Stage a Special Event to Stand Out and Shine

Stage a Special Event to Stand Out and Shine
A friend of mine recently held a launch party on Mother's
Day for her new book. Another is about to celebrate being
in business 5 years by holding a cocktail party. I
overheard a conversation about holding a networking
breakfast to inform potential clients about a new service.
And I too am currently organising my book launch. So what's
this got to do with you? Well these "special events" come
under the umbrella of public relations and are a great way
to promote your business. Staging an event is good PR for
you and your business. If it's done well you may gain media
coverage, raise the profile of your brand and increase
awareness of your products or services. If nothing else it
is a great way to get clients, prospects and influencers
together to help spread the word about you and your
business. Here's a look at how to manage an event, from
the largest scale to the smallest. It could be a networking
event, a media conference, seminar or workshop, fashion
parade, open day, product launch or even a cocktail party.

The Beginning

Paying attention to every detail creates a professional
image for your business. Begin with the basics by
developing your message and branding, choosing the venue or
site, date, start and finish times. Organise the legalities
- check council permits, contracts, letters of agreement
and insurance - if it is something as large as a community
event. Set budgets, organise sponsors, suppliers and venue
facilities.

Entrances and Exits

Give detailed instructions to your guests on how to get
there - public transport options and parking stations. Be
aware of emergency exits, disabled access, location for
unloading of equipment and equipment storage areas,
ticketing, queuing, registration and name tags and event
site map.

At the Event

Staging - design and decoration. Power, audiovisual,
lighting, video or PowerPoint presentation, speakers or
entertainers needs. Marquees, tents or stalls, toilets,
waste bins and water. Administration, information and lost
children area. Ambulance or first aid, security, crowd
control. Contingency plan for wet weather and crisis
management plan. Include a manual and run sheets for all
personnel. Event tool kit - consider things like blue tac
for posters, blank name tags, first aid kit, torch and
gaffa tape.

Production

Book speakers, entertainment and accommodation. Food and
catering, kitchen and bar facilities, hospitality, dressing
rooms, hair and make up, media area, alcohol and beverages
and any licenses needed. Money collection and float. Table
settings or seating arrangements. Merchandise and
souvenirs. Signage including t-shirts or uniforms.

Communication and Promotion

Contact the media for publicity. Organise media releases,
photographic images for press usage on television, the
internet and in print. Have a photographer and/or video
producer at your event. Letterhead and invitations printed,
newsletters and emails issued or mailbox drops. Flyers,
posters and programs with telephone numbers and website
addresses. Contact numbers in your event manual of
organisers, staff and entertainers. Send letters to confirm
details. Walkie-talkies for instant communication or mobile
phones. Have research and evaluation strategies in place.

The End

Pack up equipment and organise staff to "bump out". Have a
clean up plan in place. Arrange collection of equipment.
Analyse research and assess budgets. Have a debrief to know
what worked and what didn't for next time. Send thank you
notes.

An event can create "buzz" and goodwill for your business,
product or service and perhaps result in extra sales and
profits.

----------------------------------------------------
Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications
Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace - your
inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business
educator and speaker on personal branding through image and
media. Sign up for free monthly tips on personal and
professional PR at
http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm
and learn more about how you can achieve recognition,
enhance your image and shine.

Cold Calling For New Sales

Cold Calling For New Sales
In the world of sales, few tasks will turn the stomach of
an entrepreneur as much as the thought of cold calling. It
is often perceived as the the most difficult, most feared
activity in their day. Why is that? For men, does it
conjure up awkward memories of teenage years, asking for a
date? For women, might it be the now-fading societal rule
that women do not make the first move or initial call? For
whatever reasons that I will leave for psychologists and
social behaviorists to explain, we are often uncomfortable
with making that first move, that cold call.

We often tend to make almost any excuse for not picking up
the phone. It sits on our desk as an immovable, heavy
weight. We will busy ourselves with any task at hand,
justifying to ourselves that we are simply too busy to call
now and will do so later. Procrastination is not in the
dictionary of the winner. The successful entrepreneur takes
action now, even when it is uncomfortable. As Mark Twain
once said, "Do that which you fear and the death of fear is
certain." A more modern vernacular is "fake it until you
make it."

We must learn to work through our fears and move forward.
Often, simply visualizing what the worst possible result
could be and then rationalizing that the reality of the
situation is far more acceptable, may be enough to spur you
to action. It does get easier too. Every call is easier
than the last. You will actually reach a point where you do
not associate any negative emotion with cold calling.

As with any activity, practice and exercise will improve
performance. There are also some simple, logical steps that
contribute to the ease at which you will progress in your
cold-calling efforts. Consider the following three-phased
advice from Geoffrey James the next time you plan to make
cold calls:

Step 1. Remember the goal.

What is the purpose of this call, depending upon the your
sales process? Take a few seconds to refocus on exactly
what you want the customer to do.

Step 2. Consider the prospect.

Review what you know about your prospect, your prospect's
company and industry. Determine the "hot buttons" that will
cause that prospect to consider taking the action that's
the goal of the call.

It pays to do your homework up-front, so that you are
familiar with the company, its industry, their products,
markets and personnel. A simple web search will often yield
enough information to get you started.

Step 3. Differentiate yourself immediately.

On the typical cold call, you have fifteen seconds (more or
less) to communicate to the prospect that you're somebody
worth talking to. To do this, touch one of the "hot
buttons" that you researched.

I would like to contribute one helpful additional step:

Step 4: Act like you are already doing business there.

If the company is small to medium sized, ask for your
prospect by his first name. Mention the last name only if
the operator questions you. Be as comfortable with your
prospect as well.

Cold calling can be an exciting adventure yielding great
results and experiences or one that leads you to the
medicine cabinet for some antacid tablets. It actually is
your choice. Either way, it may make or break your
business. You will learn to overcome your fear if you begin
taking action today. Utilize these simple steps to your
advantage, thus eventually eliminating any apprehension
concerning cold-calling. Believe it!

----------------------------------------------------
Daniel Sitter, author of both the popular book, Learning
For Profit, and the highly anticipated book, Superior
Selling Skills Mastery, has extensive experience in sales,
training, marketing and personal development spanning a
successful 25 year career. http://www.learningforprofit.com
Experience his blog at http://www.idea-sellers.com

A Star, A Story, and a Solution: Creating (and Maintaining) an Extreme Competitive Advantage

A Star, A Story, and a Solution: Creating (and Maintaining) an Extreme Competitive Advantage
Look around you at any successful business. The common
denominator is that they found a way to make a profit on a
solution to someone's problem or need. Quite simply, a
successful information product is a result of a person
confronting an obstacle, finding a way to overcome it, then
showing others how they did it.

As we look at the factors of creating and maintaining an
Extreme Competitive Advantage, let's look at those three
essentials of a business: A Star, A Story, and a Solution.

You are The Star. You bring to your business what you have
created, accomplished, or overcome. You are the reason your
business exists, whether you are selling a service,
information, or a gadget. If you aren't in the equation,
your business won't exist.

Your brand is Your Story. Years ago, just out of college in
my first writing job, a colleague was lamenting that she
would never be able to write a book because all of the good
ideas had already been written about. While there is some
truth to that, everybody's story is different, and how you
present it will be different, too. Your story, your brand
will be unique because you are unique. So when you start
thinking about your brand, look at your story. What makes
it different? What makes you different? Bring that to your
business and you will see your brand develop.

Your product or service is The Solution. Creating and
maintaining extreme competitive advantage involves weaving
the star and the story together to support the solution; it
requires looking at several levels of your business, from
branding and marketing to product development and R&D,
budgeting your resources and staying nimble in your
decision-making---in short, developing your Extreme
Competitive Advantage. Here are six things to consider as
you bring your Star, Story, and Solution to life:

1. Have a profound reason for your business. The fact is,
like a book theme, there aren't a lot of segments in
business that need more offerings. As a result, you will
need to look for either a trend-related reason to be in
business or for a service advantage that you can provide.
What do you know that someone might need or desire that
they can't find anywhere else? What service do you provide
that sets you apart from anything that is currently
available? How can you position yourself to be distinct in
your market?

2. Create Strong Positioning. Stand out from your
competitors. Be clear and dramatic, dynamic and different.
What sets you apart? What do you offer that makes people
take notice of you and your business? How do you present
this to the world? Everything you do establishes your
brand. Look at companies with strong brand appeal. You
notice them because they offer something different, or they
say it in a way that the market notices.

3. Develop and Continue to Create Unique Assets. We're all
very familiar with the iPod. It's revolutionized how we
listen to music, added another tool to share information,
and changed how people view Apple as an innovative
technology company. For a short time, Apple relied heavily
on this unique asset to give them a competitive advantage.
However, within months, many mp3 players became available
from other companies. So, they came out with other models
to cover more of the market; they added new features; they
continued to develop new products. Now they've developed
the iPhone. What Apple knows is that although they have a
unique asset, their competitive advantage will go away over
time. They need to continually develop new ones to maintain
their competitive advantage.

4. Maintain an Economic Advantage. This is a key area that
too many businesses lack. You must be able to outspend your
competitors and still maintain profitability. Pricing is
important, as is perceived value to the customer. The more
unique your offering, whether it is service or a product,
the more ability you'll have to offer products for premium
prices and bigger margins, ultimately attracting customers
for whom price is not a factor.

5. Build Complex Business Systems. Systems are very
important for the flow of your business. Another way they
are important is that the more complicated they are, the
less likely it is that your competition will copy them,
allowing you to maintain your competitive advantage.

6. Use Speed and Agility. You must be mentally, physically,
emotionally, and financially agile to maintain your
competitive advantage. Staying a step ahead of your
competition requires you to be at your best in all areas.

As you build your business, support The Star, Story, and
Solution with these six aspects of creating and maintaining
a competitive advantage and you will move ever closer to
the Success Phenomenon.

Copyright 2007 © Marilyn Schwader

----------------------------------------------------
Getting your information from concept to marketplace? Visit
author/coach Marilyn Schwader at
http://www.clarityofvision.com . Looking for an accelerated
information products education in an affordable,
easy-to-use format? Go to
http://www.jumpstartyourwealth.com .

Workplace Communication: Management's Responsibility

Workplace Communication: Management's Responsibility
How good is the workplace communication in your company or
organization? Do you get the information you need to do
your job, and does management listen to you? Workplace
communication refers to the (mostly formal) channels and
procedures for getting and giving information, and as I'll
explain here, is management's responsibility.

A few years ago the British Broadcasting Commission aired a
series of unique business documentaries titled Back to the
Floor. If you're not familiar with the series, it featured
real-life Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who leave their
comfortable offices and go work on the front lines of their
organizations for a week. Cameras followed the CEOs and
recorded their interactions with staff, and their responses
to those interactions.

In one episode, the managing director of London's Heathrow
Airport took the plunge and worked in customer service for
five days. That meant facing customers and dealing with
their problems, including problems created by the airport's
own management team. Again in this episode, workplace
communication turned out to be a key issue, as it so often
does in business stories.

At Heathrow, we saw a CEO taken by surprise, over and over
again, as he learned about work life at the front lines.
The CEO was rebuked by employees on the front lines, as
well as customers. Employees tried to convey to him the
difficulties they experienced because no one at head office
was listening to them.

And, that gap in workplace communication was a fairly
constant refrain in all episodes, as one CEO after another
found out he or she doesn't know much about what happens
when the organization comes face-to-face with real
customers and their needs.

Heathrow is hardly an exception. When I published a
communication newsletter, the most frequent reader feedback
involved management's failure to listen. Many readers felt
management doesn't know what's going on in the real world,
and perhaps what's worse, feel that management doesn't care.

There was also a feeling that individual managers were to
blame. However, in my research and experience, it's not a
'moral' failure on the part of individual managers, but
rather an institutional failure. In other words, the
mechanisms that allow or facilitate workplace communication
simply don't exist.

The first step in establishing and maintaining those
mechanisms is for management to accept responsibility for
them. Unless management takes the initiative, there can be
no channels for workplace communication, whether up or down
the hierarchy, to flow.

After all, employees can -- and often do -- express their
ideas and emotions. But nothing can happen unless someone
in management allows it to happen.

For example, in the Heathrow program, the managing director
spots some trash in an out-of-the-way spot and calls in a
cleanup crew. The customer service manager, who supervised
the managing director for the week, chastised him for
incurring an expense that wasn't in the budget (an
appropriate response because the customer service manager
would be chastised by his immediate superior if he had done
that). The CEO responded by making an important policy
change on the spot (another no-no for management); yet what
he really needed were mechanisms to get and give
information about such problems, and a then policy that
stipulated when exceptions could be made.

By creating a mechanism that allowed workers at the front
lines to communicate about that kind of problem (trash), he
would get both better results and greater employee loyalty.

In summary, effective workplace communication is only
possible when mechanisms exist to move information both up
and down within the organization, and only management can
establish and maintain those mechanisms.

----------------------------------------------------
Robert F. Abbott writes extensively about business
communication, and his work includes the book, A Manager's
Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results. You can
more free workplace communication articles at:
http://www.communicate-with-confidence.com/workplace-communi
cation.html .

Make Your Business a Well-Oiled Machine (and You’ll Have More Clients)

I believe the key to more clients, more in-come, and more
time off, is making your business run like a well-oiled
machine. Right now, you may be handling everything
yourself, or perhaps delegating a little bit of it. The
problem with that is your business is probably running YOU,
as opposed to you running your business. And that probably
means lots of stuff is falling through the cracks, which
then means lost opportunities and fewer clients and less
mo-ney coming in.

In your business, Consistency is crucial; Chaos is costly
(both financially and time-wise). When things run like a
well-oiled machine, when everything's organized and proven,
there is much less room for chaos. The goal is to have
things run on their own, or by someone else, so you can
focus on growing your business even more, while having more
time off to enjoy yourself.

Even if you don't have a full staff of people helping you,
you can make your business run smoothly, with SYSTEMS. The
key to systems is to not re-invent the wheel each time you
do something in your business. Instead, when something
works, document it, and then do it again and again. Then,
it becomes a system, and if the system is good, it will
create results over and over again too.

You may be asking yourself, "OK, I get it. But HOW exactly
do I create a system for something? I'm not sure where to
start." It's actually really simple.

1. Notice what's falling through the cracks, takes up a
lot of your time unnecessarily each week or creates a
lot of stress for you.

2. Find a way to cluster, group, delegate or put these on
autopilot.

3. Then set it up so it works on its own, or can be
handled easily, efficiently, and without fail.

4. Create checks and balances so you're not abdicating,
but know that instead, you can breathe more easily, knowing
it's all handled.

Give it a try.

You can systematize many things in your business and in
your personal life. In your business, you can systematize
each slice of your marketing pie (every slice of the pie
represents a way you PULL clients in-we go in depth into
this in the home study system), also your schedule, your
client management, your calendar, and your email. In your
personal life, you can systematize your food shopping, your
doctors' appointments, your personal email, your
dry-cleaning, your errands, your banking. You name it, it
can probably be systematized.

The beauty of everything being on autopilot or handled
smoothly is that you set up the infrastructure for a FULL
practice, even before you fill your practice. What happens
is, when you DO hit full practice status, you will avoid
all the breakdowns that cause most businesses to fail. At
the same time, you make more time for marketing (the stuff
that brings in clients) and for more clients as well.

Your Assignment:

1. Make a long list of everything that's falling through
the cracks, takes up a lot of your time unnecessarily each
week, or creates a lot of stress for you.

2. Find a way to cluster, group, delegate, or put these on
autopilot.

3. Set it up so it works on its own or can be handled
easily, efficiently, and without fail.

4. Create checks and balances so you' re not abdicating,
but you can keep tabs on it regularly.

You'll be amazed to see how much of a "problem-free zone"
your business becomes. That will give you a lot more time
to focus on building the business, a lot more room for new
clients, and more time to simply enjoy yourself. You'll
have more time for vacation, for self-care, and for
spending yummy quality time with the people you love being
with. And that's what being self-employed is really about.

----------------------------------------------------
Now, you may have specific questions you want answered
about how to systematize your marketing. If so, I recommend
getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™.
It gives you the most important things to do to set up
simple, solid marketing systems, so that you consistently
fill your pipeline and continually get new clients. You
can get it at http://
http://www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com .

3 Tips for Hiring the Right People—and 2 Traps To Avoid

One of the most costly mistakes for small business owners
is making a bad hiring decision. Losing the money spent on
recruiting, the time to interview the candidates, and the
time and cost spent on employee training are a few of the
major profit-squeezers that result from hiring mistakes.

Some entrepreneurs attempt to reduce risk by hiring family
or friends-which in most cases proves to be the worst
hiring mistake of all. It is difficult for most people to
accept the relationship transition from family member to
employee. Most often, those friendships will end in
resentment and disappointment. When a veteran small
business owner tells you, "Never hire family!" you can bet
he's learned the hard way.

With a little skill and guidance, small business owners can
learn much about potential candidates by understanding
resumes. When reading resumes, there are three great
things to look for-and two traps to watch out for.

When reading a resume, the three things to look for are:

1. Industry experience

You'll make shortcuts in new employee training if your new
hire has previous experience in your industry. You will
see a faster return on investment with your new employee
when he or she already understands what your customers
want. Prior industry experience also means he or she may
have a business following that will result in added revenue
for your business.

2. Transferable skills

Very often transferable skills are as critical as industry
experience. Skills such as customer service, problem
solving, sales and/or crisis management are valuable in
almost every industry. Before interviewing candidates,
make sure you understand the five most important
transferable skills needed for the position you are hiring.
Keep those skills in mind when reviewing resumes.
Candidates whose resumes showcase those skills should be
considered whether they have industry experience or not.
An industry can be learned, but great customer service or
superb selling skills can only be acquired with time and
experience.

3. Accomplishments

When reading through resumes, look for applicants who write
about their accomplishments. These are candidates who
understand the bottom-line initiatives of an organization.
A resume that mentions saving time, cutting costs, and
solving customer disputes represents someone who can handle
your problems as well.

On the flip side, when reading resumes watch out for these
two traps:

1. Unstable work history

Pay attention to the dates on a resume. While the life
expectancy of a job isn't what it was a generation ago, a
string of short-term positions should be a concern.
Candidates with too many jobs in too short of a time
usually have excuses for all of them-sometimes even great
excuses. But good excuses aren't the same thing as good
reasons. If you see a consistent pattern of instability,
beware! This may be a candidate who (1) doesn't get along
with authority; (2) loses interest in his job after time;
or (3) is just plain inept. Beware also of unexplained
gaps in employment, which may indicate even more serious
problems.

2. Unfocused career path

While it's quite normal for one's career path to shift,
candidates whose resumes show opposing career directions
may indicate uncertainty about their career path. Look out
for candidates who have held contrasting positions like
"sales" and "accounting," or "account manager" and
"librarian." This may be a candidate who doesn't know what
he wants in his career. After working for you as customer
service rep, he may decide he really wants to be a dog
groomer!

With practice you'll gain expertise at reading between the
lines of a resume. Remember the three great things to look
for and the two traps to avoid, and you'll save yourself
valuable time, money and effort in hiring new employees.

----------------------------------------------------
Deborah Walker, Small Business Coach helps entrepreneurs
navigate the hiring maze with tips and suggestions on how
to recruit, interview and hire the best employees. Her
veteran experience as a former executive recruiter gives
her the unique perspective to help you avoid the pitfalls
of bad hiring decisions. Learn how Deborah can help your
business at:
http://www.RevenueQueen.com

Marketing And Advertising Your Tanning Salon

In order to guarantee your success in the tanning business
you must have solid marketing and advertising plans. This
will also be a very big part of whether or not your
business is able to obtain the funding required from
investors if this is how you plan to fund your new business.

Our first recommendation is starting a website. Based on
your budget, this doesn't have to be anything fancy. The
website should have your logo, mapped directions to your
location, phone number, and any current promotions you are
running. Be sure to list the state, county, and
surrounding cities in text on your website as well as all
services and products you offer. Submitting this website
to search engines will be beneficial and in time may bring
leads for your business. If you're interested in
perfecting this aspect of your business you should research
search engine optimization and search engine marketing.

Second, you will want your business listed in the yellow
pages and any popular local classified ads. Make sure you
purchase a larger ad than just a listing if your
advertisement budget allows you too. Larger advertisements
always attract more attention. Your ad should focus on why
customers should immediately choose your salon over the
other ones listed in the same area or perhaps even offer a
coupon of substantial value. Remember, if someone feels
comfortable tanning at your salon they will return.

Radio advertisement is also an excellent way to increase
the popularity. Whether you are purchasing a commercial or
actually have the radio station broadcast from your
location you will be instantly reaching thousands of
listeners. This is often much cheaper than television
advertisement and truly reaches people in your community.

Making arrangements with local businesses is a great way to
network. Small shops often place each other's flyers or
advertisements on each other's sales counters to share
their wealth of traffic. As long as you don't sell the
same service or products there can be no harm in
advertising with each other. If your business neighbors
are friendly speak with management and see if this can be
arranged.

During a grand opening it is often cost effective to flyer
local subdivisions to try to jumpstart the business. Aside
from the cost of paper and ink, a little leg work can
definitely generate some business and open people's eyes to
how convenient the distance to your location is.

Each of the methods detailed in this article should be
locally priced and researched to make sure it is cost
effective for your tanning salon and has an acceptable
return on investment. Prior to your business opening, your
business you should have many ideas in place.

----------------------------------------------------
Learn how to start a tanning salon at
http://www.how-to-open-a-tanning-salon.com . Article
written and distributed by Steve Cancel, IT Manager of
Secure Link - http://www.slwebsolutions.com .

The Strengths You Need To Build A Home Based Business

One of the main concerns people often have when starting a
home based business is "do I have what it takes? Could I
see my business through the tough times as well as the good
ones?" This article will show you the strengths to look for
in yourself. Tap into them and your home based business
should be a success.

1. Dream; can you picture yourself living the life your
home based business will provide for you. Keep that as a
clear vision in your mind. Stay focused on it during the
difficult times. It will be your motivation to move your
business forward.

2. Doubts; deal with them before you embark on your home
based business. Once you've started it is much more
difficult to turn back. Go through any doubts you have.
Write them down. Consider them carefully. If you feel that
none of them cause an insurmountable problem, then its time
to go for it.

3. Health; one of the drawbacks in working for yourself is
that you cannot afford to be ill. Stay fit. Build time into
your daily routine for exercise. Eat healthily. In short
do everything you can to ensure you stay healthy.

4. Resilience; there is no escaping the fact that although
there are many benefits to building a home based business,
there will also be times where it is extremely stressful.
Think about this before you start out. Do you have the
mental resources to deal with this?

5. Sharing; there are times when you will want to talk over
what your day held. You will need people to share your
successes with as well as a shoulder to cry on during the
difficult times. If you have a partner, a family member or
some good friends who will provide this support, then your
experience will be a much more positive one.

6. Capital; it may take some time before your home based
business will provide you with a wage. The larger the
amount of capital you have behind you at the outset, the
longer you can afford to wait for your business to take off.

7. Multi task; if you are the only person involved in your
home based business, then you will have to be able to do
several jobs. Company Director through to office cleaner!
Ensure you are prepared to tackle anything.

8. Smile; you're going to make some mistakes along the way.
Don't get down about it. Keep your sense of humor, accept
that you are human, learn from your mistake and move on.
Its the most effective way to keep your stress levels down!

9. Look before you leap; sometimes you need to consider
whether the opportunity you are about to grab with both
hands has a down side. Its easy to get excited and overlook
some potential problems. Always take time to consider an
opportunity from all angles before you make a commitment.

10. Rewards; Along the way there will have been many people
who have helped, either in a practical way or simply by
offering you support and encouragement. As your home based
business grows and becomes successful, make time for those
people. Have a party, send thank you gifts or cards, treat
your family. It will make all the hard work and effort seem
worthwhile.

Take some time after you have read this article to go
through the list again and carefully consider if you have
the strengths and attributes listed, or if you could
cultivate them. If this is you, then you are in an ideal
position to start a home based business.

----------------------------------------------------
Scott Oliver offers free video coaching to help you build a
profitable home business FAST. Get an hour of "Website
Traffic Secrets" and "Minisite Creation Tactics" for FREE
-- immediate access here:
http://www.InstantWebsiteBusiness.com

How to Turn More Referrals into Paying Clients

According to a survey conducted by SBA (Small Business
Administration) 60 out a 100 small business owners claim
that over 60% of their new business comes from referrals.

But only a handful of professionals can clearly pinpoint
where their referrals come from and the exact process they
use to turn them into paying clients.

Amazingly – when it comes to referral marketing - majority
of entrepreneurs seem to rely on luck! Ouch – this is not
exactly the best formula for business success!

When asked about how they turn referrals into clients, most
professionals have a deer-caught-in-the-headlights, puzzled
look on their faces and keep quiet.

The First Two Key Success Factors of Referral Marketing

Those who truly can sleep peacefully at night knowing their
referral generating process is working with the predictable
precision of a Swiss banking system understand the power of
using FREQUENCY of EXPOSURE.

To best illustrate this, let's look at how two consultants
handle their referrals.

At first glance John and Steve have virtually identical
Businesses:

>> Both are management consultants working with small and
mid-size corporate clients

>> In the last year they both added executive coaching to
their product mix

>> They both are excellent at what they do and have
stellar reputation among their customers and peers

But there is a difference…

How Is John Getting 5 Times More Referrals?

John gets almost five times as many referrals as Steve, and
he turns an astounding 95% of them into new clients.

How, you ask? See if you can spot a difference...

Steve's name occasionally pops up in conversations his
clients have with their business associates. Since he does
a good job people are often intrigued by the results he
creates for his clients. They ask for his contact info and
call him to inquire about his services.

Those calls typically lead to an appointment.

But in terms of frequency of exposure Steve's potential
clients might hear his marketing message only twice before
the meeting: when they initially get his information from a
colleague, and again during the initial phone conversation.

Here Is What John Does Differently:

At first glance, John's situation isn't much different. His
name comes up in conversations where he's praised for his
great work. His contact information is passed on, and he
too gets an inquiring phone call leading to an appointment
with a prospective client.

But that's pretty much where the similarity ends.

Immediately after the call, John sends out a hand-written
card saying "thank you for interest in my services. I'm
looking forward to our meeting."

John makes an additional smart move - he sends another hand
-written thank-you card and a small gift (like a Starbucks
gift card) to the person who gave him the referral.

He does it because he understands the best way to develop a
habit is to reward it in the first place (remember Pavlov's
dog experiment?) so he tries to make his referral sources
feel good about mentioning his name. And it works – they
talk about him more often!

The following day, John sends out a small package with
POSITIONING MATERIALS: a welcome letter, an article
relevant to prospect's situation, his short self-published
book, and an audio CD.

This allows the potential client to "sample" John's
expertise on the subject. It also builds trust, increases
prospect's appetite for his services, and position him as
an authority. Now he'll be treated as a trusted advisor and
not just another salesman trying to close a deal.

Incidentally, John knows that many of his best prospects
won't have time to fully review those materials. He also
knows it really doesn't matter. All he wants is to see his
"stuff" sitting on prospect's desk when he walks into their
office.

But he's still not done. A couple of days before the
scheduled meeting he calls his potential client to briefly
confirm the meeting objectives, time and place.

After the meeting, John immediately sends out another
handwritten "pleasure meeting you/thank you" card.

Higher Frequency Leads to Greater Familiarity

Visibility equals credibility. And frequency translates
into familiarity. Don't believe me? Just ask yourself how
many people you "feel like you know" because you see them
or hear from (about) them frequently... Point made!

So let's now review how many times John's referrals are
exposed to his marketing message:

1. When they first are referred to him in a conversation
with a business colleague.

2. When they call him to inquire about his services.

3. When they get his handwritten "looking forward to
meeting you" card.

4. When they get his Positioning Packet. (And again when
they make time to look through the materials he sends out)

5. When he makes the reminder call two days before the
meeting.

6. During the first meeting.

Notice, that at this point prospect has been exposed to
John's marketing message five times – comparing to only
two times in Steve's process. That's a 150% increase in
frequency of exposure!

7. When they get the handwritten "thank you" card after
the meeting.

Now, that they "know" John so well, they TUST him enough to
start doing business with him. (Can you say KA-CHING!)

Plus, sending a thank-you card and a small gift to the
referral source proves helpful as well. Motivated by his
small gesture of appreciation, John's referral sources now
take a more active part in the process, inquire about how
things are going, and frequently offer additional help.

Clear Expectations and Education Lead to More Referrals

There is one other thing that separates John from Steve.

Hi understands that his clients want to give him referrals
but often don't know how to do this. So he takes the time
to educate them and makes it easy for them to "give him
away as a gift"!

Say what?!

He hands each new client a sample of a great Attraction
Tool (most likely an audio program or a book), and informs
them that he'll gladly send this Attraction Tool to any of
his new client's business associates at absolutely no cost
and no obligation – all they have to do is ask for it.

He might even hand the new client a few postcards promoting
the Attraction Tool and encourage him to send it to their
associates.

Why bother? Because by sharing this information John's new
clients are actually helping their colleagues. And it's
easier and less awkward to send out a postcard and to share
a resource, than to hand over names of business friends.

All this increases the chances of John's name coming up in
many casual conversations.

Here Is the Final Key Success Factor to Referral Success

I can already hear you whining, "but that's too much work,
I can't do that in my business", etc., etc. And you are
right – but consider the upside: getting more clients!

And the key is to SYSTEMIZE, AUTOMATE, and DELEGATE.

Do you have to do this? Hey, it's your business – you don't
have to do anything you don't want!

But the fact is – frequency builds familiarity. Familiarity
builds trust. And we all do business with people we know,
like and trust.

So you decide if getting more referrals and turning them
into paying clients is worth adding a few easy steps to
your marketing system.

----------------------------------------------------
The author, Adam Urbanski, teaches service professionals
and business owners how to develop better marketing
strategies to increase sales and profits. His website
offers more how-to articles and free tips to create a
winning marketing action plan at
http://www.themarketingmentors.com

Increase Your Sales by 50%! Here’s How.

I have set a lot of stupid goals in my life. Goals made in
the rush of excitement with little thought to how they were
going to get done or how they fit with the other priorities
of my life. I have sold expensive pieces of exercise
equipment for pennies on the dollar and have thick
notebooks of training material lining my shelves as
testimony to the futility of stupid goals.

Goal setting, however, is still an important part of my
life. But a certain kind of goal setting, SMART goal
setting. Goals are SMART when they are Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Relevant to current business
objectives, and Time bound.

When goals follow this formula, they also get done. Which,
or course, is the whole point of goal setting.

A FIVE STEP SYSTEM FOR SETTING A SMART GOAL

1. State your goal in one sentence.

The one sentence rule forces you to be sharply focused and
state clearly and plainly what you intend to accomplish.
This kind of clarity right at the start of the goal
planning process makes it incredibly powerful.

Here is an actual statement from a SMART Goal of salesman I
worked with:

To achieve $1.8 million of agricultural sales in 2006 by
selling $600K of fertilizer by April , $600K of fungicide
and growth regulator by June, and $600K of lime, herbicide,
and other products by December.

Note how this goal is very specific and measurable, by both
amount and product. In analyzing his accounts at the
beginning of the year, it became obvious that it was
achievable and the dates we set were in line with the
growing season of his customers. It is also aligned with
the overall business objectives of the company and his own
family's financial goals.

In short, it is SMART.

2. List the main benefits of achieving this goal.

Fitness experts tell us that we are not to focus on losing
weight, a negative outcome, but on gaining health, a
positive one. When we place the benefits of our goals
before us, they become powerful motivators for the process
of change.

The benefits of this sales professional's SMART goal were:

1. I will feel a great sense of accomplishment of having
sold more product than in any other year.
2. I will feel good about the job I am doing for my
company, a place I love to work.
3. I will enjoy increased pay through commissions and
bonuses.
4. I will set the table for years of repeat business with
these customers.

A clear vision of the benefits of a goal infuses passion
into the goal planning process and drives us emotionally to
get it done.

3. List the steps of action for achieving this goal

Here is where the rubber meets the road and, according to
my client, the part of the goal planning process gave him
the most value. We listed step by step what it would take
get this goal done.

Each step was given a date and a deadline that was then
placed into his calendar.

As we continued working together, I held him accountable
for completing these steps of action. As they were met, we
celebrated, or, if they were missed, we made a mid-course
correction and moved on. Here are some of those steps of
action:

1. Update and analyze soil samples of my all my customers
by April 24.
2. Write up fertilizer blend recommendations based on the
soil samples by March 8.
3. Make appointments with all my customers to present
recommendations by March 10.
4. Apply first round of dry fertilizer by March 30.
5. Apply second round of liquid fertilizer by April 30.

4. List the possible obstacles for the completion of this
goal

This is a missing link when most people set goals, asking
oneself the question, "What can go wrong?" It is NOT smart
to think only about the new opportunities a goal brings you
without analyzing the obstacles that stand in your way.

Furthermore, if a goal has nothing standing in its way, it
would have been done by now. By uncovering as many of these
obstacles as possible at the beginning of the goal planning
process, you can address them right from the start so they
don't derail performance.

In other words, if there are clouds on the horizon, bring
an umbrella so that you are ready for them! With this
salesman we identified these three obstacles:

1. Letting a bottleneck develop by doing all my own soil
sample work 2. Losing sales due to pricing concerns 3.
Losing sales due to product supply

5. List the possible solutions to the obstacles of this goal

Having placed the obstacles this sales professional faced
on the table, we realized that some of them had hindered
his goal completion in the past. So we began to design
solutions, which included talking with his manager who had
no idea that there were product supply problems!

Here are this SMART goal's solutions:

1. Work closely with scouts to help with gathering soil
samples
2. Get pricing strategy set BEFORE customers bring it up.
3. Solve supply problems at the management level.

WHAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT?

Following this exact SMART goal planning process, this
salesman increased his sales from $1.2 million to $1.8
million. His goal was accomplished, not in the year's
timeframe we gave it, but in SIX MONTHS. That is a sales
increase of 50% in 50% less time.

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about this
story, however, is that this was not a sales superstar. He
was a normal, average guy, very much an introvert. His
sales had been stuck at $1.2 million or less for over the
past five years. Yet, with a SMART system in place, he
experienced success beyond what he thought he could
possible accomplish.

What would an increase of 50% of sales in 50% less time do
for your business? Get SMART and you could experience the
answer to that question.

----------------------------------------------------
Bill Zipp, President of Leadership Link, Inc., is a
seasoned small business specialist. Bill has spent
thousands of hours working with hundreds of business
leaders, and his proven program, The Business Fitness™
System, provides a step-by-step plan for building a strong,
self-sustaining small business. For a FREE Special Report,
The 3 Biggest Killers of Small Businesses Today (And What
YOU Can Do About Them!) visit http://www.LeadershipLink.net
.

Server-Based Computinng: In a Nutshell

Server-based computing (SBC) is one of the most exciting
developments in office technology. But what exactly does
the term mean? Here is a simple explanation.

Server Based Computing vs. Standard Network Computing

With a normal office network, every user has a fairly
powerful computer on which they run software. The server is
used for central file storage and specific tasks such as
file exchange and internet access. With server-based
computing, every user has a much smaller terminal, and all
their day-to-day software is run from the server. Each
terminal is little more than a screen and keyboard,
although it can be an existing PC (an old one at that).

There are Plenty of Benefits :

Financial benefits are clear, because each terminal is
smaller and less expensive than a PC. Thus you will always
save money with every new employee. With Server Based
Computing there are also security benefits: because you
centrally control all the software to which your employees
have access, and so you will have a much lower risk of
viruses or unwanted software. Not least, there will be
Facilities management benefits: because employees can
access their files and software from any terminal, and so
you can easily move staff between desks with no downtime.
Finally, there are obvious maintenance benefits: all the
hard work is done on the server. So system maintenance is
largely done in one place, on one machine.

Server Based computing: Example:

A company has three branches. Previously it had to employ
or contract IT maintenance staff at all three locations
when computers needed fixing. With server-based computing,
IT staff are only needed on one site. Plus, in the rare
event that a terminal collapses at one of the other sites,
staff can continue working just by switching terminals, so
there is no urgent need for a replacement unit.

Home-Working Benefits :

As you would expect, the tried and tested security and
software management tools can be applied to home-working
too; making remote working a true reality- with server
based computing, staff can work from home and truly have
access to the same files and software they have at the
office.

Business Continuity Benefits :

SBC is also an ideal business continuity solution- should
your office become unusable due to flood, fire or other
event, you can be up-and-running elsewhere, or even at
home, in a matter of minutes.

How Different Does Server Based Computing Look?

Server-based computing (SBC) does not mean you have to
sacrifice the software you are familiar with. There is no
need to retrain staff- everything can be set up to look
exactly as it did before. Migration to a server-based
solution is designed to be seamless, invisible to the user,
with all software working as before.

It is possible, of course, to specify an upgrade path,
including an Enhanced Desktop option - which provide
additional functions, there for when you want them. A major
plus is the possibility of a Web Interface, providing you
with your office desktop at home; or wherever else you
would like it. How much better could you present at a
client's office, if the screen looked just like the one at
your desk!

----------------------------------------------------
Jimi St. Pierre writes for several Office IT Equipment
suppliers in the UK, including office server supplier
Officemagic. The Officemagic range of IT products including
desktops, laptops and peripherals can be found at =>
http://www.officemagic.co.uk/

How to Use Focused Marketing Strategy to Stop Marketing Overwhelm

Did you know most solo-professionals hire the Cheshire Cat
as their marketing consultant? And because of it they end
up overwhelmed by too much information and frustrated by
their lack of good results. Let me explain...

Remember Alice in the Wonderland facing a fork in the road
and asking the Cheshire Cat for directions? Do you recall
the cat's answer? "If you don't know where you are going
what does it matter which road you take?" I call this lack
of clarity and not having a master marketing action plan a
"hop and drop" strategy.

What the heck is "hop and drop"?

Have you ever seen a rabbit running away? Those creatures
can't seem to run straight. They change directions with
every hop! But what does it have to do with your business?

See if this sounds familiar:

** Monday you read an article about attracting more
clients with info-products. So off you go, spending
most of the day brainstorming ideas and planning your
first ebook or audio CD.

** Tuesday you remember that submitting articles is a
great way to build visibility. After a few hours of
searching the net you've got a great list of article
submission sites. Now you are ready to write your
first few articles. But it's late in the day so you
set your intentions to start fresh the next morning.

** Wednesday you wake up with a brilliant idea to put
together a new training program. Oh, this is going to
be so great! People will be lining up to sign up.
Maybe you could sell a license to others who could
teach it. Yep! Easy money. You can already taste it.

So you get busy developing a curriculum for your program,
but mid-day you realize it going to take a bit more effort
than you initially thought...

Thursday and Friday don't look much different as you find
yourself chasing even more really good ideas...

A whole week of perfect "hop and drop" and at the end
you've accomplished… NOTHING! NADA! ZIP!

Each of the tasks you began could have paid off handsomely
if you stayed with it. But you didn't. So all you've got is
a bunch of started projects, a lot frustration, feeling
overwhelmed, and a massive headache!

How to get more done in less time

Fortunately, outlining and following a master strategy
before jumping into action can save you from wasting time
and effort, and eliminate of lot of frustration.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1) Develop clear objectives.

What exactly do you want to accomplish? Set clear goals,
time-frames, investment of time and many required to
implement your strategy, and the implementation model
you'll follow. Calculate your possible maximum and minimum
return on investment of time, money and effort.

2) Understand the difference between strategy, tactic,
and action steps.

For example, driving new business through networking is a
strategy. Putting together your own networking group or
attending meetings of other groups are tactics. Making a
list of local groups, developing a good Audio Business
Card™, writing a "pleasure meeting you" card or sending out
an article or audio CD afterwards are all action steps.

These are critical steps and skipping just one of them may
send you on a never-ending chase after a white elephant!

For example, one simple exercise I reveal in my Marketing
Action Plan reveals if your existing model can even support
your desired financial results.

Most people never stop to take a look at this and end up
beating their heads against the wall – wondering why they
can't generate better results.

3) Identify your ideal tactics.

There are thousands of things you could be doing right now.
You probably already have more ideas than you can
implement. That's why you often end up overwhelmed.

Make a list of things you could be doing, than select your
top three to five things and IMPLEMENT THEM COMPLETELY -
ONE AT A TIME!

OK, STOP HERE for a moment and re-read this last sentence.

Read it a few times until it sinks in how vital it is to
your success.

** FINISH ONE THING AT A TIME! **

4) Take action. One mediocre and poorly implemented idea
is better than 100 brilliant ideas still locked in
your head! Implementation beats perfection any day of
the week.

Based on your desired results identify specific action
steps that will be most effective in achieving your goals.

Look for activities that will bring the biggest payoff for
the least amount of effort. Start small and focus on quick
implementation and completion!

Set milestones and measure your progress. How will you know
you are getting closer to your goal? How will you know you
are there when you arrive?

In your plan identify ways to measure your progress then
check the reality against your plan at least weekly. If you
are not moving forward as fast as planned – go back and re-
evaluate your tactics and action steps. Then refocus on
taking DIFFERENT action.

So stop this "hop and drop" nonsense. Tell the Cheshire Cat
to "take a hike", and quickly get the results you want
following your own personal marketing action plan.

----------------------------------------------------
The author, Adam Urbanski, teaches service professionals
and business owners how to develop better marketing
strategies to increase sales and profits. His website
offers more how-to articles and free tips to create a
winning marketing action plan at
http://www.themarketingmentors.com

4 Reasons To Accept Credit Cards By Phone

Are you looking to accept credit cards for your business
but not sure what solution is best for you? Accepting
credit cards by phone can be a smart choice for the small
and new business owner. Below are 4 reasons why.

Convenience

Accepting credit cards by phone adds a powerful convenience
factor to your business. If you don't have a formal office
or place of business for your customers to come in and pay,
Dial Pay service is an excellent and essential tool. Or,
maybe you do have a shop or store but would simply like the
ability to close the deal with your customer no matter
where you are. Either way, you will likely see your
profits and customer satisfaction increase. Just think of
the advantages of being able to accept payments by phone,
on a job site, in a restaurant or even while at the grocery
store. And nowadays, it is very important to accept credit
card payment on the go and without delay.

A Call to Action

Another advantage to having a dialpay account is that it
allows you as the business owner to finalize the
transaction. In other words, your customer may verbally
commit to you on the sale or service you are providing but
unless you can finalize that agreement with payment, you
may risk losing the customer to other day to day
distractions or worse yet, to another competitor. Having
a merchant account that can work on any phone, including a
cell phone gives you this powerful advantage and again will
only increase your profitability as a business.

Cost Effective

Keeping costs down is vital for any small or new business.
Your standard merchant account requires you to have a
credit card machine which can cost you hundreds of dollars,
not so great for the little guy or the new business owner
who would rather be spending his money on advertising or
more important things. Another "high cost" associated with
merchant accounts that do not accept cards by phone are the
extra fees. Many times these accounts have $25.00 to
$35.00 monthly minimums as well as annual fees. Oh yah,
did I mention a whopping $250.00 to $450.00 account
cancellation fee if you close your account within the first
2 years? Fees, fees, fees. On the other hand, if you
accept credit cards by phone, you usually only pay one
rate, a low monthly statement fee and a minimal application
fee.

Fewer Headaches

Because there is no equipment needed to set up or use a pay
by phone merchant account, you don't have to worry about
technical equipment issues such as malfunctioning terminals
or programming errors that inevitably happen with merchants
that have credit card machines. If you ever had to deal
with such a problem you understand the significance and
value of having a simple credit card processing by phone
solution.

Whether your business is Limousine Service, Plumbing,
Contracting, Consulting, Crafts, Selling at flea markets or
even if you are an attorney, accepting credit cards by
telephone can be a smart choice in growing and maintaining
a healthy business.

----------------------------------------------------
Philip Ritchie is a National Sales Director for a major
credit card processor. He specializes in setting up
businesses to accept credit cards by phone. To learn more
about this unique service visit http://www.chargeonphone.com

How to Move Through Your Prospects' Biggest Blocks

I've found that there are three big blocks that most often
come up when anyone is looking at using a professional's
service or getting ready to buy a product:

Money, Time, Timing

This is with the understanding that everything else is a
match. They have a need and you can serve that need. They
feel connected to you. You have established trust, you both
feel excited, and the energy of possibilities is clearly in
the air between you.

Then one of the major blocks pops up.

What now? How can you help?

Let's start with first understanding the energy behind the
blocks. By doing this, we are able to come from a place of
empathy, rather than sympathy. It is a disaster move, as a
service provider, for you to join them in their blocks.
That might sound something like, "I know exactly what you
mean Ms. Prospect, and t here are a lot of things that I
really want, but can't have either. I hate it, too." This
is a HUGE disservice to them and you.

So what we are really looking at here is fear (of the
unknown, success, change, doing something positive for
themselves...the fear takes different forms for different
folks, but fear is fear). Even if they really don't have
the money, have absolutely no time, and are in some way not
ready or able, they are making excuses to mask the fear.

We make excuses because we can't see the difference between
an outer reality and our inner belief regarding that
reality. For most of us, we have a hard time separating the
two; we make them the same.

It might sound something like this:

I don't have the money now. = I don't believe I can raise
the money.

I don't have the time now. = I can't see how to make the
time.

I'm not ready now. = I'll never really be ready.

Back in the summer of 1999, I was studying in Ashland,
Oregon and one weekend we found this beautiful lake to swim
in and saw that across the lake people were jumping cliffs.
Now, this is something I use to do a lot when I was in high
school. So I swam across, climbed to the top, got to the
edge and froze. I could not jump off that cliff. Every time
I looked over the edge I thought, "This is a fifteen foot
cliff; what if I miss and slam into the rocks, I could
break my leg, I could die..."

Then, as I stood there, this boy, maybe he was eleven, came
up next to me, and asked, "Are you going to jump?" I
started to come up with all these excuses, but sighed and
just told him I was really scared. "It's just air and then
water. Just jump."

As I watched him sail over the edge and then bob up to the
surface just seconds later, amazingly to me, I jumped. It
was exhilarating! (And, obviously, I survived.)

This, my friend, is exactly how a prospect feels when
considering working with you. They see a financial
investment, an obligation of time and a challenge. They're
preparing to face a cliff to be jumped off.

So the automatic-human-fear-reaction is to make an excuse.

And, again, the worst move you can make is to join them.
"Yes, this cliff is really high. You're right; it's
impossible to jump. I understand how hard it is, so let me
call you back in a few months and see if you're ready to
jump then."

I can tell you, they will never be ready. (I know if that's
what I'd heard, I would still be standing on that cliff, or
worse, I would have turned around and gone back the way I
came.)

Again, assuming your offer is right for the m and they will
truly benefit from working with you, then you are NOT
serving their best interests if you "just let it slide."
Telling yourself that you are serving them by letting them
slide is your own excuse.

The energy of commitment is very strong. Let your prospect
know that when you make a commitment the Universe begins to
line up for you. Things may start slower than planned, but
when you truly commit, it happens. Let them know that,
together, you will take care of their concerns (money,
time, doubts).

My sense is you'll hear, "Let's do it!"

Can I tell you it will ALWAYS go this way? No, but what I
can tell you is that if YOU make the commitment to take a
stand for the truth about the difference your service will
make for your clients (and don't back down when they give
you excuses), you will have a client who puts themselves
completely in your process and together you will produce
magnificent results.

Go ahead. Take a stand. You can do it.

Call-to-Action:

When clients are afraid to move forward, they will make
excuses. They will give excuses that keep them from facing
the challenge.

As a professional, you need to call forth the magnificence
of your client, not join them in their fear.

Take a stand for them.

Take a stand for you.

----------------------------------------------------
Heather Dominick, Solo-Entrepreneur Expert, has over 10
years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather's
primary focus is in coaching entrepreneurs to identify
sources for increasing business profit and making
successful business changes. To sign up to receive your
free business building e-course go here now
http://www.energyrichcoach.com

Is It Time To Update Your Resume?

The motto "Be prepared," isn't just great advice for Boy
Scouts; it's also great career advice. You never know when
the perfect career opportunity will present itself. If a
recruiter called you today with your dream job, are you
prepared to send out an up-to-date resume right away?

There are four critical times to update your resume:

* At least once a year

* Any time your career focus changes

* When you anticipate layoffs with your company

* When you begin to feel dissatisfied with your current
position

1. Update your resume every year.

This is where many people fall short. When that recruiter
calls with the perfect job, you may suddenly find your
resume is years out of date, and you'll have to scramble to
catch up.

Keep your resume current by including your best
accomplishments each year. Don't count on your memory to
recall everything you achieved in years past! You are
likely to overlook critical achievements and contributions.
If you need assistance, a resume coach may be able to help
you through the process with some targeted questions on
your most recent jobs.

2. Update your resume when your career focus changes.

If you want to change your career path, then you also need
to change your resume. There are several ways to shift the
focus away from your current job and toward your new career.

By focusing on the skills that will be useful in your new
career, you can position yourself as a stronger candidate
for the job. Highlight those transferable skills in your
new resume, bringing them front and center.

In addition to highlighting your transferable skills, shift
your list of accomplishments to support those skills.
Accomplishment statements give credibility to transferable
skills and prove your ability to cross industry or
occupational lines. Well-crafted accomplishments make a
big difference in whether you win the interview or are
passed over.

Finally, be sure you understand your audience. As you
shift career focus, it is critical to understand the hiring
motives of your target market. Use your resume as an
effective selling tool by correctly anticipating the
recruiter's "wish list" for great job candidates.

3. Update your resume when you anticipate layoffs within
your company.

A harsh reality of today's economy is the need for
corporate downsizing. Layoffs and losses are becoming more
and more common. But you can prepare for any worst-case
scenario by keeping your resume up-to-date.

Don't make the mistake of being overly optimistic. It's
safer to assume that you are on the "out" list. Most
people who get caught unexpectedly in a layoff thought they
were indispensable to their employers. You might be
important or well-liked, but remember that the bottom line
always has a louder voice than you do. Get your resume
ready as soon as you see any indications that downsizing is
on the way.

Don't mistake company loyalty for a fear of change. Often
employees would rather take their chances with a potential
layoff than make proactive steps toward finding a new job.
Once they're laid off, it's already too late. Remember, as
a candidate, you are always more marketable while still
employed. Avoid this trap and start your job search early
with self-marketing tools (resume and cover letter) that
are up-to-date and top quality.

4. Update your resume when you are dissatisfied with your
current position.

Job dissatisfaction leads to feelings of frustration,
worthlessness, and often hopelessness. But there is no
reason to stay in a job you hate. Being prepared with an
updated resume can help you feel better in your current
job. When you have a really terrible day at work, you can
respond to job opportunities that same evening with
confidence in your up-to-the-minute resume. Taking
proactive steps toward a new career will give you back your
optimism and self worth.

If it's time for you to update your resume, first decide
whether your resume requires a simple update or a complete
rewrite. If you have been using the same resume format
throughout your career, it's possible that you have
outgrown the old look. What your resume promoted ten years
ago may not be appropriate or significant for your career
choices today. And if you've simply been "tacking on" to
your old resume, it may start to resemble a house with too
many additions, with little sense or direction.

A professional resume critique can help you decide exactly
what you need to move forward. A well-written resume can
make an incredible difference in:

* The length of time it takes to make your career move

* The quality of your next position

* The income potential of your next position

Your resume is your best sales tool in finding a new job,
and it deserves the investment of your time and commitment.
With a little extra effort now, you'll be prepared for
anything that comes your way-and be well on the path to
your next great job.

----------------------------------------------------
Deborah Walker, Career and Resume Coach, provides job
seekers up-to-the-minute advice on all phases of resume and
job-search effectiveness. Find more career-expert tips and
see sample resumes at:
http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Ten Tips for the Interview Follow Up

Not getting a follow-up call when promised is a very common
occurrence. Candidates are sometimes sure that they aced
the interview and are perfect for the position, in fact
they are anticipating a call and an offer. But instead they
get "nothing." No offer; no call. They never hear from the
company. This is not only frustrating, but reflects poorly
on the company. In fact it is rude. What can you do about
this situation? Here are some tips on how to handle the
follow up that may save you from some anxiety.

1. Try to find out about the decision-process before you
leave the interview. Ask when you could expect to hear
back. Take that date and then add a few days before you
start to worry.

2. Always send a follow up addressing any concerns you may
have picked up or any thoughts you had about the position
since the interview. Think of this as one more chance to
put yourself in front of them.

3. After you have waited for a reasonable period beyond the
date they stated, call and inquire as to the status of the
position and whether you are still in the running.

4. As a general rule, don't call on Mondays - bad day to
market anything. 5. If you leave a message inquiring about
the status of the job, and no one calls you back after a
couple of attempts - move on and forget about it. Don't
call back more than a couple of times. There is a fine line
between being persistent and being a pest. 6. If you are
told you are no longer under consideration, try asking for
feedback (most of the time they won't give you any, but
still worth a try). Ask if there is any additional
information that you can supply that will convince them
that you are the right person for the job.

7. Don't rely on one job interview. No matter what was said
in the interview – continue your search. There have been
too many bad examples of those who thought they were a
shoe-in - only to get a reject letter.

8. Don't take it personally! There are about a thousand
reasons that could have affected your chances.

9. Accept the fact that not all companies are right for
you. Just like blind dates - they are checking you out and
you are checking them out. Sometimes it's chemistry – and
sometimes it wasn't right for you – for whatever reason.

10.Try not to get discouraged by the rejects. It's a
numbers game and your turn will come if you hang in there.

----------------------------------------------------
Carole Martin, America's #1 Interview Coach, is a
celebrated author, trainer, and mentor. Carole can give you
interviewing tips like no one else can. Get a copy of her
FREE 9-part "Interview Success Tips" report by visiting
Carole on the web at The Interview Coach
http://www.interviewcoach.com

Marketing Strategies for Your Business - Email Campaigns

Now that you know your Vision, your Ideal Client, how to
Build Authentic Relationships, create Strategic Referral
Partnerships and Client Referral Strategies, you can
effectively take advantage of Email Campaigns.

As you may recall, I mentioned in last month's article
there are several marketing strategies to fundamentally
build a business. The strategies are simple but not always
easy. However, if they're coupled with vision, vigor and a
little tenacity, both business and life can be enjoyed with
ease - and results produced with velocity.

Remember as these strategies unfold in your reading each
month, I never said it would be easy, however I am saying,
it "can" be done with ease AND velocity with the right
energy going in the right direction.

And you must keep in mind that one thing that often comes
between you and your success is the "human condition", your
self imposed barriers, road blocks, and what you think you
already know. Be aware of the barriers and road blocks as
you read these.

Yes, I'm repeating this each month intentionally. Why? The
two most prominent reasons are:

1. to shift how you think in a way that builds your muscles
to understand the fundamentals of marketing

2. to address the human condition that could stop you from
implementing the strategies and creating extreme success.

Keep in mind - Vision must be first...! Vision + Vigor +
Tenacity = Velocity of Results! Another way to market your
small business is through email campaigns. The important
thing to remember is to use all of the strategies discussed
in previous issues. As you implement ALL of the strategies,
you begin to make an impression on the public and "brand"
your company. They all work hand in hand, not necessarily
or exclusively on their own. The power lies in the
combination. So, avoid relying solely on one strategy. Use
and implement them all to yield the greatest return.

Email campaigns can be used as a educational,
reinforcement, branding and/or sales medium. The order in
which you use these will be determined by your overall
marketing strategy. I would recommend "strategic" planning
to determine the order in which the different type of
emails will be distributed. .

Educating your clients about your products and services is
vital to the success in sales. Making customers aware why
you and your product(s) is/are the best and/or why it's
unique is primary. Lack of education may be the only thing
in the way of a customer purchase. You can educate through
email campaigns.

Your email campaigns should simply tell a story about you
and your product(s). Be sure to also include a competitive
edge... your USP (unique selling proposition). Branding
your image is another benefit of doing email campaigns.

Think of it this way, each time you send a message you are
creating brand recognition. The key is keeping your
communications interesting and inviting.

Email campaigns can prove to be very effective if you have
a large enough contact list containing your "ideal client".
With the right list you will yield a greater return. ,
however, again you must have a large enough list of your
ideal clients to yield the greatest return. Email campaigns
can also be used to simply send a heartfelt message.
(Preferably daily or once a week) Sending heart felt
messages keeps you connected and builds your relationship
with your customer which also results in increased revenue.

Critical points of this article:

* Be sure your campaign has a unique selling proposition
(USP), a competitive edge. Including your vision is
always recommended and adding a compelling offer should be
paramount.

* Know your vision.

* Know your ideal client.

* Create a compelling offer.

* Create a unique selling proposition.

* Advertise with mediums that serve your ideal client.

* Create a collaborative effort and win/win for everyone.

* Remember, you also must "implement" the strategies
channeling the right energy in the right direction to
have them be most effective and reflect success in your
business.

Remember, you don't have to be in business alone or
struggle to make it successful. You must "implement" the
strategies channeling the right energy and the right
direction.

----------------------------------------------------
The Power, Passion & Purpose Group, brings over twenty
years experience in business, relationship and individual
life coaching. Join the P3groups mailing list to receive
their online magazine - The P3 Power Boost Magazine for
Women at http://www.TheP3Group.com .

Simplify Your Life: Hire a Virtual Assistant

How much is your time worth to you? Every minute that you
spend doing paperwork is a minute lost for developing your
product or service, networking with potential clients, or
making sales. In simple terms, every minute you spend on
administrative tasks is a minute you could have spent
growing your business. But, without the resources to hire
an Administrative Assistant, how can you get the help you
need?

Virtual assistance is an industry that has grown immensely
in the past few years. This development is due in part to
the growth of the internet and new technologies, which have
made working with an Assistant, as simple as sending an
email. It has also grown as a result of the number of
entrepreneurs that simply don't have the space and/or the
money to hire an in-house Assistant. More and more small
businesses are coming to the realization that the solution
to this problem is virtual assistance.

Outsourcing administrative work allows entrepreneurs to
focus on the income earning aspects of their business while
saving the money that would have been spent on hiring an
Administrative Assistant.

Most Virtual Assistants offer two options for acquiring
their services. For those who need help regularly, most
VAs offer retainer plans, which allow you to purchase their
services in monthly time blocks. This is a good option
when you need multiple tasks performed each month. For
example, if you have a customer database that needs regular
maintenance and weekly invoicing that must be performed,
then hiring a Virtual Assistant on a retainer basis will
enable you to outsource those tasks and get them off of
your own to-do list. If you need ten hours of service per
month, you only pay for ten hours of service. If you need
twenty hours of administrative work completed per month,
you pay for twenty hours, and so on. Most Virtual
Assistants offer discounts for clients who purchase their
services on a retainer basis. Usually, the more hours
purchased, the larger the discount.

For clients who only need an occasional project completed,
such as a document typed or the completion of a
spreadsheet, services can be purchased on an hourly basis.
This means that if your project will take only an hour to
complete, you will pay for only one hour of service. Your
Virtual Assistant will be able to give you an estimate on
the amount of time the project should take to complete.
Some VAs have a minimum hourly requirement however, so it's
best to inquire about this first.

When working with a Virtual Assistant for the first time,
it is always best to start with a small project to see if
you and the VA are compatible. Once you have established
that he/she provides quality work and that you communicate
well, you can decide whether or not to continue sending
projects or retaining their services.

The growth of the Virtual Assistant industry has made it
possible for anyone to have their own Assistant. Whether
you are an office of one or one hundred, virtual assistance
might be the answer for you. Acquiring quality assistance
will free up your time and simplify your life.

----------------------------------------------------
Kelly Sims is a Virtual Assistant and President of
Virtually There VA Services. To find out more about
virtual assistance and how using a Virtual Assistant can
simplify your life, visit her website at =>
http://www.virtuallythereva.com
While you're there, don't forget to sign up for her free
monthly newsletter providing useful information that
enhances and simplifies the lives of busy entrepreneurs.

Formatting Your Press Release

Once you know the basics involved in writing a Press
Release, you'll find it's a pretty simple process to put
one together. In fact, if you conform to "industry
standards" and include the information that reporters and
editors are expecting to find, your press release stands a
very good chance of actually being used.

Here are the formatting rules you need to follow:

Use mixed case. NEVER SUBMIT A PRESS RELEASE IN ALL UPPER
CASE LETTERS. As you can see, it's much more difficult to
read that way.

Always follow the rules of grammar and style. Errors in
grammar and style affect your credibility. Excessive errors
will cause your press release to be rejected.

Don't use HTML. When sending your press release to online
Media, do not embed HTML or other markup languages in it.
Including such formatting will negatively impact the
readability of your press release.

Use more than one paragraph. If you can say everything in
only a few sentences, then chances are you do not have a
newsworthy story. (*Note: You may hear that your press
release should "never" be more than one page long. I have
found that a press release should be as long as it takes to
tell your story. If that means one and a-half or two pages,
then that's how long it should be. Do your best to keep it
short and sweet, but don't take out important information
just to make it fit on one page.)

Include a summary paragraph for online submissions. Some
online news services request that you include a one-page
summary of your press release. This is because some
distribution points only receive your headline, summary and
a link to your press release. If you are submitting to
online services, not including the summary paragraph may
reduce the effectiveness of your press release. This is not
usually necessary with print, television or radio media.

Write your press release on a word processor instead of
composing it online. When you've finished writing it, print
it out, and proofread it. Rewrite, edit, and proofread
again, until you've got it exactly how you want it, and
there are no mistakes. Because most people have a harder
time proofreading their own writing, ask someone you trust
to proofread it for you.

Do not include your e-mail address in the body of your
release -- especially when submitting your press release
online, or publishing your press release on your Website or
in your blog. You can include your email address in the
contact information if you wish, but if it goes online, be
prepared to be spammed, since it's going into public
domain. Most online media services will have a place for
your email address in the submission process, for your
protection, and most of your local media will prefer a
telephone number to contact you with.

Here is a basic template you can use when writing your
Press Release:

Starting at the top of the page, on your company
letterhead, write the words "PRESS RELEASE" in all capital
letters, centered and bolded.

Hit the enter-bar twice, so you go down two lines. On the
left hand side of the page, write the date you want the
information to be released, or if it's "FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE" write that, again in all CAPS and bolded. On the
same line, but to the far right, write the words "CONTACT
INFORMATION" again, bolded and in capital letters. Go down
to the next line, and list the contact person and their
phone number.

It's always a good idea to have two contact people whenever
possible and two phone numbers for each of them -- for
example, the office number and cell phone numbers. You can
also put your email address here.

Hit the enter-bar twice again, and type in your headline
next. (It needs to be centered and bolded, but not
necessarily in all CAPS). Your headline needs to be short,
snappy and relevant. You want it to grab the reader's
attention.

Go down two spaces again. The body of your press release
should be double spaced, and typed in an easy to read 12 in
font, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Leave lots of white
space in your press release -- use at least one to two inch
margins around your page.

The first paragraph of your press release needs to provide
the reader with enough basic information to make them keep
reading. It should answer the "W" questions -- who, what,
when, and where and why. Because you've only got a few
sentences, make every word count.

The second paragraph of your press release will answer the
"so what" question. It needs to explain who is going to be
interested in this information, and why they should care
about it. The second paragraph is an ideal place to include
a quote, or a touchie-feely "Kodak" moment, to add human
interest to your story.

The third (and often final) paragraph of your press release
should answer any other questions the reporter or
journalist might still have about your story. Here is where
you can include information about your company, or any
technical stuff.

Make your press release long enough to say what you need to
say. If it goes beyond one page, then centered under the
last line on the first page, write the word "MORE" in all
caps and bold it.

Then on the second page, on the top right hand side of the
page, write "Page 2" and on the line under that, write the
title of your press release again.

Continue where you left off. When your press release is
finished, put these symbols centered under the last line
"###" (without the quotation marks.) This lets the reader
know that you're done.

That's all there is to it. Although the information you
provide will be different each time you write a press
release, the basic format will always stay the same. Now
you've got enough information to be able to write your
first press release.

----------------------------------------------------
Dr. John E. Neyman, Jr. is owner of Leaders Excel in which
he specializes in coaching, websites, and optimization. If
you would like to grow in your leadership ability contact
Dr. John at john@LeadersExcel.com or
http://LeaderExcelSolutions.com

Top Review of Marketing Guru Bob Proctor

Bob Proctor $1,995 for Instant Access to the Science of
Getting Rich Program and the Law of Attraction! You are
going to have to show me a lot more than a good long sales
letter and a couple of video clips to get me to throw down
two grand.

Bob Proctor is a marketing / motivational speaker guy that
has been around for a long, long time. Nearly forty years.
He is now the vice president of sales at the popular
electronic publishing and self improvement company, The
Nightingale-Conant Corporation.

The Nightingale-Conant Corp. was put together by the very
famous Earl Nightingale and equally well known partner
Lloyd Conant. Some popular products offered on CD include
Psycho Cybernetics, Think and Grow Rich, and The Strangest
Secret (Earl Nightingale) along with so many others. These
programs by the way are offered at a realistic price point.
You can build yourself a great collection of knowledge for
a small percentage of what's being charged by Bob Proctor
to teach the same thing that is on these CDs.

All of this motivational, you can do whatever your mind and
heart desire stuff is great. Unfortunately Bob Proctor is
not the one who came up with most of the ideas that are in
the programs or The Little Green Book which is basically
Earl Nightingales Strangest Secrets. Nothing wrong with
that, he is the V.P. of sales. It is his job to sell.

Bob Proctor him self does has a very successful story to be
told. His own company, Life Success Productions has worked
with some giant corporation like Metropolitan Life and IBM.
He teaches "the Midas Touch, where everything your heart
desires becomes reality." They have helped sales staffs to
become more positive and productive in there selling
approaches. His trainings are highly sought after by many
individuals and large companies all over the world.

As of lately I personally am only interested in the real
down to the bone, money making programs. I do not like to
beat around the bush when it comes to making money. Find a
good money making program or course and then get "your mind
in harmony with the law of attraction," if Bob Proctors
teachings are what really interest you. When I found a way
to make more money that worked, it was all the motivation
that I needed.

The Science of Getting Rich and Life Success Consultants
are a couple more programs that Bob offers. Again, the
information and general content is good but for me it is
not delivered at a pace that I can bare. I want a direct
path to the money at light speed. To get through all the
motivational and uplifting exercises before telling me what
I really want to know kind of drives me crazy.

The slogan is "make it happen fast" and they state that you
can retire this year. That is a bold statement although,
and of course a very motivating one. In my opinion, this is
what the whole course and program being offered is all
about. I like this kind of stuff but to me it is not worth
the high price tag.

Bob Proctor is a great motivational speaker and a lot of
what he teaches is solid. I give him a good report based on
what he is teaching, a motivational course. At this he is
one of the best.

----------------------------------------------------
We review Internet Gurus and Marketing programs every day.
What program or marketing guru interests you? see what the
reviewers have to say befor you get involved at:
http://www.ultimatebizreviews.com

Jawbone Bluetooth Headset

Jawbone Bluetooth Headset is the clever product of an
electrifying combination of Bluetooth and noise eliminating
DARPA technology. This foresight fused futuristic design
and real time convenience. Talk about the cutting edge in
technology. Jawbone Bluetooth Headset beats them to the
finish line and more.

What's with Jawbone Bluetooth Headset? Well, consider
these scenarios: scrambling to the shrieking phone and
stopping dead on your tracks because it stopped ringing
when you were just about an inch away? Fumbling and almost
stumbling while fishing out your mobile phone from your bag
or pocket? Dropping everything just to answer the phone?
Shouting yourself hoarse just to be heard (amid the noise
and ruckus) on the other end of the line? Forget those
blues with the smartest headset of this generation.
Jawbone Bluetooth Headset, had all these outdated gizmo's
archived in the gadgets museum.

You can take it with you anytime, without any excess
baggage. Slip on the ear loop, and off you go. Whether
you are jogging or doing your sit-ups, you can answer a
call without missing a beat. This headset gives more
freedom on the road. You just press the talk button and
chat away. You get all incoming calls from your mobile,
which transmits calls to your headset. It is lightweight
and comfortable to wear. Really sounds great too. The
Bluetooth superiority adds up to the many convenient
features of the Jawbone Bluetooth Headset.

Each purchase comes with four variants of ear buds and ear
loops, a wall charger unit, USB charger cable and an
instruction manual. You can see the Jawbone Bluetooth
Headset in its entire splendor in the simple but elegant
package. It does not seem like a techie gadget; there are
no visible buttons and springs, making it the must-have
wear anywhere. There are no distracting blinking lights.
It will go along with any of your outfit. It is there;
snuggled along your jawbone, ready to alert you to take
incoming calls.

In the workspace, the Jawbone Bluetooth Headset makes it
easier for secretaries to take their personal calls without
fuss. Just imagine people appearing talking to themselves
while working without batting eyelashes. Driving a car
with a hands free phone like a Bluetooth Headset will make
it the best option. Your voice will carry clearly despite
the hum of a running motor. In case of emergencies, this
can be the best tool to have around. With voice activation
dialing you can call an important number real fast.

Being compatible with most Bluetooth enhanced phones and
other media, the Jawbone Bluetooth Headset ends the search
for the ideal mobile phone. The device measures 1 oz with
the ear hook. It has a talk time of 6 hours and a standby
time of up to 120 hours. The rechargeable battery makes
life with a Jawbone Bluetooth Headset easier with only two
hours of charging time. This is not much trouble,
considering its great features. Well, there is only one
find way to find out – get one now.

----------------------------------------------------
Online retailer offering consumer electronics products,
including cellular phones and accessories, personal
computers, and computer components. To view a wide range of
Bluetooth Headsets including some of the latest inovations,
please visit
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