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Texting is not an option. – Jeffrey Gitomer

Remember the old days when you used to pass notes to friends or lovers? Those days are over. Forever.

Enter texting. It was huge in the rest of the world five years before the United States finally picked up on it. And now it has taken over. It’s instant, one-to-one communication. It’s better and more certain to get through than any other communication medium.

Do you text?

One of my youngest employees sent me a text to tell me, “You’re definitely the oldest guy that texts me.”

My granddaughters text me.
My daughters text me.
My customers text me.
My vendors and suppliers text me.
My employees text me.
My friends text me.
My answering service texts me.
Even the airlines text me about schedule changes and delays.

Not everyone texts – YET. Some people still have phones that have no keyboard. Oh, they will try to text. Their dialog goes something like this. “A,B,C oh crap a 2.” And phone companies are still making out of date phones with 1-2-3 keypads. And worse, people actually buy them!

REALITY: Every kid on the planet texts. Some more than a hundred times a day. Kids will text sitting across the table from one another. And they are fast. Thumbing at the speed of summer lightning.

As these kids enter the work force and increase their buying power, your business world will change. They’re going to text their bosses and the CEO. They’re going to make text sales calls. They’re going to text people they purchase from. AND they’re going to be great at it, and expect instant response from you – so you better be great at texting too.

I am hereby dubbing these young people the “Gen-Texters.” And I am trademarking that phrase as you read this. Unfortunately I have to email my attorney because he doesn’t accept text trademark requests – probably because it would screw up his billing.

Text Manners: “CU” is “see you.” I’m in favor of spelling out whole words. Maybe that’s a sign of my age. But it’s also a sign of my manners.

Texting takes time, and takes time to get used to, but once you do, addiction quickly sets in. I probably send 25-50 texts a day, and I’m probably on the low end of the texting scale.

It’s instant. And instant is the new ASAP.

If you don’t text, you’re turning a blind eye to society. A foolish one. And the OLDER you are, the more you should heed this. If you’re in your 30s or 40s why would you not want to text your kids, your employees, and your customers? If you’re in your 50s or 60s or older, why would you not want to text your grandkids?

My granddaughter, Julia, begins her text volley with “hi.” I love getting that message. My granddaughter, Morgan, texts me daily in text lingo with one thought or another (“CU 2Nite”). My granddaughter, Claudia, texts me when something great happens. She’s SEVEN. What’s your excuse?

Even idiots text. Ever see the car crash videos from people who can’t drive and add texting to the trip. Kaboom!

Here are a few more rules to text by:
• Short and sweet.
• Text when you need me.
• Be clear. Text full words.
• Be careful of what you say about third parties – they may be passed on or read or posted by others.
• Be responsive BUT not rude. Texting should be done when you have the private time and space, not in meetings or while others are talking (like you do).
• Be mannerly. If you want to respond to a text, and you’re in a conversation with others, ask for permission.

Join the revolution. As a nation, less than 75% are actively texting. But that’s a misleading number. More than 90% of kids text, while only 20% of people over 45 text. But those who do send billions of texts each month. If you’re in the group of the technologically deprived, you may want to look at an upgraded phone, and get into the 21st century.

Texting is not a fad. It’s today and it’s the future. Harness its power in business, and while you’re at it, tell your grandkids that you love them.

If you would like to learn the most current text lingo, go to www.gitomer.com, and enter the word TEXT in the GitBit box.

8 Foods That Will Hide Your Bad Breath

8 Foods That Will Hide Your Bad Breath Posted: 06 Feb 2010 06:03 AM PST There’s nothing worse than having bad breath and not knowing about it! There are certain foods that are guaranteed to cause bad breath. Most people are quite aware that eating foods such as curry, garlic, onions or coffee before a meeting or function might be the kiss of death when it comes to social etiquette. You can try chewing gum, but you’ll have to chew for a long time because until that bad-breath-causing-food clears from your system (which can take up to 24 hours), you’ll be stuck with that bad breath. That’s unless you know which foods you can eat to mask the problem. When it comes to finding a relief to bad breath, these 8 foods will help: Parsley This might seem like a decoration more than anything else, but if you are eating a dish that is loaded with garlic and see that it’s been decorated with parsley, you might want to chew on it at the end of your meal to cleanse your palate. If you have basil leaves those will also help and chewing on strings of rosemary will also help. Spices that pack a crunch A few exotic spices have been known to help alleviate bad breath. You might want to consider carrying a small packet filled with cardamom, coriander (aka cilantro) and fennel seeds. These spices will you get rid of your bad breath quickly and they will leave your month feeling fresh. Berries Berries are not only amazing antioxidants that will help you age better, but they will also help freshen your breath! Oranges Oranges are not only ideal for your morning breakfast or as a snack, they are amazing at refreshing your breath because the vitamin C helps deter bad breath. So next time you have a meal chock full of garlic, try to eat an orange a few hours after you’ve digested! Lemons Lemons are great at neutralizing garlic odor on your hands and they also do wonders at killing your bad breath as well. If you are going to drink sparkling water, why not add a slice of lemon to help deal with your bad breath. Apples Think of apples as a natural toothbrush for your mouth. You see when you chew an apple it produces quite a bit of saliva production and the combination with the high fiber content of apples will help cleanse your mouth. Mint This list would not be complete without adding mint! Nothing freshens your mouth like mint and that’s one reason why mint-flavored gum is so popular! Cinnamon sticks Chewing on cinnamon sticks will release essential oils that will help kill the bacteria that cause bad breath very quickly! If you have a buddy that occasionally makes you eyes water while he’s talking to you, share this on Facebook and help the guy out! Written on 2/6/2010 by Krizia. Krizia (aka MissK) is an international author of an acclaimed food guide. Her approach to healthy eating is about keeping it simple, approachable and REAL! In June 2009, two months after launching Eat Smart Age Smart, Krizia was awarded with the nomination of ‘Top 200 Health Blogger’ in the Healthy Eating category by Well Sphere.