How to repair your relationship after cheating

Christian Woods
-
0
How to repair your relationship after cheating

For most people in a monogamous relationship, there are few worse feelings than the breaking of trust that comes from being cheated on. Betrayal, jealousy, resentment – finding out that you’ve been cheated on brings with it a whirlwind of emotions.

But whilst infidelity isn’t a pleasant thing to experience, it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of a relationship. Rather than breaking up after cheating, over half of married couples choose to heal their relationship and grow from the experience. If you think repairing your relationship is possible for you, you can too.

Here’s a list of the top 5 ways you can repair a relationship after cheating:

1. Acknowledge the issue

How to Repair Your Relationship After Cheating
Photo: ginasanders, Bigstock

Talk about what happened openly with your partner. This might be uncomfortable, but suppressing or ignoring the issue will only breed resentment and further damage the relationship. Regardless of any relationship issues that may have contributed to the infidelity, the person who cheated should be aware that they are in the wrong and be willing to apologise and try to improve the situation.

Cutting off contact with the other man or woman is also necessary to show that the person who has cheated is fully committed to mending the relationship. And remember that any form of abuse by either person in the relationship is never okay.

2. Engage in honest and open communication

According to According to Way Too Social, after a betrayal of trust, it is vital that both people in the relationship establish open and honest channels of communication with one another. This means being willing to express one’s true emotions (it is healthy to release feelings of anger, guilt or hurt), but also speaking fairly with each other, without frequent accusations or blame.

For the person who cheated, this also means taking responsibility for your actions, listening to and supporting your partner and their needs, and sticking to any promises made. This may mean learning to become more honest, as deceptiveness may be a learned behaviour that needs to be addressed.

3. Get to the root cause of the issue

Consider what the reason was for the cheating behaviour. Were one or more people in the relationship dissatisfied with some element of the relationship? The two most common reasons why people cheat (which still doesn’t make it okay) are sexual dissatisfaction and a lack of emotional satisfaction. By dealing with the root cause of the issue, you may be able to make your relationship stronger than it was previously and reduce the likelihood of infidelity reoccurring.

4. Give the relationship time

After infidelity, it may take some time before a relationship returns to normal – possibly between 1-3 years. Give your partner time to grieve rather than insisting that they put the past in the past.

In the meantime, try to focus on staying present. By dwelling on the past, you are focusing on something that is no longer occurring, when in reality, your partner is actively choosing to be with and support you. By focusing on the past or worrying about an imagined future, you could miss positive experiences and opportunities for growth and recovery that are happening in the now. Focusing on the present is also calming and grounding.

5. Forgive

Forgiving someone who cheated on you may at first feel impossible. And while feeling hurt is totally warranted, harbouring feelings of bitterness for too long is not only unhelpful, but unhealthy. First and foremost, forgive the person for your own sake. You deserve to feel at peace.

This doesn’t mean that you condone the cheating or will forget about it. It’s about accepting the reality of what has happened, and making a conscious decision to release feelings of resentment. Not only is not forgiving mentally tiring, but it also hinders you from trusting people again in the future. One person’s actions do not represent the actions of the majority, and you deserve to be treated with respect and honesty.

Finally,

If you feel like you need some extra help or just need someone to chat to, consider seeing a licenced relationship counsellor or psychologist. There are many supportive and helpful services available to guide you through this challenging time and get back on track with your life and relationship. Give your partner time and space to recover, but be sure to check in with them and support them where necessary. Try to focus on what you love and are grateful for about your partner, and view the experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. In time, you will heal.

NSW Premier demands ban of Defqon festival following drug deaths

Christian Woods
-
0
NSW Premier demands ban of Defqon festival following drug deaths

The Premier of New South Wales has reacted to the deaths of two festival goers by demanding a total ban of the popular Defqon 1 event.

According to police, a man aged 23 and a woman aged 21 both died at Nepean Hospital after being taken their by paramedics at around 9:00pm.

Another 3 festival attendees are in critical condition at Nepean Hospital.

The premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has vowed to shut down the event after describing the tragedy of the two deaths.

Despite there being deaths at the festival in the past, the premier implied that two on the same night had crossed a line.

In response to arguments that prohibition will simply force the event and its drug use underground, she simply stated that wouldn’t happen. She also said that pill testing was “giving the green light to drugs” and that it was “not a solution”.

Around 30,000 people attended the music festival on Saturday with a heavy police presence and drug squad making arrests. The event has taken place at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith since 2009.

In response to what many are calling a knee-jerk reaction, the Premier has received a great deal of backlash on social media. Many have argued that there is no evidence reactionary bans work and that the only solution is to introduce ways to check the purity of substances people take at events.

Others have argued that festivals like Defqon 1 invite high levels of illicit drug use and encourage a culture of drug abuse in young Australians.

Allan Sicard, the NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner, said that the police could “only do so much” and highlighted the importance of personal responsibility when taking illicit substances.

 

Chinese Game of Thrones derivative a sweeping success

Christian Woods
-
0
Chinese Game of Thrones derivative a sweeping success

It’s not as violent and there’s less skin, but popular Chinese series The Story of Yanxi Palace bears a lot of resemblance to Game of Thrones.

The Chinese series has reached over 17 billion hits online after being released on iQiyi on July 19 this year. The show is based in the Qing dynasty and follows a headstrong female protagonist named Wei Yingluo – a maid on a quest for revenge. Upon the murder of her sister, Wei enters the palace to wreak vengeance on her killer and win the approval of Emperor Qianlong by becoming a concubine.

The show’s plot centres on the themes of betrayal, envy, revenge, romance and transgression. The show is a faster-paced part of a genre in China known as ‘palace scheming’. It has a high-quality script, excellent costumes and set design, and strong actors. Beyond this, the show energises the genre by bringing a modern flair to it, especially with regards to how it challenges the stereotype of women as weak and helpless. Wei is sharp, witty and inventive, with a dislike for authority.

The Story of Yanxi Palace’s escapist nature and the lead character’s rising movement across social class may also contribute to the show’s popularity. Period dramas in general are quite popular in China due to their showcasing of traditional Chinese culture. Chinese arts, fashion and crafts are frequently visible in the show. Indeed, the show’s merchandise has become very popular and has even altered fashion and cosmetic trends.

The show’s producers apparently conducted a large amount of data research on previous viewer’s patterns to ensure that the series would triumph.

With over 70 episodes, it has already become known as China’s top online drama series, as well as being one of its most widely exported. The show is obtainable across more than 70 countries on sites such as YouTube.

How to transform your outdoor space on a budget

Russ Whittaker
-
0
How to transform your outdoor space on a budget

Us Aussies love to be outdoors; we enjoy long walks, relaxing on the beach, playing sport in the park, and generally making the most of the outdoors.

And while many of us are blessed with outdoor spaces at home, we don’t always make the most of them. As the warmer months are approaching, it’s time to think about how we can best utilise our garden spaces by adding stylish and practical outdoor furniture.

Make your outdoor space look as good as possible with these outdoor furniture ideas – perfect if you’re on a budget!

Add shade and style with an umbrella

Us Aussies love to dine alfresco, but it’s almost impossible under the hot Australian sun without an umbrella. An umbrella can transform your outdoor living space.

There are many types of umbrellas you can choose from that are adjustable, stylish and practical. Centre pole umbrellas and cantilever umbrellas, for example, would look great in your alfresco area. You can also choose between different shapes – square, hexagonal, octagonal, rectangle, as well as sizes.

If your outdoor space is small, a wall mounted umbrella will provide great shade without compromising on space. Alternatively, an LED umbrella is multifunctional – sheltering you from the sun in the daytime and lighting up at night to create a romantic setting.

Add glamour with a modular lounge

To create the ultimate luxury in your outdoor area, why not get a modular lounge suite in your garden. They are the perfect place to relax, eat your breakfast in the morning, catch up with friends and family and even answer emails.

You can buy modular lounges large or small – depending on your budget. If you’re tight for cash, you can opt for a single seater chair, and grow your collection over time!

Dine alfresco with a table and chair set

There’s nothing quite as blissful as dining alfresco when the weather is warm. Having family dinners outside in the fresh air as the sun is setting, or inviting guests over for a nightcap, is what summer is all about.

A stylish table and chair set can really bring your outdoor space to life, and make you proud to host. You can select the right size for your garden and budget, i.e. a 2-seater or even an 8-seater!

There are an abundance of styles out there to choose: aluminium and cast alloy iron tables and chairs, timber tables and chairs, or even wicker tables and chairs. Don’t forget to add cushions to your seats to make them even more welcoming.

We guarantee that a matching table and chair set will get used every day.

Relax in the sun on a daybed or a sun lounge

If you love to spend a Sunday morning relaxing lazily outside with a book and a coffee, you don’t have to lie on a towel on the grass. Why not get a daybed or sun lounge?

You don’t have to fork out the big bucks either – there are an array of different styles of daybeds to suit small budgets as well as big ones.

Get a gazebo

A gazebo has multiple uses. You can use it to create a spa area, or a BBQ area, or a dining area. Or, you can simply use it as a place of shade where you can lie on a sun lounge or daybed on a hot day.

Gazebos are not exactly budget-friendly – they are an investment purchase. The good news is you will keep them for years, decades even, and you will get great use out of them, in both summer and in winter!

With these outdoor furniture ideas, you can make your outdoor space more dynamic and multifunctional. Don’t waste your garden space – utilise it!

Don’t forget about plants!

If you really want to transform your outdoor space, you must inject some life into it. There is greenery to suit every taste, garden size and climate, so what are you waiting for?

For the typical Australian garden, the plants that can withstand the weather and require little maintenance are: cacti, succulents, cycads, basket grass, lavender and rosemary. For a pop of colour, opt for the burgundy-hued cordyline plant or delicate fortnight lilies (dietes).

5 highly reasonable reasons to visit Australia in 2019

Nicole Ann Pore
-
0
5 highly reasonable reasons to visit Australia in 2019

Australia has always been home not only to Aussies but also to many things of its identity such as its cultures, traditions,spectacular views, delicious meals, magnificent tourist spots, treasured sites, wonderful forms of art, extraordinary events and festivities, colorful history and outstanding advocacies. It surely is one of the richest places (not talking about money) here on our rich Earth. It is a must-visit! It should be included in your bucket list! It’s a nice dream to fulfill!

Less than five months, and 2018’s about to end. Another year is yet to come. If you haven’t gone to the amazing Australia for the past years you’ve attempted to, this coming 2019 must be your year!

Why you should visit Australia?

Looking for reasons why to do so? Here are 5 of the many significant reasons why you must visit Australia in 2019:

#1 Surfest – Australia is one of the world’s premier surfing spots.

Australia surfing
Photo: Kanenori, Pixabay

There are countless fun activities and adventures waiting for you in Australia, and surfing is one of them! Surfing isn’t just a past time for Australians; it is actually a major part of their tradition, culture, history and even lifestyle. Millions of people in Australia are very much interested in this sport, and a lot really are learning, excelling and winning titles in the industry all over the world. The location is also a very suitable place for Australia is surely rich in astonishing beaches within and around it.

If you don’t want to surf, you can just watch surfers instead! Surfest is an annual surfing competition that runs for thirteen days, and next year, it’ll happen around February. It began in 1985, so as you can see, it is a very significant event. Surfing is a remarkable sport, not only for surfers and surfing fans but for the whole Australian community.

As a visitor or a soon-to-be visitor in Australia, it would be very good if you’d be part–even just as an audience–of its very much cherished watersport! If you’ll think of it, surfing is rarely a main sport or highlight of countries around the globe.The largest surfing festival in Australia (held in Merewether Beach New Castle, New South Wales), Surfest is joined by the best professional male and female surfers in the world. If you’d visit Australia (and you should!), don’t miss the one of a kind chance to witness this world’s premier surfing destination showcase on how surfing is done and is lived.

#2 Mandela My Life: the official exhibition – Australia is a place of rich history.

Mandela My Life The Official Exhibition
Photo: Ben_Kerckx, Pixabay

An exquisite feature of Australia is how it gives way for history and life to be acknowledged, appreciated and displayed. For a very long time now, it has featured many historical events and noteworthy people in its land through different mediums such as art, tradition and many more. One of the recent ones is the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.

Mandela brought home the bacon in 1993 when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1994, he became the first black president of South Africa, reigning until 1999. He is loved for he is a symbol of global peacemaking as it was in his time that the government placed the spotlight on demolishing the legacy of apartheid in Africa by tackling institutionalised racism and bringing races together. Mandela, as one of the most significant and most influential people in modern history (especially for the South Africans), has since then deserved a wonderful recognition for being able to be the loud voice against the separation of races which has been truly hard to conquer.

On September 22, 2018, the Melbourne Museum will launch the most awaited world premiere of Mandela My Life: The Official Exhibition, which will uncover the personal and public life and journey of Nelson Mandela. There’ll be exclusive personal artefacts, film footages and documents with other mediums of display presented in the exhibition. It will be a world’s first! It will start September this year and will continue until March 3, 2019. An extremely beautiful moment and place to experience you surely shouldn’t miss! It’ll be such an honor to get a bigger glimpse of who Nelson Mandela was. A lot of portions of the exhibition will be brought out of South Africa for the very first time, and how nice it is to one of the eyes to see them come to life.

#3 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Australia greatly values all kinds of art

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Photo: Judithbrodnicki, Pixanay

If you’d be very eager to know and learn more about it, you will discover how plentiful is Australia’s love for many forms of art! When we say “art”, indeed, there are countless forms, most especially when they say, “Art is what an artist says it is.” In Australia, whatever kind it is, it’s held in high regard, be it music, dance, painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, cinema, theatre, literary and many more!

Speaking of the last two specific art forms mentioned, from January 16, 2019 to November 3 of the same year, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be played on stage at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne. Here’s something that Harry Potter fans will definitely love! Aside from being the eighth story in the Harry Potter series, it is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage! What a big hit if you’ll be one of the fresh eyes to see this wonderful work of art! Actually, even if you are not a fan of HP, it’d be an exceptional decision to watch this exceptional play!

#4 World Cup Gymnastics – Australia is a ground for world-class athletes.

World Cup Gymnastics
Photo: Skeeze, Pixabay

There are several sports all over the world, and not only basketball, as it is one of the most famous and most common.

Gymnastics is one of the sensational sports that have existed! Being a spectator in a gymnastics event, you’ll truly see how gymnasts have paid a lot of time, effort, discipline, strength, passion and dedication to finally show their best and perform their excellent routines. The first international-scale artistic gymnastics was hosted by Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) in 1975. Afterwards, the event was named Artistic Gymnastics World Cup.

In 2019, the World Cup Gymnastics will be held again in Melbourne from February 21 to 24, 2019. Since 2017, Melbourne has been hosting this event and will continue to do so for the next three years, both for Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics.

It will surely be an amazing chance to be present in such a grand event that not everybody in the world gets to experience! Some of the top Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnasts rising worldwide will compete within four days and ten apparatus all contending to bring home the bacon as Individual Apparatus Champions.

#5 Australia Day 2019 – Australia celebrates itself and the people.

Happy patriotic young boy flying a flag on summer national day.
Photo: Iovleah, Bigstock

If there’d be a very special event for a place, it’s surely its “DAY”! “It’s your day!” you usually say to someone celebrating his/her birthday or any special occasion addressed to one person.

Australia celebrates its day, the Australia Day, every January 26. In 2019, it will be observed on January 28. This event marks Australia’s official national day. This is the moment to reminisce the glorious history of Australia, to remember and appreciate Australians and to honor the present-day Australia. It is a very merry time to commemorate everything about Australia, most especially the Aussies.

Australia Day is an annual event, and in 2019, surely, there’ll be lots of new stuff to expect! It keeps in mind and heart the importance of diversity, community and family!

Whether you are Australian or not, it is such a wonderful experience to have and to see how it is to be “Australian”.  Even if Australia Day happens every year, why can’t 2019 be your time or first of many? If you’re not a local, this will not to just waste some time encountering Australians and visiting a place not your own! Rather, this will be a very remarkable experience to immerse with them, to learn about them and to take part in what’s most special to and for Australia.

 

—————————————————————————

Australia is a place full of richness and treasures, and 2019 might be the year you’d experience to lay your feet on its beautiful and festive land.

—————————————————————————

Vaccinations rise nationally after welfare payment cuts

Christian Woods
-
0
Vaccinations rise nationally after welfare payment cuts

The Federal Government’s ‘No Jab No Pay’ policy effective in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria since 2017 requires families to vaccinate their children, lest their welfare payments be reduced by $14 a week per child.

Researchers at The University of Sydney have found a rise in vaccinations of between 1-2% in certain areas since the implementation of the policy.

The new policy puts pressure on low-income earners and those who use government funding to support their family’s income.

Concerns around the policy focus on the minimisation of the human right to choose, and the effect on unvaccinated children in being unable to attend school. It is argued that it is not just the family that misses out by not vaccinating, but the children, too, who miss out on not only money which supports their wellbeing, but on the social and educational opportunities associated with attending school.

Health experts such as the Department of Health consider immunisation of every child to be essential to the wellbeing of not only the individual but the community at large. The Department of Health’s website suggests that around 90-95% of the population must be immune to stop disease transmission. At the moment this number is around 94% nationally. Certain regions require more work, with rates as low as 85% in some areas. These areas may be at risk for facing serious and possibly fatal diseases such as measles, diphtheria and whooping cough.

There are apps available to assist parents in staying on top of their children’s vaccinations. These apps, such as ‘Save the Date to Vaccinate’ in NSW, track a child’s vaccinations and send reminders on when they’re due for their next one. These apps can be downloaded via the Android and Apple app stores. Parents can always discuss any vaccination questions or concerns with their GP or visit the NSW Government Health website for more information.

Hooper out, Pocock to captain Wallabies against Argentina

Christian Woods
-
0
Hooper out, Pocock to captain Wallabies against Argentina

Michael Hooper has been withdrawn from the Wallabies team to play the Puma’s tonight due to an ongoing hamstring strain. David Pocock, arguably the best Australian player this season, will play in Hooper’s number 7 jersey and replace him as captain with Pete Samu starting at 8 to cover Pocock and Ned Hanigan coming into the bench.

Hooper missed the final matches of the Waratahs season, including their tilt at the finals, due to a hamstring strain suffered in the 3rd test against Ireland in June. With his replacement as Waratahs captain and Wallabies vice-captain Bernard Foley benched this week the only options as captain were Pocock, who is highly regarded as a leader, and the experienced Will Genia.

Argentina are a side that is known more for their pace and energy around the field than their set piece, so Hooper’s speed and work rate will be sorely missed by the Wallabies. With Pocock and Samu playing together, however, the Argentinians will have their work cut out for them at the ruck.

In other changes from last week’s win over the Springboks Adam Coleman returns from the maternity ward with a new son and to the bench, replacing Rob Simmons, while Israel Folau comes back from injury on the wing, pushing Jack Maddocks to the bench. Sekope Kepu has been named as the reserve loose-head prop, taking the place of Tom Robertson. This is Folau’s first time starting on the wing since 2014, with all 61 caps since then coming at fullback.

The experimental midfield from last week has been retained, with Kurtley Beale playing five-eighth while Matt Toomua is at 12. They can be expected to have a better combination this week, with Toomua having the chance the rest from constant flights to the UK and back and an extra week of training together.

Los Pumas played extremely well against the All Blacks last week, only going down in the last 20 minutes. The New Zealanders admittedly played their “B” team, but Argentina demonstrated a willingness to play hard, running rugby – although weaknesses were exposed at the set piece. The Wallabies should still take this game, and all the disruption of the last two weeks will serve them well in the long run.

3 ways an accounting internship help you jump-start your career

Christian Woods
-
0
3 ways an accounting internship help you jump-start your career

If you want to enter a career in finance, an accounting internship through a placement company like Premium Graduate can help you to get there. Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door at a professional firm, and even if it doesn’t result in a job offer you will still be able to network with industry insiders, learn more about your prospective career path and gain invaluable experience.

Accountants are vital for any business, whether in house or through an agency. Even large corporations need to use external agencies for auditing purposes to ensure they are properly managing and reporting their income and expenditure. A career in accounting is one that is full of options, and an accounting internship is a good start.

1. Helping you to narrow down your choices

premium graduate - accountants
Photo: FreedomTumZ, Bigstock

Accountants can work in a specialised firm or in house at a large company if they want a traditional role. There is also the option to work as a government auditor through various agencies such as ASIC, or manage accounting in government departments. If you crave more of a challenge you can also work as a forensic accountant on legal cases, chasing down money that people involved in a divorce or lawsuit might be trying to hide.

Premium Graduate can find accounting internships for you that will help you work out which specific area of the field you would like to go into. It can be hard to decide what job appeals to you until you have experienced a few different ones, and internships allow you to gain this experience without locking you into a full time role.

You could also find that accounting isn’t the career for you, and that’s another reason why an internship can be so useful. It’s much better to find out that you are on the wrong track before you actually get started, and it is easier to change paths.

2. Getting real-world experience

experience with pgp australia
Photo: Fizkes, Bigstock

We’ve all been in the situation where we are looking for a job with no experience – after all, everyone has to start somewhere! Unfortunately at the moment there are often many more applicants than vacancies at a company, so naturally the hirer will choose candidates with experience if they can be found.

This situation is particularly severe for graduates, who are being pumped out of university in far greater numbers than there are jobs being created in relevant industries. An accounting internship, however, can help you to overcome this hurdle as you will be one of the applicants with experience, and hopefully a good reference from your placement company as well!

Even if you decide that the firm you intern at is not in the field that you want to go into you will still get good professional experience and a reference out of it. An accounting internship is valuable experience for any type of accountancy or even other careers in the financial sector. If you decide to change streams completely having a reference who can vouch for your professionalism and willingness to learn in an office environment will still be helpful in your job search.

3. Finding a job

premium graduate placements
Photo: Fizkes, Bigstock

Of course everyone goes into their accounting internship hoping to get a fulltime job offer from the host company. This is hardly an unheard of way of getting a job, and if you work hard and impress your supervisor you give yourself every chance of this happening. Even if you aren’t directly offered a role, you can still leverage your experience to gain one.

You can be the best intern that a company has ever had but if they don’t have an open role when you finish your placement they will not be able to offer you a job. However, they will still keep you in mind and may contact you to see if you are available when they do hire.

The people you work with will also have contacts at other firms in the industry, and a strong accounting internship could well lead to them recommending you to others for a job. At the very least they will be a strong reference for you and will be trusted by the companies who are hiring when you look for a job.

As you can see, there are three key reasons an accounting internship can help you to jump-start your career. If you aren’t sure how to go about getting one contact placement agencies like Premium Graduate and see what they say. And good luck in the internship/job search!

6 Tips for helping children build resilience

Stephen Cooper
-
0
6 Tips for helping children build resilience

There has been a strong focus over the last few years by both educators and parents on building “resilience” in children. We all are aware of the importance of building emotional strength in our children but often lack the knowledge of how to teach these critical skills. Seeing a rise in “Helicopter Parenting” and “Click of the Button” convenience makes it all the more important to develop a strong foundation of social-emotional resilience and help children to recognise the life lessons in tough situations.

Here are a few strategies that you can use to help children build and strengthen their resilience:

Find the right time to talk:

When a child is feeling upset or in a state of emotional distress, their brain signals are closed off to words. If you jump straight to talking without soothing when a child is in an agitated state it will not get through. Even when the words are with good intent, for example… “Come and sit over here, I know this might be a bit scary for you so tell me what you like to do when you arrive in the morning, I noticed you were feeling a bit worried but it’s not ok to knock over things…” – good intent but it will not get through. Talking will simply not work if the agitated child’s brain has not been soothed in a sequential order.

Soothing a heightened emotional state:

Soothing starts with sensory experiences. You may already do things like using oil pastels, finger painting and sand play which is great – these types of activities will all engage their sensory systems.Try also using movement through music, rhythm and rhyme. Playing a soft rhythmic drum beat will calm an agitated state, it reaches their heart. You might have a quiet space where they can go. A tennis ball in a stocking can provide a simple rhythmic bounce from left to right when lying down. It’s very grounding for children. Try facilitating some sensory experiences before talking.

Provide an environment of belonging:

When we see emotions and behaviour playing out in children, we should try to look at it through a new lens – are we going to talk to the child or are we going to do something to soothe the sensory system first?A learning environment that provides a sense of connectedness and belonging allows children to work out things for themselves and to have ideas and engage others.We should strive to model unconditional positive regard.Once we have soothed the senses we can choose our language based upon how we want children to feel.If we filter things through how we want children to feel (not what we want them to think or know or do differently) – but what we want them to feel, we can then choose our words.

Offer positive regard:

Merely preaching good habits will never lead children to learn. For example: if you have a child who gives up easily, rather than just asking them to improve or do better next time, use descriptive words to help them improve.We can give process feedback and partial acknowledgement of success. Not everything is always rosy. You might say “I can see your tower fell over at the end but look how strong your base was and look at the good ideas you had. Next time what might you do different?” It’s about moving forward, not being stuck here with a fallen tower. Being realistic and authentic – this part went well and this part didn’t – allows children to begin processing the experience for themselves.

Choose the right words:

Most of us have been taught this – to say to a child when they have upset someone, “look at his face, can’t you see he is upset? Is that very nice to make our friends feel like that?”We have this notion that if I make a child feel bad enough about this, they won’t want to do it again.But when we say these things, what will the child feel? Are we positioning them to be a victim? Will they feel shame or guilt? We just need to rephrase our words. The intention is correct however we just need to change the strategy. First, make sure the child feels safe (and in the right mind set) then begin dialog in an appropriate tone of voice using phrases like “Billy, I was listening to Tyler ask if he could play with you in the sandpit and I heard you say ‘no go away’. I’m curious about what was happening? I looked at Tyler and he looked so upset, did you notice? You don’t have to let everybody play with you but I’m wondering if you could have said it differently? Try using words like, I’m curious, I noticed, I’m wondering…

Provide positive or optimistic attention:

Did you know children can learn optimism? This is crucial for a resilient outlook and an ability to manage and bounce back from challenging situations.With scaffolding and modelling, positive dispositions of optimism and resilience can be fostered and taught. Therefore how we interact with children – what we notice about them, their play, their ideas and interactions, will influence their focus.A child listening to an adult with an optimistic disposition is a strong protective factor for wellbeing. We need to be mindful of whether we have a cup half full or empty outlook. Helping children have a positive or optimistic attention bias where they actively notice the good things happening and existing around them will then influence a more helpful optimistic thinking style.

Even though these strategies may require a critical self-reflection of our current approach, you will find that with some simple fine-tuning in regard to selection of words, timing of using those words and assessing your environment will make all the difference. To help children become resilient, we need to practice and ensure we are resilient ourselves.

Account-based marketing tips for small businesses

Adrian Crisostomo
-
0
Account-based marketing tips for small businesses

Account-based marketing is the next big thing in the sales and marketing industry. Although in some ways it has been around since the 1990s, it’s always just been considered as a passing trend and never a legitimate strategy. At least, not until today. Much like sales automation, account-based marketing programs have become a necessity for every sales and marketing team.

However, despite this fact, most B2B businesses – small or big – and marketers still have no idea what account-based marketing or ABM actually is. As the name suggests, this particular strategy requires marketers to focus on large and important accounts instead of individual leads. They group prospects into separate accounts and treat those accounts as a single unit. Many debates have been had regarding the effectiveness of this particular strategy but statistics have shown that the ROI is much higher with ABM than with other marketing strategies.

Now that you know the truth behind ABM, you must have a slight inclination to try it out for your business. We’re going to tell you that it’s not going to be easy but it also isn’t impossible. We’ve even laid out some account-based marketing tips for small businesses in this said article!

Properly identify your target accounts

Everything you do with your strategy has to revolve around two things: your target accounts and your goals. We’ll discuss the goals later. For now, let’s focus on the accounts. You have to make sure that you have a clear idea of the individuals you are looking for. Once you have that, you can make a shortlist of people that fit that type or picture and group them all in a single account.

Note that these people must have similar attributes – the more alike they are, the better. In order to guarantee this, find everything there is to know about the people in your list such as revenue and location.

Set realistic goals and stick to them

We’ve mentioned it in the previous subhead: your campaign or strategy must revolve around your end goals. More often than not, ABM strategies are made and enacted in order to secure quality accounts or strengthen relationships with revenue-generating prospects. Other common goals include revenue expansion, accounts generation, and increasing contact with decision-making units.

Goals, however, are not limited to this, and you can easily set your own. What’s important is that you have a clear definition of success that you and your teams can collaboratively work towards.

Create relevant and appropriate content

After you’ve gathered your prospects and have set your goals, the next thing you have to do is create content that is both relevant and appropriate for your accounts. You can choose whatever form of content and channel you want, just make sure that those are the ones that work best for your accounts.

Aside from content form and channel being appropriate, the actual content itself should be personalised and engaging. It should resonate with your accounts’ experiences and struggles. What you need to accomplish this is a high level of insight and data on your prospects which you should have gotten before you even put the campaign in action.

Align your marketing and sales teams

Account-based marketing is a collaborative practice between marketing and sales teams. Although they are separate entities, their responsibilities within your business often cross over. Because of this, it is important that you keep both teams aligned. From start to finish, these teams must work together in unison in order to achieve your goals in a more efficient and effective manner.

Make good use of technology

Data accuracy and workforce efficiency is important to the success of your ABM strategy and one of the best ways to ensure and improve these two aspects is to make good use of technology.

An example of a good advanced and technological strategy to use is sales automation. Through sales automation, you free your employees from menial and administrative tasks that make up most of their day. As a result, they are left with more time to spend appealing to your accounts and accomplishing whatever goal you set for them.

Regularly evaluate and update your approach

Monitoring and evaluation of your account-based marketing strategy is just as important as creating it and putting it in motion. Through this process, you bring to light the strengths and weaknesses of your strategy. Once you have that data at hand, you can then work towards improving your approach until it hits peak effectiveness.

Note, though, that you’re going to have to do this quite regularly because changes that may affect the impact of your ABM strategy happen fast and almost unknowingly. If you don’t stay on top of things, you’re bound to get left behind and stuck with an ineffective approach.

Key takeaway

There are many more things that need to be known about account-based marketing. For now, however, it’s enough to understand what it actually is and what it does as well as the many different things you can do to successfully launch an ABM strategy. If you want a deep dive into the concept, however, you can always approach sales and marketing individuals who are in the know of the latest and most effective approaches!

1...776777778...889Page 777 of 889