primary business entities as proof of identification. Though SSNs weren't issued until 1936, they were originally created as part of the New Deal Social Security Program and were used only for tax purposes. This meant that most children weren't required to have a SSN before the age of 14. However, in 1986, a new law was instated requiring children over 5 to have a SSN before they could be claimed as dependents by

 January 1 - New Year's Day - Celebrates beginning of the Gregorian calendar  

National Holidays



     

year. Festivities include counting down to midnight (12:00 AM) on the preceding night, New Year's Eve. Traditional end of holiday season. Third Monday in January – Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., or Martin Luther King, Jr. January 20 - Inauguration Day Observed only by federal government employees in Washington D.C., and the border counties of Maryland and Virginia, in order to relieve congestion that occurs with this major event. Swearing-in of President of the United States and Vice President of the United States. Celebrated every fourth year Third Monday in February - Washington's Birthday- OR "Presidents' Day" Many people now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. However, neither the Uniform Holidays Act nor any subsequent law changed the name of the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents' Day. Last Monday in May - Memorial Day = Honors the nation's war dead from the Civil War onwards, also marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season. July 4 Independence Day - Celebrates Declaration of Independence, also called the Fourth of July. Independence declared in the year 1776 First Monday in September -Labor Day - Celebrates the achievements of workers and the labor movement; marks the unofficial end of the summer season. Second Monday in October - Columbus Day - Honors Christopher Columbus, traditional discoverer of the Americas. Oct 31st Halloween Day - Focuses on the gatherings of family & friends to pray and remember friends & family members who have passed away. Fourth Thursday in November - Thanksgiving Day - A day of prayer thanking God for blessings, such as military victory & also as the end of drought

The typical American
The typical American is brash, friendly, competitive,

industrious, rude, forthright, impatient, spontaneous, LOUD, optimistic, conscientious, litigious, patriotic, naive, wealthy, serious, demonstrative, ignorant, unworldly, fun-loving, racist, altruistic, a shopaholic, effusive, parochial, dynamic, outrageous, efficient, excessive, a religious zealot, crude, boastful, demanding, an exhibitionist, individualistic, selfish, ebullient, gluttonous, aggressive, a hustler, ambitious, proud, extrovert, flashy, compulsive, humorous, insecure, superficial, predatory and a baseball fan. However, the US is far from being a classless society and status is as important there as it is anywhere else, if not more so. Class is usually based on your profession and position (not to mention your salary), which has led to the executive, management and professional business classes. One of the most common manifestations of class distinction is the division between white and blue-collar workers. Many things are classified as white or blue-collar, including neighborhoods, jobs, clubs, sports, pastimes,

American lifestyle
If there’s one single motivation uniting all

Americans, it’s their desire to be rich and famous (I want it all NOW!). It’s the American Dream to be rich (Americans live on dreams, particularly rags-to-riches dreams) and money is openly admired and everyone’s favorite topic. Many Americans will do (almost) anything for money, which is the country’s national language (along with sport). To be considered seriously rich in the US, you must be fabulously wealthy with a fleet of luxury yacht, private jet and a mansion ‘on the hill’ with scores of servants.

mentality and sexuality
Americans are raised with a ‘can do’ mentality and to

believe that they can achieve anything, from world champion horseshoe pitcher to President of the United States of America. They think that if they dedicate enough energy to it they can have a bigger house, more intelligent children, and an option on immortality (preferably in California or Florida). Most Americans have a rose-tinted view of the world, where provided you rise early, work hard and fight fairly, everything will turn out fine. America peddles dreams, hopes and lifestyles, where life’s a giant candy bar and all you’ve got to do is take a BIG bite! The American attitude towards sex is indicative of their philosophy that everything must be available on demand. Sex is open, available and free for the taking (just do it!). Like their obsession with all good things in life, the Americans’ sexual appetite is insatiable (they even live in condoms) and many just cannot get enough of it. Most

The religious character of American patriotism
Patriotism (nationalism) is like a religion in the US, both of which are branches of show business. Most Americans are deeply patriotic and demonstrate their love of their country through their reverence and allegiance to the Stars and Stripes (Old Glory!). The flag is the nation’s symbol and flies over all government offices, including post offices, and many businesses use it to demonstrate that they’re more patriotic than their competitors. The flag is paraded before every sports event, no matter how small or unimportant, and the national anthem (Star-Spangled Banner) is played and sung by the crowd. At major

American political system
Like many democratic countries, the US is a

victim of its political system and politicians. In the US, election to public office depends on how much TV time you can afford, whether you make the most persuasive TV advertisements, and your camera appeal. At election times, you’re subjected to the most offensive of all advertisements, the negative political advertisement, where politicians dish the dirt on their opponents Americans think they are (or should be) the role model for the rest of the world and the collapse of communism and the ‘winning of

Crime and discrimination in the US
Crime (although falling) remains the fastestgrowing sector of the economy, despite the ever-increasing number of police officers and bulging prisons. Law enforcement and crime prevention are a bottomless pit and second only to the Pentagon in devouring the nation’s resources. Crime and terrorism are the most serious threats to Americans’ rights and freedoms and the biggest problem facing the nation. The high crime rate has hardened attitudes towards criminals, the vast majority of Americans believe in capital punishment and a third of them would gladly pull the

Best Vacation Spots in America
America still continues to be an attractive tourist destination. There were around 56 million international tourists who visited the U.S in the year 2007, bringing in a whopping $96.7 billion. Here are the top ten best vacation spots in America which have been the focus of tourist attraction.

Florida Florida offers an incredible blend of superb locations that caters to all tastes. Counted as one of the top ten destination spots in America, it is surely a place to discover radiant sandy beaches scintillating in the sunlight, serene beaches with crystal-clear water, and swaying palm trees reaching toward azure skies. The beaches of Fort Lauderdale at the east end of Las Ollas Blvd, Cocoa, Daytona, Miami and Palm are some of the very famous hangout spots for tourists. The renowned Disney Land in Orlando ensures a fun filled experience not only for children but adults too. Florida has its own native culture which has inspired people from all around the world. When we talk about Florida, the first thing that comes into our mind is Walt Disney World. Some of you might be thinking that this is a place for kids. But, trust me, this place has several activities that will be

Hawaiian Islands -

With the beautiful beaches, stunning vistas, lush rainforests, dramatic mountain ranges and a temperate climate, Hawaiian islands truly give a glimpse of "paradise" in the middle of the Pacific. Scuba diving, surfing, snorkeling, mountain biking and horseback riding are the popular activities giving a wonderful experience to adventure loving visitors. Some of the famous places of tourist interest include Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Akaka Falls, East Hawaii Cultural Center and Pacific Tsunami Museum. Also known as the Big Island, this vacation spot in America is also well known for its active, dormant and extinct volcanoes. You can also visit the various volcanic sites here such as the active Kilauea Volcano which is located on the Big Island. You can also take a trip over the island of Kauai in a helicopter. Hawaii is also the best winter honeymoon destinations, because if you visit this islands during the winters, then you can also see the

Las Vegas
Las Vegas provides an opportunity for the tourists to forget what they are, and be what they really want to be. The city never sleeps and is a very famous hangout for celebrities. Roller Coasters, Spectacular Thrill Rides, World Renowned Art Exhibits, Museums, Hotel Shopping Malls, the Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower, the Bellagio's Dancing Fountains, the Stratosphere Tower, and MGM Grand are just few of the many attractions offered by Las Vegas. This is a place crowded with casinos, glitter and whole lot of glamour. There are also several man made as well as natural wonders here at Vegas, such as the Fountains at the Bellagio, then the Siren of TI or maybe the volcano eruptions at the Mirage. And not only that, even the cost of

Los Angeles
The 'larger than life' image of this city is well known to people all over the world. It has one of the world's best museums and art collections and awesome places for frequent shopping spree. The city is huge, sprawling, raucous and splendid, attracting tourists used to ostentatious lifestyle. From the incomparable glamour of Beverly Hills, to the vibrant energy of the

The Carolinas
Nicknamed as "Cackalacky", both North and South Carolina offer a wide range of tourist spots from aromatic gardens and lovely arboretums to moonlit beaches with delicious sea food right off the boat. Grand Strand and Myrtle beach area in South Carolina has always been considered as a Mecca for vacationers and retirees from all around the globe. The White Sand beaches, Resort Island, South Carolina Lakes, and the Blue Ridge Mountains are some of the very famous tourist attractions here. North Carolina is home to America’s most popular National Park (the Great

San Francisco
The typical weather of San Francisco often catches the tourists off guard as the famous foggy summers provide a 'natural air-conditioner'- the fog. The temperature seldom goes down below 40o F and presence of the sun is always unpredictable. San Francisco is known for the historically significant Alcatraz Island and beautiful wineries in Napa and Sonora. Besides the mesmerizing sights, great museums and the wonderful San Francisco Parks, there is also a huge variety of hang

Utah
Besides the Nation Parks, Salt Lake city and golf courses, Utah is well known for the best snow landscape in the world. Beautiful ski towns such as Park City and Sundance attract skiing lovers from all over the world. Every January, the Sundance Film Festival is held in Park City, flaunting famous celebrities and movie stars. Utah, for all its beauty and snow is considered as one of the top 10 vacation spots in

Alaska
The famous Alaskan state, which certainly scores among the top ten vacation spots in America, provides an opportunity to take wildlife and glacier tours, finding much to experience and savor. Here one gets a chance to see polar bears, gray wolves, blue and humpbacked whales, grizzly bears, moose, and hundreds of other rare and endangered species in their original and undisturbed natural habitats. There are many famous rivers, lakes and protected coastal waters offering a chance to experience rafting, jet boat rides and kayaking ranging from mild to wild. Day cruises at the most popular

The Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon in the state of Arizona attracts many tourists every year. It is basically a gorge within the periphery of the Grand Canyon National Park, one of America's oldest national parks. Apart from hiking, whitewater rafting and running tracks, this place is also famous for casual sightseeing from the South Rim. Tourists get a breathtaking view of the canyon from the Toroweap Overlook (Tuweep) situated 3000 feet above the Colorado River. Bucky O'Neill, Kolb Studio, Hopi house and the

South Padre Island, Texas
Being a favorite destination for the true water sports lovers, South Padre Island is certainly counted among the top 10 vacation spots in America. Tourists can always find many cheap and affordable restaurants, bars and movie theaters here. It is a major spring break destination for families and students. The South Padre International Music Festival scheduled in the first weekend of November is one of the major attractions in this Texan island. From the exotic beaches in Florida to the throbbing casinos in Las Vegas, America

Mexico
The allure of Mexico has an appeal that crosses countries and borders. Mexico is well-known for its fabulous resorts and luxurious beaches. From white sand beaches to the mountains, Mexico is host to a wide range of natural wonders and breathtaking sights. Mayan ruins, mountains, volcanoes, and a wide collection of tropical fish and sea life can be found in Mexico. Mexico is

New York

Along with the above places, New York City has also been voted to be one of the best honeymoon destinations in USA. Here you can visit the Ground Zero, or maybe click pictures in front of the Statue of Liberty. You can also visit the Times Square and maybe watch some Broadway shows. There are several museums that you can visit and if you are looking for good Chinese food, then you must visit the Chinatown. You can also take a tour

Arizona Golf Resorts
What's so great about a golf vacation in Arizona? The weather. You can golf all through the winter and have great weather, and, when the summer arrives, you can golf at great resorts and courses in places like Phoenix and Tucson at a much reduced cost.

Top 10 Airlines in the United States
Delta Airlines

Delta has emerged as the airline that offers the most international flights out of the United States, and has its main hub in Atlanta. United Airlines United's main hubs are Chicago and Denver, with San Francisco a hub for many Pacific routes. United Airlines (once all of the numbers are tabulated for a full year postmerger) will take over top spot on this list. Southwest Airlines

American Airlines American Airlines has long been the largest airline in the world, but has been recently edged out in terms of passengers by Delta. US Airways Since merging with America West, US Airways has jumped in size. AirTran Airways This low cost US airline launches airfare deal after deal. Its passenger numbers will soon be rolled in with Southwest Airlines with the merger in 2010. Skywest Airlines Skywest serves as a regional airline for airlines such as Delta and United. This airline just edged out JetBlue in terms of passenger

hub in New York, JetBlue serves the United States and much of the Caribbean. JetBlue may currently hold the 9th position, using data dating to the end of 2010, but with the merger of AirTran and Southwest Airlines, it should move up the passenger number rank soon. ExpressJet ExpressJet is the surprising tenth entry on the list of biggest airlines in North America based on passenger numbers. If there is any doubt that regional airlines rule some altitudes of the North American skies, well this list shows how dominant regional carriers are. ExpressJet will be folded in with SkyWest as its subsidiary - Atlantic Southeast Airlines - has

United States' Largest Banks
Rank Name (city, state) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Bank of America Corporation (Charlotte, NC) J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (New York, NY) Citigroup Inc.(New York, NY) Wells Fargo & Company (San Francisco, CA) Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., The (New York, NY) Morgan Stanley (New York, NY) MetLife, Inc. (New York, NY) Barclays Group US Inc. (Wilmington, DE) Taunus Corporation (New York, NY) HSBC North America Holdings Inc. (New York, NY) Consolidated assets $2,340,667,014 $2,135,796,000 $2,002,213,000 $1,223,630,000 $880,677,000 $819,719,000 $565,566,452 $427,837,000 $364,079,000 $345,382,871

11. U.S. Bancorp (Minneapolis, MN) 12.

$282,428,000

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., The (Pittsburgh, PA) $265,432,977

13.

Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, The (New York, NY) Capital One Financial Corporation (Mclean, VA) Ally Financial Inc. (Detroit, MI) SunTrust Banks, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) BB&T Corporation (Winston-Salem, NC)

$220,966,000

14. 15. 16. 17.

$200,707,587 $179,428,000 $171,796,255 $163,700,076 $154,722,170 $152,881,394 $143,962,035

18. TD Bank US Holding Company (Portland, ME) 19. 20. State Street Corporation (Boston, MA) Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (Providence, RI)

21. American Express Company (New York, NY) 22. Regions Financial Corporation (Birmingham, AL)

$142,295,548 $137,287,286

23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Fifth Third Bancorp (Cincinnati, OH) Keycorp Cleveland, OH Unionbancal Corporation San Francisco, CA Northern Trust Corporation Chicago, IL Bancwest Corporation Honolulu, HI M&T Bank Corporation Buffalo, NY Harris Financial Corp. Wilmington, DE BBVA USA Bancshares, Inc. Houston, TX

$112,651,313 $95,260,404 $85,471,728 $76,318,597 $75,215,088 $68,439,222 $65,531,083 $65,169,102

Cheque

A cheque (or check in American English) is a document/instrument (usually a piece of paper) that orders a payment of money. The person writing the cheque, the drawer, usually has a current account (British), or checking account (US) where their money was previously deposited. The drawer writes the various details including the money amount, date, and a payee on the cheque, and signs it, ordering their bank, known as the drawee, to pay that person or company the amount of money stated The four main items on a cheque are •Drawer, the person or entity who makes the cheque •Payee, the recipient of the money •Drawee, the bank or other financial institution where the cheque can be presented for payment •Amount, the currency amount

Routing transit number
A routing transit number (RTN) is a nine digit bank code, used in the United States, which appears on the bottom of negotiable instruments such as checks identifying the financial institution on which it was drawn. This code was designed to facilitate the sorting, bundling, and shipment of paper checks back to the payer's (check-writer's) account. The RTN is also used by Federal Reserve Banks to process Fedwire funds transfers, and by the Automated Clearing House to process direct deposits, bill payments, and other such automated transfers. The RTN number is derived from the bank's transit number originated by the American Bankers Association, which designed it in 1910.

format
 The ABA transit number appears in two forms on a standard

check – the fraction form and the MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) form. Both forms give essentially the same information, though there are slight differences. The MICR forms are the main form – it is printed in magnetic ink, and is machine-readable; it appears at the bottom left of a check, and consists of nine digits. The fraction form was used for manual processing before the invention of the MICR line, and still serves as a backup in check processing should the MICR line become illegible or torn; it generally appears in the upper right part of a check near the date.  The MICR number is of the form  XXXXYYYYC  where XXXX is Federal Reserve Routing Symbol, YYYY is ABA Institution Identifier, and C is the Check Digit.

Sort code
The sort code, which is a six-digit number, is usually formatted as three pairs of numbers, for example 12-34-56. It identifies both the bank and the branch where the account is held. In some cases, the first digit of the sort code identifies the bank itself and in other cases the first 2 digits identify the bank.

Types of Cheques
Cashier's cheques and banker's drafts also known as a bank cheque or treasurer's cheque, are cheques issued against the funds of a financial institution rather than an individual account holder. Typically, the term cashier's cheques are used in the US and banker's drafts Certified cheque When a certified cheque is drawn, the bank operating the account verifies there are currently sufficient funds in the drawer's account to honour the cheque. Those funds are then set aside in the bank's internal account until the cheque is cashed or

Payroll cheque A cheque used to pay wages may be referred to as a payroll cheque. Even when the use of cheques for paying wages and salaries became rare, the vocabulary "pay cheque" still remained commonly used to describe the payment of wages and salaries. Payroll cheques issued by the military to soldiers, or by some other government entities to their employees, beneficiants, and creditors, Warrants Warrants look like cheques and clear through the banking system like cheques, but are not drawn against cleared funds in a deposit account. A cheque differs from a warrant in that the warrant is not necessarily payable on demand and may not be negotiable Travellers cheque A traveller's cheque is designed to allow the person signing it to make an unconditional payment to someone else as a result of paying the account holder for that privilege. Traveller's cheques can usually be replaced if lost or stolen and people often used to use them on vacation instead of cash as many businesses used to accept traveller's cheques as currency.

Money or postal order A cheque sold by a post office or merchant such as a grocery for payment by a third party for a customer is referred to as a money order or postal order. These are paid for in advance when the order is drawn and are guaranteed by the institution that issues them and can only be paid to the named third party Oversized Cheques Oversized cheques are often used in public events such as donating money to charity or giving out prizes such as Publishers Clearing House. The cheques are commonly 18 by 36 inches (46 × 91 cm) in size, however, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest ever is 12 by 25 metres (39 × 82 ft). Regardless of the size, such cheques can still be redeemed for their cash value as long as they have the same parts as a normal cheque, although usually the oversized cheque is kept as a souvenir and a normal cheque is provided.[27] A bank may levy additional charges for clearing an oversized cheque. Payment vouchers Some public assistance programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or Aid to Families with Dependent Children make vouchers available to their beneficiaries, which are good up to a certain monetary amount for purchase of grocery items deemed eligible under the particular program. The voucher can be deposited like any other cheque by a participating supermarket or other approved business.

Alternatives to cheques
In addition to cash there are number of other

payment systems that have emerged to compete against cheques; Debit card payments Credit card payments Direct debit (initiated by payee) Direct credit (initiated by payer), ACH in US, giro in Europe Wire transfer (local and international) Electronic bill payments using Internet banking Online payment services (for example PayPal and WorldPay)

Cards
Credit card numbers are a type of ISO 7812

number. The credit card numbers are specific forms of ISO 7812 numbers. An ISO 7812 number contains several parts, including: An issuer identifier number or IIN (six digit) A major industry identifier number or MII (single digit) A single digit verification number, which utilizes the Luhn Algorithm An account number

Prefixes of Credit Card Number
The prefix of a credit card number is the arrangement of characters at the beginning of the number that specifies the credit card network. The initial six digits of the credit card number are termed as the Bank Identification Number or BIN. These help recognize the company that issued the card. The remainder of the number is distributed by the credit card issuer. The length of the credit card number is the number of figures or digits.

The lengths and prefixes for the most popular forms of credit card are the following
Type of Card American Express Diners Club Carte Blanche Diners Club International Diners Club Enroute Diners Club US & Canada Maestro (Debit Card) Discover Card MasterCard Visa Electron Visa Length 15 14 14 15 16 16, 18 16 16 16 13, 16 Prefix (es) 34, 37 300 to 305 36 2014, 2149 55 5020, 5038, 6304, 6759 6011, 65 51 to 55 417500, 4917, 4913, 4508, 4844 4 Coverage chart Symbol AmEx DC-CB DC-Int DC-eR DC-UC Maes Disc MC Visa Visa

More Card Details

Discover JCB enRoute Solo

16 16 15 16,18,19

6011,622,64,65 35 20,142,149 6334, 6767

American English AlphabetPronunciation
A B C D E F G H I J K L M Aae Bee Cee Dee E Ef Gee (H)aitch Iae Jay Kay El Em N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z En O Pee Cue Ar Ess Thee U Vee Double U Ex Why Zee

NATO Phonetic
A - Alpha B – Bravo C - Charlie D - Delta E - Echo F - Foxtrot G - Golf H - Hotel I - India J - Juliet K - Kilo L - Lima M - Mike

N - November O - Oscar P - Papa Q - Quebec R - Romeo S - Sierra T - Tango U - Uniform V -Victor W - Whiskey X - X-ray Y - Yankee Z – Zulu

A I D A – For Call Center

A- Attention I- Interest D- Desire A- Action

Attention
 First get their attention. Without attention, you can hardly

persuade them of anything. You can get attention in many ways--a good way is to surprise them. When you are talking to them, the first few seconds are essential as they will listen most then and rapidly decide whether you are worth giving further attention. Don't waste these precious moments on niceties; grab the other person's attention immediately.   Good openers address their problems and begin with such as:  Have you ever...?  Are you noticing...?  Can you see...?  Bad openers give them something to object to, demonstrate your disrespect, or just bore them to tears, and may begin with such as:  I've got just the thing you want...?

Interest
Once you have their attention, sustain that

attention by getting the other person interested. You can get interest by: Listening to them talk about their problems. Telling them things that affect their problems. Demonstrating things, rather than just telling. Getting them actively involved. Watch out for the boredom factor. You may be able to get someone interested, but you cannot expect to keep their attention for ever. If you want to come back some day, you should leave them wanting more, at least of your company.

Desire
Once they are interested in you and what you have

to say, then next step is to create a desire in them for what you want them to do. They can recognize that they have a need, but this is not desire. Desire is a motivation to act and leads towards the next stage. Desire is like a fire, and can be stoked by many methods, such as: Showing them how the item to be desired will not be available for long. Showing how other people approve of the item and have acquired it for themselves. Showing them how what you have to offer will solve some of their problems.

Action
This is the magic stage when they take action on their

desires and actually buy the product or agree to your proposals. The scariest point is where you ask for the sale or ask them whether they actually do agree fully with you. Listen to the signals they are sending. Are they asking you about when you can deliver or what after-sales support you give? Summarize the problem you are solving for them and how what you are proposing solves that problem. Use the appropriate closing technique, such as alternatives ('Do you want the red or the blue?) or presupposition ('What time shall we meet next week?').

Pronunciation
Ak-ces Akohr-din Ak-ti-vaid Ak-t-vee-tee Ah-disha-nul Adh-dres Ad-vans Ad-van-ej Aehf-ter Ay-j'n-si Ah-gree Ah-gree-ment Awl-so A-mau-n't Ahw-pawl-uh-jise Ahw-preh-shi-ayed Ahw-pro-pree-yed Ahw-prock-see-may-lee Ae-ria Ae-sia

Ahw-so-see-ay-tid Ahw-soom Adi-tood Aw-tehr-nee Aw-th-ry-za-shun Aw-th-ry-zis Aw-vail-e-bul Awey Bae-n-k Baenkh-rip-cy Bay-sis B'coz Be-haf B'hind Beh-nuh-fit Baw-dees Bul-eh-ward Beu-ro Ba-rid Biz-ness

Khawl Eg-zek-kh-div X-pih-ray-sh-n X-pih-ree Faw-L-in Fa-th'r Fi-nan-shul Fawr For-dee Fo-ur Grey'd Graw-sa-ree Ga'y-ruhn-tee Han-lin His-tuh-tee Hou-I'd Aa-r's Haau-ehv-er Hun-rid I-den-e-dee

                                       

In-Khlud In-dih-Khay-d'r Infur-may-sh-n En-kwi-rih Ine-res-ted In'er-net Jaw'b Khil'd Lae-st Lay-der La Lee-der Leu-tehn-n't Lyke Lat Laau-d'r Lau Mays'tro Maes-t'r Mem-b'r-ship

                                       

Mow-bill Munth-lee Re-pri-zen-uh-div Ree-v-eu Skh-jul Si-kheu-ri-dee Ser-vis Ship-pin Sha-ppin So-shul Sum-thin Speh-shul Speh-shu-list Spa-hus Stay-dus Strai'd Suh-porh't Suhs-p-shius Khawl'd Khalin

                                       

Khan-cil Khaar Khe'er Khy's Sur-din-ly Si-di Kh-laym Khlay-ri-kul Kh'm-p'ni Kh'm-play'n Khan-firm

                     

Khan-fer-may-shun     Khun-sek-kh-div Khan-sul-tan't Khan-vee-ni-uns    

Khan-ver-say-shun     Khud Kh'n-ree Khoo-pawn Khre-did      

Khre-did Khar-n't-lee Khus-tuh-mer Khus-te-maai'zd De-lae Day-da Dait Dea De-bid Det De-lee-Khe't Dee-paarht-men't Dee-ve-lup Di-bee-d's Di-bay-tic Dis-Khaw-er Ju-no Da-le-rs / Daw'lrs Akh-na-mics A-Khaw-n-me Mor-gij

                                         

Nay-m

 

Noos/ Nus-phai-per     Naw-dern O-khai-zh'n Awp-per-tui-nitee Awp-sh-n Phart's Phay-mn't Perh-mi-shun Fee-nix Fo-un Plahn Phlai-yer Phleez Pawh'I-see Phaw-sib-l Pah'wr Prin-er / Prin-t'r Prhai-vuh-see Prawhb-bly Prawh s's                                    

Prawh-ses'in Pro-doos Prawh=duk't Proh-grum Perh-chiy's Perh-pus Khwa-li-dee Khwa-ni-dee Khwe-shun Ray-sin Ray-nin Ree-baid Re-khurd Ree-khor-din Ree-doos Re-fer Ree-noo Ree-phor't Rep-re-zen Tawhk

                                       

Tel-a-foun Thau-zin Chu-de Tawhl Toh-dul Tran-zak-shun Twenny Un-d'r-stan'd Up-frun Va-loo Vee-zah Wow-chers Wun-d'r-ful Yeers Zee-bra Zee-row        

                                       

Jan-u-ree Feb-u-ree Mao-r-ch Aep-rul Mae Jun Ju-lie Aug-est Sep-tem-er Awk-to-ber No-vem-er Dee-cem-er Sun-de Mun-de Chus-de We-nes-de Thirs-de Fri-de Sad-er-de

Sales, and Telephone Skills
 Professional Call Center Telephone Skills - You are the

key to your company’s image  Effective greetings  Your telephone voice: 90 percent tone, 10 percent content  Being ready: Are you prepared to handle your customer?  The Super hold formula: The effective way to put people on hold  Taking accurate messages: It’s not an exercise in creative writing  Listening out loud  Telephone body language  Meaning what you say: Sincerity is not a technique  Ending the endless call: Asking questions to complete the call

Identifying Needs
Identifying Needs  When you have to say “No”: Telling them what you can do  The four-step process to handling upset callers  Handling difficult people  A little psychotherapy: Handling angry caller Inbound Sales Techniques  Understanding the sales process  Building trust: Asking the right questions  Understanding your competition: Using your strengths and their weaknesses  Understanding buying criterion (why people buy)  Guiding people to the high-end products & services  Overcoming objections: Building ironclad rebuttals in advance (justifying price)  Everything you ever wanted to know about closing (but were afraid to ask)  Reducing the fear of failure: The fear cycle

Outbound Sales Techniques
Outbound Sales Techniques
Script development: The script or no-script issue

and solutions Getting your message across in the first 15 seconds Asking proactive questions: Being effective on a cold call Dealing with rejection and objections Cold calling The numbers game: Making the most calls possible without going nuts The new face of corporate telemarketing Outbound closing techniques

Motivation

Motivation  Commitment and confidence  The truth about self-esteem issues  How important is your job?  Heroes and cowards feel the same fear  Action creates opportunity: Making it happen Key objectives  Create a customer retention oriented environment  Make sure basic and cutting edge skills are consistently implemented  Improve telephone image: Establish culture of telephone professionalism  Establish credibility, reliability and responsiveness  Develop repeatable telephone process  Meet company expectations  Build productive hands-on relationships

The customer is on the line:  How to create repeat customers Telephone skills
 Why would your customers leave? (How you lose business

on the phone)  What customers really want on the phone: Solutions and good feelings  Professional inbound telephone skills: You are the key to your company’s image  Effective greetings: The studies show what works  Gathering accurate information  The super-hold formula: Putting people on hold and making them like it  Telephone Body Language  Do your customers feel heard?  Ending the endless call: Asking the questions that will complete the call  The four-step process for handling difficult calls

Handling your own stress and combating burnout
How to handle difficult customers A little psychotherapy: Handling irate callers Know-it-all experts Indecisive stallers Complainers People with personal problems: Dealing directly

with the behavior Compassion as a tool Men and women: Different communication styles Salvaging lost relationships (the secret of the top 3 percent)

Making good happen
Building trust in the first 15 seconds Identifying needs: The art of negotiations Asking the right questions Gaining agreement Presenting your services as the solution Overcoming Objections: Building ironclad

rebuttals in advance (creating value) Knowing when to stop talking Empowering customers with knowledge

Listening like an industry leader
 Understanding the selective listening syndrome  The adultism theory: It’s hard to listen if no one listens to

you  Telephone listing skills  Some scientific facts  Developing a service strategy  Specific measurable guidelines  Customer satisfaction goals  The three things you must do to instill a culture in any business  Determine how well you deliver service  Make the customer's life easier

Nice surprises
Nice surprises will lead to good sales Nice surprises will predispose the other person

towards you, setting up the exchange effect. Make them feel good and they'll be happy to return the favor. You can create nice surprises by: Being different from other people. Being different from how you normally are. Being different from what they expect. Promising them something, and then giving them more than promised. Not promising them anything, just giving them something pleasant. Praising them.

Telephone Selling More Easily
 Buying is 100% emotional. In a recent survey 60% of Americans

and the Britisher’s said the reason they bought over the phone was they felt the product or service specifically suited their needs or interests. EVERYTHING we buy is always either to move towards pleasure or to avoid pain. Once you understand this you will unlock what I think is one of the most important secrets to selling and when applied you will be amazed at the results. We’ll help you understand how reach emotions that close sales and make your job much more enjoyable.  DON’T sell your product, Sell your prospects needs. That’s the only way you can uncover the emotions that lead to sales. You buy products because it satisfies some need that you have and makes you feel better, safer or less at risk of being uncomfortable.  There are definitely some do's and don'ts to being a good salesperson...when you aren't a natural salesperson. Here are a few things that we will learn that will help to be the best salesperson, that could be....

Know your product - You live in the information age...use it. Educate yourself on every facet of it...from creation to use. My customers were forever asking me the country of origin for their materials. Knowing their new fireplace originated from Greece or Turkey thrilled them completely. There was one gentleman that actually wanted to know all about the difference between igneous and metamorphic stone. A day after making the sale, he called the company and asked for the owner. "That salesperson of yours is good! " he exclaimed to my boss, "I'm a geology professor and she knows more than I do on the subject!" The point is...you never know what will make a sale. I don't care if you sell hamburgers or cars, a customer is always impressed by a salesperson that cares enough to know everything they can about their product.

Know your competition - Likewise, take the time to know who your direct competitor is in the market. Being aware of the pros and cons of your product and the competitor's is important in your sales. Beware falling into the "my competition sucks and here's why" trap. You NEVER want to make a sale based on the flaws of your competitor's product. You come out sounding jealous, petty and churlish. The best way to circumnavigate this issue is to make sure you say something nice about your competitor...but then point out in a conversational tone how despite this niceness, your product is a better value in the long run. If at all possible, have samples to show your client.

Give realistic expectations - While what you are selling might be the next greatest thing to sliced bread, it's not going to cure cancer...unless of course you are a pharmaceutical representative actually selling a cancer cure. Your customer has every right to be made aware of anything that might impact the sale...from availability to difficulty of installation or even further down the road, daily use and long term value. I'm a firm believer that an educated customer is the best customer. Why? Because you want them flapping their gums all over town, to all their friends and neighbors, about what they now know. You want to turn each and every one of them into your own personal pyramid scheme and send them out into the world selling for YOU. The best way to do this is to pile a bunch of knowledge onto them...it gives them something to talk about and makes them feel intelligent. They didn't just buy a bunch of rock...they bought an igneous stone from India that is somewhat porous but with the application of a good sealant will last them many years with minimal fuss and ultimately add to the value of their home.

When it comes to taste... don't offer your opinion unless asked Occasionally I would have color challenged customers in my showroom. They'd come in with a designer or their spouses and pick different materials that had no business ever being together. When this would happen, I'd retreat as far as I could and mutter under my breath, "don't ask me for my opinion...don't ask...don't ask."

Listen - Some sales people truly do not know when to shut up already. While it's great to be knowledgeable in your product and the products of your competitor, nobody likes a know-it-all that loves to hear themselves talk. Make conversation, learn something personal about your customer. Do they have a dog...a cat...children? Where did they get that lovely pair of earrings they are wearing (and don't say this if they are ugly as sin...it has to be a genuine compliment). Trust me, it can all be worked into casual conversation without appearing nosy. This makes the customer think they are important...and yes, they are. Also, when they come back...and they will...you can smile and ask them how their daughter, Emily's dance recital went.

Body Language - This is the last of the biggies. Even despite all that is known about the silent communication of body language...some people still don't pay attention to it. Because I am not a natural salesperson, I really had to work on appearing comfortable. Having the knowledge helped with confidence, but having to deal with complete strangers every day did not come naturally. Plus, I was selling a rather intimidating product...stone. My customers would wander around the showroom as if it were an art gallery...but I wanted them to see this in their own home and accept it as a practical addition. I was able to solve both problems at once. If I was explaining the merits of a product, I'd hop up and take a seat on the countertop or tabletop as if I was in my own home. Of course, by the end of the day, my butt ached from the cold stone...but no sacrifice was too great for the company.

The number 1 sale killer is the objection. We go through how to rebuttal the top sale stoppers like: •Send me some information and I’ll get back to you •Let me check with my partner •Let me think about it •I’m not interested at this time •Your price is too high Have you ever wondered why the conversion rates on calls backs are horrendously horrible for ALL salespeople? In almost every case a call back exists either because the prospect had unanswered questions or failed to see the benefit of buying from you, and either way a sales call that ends on one of those notes is a sure recipe for a turn down (no sale).

The 4-Steps Every Salesman Must Know Create Interest: Essentially your opening line should be so strong that any intelligent person would want to hear more about what you have to say and how your product/service will be of value to them. You will never get the chance to talk about your product if you don’t immediately peek the prospects interest. In this stage you focus on what the prospects will gain from talking with you. Don’t waste time boasting or talking about yourself – it won’t do you any good. In the first 30 seconds you need to say something that is so compelling that your prospect can’t wait to hear more about it.

Establish Needs: Once you have the prospects interest you will ask a series of important questions to uncover their needs. This basically gets the prospect to “agree” that they have needs that are not being met or that could be better met. This requires the ability to ask relevant questions that uncover information and ultimately lead to closing the sale. Keep in mind, prospects often have a need for products but may not realize it until the right questions have been presented which help them to recognize their needs. For example I bought my life insurance after being asked “how would my wife and kids survive financially if I were to die today”. Though I always knew about the benefits of life insurance I didn’t recognize the need until I had to answer the question.

Satisfy Needs: After you have successfully led your prospect to acknowledge his or her needs you are now free to talk about your company, your experience and how your product will benefit them. This may include examples of what you have done for other clients or how your product will be more beneficial than what they are currently using. Ask For The Sale: Word of caution, if you ask for the sale before you have properly addressed the first three stages of the sales process you will fail to close the deal 90% of the time.

Objection & Rebuttal
Objection:” I am very busy now “ Rebuttal: "I know you're busy, and so am I -- but

just take two minutes to get the info and then YOU BE THE JUDGE ... I mean if you saw a hundred dollar bill sitting on the sidewalk, you'd take a second to stop and pick it up, wouldn't you? ...So I will just take a couple of you precious moments….. Objection: "Send me the information and I'll get back to you" Rebuttal: "Tell me, what is the main thing you would need to see in my information before you would do the same for you?

Objection: "Let me talk with my partner" Rebuttal: "If the decision were entirely up to you, would you buy the product or do you have other questions in your mind"? Objection: "Let me think about it" Rebuttal :(i) "tell me, what's the first thing that coming in your mind that's that’s holding you back today?" (ii) "I know you like the product, but WHAT IS THE REAL REASON you won't try this right now? ... The investment you make is less than what you might spend on a couple rounds of cocktails on a Saturday night! -- plus we have a money back guarantee." So that’s definitely worth giving a try which you want regret later.

Objection: I have a better option / I have a better product with me. Rebuttal: Wow I really appreciate that, but my I know "Which company are you using? I see.. Oh, that's a good company!! but Why do you think you should stay with them WITHOUT COMPARING WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER? -Seems like you're taking a big risk by failing to compare value ..." Objection: “Your Price Is Too High” Rebuttal: “Our price is based on what’s necessary to make sure our product delivers the best possible result to you, and that’s what you really want is the best result, not the cheapest price, isn’t that true”?

What is say: What not to say!
 When you are going to smoke, don't say, "I am going out for a fag".

"Fag" in British English means "to smoke". In American English, it means a "Gay".  Don't say, "Phone was engaged", as here engaged means getting engaged. Instead say "There was a busy tone".  Don't say, "I'll ring you back." or "I'll call you later". Here ring is the engagement ring, rather say "I'll call you, or buzz you".  Don't call a black person a "Negro" or "Black", it is always polite to call them "African Americans". Also never call an "American Indian" as a "Red Indian", they get very offended.  Do not walk or sit with arms around the shoulders of someone of the same sex. You may be mistaken to be a "a Gay" or "a Lesbian".  There is no such thing as "eve teasing" in the USA. It is called "sexual harassment", and one can land in jail, if caught in such activities.  At work or elsewhere if you want to say Yes, just say "YES". Do not nod your head up and down. Moving your head side to side is very confusing, and it's mostly taken as NO.  Avoid talking in your native language in presence of people of other ethnicities in a social gathering. It is not courteous.  In supermarkets, if the cashier asks 'paper or plastic' he wants to ask you if you would you like to carry your stuff in paper bags or plastic bags.  During your conversation do not say, "I have a doubt", rather say "I

"American Flag"
American flag consists of 13 equal

horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, fivepointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The color red of the flag represents valor, white stands for liberty or purity and blue represents justice, loyalty and perseverance.  The fifty stars on the flag represent the 50 states and the 13 stripes represent the original thirteen colonies that rebelled against the British monarchy and became the first states in the Union. The design of the flag has

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