Touch-enabled wall paint converts skin contact into electronics control

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On/Off paint is a conductive wall treatment that enables touch control of various home electronic devices.

19th March 2012 in Life Hacks, Style & Design.

Now that we’ve seen whispering windows, motion-sensing walls and device-charging furniture, it doesn’t seem surprising to come across touch-enabled wall paint for the home. Sure enough, Nicolas Triboulot, Laurent Grapin and Thibault Thomas of Quark Design have come up with On/Off paint, a conductive wall treatment that can enable touch control of various home electronic devices.

On/Off paint is grayish in color and is designed to serve as an undercoat on virtually any medium beneath traditional paints or wallpapers. Once applied, it enables touch-based control of electronic devices such as lamps or alarms. Including both paint and a hidden electronic device, the On/Off system is expected to hit the market this year, according to a report on e-lab, while Futura-Sciences reports that prices will be between 30 and 40 euros per liter.

On/Off paint could potentially remove the need for light switches around the home, controlling virtually any kind of electronic device and even acting as a dimmer switch when users touch with different pressures. Tech-savvy entrepreneurs: one to get involved in?

via springwise.com

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How To Win Over Difficult or Combative Customers

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Eventually, all small business owners are faced with a customer who’s ready for conversational battle. Sometimes there is good reason for these combative conversations; sometimes there isn’t. Either way, when faced with this situation, you might get the urge to fight back. Or you might try to submit or adhere to every demand of the other person. Neither of these options is a good idea. Instead, the best way to extinguish a fiery conversation is to be assertive. To do this you need to listen up, pace yourself, and then take the lead.

Listen up. In a poker game, the player who bets last has a big advantage because he or she gets to hear the other bets first. Using the extra information, he or she can make better decisions. This principle is the same for conversations, especially difficult ones. Always let difficult customers speak first so you can use what they tell you to craft the right response.

Pace yourself. Mirror the customer’s body language, tone of voice, and talking speed. This is known as pacing. Don’t duplicate the behavior, but strive to create similarities. Take into consideration gestures, posture, hand positioning, and rhythm of speech. If mirrored smoothly, it will create an instant connection. If applicable, use a phrase such as: "If I were you, I would feel the same way."

Take the lead. Once you have established a rapport, you can start to move the conversation where you want it to go. Slowly bring your tone, body language, and breathing into a calmer, more relaxed condition and the customer will follow. Lead customers out of their current emotional state by putting their feelings in the past with statements such as: "So you were mad when …."

Always strive to achieve a state of cooperation in the customer relationship. No matter how difficult a customer is being, you have been approached because he or she believes you can help. By using the listening, pacing, and leading method, you can bring the customer to a position where solutions are much more easily realized. via businessweek.com

Speaking 

As the CEO and founder of InnoThink Group, Jim can help your organization enhance the strategic innovation and competitiveness of your business policy and strategy, with an emphasis on increasing top line growth. 

 If you’re interested in having Jim speak at your next event, simply use this form to send us your details and speaking requirements, and we’ll be in touch shortly. Or you may call us at 719-649-4118.