“Studies of employee behavior show a simple ‘thank you’ from the boss for a job well done does wonders for an employee’s morale. Add in an incentive – a tangential prize or award – and workers become motivated, which boosts the bottom line,” said Warren Struhl, CEO of Successories. “A paycheck does not influence an employee’s level of motivation or engagement, but specific praise and a desirable reward has a lasting impact on long-term performance.”

Struhl offered up some of Successories best-sellers that have been shown to motivate employees on Employee Appreciation Day (or any other day).

• Framed desktop prints. “These offer employee recognition and inspiration on a daily basis, complete with a gorgeous image and motivational quote.”
• Motivational greeting cards. “Nothing motivates employees as much as a hand-written thank you note from a supervisor and manager.”
• Medallion keychains. “A tangible piece of recognition that reminds employees how much they are appreciated every time they touch their keys. Plus, it reinforces your core values.”
• Ceramic mugs. “A fun way to show your appreciation and motivate your employees, especially as the mugs are wrapped in one of our unique images with our powerful messages.”
• Desktop clocks. “An elegant – and customizable – way to show employee appreciation. Combine our imagery and theme with a message of your own.”
• Motivational books. “Many of our books now allow for personalized covers and first pages – a perfect gift for employee appreciation that adds a motivational boost.”

“Employee Appreciation Day is also a great day to start or re-start a year-long commitment to appreciating your employees. It’s the perfect time to develop a culture of employee recognition at any workplace. And it’s vitally important for every company to provide meaningful employee recognition that will motivate and engage employees that contribute to your company’s success,” Struhl concluded.

# # #

About Successories

Successories offers exclusive, high-quality products and programs for your motivational, recognition and promotional needs. Having motivated more than 1 million customers, Successories is the authority on motivation and presents in-depth information on how to motivate yourself and your employees on a daily basis. Successories allows you to personalize any motivational or recognition product – or even design one yourself – with its innovative, unique “Create Your Own” online tool. Successories also features iQuote, the largest curated collection of motivational quotes, diligently maintained by in-house Quoteologists. Visit Successores at www.Successories.com, like Successories at www.facebook.com/Successories or follow Successories at www.twitter.com/Successories .

Ok. Let’s first talk about football. Apparently, even though I have been working in the advertising industry for over 2 decades, NO ONE told me until yesterday that the word “SUPER BOWL” may NOT be used. Ever. I mean, that is unless you are promoting the NFL. (Um, can I use NFL or National Football League?) It came up during a discussion with one of our partners (http://www.Successories.com) when I mentioned that there is going to be a really big sports event coming up this Sunday and that we need to take advantage of it and exploit it as much as possible. Then one of the guys chimed in and said, “Yeah. Except that that would be ILLEGAL!”

So I did a little bit of Internet research and lo and behold, turns out he was right! Who knew?!? Well, apparently he did. And now I know. And now you know.

So then I decided to use my brain and think back to all of the local bars, restaurants and stores that promote the Super Bowl: buy beer here, buy a car there, and do everything you can by purchasing products through this company and that establishment as it relates to the Super Bowl. But let’s be realistic. Though it might be illegal and though it might be infringing upon copyright, your local pub or saloon is going to transgress. You know why? Because the average Joe doesn’t know and the small-town local watering hole is really not attracting the attention of corporate America. But as you watch the dozens of commercials on TV this coming Sunday, notice that NO ONE will be mentioning the Super Bowl. The way they get around it is by calling it the “Big Game” or “National Pastime” (no – that’s baseball), “sporting event”? How about “game on Sunday involving two teams trying to rip each other’s heads off”???

Regardless, the copyright was only the first part of what I wanted to write about today. The other part is the actual advertisements….

So now we enter a new era of advertising. In a world where a person can have a baby in a car, video it on a camera, upload it to the web, and then have millions of people see it in all its glory (http://www.wfaa.com/home/related/Special-delivery-arrives-on-the-highway-137965158.html), OF COURSE the advertising industry is going to realize that ONLINE IS THE WAY TO GO!!!

So a search for “superbowl commercials” yields a PPC (Pay-per-click) ad from Bridgestone tires (www.youtube.com/Bridgestone). SMART! As well as a number of other independent websites. But I must hand it to Bridgestone for realizing that they might not get the organic position, (top spot taken by a site that has been up since 2009 and has over 966 pages! www.superbowl-commercials.org/ – good for you!), but why not pay for the top result?

In Yahoo! Toyota Camry buys the coveted position (www.youtube.com/CamryReinvented).

And what about Bing? Toyota again…

So I guess the other advertisers didn’t realize that they could do this as well. Geez Louise. WHY AREN’T THESE GUYS CALLING ME? Here is my phone # folks. PLEASE let me advise you on how to run an Internet marketing campaign. I guarantee you will be very pleased with my services .

Anyway, you can now get the comedy you have been looking for all year long. It seems like the most popular one up right now is Jerry Seinfeld for Acura. What is interesting to me is that Seinfeld is still a household name. He is so 90′s….Couldn’t they get a different celebrity to do the spot?

And apparently, one of the largest corporations in the world is finally waking up to the fact that Internet marketing is more cost efficient than other forms of marketing and advertising…Proctor and Gamble. That’s right – read all about it! http://www.businessinsider.com/pg-ceo-to-lay-off-1600-after-discovering-its-free-to-advertise-on-facebook-and-google-2012-1 Too bad 1600 employees are getting the ax. Seems like some people are going to need a re-education or training.

As I mentioned before, the other event going on online is the presidential race. Seems like Romney is beating out Gingrich. But Gingrich claims that he won’t quit till its all over. Good luck Newt! You are going to need it. And if you think Romney has a chance against Obama, I think you are right. And I think it will be close.

But, once again per my blog post last week after the State of the Union address by President Barack Obama, Google seems to be right behind this whole election. Never before has there been so much coverage. Bringing the messages to the masses and all that. I love this article by Fast Company (very much in my own style ) What businesses can learn from Obama’s social media strategy… http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/rich-brooks/social-media-strategies-small-business/what-businesses-can-learn-barack-obamas-soci

By the way, here is Steve Grove’s (head of community partnerships at g+) Google+ page to show you how tight Obama is with the online community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108770022239813194104/posts

Oh, and have I mention over and over again that Google REALLY wants you to know how they are changing and consolidating their privacy policy into 1 neat little compact polic?. Uh oh. Better get Maaco! Look here: http://www.google.com/policies/. Now read it and tell me it doesn’t say that they are officially adopting a 1984 George Orwell no one is safe conspiracy theory, thank you very much now we are all being spied upon, etc. etc. All I can say is don’t be logged in all of the time. They already know everything, why leave the front door open too?!?

Did I even mention that I am officially a New York Giants fan (this week?)

Last minute food and groceries delivered in the Dallas, TX region. Coming soon to Chicago: http://www.Artizone.com.

Buy Motivational Posters for your company at http://www.Successories.com.

So what are YOU doing this Sunday? I am actually NOT going to be in front of TV. I usually am in front of my laptop, but I think I will be outside….If you are a professional seeking advice on how to promote yourself or a company small or large, you can also take advantage of our 15 years of Internet marketing and advertising experience. Call Raphi Salem at SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation today at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com. I look forward to working with you, watching the game with you, and snacking with you!

NJ MET is an independent electronics laboratory providing, electronic testing, upscreening and counterfeit detection for electronic components.

“We need to constantly upgrade our testing to keep up and attempt to keep these parts out of the supply chain,” said Joseph Federico.  “Electronic component counterfeiters are using increasing sophisticated techniques to replace markings on lower grade parts and relabeling them for military or aerospace use.”

NJ MET (http://www.njmetmtl.com) is adding the experimental marking permanency test from MIL-STD-750 (http://www.landandmaritime.dla.mil/Downloads/MilSpec/Doc …) and MIL-STD-883 to its suite of marking permanency tests already a part of its Mission Imposter counterfeit component detection program.  The objective of this test is to examine the marking’s resistance to solvents, Joseph Federico explained at their laboratory headquarters located in Clifton, New Jersey.

The component is suspended so that half of the device is in a solution of 1-Methyl 2-Pyrrolidinone and heated between 115-120ºC for between 2-5 minutes.

It is then required that the part and the bristle portion of a brush be completely immersed for 1 minute minimum in the solution. Immediately following immersion, the specimen is brushed with normal hand pressure (approximately 2 to 3 ounces) for ten strokes on the portion of the specimen where marking has been applied.

After this process the marking should not smear or be removed. After the conclusion of the test, all devices will be placed under the microscopic camera and recorded for identification, disposition and permanent documentation purposes.

There are engineering specifications for the brush as well, Joseph Federico (http://www.josephfedericocliftonnj.com/) explained. The brush’s handle must be made of a nonreactive material. The brush must have three long rows of hard bristles, the free ends of which lie substantially in the same plane. The brush must be used exclusively with a single solvent and when there is any evidence of softening, bending, wear, or loss of bristles, it must be discarded. This is very similar to the specifications of the brush used over many years at NJ MET’s electronics test facility to determine marking permanency, Joseph Federico explained.

Closing adhering to this updated procedure is necessary to improve accuracy.  Accuracy includes limiting the number of false positives. “With the right solution and aggressive enough rubbing, legitimate part markings could be discolored or removed,” Federico said.

# # #

“Successories spends considerable time and resources searching for new recognition award styles each year and carries unique, exclusive awards that you can’t purchase anywhere else online,” said Warren Struhl, CEO of Successories.

For customers to take advantage of the sale, all recognition awards orders must be placed between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 and the promotion code Awards24 must be entered during the checkout process. This will be the only time this discount is available.

New recognition awards available for this awards season include the Leadership Curved Glass Award, the Accolade Pyramid, the Flame Award, the Brilliant Accomplishments recognition piece, the Excellence Wedge, the Glacier Award and the Exceptional Star Award, among many others. Successories carries recognition awards in a variety of mediums, including acrylic awards, glass awards and even marble and stone awards.

“All recognition awards purchases are backed by our Awards Advantage, which means that you will always receive free engraving, free set-up, free logo and a 100% guarantee with no hidden fees,” concluded Struhl. “There’s simply no better value for recognition awards available than on Successories.com.”

# # #

About Successories

Successories offers exclusive, high-quality products and programs for your motivational, recognition and promotional needs. Having motivated more than 1 million customers, Successories is the authority on motivation and presents in-depth information on how to motivate yourself and your employees on a daily basis. Successories allows you to personalize any motivational or recognition product – or even design one yourself – with its innovative, unique “Create Your Own” online tool. Successories also features iQuote, the largest curated collection of motivational quotes, diligently maintained by in-house Quoteologists. For more, please visit www.Successories.com .

Jan 18, 2012 – “The Internet and the online technical revolution most probably contributed indirectly to this economic mess we are currently experiencing. The good news is that the Internet and technology can definitely help us get out of it,” said internationally renowned marketing expert Raphi Salem in announcing his plan to help boost the local New York City economy.

“Technology is cheaper than it’s ever been. Buying a domain name, building a website and marketing it are really quite easy,” Salem said. “All you really need is the time, desire and effort.”

To give local businesses, organizations and professionals the power they need to jump start their online knowledge, SalemGlobal Internet is offering free marketing seminars in midtown Manhattan. The first seminar will be hosted by AXA Advisors at 1290 Avenue of the Americas on Thursday, February 2, 2012. 8:30-10am. To RSVP please contact info@salemglobal.com. For a complete list of dates, locations and times, please visit http://www.TheSeminarSeries.com.

These seminars will teach anyone the fundamentals of website marketing with the goal of motivating businesses to start promoting themselves online and professionals how to do it themselves. The SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing Seminar Series will focus on how to buy strategic domain names, where to host a website, how to write and upload content to a website, develop a linking strategy, conduct keyword research, implement meta data, write articles, construct and distribute interactive press releases, produce online videos (Youtube), use social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), generate leads from Google, Bing and Yahoo local listings and pay per click advertising (PPC).

“My seminars will give local professionals powerful strategies and teach them the skills they need to compete with other businesses already online,” Salem said. “In a matter of weeks to months, any professional can get a website to generate leads and convert visitors to sales, not to mention increase overall revenue or donations for non-profits.”

Salem is reaching out to local businesses and professionals in the healthcare, real estate, auto, insurance and financial sectors, but of course all are welcome. In the past even other marketing and advertising agencies and firms have taken advantage of these free seminars. Salem will also make house calls and teach his formula for success to mostly any group that invites him, sharing his positive attitude and belief that they can really make a difference by using technology and the internet to get ahead.

“Working in this industry for the past 20 years has given me the confidence to truly state that we can pick up New York and get our economy moving again,” Salem said. According to the online experts, the numbers make perfect sense:

•   53% of people on Twitter recommend companies and/or products in their tweets, with 48% of them delivering on their intention to buy the product. (ROI Research for Performance, June 2010)

•   In a study conducted by social networking site myYearbook, 81% of respondents said they’d received advice from friends and followers relating to a product purchased through a social site; 74% of those who received such advice found it to be influential in their decision. (Click Z, January 2010)

•   Online user reviews have the biggest influence on consumer electronics purchases, with 43.7% of purchases affected by word of mouth. (BIGresearch, December 2009)

•   67% of shoppers spend more online after recommendations from online community of friends. (Internet Retailer, September 2009)

•   Nearly two-thirds of consumers (61%) use search engines to help them in their product research decisions leading up to purchase. (eConsultancy, July 2010)

A 20-year old-school advertising veteran, Salem has appeared before hundreds of audiences both in the United States and abroad. Salem has spoken to and shared his online money-making strategies with countless students and professionals, at universities and organizations throughout the world.

Raphi Salem is the President of SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation. To find out more about his organization, please visit http://www.SalemGlobal.com.

To find out more about The Seminar Series, please visit http://www.TheSeminarSeries.com.

“In this economy, a motivated workforce is crucial, and these days more and more companies are using employee recognition to engage and motivated their workers,” says Warren Struhl, CEO of Successories. “If employees are not motivated or recognized, there’s a tendency to be high employee turnover at that company. And that turnover carries a real-world cost with it.”

World at Work, a total rewards research and trade organization, recently reported that the use of recognition programs to motivate specific employee behaviors has increased from 9 percent to 34 percent between 2008 and 2011, an increase of almost 300%.

Struhl points to some of the most effective strategies he’s advised Successories clients use, in addition to the use of motivational posters and physical recognition awards, to help boost employee motivation and employee morale:

1. Present Challenges. If employees don’t feel satisfied with the work they perform on a daily basis, they may become lackadaisical or unenthused about their roles with the company. Employees – human beings in general – are always looking for different and challenging assignments that will expose them to new ideas and enhance their knowledge and skills. Tasks with extra responsibility and tasks that require initiative on the employees’ part will lead to boosts in motivation.
2. Measure Fairly. Employees who contribute “more than their pay grade” may expect extra reward. And even though they may not ask for a reward, it is your responsibility as a supervisor to ensure that their extra effort is recognized. Recognition, in this case, doesn’t necessarily mean monetary incentives; incentives like appreciation and recognition can help increase employees motivation and encourage continued efforts. Timely recognition and promotion will make employees loyal and will encourage them to continue to go beyond what’s expected of them for the benefit of the company. Delays in such recognition can generate dissatisfaction and will undoubtedly have adverse consequences.
3. Listen, Listen, Listen. Employees will always have grievances. As a supervisor, it’s important that you conduct regular meetings with your team to air grievances and discuss concerns about issues they may be facing. A quick resolution of problems increases motivation and helps employees to focus more on their work.
4. Keep an Open Door. A manager/supervisor should make timely and honest communication with the employees. Employees feel highly discouraged when they get important information from other sources. Similarly, open communication should be encouraged and modeled; by doing so a manager is better informed on problems that may later crop up.
5. Nurture Self Respect. Humans are sensitive to many issues. Critical issues should be discussed in private meetings and not in front of the entire staff. Treating employees with respect can go a long way in improving their overall performance and motivation levels.

# # #

About Successories

Successories offers exclusive, high-quality products and programs for your motivational, recognition and promotional needs. Having motivated more than 1 million customers, Successories is the authority on motivation and presents in-depth information on how to motivate yourself and your employees on a daily basis. Successories allows you to personalize any motivational or recognition product – or even design one yourself – with its innovative, unique “Create Your Own” online tool. Successories also features iQuote, the largest curated collection of motivational quotes, diligently maintained by in-house Quoteologists. For more, please visit www.Successories.com.

NJMET will sponsor its seventh Bus Trip to Atlantic City on Saturday, March 24, 2012.  “For those of you in the metropolitan area, we would like to extend a cordial invitation to join us at the Golden Nugget on the Marina for this fundraiser.  Buses depart from NJMET in Clifton, NJ at 8:00 AM and will return at 8:00 PM.  Tickets are $30 per person with a $20 slot credit,” said Joseph Federico, of NJ MET, headquartered in Clifton, NJ.

Money raised from this trip will be contributed to breast cancer research through the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, (http://www.avonwalk.org/new-york/) set for New York City later this year.

Anyone interested in participating in NJMET’s spring bus trip or making a donation to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is asked to call Joseph Federico at NJ MET in Clifton, NJ @ (973) 546-5393 . Please visit NJ MET at http://www.njmetmtl.com

“NJ MET is thrilled to be able to extend its support for breast cancer research though the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  We are glad to make them the latest recipient of our bus trip fund raising efforts,” said Joseph Federico(http://www.josephfedericocliftonnj.net/).

Last year, NJMET fund raising bus trips aided earthquake victims in Japan through the American Red Cross and Cancer Research through the Dana Farber Institute, according to Joseph Federico.

# # #

“We’ve spent many hours researching and designing dozens of new products for recognition awards. During awards season, industries and business such as education, health care, insurance, financial services, real estate agencies, etc., hand out awards to their best performers, key employees and vendors who deserve recognition. Each year, Successories provides companies something unique to recognize those achievements,” says Ted Struhl, CEO of Successories.

Struhl pointed out just a few of the new recognition award designs that are already flying off the shelves and have quickly become customer favorites:

1. Leadership Curved Glass Award. “This award has a large engraving area for those that want to spotlight their logo or a corporate mission statement.”
2. Accolade Pyramid. “This distinctive piece was exclusively designed for Successories, and is an elegant, customizable recognition award.”
3. Flame Award. “A new addition to our Art Glass Award category, this is a one-of-a kind, hand blown-art glass award; truly spectacular.”
4. Brilliant Accomplishments. “This glass award is perfect for recognizing employees for their years of service, as it features a brilliant colored gem, next to the commemoration circle.”
5. Excellence Wedge. “This is an update to one of our annual customer favorites with a new message of excellence.”
6. Glacier Award. “This is fast becoming our best-selling acrylic recognition award. Its black Lucite base contains a crackled blue mirror that reflects a blue tone throughout the piece.”
7. Exceptional Star Award. “This is Successories’ brand new line of Exceptional Awards celebrating Exceptional People. A fantastic addition.”

All of Successories’ recognition awards are customizable, with the ability to add text and a corporate logo at no additional cost. With the Successories Awards Advantage there are never any set up fees or hidden costs. And each award is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Quantity discounts are also available. For more, visit the Web site at http://www.successories.com.

About Successories

Successories offers exclusive, high-quality products and programs for your motivational, recognition and promotional needs. Having motivated more than 1 million customers, Successories is the authority on motivation and presents in-depth information on how to motivate yourself and your employees on a daily basis. Successories allows you to personalize any motivational or recognition product – or even design one yourself – with its innovative, unique “Create Your Own” online tool. Successories also features iQuote, the largest curated collection of motivational quotes, diligently maintained by in-house Quoteologists. For more, please visit www.Successories.com.

Embracing failure sticks out in my mind particularly since my company is now officially 15 years old. In dog years – that is a LOT! So now that I have been working for myself for a decade and a half, I have to ask myself, “Am I successful?” Of course, that leads to the question regarding the nature and meaning of success. And then of course you can ask Siri what is the meaning of life and other assorted questions (http://www.sirifunny.com/ and http://list25.com/25-hilarious-siri-responses/). But I digress…

My success and the way that I look at life is rooted in an old article, perhaps in a New York magazine that I once read. It asked this celebrity or business person how they valued life. The answer was a balance between personal and professional. While professional meant “work,” personal had 3 things… health, family and God. I liked the answer and have pretty much stuck with that for many years.

When I asked for New Year’s Resolutions from friends via Facebook, I got back a number of responses… Being a better person to the environment/recycle more/Getting off dating sites/finding a true mate and life partner/Balancing finances/make money, curb spending/Lose weight/take better care of health… and the list goes on. I am actually proud to say that I have increased my exercising and decreased my eating of junk over the last 10 days. GO ME! Let’s see if I can keep it up for another 355 days. Don’t think I am perfect though; I did cheat a bit this past Saturday while no one was looking. But overall feeling good. Trying to lose a mere 13 lbs. I also resolve to be a LOT more organized at home and at work. I am so friggin’ proud of myself already. I actually cleaned up, did laundry and organized most of my papers from 2011 into my filing cabinet. 2012 is looking good…

But if you are a skeptic and don’t think that you have what it takes, I want you to seriously dig down deep inside yourself and consider the Tim Tebow factor of the year. Here is a 23 year old kid who either is the most talented QB in history or just PLAIN LUCKY! Regardless of whether you believe in God or not or luck or the universe or whatever, you can’t deny that something amazing is happening in the NFL.

Funny thing is that I was watching the game until OT between the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. I saw it all unravel and then I thought it was over. So I left. Next thing I know, TT makes the best throw and play of his career and the game was over. I can’t wait until he faces Brady on Saturday. Oh yeah. If you want to see this so called best selling sports book of the year: http://www.amazon.com/Through-My-Eyes-Tim-Tebow/dp/0062007289

Speaking of people who make millions of dollars a year, did you hear the latest about the guy who inherited the CEO position of a lifetime? Tim Cook is taking over Steve Jobs front seat at Apple. Steve took $1.00 a year but was worth billions. So Tim isn’t worth billions so I guess they figured out that if he can hold down the fort and be “somewhat” brilliant that the job is worth $380 million. So you gotta ask yourself…. Was this guy in the right place at the right time? I should say so!

http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2012/01/10/apple-ceo-tim-cook-inside-scoop-on-his-380-million-payday/

Oh, and for you Google conspiracy theorists, Google will now be known as “Big Brother.” Remember that Google Circles vs. Facebook thingy? Yeah. Well now Google will know everything about you, your family, your dog, your everything. Don’t worry, I am sure Facebook is right up there with them. Maybe not as technical, but definitely invasive. Thank you George Orwell. Bring us back to 1984 please. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioulqXfbF8-Fiu1xVYA_algZVNDQ?docId=f9299864491e44ca84c003fe8f8f6e05

Last minute food and groceries delivered in the Dallas, TX region. Coming soon to Chicago: http://www.Artizone.com

Motivate your workplace with some motivational posters from http://www.Successories.com

Want to know more about internet marketing for the new 2012 year? Need help keeping your resolutions to do a better internet marketing job on the web? Need help choosing a president? (Doesn’t seem like the Republican’s have their house in order at this time. My prediction is Obama takes it again even though he will have to fight for it.) Betting on Tebow or the NY Giants? (They might get lucky too since they played well this past Sunday.) Help with leads, conversions and sales? Look no further! Call Raphi Salem at SalemGlobal Internet Website Marketing and Lead Generation today at 212-222-3292 or email him at info@salemglobal.com. I am looking forward to working with you, networking with you and hanging out with you and making money with you in 2012. What are you waiting for! Call me now!