MANAGEMENT MINUTE: 3 most common business strategy mistakes

Despite their best efforts, many companies base their decisions on faulty strategies. Here are the three most common strategic errors companies make — and how you can fix them — according to Strategic Thinking Institute.

MICROSOFT OFFICE TUTOR: Create a slide show that really slides! (2002/2003/2007)

Did you ever wonder why we sometimes call a presentation a slide show? It’s because in the early days of projectors, physical slides slide into the lens area from one side and exited from the other. The result was that the slides actually slid! You can create the same effect, and even better, using the Push Left slide transition.

CUSTOMER SERVICE CORNER: 3 customer-service strategies to close any sale

You could spend months preparing a spectacular marketing campaign, but you won’t get anywhere if your customer service reps aren’t following up your work with effective closing techniques.

MANAGEMENT MINUTE: Take advantage of online classrooms for professional development

The Internet is more than a research tool — it can also be a virtual classroom that helps you expand your experience and add credentials to your resume.

MICROSOFT OFFICE TUTOR: Save paper with Word’s Shrink To Fit feature (2000/2002/2003/2004/2007)

Whether you’re creating a document that must adhere to a certain page count, or you just want to save a tree, the Shrink To Fit feature can help you quickly condense a document that’s running a few lines long.