One stop Fulfillment with HD DVD Authoring

Managing all the items necessary to produce a direct
mailing to a customer can be very challenging for a
marketing person these days. In the past marketing pros had
to get different vendors to do each job separately, but
today, there are one stop shops that can handle it all from
On Demand Production of DVDs to storing the materials.
There are even companies that provide producer services for
those producers who can't be everywhere or need a little
extra help. Services range from consultation to complete
editorial supervision.

DVDs are fast becoming an important part of sales and
press kits lately. First there is the DVD production, DVD
video editing, DVD replication, then printing DVD labels,
then choosing the case, etc. And most people have sales
brochures, or sales and press kits that they would also
like to add to their mailings to customers. That means
using a copy and print shop to copy, collate and stuff the
press kits, which are typically designed by a graphic
artist, then printed by a printer. Next, business card
production, envelopes, labels, stamps or bulk mail stickers
are required, not to mention a store room to keep it all in.

A fulfillment house is critical to keeping things running
smoothly no matter how big or how small the mailing. Today,
a well versed business can do it all. Printing. Duplicating
CDs or DVDs. Collating. Stuffing. The cost savings and
convenience of delivering any of these items directly to a
customer list are substantial. A premiere source for
services, look for companies that offer 3 inch mini disc
or business card disc production for both CD and DVD. If
needed, there should also be a creative engineering team
that can encode and pre-master a video presentation, or add
PDF documents, templates, images and hyperlinks from a
client's website allowing for a dynamic marketing or trade
show presentation.

Using an in-house direct mail services team can start the
fulfillment process the second a project is complete.
Experts on postal rules and regulations, presorting, and
postage discounts, a good company assures the best possible
mailing rates using USPS-certified CASS address
standardization software to provide significant postal rate
discounts and maximize delivery efficiency.

Mailing pieces are assembled and addressed professionally;
inkjet printed with bar codes and Zip+4, and then bundled
according to postal requirements. Post Office paperwork is
completed and samples are sent to the client. The finished
product is delivered to the post office for seamless,
automated mailing.

----------------------------------------------------
Contat: Kristin Gabriel
323.650.2838
About Acutrack, Inc. (http://www.acutrack.com)
Established in 1992, Acutrack, Inc. enables customers to
create, publish and deliver custom content for DVD and CD
distribution worldwide. The company provides fast,
high-quality CD and DVD production including video editing,
DVD authoring, graphic design, photo realistic and
silkscreen printing, and a variety of packaging, copy
protection and fulfillment services.
Acutrack's proprietary On Demand production gives customers
the ability to produce and ship custom packaged CDs or DVDs
one at a time. Ideal for customer's who are selling
downloadable content and are not sure how many units to
produce; On Demand takes care of inventory, packaging and
fulfillment.

Stop Acting Based on Misunderstandings about What's Going on and Accomplish 20 Times More

Organizations are hobbled by false beliefs that have always
rested on faulty evidence. Those false beliefs waste
resources, time, and effort by focusing attention in
unproductive and counter productive areas and activities.

Here's an example: For most organizations, good ideas are
20 times more likely to come from outside the organization
than within. Yet most organizations assume that almost all
good good ideas will come from within and focus time,
attention, and resources accordingly. It's like trying to
grow strawberries in the the shade; those sun-loving plants
won't do well if you believe they prosper best in the shade.

The misunderstanding-of-the-facts stall (a bad habit that
reduces results) is particularly harmful because some of
your best people already realize that you are operating on
faulty assumptions. Since actions based on those
assumptions are folly, these key employees are losing faith
in the future of the organization and the quality of its
leadership. Soon, you may find recovery from your mistakes
is made more difficult as your most talented people seek
other opportunities.

Misleading Beliefs: The Danger of False Assumptions Abounds

How is a misunderstanding-of-the-facts stall different
from a disbelief stall? A disbelief stall is based on
something that was once true, but no longer is. A
misunderstanding-of-the-facts stall is based on a belief
that was never true. Here are some examples of harmful
misconceptions:

• The future can be accurately forecast.

• Competitors will stand still while we make rapid progress.

• Agreement among colleagues means that issues are
understood.

• Customers will make the decisions in the same ways they
always have.

All long-held assumptions and beliefs should be questioned.
Ask yourself:

• Is it really true?

• If it isn't true, why do people believe it to be true?

• What's needed to persuade people to change their beliefs?

Titanic Misconceptions: A Stitch in Time

The fate of the Titanic illustrates several dimensions of
the misunderstanding-of-the-facts stall. It was an obvious
misunderstanding of the facts to believe that the ship was
unsinkable and to provide too few life boats for the
passengers and crew. We have learned from that error.
Today, all liners are required to have enough life boats
for everyone.

The actual sinking related to a different misunderstanding
of the facts, one about the weather. Normally, icebergs in
the North Atlantic would have been found floating far north
of the Titanic's path on that frigid night in April 1912.
The captain disregarded a report from another ship that
icebergs had moved to a more southerly latitude. Why? He
believed that icebergs never traveled that far south during
this season. If the captain had double-checked with other
available sources of information, such as other ships and
shore stations, he might have gotten a confirmation that
icebergs were loose in his area in time to slow down and
avoid the sinking. None of the 1,503 deaths would have
occurred had the ship slowed down in the iceberg-infested
seas, or, better still, had the captain chosen a more
southerly route where there were no icebergs.

The ship's contact with the iceberg was made worse by a
command to turn away from the looming iceberg. It's
anyone's instinct to avoid a collision. In this situation,
that instinct was based on a misconception. While many
would have suffered broken bones and some would have died
from injuries during a head-on collision, the Titanic would
probably not have sunk after such a collision. Few of its
watertight compartments would have been breached.
Because the ship turned, the iceberg slashed along the
entire length of the ship on one side, resulting in almost
half the watertight compartments being breached. If all
those compartments filled with sea water, the Titanic would
sink. None of its designers had ever considered the
possibility the ship would sideswipe an iceberg along so
much of her length.

Once struck, another misconception sealed the ship's doom.
No one checked soon enough to see how bad the damage was.
Subsequent investigations have shown that the total area
breached in the ship's side was less than ten square feet,
across many different "watertight" compartments. With fast
action, rescue crews could have placed mattresses and
waterproof liners over enough of the gashes in the least
damaged compartments to have kept the ship afloat until
rescuers arrived.

Passengers also disdained to take their chances with an
early life boat in the North Atlantic, feeling they were
safer on board. Many of the life boats were launched
without a full complement. Many other life boats couldn't
be launched later because the ship was listing so hard on
the side where the iceberg struck its sideways blow.

Once the Titanic was in peril, misunderstanding of the
facts once again weighed in to create unnecessary harm. The
captain of the Californian, a nearby ship large enough to
rescue everyone aboard the Titanic, was alerted by the
watch that Titanic was launching distress flares. The
captain decided these pyrotechnics must be some kind of
celebration and sailed on. All this captain had to do to
avoid this mistake was to wake up his radioman and ask the
Titanic, "You're not sinking, are you?"

The lesson to be learned is that we can change course and
avoid icebergs that can mortally damage our organizations.
We don't have to steam at top speed through treacherous
waters without enough life boats simply because we
misunderstand the dangers.

Copyright 2007 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved

----------------------------------------------------
Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a
strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is
coauthor of six books including The 2,000 Percent Squared
Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, and The 2,000 Percent
Solution Workbook. Free advice on accomplishing 20 times
more is available to you by registering at
=====>

http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

10 Killer Job Interview Questions and Answers

Behind every interview question there is a concern or
another question. Your job is to process the question
thinking about what the interviewer's concern might be. In
other words, why is the interviewer asking you this
question?

Q#1 - How long have you been looking for a job? (Concern –
is there something wrong with you that other employers have
picked up?)

A#1 - "After I was laid off from my last job, I took the
opportunity to take some time out to examine my career
goals and where I was going with my life. I have just begun
my search in the last few weeks. I have a definite goal in
mind and have been selective about the positions I
consider. Your company and this position are of great
interest to me."

Q#2 - How did you prepare for this interview? (Concern –
are you interested enough to do some research, or are you
going to "wing it"?)

A#2 - "When I found this position posted on the internet
(monster.com) I was immediately interested. I checked out
the company website and mission statement, looked at the
bios of company founders and executives, and was impressed.
Once I had the interview appointment, I talked with friends
and acquaintances in the industry. And, I'm sure I'll find
out a lot more in today's meetings."

Q#3 - What is your salary expectation for this job?
(Concern – Can we afford you? Can we get you for less than
budgeted?)

A#3 - "I'll need more information about the job and the
responsibilities involved before we can begin to discuss
salary. Can you give me an idea of the range budgeted for
this position?"

Q#4 - How do you keep current and informed about your job
and the industries that you have worked in? (Concern – Once
you get the job do you continue to learn and grow – stay
challenged and motivated?)

A#4 - "I pride myself on my ability to stay on top of what
is happening in my industry. I do a lot of reading – the
business section of the newspapers and magazines. I belong
to a couple of professional organizations and network with
colleagues at the meetings. I take classes and seminars
whenever they are of interest, or offer new information or
technology."

Q#5 - Tell me about a time when you had to plan and
coordinate a project from start to finish. (Concern –
behavioral questions – seeking an example of specific past
behavior)

A#5 - " I headed up a project which involved customer
service personnel and technicians. I organized a meeting to
get everyone together to brainstorm and get his or her
input. From this meeting I drew up a plan, taking the best
of the ideas. I organized teams, balancing the mixture of
technical and non-technical people. We had a deadline to
meet, so I did periodic checks with the teams. After three
weeks, we were exceeding expectations, and were able to
begin implementation of the plan. It was a great team
effort, and a big success. I was commended by management
for my leadership, but I was most proud of the team spirit
and cooperation which it took to pull it off."

Q#6 - What kinds of people do you have difficulties
working with? (Concern – ability to be flexible and work in
a diverse environment?)

A#6 - "In my last three jobs I have worked with men and
women from very diverse backgrounds and cultures. The only
time I had difficulty was with people who were dishonest
about work issues. I worked with one woman who was taking
credit for work that her team accomplished. I had an
opportunity to talk with her one day and explained how she
was affecting the morale. She became very upset that others
saw her that way, and said she was unaware of her behavior
or the reactions of others. Her behavior changed after our
talk. What I learned from that experience is that sometimes
what we perceive about others is not always the case if we
check it out."

Q#7 - We expect managers to work more than 8 hours a day.
Do you have a problem with that? (Concern – are you a
work-aholic or a person who requires balance?)

A#7 - "I have no problem working long hours. I have worked
12 or 14 hour days. What I have found works for me is to
work smarter, not necessarily longer. My goal is to get the
job done, whatever that takes, in the most efficient
manner."

Q#8 - When have you been most satisfied in your career?
(Concern – what motivates you? Or demotivates you?)

A#8 - "The job before the one I am currently at, was my
most rewarding experience for me. I worked in a wonderful
team environment. There was a lot of camaraderie. I worked
with a team of four people and we did some really original
thinking. It is that kind of environment I want to be
involved in again."

Q#9 - Why do you want this job? (Concern – are you using
the shot-gun approach to job search or do you really know
what you want?)

A#9 – "I've been very careful about the companies where I
have applied. When I saw the ad for this position, I knew I
found what I was looking for. What I can bring to this job
is my seven years of experience, and knowledge of the
industry, plus my ability to communicate and build customer
relationships. That, along with my flexibility and
organizational skills, makes me a perfect match for this
position. I see some challenges ahead of me here, and
that's what I thrive on. I have what you need, and you have
what I want."

Q#10 - We are ready to make an offer. Are you ready to
accept today? (Concern – we don't want you to go away and
think about it and change your mind – we want you.)

A#10 - "Based on my research and the information I have
gathered during the interview process, I feel I am in a
position to consider an offer. I do, however, have a
personal policy that I give myself at least 24 hours to
make major life decisions. I could let you know by
tomorrow."

There is no way you can accurately predict the questions
that will be asked in an interview, but you can be ready
and prepared by thinking about the factors that might
concern an interviewer or employer before the interview.

----------------------------------------------------
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

Rewarding Advertising Through Corporate Gifts

Most corporations order large amounts of corporate branded
items to distribute to their customers, employees,
distributors, and retailers for many reasons. From giant
corporations to small businesses, this promotional trend
has carried its way though most of the business world.

These branded gifts represent a sense of appreciation to
the receivers and at the same time keep the corporation in
mind whenever the branded item is present. A good example
of this is the commonly known corporate branded pen. Pens
can be branded and purchased at a reasonable price but at
the same time are often used and passed on from person to
person which often places curiosity in the holder causing
him or her to research or ask what a company is or does.

The sense of value these gifts carry on to their clients
then transfer as word of mouth has shown that this method
of advertisement is a excellent way to retain and build
overall business success. Statistically speaking, more
than 75% of the people and companies being rewarded with
such items are more likely to continue doing business with
the rewarding company than if nothing was received. Money
isn't always everything when it comes to business. Even in
a retail environment, sales people are more likely to sell
a specific product when they are rewarded with such items.

In somewhat of the same sense, businesses and corporations
often order these items for their employees as well. From
a financial look, branded items are commonly discounted
when ordered in bulk which can bring down the cost in
comparison to purchasing non-branded items. The branded
items give employees the same sense of company importance
and value as other areas of business; especially when the
items are of great quality. Rewarding employees with such
items often shows solid company structure to the employee's
family, friends, and business contacts.

Corporations often decorate offices with branded items to
reiterate the company logos and slogans with items such as
clocks, mouse pads, calendars, and business card holders.
These flashy items are a convincing way to impress business
contacts into proving they are dealing with a serious
company.

Although this is a very small aspect of business and can
even be considered almost a luxury; it has proven to be
enjoyable and rewarding. Corporate branded items are the
best option if you are looking to bring fun into your work
place but not simply throw money away.

----------------------------------------------------
This article was written for our friends at Corporate Gifts
World - http://corporategiftsworld.com to explain the
benefits of purchasing corporate branded goods. Article
written and distributed by Steve Cancel, IT Manager of
Secure Link - http://www.slwebsolutions.com .

The Secrets to Acquiring new Customers

One of the many reasons that get people interested in using
direct marketing is its value as a means of acquiring new
customers or clients. With the ever increasing costs of
doing business it is critically important for the retail
automotive dealership and management to be cost-effective
in marketing.

That means that good control is exercised over the cost of
getting a new customer. Many businesses grow their gross at
the expense of their net. At least partially through
uncontrolled new customer acquisition cost. With that
approach, they can literally grow themselves right out of
business.

I've found that the best way to develop methods that work
consistently, predictably and cost-effectively in acquiring
new customers is through direct mail marketing. When you
develop a successful cost-effective direct mail program
you've got an extremely valuable asset. You've got a system
that you can use over and over again for a long time with
predictable results. Unfortunately, most businesses don't
take the time or effort to do this.

"If you do not have a system for selling, you are at the
mercy of the buyer's system for buying (or not buying)."
LAH Promotions 2007

To use direct mail effectively to acquire new customers or
clients you have to deal with demographics. Demographics
are the statistical information about people that marketers
use to select and target their prospective customers and
clients.

Today computers have added a huge extra measure of
sophistication to the collection and organization of
demographic information. So that it is literally true that
if you can describe it you can get it. This makes it
critically important to know as much as possible about your
present customers and your desirable customers. The more
information you have about the commonalities in your
customer base the more efficiently you can select prospects.

Here's a partial list of demographic information you might
compile about your potential customers; age, sex, marital
status, home ownership, car ownership, major purchase
behavior, credit card possession, income level,
occupations, response to mail order offers, magazines
subscribed to, cable TV subscription, etc…

By collecting and analyzing the data about your customers
you might find, for example, that a significant majority of
your best customers are between 30-35 years of age, male,
married, own their own homes, have bought a new car within
the last three years, have bought a VCR or television set
in the last two years, have an American Express card, earn
between $50,000-$80,000 a year, are engineers or middle
managers, are known mail order purchasers, subscribe to
Playboy and have cable television.

If you have that type of information you have the power to
very efficiently select new groups of targeted prospects.

----------------------------------------------------
Hal has been marketing for the automotive industry for 24
years. He has produced direct mail for 900+ retail
automotive dealers from coast to coast. His promotions
include single point and multi-dealer on-site and off-site
sales.
http://www.lahpromotions.com

Stop Waiting for Someone to Produce You

I can remember when I would wait for opportunities to come
to me. I would stand by the idea that "whatever is supposed
to happen will happen" and then one day it occurred to me
that all I was really doing was hiding. What was behind
that hiding was, "Who do I think I am to be amazing and
fabulous, AND wealthy?" I wasn't coded for success. I was
coded for approval.

Since I've been coaching other entrepreneurs on building
their own successful, sustainable businesses, I've seen
this same syndrome dozens if not hundreds of times.
Sometimes it's a question of, "Will I really be able to
handle the success?" or "If I am so abundant and
successful, then I'm taking away from others." Of course,
neither of these is true. First, you are always set up to
put systems in place that will embrace your growth rather
than stunt it and second, the more successful you are, then
the more success there is for others. There is nothing
spiritual, kind, or gracious about holding yourself back
because when you do, you are actually holding others back
as well. When you hold back your gifts, you rob the world.
Your gifts are not for you alone. When you truly use your
talents to serve others, then you are truly living your
purpose and when you profit from this-even better; you have
more to give and the success cycle fuels itself. See?

Now that we have that straight, let's go to the deeper form
of sabotage I've seen in others and myself: waiting for
someone else to do it for you. That same question of, "Who
do I think I am?" can be pretty sly and sneaky by fooling
us into believing we aren't capable, which shows itself as,
"I don't know enough," or "If I do this and succeed, then
people will see that I'm actually capable and no one will
take care of me. I'll always have to do everything by
myself." Yikes. This is also cutting off your purpose and,
I can pretty much bet on it, stunting your profit.

This is what I call the Lana Turner myth. Lana Turner was
an incredible, academy award-winning actress who passed
away in 1995. The story is she skipped one of her high
school classes at Hollywood High and was then discovered by
a talent agent at the local drugstore as she sat there
sipping her soda and the rest is history. Now parts of this
story are true, but what's also true is no one is going to
come along and produce you (just hand you all of your
business success)! Now really ask yourself, would you
actually want that to happen? Where's your opportunity to
become authentically powerful? The part of the Lana Turner
story that isn't talked about is the energy she put into
her career to sustain and take care of it. It's time for
you to produce yourself.

So what do you do?

If you really want to set your business up to shine;
however, find yourself looking to others to do it for you,
the first step I highly recommend is stop doing what you've
always done. That's right. This is the golden rule. Invest
your resources in getting some major accountability around
moving out of your comfort zone (or as someone just
recently said to me, "the soup that has you stuck") and you
will begin to connect with your own code of greatness.
Whatever belief you've had up until now will begin to shift
to what your true code is: magnificence. I have met many
entrepreneurs who have what they want for themselves in
their businesses; however, I've met hundreds who believe
they can't and will spend a lot of time telling me why.
(Hint: it usually has to do with blaming something or
someone external instead of looking at what they could do
differently.) Instead, they believe they must settle, pay a
price, or try to figure out what the market wants. Start
focusing on producing the magnificence in you and the rest
(marketing, getting clients, etc.) will start to take care
of itself.

Call-to-Action:

Get honest with yourself. Are you waiting for someone else
to take care of your success?

Ask yourself, "What is my current business code?"

Now, what needs to happen for you to embrace that your true
code is one of magnificence? What would that look like? How
can you invest in yourself to support this?

Begin to be in your business what you are truly meant to
be. (Remember, when you shine, others are given permission
to do the same.)

----------------------------------------------------
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