The Best Way to Write Sales Case Studies That Get Leads - CoSchedule

The Best Way to Write Sales Case Studies That Get Leads As you’re probably aware, social proof  plays a major factor in buying decisions. In a survey of online consumers, 85% of respondents  said they read up to 10 reviews before they can trust a business. Not all types of social proof are created equal. A handful of product page reviews might be adequate in order to sell a $10 necklace on Shopify, but in order to sell a high ticket item of $1000 or more you’re going to need more significant forms of social proof. For B2B businesses, sales case studies are an excellent tool for driving leads. Legendary marketer Neil Patel  used email case studies to increase his deal closing ratio by 70%. He increased his sales by 185% by testing 3 different case studies. In my business, I’ve also had been able to drive significant amounts of leads using sales case studies. You can too- just follow these tips. Get Your Free Sales Case Study Template Bundle Dont waste time writing your case study from scratch! Download these three templates and make the job easy: Sales Case Study Template (Web): Use this Word-based template to craft your copy for your development team to turn into a web page. Sales Case Study Template (Word): If youll be creating a downloadable PDF-based case study, use this Word template to compile your content before handing it to a designer. Bonus Audience Persona Template: Better understand the target audience for your case study by building an audience persona. The Best Way to Write Sales Case Studies That Get LeadsSales Case Study Creation There are a lot of steps that go into creating a case study. Let's cover them one by one. Create a Buyer Persona If you don’t already have one, I recommend creating a buyer persona  document for your business. Hubspot generously offer a selection of downloadable buyer persona templates, but you can make your own if you wish using the following steps: Give your persona a name, this allows you to think of them as an individual. You may even want to add a photograph too. Create a document with two columns. On the left, list the following demographic traits: age, gender, marital status, education level, income and location. Also on the left, add psychographic traits: interests, values, pain points  and challenges. On the right, carefully craft your answer as best you can for the specific individual. You should be left with something similar to this (courtesy of Hubspot): Select a Relatable Customer When you know your ideal buyer intimately, you can pick a client for your sales case study who is a perfect representative of this persona - someone other potential clients will be able to relate to. Be sure to feature a headshot from the client, as well as a complimentary quote for maximum credibility. Ideally, this quote should pertain to one of the core strengths of your business (something that your competitors cannot replicate). Tips for creating a killer quote image: Ensure you receive a high-resolution headshot from your client. Use a quote that pertains to the core strengths of your business (something that your competitors cannot replicate). Keep the color scheme consistent with the rest of the landing page. If you don’t have the resources to hire a designer, consider using Canva  to create the quote image for free. This example from one of Hubspot’s case studies  is great because it succinctly mentions an advantage the brand has over a competitor. From Problem to Solution Creating a compelling sales case study requires storytelling. First, you need to consider how your product helped your client go from point A (revisit the common pain points in your buyer persona) to point B. To find out this information, I recommend surveying your client via email (some marketers prefer face-to-face conversations, but I find email to be more efficient since they have more time to think about their answers and you’ve got a written record of the conversation to refer back to). Ask them: What problems were you experiencing prior to working with us? What are your long-term goals? What made you choose us instead of a competitor? What are some of the (measurable) benefits you’ve received since working with us? Once you have this information, drive the story home using emotional language  and statistics. I recommend the following structure for your case study: Introduction:  Provide background information about the client’s business, such as the size, business model and types of customers served. The problem:  Describe what is hurting the business, in logical and emotional terms. For instance, ineffective resource allocation may be slowing production, which diminishes gross revenue, but it also leads to sleepless nights and stress for the business owner. The solution:  Describe why the client chose you instead of a competitor, and what solution you came up with to solve their problem. This is a great opportunity to showcase your diligence in analyzing the client’s needs and your expertise in solving their problem. The results:  While I like to include statistics throughout the case study, this is where you can really emphasize the positive long-term change you created, both for the life and business of your client. Hopefully, you’ve been tracking the metrics for your client work. Metrics such as total revenue, search traffic, email opt-ins, conversion rate and page views are great to include in a case study - so long as you’ve delivered an improvement over time. Check out this example from one of Neil Patel’s case studies. He mentions a problem that is undoubtedly common in his niche, then describes his solution along with incredible statistical results for increased credibility. Without these numbers, the claims could be viewed as boastful rather than authentic. Landing Page Design While you might want to feature your sales case study on your homepage or send the case study out as a PDF document to your mailing list, I recommend having a designated landing page for the case study. Weaving a powerful narrative, featuring potent statistics and making your client seem relatable is only one facet of creating a good sales case study. If your goal is to drive leads, your landing page needs to be optimized for conversions. I’ve spent countless hours split testing the headlines, copy, images and CTAs on landing pages, and while it can be tedious, it’s definitely worth it in the long-run for maximizing your conversions. Especially if you’re diving cold traffic to your landing page through paid ads, it’s important that your landing page is tonally and stylistically consistent with the ad. When someone clicks through to your page, there should be no unpleasant surprises in terms of the color schemes  and type of language used. Dollar Shave Club  does an excellent job of providing a cohesive experience for customers that click through to their site from Facebook. This ad directs to their home page, which aligns well with the ad's copy and imagery: In terms of structuring your landing page, I’ve found that the popular advice for structuring blog posts  still applies. Headlines and short paragraphs help to break up walls of text and improve readability. Bullet points are also great for communicating core information succinctly, as shown in this case study for Salesforce: If you have powerful statistics at hand, data visualization  techniques can allow you to convey them in a more emotionally impactful manner. In my opinion, graphs and charts are excellent visual tools for showing how (with your help) a client moved from a miserable point A to a glorious point B. Having produced numerous testimonials, I’m consistently told by my clients that the data visualizations and other visual elements were their favorite parts of the testimonials. As an example, check out this graph I produced for Royal Wolf  to demonstrate the kind of results you can expect over a six-month period. Additionally, it’s important to remember that your landing page has one objective: to get visitors to opt-in to your email list. For this to happen, your landing page needs to flow smoothly from one point to the next, until they reach the inevitable opt-in form. Mentions of other products and links to external sites only distract from this objective. When I see landing pages with abundant distractions, I immediately imagine a highway with roadblocks impeding the traffic. Clear out those roadblocks and ensure that opting in is as easy as humanly possible. To reference Neil Patel’s aforementioned case study, the CTA section  really stands out (and has probably been split tested mercilessly for the best results). Backed by color psychology, orange is one of the most popular color choices for CTA buttons because it pops so well. I love to use orange CTA buttons on sites with neutral or low-key color schemes. Also, Neil includes a headshot of himself to convey trust and indicate that he brings real customers to sites, not just browsers that will help boost your vanity metrics. This is a crucial distinction when you’re charging premium rates like Neil is. Promoting Your Case Study Once you've created your case study, the next step is to tell people about it. Here's how to to do just that successfully. Facebook Advertising With over 2 billion active monthly users, Facebook is a great channel for finding people that are interested in every niche imaginable. By using Audience Insights, you can figure out what pages people are following within your niche - so you can target them with an ad for your sales case study. While there is an enormous amount of demographic information available in Audience Insights, my favorite feature is Page Likes. If you’re analyzing the fishing niche, type â€Å"fishing† into the interests bar on the left. After clicking on Page Likes, you’ll see what other pages people like who share this interest. The affinity score  is important to look at because it shows the likelihood of someone liking a page compared to the average Facebook user. These insights are crucial when it comes to targeting. You will achieve the best results when you’re targeting interests that fanatics (rather than casual fans) would be interested in. In my experience, it’s the fanatics who are more likely to opt-in to your email list or buy your product. Before you start running ads, it’s important to know your Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). If you know exactly how much money you expect to make from an email list subscriber in the long-term, then you can budget your Facebook advertising campaign accordingly. Before you start running social media ads, it's important to know your Customer Lifetime Value:If you know that your average email subscriber spends $25 with you before unsubscribing or going dormant, if you can spend less than $25 to get them onto your list - then you’re going to make a profit. In reality, if you have a high-value case study, a good landing page and your targeting is correct - you should be able to acquire leads for $3 or less, which would yield a gigantic profit in this scenario. For maximum credibility, include a headshot of the client from your case study in your ad image (for some reason, headshots perform very well  in Facebook ads). In the ad copy, include a quote from the client or a statistic relating to how you helped them to improve their business results. This ad by Outbrain  is a great example of a Facebook ad that leverages social proof and begs to be clicked. Social Media If you don’t feel comfortable diving into paid traffic right away, that’s fine. You can still use social media to acquire leads for free. When posting a sales case study on social media, the same rules apply as when you publish a blog post: include a captivating image (such as a client headshot), use emotive language, be succinct, mention key statistics, and include all relevant hashtags. On Twitter, I recommend using your case study post as a pinned tweet, so it stays at the top of your Twitter feed and gets the most attention. In my opinion, Instagram is one of the best platforms for promoting a sales case study. Lots of brands include landing pages (rather than homepages) in their Instagram bios to grab leads, you can do the same with a case study landing page. Foundr, a digital magazine for entrepreneurs, uses its Instagram bio to link to this landing page  promoting a $79 startup guide. If you take the time to post high-value content and follow lots of people who like posts by competitors in your niche (so that they follow you back), you will definitely generate some attention  on your Instagram page. If a link to your case study is the first thing they see on your page and it’s relevant to them, you’ll easily be able to extract contact information from your Instagram followers. Recommended Reading: How to Build the Best Social Media Promotion Schedule For Your Content Content Upgrades A content upgrade  is a special type of lead magnet that pertains to a specific blog post. After a person has finished reading a post, you can offer them a free ebook, checklist or case study which gives additional information about the subject - in exchange for the person’s email address. In my experience, highly specific content upgrades usually result in better conversions than generic lead magnets- since you’re delivering value on a topic that they have a proven interest in. In my experience, highly specific content upgrades usually result in better conversions than...For instance, this post  offers a downloadable PDF at the end of the article in exchange for contact information. If a visual communications agency publishes a blog post about creating visual content on a shoestring budget, it would make sense to offer a case study as a content upgrade that describes boosting a client’s website traffic using a combination of infographics, videos and presentations. Because the person reading your blog already has an interest in visual content, they can pick up additional strategic tips about how to create and promote such content by reading the sales case study. In this situation, the case study not only gives the reader immediate actionable tips, but it subtly conveys that you really know how to get results with visual content marketing.  So, if they eventually want to move on from free and low-cost visual content creation, you will be the first person they think of. Recommended Reading: How to Create Amazing Content Upgrades For Your Blog Email Marketing Sales case studies aren’t only a tool for getting people onto your mailing list. Personally, I find it impactful to include case studies as part of my autoresponder sequence  - to warm up people who are already on my list (just remember to segment your list so you don’t resend the case study to people to joined your list via your case study landing page). Market Hero  is an excellent autoresponder  that features an abundance of email design themes, a simple drag-and-drop interface and calculates your CLV for you. When you know your CLV, you also know how much money you can spend acquiring leads without taking a loss. This infographic from Kissmetrics breaks down how to calculate CLV as well: Successful email marketing involves building rapport, offering high-quality actionable advice and subtly conveying your expertise. Sometimes it’s okay to go for the hard sell via email, but you’ll push people away if you do this too much (a painful lesson I learned in my early years as a marketer). Aside from the occasional sales email, the majority of your messages should be delivering value- case studies fit in perfectly with this strategy. As an additional tip, try including a link to your case study in your email signature. This is particularly useful for sales staff or anyone else in your organization that frequently interacts with potential clients.

Japan's Dragon Triangle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Japan's Dragon Triangle - Essay Example As you travel on the other side of the globe, towards the Pacific ocean off the coast of Japan, you are likely to encounter a less known, but equally mystical area of ocean, known as â€Å"The Dragon Triangle† more popularly known to the Japanese as â€Å"Ma-no Umi† which literally translates as â€Å"The Sea of the Devil†. A series of unexplainable events, which are beyond the powers of us mere mortals, has led to the development of sensational theories, some of which have even found way into the folk lore of the Japanese people. According to the myth, the dragons live deep underneath the deadly sea and their movement causes the sudden churn in waves, whirlpools, dense fog and sudden storms. While yet others believe it to be the handiwork of â€Å"mikakunin hiko-buttai†, Japanese for UFOs. Various authors, scientists and researchers have attempted to solve such mythical occurrences and reason the popular theories revolving around witchcraft, haunting, demon possessions and wizardry but none, so far, have come close to actually addressing the problem. However, Theodre Schick and Lewis Vaughn, in their famous book titled â€Å"How to think about weird things†, have presented an interesting formula called the SEARCH formula, which is in fact an acronym for the four steps. If we consider the case of the Japanese Dragon Triangle, and study it in the light of the tool developed by Vaughn and Schwick, chances are we might derive some logical conclusions and help clear the myths relating to such mysteries.

Concert Report of Gentleman's Rule Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Concert Report of Gentleman's Rule - Essay Example Because the program was organized in the evening, lighting was an important and integral part. There was sufficient lighting to make everything visible. The lighting system was also used as a decorative system as there were combination of different forms and types of lights in different switches and rhythms so synchronize with the music that was being done. Again, because there was a conscious effort to ensuring that fans and all other stakeholders within the premises of the theatre did not have problem with visuals, there was create visibility with the lighting system that was provided. It was the stage itself that did not have much light due to technical reasons such as concentrating the light only on people of whom the technical themes wanted attention to go to at a point in time. On the issue of ease of movement by patrons of the concert, particularly the fans, it would be said that even though the Royal George Theatre is a very sizeable place, for some reasons, it could not guar antee patrons of the program much movement. The problem was not due to that natural size of the auditorium but due to the fact that the songs that were done where danceable tunes, of which most fans wanted more and more space to shake themselves off with the music. Accessibility for people with disability would however be approached with a different tone noting that so much room was made for these people to have accessibility. There was actually a whole floor on the storey row that was preserved for people with disability. This was a step in the right direction as this floor was well fitted with accessible gadgets for the people with disability. Sound levels were perfect from a technical view point as organizers and the sound theme ensured that there was perfect harmony in the production and release of sound. There was virtually no instrument in the room, whose sound level was swallowed by the other and this contributed to the harmony in sound production and sound levels (Graves et al, 2002). But as expected, the voices of the fans swallowed the sound from the stage on some occasions, especially in cases where well known tunes were being played. In sum, it would be said that the venue of the concert was very comfortable in terms of sound and lighting but not so much comfortable for people who really were bent on using their dancing shows to the fullest. This is because the concert was organized to take a more diplomatic form whereby the fans would be passive rather than active participants. Performers The main performers for the show were the Gentleman’s Rule. These are a group of young and talented ten (10) male singers and composers (Gardner, 2006). The area of specialization of these singers is mainly acapella. On stage that night, the clothing of all 10 was something that deserves commendation. This is because the clothing was designed to give unique identities to these performers. For example they were dressed according to their vocal roles in the group with the led singer having what has come to be known as the Michael Jackson hand band. Light skinned clothes that would not make them produce so much sweat. The shirts were short sleeved to allow for aeration and the trousers were certainly made of cotton to absorb liquid well. The actions performed by the singers on stage often changed with the mode of the song being delivered. But the organization of the songs was done so well that

Communication Is A Two Way Flow Essay Example for Free

Communication Is A Two Way Flow Essay Communication is a two way flow of conversation where something is achieved e.g information effective communication is important in health and social care because through communication which is listening and talking you can make a better relationship with client. effective communication can make you understand your client emotions and feelings for example if a nurse is having a conversion with a patient and the nurse seem friendly , have positive body languages and interacting well, the patient is likely to open up to the nurse and discuss any worry that he/she is facing, which lead to better relationship. when communicating you need to show that youre interested in what the person is saying, the more you look interested the more the person is going to trust and open up you. In health and social care you communicate with patient, colleague and other professionals for example if you were a doctor and you want to refer a patient to a surgeon, you would have to talk to the surgeon to sort the patient operation. Conjunction with colleague us important because if you have a good relationship colleagues it would make the work a better place and make patients feel comfortable because they can sense if staffs are getting along. There are different types of communication informal and formal. informal: this is used between family and friends. Different social groups use different informal language to communicate so it might be hard for other people to understand. formal: this is used in health and social care for example if you went to a service they would say good morning, how IIvan I help thus us to show that they respect you. multi agency working. Working with other professional for example GP ,hospital service require formal communication. non verbal communication is communicating without speaking, like facial expressions, sign language, gestures, eye contact, posture and tone of voice, this kind of communication can sometimes speak louder than words. Written communication, This is central to the work of any person providing a service in a health and social care environment when keeping records and in writing reports. Different types of communication need different styles of writing but all require literacy skills. A more formal style of writing is needed when recording information about a patient. It would be unacceptable to use text message abbreviations, such as ‘l8er’. Effective communication, including active listening, can be hard work. People  who work in health or social care environments tend to enjoy learning about other people and their lives. Things can go wrong, however, if: †¢ the context is wrong, e.g. the surroundings are unsuitable due to lack of privacy †¢ the service provider and service user are mismatched. Sometimes communication breaks down because of factors such as age, education level, gender and ethnic background †¢ a person withholds information because they fear being judged, for example, they have taken illegal drugs †¢ a person fears that confidentiality will be broken, even though this should never happen, for example, about their sexual orientation †¢ the service user thinks that the advice given is too vague and has not asked for clarification †¢ the subject matter is embarrassing, such as talking about sex or intimate body parts †¢ a person fears they are going to hear bad news so avoids going to a service provider until it is too late to help. If health and social care workers do not develop good communication skills, the effectiveness of their work will be reduced and things can go wrong. This will not help service users to feel good about themselves and can lead to worse consequences. Remember, it is important to overcome problems such as those listed above, communicate effectively, including checking understanding, so that you get the best out of your interactions with colleagues and service users. Formal or Informal Group conversations are more formal, clear and straight forward, eye contact, listening to everyone, pronociation Informal is less formal, don’t have to speak loudly, back and forward talking, more personal Argyles theory of the communication cycle centre’s on six core concepts, or, a cycle. The cycle is as follows: 1. An idea occurs. For example, let us say that our idea is wanting to buy a  car. 2. Message coded. This would be us putting our desire of a car into whatever medium we wish to communicate with. This may be a language, pictures, writing, or any other medium you can think of. 3. Message sent. Here we have communicated our desire for wanting a car. 4. Message received. The person or perhaps target audience we wish to notify of our desire to have a car [perhaps a parental figure] has received our message. 5. Message decoded. They now must take what we have said and attempt to decode it. Now, I want a car is pretty straightforward, but remember, not everyone is as transparent as this, and this is the step where communication breakdown may occur as they may decode our message incorrectly. 6. Message understood. Hopefully the last step was effective and they understand what you were trying to communicate. Now the cycle can begin anew. Burnard and Morrison According to the Philip Burnard and Paul Morrison (1997), A lot of communication in care work involves building a relationship with the service user. This involves giving them emotional support which builds trust. They also argued that communication without caring for the person in some way would not be able to work. Service users that go through emotional issues i.e. A teenager being sexual abused by a youth worker, is often at first a difficult and sensitive issue to talk about has a social worker for example. Any difficult and sensitive issues should focus on the emotional needs of the service user rather than giving out advice and information that is not needed since it is not needed since the service user is already likely to be overwhelmed with grief. In health and social care setting, Professionals should always try be supportive within difficult situations since this will help would towards making effective communication start between the  professional and the service user. Tuckman The environment can affect how well a communication goes, if the environment is a distraction it can cause a conversation to not flow very well, however the environment could help create a cincerarion.

Spanish Colonialism and Puerto Rican Identity :: Latin America American History

Spanish Colonialism and Puerto Rican Identity In order to understand the current situation of Puerto Ricans one must look at their history and retrace the sequence of events that led to the current formation of the Puerto Rican people. An important component of this history is the time Puerto Rico spent under Spanish rule. Studying this portion of Puerto Rican history forces us to acknowledge the contribution the Spaniards, European immigrants, and African slaves had on Puerto Rican identity as we consider it today. This also addresses contemporary debates on Puerto Rican identity. An example of this is evident in an essay written by Jose Luis Gonzales entitled "Puerto Rico : Th Four Storied Country". In the article Gonzales points out what he feels is a disregard toward the African contribution to the Puerto Rican identity. He argues that the first Puerto Ricans were black , based on his interpretation that Africans were the first group to come to Puerto Rico and reproduce who did not have ties to a "motherland" because they were slaves. This is unlike the Spaniard elites and Criolles that demonstrated their commitment and loyalty to Spain. Since they had no other place to go, Puerto Rico was their motherland. Gonzalez also points out that the culture of a region is always the culture of the elite, not the popular culture. Culture of the elite refers to the national culture while popular culture refers to that of non-elites. Therefore the African contribution is often ignored or forgotten about because they were of a lower class. Critics against Gonzales' argument claim that he exaggerates the contribution of Afro-Puerto Ricans,and the importance of race, class and ethnicity. Gonzales uses the metaphor of a four storied building to express the idea of Puerto Rican identity. At the foundation of this building are the natives of the island Boriquen which are the Taino Indians. Every floor that is added to this building represents a wave of foreigners that came to the island. The first floor is representative of the Spaniards that came to colonize the island, along with the slaves they brought with them, and the interaction these groups had the Taino Indians.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 2. LONG NIGHT

â€Å"I miss you already.† â€Å"I don't need to leave. I can stay___† â€Å"Mmm.† It was quiet for a long moment, just the thud of my heart hammering, the broken rhythm of our ragged breathing, and the whisper of our lips moving in synchronization. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that I was kissing a vampire. Not because he seemed ordinary or human – I could never for a second forget that I was holding someone more angel than man in my arms – but because he made it seem like nothing at all to have his lips against my lips, my face, my throat. He claimed he was long past the temptation my blood used to be for him, that the idea of losing me had cured him of any desire for it. But I knew the smell of my blood still caused him pain – still burned his throat like he was inhaling flames. I opened my eyes and found his open, too, staring at my face. It made no sense when he looked at me that way. Like I was the prize rather than the outrageously lucky winner. Our gazes locked for a moment; his golden eyes were so deep that I imagined I could see all the way into his soul. It seemed silly that this fact – the existence of his soul – had ever been in question, even if he was a vampire. He had the most beautiful soul, more beautiful than his brilliant mind or his incomparable face or his glorious body. He looked back at me as if he could see my soul, too, and as if he liked what he saw. He couldn't see into my mind, though, the way he saw into everyone else's. Who knew why – some strange glitch in my brain that made it immune to all the extraordinary and frightening things some immortals could do. (Only my mind was immune; my body was still subject to vampires with abilities that worked in ways other than Edward's.) But I was seriously grateful to whatever malfunction it was that kept my thoughts a secret. It was just too embarrassing to consider the alternative. I pulled his face to mine again. â€Å"Definitely staying,† he murmured a moment later. â€Å"No, no. It's your bachelor party. You have to go.† I said the words, but the fingers of my right hand locked into his bronze hair, my left pressed tighter against the small of his back. His cool hands stroked my face. â€Å"Bachelor parties are designed for those who are sad to see the passing of their single days. I couldn't be more eager to have mine behind me. So there's really no point.† â€Å"True.† I breathed against the winter-cold skin of his throat. This was pretty close to my happy place. Charlie slept obliviously in his room, which was almost as good as being alone. We were curled up on my small bed, intertwined as much as it was possible, considering the thick afghan I was swathed in like a cocoon. I hated the necessity of the blanket, but it sort of ruined the romance when my teeth started chattering. Charlie would notice if I turned the heat on in August___ At least, if had to be bundled up, Edward's shirt was on the floor. I never got over the shock of how perfect his body was – white, cool, and polished as marble. I ran my hand down his stone chest now, tracing across the flat planes of his stomach, just marveling. A light shudder rippled through him, and his mouth found mine again. Carefully, I let the tip of my tongue press against his glass-smooth lip, and he sighed. His sweet breath washed – cold and delicious – over my face. He started to pull away – that was his automatic response whenever he decided things had gone too far, his reflex reaction whenever he most wanted to keep going. Edward had spent most of his life rejecting any kind of physical gratification. I knew it was terrifying to him trying to change those habits now. â€Å"Wait,† I said, gripping his shoulders and hugging myself close to him. I kicked one leg free and wrapped it around his waist. â€Å"Practice makes perfect.† He chuckled. â€Å"Well, we should be fairly close to perfection by this point, then, shouldn't we? Have you slept at all in the last month?† â€Å"But this is the dress rehearsal,† I reminded him, â€Å"and we've only practiced certain scenes. It's no time for playing safe.† I thought he would laugh, but he didn't answer, and his body was motionless with sudden stress. The gold in his eyes seemed to harden from a liquid to a solid. I thought over my words, realized what he would have heard in them. â€Å"Bella†¦,† he whispered. â€Å"Don't start this again,† I said. â€Å"A deal's a deal.† â€Å"I don't know. It's too hard to concentrate when you're with me like this. I – I can't think straight. I won't be able to control myself. You'll get hurt.† â€Å"I'll be fine.† â€Å"Bella . ..† â€Å"Shh!† I pressed my lips to his to stop his panic attack. I'd heard it before. He wasn't getting out of this deal. Not after insisting I marry him first. He kissed me back for a moment, but I could tell he wasn't as into it as before. Worrying, always worrying. How different it would be when he didn't need to worry about me anymore. What would he do with all his free time? He'd have to get a new hobby. â€Å"How are your feet?† he asked. Knowing he didn't mean that literally, I answered, Toasty warm.† â€Å"Really? No second thoughts? It's not too late to change your mind.† â€Å"Are you trying to ditch me?† He chuckled. â€Å"Just making sure. I don't want you to do anything you're not sure about.† â€Å"I'm sure about you. The rest I can live through.† He hesitated, and I wondered if I'd put my foot in my mouth again. â€Å"Can you?† he asked quietly. â€Å"I don't mean the wedding – which I am positive you will survive despite your qualms – but afterward†¦ what about Renee, what about Charlie?† I sighed. â€Å"I'll miss them.† Worse, that they would miss me, but I didn't want to give him any fuel. â€Å"Angela and Ben and Jessica and Mike.† â€Å"I'll miss my friends, too.† I smiled in the darkness. â€Å"Especially Mike. Oh, Mike! How will I go on?† He growled. I laughed but then was serious. â€Å"Edward, we've been through this and through this. I know it will be hard, but this is what I want. I want you, and I want you forever. One lifetime is simply not enough for me.† â€Å"Frozen forever at eighteen,† he whispered. â€Å"Every woman's dream come true,† I teased. â€Å"Never changing†¦ never moving forward.† â€Å"What does that mean?† He answered slowly. â€Å"Do you remember when we told Charlie we were getting married? And he thought you were†¦ pregnant?† â€Å"And he thought about shooting you,† I guessed with a laugh. â€Å"Admit it – for one second, he honestly considered it.† He didn't answer. â€Å"What, Edward?† â€Å"I just wish†¦ well, I wish that he'd been right.† â€Å"Gah,† I gasped. â€Å"More that there was some way he could have been. That we had that kind of potential. I hate taking that away from you, too.† It took me a minute. â€Å"I know what I'm doinq.† â€Å"How could you know that, Bella? Look at my mother, look at my sister. It's not as easy a sacrifice as youimagine.† â€Å"Esme and Rosalie get by just fine. If it's a problem later, we can do what Esme did – we'll adopt.† He sighed, and then his voice was fierce. â€Å"It's not right I don't want you to have to make sacrifices for me. I want to give you things, not take things away from you. I don't want to steal your future. If I were human – â€Å" I put my hand over his lips. â€Å"You are my future. Now stop. No moping, or I'm calling your brothers to come and get you. Maybe you need a bachelor party.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I am moping, aren't I? Must be the nerves.† â€Å"Are your feet cold?† â€Å"Not in that sense. I've been waiting a century to marry you, Miss Swan. The wedding ceremony is the one thing I can't wait – † He broke off mid-thought. â€Å"Oh, for the love of all that's holy!† â€Å"What's wrong?† He gritted his teeth. â€Å"You don't have to call my brothers. Apparently Emmett and Jasper are not going to let me bow out tonight.† I clutched him closer for one second and then released him. I didn't have a prayer of winning a tug-of-war with Emmett. â€Å"Have fun.† There was a squeal against the window – someone deliberately scraping their steel nails across the glass to make a horrible, cover-your-ears, goose-bumps-down-your-spine noise. I shuddered. â€Å"If you don't send Edward out,† Emmett – still invisible in the night – hissed menacingly, â€Å"we're coming in after him!† â€Å"Go,† I laughed. â€Å"Before they break my house.† Edward rolled his eyes, but he got to his feet in one fluid movement and had his shirt back on in another. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. â€Å"Get to sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow.† â€Å"Thanks! That's sure to help me wind down.† â€Å"I'll meet you at the altar.† â€Å"HI be the one in white.† I smiled at how perfectly blase I sounded. He chuckled, said, â€Å"Very convincing,† and then suddenly sank into a crouch, his muscles coiled like a spring. He vanished – launching himself out my window too swiftly for my eyes to follow. Outside, there was a muted thud, and I heard Emmett curse. â€Å"You'd better not make him late,† I murmured, knowing they could hear. And then Jaspers face was peering in my window, his honey hair silver in the weak moonlight that worked through the clouds. â€Å"Don't worry, Bella. We'll get him home in plenty of time.† I was suddenly very calm, and my qualms all seemed unimportant. Jasper was, in his own way, just as talented as Alice with her uncannily accurate predictions. Jasper's medium was moods rather than the future, and it was impossible to resist feeling the way he wanted you to feel. I sat up awkwardly, still tangled in my blanket. â€Å"Jasper? What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You're not taking him to a strip club, are you?† â€Å"Don't tell her anything!† Emmett growled from below. There was another thud, and Edward laughed quietly. â€Å"Relax,† Jasper told me – and I did. â€Å"We Cullens have our own version. Just a few mountain lions, a couple of grizzly bears. Pretty much an ordinary night out.† I wondered if I would ever be able to sound so cavalier about the â€Å"vegetarian† vampire diet. â€Å"Thanks, Jasper.† He winked and dropped from sight. It was completely silent outside. Charlie's muffled snores droned through the walls. I lay back against my pillow, sleepy now. I stared at the walls of my little room, bleached pale in the moonlight, from under heavy lids. My last night in my room. My last night as Isabella Swan. Tomorrow night, I would be Bella Cullen. Though the whole marriage ordeal was a thorn in my side, I had to admit that I liked the sound of that. I let my mind wander idly for a moment, expecting sleep to take me. But, after a few minutes, I found myself more alert, anxiety creeping back into my stomach, twisting it into uncomfortable positions. The bed seemed too soft, too warm without Edward in it. Jasper was far away, and all the peaceful, relaxed feelings were gone with him. It was going to be a very long day tomorrow. I was aware that most of my fears were stupid – I just had to get over myself. Attention was an inevitable part of life. I couldn't always blend in with the scenery. However, I did have a few specific worries that were completely valid. First there was the wedding dress's train. Alice clearly had let her artistic sense overpower practicalities on that one. Maneuvering the Cullens' staircase in heels and a train sounded impossible. I should have practiced. Then there was the guest list. Tanya's family, the Denali clan, would be arriving sometime before the ceremony. It would be touchy to have Tanya's family in the same room with our guests from the Quileute reservation, Jacob's father and the Clearwaters. The Denalis were no fans of the werewolves. In fact, Tanya's sister irina was not coming to the wedding at all. She still nursed a vendetta against the werewolves for killing her friend Laurent (just as he was about to kill me). Thanks to that grudge, the Denalis had abandoned Edward's family in their worst hour of need. It had been the unlikely alliance with the Quileute wolves that had saved all our lives when the horde of newborn vampires had attacked___ Edward had promised me it wouldn't be dangerous to have the Denalis near the Quileutes. Tanya and all herfamily – besides Irina – felt horribly guilty for that defection. A truce with the werewolves was a small price to make up some of that debt, a price they were prepared to pay. That was the big problem, but there was a small problem, too: my fragile self-esteem. I'd never seen Tanya before, but I was sure that meeting her wouldn't be a pleasant experience for my ego. Once upon a time, before I was born probably, she'd made her play for Edward – not that I blamed her or anyone else for wanting him. Still, she would be beautiful at the very least and magnificent at best. Though Edward clearly – if inconceivably – preferred me, I wouldn't be able to help making comparisons. I had grumbled a little until Edward, who knew my weaknesses, made me feel guilty. â€Å"We're the closest thing they have to family, Bella,'7he'd reminded me. â€Å"They still feel like orphans, you know, even after all this time.† So I'd conceded, hiding my frown. Tanya had a big family now, almost as big as the Cullens. There were five of them; Tanya, Kate, and Irina had been joined by Carmen and Eleazar much the same way the Cullens had been joined by Alice and Jasper, all of them bonded by their desire to live more compassionately than normal vampires did. For all the company, though, Tanya and her sisters were still alone in one way. Still in mourning. Because a very long time ago, they'd had a mother, too. I could imagine the hole that loss would leave, even after a thousand years; I tried to visualize the Cullen family without their creator, their center, and their guide – their father, Carlisle. I couldn't see it. Carlisle had explained Tanya's history during one of the many nights I'd stayed late at the Cullens' home, learning as much as I could, preparing as much as was possible for the future I'd chosen. Tanya's mother's story was one among many, a cautionary tale illustrating just one of the rules I would need to be aware of when I joined the immortal world. Only one rule, actually – one law that broke down into a thousand different facets: Keep the secret. Keeping the secret meant a lot of things – living inconspicuously like the Cullens, moving on before humans could suspect they weren't aging. Or keeping clear of humans altogether – except at mealtime – the way nomads like James and Victoria had lived; the way Jasper's friends, Peter and Charlotte, still lived. It meant keeping control of whatever new vampires you created, like Jasper had done when he'd lived with Maria. Like Victoria had failed to do with her newborns. And it meant not creating some things in the first place, because some creations were uncontrollable. â€Å"I don't know Tanya's mother's name,† Carlisle had admitted, his golden eyes, almost the exact shade of his fair hair, sad with remembering Tanya's pain. â€Å"They never speak of her if they can avoid it, never think ofherwillingly. â€Å"The woman who created Tanya, Kate, and Irina – who loved them, I believe – lived many years before I was born, during a time of plague in our world, the plague of the immortal children. â€Å"What they were thinking, those ancient ones, I can't begin to understand. They created vampires out of humans who were barely more than infants.† I'd had to swallow back the bile that rose in my throat as I'd pictured what he was describing. â€Å"They were very beautiful,† Carlisle had explained quickly, seeing my reaction. â€Å"So endearing, so enchanting, you can't imagine. You had but to be near them to love them; it was an automatic thing. â€Å"However, they could not be taught. They were frozen at whatever level of development they'd achieved before being bitten. Adorable two-year-olds with dimples and lisps that could destroy half a village in one of their tantrums. If they hungered, they fed, and no words of warning could restrain them. Humans saw them, stories circulated, fear spread like fire in dry brush___ â€Å"Tanya's mother created such a child. As with the other ancients, i cannot fathom her reasons.† He'd taken a deep, steadying breath. â€Å"The Volturi became involved, of course.† I'd flinched as I always did at that name, but of course the legion of Italian vampires – royalty in their own estimation – was central to this story. There couldn't be a law if there was no punishment; there couldn't be a punishment if there was no one to deliver it. The ancients Aro, Caius, and Marcus ruled the Volturi forces; I'd only met them once, but in that brief encounter, it seemed to me that Aro, with his powerful mind-reading gift – one touch, and he knew every thought a mind had ever held – was the true leader. â€Å"The Volturi studied the immortal children, at home in Volterra and all around the world. Caius decided the young ones were incapable of protecting our secret. And so they had to be destroyed. â€Å"I told you they were loveable. Well, covens fought to the last man – were utterly decimated – to protect them. The carnage was not as widespread as the southern wars on this continent, but more devastating in its own way. Long-established covens, old traditions, friends†¦ Much was lost. In the end, the practice was completely eliminated. The immortal children became unmentionable, a taboo. â€Å"When I lived with the Volturi, I met two immortal children, so I know firsthand the appeal they had. Aro studied the little ones for many years after the catastrophe they'd caused was over. You know his inquisitive disposition; he was hopeful that they could be tamed. But in the end, the decision was unanimous: the immortal children could not be allowed to exist.† I'd all but forgotten the Denali sisters' mother when the story returned to her. â€Å"It is unclear precisely what happened with Tanya's mother,† Carlisle had said. â€Å"Tanya, Kate, and irina were entirely oblivious until the day the Volturi came for them, their mother and her illegal creation already their prisoners. It was ignorance that saved Tanya's and her sisters' lives. Aro touched them and saw their total innocence, so they were not punished with their mother. â€Å"None of them had ever seen the boy before, or dreamed of his existence, until the day they watched him burn in their mother's arms. I can only guess that their mother had kept her secret to protect them from this exact outcome. But why had she created him in the first place? Who was he, and what had he meant to her that would cause her to cross this most uncrossable of lines? Tanya and the others never received an answer to any of these questions. But they could not doubt their mother's guilt, and I don't think they've ever truly forgiven her. â€Å"Even with Aro's perfect assurance that Tanya, Kate, and Irina were innocent, Caius wanted them to burn. Guilty by association. They were lucky that Aro felt like being merciful that day. Tanya and her sisters were pardoned, but left with unhealing hearts and a very healthy respect for the law___† I'm not sure where exactly the memory turned into a dream. One moment it seemed that I was listening to Carlisle in my memory, looking at his face, and then a moment later I was looking at a gray, barren field and smelling the thick scent of burning incense in the air. I was not alone there. The huddle of figures in the center of the field, all shrouded in ashy cloaks, should have terrified me – they could only be Volturi, and I was, against what they'd decreed at our last meeting, still human. But I knew, as I sometimes did in dreams, that I was invisible to them. Scattered all around me were smoking heaps. I recognized the sweetness in the air and did not examine the mounds too closely. I had no desire to see the faces of the vampires they had executed, half afraid that I might recognize someone in the smoldering pyres. The Volturi soldiers stood in a circle around something or someone, and I heard their whispery voices raised in agitation. I edged closer to the cloaks, compelled by the dream to see whatever thing or person they were examining with such intensity. Creeping carefully between two of the tall hissing shrouds, I finally saw the object of their debate, raised up on a little hillock above them. He was beautiful, adorable, just as Carlisle had described. The boy was a toddler still, maybe two years of age. Light brown curls framed his cherubic face with its round cheeks and full lips. And he was trembling, his eyes closed as if he was too frightened to watch death coming closer every second. I was struck with such a powerful need to save the lovely, terrified child that the Volturi, despite all their devastating menace, no longer mattered to me. I shoved past them, not caring if they realized my presence. Breaking free of them altogether, I sprinted toward the boy. Only to stagger to a halt as I got a clear view of the hillock that he sat upon. It was not earth and rock, but a pile of human bodies, drained and lifeless. Too late not to see these faces. I knew them all – Angela, Ben, Jessica, Mike†¦. And directly beneath the adorable boy were the bodies of my father and my mother. The child opened his bright, bloodred eyes.

The Perceptions of Organizational Justice and the Solutions to the Management of Organizations Free Essay Example, 2000 words

Organizational justice begins to be perceived from the initial contact with the company during the hiring process. There should be a standard profile for the position to be filled and all the candidates should be required to complete an assessment to see if they are a match for the position (Morin). If there is no benchmark, then the hiring official is allowed too much opinion based on little to no fact. Also, if there is a standard process for hiring and a profile for the position, the applicants are more likely to think that it is procedurally a fair process and begin the life of their employment at the company thinking they have been treated fairly. This also allows the company to know that the best-qualified candidate is hired based on more than their personality and the likability of the applicant. Also to consider is the possibility that the assessment should be free of any biases in terms of race or gender. While these are not qualifying stipulations, often they are determini ng factors when allowed to be subjective to an individual s opinion. We will write a custom essay sample on The Perceptions of Organizational Justice and the Solutions to the Management of Organizations or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Perceptions of justice are often skewed along these lines because of traditionally held beliefs. Interestingly, Affirmative Action was meant to ensure fairness in the hiring process. However, the perceptions of hiring practice when using Affirmative Action as a reason for the choice of candidate is that it is unfair. Giving no explanation as to reasons for hiring a candidate has been found to be perceived as fairer than using Affirmative Action as a basis for hiring (McMillian-Capehart 44). The perception is that hiring based on color/gender is as unfair as not hiring based on the same criteria. Again, having a blind assessment would alleviate this problem. In an effort to retain the maximum employees and derail workplace deviance, care should be taken to ensure organizational procedures are fair and unbiased. After a proper candidate has been selected judgments should be based on work performance. Promotions and pay raise decisions should be made b ased on a clearly defined system with emphasis on employee performance, as opposed to likability.