Top 5 Tools For Insuring Your Marketing Plan Attracts Clients

Top 5 Tools For Insuring Your Marketing Plan Attracts Clients
In order to insure that your pipeline doesn't dry up as
existing clients take vacations or move on, you want to
overfill your marketing funnel in order to create a waiting
list of people who want to work with you.

Before we discuss which strategies should have a prominent
place in your marketing action plan, you'll want to have a
few items in your marketing toolkit:

1. Write out your USP.

Your Unique Selling Proposition tells prospects what makes
you different. Why should they hire you as opposed to Joe?
What can you bring to the relationship that is different
than what Mary brings? YOU need to know what your USP is in
order to successfully market your business -- it's a
cornerstone of your brand.

Dominos pizza guarantees delivery in 30 minutes or it's
free. McDonald's food is fast (you don't go there for
"good". . .you go for "fast"). What do you do?

2. Write and memorize your elevator speech.

Whether you work from home or in an office, you want to
have an effective elevator speech ready. Remember that you
only have a few seconds to capture my attention, what do
you need me to know? What results do you provide your
clients? Chances are, it's not your company name and title!

3. Create an attractive website.

Your website needs to be "attractive" -- not pretty in the
usual sense, but attractive to the prospects that you want
to attract. Your home page must touch on a problem that
your target audience has and how you can resolve that
problem.

I don't care how long you've been in business if you can
solve my problem -- whatever my problem may be. Your
prospects feel the same.

4. Have attractive business cards.

If you attend networking events of any type, you need to
have a business card. See number 3 above -- your business
card needs to be attractive to the person you want to hand
it to. You should write your USP on the card, list your
tagline, or otherwise "speak" to your prospects via your
card so when they are flipping through the cards a month
after the event, they'll remember you.

Cards have a back side, use it to offer a no-cost report
(this is the best option if you have a newsletter) or list
a client testimonial. I use Overnight Prints for all my
business and postcard needs and love them!

5. Come from a "full practice" mentality.

This last one is perhaps the most important. You want to
insure that you do not come across as "lacking" or "needy"
to your prospective clients.

The Law of Attraction shows us that we attract that which
we think about most. What are you thinking about?

I keep my marketing funnel full by insuring that I perform
at least one marketing-related activity every single day.

----------------------------------------------------
For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing
self-employed business owners how to get more clients
consistently by implementing processes and systems to put
their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at
http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client
testimonials and her free audio series "5 Simple and Easy
Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot".

Selling in a Recession - 5 Strategies for Selling in Tough Markets

Selling in a Recession - 5 Strategies for Selling in Tough Markets
1. Believe you can and stay positive!

One of the problems with all of this talk about recession
is that once people believe there is going to be a
recession they start to feel negative about their business
prospects and only tend to see what they believe rather
than believing what they see. Once you believe that there
is going to be a recession you tend to only notice
articles, comments and statistics that support your beliefs.

What's more, your negative beliefs quickly affect your
outlook and the way that you feel about your business
prospects.

If you thought 2008 was going to be a great year for
business, your best year yet; how would you feel?

Conversely, if you thought 2008 was going to see a major
recession and that it was going to hit you and your
business hard; how would you feel?

Mighty different huh? And remember, nothing's changed here
other than your belief. Having a positive and supportive
belief structure is essential if you want to succeed in any
market but it is vitally essential if you want to keep on
selling in a tough one.

Having a winning belief system does not mean that you need
to be deluded however! In the middle of the darkest
recession you don't want to have your eyes shut! But you do
need to realise that in a recession people want to work
with the best suppliers. Suppliers that they can rely on.
Suppliers that support them. Suppliers who are going to be
around tomorrow. And if your competitors struggle, that
means more sales and more business for you.

2. Get proactive

You need to be more proactive. Much more proactive. You
need to do more marketing and more selling. You need to
attend more events and do more networking. You need to do
more promotion and more canvassing. You need to increase
your sales activities, maybe dramatically.

In a recession many companies cut their sales activites.
They figure, "If we're not going to sell anything, what's
the point?" Many individual salespeople do this too.

Cut your activity, cut your sales. You're a living,
breathing, self-fulfilling prophecy! You believe there is
not much business out there, so you feel negative. That in
turn affects your activity and your activity destroys your
sales results.

Even if there is not as much business out there, then you
need to be more active, more focused and more targeted. If
your competitors are easing off a little, now is the time
to up the anti and grab your share of the market. Even if
sales do slow down temporarily, you will be in poll
position when things pick up again.

One of my friends went down to our local estate agent this
week to put his house on the market. He was told that maybe
he should wait as he might not get the price he wants right
now. They told him the market was quiet and that might not
be able to sell the house at all. Better to wait for the
market to pick up. I walked past their offices later on
that day. They were all sitting, chatting and drinking
coffee. They were probably moaning about what a bad year
it's going to be. If I's have been in that office, I'd have
taken my mates house on and I'd have been on the phone
drumming up some viewings. 50 calls, 100, calls, 500
calls... Whatever it takes. I'd have found someone.

Talk about killing your own market! If you see less
business then you need to do more sales and marketing, not
less. That's common sense.

3. Sharpen your sales skills

If a workman needs a spade and a farmer needs a horse; a
boxer needs a defence and a chef needs a recipe; what do
salespeople need? The answer's obvious - it's sales skills.

Most salespeople do not spend enough time working on
improving their sales skills and techniques. Sales training
and development is not something that many salespeople
spend their time on out of choice. Perhaps they can get
away with this in a booming marrket when sales are easy.
Perhaps not. But things will always change if the market
tightens. Sales success will go to the salesperson who
really understands why people buy and can help people make
the right business decisions. Salespeople of this calibre
stand to benefit from possible changes ahead because there
will be more business for them as their competition falls
by the wayside.

Sales will not go to the journeyman salesperson, the
mediocre wannabee or the 9-5 order taker. Salespeople like
these could well be in for a rough time.

When did you last read a sales training book on selling?
How many sales training audios have you listened to over
the last month? How many sales training seminars have you
atteneded in the last 6 months? For 80% of salespeople
reading this, the answer is zero.

4. Improve your service and focus on relationships

As I write this many companies will be working out how to
cut corners. They will try to save money by tinkering with
their business offerings. They will try and eek extra
profits out of their clients by cutting the bells and
whistles from their offerings. This is not a good idea. A
Swiss cow with no bells is just a cow and no-one would send
postcards of them home!

If business is tight you want to be wowing your clients
with the best service that they have ever had, from you or
from any of your competitors. You need to be going the
extra mile. If a recession bites many companies will try
and discount to survive. They probably won't (survive), but
you don't want your clients going to them as they try to
keep their heads above water! You need to "lock in" your
existing clients now so that they won't even think about
going anywhere else.

Spend time with your clients. Build stronger relationships
with your clients. Make sure you truly understand them,
their concerns and their businesses. Find ways to help them
and add value over and above what they could have ever
expected.

5. Leverage your efforts

In a soft market many salespeople only chase the easy
stuff. They don't chase the tough stuff. Hey, they're doing
alright and they don't need to. They're making sales right?

Wrong.

Most salespeople have all sorts of opportunities which they
squander every day and every month because there are
seemingly easier things that they can be doing. This is
particularly true in an industry or a company where leads
have been relatively easy to come by, where sales targets
are relatively soft (I could tell you which industries but
I'm not going to) or where salespeople are overpaid so
don't crave the business (again, I'll keep this to myself!).

In a tough market you must leverage all of your efforts.
This is basic sales 101 and should be stuff that you do
every day anyway... Here are just a few ideas.

Always ask for referrals. Referrals are great business but
most salespeople do not ask for them because clients often
say no. Learn how to ask for a referral properly and then
build asking for a referral into your sales process and ask
for one every time.

Upsell and cross-sell. Whether though laziness, lack of
knowledge or lack of ability many salespeople sit on
accounts where there is so much more business than they are
currently leveraging. Extending your business with existing
clients will not only make you more money, it will also
strengthen your relationships with and value to them and
their businesses.

Contact dormant accounts. Most companies have hundreds if
not thousands of "dormant" accounts. There may be multiple
reasons for this from changing business practises to
fall-outs with the client. Dormant clients may well be
redeemable and may have been "lost" purely because someone
forgot to ring them or a salesperson moved on. Get in touch
with them!

Follow up on all leads. I recently contacted 5 health
insurance companies over the web. Only one replied. You
should not be burning leads like this in any market. Follow
up on all leads professionally using a proven sales system
like the ones I teach in my sales training seminars and
programmes and you will close more business. New clients
are essential for any business in any market.

So there we are, 5 tips to help you to sell in a recssion.
This year may well prove to be an interesting year for some
businesses and individuals. Some of this will be down to
the market itself. Much of it will be down to you and how
you react and respond to what might be a challenging year.

Here's my prediction for the year...

There will be winners and there will be losers. Which are
you going to be?

----------------------------------------------------
For more from sales motivational speaker Gavin Ingham visit
http://www.gaviningham.com now.

Guillotines

Guillotines
Can't decide on the right paper cutter for your home or
office? Well, this informative article will first define
the purpose of a paper guillotine, and how to find the best
one to fit your needs.

As the name implies, it works with the same principle as
the French Guillotine, a gruesome execution device invented
and used in France more than 200 years ago. Fortunately,
the use of today's guillotines is limited to just cutting
paper and similar types of media, and is considered an
invaluable resource for most classrooms and businesses.

A paper guillotine or a paper cutter is a simple and
convenient device used to cut large stacks of paper at a
time, leaving every sheet with a straight, clean edge. You
simply align a stack of paper along the designated cutting
guide, and holding the handle; bring the guillotine or the
elongated blade down onto the paper stack in a swift
chopping motion. The blade is connected to the corner edge
of a cutting board, and the base is normally covered with
grid lines and ruler measurements (usually about 1 foot)
along the edges of the cutting board. This kind of paper
cutter is called an Arm paper cutter, and is relatively
inexpensive. Most can fit onto a desk top, so they don't
take up too much space. Some paper guillotines now come
equipped with a safety locking mechanism on the blade to
prevent cutting accidents and injuries. It's not the most
efficient due to fact that it's still operated manually,
but the amount of paper (200+ sheets) that can be cut at a
time is a great benefit. These are a little expensive, and
are usually found in professional copy shops and businesses.

For those looking to use a paper guillotine around
children, it's a good idea to think about safety
first-especially for the home or school environment. The
sliding trimmer or a rotary paper cutter works with a blade
that slides on a rail attached to the side of the cutting
base. Since the blade cannot be lifted vertically to chop
the paper, it can only cut a minimal amount of paper at a
time, as the sheets must fit under the rail to be cut by
the sliding blade. This kind is popular for cutting other
media besides paper; it's also faster and easier to use.

Still, some people may need a machine that keeps up with
technology like the electric paper cutter. It operates with
the paper being fed into the machine, and it's then cut
into specific measurements. Since this machine requires
specialized training and extreme care, it's used mostly in
larger companies and businesses-not a machine meant for
personal use.

----------------------------------------------------
If you would like to learn more about the different makes
and models of guillotines available online then visit the
website : http://www.guillotine-guillotines.co.uk

Die Cast Products Introduction

Die Cast Products Introduction
Introduction to the Die-Casting Process

Die-casting, by definition, is a process in which molten
metal is injected into metallic molds under pressure to
form objects. The molds, which are generally made of steel
and referred to as "dies", can be designed to create very
detailed parts with little or no post-machining required
after production. Die-casting is similar in many ways to
plastic injection molding. Dies can be reused multiple
times because the temperatures of the molten metal are not
high enough to affect the steel die. Die-cast parts are
generally lightweight, and for this reason are often used
in aircraft and automobile applications.

History of the Die-Casting Process

Die-casting by pouring molten metal into a die, also known
as the gravity pressure method, is a manufacturing method
that has been used for hundreds of years. The more modern
method of pressure injection die-casting was patented in
the mid-1800's to create lead printer's type. The use of
die-casting as a manufacturing technique exploded in the
early 1900's, particularly when zinc and aluminum alloys
became more readily available. Today, die-casting is a
process used for a wide range of products and applications.

Materials Used in Die-Casting

In order to preserve the integrity of the die and allow it
to be used for many castings, only alloys with relatively
low melting temperatures can be used in the die casting
process. Historically, lead and tin were the primary
materials for die-cast parts, since they could easily be
melted using conventional processes. Today, the majority
of die-cast parts are created from aluminum or zinc alloys,
but other metals such as magnesium or copper can be used.
Each alloy delivers its own benefits, and therefore the
product requirements drive the material choice. Aluminum
can be found in aircraft and automobile parts, while copper
may be used for parts that must conduct electricity.

Description of the Die-Casting Process

Before casting is performed, the mold is assembled. A mold
can consist of two or more parts, depending on the
complexity of the part being fabricated. Die-casting
machines are categorized as either cold chamber machines or
hot chamber machines. In a cold chamber machine, the
molten metal is poured into a "cold" cylinder that is
attached to the die. A hydraulic piston seals the cylinder
and forces the metal into the die. In a hot chamber
machine, the injection system sits in a bath of molten
metal. A plunger is raised to pull molten metal into the
injection chamber, and then pushed to inject the molten
metal into the die. The mechanism of a hot chamber machine
is much like a pneumatic bicycle pump, which pulls air in
from around the pump and injects it into a tire through the
tube and fitting.

After the casting process, the part may have flash or thin
metal around the part where the two halves of the die come
together around it. The flash is removed during
post-machining processes. Some die-cast parts are plated
or painted after manufacture for appearance, but the
surface of die-cast parts are generally very smooth and
hold fine detail.

Examples of Die-Cast Components

Many plumbing fixtures, such as bathtub spouts are
manufactured from zinc alloys using a die-casting process
and then plated with a chrome coating. Lightweight
aircraft components can be die-cast from aluminum alloys.
Other examples include heat sinks with complex shapes and
large surface areas for electronic components, lightweight
aluminum automobile parts, and lighting fixtures. Die-cast
parts require very little post-manufacturing machining,
saving time and labor costs in the manufacturing process.

Die-casting is a manufacturing process used for a variety
of applications, including toys. In the Napoleonic era,
gravity pressure methods were used to cast lead military
figures. Die-cast vehicles have been available nearly as
long as the vehicles themselves have existed. Early die
cast manufacturers existing at the turn of the 20th century
include Meccano in the United Kingdom and Dowst Brothers in
the United States. Companies such as Ertl have been
producing die-cast farm vehicles since 1945.

----------------------------------------------------
I am a small business owner who sold and is now semi
retired, spending time with my wife and spare time at my
computer chasing another dream. I became interested in
Die-Cast Products as a kid. Now that I am semi retired I
am again chasing one of my passions and life long dreams.
Please visit our website @ http://www.numberfirstsales.com
or leave your comments on our blog @
http://numberfirstshopping.blogspot.com/

We appreciate any
feedback.

Increasing your revenues through Strategic Alliance Partnerships

Increasing your revenues through Strategic Alliance Partnerships
Strategic partnerships is a great way to increase revenue
without significant out of pocket expense. Many small
businesses offer a limited product line or service and find
that while they have happy customers, their customers don't
need to purchase the product or service on a regular basis
- especially when it is not a consumable product.

With that in mind, what can you do with the customer list
you already have, and how can you tap into more of your
target market? Simple. Find another business with the same
target market, and partner with them to share the resource
of your leads.

For instance, suppose you sell high-end furniture. Since
people don't need to purchase furniture every week, your
clients may be happy, but regular repeat business will be
difficult to generate. How about partnering with a high-end
interior designer who has access to the same market you are
targeting? You can make referrals of your clients to the
designer, and the designer can offer your product line to
her clients. You can take your partnership a step further
and include each other's information on your websites or
informational pieces in order to maximize exposure for both
businesses.

Another example of a strategic partnership is a small
travel agency that approached a luggage store in her city.
Both companies look for people who travel. The luggage
store was happy to include the agent's information when
they sold a piece of luggage and the agent provided luggage
tags to her clients when they booked a trip. Both companies
benefited from the alliance and their customers received an
additional value added service.

One real estate agent formed a unique strategic alliance
with a pizza shop in the area in which he focused on
selling real estate. In return for sending business to the
pizza place, the agent negotiated a reduced rate on the
pizzas he purchased. When a client was moving in to their
new home, the agent had a pizza delivered, with a magnet
congratulating the client on the move. The magnet included
the pizza shop number and the agent's contact information.
The pizza shop was introduced to the new resident, the
agent was cemented in the mind of the customer and the
customer didn't have to worry about what to fix for dinner
during the move. It was a winning combination that
continues to this day.

Strategic partnerships are a great way to move your
business forward without significant out of pocket expense.
Think about businesses and people related to your industry
and decide if there are some strategic alliances that are
just waiting to be formed. Then pick up the phone, tap into
your business network, and see if there are any warm leads
you can pursue. If your network doesn't turn anything up,
pick up the phone and make a few cold calls to see what
businesses would be interested in a strategic partnership
with you. You may find some that are not interested or who
already have relationships in place. This is completely
normal. Move on to the next until you find one that works.
Then commit to the relationship and watch your business
grow.

----------------------------------------------------
Christian Fea is a Collaboration Marketing Strategist. He
empowers business owners to discover how to implement
Integration, Alliance, and Joint Ventures marketing tactics
to solve their specific business challenges. He
demonstrates how you can create your own Collaboration
Marketing Strategy to increase your new sales, conversation
rates, and repeat business. He can be reached at:
http://www.christianfea.com

Business Success - The #1 KEY to Prosperity Success (It's Probably NOT What You Think...)

Business Success - The #1 KEY to Prosperity Success (It's Probably NOT What You Think...)
For many women entrepreneurs who come to me for
spirituality and business coaching, a system for money
creation seems to be the missing key to their formula for
prosperity success.

Most women business owners are keenly aware of their bank
account status because it's a physical reality. But the
necessary, practical, step-by-step, "hands on" systems to
honor their inner values and INCREASE their net worth often
get left in the dust. Why? Because they're not in our face
every day, demanding our attention.

Women entrepreneurs must have a SYSTEM if they want to
attract, create, receive and regenerate wealth. Money
itself is a measurable unit of value. Therefore, money
DEMANDS to be measured, tracked, and organized. If you
resist this simple and basic Spiritual Law about money, you
will keep bumping into that same pile of overdue bills,
cash shortfalls and cruddy clients―or worse, no
clients at all!

Ignoring this Spiritual Law leads to confusion about who
you are, what you do, what you are selling, and to whom you
are selling it. By disregarding this axiom of spirituality
and business, women entrepreneurs get confused about what
their clients ACTUALLY want them to sell. (NOT the other
way around - the customer is your BEST source of
determining what products and services to offer. What is
the conversation happening in THEIR head, not yours???)

"Beth, that's great. Really. Thanks so much for sharing.
Where the #$!*%! can this supposed system be found?" you
ask. That is an excellent question―and one I wished
I'd asked myself at age eighteen. Fortunately, I
eventually found an answer myself. It may not be "the
answer" for you... but I'm going to share it because my
spiritual contract with the Universe is to find powerful,
useful information, digest it, absorb it and then share it
with other women business owners. I simply can't help
myself―nor would I want to. I LOVE to share
spirituality and business knowledge so you can make it
"yours" and become a wise money master.

What I found was Mark Joyner's "Simpleology 101 - The
Simple Science of Getting What You Want". It's FREE, it's
simple and it works! If you're willing to put in 15
minutes a day, first thing in the morning, you will begin
hitting your goals like never before. You will begin
CREATING A SYSTEM to manage not only your wealth, but your
health, your time, and every area of your life.

I am astounded at how his program has enabled me to
streamline the other systems in my life and business for
optimized efficiency. You can find out more here:
http://tinyurl.com/2fk3nn

(It's important that you follow
all of his instructions to the letter, download and print
out the required materials and install the supporting
software. The whole set up will take about 30
minutes―that's the time it takes to watch one TV
sitcom.)

For me, this program was a prayer answered. Mark created a
way to handle my daily to-do list that was simple and easy.
Remember, Simpleology 101 is FREE. You can upgrade to
Mark's other programs at a nominal investment, but setting
up and doing Simpleology 101 is a foundational tool that
women business owners can use for the rest of their lives.
You can find out more here: http://tinyurl.com/2fk3nn

----------------------------------------------------
Beth Davis, "The Hand Analyst," is a professional hand
analyst/palmist and winner of the 2007-2008 Glazer-Kennedy
Information Marketer of the Year Award. Get her free
special report, "The 5 Massive Mistakes
Spiritually-Oriented Women Make in Business and how to
avoid them!" at http://www.handanalyst.com

Construction Guy Earns $63,000 In His First 4 Months Working At Home

Construction Guy Earns $63,000 In His First 4 Months Working At Home
Do you believe that dreams come true? I did after I met
Joe. When I met Joe about 4 months ago he was barely making
$3,000 a month working 10 hours a day with a construction
company. He told me that every month was a struggle to pay
the bills and every moment left him with feelings of
regret. I said, "Joe, what are you regretting?" He sadly
said, "I regret not having the time or money to do things
that I enjoy or spend time with my family."

At the end of our conversation Joe and I swapped phone
numbers to keep in touch. A few weeks went by and I hadn't
heard from Joe. Then, one month after the day we met I got
the call. Joe said, "Hey! Do you remember me? It's Joe, we
met about a month ago." I replied, "Of course, I remember
you, how are things going?"

Joe went on to tell me that the day after our conversation
he answered an ad for a home business opportunity, and quit
his construction job the next day. He said to me, "I had no
idea how to even run a business from home, but it didn't
matter it was time for a change." I asked him, "So what
happened? You were making $3,000 a month with the
construction company, have you been able to match that?"
Joe's answer blew me away...Joe earned $10,000 in his first
month of working from home!

I was completely stunned, and I was dying to know how he
did it. After our conversation I asked him to keep me
updated. A couple months went by and I hadn't heard from
Joe, but I certainly had not forgotten him.

Then, this past Monday I received a phone call. It was Joe!
It had been 4 months since Joe and I met, and 4 months
since Joe quit his job to begin working from home. I said,
"Joe the last time we talked you had earned $10,000 in your
first month of working from home. How are you doing now
that you're 4 months into it?" Joe went on to tell me that
he earned $63,000 in the 4 months he's been working from
home!!! He made double his previous yearly salary in just 4
months!!!

I just wanted to share this story so that people who are
struggling financially can see that there is hope, you just
have to be open to change and be ready to take action!

----------------------------------------------------
T.H. Bussey II
Business Coach/Entrepreneur
http://www.becometheceo.org

Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive Whiteboards
A new trend in presentation and interactive learning today
would be the Interactive white board, also called the
Panaboard. This clever teaching technique is seemingly
replacing the chalkboard in classrooms, boardrooms, and
even athletic training rooms the world over. It works by
incorporating the basic properties of a chalkboard, with
the use of graphic computer based projections- with the
greatest difference being the ability to interact with the
presented material.

The use of a computer and an LCD projector allows the
moderator to project the desktop image of the computer
screen onto a large white flat board, usually placed on the
wall, or sometimes on a mobile stand. Using touch screen
technology, the projected images on the board can be
actively manipulated by the participants viewing the board.
The great advantage here the interactivity; students of all
ages are no longer learning from a distance; they can take
an active part in the lesson.

Schools are already implementing this new teaching method
globally, as the use of a computer for education purposes
allows the freedom to use video, music, and animation in
the presentation. Educators now have the option to not only
project the information on the board, but also capture
notes written on the board and infuse them into the graphic
presentation, and ultimately save it electronically for
future use. With the use of electronic tablets or slates,
the students can manipulate the lesson on the white board,
allowing individual customization of the lesson. This is
made possible with the use of specialized software that is
available for use with the program.

Not only would schools benefit from the use of white boards
in the classroom, but they are ideal for lecturers in the
business environment. The amount of information that can be
shared, presented and saved is incredible; full sized
audiences can now take part of an efficient, interactive
learning experience. Any form of information, whether it is
from the Internet, a newspaper, even a few jotted notes
from a notepad, can not only be viewed on the board, but
also printed.

Teachers also have the ability to make the presentation of
the material easier with the use of a white board pen; that
basically functions similar to a mouse. There is also
Bluetooth capability available, which allows the computer
to be used wirelessly with the white board system without
any actual physical connections.

Considering what is offered by the use of white boards, it
seems pretty safe to assume that technology has provided a
simpler and more successful method of interactive learning.
This system exemplifies a new and effective system of
teaching; with the benefit of creating your own
customizable lesson plan with unlimited sources of
information at your fingertips.

----------------------------------------------------
If you would like to learn more about the different makes
and models of interactive whiteboards available online then
visit the website :
http://www.av-audio-visual-projectors.co.uk/whiteboards.htm

Lacking a Degree? Top Resume Tips for Aspiring Leaders

Lacking a Degree? Top Resume Tips for Aspiring Leaders
If you're a senior-level professional or manager, you've
probably worked your way up the corporate ranks through
demonstrated leadership, dedication, and proficiency.

At some point, you may find yourself wanting to transition
upward in your career, and this can be where that nagging
doubt sets in: you never finished (or even started)
college.

What if this holds you back?

In my work as a professional resume writer, it amazes me
how often this question comes up. It seems that ascending
professionals divided into two camps: those who fear what
might happen during the job search because their career
took off too quickly to attend to educational matters, and
those without a degree who have ascended the career ladder
just the same.

If you aspire to the corner office, moving from the first
group into the second requires using some key strategies to
pique an employer's interest. Consider these tips to
present a confident image, no matter what your educational
status:

> Look at your career contributions with dollar signs.

Employers are always interested in the bottom line. Can you
add to it, or control the expenses affecting it? Then, by
all means, get this information onto your resume.

Now, extracting this data can be a challenge, but consider
the payoff! A powerful leadership resume must practically
shout this information in order to prove the strength of
your performance.

Ask yourself hard questions about the results of your work,
and then put figures to as much of it as possible.

For example, when working with a telecommunications
executive lacking a degree, I discussed his leadership role
in a reengineering project.

Our analysis yielded sentences such as "Eliminated $34M in
rework and achieved 78+% ROI by leading sales and service
delivery teams to identify core revisions." Information
such as this helped him quickly demonstrate fitness for a
leadership role, while minimizing questions on his
educational status.

Results such as these speak for themselves and can cut
through any doubt about your abilities-degree or not.

> Add professional training as proof of ongoing development.

You may have attended hours of seminars, leadership
training sessions, and other professional development
endeavors. Now's the time to take advantage of your
participation.

Keep a complete list as fodder for an educational section
on your resume, thus avoiding any temptation to simply skip
this information. Adding this data can demonstrate not only
a passion for lifelong learning, but also a dedication to
learning concepts that benefit employers.

> Mention partial degree programs and other studies.

College coursework, even if you did not finish a degree
program, still counts toward secondary education
requirements in the eyes of many hiring managers.

In fact, one of the key questions I always ask leadership
professionals is whether they attended college without
graduating. Most employers understand that life happens,
and that not everyone finishes their degree programs.

Use every opportunity to your advantage! Don't forget to
list college studies, including majors and areas of
concentration, on your resume.

> Showcase your personal brand and leadership qualities.

Everyone has unique strengths and capabilities to offer
their next employer. What are yours? Have you thought about
the impact you have on the company's business?

Ask yourself what pattern emerges when you name personal
qualities and traits that allow you to succeed. Believe it
or not, these are very relevant to employers, and OFTEN
stand out more during a job hunt than degrees do.

Make a list of what you achieve that consistently affects
revenue, the corporate reputation, or efficiency, and then
describe the steps you've taken to attain these results.

Ensure that this information takes center stage on your
resume, rather that just listing mundane tasks and other
details.

In summary, establishing a link between your expertise and
consistent corporate performance is the fastest way to gain
attention during your job search.

And consider this: For every employer requiring a degree,
there are probably two others that will look at your
"on-the-job education" as equivalent (and possibly even
stronger) credentials.

----------------------------------------------------
A unique resume authority, Laura Smith-Proulx is the
Executive Director of An Expert Resume
(http://www.anexpertresume.com), a career services company
that caters to organizational leaders, from managers poised
for growth to senior-level executives. Laura has
contributed to the success of hundreds of leadership
professionals with powerful resumes designed to uniquely
brand candidates and facilitate career advancement.

Searching for Your Dream Job

Searching for Your Dream Job
Perhaps your job started out as what you wanted, but the
job itself or you have changed, or maybe you were only
intending to use your current job as a leaping point to
your next one but you have remained in place for the last
five years.

In any case, it's time to stop working a job that only
allows you to "make do" and find one that will help you
feel satisfied and fulfilled!

The fact is, your dream job is out there, but if you
continue to putter away at a job that is boring,
unsatisfying and might not even fulfill your needs when it
comes to basic survival, it's time to make a plan and get
out!

When people think of dream jobs, all too often, they think
of the jobs that they thought about when they were children.

When you were a child, you thought about being an
astronaut, or a dancer, or an actress, and when you grew
up, whether you tried to gain that goal or not, you
realized that very few people made it to those fields and
gave up; in other words, you felt you were settling.

The problem is, many of those people carried the
disappointment they felt from learning that they couldn't
do the jobs that they wanted as children into their adult
lives.

Very few people follow through with their childhood dreams,
but the fact is, those childhood dreams probably wouldn't
have made you happy anyway.

Your needs and beliefs about a good job when you were a
child will be far different from your needs as an adult,
and you'll find that if you consider your needs as an
adult, you'll have a much better chance of finding your
real dream job.

Think about what makes you happy, and what you need in
terms of job security, monetary pay and challenges.

The first step in searching for your dream job is actually
realizing that the one you're in right now is not going to
make you happy.

Have you been waiting on a promotion or raise that never
comes, or do you feel that your efforts are wasted on a
routine basis?

Perhaps you feel that they don't appreciate you, or you
silently think that you are so much better than this. All
of these feelings are valid; the important thing to realize
is that they are feelings that should be acted upon.

When you take a look at the feelings of discontent that you
have amassed about your job, realize that you spend a
quarter of your life at work. Your life is simply too
short to feel like that for a fourth of it!

More people find their dream jobs than you might think; as
a matter of fact, you'll find that's all a matter of
searching and making your time count.

There are many things that can help you find your way into
the job of your dreams so make sure that you start looking
and get into the right mindset.

There is no time like the present, and you'll find that you
can make your own opportunities as you seek to discover the
right career path for you.

----------------------------------------------------
Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of several
franchises and a personnel/staffing service. Every year,
his firm placed hundreds of job candidates in their dream
job. Today, Don shares his business and career expertise
through his newest websites on the Internet. Lots of FREE
ideas - suggestions - ready for your perusal and study.
http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com

Surviving Business Growth: 7 Tips to Avoid Disaster

Surviving Business Growth: 7 Tips to Avoid Disaster
When business grows at a rapid rate, sometimes the entire
operation can seem as though it's turned upside down, that
what was normally a well-functioning machine is suddenly
topsy-turvy, and that it may not survive. An attitude of
mounting negativity ekes in as the business stretches to
meet old and new demands.

Work standards and the overall value of everyone's efforts
are scrutinized. Emotions run high and nerves become
frayed. People start to doubt themselves and each other.
Deadlines are missed and standard production gets bogged
down. Suddenly, it seems that chaos has taken a stronghold
on your business.

This is also a time when the unexpected is likely to happen
to complicate an already stressful situation. New clients
pour in (a blessing in disguise), computers crash, people
are away from work to meet family or social commitments, or
someone gets sick. And to further complicate matters,
several of these situations happen at the same time,
leaving those left to carry the load feeling a bit dazed.

But there are steps you can take to avert permanent
disaster.

7 Tips to Surviving Business Growth:

1. Communicate clearly and seek input from everyone to gain
the greatest benefits.

2. Reinforce the value of your team. Mutual support is
vital to peak performance, so praise them for their
diligent efforts and contribution to the success of the
business.

3. Maintain an attitude of respect with each other,
realizing that everyone feels pushed beyond normal limits.

4. Keep a positive focus about difficult tasks. If you
perceive that a project will be difficult, then rest
assured that difficult is what you'll get.

5. Take advantage of new work, but ask for latitudes that
protect everyone from burnout. A project may be ill-timed,
but clients are the reason you're in business.

6. At all costs avoid the blame game, a negative concept
that serves no purpose for anyone.

7. Despite mistakes, make all efforts to move forward and
focus on what needs attention now, not in the past.

It's difficult to maintain high production and morale
standards when changes occur, particularly growth changes.
But with solid business strategies and goals and consistent
work ethics and practices, these changes can be temporary
and nonthreatening in the long run. If you want your
business to be successful, take steps toward attitudes and
actions that avert burdens for anyone and, in fact, spur
new levels of growth.

----------------------------------------------------
Cynthia Peavler Bull is founder of CYN-R-JE Consultants,
LLC, an author and mentor who helps clients and subscribers
reach their online and offline business goals. Get more
articles and learn more tips on how to have a successful
business at http://www.winning-atwork.com

Marketing Information Products:5 Tips For Building Marketing Relationships

Marketing Information Products:5 Tips For Building Marketing Relationships
What are information products and how can they be used to
turn suspects into prospects and to build alliances and
joint ventures?

An information product can be constructed in many forms.
This includes, developing a special report, audio, or other
documents that convey with ease valuable information to
individuals that you are attempting to build a marketing
relationship with. Generally, they are related to the type
of work that you do and demonstrate and establish you as an
expert in your field.

Here are five ways to utilize your information products to
build marketing relationships:

1. They can be offered at networking events as an
enticement for individuals to meet you and to get
permission to begin the communication process that turns
suspects into prospects. Mention it at the end of your
elevator speech as a call to action.

2. They can be offered as an exchange through your internet
marketing strategy to capture names and e-mail addresses
of interested people who come to yours site. If they have
found you then they'll likely have some level of interest
in your area of expertise. You can advertise your links to
the information products through articles, blogging, on
your website, through PR posts and social networking sites.

3. You can use information products as a way to introduce
yourself to potential strategic alliances and joint venture
partners. If they will listen to an audio or read a
special report that describes what you do, then there is a
much greater chance that you will be able to identify
whether or not there is a fit to work together. It can
also be used as a way to shortcut time intensive one-on-one
meetings when there may not be a good match.

4. They can be offered to other businesses that do not have
their own information products but would like to deliver
value to their marketing list or to their clients. Look
for business owners and independent professionals who are
marketing to the same target market. This is fantastic
branding with an implied endorsement from the sender. One
powerful strategy is to create a link within the report
back to your website.

5. Your information products can be turned into a revenue
stream by offering them as a paid product on your website,
at networking events and workshops. Even if the product
was initially offered for free it can be converted into a
paid product that creates passive revenue. The key here is
offering great content. In summary, information products
are a great tool to cultivate new relationships in a
variety of ways in a low-key yet very effective manner.
What many marketing methods fail to do is to have a call to
action and as a result much of the marketing activity ends
up producing nothing at all. These products will be an
effective call to action in almost any circumstance.

Try starting with just one product and market it
consistently and you will see great things happen!

----------------------------------------------------
And are you ready to learn more about how to take action?
Then I would like to offer you free access to my FREE audio
class The 5 Step Marketing Plan Generator. You can get your
instant access at http://www.GuaranteedGS.com/audio.html
From David Eissman and GuaranteedGS.com

Go Beyond Your Resume, and Visualize Your Perfect Job

Go Beyond Your Resume, and Visualize Your Perfect Job
Got your resume out to the recruiters? Already signed up
for that resume distribution service? Good. While your
resume starts making its way through the job search ether,
you've got some time to think about how you want your new
job to look.

More money would be nice, but everyone wants that. Go
deeper. Think about the benefits. The office culture. The
opportunities for growth inside your new company? What
else? There's bound to be more things that have crossed
your mind.

Here are just a few of the options to consider:

1. What your workday will be like. Think about how you want
to be able to communicate and interact with your bosses,
your peers, your subordinates. What's best for you? Is the
pressure to perform high, low, or just right? What kind of
room do you need for do the job you want to do?

2. Benefits. There are so many new and inventive ways
companies are giving incentives to their new hires -
everything from hometown basketball team tickets to on-site
child care and health clubs. and that's not to mention the
old-school health, vacation, and retirement options you may
have.

3. Your work/life balance. Are you okay with making a
greater commitment to work - one that takes away from your
free time, whether you're on your own or you have a family?
How about your commute, or your ability and interesting in
telecommuting?

4. Your goals. If you're not staying at the place you're at
now, it's a safe bet your new job won't be your last.
What's the next step after this one? can you imagine a job
that will prepare you for the next step? What will you need
to learn, experience, and achieve in the new position, in
order to get even closer to you ultimate career goals?

Back in my bank auditor days, I switched companies to get
more money - but that was just part of the equation. I also
got a broader set of responsibilities, cut my commute time
and distance by 85%, and had a much better chance to affect
real change in my company.

My desires may be totally different from yours. But don't
just stop at thinking they're different. Actually take some
time to define what you really want out of the next job,
aside from the money.

And when that recruiter emails you, or when the headhunter
calls, you'll know how to spot the right opportunity - and
not waste anyone's time. Especially your own.

----------------------------------------------------
Allen Voivod is the Chief Blogger for ResumeMachine.com,
the leading resume distribution resource for managers,
executives, and professionals looking to accelerate their
job search results. Get the attention of thousands of
hiring agents with the largest and most frequently updated
recruiter database on the web, and dive into a wealth of
immediately useful career articles and blog posts - all at
http://www.ResumeMachine.com !