Take a Byte Out Of Time
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
In the world of business, the old saw, "Time is money," may
be more accurate now than ever before in the history of
commerce. Corporations and companies are constantly looking
for ways to increase profits while reducing time –
production time, shipping time, construction time,
development time – anywhere a company can reduce the amount
of time it takes to perform a task, it is increasing its
profit potential. And in today's global economy, every
second counts.
In the office environment, we are continually moving toward
a "paperless" environment. More and more, we are turning to
computers, their capabilities, and the World Wide Web to
literally get the word out. Meetings and collaborations
between entities around the world can now occur in real
time by way of computers, satellites and cameras.
Reports,
studies or proposals can now be completely written on a
computer (including inserting graphics and images), and
sent to a receiving party by pressing a button on our
computers that transmit an entire body of work via fax or
email, entirely eliminating the need to print, collate and
compile a physical document. Files can be sent between
workers without a single piece of paper ever being stuffed
in a file folder, placed in a manila envelope, sent by
courier, or hitting a desk surface. The money and time
technology saves us is extremely valuable, and some would
say priceless.
However, there is always room for improvement, and the
search for more powerful, more efficient, less expensive
methodologies is ongoing. Software development for computer
applications that save storage space while eliminating data
loss, reduce transmission time and increase security of
vital information is a huge industry. The power of the
visual presentation is still king in our information
society, so creating presentations for a multitude of
purposes is a fact of life in the world of commerce.
Because of the immense amount of data contained within a
presentation created using an application like PowerPoint®,
storage space requirements and transmission times can
become unmanageable.
Technology has again provided solutions for these issues.
Compression software has been developed that squeezes
millions of bits and bytes of data into a fraction of the
space previously required, freeing up valuable memory for
other programs and applications. Reduced file size also
reduces the amount of time necessary to transmit these
files, which means online network time is reduced, wait
time for uploads/downloads is condensed and production time
is increased. Smaller file are easier to manage, as well.
And all of this means time is better spent, improving a
company's bottom line. Compression software is THE
"must-have" for any person or corporate entity in the
business of creating presentations.
About the Author:
http://www.powerpointcompression.com is one of the leading
authorities on compressing power points. Also affiliated
with http://www.bossdev.com
[Read more]
Post by: admin » Comments:
A Look at Slogans
Let's take a look at slogans and how just a few words can
say volumes. A slogan is a memorable phrase used in
conjunction with a political, commercial, or religious
advertisement. Slogans are used to convey a deeper meaning.
Slogans can be used to elicit emotions, or the slogan might
paint a visual image that implies something more.
When considering a slogan or a tagline, keep in mind your
objectives. What image do you wish to portray? Slogans
should be short, but not to the point of being pithy.
Slogans should conjure positive images and distinguish the
value your company or product provides.
The best way to analyze slogans is to look at a few.
Slogan: "The toughest job you will ever love" (Peace Corps)
Message behind slogan: This is much more than just a job;
it takes heart to be in the Peace Corps; join the Peace
Corps and you will be a better person. This job is not
about money it is about helping people.
Slogan: "Be Seen, Be Sold" (Shareware Promotions)
Message behind slogan: Being found on the Internet is not
easy. Use us to be found on the Internet."
Slogan: "You could learn a lot from a dummy. Buckle up"
(National Highway Traffic Safety Admin)
Message behind slogan: Learn from test dummies, be safe and
buckle up.
Slogan: "Parents who use drugs have kids who use drugs"
(The Partnership for a Drug-free America)
Message behind slogan: Model what you preach, do you want
your children to do drugs? It is your responsibility to
model appropriate behavior for your children.
Slogan: "This is your brain on drugs" (The Partnership for
a Drug-free America)
Message behind slogan: Do you know what this stuff does to
you? Taking drugs is stupid.
Slogan: "A diamond is forever" (DeBeers '1948)
Message behind slogan: Diamonds represent marriage,
marriage should be forever. If you really want your
marriage to last it should be sealed with a diamond.
Slogan: "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking" (Timex
Corp)
Message behind slogan: It does not get any more durable
than this, other watches can not stand up, but Timex will
endure regardless of the treatment.
Slogan: "For all you do, this Bud's for you" (Budweiser)
Message behind slogan: After a long hard day, drink beer to
relax.
Slogan: "Where's the beef ? "(Wendys)
Message behind slogan: Our competitors use small patties,
but our burgers are big.
Slogan: "I love New York" (NYC)
Message behind slogan: New York is a special place,
everyone loves NY, you should come and visit, you will love
it too.
Slogan: "See what brown can do for you" (UPS)
Message behind slogan: We do more than just ship packages,
we have additional offerings and can do more than just ship.
Slogan: "The few, the proud, the Marines" (US Marines)
Message behind slogan: We are a select group of very
special individuals. Do you want to be elite? Take pride in
representing the US.
Slogan: "Friends don't let friends drive drunk"
Message behind slogan: You will die if you drive drunk. It
is your responsibility to protect your friends. Be
responsible, don't let people drive drunk.
Effective slogans leave impressions in the minds of people
who see or hear the slogans. Often slogans will have hidden
meanings, or be a play on words. The goal of the slogan
creator should be to create a memorable tagline that
conveys a key benefit or differentiates the brand. Slogans
will often help position the product or service in the
marketplace. Slogans with just a few words can indicate
superior value, excellence, or inspiration.
A business identity and image conveyed through a short
statement will affect the way that consumers, competitors
and others in the industry perceive your business. Slogans
will distinguish your company in a unique way. Words are
powerful, and if used properly, they can be an important
sales tool.
About the Author:
About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for
FeedForAll http://www.feedfora ll.com software for creating,
editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition
Sharon manages marketing for NotePage
http://www.notepage .net a wireless text messaging software
company.
[Read more]
Post by: admin » Comments:
Why And How To Create An Information Product
Have you put off, or given up entirely, the idea of writing that
book, or creating a CD or DVD, for your business? Maybe you've
let that idea slip away because you thought your business wasn't
suited to it. I mean, what you do is so individual and personal,
or too complicated to explain, or so intuitive in nature, that it
can't be captured in a product. Or maybe you already sell a
product, and you can't imagine what a book or CD would possibly
do for your business.
These kinds of products- books, CDs, DVDs and their digital
downloadable equivalents: pdfs, mp3s, mpegs - are called
information products, 'info products' for short. And, if you
are putting off creating one, you are doing a disservice to all
the people who are waiting for you.
What's the purpose of having an info product?
Some people will tell you the purpose is to have 'multiple
streams of income' or to 'fill your business to overflowing. '
It's true, a good info product can create these kinds of
results.
But that's not why you create one. If you create it for that
reason, you are chasing the money, and you'll end up chasing
away your customers.
The purpose of an info product is to help the wallflowers.
A wallflower is that term used at dances and other social events
where someone who is feeling a little shy or awkward will take a
seat next to a wall, and plant themselves there, and never get
out on the dance floor.
In junior high I was painfully shy, and lived as a wallflower.
High school wasn't much better, but I was able to retreat into
punk rock and avoid the 'popular' high school scene.
Even today, as my 20th high school reunion approaches, I can find
myself in wallflower situations. I have better coping mechanisms,
but it's still painful.
How many wallflowers are in your business' dance hall?
People who are struggling with something are unsure of
themselves. They are upset, insecure, hesitant. They want to
dance the tango, but they don't want to look foolish and be
rejected.
Do you think it might be easier for those wallflowers if you met
them at their seat with a glass of punch, and talked with them
awhile, before you even asked them to dance?
A good information product doesn't recreate your business to
give the full dance-hall experience. It doesn't deliver the same
intimacy, or the same instruction, or the same in-depth support,
or the same results that your main products or services do.
That's not its job.
The job of a good information product is to help people dance
along off to the side, out of the spotlight. This will not only
help them get some of the results they need, but it will also get
them ready to get out on your dance floor and engage more deeply
with what will really help them: your main products and
services.
And, it's not a bad thing that info products can create a nice
flow of income for you as well.
Ready to deliver that glass of punch and create an info product?
Keys to Creating an Info Product
* What seats are your wallflowers sitting in?
Identify the main hesitations of some of your reluctant
customers. Some common hesitations have to do with:
- Is this weird, or is it normal (do people like me do this?).
- Does it really work?
- Do you really know what you're doing?
- How does it work?
There are others, including ones specific to your business or
industry. Search your heart, and also ask your newest clients
what concerns they had before they purchased from you.
* Where does your record skip?
With new clients or customers and in newly-started classes, you
give them explanations, key ideas, and foundational notions.
These notions may be new to your clients, but you've repeated
each of them 1000 times in different situations.
At a dance, if the record skips, maybe it's a DJ working the
grooves, or maybe it's just a bad scratch. (But you hear it
repeating the same line over and over.)
When you repeat yourself it's like a scratched record- and
you've just found a prime place to focus on a product. Stop the
skipping record, and turn it into a workbook, article, or
recorded audio product.
* Don't forget the how-to's.
In your info product, you want to teach them something, and
include instructions on how to actually do it. But, remember,
that this is a 'getting-ready / dance-along' product, and not
the dance itself.
This means that while you want your how-to's to be complete, and
you expect your reader or listener to apply them to some extent,
don't worry about trying to recreate the dance hall experience.
Because you can't.
Instead ask your heart to show you how much (or how little) they
really need to know to feel comfortable dancing. Lead them up to
the edge of the dance floor, maybe have them dance along to the
music a few steps off to the side. And, believe me, people can
get a lot out of dancing along off to the side.
Then, they'll be ready for the dance hall. And that's when
you'll find your dance card overflowing with new customers and
clients.
Go mix up that punch, and start serving out info products to all
of your wallflowers.
My very best to you and your business,
Mark Silver
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your
Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your
Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line.
He has helped hundreds of small business owners around
the globe succeed in business without losing their
hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online:
http://www.heartofb usiness.com
[Read more]
Post by: admin » Comments:
No Leak Marketing: Plug the Holes in Your Business Bucket
Do you have customers that you are currently working with
who are NOT your Dream Customers? Do they demand extra
time? Do they treat you with disrespect? Are they
unprofitable?
These customers are holes in your Business Bucket. They
drain your time and your energy. They prevent you from
having the time you need to market and provide service to
your DREAM customers.
Here are some simple questions to answer to see if your
Business Bucket leaks:
- Do you currently have unprofitable customers?
- Are there any customers you would like to have off your
plate?
- Are you spending too much time trying to "close the sale"
and convincing people to buy from you?
- Is it hard for you to convert prospects into customers?
- Are you getting a lot of repeat business from your
existing customers?
- Are your customers referring others to you?
- Are your customers loyal or are you scared they will
shift to your competitor on a whim?
- Are customers seeking you out for your expertise?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your
business bucket is leaky. It's time to implement a No-Leak
Marketing Strategy so you can get the absolute maximum
impact from all of your marketing efforts.
The first thing you have to learn is the word "NO." Don't
be willing to accept money from just anyone. You want to
get into the habit of "cherry picking" your customers. The
ones who aren't a good fit are unqualified and you are
wasting your time with them. You will spend too much energy
on these types of customers and you will often lose money.
Another thing you shouldn't be doing is spending a
tremendous amount of time and energy trying to convince a
prospect that what you offer is of value. Instead develop a
method to find out if people are a good fit for you in the
first 10 minutes of your conversation with them. This will
greatly decrease the time you are spending with unqualified
prospects and your sales closing ratio will go up. If your
gut says "no" and/or you see red flags early on in your
conversations with a prospect, then make sure you listen to
these signals.
ACTION ITEM: Take the time to list your customers who you
have worked with, but were NOT a good fit. Describe why
they were a bad fit. Review your "horror" stories. What
types of people cost you too much time, energy, and
profits? What strategies can you implement to "cherry pick"
your DREAM customers?
About the Author:
Wendy Maynard, the Marketing Maven, publishes REMARKABLE
MARKETING, a weekly ezine for business owners, freelancers,
and entrepreneurs. If you're ready to skyrocket your sales
and easily attract customers, subscribe today at
http://www.gomarket ingmaven. com/ezine. html
[Read more]
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Interpersonal Communication Secrets that Work Every Time
Interpersonal communication is something most of us do on a daily
basis, although we may not be aware that is what it is called.
Interpersonal communication differs from other forms of communication
in various ways. It is also very important in development.
The following list outlines what interpersonal communication is and
what some of the characterizes are. It also explains why we need it.
1. What is it?
Interpersonal communication involves a close group of participants. It
is basically the everyday conversations you carry on and it includes
speeches, general friendly exchanges, arguments and basically anytime
you speak to someone.
2. How is it different than other forms of communication?
Interpersonal communication involves face to face encounters. You are
talking in person not over a computer, phone or through written
information. You can get immediate responses.
You are also able to benefit from body language. You hear a voice
where you can pick up on different dialects and speech patterns.
3. How does interpersonal communication vary?
The variances in interpersonal communication involve the people and
situations. You communicate differently with someone you know well
verses a stranger. You will have different topics of conversation when
talking to your preacher or your best friend.
These variations make interpersonal communication flexibility
important for difference circumstances.
4. How do we use interpersonal communication?
We use interpersonal communication for a variety of reasons. You use
it to learn new information, such as when asking questions. You use it
to share information, such as when telling a story. You use it to
define yourself, such as when giving a speech.
You also use it to fulfill the natural need for contact with other
people. Interpersonal communication is how we develop from infant to
adult. We learn about different cultures and languages through
interpersonal communication as well. It gives you a human element, a
real nature that other forms of communication can not provide.
5. Why is interpersonal communication important?
Interpersonal communication is important because you need it to
develop throughout the stages of life. You get so much from
interpersonal communication.
You learn, teach and get an identity through interpersonal
communication. You also share with others who you are. You need
interpersonal communication to learn how to pronounce words correctly,
how to speak properly in certain situations and how to communicate in
general.
Interpersonal communication has taken a back seat to other forms of
communication in recent years. More people than ever are using the
internet to exchange information and make contact with others.
We must also be sure to keep interpersonal communication in our lives.
Without it babies will never learn to talk properly and we can never
expand our language abilities through learning form others speech. The
spoken word should never have its importance underestimated.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very
popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication
Confidence. This report reveals the secret strategies all high
achievers use to communicate with charm and impact. Apply now because
it is available for a limited time only at:
http://www.howtotal kwithconfidence. com/report. htm
[Read more]
Post by: admin » Comments:
How to Write a Press Release
When faced with the prospect of writing a press release,
most writers (even the most well-seasoned) would cringe at
the thought. The idea of a press release sounds difficult,
but it is not.
A press release is actually a simple form. Once you're
used to them it is easier still to create the release for
your own company. Here are the basic steps that you will
need to follow:
- Find out the format – Depending on where you are
submitting the release, the format may be different. Try
to determine what the person reading it will be looking for
before you send it off to them.
- Put it on company letterhead – You want the company that
is the focus point of the press release to be emblazoned on
the top. This allows the media to know immediately who the
‘star' of the press release is and who they need to contact
if they want or need more information.
- At the top of the press release, it should read ‘PRESS
RELEASE' and if it's for immediate release, then put
‘IMMEDIATE RELEASE.' These are placed in the top and left
hand margins, respectively.
- The headline needs to be in boldface print in the center
of the top of the document under the ‘PRESS RELEASE' and
‘IMMEDIATE RELEASE' statements.
- The main text of the press release should offer some sort
of valuable and interesting information that a reader would
want to know about. In terms of business, you would want
to talk about a new innovation or a new product that you
are releasing.
- You'll also want to include relevant quotes from people
at your business to help add credibility to the statement.
The more that you attempt to make the press release
exciting and personal, the more likely you are to get it
released in media markets.
- Make sure that the press release is clear and well
formatted. Try to use common fonts and leave space so that
your reader doesn't feel overwhelmed by the content.
If you're still not feeling like you're the one to write
your own press release, there are plenty of copywriters
that you can hire for the job. By giving the copywriter
the information that you want to share with the audience as
well as the format that you expect to release the press
release in, you will be well on your way to having your
news be on the news.
About the Author:
Lynn VanDyke's content website is in the top 1% of all
websites worldwide according to Alexa. She recommends this
hosting company for your online business:
http://my.sitesell.com/buildit . You can work directly with
Lynn by visiting her site at http://www.LynnVanDyke.com
[Read more]
Post by: admin » Comments:
Use Email Instead Of Spyware As A Marketing Tool
In a world where sneaky tactics like spyware are used to gather
product preference information and other valuable marketing
tidbits, you don't need to lower yourself to that level to help
increase your sales. Email can be just as effective a marketing
tool as any underhanded method-and probably more so since it
won't annoy people. In fact, at a recent event for florists
called SAF (Society of American Florists) Naples 2006, Rich
Finstein of CommPartners Inc. offered some excellent advice not
only for florists but for any businessperson hoping to attract
customers and raise their sales levels.
First of all, you must allow customers to sign up for email
promotions and newsletters, and make sure they're aware of what
they're signing up for. Otherwise, you're doing little more
than spamming your customers, which could anger them and have the
opposite effect of the one you're hoping for. Make sure your
process for collecting email addresses includes asking your
customers what kind of information they'd be interested in
receiving. A florist might ask customers if they want information
about arranging loose flowers, new gift items, or flower care. A
store that sells software might ask customers if they'd like to
receive information about educational software, business
software, or entertainment software.
Once you've collected the email addresses of interested
customers, be sure to put them to proper use. One great way to do
that is to track items customers have purchased and send them
promotions or information specifically talking about something
they recently bought. For example, a florist might send a
customer who recently bought roses a promotional email for an
upcoming event centering around roses, such as a sale or a class
on caring for them. When customers receive just a few emails from
you talking about things they are interested in, rather than many
emails that contain little content they care about, they'll pay
more attention to the ones they do receive and take action.
Be sure to make your email campaign as professional as your other
marketing strategies. Put the necessary time and effort into
making sure the right messages reach the right people, and that
they are well written and appealing when they get there. If you
find that your click rates are declining, take a good look at the
emails you're sending. Is there a way they could be improved?
Or, perhaps you're sending too many emails and should cut back.
Finally, all emails should include a link for customers to follow
to unsubscribe if they decide they no longer want to receive
emails from you. Be sure you have a system in place for promptly
removing anyone who clicks unsubscribe from the email
list-continuing to send unwanted emails is almost as frustrating
to customers as spam and spyware.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of
Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers
(http://www.wesleybe rryflowers. com), a successful multi-million
dollar floral business that was established in 1946. As a
member of the Henry Ford Hospital Community Relation Board
he has contributed to the community at large
(http://www.hospital -locator. com). He owns both a brick and
mortar and an internet flower delivery business. Visit Wesley
Berry Flowerson the web at http://www.800wesle ys.com
[Read more]
Post by: admin » Comments:
How To Leave The House Smiling
Here's a news-flash for you: Happy people don't start their day
off getting up late, yelling at the spouse/kids, can't find
their keys, change clothes six times, no gas in the car. That's
no way to start any day, much less every day. It will damage
your self esteem, run right over your confidence, and zap holes
in your energy bucket.
And if that's what you're doing, you're just setting yourself up
for misery.
Don't save your smiles for when you get to work. Share them in
the morning with the people in your life that you love the most,
including yourself. These habits will help you leave your loved
ones in the morning with a smile on their face, and create a
happier feeling for your day overall.
"Grab-n-Go" VS "Hunt-n-Yell" Habits:
Morning is not usually the best time to be making major life
decisions like what to wear. But you already know that, don't
you? And isn't it true, what gets you more often than not isn't
the outfit itself, but the chipped nail polish you're trying to
touch up, or the shoe under the couch you can't find? That
always sets up the "hunt-n-yell" syndrome; and that's not very
conducive to leaving the house with a smile.
Instead, put your morning routine on automatic. Finish out the
outfit, right down to the shoes, socks/hose, jewelry,
hairpieces, (and check that nail polish!). Create a separate,
special place for assembling your morning wear - a hook/basket
combination in or near the closet works best for most people.
Choose another ‘exit-pad' for things that go out the door with
you - purse, keys, cell phone (make exit pad near a plug in,
then simply plug in phone and leave it in your purse), videos to
return, dry-cleaning, lunchbox, lists. It's the ‘grab-and go'
habit, not ‘hunt-and-yell' habit. Once you can handle this
effectively yourself, teach it to others in the household as
well.
Choose The Form of Your Pri-or-i-ties:
Ok, so I always hear that phrase in a big booming voice like in
the movie "Ghost Busters" (remember when the gatekeeper said
"choose-the -form-of-the de-struc-tor" ?). It's a sure smile,
and a way to help you think of your daily priorities in those
terms - it's THAT important. It's your decision. Your choice
of how your day will run. Smiles or yells - the choice is made
every day.
I've said it before, and pardon me if you've heard it before.
But if you're not doing this ONE THING - choosing daily
priorities - you're making a big mistake in your quest for a
happier life. If this is a new strategy to you, I suggest you
combine work and home tasks. Your list might say: 1) Get gas;
2) Return weed-eater to Marsha; 3) Set meeting with Jim for next
week. 4) Proof copy for Friday.
The idea is not to write out a long To-Do list that gets
overlooked. What works is to list 4 things that you have
control over, both work and home, both basic (like gas) and
occasional like setting a meeting or getting a gift. Instead of
being overwhelmed and distracted by a huge list, you have just 4
things to focus on today. Teach yourself to make a decision and
stick to the list.
Creating habits to leave the house smiling have added benefits
besides just a happier start to each day. It also teaches you
that you can trust yourself to do what you say. Your integrity
will go up, your self esteem will rise, and your confidence will
soar. Each day, you'll know that you are moving forward, living
the life you choose, not losing ground to crisis or
forgetfulness.
In just 5 days you've got 20 things off that mile-long to-do
list - imagine what you'll accomplish in a month! Now that will
make anybody smile.
============ ========= ======
Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates specializes in helping
people who are ready to create a simpler, less stressful, more
joyful and meaningful lifestyle. Get information on books and
services at http://www.reallife coach.com or call 480.998.5843
[Read more]
Post by: admin » Comments:
Speaking of Black Ice, Negative Motivation
Sunday, November 26, 2006
We all know that human beings can be truly horrendous
to each other. Anyone who doesn't know that hasn't really been
paying attention lately. Discord, hatred and fear seem to
be the order of the day. And that's just the recent political
ads.
I've never been accused of being a Pollyanna. Still,
I like to measure the large scale horrors against a couple
of tiny facts.
Imagine you are driving. You're wearing your seat
belt. The person you like least in the entire world is
sitting next to you, not wearing a belt. Suddenly, a beer
truck runs a red light, and you have to slam on the brakes.
You will simultaneously throw out an arm to protect
that person you dislike so much.
Now imagine you're walking down the sidewalk. An
older woman is directly in front of you. Suddenly she hits
an unseen patch of black ice. Her legs go out from under
her and she's about to crack her head. You're very likely
to leap forward and fling yourself between that vulnerable
skull and the sidewalk, without considering how you may
bruise yourself or how it may ruin your expensive new
outfit.
"Well, if I had time to think about it, I'd never do
it," someone once said to me cynically. "At least not for
that guy I hate."
That's just the point. You don't have to think. These
responses aren't thought out. They're programmed in. We
have evolved as social creatures, as a community. No matter
how imperfect it might be. There is something in us that
wants and needs to protect each other. I find that extremely
encouraging, in spite of all the other tendencies we have.
Progress Happens
We are making progress. Again, you have to put it in
perspective. Twenty-four hour, wall-to-wall news coverage
makes it all too plain that we still commit horrors against
each other. And of course the technology we have today gives
us the potential for bigger and better horrors than ever
before. But at least today we are horrified by those horrors.
In Attila the Hun's day, that kind of behavior was simply
accepted.
We no longer eat each other. Some of today's self-
help experts may offer the occasional outlandish
recommendation, but there was a time when our gurus advised
sacrificing babies to get rain.
Progress happens. You have to place our present
sensibilities (as uncivilized as they may sometimes seem)
into a larger scale of time. Not that many years ago, you
could buy yourself someone condemned to death and have him
drawn and quartered to entertain your friends. In another
popular form of family entertainment, two blind men would
be pushed into tiny pens, given clubs and forced to beat
each other to unconsciousness or death. Maybe reality TV
and professional wrestling aren't so bad after all.
William Burroughs might have been right when he said,
"Paranoia is simply having all the facts." I prefer to
think paranoia is about missing a few tiny facts that point
to a bigger picture. And watching far too much Nancy Grace.
Author, speaker Barry Maher, is an expert on communication,
leadership, management & sales as well as a motivational
keynote speaker. This article is adapted from his book, Filling
the Glass, honored by Today's Librarian magazine as "[One
of The Seven Essential Popular Business Books." Read Barry's
other articles, sign up for his newsletter and/or contact him at
_www.barrymaher. com_ (http://www.barrymah er.com/)
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Post by: admin » Comments:
Have You Noticed Your Response Dropping With Each Mailing?
The death of internet marketing. Some of us saw this coming and gave words of warning on teleseminars and behind the closed doors of exclusive seminars.
But our words were headed with the all the seriousness of a naked man on the street corner. Wearing nothing but a painted wooden sign with big red lettering spelling out "The End is Nigh."
It has happened, internet marketing finally dried up. Those still surviving retreat to the caves and by firelight devise a new strategy.
Why? Because we are far from the end and surrender is not an option for those of us making a living off our lists.
There are a couple of major causes for this catastrophie:
Number one being (drumroll please) "successful product launch formulas have been exposed." There were tons of marketers out there having phenomenal launches and creating products describing exactly how they accomplished this.
Now there is an overabundance of "How to have a successful launch" products. Every marketer and his brother that has the drive to succeed is studying and applying everthing in these launch packages.
The result being an overwhelming number of launches, and an inbox stuffed to the gills with limited time, one time offers, and the best thing since sliced bread products.
I'm not the only one that opens my inbox and has to wipe out everything "marketing" just to get to my personal emails.
It's like email marketing message genocide. I seriously feel bad clearing out hundreds of emails. But with the taste of guilt in my throat and for the health of my inbox I hit that delete button.
Number two would be Cross Pollenization. In short, email marketing in the internet marketing niche, because of factors like: Joint Ventures, List Brokering, Give Away List Splitting, and Solo Exchanges - is a wasteland. Everyone is on everyone else's list.
All the lists in the internet marketing product niche are basically composed of the same mass of people. So one marketer prepares a launch, gets all his partners and affiliates together to get the product out there...
And creates one result for the unsuspecting subscriber - 20, 30, sometimes 50 marketers all promoting the same product. Often using the same promotional emails!
For those of you left going "Whah?" here's a little story:
Imagine this - the world of internet marketing, email marketering especially can be likened to an empty ocean. The marketers being the fisherman and the fish being the people on your list - your bread and butter.
Now if tons of fisherman learned how to create the perfect lure and cast the net using the best techniques, the fish population would drastically decline in the internet marketing niche ocean.
The second problem would arise and the fish - being exposed to similar lures and techniques - would begin to avoid or outsmart the net and tire of the bait or only bite the first that came along.
Those fisherman without a big stock of fish in some other pond would slowly begin to lose their business. Unless of course they found a new way to fish...
============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ==
Author Biography:
I am a sixth-year veteran of internet marketing along with my husband Jason, who told the world this would happen over a year ago. If you'd like to join me in the cave and find a new way to fish send me an email here: mailto:doim@WealthMoneyand
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So what actually works these days?
Sunday, November 19, 2006
I was chatting to a friend the other day and we got talking
about Internet marketing. During our conversation, he
asked me what the latest 'thing' online was and what
actually works these days?
When I asked him to clarify exactly what he meant by
'works', he said, 'Oh you know, what's the best way of
getting traffic and making sales?'
When I took a step back and thought about it, there is no
'latest thing'. The things which work tend to be exactly
the same things as worked a year, two years, even five
years ago.....
Let's take getting traffic as an example. Broadly speaking
you can spilt traffic into two main camps: free traffic
and paid for traffic. Free traffic can come from a variety
of different sources such as organic search results,
affiliates, virally via eBook links and so on. Paid for
traffic can also come from a variety of sources including
pay per click advertising and general banner advertising.
Five years ago (actually probably longer than that), a
large percentage of my traffic came from organic search
results from the main search engines such as Google.
Nothing has changed today - Google and the other engines
still send me tens of thousands of visitors every single
month. So clearly this still works :-)
I was a couple of years into my Internet marketing career
before I really discovered the true power of affiliates but
again, going back five years, my (much smaller) team of
affiliates were sending me a reasonable number of paying
customers each month. These days I rely far more on
affiliate traffic and I would say it is probably my
favourite type of traffic. Not only is it great when
someone sends you a new customer but it also makes me
genuinely happy to send my affiliates their commissions
every month. I am all for earning money with the minimum
of effort and if I can help someone earn a few hundred
dollars a month for doing nothing more than having a link
to one of my sites on one of their sites then I am all for
it!
I wrote my first eBook over five years ago and I still sell
the same title today (albeit a more updated version). In
addition, countless people have purchased resale rights to
this product which means I have a small army of resellers
distributing the eBook on my behalf. The eBook contains
links back to some of my websites and every single day
these sites receive traffic as a result of these links (as
they have done for the past five years). Of course, I
haven't written just one eBook since I have been marketing
online, I have written several and each one of them is a
little traffic generator.
Another example of 'old fashioned' marketing is writing
newsletters and articles such as this one. Again,
something I have been doing for years and something which
is still very effective at driving traffic to sites today.
Email marketing is another example. Fair enough, getting
emails delivered has become far more difficult in recent
years because of spam/junk mail filters etc but it is still
a very effective way of reaching customers and staying in
touch.
It's the same story with paid traffic although the main
downside with this is that the costs have risen sharply in
the last couple of years. However, with the right product
and sales page, it can still be worth buying traffic and I
know many marketers who do exactly that week in and week
out.
So once you have a visitor at your website, what's the
latest technique to persuade them to get their credit card
out? Again, in many cases, exactly the same as would
things as would have persuaded them five years ago.....
An informative and well written sales page which outlines
the benefits of the given product to the buyer. A choice
of payment options. Fast shipping if it is a physical
product and clear instructions if it is a download. In
short, a site which makes it quick and easy for a potential
customer to make a buying decision and gain access to their
purchase.
To support this view, I have sales pages which I wrote
years ago and which I have only slightly tweaked since
originally uploading them and they still convert at very
satisfactory levels today.
The bottom line therefore is that even though things do
change very quickly online, the basic rules of marketing
often stay the same. When I launch a new product or
website, I tend to stick to the same procedure as I have
done for years. Why? Because it works. Sure there will
always be little twists and new techniques which help to
improve results but these are normally things to be tried
AFTER you have adhered to the basics in order to squeeze a
couple of extra sales out of your visitors.
Stick to the basics and you won't go far wrong :-)
About the Author:
Richard Grady has been helping people earn online since
1998. To view Richard's latest website, SimplyWholesale,
visit http://www.simplywh olesale.co. uk To subscribe to his
bi-weekly newsletter, please visit:
http://www.thetrade ronline.com/ newsletter. html
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Workplace Motivation Secrets
Workplace motivation is the key to a successful, happy, comfortable
working environment. Achieving that is not as easy as it may seem.
Workplace motivation is hard to achieve for many different reasons.
Some people tend to take a job that they do not particularly want,
just for the money. When people do this, they can be resentful at the
workplace. Another issue is that maybe the pay doesn't seem worthy
when compared to the work responsibilities.
Some people resent the management in the workplace. They feel as if
the management gets paid the higher salary and does less work. Other
problems that can defray workplace motivation include moods and
different personalities of the staff.
So, as you can see, there are many obstacles to overcome when trying
to maintain workplace motivation. But it can be done.
There are five simple tips and suggestions that can greatly increase
the workplace motivation.
One tool to consider is this. There are three priorities to getting
the job done.
1. Quality Job
2. Cheap
3. Quick
You need to consider what it is that you want to be your first and
second priority. If you try to achieve all three of these, the results
will be negative. For instance: if you want a quality job done cheap,
then it won't be quick.
If you want a quality job done quickly, then it won't be cheap. And if
you want a quick job done cheap, it will be low quality.
The job of management is to get a desired task completed through
employees. So to get them to do it and do it right requires some
consideration on management's part.
1. When management tries to control employees, the end result is bad.
Employees need to have some control over what they are doing.
They need to be able to think on their own and rationalize why they
are doing this job a certain way. If it makes sense to them, it is
easier to do it.
2. There has to be rewards for a job well done. People are motivated
by words of affirmation, monetary awards such as bonuses, gifts or
promotions. If these are not handed out, what is the point in doing a
great job?
3. Room for error has to be accepted by management. We are only human.
There will be mistakes and failures. The responsibility of management
needs to be having a plan in place when something does go wrong.
Because it will go wrong! And when it does, then you go to plan B and
the employees will learn from that mistake.
4. A friendly, fun environment is a must. No one wants to go to work
where you are not allowed to laugh. People can socialize and work at
the same time!
5. Another important issue in achieving workplace motivation is job
description. Management should never be above doing the same tasks as
the employee if they are needed.
It sends a bad message to the employee if you are short handed and the
manager cannot, or won't, step in and help out.
Workplace motivation can be difficult to achieve. However, it can be
done if the right tools are offered, and everyone can work as a team.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert.
He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to
crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now
because it is available for a limited time only at:
http://www.getmotiv atedstaymotivate d.com/special. htm
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Post by: admin » Comments:
Zoran against the World - Entrepreneurship in Transition
Technologically, it is probably the most advanced printing facility in the
Balkan. It cost almost $2.5 million. It was constructed in less than a year.
And it is in dirt-poor and war-torn Macedonia.
Behind this incredible tale of entrepreneurship, uncommon in these
nether-regions, stands Zoran Rosomanov. A stereotypical visionary - mane,
blazing eyes, imposing physique - this man, against nightmarish odds
undreamt of by his Western counterparts, constructed, single-handedly, an
impressive, star-trek like, factory.
Literally single handedly: digging the muddy soil, hoisting bricks onto
cranes, driving earth-removal heavy machinery. He begged, cajoled, and
persevered. And he made it. His story serves a lesson to all the forlorn
dreamers in the sad countries of the East.
Thirty-six year old Zoran represents a new breed of "can-do" businessmen in
Eastern Europe and the Balkan. His philosophy is the outcome of first-hand
exposure to Western management techniques and ideology. He does not rely on
the state to provide for him or for his enterprise. He actively seeks
foreign inputs - in capital, contacts, and know-how. He is well-traveled,
polyglot, affluent, a consumerist. He is enamored with technology and
gadgets.
Still, he likes to think of himself as a creator, or an artist - rather than
a money machine. He emphasizes the design-related portions of his company.
He brags of his hobbies: photography, interior design, music. His home and
office serve to advertise not his wealth - but his aesthetically- informed
talents. He is smartly dressed and well-mannered, indistinguishable from his
colleagues in the West. Though he loves Macedonia, his homeland, he is, in
essence, a citizen of the world.
Zoran started off as a TV music editor in the Macedonian state-owned
channel. The highlight of this brief phase in his career was a human rights
concert in Budapest. But he soon discovered his true calling: business. He
joined a Belgrade-based musical instruments trading firm as a traveling
salesman. At the age of 21, he was put in charge of 185 people as head of
the Sales Department.
But Yugoslavia was disintegrating. Yugoslavs lost their common identity
overnight and woke up as Macedonians, Croats, Serbs, or Bosnians. Zoran went
back to Skopje, where he opened, with his savings, a chain of 11 stores of
electronic consumer goods.
But he noticed that how you sell is at least as important as what you sell.
He discovered marketing. After a stint of studies in Milan, Italy, he came
back to Macedonia and, in 1992 he established "Divajn". "I noticed that
everyone in Italy asked me about Macedonia. They were interested. So, I
decided to connect people." The company was the first to offer a vertical,
marketing campaign-orientated service: from poster ads to sales force, a
turnkey solution.
He also noticed that, the paperless office notwithstanding, there was a
great demand for paper products. In a typical move, Zoran bought an
expensive computer and began to design such products for his contacts. "But
I noticed that, following a first satisfactory order, they circumvented me
and went directly to the printer".
So, he decided to become a printer as well - by merging with a print shop.
He placed an ad and settled on one of the applicants. They have been
inseparable ever since. Their joint company, "Bato and Divajn", owns the new
facility and Zoran's partner supervises the daily work there. "Wealth is in
people - not in money", says Zoran.
His secretary has been with him for 11 years. Miki, the talented head of the
pre-press division and quality control, has been working with him for a
decade. Zoran values loyalty. He trains his staff personally. Every single
one of his 40 workers (soon to increase to 55) has gone through a 6-month
period of apprenticeship. Then they are on their own. "I believe in
delegating," says Zoran, "though I never lose sight of the details. And I am
very demanding".
When the combined business expanded, Zoran needed new machines. He tried to
find investors, both domestic and foreign, but failed. So, he approached a
friend of a friend in Holland. This guy owned an envelope factory and was
interested to sell one of the used machines for a mere 400 thousand DM
(i.e., c. $180,000).
In typical irresistible gall, Zoran offered him $13,000 as an advance
payment. "I will pay you the rest over 3 years" - he pledged earnestly.
"What is your guarantee?" - asked the shocked seller. "Your trust" -
responded Zoran. The stunned Dutchman accepted. Zoran paid him back in two
years.
This pattern of unmitigated self-confidence, infectious optimism, and
non-conformism pervades Zoran's way of doing business. He won an order for a
million labels simply by waltzing in and producing samples he scanned off
empty beer bottles. He is now the exclusive printer for this brewery.
Last April, as he was visiting another client - his firm supplies all the
Macedonian blue-chips - he overheard a discussion about problems with a
Slovenian supplier. "If I were to establish my own factory here, will you
buy from me?" - he enquired. They said yes - and so did many others. "It was
my market research" - he grins. Why import from Slovenia if there is a
qualitative alternative in one's backyard? Zoran is a great believer in
import substitution and buying local. It is not only patriotic - but it
makes economic sense.
He proceeded forthwith to find land. His firm designed the construction
project. All he lacked was the printing presses. He had less than $100,000
in cash. He needed another $2.4 million. Others would have regarded this
deficiency as insurmountable. Not Zoran.
He decided to get the best equipment money could buy - and that meant
"Heidelberg" . So, he picked up the phone and called Alexander Hufnagel,
Heidelberg's director of East Europe. When he asked to buy on credit, they
naturally demanded a bank guarantee. Zoran prepared a business plan and went
to Komercijalna Banka, Macedonia's second largest retail bank. He asked for
$1 million, partly from IFC funds dedicated to small and medium enterprises.
Macedonia's economy has been in dire straits long before its independence in
1992. Nearly one third of the workforce are unemployed. The
heavily-politicized and under-capitalized banking system is largely
dysfunctional. Lending to business is almost at a standstill. Zoran's was an
unprecedented application.
When Zoran dug the first foundations in an industrial park at the outskirts
of Skopje, a civil war between Macedonians and Albanians has erupted.
Fighter planes and helicopters buzzed above head and police and army
streamed to the Aracinovo, a besieged village, not far from the site. There
was palpable panic in the air.
Komercijalna Banka asked for a collateral and Zoran offered the new
equipment. "Title will revert to me only when I finish paying you", he
explained. Unbeknownst to him he has invented leasing. He then turned around
and offered Komercijalna' s money to Heidelberg as his equity. After a
grueling few days of due diligence, Heidelberg agreed to give him supplier's
credit amounting to the rest. They asked to him to guarantee the credit
personally. He willingly accepted.
Zoran then proceeded to convince them to establish a maintenance center,
replete with spare parts, in his new factory. "I don't charge them rent" -
he discloses impishly - "My machines must work 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. It is useful to have a maintenance crew and spare parts handy." The
next logical step is to become their representative in Macedonia. "I am
working on it. But I want them to provide me with revolving credit to be
able to offer financing together with the equipment".
But this financial wizardry has depleted Zoran's resources. He resorted to
an old communist stratagem: the barter ("compensation" in East European
argot). He traded print jobs for building materials. It was one of the worst
arctic winters in memory with temperatures often dropping to way below the
freezing point. But construction continued, the shivering workers spurred on
by Zoran's personal example.
When the equipment finally arrived, Zoran was presented with a $450,000
bill - for the newly imposed Value Added Tax. In a complex financial
somersault, Zoran borrowed against future VAT refunds and overcame this
obstacle as well. The NASA-like control panel, the printers, cutters,
templates for different cigarette brands - all were finally installed in the
half completed structure.
"This is my country" - Zoran toggles an unlit smoke - "It is beautiful. We
just need help. I could never have done it without the help extended to me
by Heidelberg, Komercijalna, the IFC, my clients. My wife stood behind me.
This network of support is indispensable. There can be no entrepreneurship
and initiative without it!"
"Aren't you afraid to fail?"
"I have no fear. With all our problems - we still must exist. We must
survive. Many say I am crazy - but time will tell who will succeed. You must
persevere. If the bank would have said no - I would have gone elsewhere.
There is always a solution. My advice: get your suppliers involved.
Heidelberg now has a stake and they will refer clients to me. I said to
them: you want me as a client? Then give me credit!"
"Operating in Macedonia is not easy..."
"A country should be run like a business and politicians should act like
CEO's. Macedonia has the potential to be this region's Switzerland, though
it must concentrate on exploiting its natural endowments: climate and soil.
Agri-business is its future. All we have to do is encourage foreign
investments by safeguarding property rights and overhauling the court system
and law enforcement. We have to learn from foreign investors and emulate
them."
"But foreign investors are potentially your competitors. .."
He tilts his head back and laughs uproariously:
"The Slovenians tried to arm-twist my clients, slander me, and spy on my
operations. I can now easily compete with them in the Serb market. My
transport costs are much lower. My machinery is so advanced that I can work
for the strictest multinational anywhere from Switzerland to Turkey. We are
getting the ISO quality certificate shortly. So, they are scared. What has
been my response? I bought more land for future expansion... "
============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =====
AUTHOR BIO (must be included with the article)
Author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited"
Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak. tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self
Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East.
He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review,
PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI)
Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central
East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.
Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of
Macedonia.
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Post by: admin » Comments:
Year End Tax Planning
-Using Tax Preparation Software
Many of you have tax situations that are not complicated. If So,
you may consider using tax preparation software. They are not hard
to use, but there is a slight learning curve to acquaint yourself
with the process before using it. It also has many new tax laws
listed.
-Organize Receipts
If you use a tax preparation service, do yourself a favor and
organize and label any and all of your receipts that may result
in a potential tax deduction. Read through possible tax deductions
at irs.gov (the internal revenue website), to see if you qualify
for any of the deductions you think you may qualify for.
Business people should be especially careful when organizing
receipts and give this area a lot of time and attention.
-Tax Favored Retirement Plans
Don't forget to fund your retirement account. Time is running out
to get one of the best tax deductions the government allows. There
are many types of plans available for individuals or small business
owners. Among them are the IRA for individuals, and for business,
the Sep-IRA, profit-sharing Keogh, Simple IRA, or Solo 401k. You
can use a simple mutual fund, or other investment to fund your
retirement account. It is imperative that you understand the
investment your retirement account is going into.
-Defer Income and Accelerate Spending For Businesses
You can defer taking some of the income from this year and defer
taking it until next year. You can also spend money you were going
to spend on equipment, software or other business necessities this
year instead of next.
-Your Tax Situation
Each and every person has a different situation. Make sure you
understand your specific tax situation before you go to your
accountant, you are responsible for everything that goes on your
tax form, so it is imperative that you understand it. Question
your accountant, use irs.gov to research your situation in detail,
and read the tax information at Msfinancialsavvy.
-Give to Charity
You only have a short time to give to your favorite charity.
Give to your church, non-profit or favorite foundation by year
end.
Abaut the Autor:
Lois Center-Shabazz is the founder of the award-winning website,
visit her on the web, at http://www.msfinanc ialsavvy. com
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Post by: admin » Comments:
Speakers, Trainers, Consultants and Coaches Make 21
Are you Dabbling in the Four Disciplines?
Our industry offers four different professional roles to
choose from -- and making the right choice is crucial to
your success. In this article, we'll describe four types of
private practices -- Speaking, Training, Consulting and
Coaching and explore the pros and cons -- and earnings
potential -- for each. We'll discuss the dangers of
dabbling and take a personal inventory of its impact on
your future.
"Dabblers are rarely DO-ers and DO-ers are rarely
dabblers."
One of the things that people in our industry have in
common is that many of our business cards say that we
are a "Speaker, Trainer, Consultant, Coach". Some may
choose just two or three of those identifiers, but more
and more are putting ALL 4 or even MORE. In addition to
Speaker, Trainer, Consultant, and Coach we also have
Author, Facilitator, Counselor, Lecturer, Professor and a
growing litany of others. Its amazing the kind of creative
labels that some people have put on their cards, but the
four basic disciplines in our industry are Speaker, Trainer,
Consultant and Coach.
Over the more than two decades we've been working
with human development professionals, we've discovered
that the people who achieve success in our industry are
the people who entered the profession with a very clear
picture of who they are and what they were trying to do.
We believe it is such a critical factor to their success that
it has become central to the work we do with our
instructors and instructor candidates. As someone
progresses through the pre-work for becoming certified in
the MasterStream Method, we help them explore the
differences between the four disciplines in vivid detail,
and before their certification is over, each newly-certified
professional has to make a personal choice as to which
one of them he or she favors. Likewise, the success you
will achieve and the speed at which you will achieve it
depends on you understanding the choices -- and making
the one that is best for you.
So your first step -- whether you are embarking on a new
career or trying to take your existing business to a new
level -- is to distinguish between the various roles you
can serve. Keep in mind your background, skills,
experience, and goals when making your evaluation. Your
choice will establish a basis on which you will focus your
business strategy and marketing plan.
Let's take a closer look at each of the professional roles
and explore some of their pro's and con's:
Speaker -- A Speaker is someone who travels frequently
on a national or even international basis, stands in front
of a large audience for a relatively short period of time,
delivers an upbeat message, and gets paid a substantial
amount of money for doing so. On the downside, as the
audience gets bigger, the chance for meaningful audience
contact suffers -- and regardless of the quality of work
they do, when they step off stage they are generally
unemployed. That's the nature of the beast for being a
professional speaker. In order for a speaker to fill 100
days of billable services over the course of a year, he or
she is going to need to have the better part of 100
different clients. They may have the occasional client who
will bring them back again, but in all likely hood the
intervals between those engagements is going to be
measured in months or years before someone will be
brought back. To make matters worse, the Speaking
profession is the one most susceptible to changes in the
economy and, as the events of 9/11 clearly
demonstrated, changes in the marketplace' s willingness
to travel to or sit in a large public venue. While speakers
command a seemingly large fee for their services, their
total income divided by a 40-hour workweek normalizes
their actual earnings. For example, a speaker with two
$5,000 engagements per week is actually making about
the same as a consultant billing themselves out at $300
per hour. Finally, to develop a successful career as a
speaker requires a very specific marketing plan, very
specific marketing tools, a very marketable "main stage"
image and a lot of time "paying your dues" before your
reputation earns you access to the bureaus and meeting
planners who in large part control the pool of potential
bookings.
Trainer -- A Trainer spends considerably less time in
airplanes and rental cars, and can build a very tidy
practice while staying relatively close to home. They
spend more time with a smaller group of people and have
an opportunity to get to know their students more
intimately as they share practical information with their
audiences. The goal of a trainer is to impart a body of
knowledge, and to make sure that knowledge has been
absorbed to whatever degree the client has asked them
to attain. If the trainer does a good job, then the
likelihood of being asked to come back and do more
training is very high. Also, since trainers focus on longer
programs than speakers -- routinely conducting programs
ranging from a full day to an entire week -- trainers tend
to be more content-rich. If they choose to focus on
mission-critical topics like sales, leadership and customer
service, trainers have an even greater opportunity for
repeat business with their clients. When a corporate
client finds a trainer they love and a training program
they love, then they are going to continue to use that
program and that trainer in whatever frequency they
need it done. In addition, training engagements generally
feature far more billable hours in the customization
process prior to and the reinforcement program following
the main training program. A trainer markets their
programs as much as they market themselves and
building a successful training practice requires a very
different approach than the route taken by speakers.
Consultant -- A Consultant is an individual with very
specific knowledge and skills, who is brought in to serve
as an adjunct to a client's management team. They are
contracted to work on a particular project, deal with a
challenging issue, serve in an advisory capacity, or
complete a specific task, but one way or another,
consultants are brought in to DO something. Once that
something is done, the contract ends. While consultants
may travel to a destination anywhere on the planet, once
they arrive, they are there for the duration of the
contract, so in their daily routine, they stay pretty local to
where they landed. The challenge with consulting (and
coaching for that matter) is that you are trading time for
dollars. As a trainer or speaker you develop one program
and you can keep doing it over and over, but the work
you do as a consultant is unique to each specific client
more often than not. But the biggest problem with
building a stable and successful consulting practice is that
during the time the consultant is working with a particular
client, they don't have or take the time to continue
marketing themselves. The longer the contract, the
longer the period of unemployment that follows. Feast or
famine is the reality for most consultants.
Coach -- Coaches work primarily with individuals on a
one-on-one basis to pinpoint areas in which they might
be in need of attention and focus their energy on helping
their clients take care of whatever their issues happen to
be. Within the realm of coaches, you will find a broad
range of levels of intensity and involvement from "life
coach" to "performance coach." Whether the individual is
trying to better understand themselves, to set
meaningful goals, to be held accountable or to develop
greater skills, a coach could be the perfect tool for the
right client. In general terms, a coach is a professional
who is working with an individual to deal with specific
areas of need. It is certainly possible for a coach to do
more of a group kind of thing, maybe a small cluster of 3
or 4 people, but by and large what they are doing is just
for those specific people. As a result, the likelihood that
these clients will become large contracts is low because
they are dealing with individuals. Coaches have very
little need to travel and can work very effectively with
their clients over the telephone. But, while a coach's goal
is to build a rather small pool of lifetime clients, the truth
is that most people who seek out the guidance of a
coach do so for a much shorter period, generally a few
weeks to a few months. Creating a stable and
consistent income stream proves to be the coach's
greatest challenge since the hourly rate tends to be
lower than that of any of the other three professional
roles and the coach must collect their fees from an
individual rather than an organization.
Perhaps the biggest problem that people in our industry
face is dabbling in these four roles and not focusing on
just one of them. If someone were to focus their energy
on one of these roles, they have a much greater chance
of becoming successful in that discipline. But if you start
to spread your energy across multiple and very different
roles then you are also spreading out your marketing
resources too thin to have any real impact, and you are
also confusing the market place as to what it is that you
do and what it is that that they can call on you for. By
putting your time and energy into just ONE of these four
areas, you will find that success is a much easier summit
to reach.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
T. Falcon Napier offers professional certification programs
in the MasterStream Method for both individuals and
corporations . Visit http://www.MasterSt ream.com for
more free articles and assessment tools for building your
professional practice.
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10 Steps to Researching Your Competition Online
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Regardless of what business you're in, you have
competition, or other businesses who are clamoring for the
same consumer dollars as you. The competition may or may
not be in the same industry, e.g. if you own a movie
theatre, your competition will be all venues providing
entertainment, such as bowling alleys, theme parks, skating
rinks, miniature golf courses, in addition to other movie
theatres. Take a moment to determine what business you're
in and determine if your type of business might also
attract consumers from other industries.
As an online business owner, your competition may not be as
easy to gauge, especially if you don't have a retail
location for your business, or if you have a global virtual
company where you can work with clients regardless of
location, as many coaches, consultants, virtual assistants,
graphic designers, speakers, and website designers do. How
do you begin to assess your competition when your business
has no geographic limits? It's very similar to the steps
that a traditional business might take, but it's all done
online.
Here are the ten steps I use to research my competition
online:
1. Brainstorm all known competitors. If you've been in
business for any length of time, you probably already have
a good sense of which other companies offer what you offer.
Look up their websites and make a note of the website
addresses. You'll be using this information later.
2. Compile a list of keywords your customer would use to
find a business like yours online. How would your target
market find you online? Create a list of all keywords that
they might use. If you have a business that serves a
particular geographic region, you'll want to create a
geographic keyword listing as well, like "cleaning
business" + "Beaumont, Texas" or "cleaning business" +
"Southeast Texas".
3. Conduct a keyword search on the major search engines.
The major players in the search engine game today seem to
be Google, Yahoo, and MSN. It is the results from these
search engine queries that will be the ones most commonly
found by your target market. You should try your search
with and without quotation marks, like "cleaning business"
and cleaning business and conduct a search by location, as
well, if that applies to your business. Make a note of the
top 10 listings from each search engine query and those
will comprise your top competition, along with other local
competitors that you know about.
4 Visit your competitors' websites and analyze their
offerings. Create a summary of each competitor's services
and/or products. Determine the strength and weaknesses of
your competition from the perspective of your target
market. Assess how your offerings are
better/worse/ different from that of the competition. Are
your prices higher or lower than theirs? Why? What makes
you unique? How can you capitalize on that uniqueness and
set yourself apart from the competition? By following
these steps, you'll discover your competitive advantage, or
the reason(s) your target market does business with you
instead of your competition.
5. Create a spreadsheet to track your results. You'll
want to track your research over time, so create a
spreadsheet in which you keep track of all the information
you discover about your competition. Compare how both your
company and the companies of your closest competition
evolve throughout a year.
6. See how your competition stacks up. Determine how
popular your competition is. Download the Google Toolbar
and determine their Google Page Rank and visit Alexa.com
and determine your competitor's Alexa Traffic Ranking. A
higher Google Page Rank (on a scale of 1-10), indicates
more relevance and higher traffic. In Alexa, the lower your
ranking (under 500,000 means your site is fairly well
visited; under 100,000 means your site is a big contender
in your industry), the more relevant your site is deemed.
In addition, with Alexa, you can see the other websites
owned by this company, see related sites visited from this
website, as well as other sites with inbound links to this
site. You can use this latter information to create a list
for potential link exchanges or future strategic alliances.
A tool you can use to get both rankings simultaneously is
Rank Alert: http://www.rankaler t.net/siterank. php
7. Complete an analysis of their websites. What meta tags
are being used on your competitor's websites? How are
their websites optimized for keywords or keyword phrases?
How many inbound links do your competitors have? From what
other sites are the inbound links coming? Two tools you
can use to scope out this information on your competition
are Keyword Density Analyzer:
http://www.ranks. nl/tools/ spider.html, and Link Popularity
Checker:
http://www.freewebs ubmission. com/link- popularity. html
8. Track your competition with alerts. The easiest way to
stay on top of what your competition is doing is to track
them with Google Alerts and Yahoo Alerts. In my alerts
notifications, I track both keywords relevant to my
business, as well as the names and website names of my
closest competition. Google has recently added a feature
to their alerts system to notify you of blog postings as
well, in addition to website updates and news alerts.
9. Shop your competition. Become your competitor's
customer. Buy the products of your top 5 competitors and
familiarize yourself with their sales process. By doing
so, you'll be able to sell your own product or service more
effectively since you'll have a better understanding of
what your competition offers. Becoming their customer also
lets you discover their weaknesses, as well as your own.
In addition, you'll want to join their mailing list or
email broadcast list to keep up-to-date on what they're
doing.
10. Regularly visit your competition. Visit the websites
of your top 5 competitors at least once a month to see
what's new. In this way you can spot trends in your
industry, as well as determine what seems to be working
well for them and determine how you can apply this
information and knowledge in your own business.
Creating your competitive intelligence helps you stay one
step ahead of your competitors. It's essential to have an
up-to-date picture of your closest competitors and what
they are doing so that your company is remaining
competitive and a major player in your industry.
About the Author:
Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business
Coach Donna Gunter helps self-employed service
professionals learn how to automate their businesses,
leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more
clients online. To sign up for more FREE tips like these
and claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing
Toolkit, visit her site at
http://www.GetMoreC lientsOnline. com . Vist her blog at
http://www.GetMoreC lientsOnlineBlog .com
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Avoiding Procrastination the Easy Way
Is procrastinating a problem in your life? Is it a habit with many
different tasks or just one certain project? These are the questions
you need to ask yourself in learning the process of avoiding
procrastination.
If you tend to procrastinate with one certain project then there are
ways to learn to avoid it and still get the job completed.
The first step to getting any job done is to realize what the
motivation to do it is.
1. Financial gain
It may be a task or project that a person has to do at the workplace.
The motivation would obviously be money and the opportunity to keep
his/her job.
2. Self worth
The task could be to lose weight, save money, stop smoking, etc. These
result in higher self-esteem and feeling good about themselves.
3. Good Samaritan
A task may need to be done for the better of someone else. The
motivation would be to help others out.
Finding out what the end result wanted is very important. Basically,
setting a goal or goals is what you are doing. This will give you
something to reach for.
Goals are the key to success in avoiding procrastination. Without
goals, we don't really stand a chance at succeeding.
The goals must be within our reach. It will not do us any good to set
goals that are unrealistic and/or impossible. As a matter of fact,
this will only set us back further when we don't meet these expectations.
Then next item to consider is what steps will it take to get you to
this goal? List them and prioritize which need to be done first. Also,
look at what steps are already completed.
This helps to know that you are on your way. The first step is usually
the most difficult to take. Once you have surpassed that step, it
tends to go a little easier.
Rewarding yourself after each step in the process is helpful to our
self-esteem. If you complete a step, pat yourself on the back! Then
try and tackle another step.
Realize that things do not always go smooth and you may have many
frustrations along the way. There will be distractions, too. Deny
their temptations, as they will only be a set back if you don't. And
if a mistake is made go forward, don't dwell on it. It will only take
you backward if you do.
If procrastination is a habit on many more issues than just a
particular project, work on it! Don't try to tackle too much at once.
Hit one project or task at a time and build your way up from there.
Before long avoiding procrastination will replace the habit.
Abaut Autor:
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert.
He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to
crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now
because it is available for a limited time only at:
http://www.getmotiv atedstaymotivate d.com/special. htm
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Leadership: Taking Responsibility for Our Choices
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Leadership: Taking Responsibility for Our Choices
I had dinner recently with my close friend, Sarah. She is a
mid-level manager at a large technology firm. She is not
happy at work, and she lamented her work situation during
our meal. If "R & D" were smarter, she would be happy. If
Sales would listen to her, she would be happy. If
Management would connect to what is going on in the firm,
she would be happy. If she did not have to commute every
day for an hour each way, she would be happy.
The following day I had a similar conversation with a
client. Janet is the CEO of a sizeable corporation. It is
her team's fault that she is overworked. Because of their
incompetence, Janet is so busy that she has little time to
spend with her family. She is out of shape because her
workload leaves no time for exercise. If her team were
better, the organization would be more profitable. Then the
board would not come down so hard on Janet.
It happens to all of us. We realize that things at work or
in some aspect of our personal lives are not going the way
we want them to go. Deftly we find other people or outside
circumstances to blame for our dissatisfaction. Thus, we
avoid taking responsibility for personal choices that
perpetuate the problems we face.
Shifting blame for our problems away from ourselves
eliminates our need to take charge of our own lives. By
blaming other circumstances or other people for our
problems, we avoid taking responsibility in our jobs, in
our families or in our communities. We abdicate leadership.
We give our power away to the people or the organizations
around us. Then we become frustrated when the results we
want are not forthcoming. Having stepped out of leadership,
though, we are powerless to make effective changes toward
our goals.
We regain our power to affect change when we recognize that
our choices, whether conscious or unconscious, and our
actions create the circumstances around us. Although we
will have to face the fears that come with change, it will
be in recognizing that we have options that we will become
empowered again. We will reclaim leadership.
Sarah can continue to be angry and dissatisfied with her
work situation or she can choose to do something positive
about it. Janet can choose to be frustrated because her
team is not performing to her expectations or she can take
action and change the team's performance for the better.
Each woman needs to choose. Either she is going to stand on
the sidelines and be a victim or she is going to step up,
claim responsibility and be a true leader.
It is not always easy to take responsibility for our
choices and our behavior. Many times, in fact, it is quite
difficult. As we reclaim accountability, though, we realize
that we are capable of being effective leaders. We become
the authors of own stories. We create our own destinies.
This is the heart of what it means to be a leader.
• In what area of your life do you abdicate responsibility?
• What does it feel like?
• What choices do you avoid making?
• What actions do you need to take?
About the Author:
Bill Pullen is President of Pullen & Associates, a
Washington, DC based consulting firm providing coaching and
consulting services to individuals making change as well as
corporations, the federal government and private
organizations. His work focuses on managing change,
developing current and emerging leaders and building
leadership capacity within organizations. Some of his past
or current clients include Booz Allen Hamilton, Marriot,
AOL/Time Warner, Cascade Health Care, Federal General
Services Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Canadian Government
Fairfax County Public Schools and American Federation of
Retried Americans.
http://www.PullenAssociates.com
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fist post
dear all..
please visited again next time for reading this article
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