Most Common Mistakes Young Sales People Make

Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80-20 rule, applies to the salespeople as well. According to this rule, 20% of the salespeople generate 80% of the sales revenue of an organization.

Sales is one of the most demanding jobs in the world, and not everyone is cut out for it. A sales job is extremely challenging, as you have to constantly be at your best to win over a client. It also comes with the challenge of facing constant rejections. If you get snubbed from a prospective client, all you can afford to do is to regain your composure and meet the next lead or make that next cold call. A salesperson needs to be good with his product knowledge, presentation, and persuasion and negotiation skills, if he has to survive in this challenging field.

Seasoned salespeople often say that selling is an art, and one subtle mistake can really make or break an offer. Although everyone is prone to making mistakes, young salespeople who have just started out in this field, end up making some goof-ups that cost them dearly.

Mistakes Young Sales Professionals Make

Dishing Out Irrelevant Information
Young salespeople often make the mistake of divulging unnecessary details to their prospects. As a result of this, the prospective client gets an overdose of irrelevant information, which can leave him confused and frustrated. Instead of asking clients about their specific needs, the salesperson ends up giving out unnecessary and vague details, which the prospect can't relate to. Young salespeople need to learn the art of hearing out their prospects completely, before going on and on about how the product or service will be beneficial to them.

Not Building Rapport or Overdoing It
Young sales professionals often make the mistake of forgetting how important rapport building is in the sales domain. They talk endlessly about their product, without getting to know the prospect in the first place. It is a well-known fact that people tend to transact with someone with whom they have some level of comfort. Without a comfortable working relationship, it is a bit difficult to discuss the intricacies of an offer. Most young salespeople think of prospects as 'buyers', and try to sell quickly and hastily, which never augurs well for them. On the contrary, some young salespeople take the lesson of building rapport with their prospects a tad too seriously. Asking the prospect about his favorite movie or NFL team doesn't really make sense when he is short on time. There is no hard and fast rule about how much rapport-building a salesperson should do with a prospect. If you feel that the prospect has considerable time and is actively participating in informal talk, you should play along, but if you notice that the prospect isn't someone who likes to beat around the bush, it is prudent to come to the point and talk about business.

Ignoring the Importance of Preparation
A lot of young sales personnel have this fleeting delusion that they will be so good at their sales presentation, that the client will immediately lap up the offer. Because of this, they fail to put in the effort to know about their prospect and their interests. Seasoned sales experts often opine that doing homework before meeting the prospect is one of the most important activity as far as closing a deal is concerned. An inability to know about the origin and history of the prospect's business reflects poorly on the salesperson, and sends out a notion that you are not too concerned about him.

Showing a Sense of Desperation to Close the Deal
It has often observed that young sales executives are quite enthusiastic about closing a deal, but they need to be careful that this enthusiasm doesn't look like a desperate attempt to sell at all costs to the prospect. Many sales gurus lay emphasis on creating a deadline around a deal, so that the prospect doesn't wander into that "I will think about it" territory, but it has to be done without showing the prospect that your life depends on it. It has also been observed that some young salespeople become too pushy while meeting prospective clients. If a prospect is not interested in buying your product or services, there is no point in pursuing him relentlessly. It is a sign of being unprofessional and curt, and does not augur well for your career, as your reputation takes a hit.

Basing Their Whole Offer on the Price
Young and inexperienced salespeople often have this fallacy that the deciding factor for a deal is the price. The fact is that price is a concern for only a minuscule percentage of companies who aren't too concerned about the quality of the service provider. On the other hand, a majority of business houses are ready to shell out more money to get quality services. By talking about price and price alone, novice salespeople send out a wrong signal to the prospect that their world revolves around money, while quality is put on the back burner.

Becoming a Yes Man
Amateur salespeople often end up saying yes to most of the demands of their prospects. The reason for this is a perception that saying no will make the prospect angry, or lead to an end to the discussion. First and foremost, one needs to remember that prospects are pros in their field, who have years of experience behind them on how to negotiate with salespeople. Like a salesperson, they are doing their job of getting the maximum services for their company at a reasonable price. They view the discussion purely on the basis of the services that are being offered to them, therefore, a salesperson should also view the discussion in the same context. It is absolutely OK for a salesperson to be upfront with the prospect, and tell him politely as to why certain demands cannot be fulfilled.

Not Scrutinizing the Leads Properly
Young salespersons also make the mistake of putting in their hard effort in enticing someone who doesn't qualify as a potential client. One may get a list of leads, but it is not necessary that every phone number on that list needs to be called. Novice salespeople end up spending a considerable amount of time with a person who doesn't really need or can't afford the offer in the first place. Therefore, it is very important to screen the prospective clients properly before scheduling a meeting with them.

Failing to Follow Up
People new to the field of sales often forget to follow up on their prospects. Although the sales job is really demanding as you have to keep track of numerous leads and prospects, nothing is more important than delivering on what you have promised to a prospective client. Failure to follow up may not only lead to a loss of sale, but it also reflects poorly upon you as a professional. If the word goes out that you fail to honor your commitment, not many prospects would want to even have a discussion with you in future.

Pitching Too Soon
Many people believe that the sales pitch is the most important part of the whole act. Having worked in the sales industry for a considerable amount of time, I can tell you that a pitch, like a climax, works best when there is a substantial build up to it. When you ask relevant questions, and engage the prospect in the discussion, while providing him an insight on how your product is best suited to his needs, he becomes curious to know what you have in store for him. Your pitch then becomes as important for the prospect as it is for you. However, if you make the pitch without making the prospect a part of the discussion, you run the risk of an outright rejection.

Talking the Prospect Out of a Deal!
While it may sound bizarre, I have personally seen a few of my new colleagues ruin the sale by talking about things they could have simply avoided. After you have closed the deal, all you should possibly look to do is to thank the customer for his time and patience. Talking about the deal should be avoided unless the prospect asks you about it.

These were some common mistakes made by new salespeople around the world. It is not as if young salespeople only make mistakes; even seasoned players are prone to gaffes. It is just that, like in every other field, one makes the maximum mistakes when one is on the learning curve. But what differentiates a top salesperson from an average one, is the fact that, the former tends to learn from his mistakes, while the latter keeps on repeating them.
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27th Amendment Explained

Did You Know

The Twenty Seventh Amendment to the U.S Constitution is the longest any Amendment has taken to be ratified. It was initially proposed in 1789, and took more than 200 years before it was ratified in 1992.

 

 

Imagine a world where every person could decide when and how much of a pay raise he or she would get, even without asking for permission from anyone. The members of the U.S. Congress actually lived such a life till 1992. In this year, a historic Amendment put an end to these state of affairs. Although it is not very well-known, the history of the 27th Amendment to the Constitution is quite interesting.

27th Amendment Summary

 

According to the Constitution, the Amendment states, "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened". Essentially, the meaning of the 27th Amendment is that, any pay raises that were elected for approval would only be effective after the next Congressional session. The logic behind such a law was that, legislators would be more reluctant to give themselves a raise if they risked not being reelected, thereby being unable to benefit from the raise. Besides, giving yourself a raise is almost always a bad move in politics, as the constituents could view such an action to be unfair, and vote for someone else during the time of the elections. Now that we know what the 27th Amendment means, let's learn about why this law came into being.

Why Was the 27th Amendment Created?

 

Ever since the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788, the American people had been concerned that the law makers of the country would try to get into office only to act in self-interest, rather than to work for the country, by giving themselves random unwarranted pay raises. In response to this, it was James Madison who wrote the Twenty-Seventh Amendment, and proposed that it be included as a part of the Constitution in 1789. Despite several other Amendments getting approved and being identified as the 'Bill of Rights', the 27th Amendment was ratified by only six states: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, and Delaware, which was nowhere close enough. Therefore, the proposal was suspended.

This state of affairs continued for another 203 years, which made it the longest ratification process in the history of the nation. However, in 1982, a student from the University of Texas, named Gregory Watson, wrote a college assignment on John Madison's suspended proposal. As he worked on the project, his interest piqued, and he ended up launching a campaign to pass the proposal as a law. However, because the proposal was over 200 years old, few believed that it would actually be ratified. However, after a decade of efforts from Watson and other supporters, the Amendment was passed on May 7,1992, when Michigan would be the 38th state to ratify the provision, finally bringing James Madison's work to fruition.

Why is it Important?

 

Once passed, what the 27th Amendment did, was to make sure that the members of Congress could not pass laws for their pay raises, and any effort made to do so would not have an effect to the end of the upcoming election. These restrictions were necessary, as the people in Congress would keep the needs of the nation in mind, rather than their own. Also, new proposals that have been made by Congress have all been set with expiry dates, so that if the proposal is not agreed upon, it is then voided. Future efforts to bring back a said proposal would require starting the process from scratch.

What is unusual about the 27th Amendment, however, is that, while most people think of it in relation to stopping only pay raises, it actually also stops the members of Congress from voting for pay cuts. However, in recent years, Congress has violated this Amendment by freezing their pay since 2009, by undoing cost-of-living adjustments to the budget. Critics have viewed this as a political ploy by Congress members to please the ordinary citizens of America by saving taxpayer money. It is alleged that, the pay freeze would be repealed after the elections, or they could sue to recover their back pay. These violations are yet to be challenged under the Amendment. It is up to the public to work on the enforcement of the Amendment and bring clarity to the issue once and for all.

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Meaning And Origin Of The Expression "Wax Potic"

Did You Know

There is a New York-based trip hop band called 'Wax Poetic'

 

."Your eyes are like a dust of verdant strewn over glistening pools of luscious blue; one pool seeks north while the other inclines toward south". Wow, the sound of this sent a gratifying tremor around my body, only after reading through the lines I realized the person whose 'one pool seeks north while the other inclines toward south' is in fact walleyed. Nonetheless, I instantly fell in love with this poetic and romantic description.

This is what 'wax poetic' exactly means. You use lofty, ornate, and verbose language to describe something relatively unremarkable. I'm sure the woman on whom this flowery description was thrown must have felt out of the world despite her ocular aberration. That's the power of wax poetic fellas.

Meaning of 'wax poetic'

 

Moving on. So how did 'wax poetic' come into being in the literary world as we know it? The verb 'wax' which means increase in size has been used to describe the expanding of moon's illumination since like a very loonnggg time. A waxing moon is a gradual transformation of the moon from a luminescent splinter to a full-bodied glowing beauty.

The opposite of waxing is waning, where the full lit moon decreases in size gradually and completely gets shadowed. However, these two quaintly charming words are now supplanted by 'grow' and 'decrease', but 'wax' still has its charm intact, and this can be credited to some creative fecund minds of the yore who used it like a rising crescendo of a mellifluous song as well as to make it cloyingly poetic.

Origin'

 

Wax lyrical', 'wax eloquent', 'wax sentimental', and 'wax poetic' are peas of the same pod, which means writing or speaking in a smotheringly and increasingly flowery language. 'Waxing poetic' was first found in Sir Henry Morton Stanley’s book How I Found Livingstone, 1872: "One could almost wax poetic, but we will keep such ambitious ideas for a future day." This made him our history's first official waxer, we hope you know in what context we mean ;)

In short, when you are totally enthused or passionate about something, you use wax poetic, since you are under its spell, and so you are seduced to aggrandizing it.

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What Can You Substitute For Cloves

Cloves and other spices are an important part of our cooking. Mainly coming from Asia, they are also produced in some other parts of the world. But finding them may not be easy every time and that's when you may need to find their substitutes. What can you substitute for cloves and still get that needed aroma in your recipe?

Handy Tips;-
✦ You can store cloves in an airtight container for a year. Just make sure that it is not in direct contact with sunlight.

✦ As compared to whole cloves, ground ones lose their flavor faster.

✦ Always check that the cloves are in good condition. If they are reddish brown in color and emit oil when pressed, they are good.

Cloves are aromatic, dried flower buds, which are among the most popular spices used in several dishes. Native to Indonesia, they are also cultivated in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. Their peculiar smell and taste is because of the dominant chemical eugenol. Cloves are commonly used in Chinese medicine, Indian Ayurvedic medicine, and for dental emergencies in the west. There are many medicinal uses to them.

Cloves are a part of the Asian and African cuisine. They are used in curries and marinades to give them an aromatic flavor. They may also be used in hot beverages, salad dressings, and desserts. You may get them in any Asian/Indian store or online. In case you do not, use one of their substitutes. Given below are some of the closest alternatives for cloves.

Substitutes for Cloves

Ground Cloves
There is a higher chance of you having ground cloves than having whole ones. The powder may be used. It is advisable to use not more than 1/4 teaspoon when using it for the first time. It will have a strong flavor so adjust the proportion as per the other ingredients. For starters, you can use this proportion: 1 tsp. whole cloves = ¾ tsp. ground cloves. If the recipe calls for ground cloves but you have whole ones, use them. They substitute each other.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice which is the inner bark of trees. It is used in savory dishes and desserts. It can be used as an alternative to cloves because it contains the same chemical, eugenol. It will be best used in baking recipes like buns or pumpkin pies. Use the cinnamon in equal amounts of cloves, needed in the recipe. This will surely help in flavoring the food.

Nutmeg
Nutmeg is an oval seed which is famous as a spice. Like cinnamon, it has eugenol, though in less proportions. It is known as the main pumpkin spice so it will be best used in a pumpkin pie. Use it in the same proportion of the cloves needed. It is generally found in the ground state so a little bit of it can do the trick. You may use it in soups, potato dishes, and even in baking.

Mace
Mace is the covering of a nutmeg but is sold as a different spice. The taste is also similar but mace is slightly more delicate. Hence, it can be a great equivalent. Use it in the same proportion like cinnamon and nutmeg. It is best used in roast meats and baking, just add it before cooking with all the other ingredients. Mace may give a saffron-like hue to the recipe.

Allspice
Allspice is a dried, unripe berry which is also called Jamaica pepper or newspice. The name 'allspice' was coined because of the belief that it has a combined flavor of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. It is a very common ingredient of curry powders. It is best used for flavoring meat dishes, stews, or even desserts. Use allspice in the same proportion of cloves needed.

Celery, basil, dill, and star anise also contain eugenol, which is why they can also be used as clove substitutes, but keep them as the last options. You may also use mustard, white/black peppercorns, or pumpkin pie spice. However, the five alternatives given above are the closest.
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Facinating Facts About Burj Al Arab

Did You Know

Burj Al Arab, a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is one of the tallest and the most expensive hotels in the world. One amazing thing is that it stands on an artificial island. This Buzzle article outlines some interesting facts about the Burj Al Arab hotel.

The iconic structure was built to resemble the sail of the Dhow, which is a kind of Arabian vessel.

 

The Burj Al-Arab, a wonder of Dubai, is one of the world's tallest hotels. It is visible from almost every spot in Dubai. It stands on a man-made island, which is situated some distance away from the shoreline. This superstructure is world-famous and one of the most recognizable attractions in the city. It was designed by the American architect, Tom Wright. Before its construction, it was planned that Burj Al Arab would be the icon of the city. Its construction began in 1994 and was completed in the year 1999. It is one of the most luxurious and expensive hotels today, and is referred to as the only seven-star hotel in the world. A number of high-end facilities are available here. The innovative exterior and the beautiful interiors of the hotel have attracted celebrities and tourists from all over the world. Here are some facts about Burj Al Arab that shall interest you.

Facts about the Burj Al Arab

1. Burj Al Arab At Night

2. Burj Al Arab At Daytime

3. Street View of Burj Al Arab

 

▸ Burj Al Arab is located on an artificial island, built about 280 meters away from the Jumeirah beach in Dubai. It is connected to the mainland by a gently curving bridge.

▸ It stands as one of the tallest structures in the world. Its height is 321 meters (1,053 feet) above the sea level.

▸ The magnificent structure is home to the highest tennis court in the world. The tennis court is located close to the top of the hotel.

▸ Moreover, on top of the building, at a height of 212 meters above the sea level, there is also a helipad about 24 meters wide. It enables one to arrive or depart from Burj Al Arab by a helicopter and admire the beauty of the whole city from above.

▸ Gold was used to embellish the interior of the structure.

▸ Burj Al Arab has 202 rooms, which are all duplex suites, 18 elevators, 28 double-story floors, and incredible restaurants.The suite houses luxury rooms, panoramic suites, club suites, double suites, presidential and royal suites.

▸ The cost involved in building the hotel was $650 million.

▸ The construction involved several companies and contractors from the UK, USA, and Dubai and over 3000 workmen.

▸ It took three years just to build the foundation as it was constructed in the ocean with massive rocks and concrete. Around 230 concrete pillars were driven into the sand, more than 40 meters deep to hold the foundation. The friction of the sand against the piles helps to sustain the foundation.

▸ A layer of massive rocks was placed on the surface in a honeycomb pattern to protect the foundation from erosion.

▸ Around 70,000 cubic meters of concrete and about 9,000 tons of steel were used in the construction of the building.

▸ The smallest suite of the Burj Al Arab covers an area of 169 square meters while the largest is 780 square meters.

▸ The design of the structure features a steel skeleton enclosed within a concrete tower. There are two wings to form a mast, and the area between the wings is covered with a Teflon-coated woven glass fiber screen. The coating of the fabric protects the building from harsh heat and dirt. The fabric also allows a white milky light to penetrate inside the building during the daytime. At night, the fabric is lit by lights of varying colors.

▸ Al Muntaha, one of the restaurants inside the hotel, offers a view of Dubai.

▸ Another restaurant, the Al Mahara, features a large sea water aquarium, holding more than one million liters of water.

▸ The hotel is also home to the Al Iwan Royal Dining Hall, Junsui Asian restaurant, Bab Al Yam restaurant, Majlis Al Bahar restaurant, Sahn Eddar restaurant, Skyview Bar, Al Falak Ballroom, Marina Garden, Marina Garden, Assawan Amphitheater and Diwania Library.

▸ There is also an open-air swimming pool at the ground level, a private beach located on the mainland, and the Wild Wadi Water Park.

▸ The interior of the hotel was designed by Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International. The interior features an atrium with a beautiful central fountain and a cascading waterfall.

▸ There are more than 28,000 light fixtures in Burj Al Arab.

▸ Statuario marble was used to make the walls and flooring. Around 43,000 square meters of it was used to embellish the interiors.

▸ Burj Al Arab is supervised by Jumeirah Group, the global hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding.

 

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Reasons Your Best Friends are More Importanat Than Your girl friend

When you in a relationship, it's very natural to think that your sun rises and sets on your girlfriend. You just cannot help but sink all your energy thinking about that one 'girl' who has seized your imagination, but does her inclusion spells exclusion of your friends from your life? Definitely not. This post shares the many reasons why your best friends are and will always be more important than your girlfriend.

"Where would you be without friends? The people to pick you up when you need lifting? We come from homes far from perfect, so you end up almost parent and sibling to your friends - your own chosen family. There's nothing like a really loyal, dependable, good friend. Nothing."
- Jennifer Aniston

Well, you seriously cannot be that person who only values one amazing part of his life. Your life is composed of a lot of elements that inadvertently and subliminally define who you really are. Friendship is that important facet of your life that sculpts you- well that may be far from being billed as a masterpiece, but those very wrongly chiseled, joined, and soldered parts MAKE YOU. Whoa, that's quite an explanation, we reckon but it's true.

Falling in love is an awesome feeling too, but it definitely cannot supplant the warmth, craziness, and tacit understanding of your strengths and weaknesses that one forges with his best friends. Your equation with your best friends, no matter what formula you have derived to make it work, WORKS.

We tell you why having best friends in your life is and always be more important than having a girlfriend.

It doesn't behoove you to stay in touch with your best friends always as your girlfriend
 It's like an implicit arrangement that you make with your girlfriend. She will make sure that she is kept in the loop in all the important or not very important plans and decisions of your life. This, however is not the case with your friends; this is not to say that they don't want to know or care about you but they can surely survive without being told about every little thing that's happening in your life. There will be times when messages will go un-replied or calls wouldn't be made for weeks on the trot or there won't be frequent meet-ups as they used to be, but all this certainly doesn't weaken your bond with them.

You don't always have to be at your 'presentable' best
 This is so really cool with your friends! Your unkempt appearance, disheveled face or threadbare togs will not bother your friends at all (they would probably be more or less in the same shabby fettle). However, with your girlfriend, whether it's a romantic rendezvous or impromptu meet-up in the wee hours, you have to make sure that you are arrayed up all fine and dandy.

Your best friend will never ask you for a 'space' or vice versa
'Space' is a universal word that's thrown around more in relationships than in physics. Your girlfriend, at some point or the other, is going to need some 'space' to explore her needs and expectations. Likewise, you too would feel the urge to have a sufficient freedom from your girlfriend to figure your life, but 'space' is a word that is unheard of in friendship. You would probably be looking for your friends to make full of the space.

You can always believe in your friends advice and opinion
Your friends know you inside out, they have been privy to your secrets, seen the best and worst side of you and know how to deal with you. They will never give you their attenuated opinion or advice on something but will try to keep you aligned with reality. But, your girlfriend, may not give you an honest opinion, for the fear that she may hurt your feelings or maybe she can't gauge the gravity of a situation and form any opinion on it.

You can have a myriad of best friends!
Your best friends are accepting and tolerant of the fact that you have other friends and sometimes you prefer hanging out with them instead. They don't mind you broadening your social circle and won't bother to know why you have befriended a so and so. But this can certainly be an area of dissent between you and your girlfriend who may not approve of your closeness with some people.

You can confide your secrets with your friends but not your girlfriend
Your girlfriend may be your good friend but there are, however, things of dicey nature that you cannot just spew out before her. Your best friends share in the knowledge of both your Jekyll and Hyde sides, therefore, confiding a secret with your friend feels more secure and easy than with your girlfriend. And besides you cannot tell your girlfriend how gnawing sometimes she can be, right?

Your friends don't need your parents approval
We all have some friends who our parents are totally enamored of but you wish this attitude was same for your girlfriend. You can have a best friend at any point of time in your life, but having a girlfriend in 5th grade is not something that your parents will be kicked about. You will never have to keep the identity or presence of your friend under cover like your girlfriend for the fear that your parents will never approve of them, because parents can be tolerant of unusual best friends but not unusual girlfriend!

Because you have friends all your life
No matter how you slice it but the fact remains the same that relationships are (or can be) transitory, but friendships are for life. Your best friends will always have your back, will never sell you out, abandon you or make you feel encumbered with heaps of expectations. Most importantly, they will accept you irrespective of your age, size, looks or financial status and will genuinely be there for you- be that to offer a handkerchief to blow your nose or cry with a running nose alongside you.
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How Has iTunes Brought About a Change in the Music Industry

Steve Jobs was a revolutionary, and iTunes was a revolution. In this article, we shall find out how iTunes has changed the music industry.

 "Some people say Apple unbundled the album. In my mind, it had already been unbundled by piracy. So why not do it in a way in which we get paid? That's what iTunes really did."
― Doug Morris, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment

In an era plagued with notorious musical fat cats who would strong-arm the competition with their stacks of greens, and the seemingly unstoppable pirates who would relentlessly steal from the artists and labels, Apple iTunes came as a godsend. Steve Jobs had a complete vision that began with the iTunes - a digital store that would provide all the music that the user wanted, and the iPods, iPads, iPhones etc., where this music could be downloaded and played.

Since its inception in 2003, iTunes has managed to completely redefine the music industry. Steve Jobs, the then-Apple CEO, literally manhandled the major record companies, extracting from them some of the most legendary deals and negotiations which completely altered the economics of music, snubbed online piracy, and did so much more.

In the following lines, we shall learn about the impact that iTunes has had on the music industry, and all the changes that it has brought about over its more than decade-long reign.

How iTunes Revolutionized the Music Industry

1) It Allowed the User to Pick His/Her Song

In the music industry, one can find many artists who are what can be best described as one-hit-wonders. Like firecrackers, they burst into the scene illuminating it with the dazzling brightness of their hit number. However, the glow of their glory is short-lived, rarely exceeding the boundaries of that one hit song.

Now imagine having to buy an entire album full of mediocre and even plain bad songs, just to savor that one good song! You would be literally spending on music you didn't want. Makes no sense, right? Well that was the way the music industry operated before iTunes came along.

When the iTunes music store opened its digital shutters in 2003, it allowed music lovers to download and pay for only the song which they liked, without forcing them to buy the whole album against their will. Thus, it gave the power of choice to the consumers.

2) It Provided Unlimited Access to Infinite Music

Before the advent of iTunes, music was largely dispersed and usually difficult to obtain. It used to be that, you would listen to a song over the radio or see it on MTV, and then you would go out hunting for it in music stores. If you were lucky, you would find the album you wanted, else you would have no choice but to note it down and pray that it came to your neighborhood store someday in the near future. All this changed when iTunes arrived.

God put the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, and Mr. Jobs planted iTunes―the tree of music―in the Gardens of the Internet. All you need to do is bite into the 'apple' from it, and you are able to access an unlimited amount of music. And the best part - it ain't no sin! Thanks to iTunes, you have all the music you want right at your fingertips.

3) Made Convenience the Undisputed Champion

With iTunes, like Morpheus in Matrix, Mr. Steve Jobs presented us with two pills. The blue one represented audio quality and ensured that we would get the best of it, but only if we were ready to wait until the CD album was out. The red one, on the other hand, promised us the convenience of having our choice of music whenever and wherever we wanted, albeit at a slightly lesser quality. Guess what, most of us took the red one!

For many years, the music industry had been chasing audio quality, thinking that it would motivate music lovers to purchase more. However, Jobs knew that convenience beats quality every time. We, the consumers, want our music right here, right now. And even though it isn't as sparkling bright as the quality of a CD, the compressed audio at iTunes store is still more than enough to satisfy the ear-buds of everyone, but the audiophiles (a rare minority) amongst us.

4) It Signaled the End of Album Art

Back in the day, as much thought would be given to the album cover as to its actual content. This album cover was what defined the album, the artist, and the music. It was art, album art!

However, when iTunes trained its guns on the albums, intending to free its imprisoned songs, there was sure to be some collateral damage. In the shootout that followed, the songs were rescued. However, the album art became a casualty, and is now nearly extinct.

Today, album art exists only as minuscule covers on iTunes, which are about the same size as an app icon. iTunes does offer booklets, images, and videos, but you can't frame them and hang them on your walls, the way album art used to be hung.

5) It Brought the Fight to the Pirates

In the late '90s and early 2000s, the Internet had begun spreading its 'web' wider, as more and more people started realizing its potential and usefulness. Online laws, rules and regulations, however, didn't keep up with this exponential growth, and back then, were muddy at best. As such, online pirates literally had a heyday, ripping and distributing music over the Internet.

Artists and record companies tried to fight back as much as they could, but considering the thousands of websites that offered free music downloads, the war was certain to be lost. In these dire circumstances, Apple introduced iTunes, which effectively turned the tables against piracy.

iTunes was the first legitimate digital music store. It offered a whole variety of music at appreciable quality, and at very reasonable rates. Users could directly transfer and manage music from iTunes to iPods, iPhones, etc., very affordably and conveniently, which motivated people to pay for the music that they downloaded. So successful was Apple, that the combination of an iPod powered by iTunes literally became a fashion statement among everyone.


6) iTunes Was the Equalizer

Before iTunes, successful artists and large record labels would rule and control the consumer market, with an iron fist! They would pour out the greens and make deals with large retailers and distributors, literally buying out the shelf-spaces in stores. This was a very bad situation for smaller labels and less successful independent artists, whose music, no matter how deserving, could hardly find the audience it deserved.

iTunes leveled the battle grounds and became the equalizer. There was no longer any scope of buying out shelf-spaces in this digital store. It was all about the music, and the ones who were able to make great music got promotional space parallel to the bigwigs of the music industry. Thus, via iTunes, small artists and labels could effectively compete against the giants of the industry.

7) It Introduced the Flat 99-cent Price
With iTunes, Steve Jobs brought about a paradigm shift in the economics of the music industry. Firstly, he ensured that every song would be sold as a single, and secondly, that its price would be a flat 99 cents. This irked the big artists and record labels, as they felt that the price of a song should be determined according to the popularity that it was gaining.

However, Jobs remained firm, and with the growing success of iTunes, the dissenting members of the music industry had no other choice but to comply. In the end, the new economics featuring 'singles' at 99 cents a piece became the standard norm.

 8) It Made Music Distribution Economical

Prior to iTunes, the main mode of distribution of music was through CDs. This process involved shipping, tracking, stealing, and even the breaking of CDs, all of which culminated in a lot of loss to the record labels and distributors.

iTunes completely eliminated these uneconomical aspects of physical distribution, by transferring music into the digital world, where distribution happens over the Internet, and is almost instantaneous, risk-free, and most economical.
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