David Beckham The Pride of Brazil

David Beckham The Pride of Brazil
One of the most famous soccer stars on the planet David
Beckham has announced plans of a football academy in Natal
Brazil. He describes the new facility as one of the best in
the world. During his visit he explains that Natal is a
place of tremoundous excitement owing to new hotels and
property in the area. The husband of posh spice also feels
that Natal Brazil is an area that will attract celebrities
and other football stars.

David Beckham has announced a scholarship program available
to local Brazilian children in order to actively reach-out
to schools within the region.

He hopes that the children will benefit from on-site
coaching and access to the top class facilities, much in
the same way as his Academies in London and Los Angeles.

Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian F1 champion, is also involved
in the development, as well as Norwegian multi-millionaire
businessman Torben Frantzen, brother of Findus founder Geir
Frantzen.

Natal, the capital of the Brazilian state Rio Grande do
Norte, is about 2600 km north of Sao Paulo along the
northeast coast of the country. This city of 710,000
residents is an increasingly popular target for
international investors and real estate developers. The
spectacular location along the ocean and miles of
undeveloped beaches north and south of the city make it
ideal for those who are looking to get into an area that is
up and coming.

Natal and the areas surrounding it are currently the target
for over a billion dollars (US) in development. There are
at least 10 golf courses planned or under construction and
dozens of new housing, apartment and resort developments
are also under construction. The city and surrounding
communities are a major tourist destination for domestic
travellers in Brazil. The area is being marketed as an
international tourist destination as well, and the city is
becoming increasingly popular among foreigners.

The economy of Rio Grande do Norte was centered on
agriculture and cattle up until the early 1980s, when the
government began to invest heavily in the natural beauty
and climate of the coast and the potential for tourism.
Tourism is becoming the major economic driver with the
miles of undeveloped coastline drawing visitors, investors,
retirees and workers. On the northwest coast, centered
around the city of Macau, there is also a fair amount of
petrochemical development, leading to a diversified economy.

The climate along the coast is one of the main attractions
for visitors and investors. The yearly average temperature
in Natal is about 27 degrees and sun seems to shine almost
every day. Much of the state is fairly dry, although the
southern area from Natal down to the border does have a
rainy season, from April to June. It rains for a few hours,
but the sun still comes out almost every day.

The greatest development and real estate opportunities for
investors, both domestic and international ones, are around
the city of Natal. The coastline to the north and south of
the city is where all the major developments are under
construction. With its tropical setting and pristine
weather, this is the place to be.

David Beckhams seal of approval for Natal will make him the
pride of Brazil

----------------------------------------------------
Nicholas Marr is clearly an observer of life and front row
spectator of the events in the overseas property market. A
lifetime property investor his UK based company has been
promoting Brazilian real estate from the overseas property
portal at http://www.homesgofast.com

How To Set A Sales Price For Your Product Or Service

How To Set A Sales Price For Your Product Or Service
Fixing the selling price can be based upon a value basis or
a cost plus basis with either basis subject to modification
according to market conditions. Not exactly scientific and
true in all cases but the most profitable businesses tend
to be managed by accountants while the best sales growth
companies have a sales oriented manager at the helm.

Value basis is used to set selling prices according to the
amount the customer will pay for the product and the value
of products or services being provided. A strong influence
when using a value basis are the benefits a customer will
derive from purchasing the product from each business
compared with alternative suppliers and the general market
rate for that type of product.

Using a value basis that prices products above the general
market level requires support and a marketing strategy to
demonstrate to the market place the benefits and advantages
a prospective client receives. Pricing a product or service
below the accepted market price requires to be supported
with ensuring as wide an audience as possible is aware of
the bargain prices and the reasons why a lower price is
being offered.

To establish the most profitable level at which selling
prices should be pitched it is important to conduct market
research to determine the general level of pricing within
the product area. Also list the benefits and advantages
within the context of other competitive products of the
specific products being offered to enable the business to
use these factors in support of the price structure adopted.

To maximum level at which value basis prices can be set is
dependent upon the value the target customer places on that
product or service taking into consideration the quality,
service, availability and benefits provided.

Cost based pricing is a financial accounting calculation
based upon fixing a gross profit margin that the business
requires given the expected sales volume and fixed overhead
or operating costs to produce a net profit. Normally a
sales price set using a cost basis would be the amount paid
for the product plus an incremental percentage.

Cost based pricing usually occurs in areas where
competition is often working on the same cost basis and by
selling similar products and services the volume of sales
is sensitive to competitive prices. Market research should
establish the range of competitive prices.

There are a number of influences that impact on setting the
selling price of a product in addition to the cost and
competition. Sales location, added values, buying policy,
operational costs and others all require factoring into the
calculation. Business size also has an influence as small
business accounting is less sophisticated than accounting
and financial control in larger businesses.

The tow single most important factors in setting the
selling price of a product or service to generate the
highest profit margin attainable are the competition and
the original cost of the product.

In many cases the existing competition has already set a
price for the product. Each business has to decide whether
to accept this price according to the expected volume and
the gross profit margin generated or charge a higher or
lower price with the consequential effect on sales volume.

The purchase price paid drives the competitive edge. Larger
business have greater opportunities to buy in larger
quantities and obtain cheaper prices and many high volume
businesses will search to source products from overseas
markets to obtain even cheaper products.

If the purchase price paid by competitors is low then that
cost must be either matched by adopting similar business
practises or the products sold into a niche area of the
market where more flexible prices can be obtained at the
required volume to generate the gross margin required to
cover fixed operating costs and achieve the target net
profit.

Different prices can be set for different customers to
exploit higher profit margins where possible and achieve
higher volumes in market conditions where the price has a
major influence on quantities bought. A manufacturer will
often set different prices for each customer dependent on
volumes purchased and the negotiation skills of the client
purchasing function.

Market conditions often determine a range of pricing
policies including offering quantity discounts for higher
volumes, cash discounts for faster settlement, lower than
normal prices to allow a market to be penetrated and
established more easily and higher than normal prices in
situations where supply may exceed demand. The accounting
software or bookkeeping system employed should identify
gains and losses due to different pricing structures.

The levels of supply and demand may change over time and a
flexible pricing policy to take advantage of these changes
is desirable. It is an economic fact that when demand
exceeds supply prices will increase and when supply exceeds
demand prices go lower. Failure to react quickly has a
major impact on the total gross margin attained.

The overriding decision to be taken on setting selling
prices is the amount of gross profit generated by the sales
volume of those products in relation to current business
policy and fixed operating costs and profit requirements
that business needs to achieve and demonstrate through the
accounting figures produced by the final bookkeeping
reckoning...

From an accounting point of view the sales volume and price
of each product should be calculated to determine the
previous gross profit margin attained and planned for the
future. The actual or forecast gross profit margins must
cover the fixed operating costs of the business or remedial
action taken to ensure the business is profitable. Setting
prices is a combined decision of the sales and accounting
function.

----------------------------------------------------
Terry Cartwright, accountant at DIY Accounting, designs UK
Accounting Software at http://www.diyaccounting.co.uk/
providing accounting solutions for small to medium sized
business and bookkeeping software at
http://www.diyaccounting.co.uk/bookkeeping.htm

Handle Any Media Interview Like a Pro

Handle Any Media Interview Like a Pro
Are your story pitches to reporters working? If you have
succeed in landing a media interview, congratulations!
This is a great opportunity to show off your expertise and
convince your audiences (readers, radio listeners, TV
viewers) why they should hire you to help them meet their
business or personal objectives.

Here are some trade secrets I've learned over 25 years as a
PR professional and journalist on how to prepare for - and
win - any media interview:

Before the Interview

·Never do an interview cold. Prepare yourself.

·Learn what you can about the publication, audience,
interviewer and story. Read the reporter's last couple of
stories.

·Start with a goal. Visualize the "headline." What
would you like the story to say?

·Review your 5-6 "must-say" message points that make
your case.

·Practice answers to all potential questions. Have
your staff grill you. They will enjoy it. You probably
won't, but it will make your answers more potent.

During the Interview

·If it is a phone interview, remove all
distractions. Get into the proper mindset.

·Keep message points in front of you. Repeat your
messages 2-3 times during interview to make sure they get
into the story.

·Speak through the reporter to your audience.
Picture a potential customer and pretend you are talking
with him or her directly. This is very effective.

·Learn to take yes for an answer. Skilled
salespeople say that once you make the sale, don't keep
selling! Same goes for interviews. Once you make your
point and you are sure the reporter gets it, shut up and
move on. There is a temptation to embellish your answer for
a few more minutes because you know so much about the topic
at hand.

·Be engaging and friendly.

·Speak slowly. Remember, the reporter has to
understand you well enough to explain it to others.

·Don't repeat a negative question; it will end up as
part of your quotes in the story. Stay positive.

·Don't criticize your competitors by name - you're
giving them free PR. If you hammer home what makes your
product or service unique, your potential customers will
figure out the differences for themselves.

·Never lie. Just say you can't discuss a particular
topic.

·Don't guess. "I don't know. I'll get back to you on
it," is a fine answer. Say you will call back and then DO
it.

·Make your points easily understood, e.g., Use
clarifying statements to get a reporter's attention to make
sure he/she pays attention when you give your messages: For
example: 1)"The three most critical issues are..." 2)"There
are three main points to remember here...." 3)"The most
important aspect of this whole situation is...." 4)"The
people who will be most affected by this are..." 5)"Let me
summarize." ·

· Let the reporter use a tape recorder for accuracy.
You can use one too for verification. Might come in handy
if there is a dispute later on a quote.

· In a confrontational interview, keep to the high
road. Don't be defensive. Avoid emotion.

·Always stay in control of an interview. Even if
the reporter is rapid-firing questions at you, it is OK to
think before you speak. They can't quote you on something
you didn't say. In this day of one-minute TV stories that
are considered in-depth, pausing to think before answering
a difficult question can be perceived as being stymied.
Still, go for substance over style.

·Never say flatly, "No comment." It makes it appear
as though you are hiding something negative.Always give a
reason, even if it is non-committal,e.g., "We can't discuss
anything in litigation," "We don't discuss personnel
matters," "We don't respond to rumors," or "Once our new
product is ready to announce, we will do so."

Practice these techniques to stay in control of your
interviews. Positive press is a very powerful engine for
success!

----------------------------------------------------
Robert Deigh is president of RDC Communication/PR and
author of the upcoming PR book "How Come No One Knows About
Us?"(WBusinessBooks, May '08). For a free full chapter, "16
Ways to Come Up With Story Ideas That Will Attract Press,"
contact rdeigh1@aol.com

http://www.rdccommunication.com

How to stop being a piranha when you really need clients.

How to stop being a piranha when you really need clients.
In a recent Opening the Moneyflow class, we were discussing
the balance between working on foundations and systems, and
the need to get clients, like, now. As in 'now' thank you
very much. Now, please? Clients?

The need for cashflow in your business through having
enough clients is profound. Paying the bills, keeping food
on the table, and a roof over your head is no joking matter.

And even when it's not about core survival, it can be
demoralizing when your business isn't operating at
capacity, and you begin to want, to need, more clients.

Piranha or Fortress?

Unfortunately, the way most of us learned to deal with this
situation is in one of two ways. The first way is what I
call the Piranha. It's when you're swimming through
networking events, birthday parties, even chance meetings
in the supermarket, on the lookout to see if the person
you're talking to is going to be your next client.

This isn't so bad on the face of it, but it's called the
Piranha because of the hungry animal on the hunt energy
attached to it. As you might expect, it doesn't work,
because people don't like to be hunted down and eaten up.

The other way is to tighten up, toughen up, and pretend you
don't need anything, hoping people will be attracted to the
confidence you radiate.

This doesn't work very well either, because when you're a
fortress, people are afraid to approach you, and nothing
can get in.

The neediness in both the Piranha and the Fortress is real,
and you can't leave it out. But, you don't want to chew
people up with it, either.

The third way.

Here's the thing: the single biggest mistake that gets made
in trying to promote a business or gain a client is when
someone looks at themselves instead of at the person in
need.

When I was a paramedic, I could be hungry because I missed
lunch, and exhausted because it's at the end of a
twenty-four hour shift. And yet, if I showed up and there
was someone really badly hurt in front of me, all of that
went away. Suddenly, I was just focused on helping the
person in need.

Because your business may not be as dramatic as a 911 call
(and believe me, many of those calls aren't that dramatic,
either), there isn't as much to pull you out of your stuff.
So you have to do it in two steps.

Step One: Acknowledge your neediness.

It's there. If you're scared, or upset, or sad about your
lack of clients, please be gentle and merciful with
yourself. Those feelings are authentic to your experience,
and you don't want to push them away, or try to act
yourself out of them.

I always suggest taking five or ten minutes, or maybe more,
to authentically feel the emotions you have. To notice the
physical sensations, and to use some kind of connecting
prayer or meditation in conjunction. Not to try to 'fix'
the sensations, but to mingle the experience of Divine
connection with the authentic emotions, and then simply
watching what happens.

Step Two: Go look for people in need.

Once your heart feels more full, and not as desperate, open
your eyes and ears, and notice where are people struggling.
Not 'looking for clients' but simply having your eyes open
to where you're needed.

When you notice someone needs help, you can reach out to
them in conversation. This reaching out isn't meant to be
you fixing them on the spot without getting a client. It's
more about helping them feel witnessed in their struggle,
and you taking the time to ask them so that you can truly
understand their situation.

Often, those two pieces will set a strong foundation for
the right person wanting to be your client.

Is it really that simple?

Well, yes and no. Let me share some practical pointers on
finding those people in need, so you can accelerate the
process.

Keys to Rapid Client Acquisition.

• Ask your clients for referrals.

The ones who are happiest about your work. But, don't just
ask them for referrals, be specific.

For instance, one of my clients said he had of a goal of
adding three new clients in the next three weeks. So, I
suggested he go to his current or past clients and tell
them he has only three openings, and to ask them to help
him find the three people who could really use the help he
offers.

And, because referrals rarely just call on their own, take
it a step further and ask for your clients' help in
actually introducing the two of you directly, either
through email, on the phone, or in person.

• Work your network(s).

If you have an email list or blog readership, let them know
you have those three spots open. Tell them you'll be having
conversations, no charge, with anyone who is interested
over the next three weeks.

And if you don't have a list? Or even if you do? Then who
do you know who does have a list, who trusts you and likes
you enough to promote your offer to their list?

To fill a handful of client slots you don't need to reach
thousands, but having a few friends tell their clients
about your offer can make a huge difference.

• Get out and have some fun.

What do you enjoy doing? This may be a simple idea, but if
you are doing activities that you enjoy, hopefully in the
vicinity of other people who enjoy those same activities,
you're going to be finding people that are similar to you.

The advantage to this is... have you ever noticed how much
your clients resemble you? If you're out and about, you may
run into people whom you can help. Engage with the world,
and keep your eyes open.

Over the long term you'll want to implement some strategies
that keep you from running dry of clients. And yet, when
you need them in a hurry, they are waiting for you. Make
space for your authentic emotions first, and then turn your
attention out into the world and find those people who
really need your help.

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your
Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your
Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line.
He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the
globe succeed in business without lousing their hearts. Get
three free chapters of the book online:
http://www.heartofbusiness.com

If I gave you 1,500 pre-qualified prospects -- would you contact them?

If I gave you 1,500 pre-qualified prospects -- would you contact them?
"Are you ever afraid of speaking to prospects?" I am often
asked this question in my Client Attraction coaching
sessions. My response has always been that if you can't
seem to let the fear go, then just feel the fear, and go
get help from your team. You've heard the saying "There are
no self-made millionaires, there are team made
millionaires." Successful people feel the fear too, and
they seek the guidance from their alliances or team members
so that the risk is reduced. That's been my experience.
When I feel myself getting stopped, I just grab my cell
phone and call my business mentors who just so happen to be
millionaires themselves. Through trial and error, I have
found that limiting fears or beliefs don't have a chance
against me.

So let me ask you this, do you often stop your sales and
marketing because of anxiety, and didn't know where it was
coming from? Have you experienced a fear of failure, fear
of success, or a fear of rejection? I don't think I know
anyone who's not experienced some form of fear of rejection
when marketing themselves, especially to a different
gender, or a different culture. I think it's inherent in
many of us. Problem is, it holds us back from doing what it
takes to follow up with prospects and to get clients. And
it's got to stop in order fill your practice to capacity
and make this year the wealthiest year yet.

What does fear do? Well, fear of rejection keeps people
from asking for the sale, from asking for referrals, from
writing that article and from collaborating with strategic
alliances. You've heard me say this before: if you don't
market today, you won't have clients in three months. Then
your small business has really become just a hobby.

Now, my mentors tell me that there's more to getting
clients than just the outer game of marketing. There's also
an inner game of your mindset and beliefs, your paradigms.
If you don't deal with the paradigms, then you'll keep
making the same money you've been making for years to come.
I don't know about you, but I prefer to continue to attract
more clients, make more money, and take more time off to
spend with my family. Why would I want to work 50+ hours a
week on my own business, when I can do that at a corporate
job?

So, I went on a search by talking to self-employed (6 and 7
figure) champions to find out how they became masters of
their emotions. Here is what I've found... most business
coaches and motivational speakers would lead you to believe
that success or failure in your business is totally
dependent upon your goals. While goals are essential and a
person cannot be truly successful without them, there are
many people who have goals and still do not have enough
clients to fill their practice. The goal was never the
problem. Their motivation is where the real problem lies.
Unfortunately, this concept is only understood by two or
three people out of 100.

Understanding your Motivational Gap, the gap between your
business vision and your reality, is the key to freedom and
will guide you down the right road towards your ideal
clients, and to a bright future.

I've broken down the Motivational Gap into a series of
steps, so that when done in sequence, it will help you
eliminate the fears that hold you back from marketing with
local and global clients in a big wildly wealthy way.
Here's what you do:

1. What truly motivates you? Think of a client situation
where you were highly motivated and would have been an
excellent role model for others to emulate.

2. Describe the vision or dream of how you want your
business to look, and of the results you really want in
your business.

3. Describe where your business is now.

The gap between where you are versus where you want to be
is what creates the motivation. Goals that are too small
create very low or no motivation and yet goals that are too
big seem impossible, thereby making it difficult to create
any energy. To reach your client and revenue goals, you
need to be motivated by the gap!

Make a point to do the exercise above. Take an afternoon,
and really work through what motivates you. Soon, you'll
notice that you will start attracting more clients than
before, taking advantage of opportunities, doing joint
ventures, and getting better results in marketing. That
immediately equals more results, and in my experience,
financial freedom and being able to live the life you
really want.

----------------------------------------------------
Kim Schott, your Global Client Communication Expert, is the
author of the Keys to Client Communication System, the
step-by-step, paint by numbers client attraction program to
attract more clients in less time. To receive your weekly
how-to articles on consistantly attracting more local and
global clients in less time, visit
http://www.SchottCulturalConsulting.com