How Do You Choose A Used Palm Treo?

How Do You Choose A Used Palm Treo?
With the proliferation of variety of mobile phones in the
market, it is only understandable that people get confused
what to buy. Many would say that smartphone is the way to
go because ultimately you will save a lot of money with it.
You don't need to separately buy anymore a digital camera,
video camera, USB, music player or even laptop. It's like
a one-stop shop, where all your needs (entertainment and
communication needs with smartphone) are already taken
cared of. Today, there is virtually nothing a smartphone
can not do.

But then again, prices of most smartphones are kind of
intimidating to Mom's budget. Gladly, we provide you with
a solution and that is to buy used Palm Treo. Used Palm
Treo Smartphone, like every other smartphone there is, can
virtually do everything and it comes at a way cheaper price
than the brand-new. A used Palm Treo, it should be noted
though, functions as well as the original because indeed it
is still the same Palm Treo.

Palm Treo Smartphone, created by Sprint, is a fusion of
typical cell phone and smart phone - all rolled into one.
The outward appearance is that of a regular cell phone. It
is the features offered inside that make the phone a smart
phone.

With the Palm Treo phone, staying in touch has never been
easier. Messaging is taken to a whole new level. Standard
text messaging is still available but with a whole new
look. The multimedia capabilities of Palm Treo Smartphone
allow for videos and pictures to be included with text
messages. Popular internet messaging services such as AIM;
MSN and Yahoo messenger will come along as part of the
pre-loaded features on this phone. This enables for
messaging conversations taking place on a lap top or home
computer to come along almost anywhere and anytime.
Internet capabilities allow for Email and Web hopping to go
as smoothly and cool as well. The in-box of this phone can
be checked as often as necessary so that all important
business meeting noticed never goes missed.

The latest Bluetooth technology of Palm Treo Smartphone
allows for hands-free phone operation. With more states
cracking down on drivers behind the wheel and on the phone,
this lets a driver continue a conversation and keep a safe
eye on the road. The Palm Treo Smartphone comes equipped
with an internet browser. This allows for popular Websites
like MySpace; You Tube; and E! Entertainment to be accessed
from anywhere a user happens to be at the moment.

Other enticing multi media capability of the Palm Treo
Smartphone turns it into a traveling MP3 player or like the
more current iPod. Pre-loaded with Pocket Tunes Deluxe
music program, selected music can be downloaded and stored
in the virtual memory section of the phone. These songs can
later be accessed to create music libraries or specific
ring tones for contact book entries. Sprint TV multi media
functions allows for live television to be viewed on the
Palm Centro Smart Phone. The vivid 320 x 320 pixel color
touch screen provides high resolution viewing of popular
television shows. With this feature, there is never a need
to miss the evening news or latest gossip show.

Palm Treo Smartphone also is enabled with high quality and
built-in camera and video camera. The relatively large
memory of this phone allows you to save all those precious
files right there in one gadget.

Isn't that just a whole bunch of treats with Palm Treo
Smartphone coming at a very low price?

----------------------------------------------------
USED PALM TREO: Cellular Trendz is synonymous with the best
selections in used cell phones, smartphones and Blackberry.
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The Top Ten Things to Be Clear On

The Top Ten Things to Be Clear On
Clarity leads to power. These are the top ten things I
think are worthy of you becoming and remaining clear upon.

Here they are in no order of priority . . .

1. What You DON'T Want. As important as it is to know what
you want, it's also important to know what you don't want.
We highly recommend keeping a Toleration List—a list of
things you're tolerating in your life and your business
that you no longer want to tolerate.

The mere act of identifying the things you are putting up
with that are detracting from your success and happiness
will begin the process of eliminating them.

Start your Tolerations List today—and review it at least
monthly.

2. Your Path and/or Your Vehicle. When you know what you
want, what you don't want and are clear on all the other
things in this list, you have to become clear on the path
to getting where you want to go. What's your plan? What's
the vehicle that will take you there? Is it a good plan and
are you using a dependable vehicle? Is there a backup plan?

Get clear on your plan and make sure you have the right
vehicle.

3. Your Goals. Do you know your top three goals? Are they
clear? Can you articulate them in a succinct fashion and
have anyone understand what they are?

Are they SMART goals? In other words, are they Specific,
Measurable, Action-oriented, Relative (to your mission and
values) and Timely?

4. Why You Want Them. This is another area where many
people fall down. They might be clear on WHAT they want,
but they aren't clear enough about WHY they want what they
want. Reasons come first and answers come second.

The Universe has a tendancy to hang onto the answers until
our desire is strong enough.

Being interested in achieving a big goal is not enough. You
have to really want it.

5. Where You Are. Before you can determine how to get
somewhere, you have to know where you are now. And this is
a step that many people either don't or refuse to take.

Where are you financially? What's your net worth? How much
do you owe? What are your current expenses? How much of
your income is passive? What's your credit score? This is
all very important information.

Where do you stand with your health? What do you weigh?
What is your cholesterol? What are the benchmarks your
doctor has covered with you in your last physical?

What are current sales? How many customers do you have?
What is your average sale per customer? What is the
lifetime value of a customer?

This process can sometimes be uncomfortable—and maybe
that's why so many people refuse to do it. But you must
know where you are in all the areas that are worthy of
measure.

So where are you now?

6. Your Mission Statement. What's your personal mission?
What's the mission of your company?

A mission is a direction. It's not something you ever
actually achieve—it's your purpose.

Being clear on your mission and being able to articulate
that mission to others is critical to your success and that
of your organization.

7. Your Target Market. Few business owners I ask can give
me good answers to the following questions: Who is your
ideal client? With whom do you like working with? What are
the psychographics and demographics of your target market?
Where are they? How can you best reach them?

Knowing your target market is essential to your overall
success.

8. Your Values. What do you really care about? What are
your personal values? What are your company values?

Sound core values are the foundation of a truly successful
life and business. By discovering and becoming acutely
aware of your core values, you make decisions easier.

Invest the time to get clear on what you stand for. And
then articulate it in a compelling fashion. In doing so,
you'll make it easier for people of like mind to find you
and do business with you.

9. Obstacles and Constrictions. What stands in your way?
What do you see as your biggest constraint? I will warn you
that most of what you come up with will be excuses. Write
them down anyway.

But dig deeper for the REAL challenge, the one—or ones—that
aren't so obvious. The ones you may not want to admit to at
first.

Hint . . It's rarely "out there".

Unless you know what stands in your way, it will be hard to
plan around or fight through an unknown enemy.

10. Your Strengths. Most people are well aware of their
shortcomings, but not all that clear on their strengths.
They focus far too much on improving what they're not good
at.

It's much more productive to build on your strengths, to
improve what you're already good at than to to try to make
up for perceived dificiencies.

What are YOUR strengths? What are you good at that you can
leverage to your advantage. Invest some time into
determining your strengths. Ask others what they see as you
strongest assets. The answers may be quite different than
you expect.

----------------------------------------------------
For how to write a Mission Statement and for getting in
touch with Your Core Values, Success Principles and
more...........go to:
http://SuccessNet.org

Benefits of Forum Marketing To Your Work From Home Business

Benefits of Forum Marketing To Your Work From Home Business
Running an online business at home has never been easy,
what with the number of advertising avenues that you can
take to promote your services. You will find that there are
some websites that offer advertising space for a fee, while
others offer them for free. One of the methods that you can
take advantage of without paying for anything is forum
marketing.

Forums are everywhere, thanks to the ever increasing number
of people who log on to the internet, eager to share their
opinions or help those who are in need. Registering at
forums is often free. All you have to do is log on to your
favorite search engine and look for a forum that fits your
interests, or, in this case, the industry that your
services fall under. While online forums often have rules
against blatant advertising, you can use your signature as
a tool by adding your URL to it. Make sure you read and
understand the rules in all the forums you want to register
in.

It is also beneficial to be active in these forums, because
the more you post, the more people will know you. If you
share valuable information about the topics, you will be
viewed as an authority, and soon enough, you will be
surprised to see how many visits you have on your website.

That in itself is a very good reason to register, but here
are 5 other excellent reasons to convince you to use forum
marketing:

1. Branding. Simply giving out advice and tips will already
show other people what to expect when doing business with
you. Due to this, your home business will acquire its own
branding and positive customer perception. A good
reputation built out of willingness to help people is a
very important asset in any business, whether online or
offline. Later on, you can expect more traffic to your site
as people recommend it to other people and follow it for
any significant changes in your product and services.

2. Publish Special Offers. Some forums have categories for
job opportunities or the best deals, avenues that will
provide you with sufficient space to offer your best wares
to prospective buyers. While not all websites have these,
you can easily look for one by using your favorite search
engine.

3. Free Education. Whatever question you have, whatever
problems you're already experiencing, chances are there are
already those who have gone the same way as you, and are
very willing to share advice about how they pulled
themselves out of it. In addition, you will find numerous
helpful links to eBooks or software that could help your
business. Different people with different viewpoints
tackling a single problem, and you don't have to pay them -
it's any entrepreneur's dream!

4. Joint ventures. You will often find other entrepreneurs
who have the same ideas as you, or who can complement your
line and services. If you think that a joint venture can
help your business, forums can provide an excellent way for
you to look for one that would best fit your work ethics.

5. Support. Every question in every forum always has an
answer from more experienced forum-goers. Forums can become
great focus groups. Just post a thread, wait for everyone
else's reply, and you'll get the best ideas to keep your
business going and blooming.

----------------------------------------------------
For more information regarding work from home business
opportunities please visit
http://www.homebasedbusinesst.com to see more. Also check
into this exciting new home based business opportunity at
http://www.xocaistore.org to learn more about Xocai Healthy
Chocolate.

Speaking at Events to Boost your Biz

Speaking at Events to Boost your Biz
I started speaking at events like chamber of commerce small
business luncheons, women's groups, sales meetings and
leads group meetings about 3 years ago. I found that by
doing so, it really catapulted me into more of an expert
role in my industry. People looked to me as more of the
go-to person for marketing in their area plus I got a lot
more free publicity in the local papers and business
journals.

Speaking can be a challenge for many in regards to the
following:

- Who do you speak in front of?

- How do you initiate a speaking gig?

- How do you prepare for a speaking presentation?

- How do you know what topics are of interest?

- How do you capitalize on the publicity you could
potentially receive?

- How do you promote yourself during the talk?

- What do you bring or handout to promote yourself?

- How do you follow up after a speaking gig?

How do you overcome these obstacles or figure out how to
accomplish them?

1. You can ask other speakers how they do it.

2. You can ask the people who book the speakers at such
events, they'll tell you.

3. You can read books and online articles about the subject.

4. You can get coaching and advice from someone who helps
others on this topic.

What do you do first?

First you want to develop a few topics, survey an audience
of people if you aren't sure what kind of topics. Then
write up a quick description or outline of a possible 20-30
minute talk on those topics, something with bullets, short
and to the point showing how the audience will benefit.

Then put those topics on a word document, add your photo
and a short bio as well as your contact info to book you
for a speaking gig and whoala! You just developed your
speaker sheet.

Next, you send it by email or mail to all those persons
responsible for booking speakers for their events; you can
normally find them on the organizations' websites or call
to ask who's in charge of such a thing for each one.

Then you want to follow up with a phone call or another
email and try to get the person on the phone so you can
quickly chat with them and brainstorm how you can serve
their audience in a talk you can give.

Finally, remember to contact these organizations way ahead
of time. Many of them book their speakers for the year in
the fall of the previous year so if you contact them in
February, it might be too late for that year, but make sure
you're on their list for the following year then.

Oh, and one last thing....remember to practice your talks,
get feedback and keep revising them to stay current,
interesting and valuable.

----------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2008 K.Sawa Marketing. Katrina Sawa is an
Award-Winning Relationship Marketing Coach who's helped
hundreds of small business owners take dramatic steps in
their businesses to get them to the next level in business,
revenues and life. She offers one-on-one coaching, group
coaching and do-it-yourself marketing planning products. Go
online now to get started with her Free Report and Free
Audio at http://www.jumpstartyourmarketing.com !

Secrets Of How To Be A HOT Radio Guest & Reach Millions With Your Message

Secrets Of How To Be A HOT Radio Guest & Reach Millions With Your Message
Radio interviews offer a power strategy for launching your
new book or sharing your message as with radio interviews
you can share your message with millions effortlessly.
Here are some must know tips for making your radio
interviews pay off BIG for you!

1. Radio Producers Love Controversial Topics and Hot
Topics In The News. Producers and radio show hosts are
always on the lookout for guests who can discuss the
hottest and most current news of the day topics.

2. Follow The News Stories That Fall Within Your Area Of
Expertise And Create Your Talking Points For Each Story.
Do this even if you are not booked on the topic (yet) as
you will be developing a strong skill set of being able to
apply your education, credentials, experience and wisdom to
the socially relevant issues of the day.

3. Create A List Of Intriguing Questions To Offer To Your
Producer Or Host. Develop questions that are hard hitting
and benefit loaded for your listening audience. Producers
and hosts want to ask you questions that will intrigue
their audience and captures their attention.

4. Avoid Questions Such As "Why Did You Write Your Book?"
However, be ready to answer that question with a strong,
powerful, benefit packed 20 to 25 second answer. If you
are a great guest with high energy, enthusiasm and
outstanding information, the host will be more than happy
to give you a chance to mention your website or how
listeners can find out more info. Be ready with a several
points of developed content.

5. Responsibly Promote Your Book During The Interview.
Radio producers and hosts love to interview authors and
experts who are responsible in the promotion of their book
while on the show. Remember, you are a guest on the show
and primarily booked to entertain, inform and converse with
the audience and the host (keep in mind you are not booked
for an infomercial).

6. Avoid Phrases Such As "In My Book". It is better to
use the name of your book as if it were a living entity,
this way you can be promotional but in a way that makes
sense to the conversation you are having. Invest in media
training specifically for radio interviews so you can
become a top notch, professional guest and make the most of
the outstanding ability of radio to reach millions with
your message.

7. Have Lots Of News Topics: Create a list of topics you
can discuss along with talking points on each topic. A
talking point is your commentary on the issue at hand and
what you would contribute to the discussion.

8. Apply Your Knowledge: Always respond to any question
using your point of view as defined by your education,
experience and credentials. Your opinions are welcome
especially when you have top notch credentials and a strong
platform.

9. Never Wing It: Always prepare for your interview and
have note cards, special reports, news stories etc.
Remember, radio interviews generally take place over the
phone so you can have lots of prepared material ready for
reference in front of you.

10. Website Strategy: Be sure your website has lots of
content such as a bio, special reports, tip sheets, table
of contents of your book, a summary of your book and a list
of discussion topics and related questions for each topic.
This information will help the producer as well as the host
get ready for your interview. It's always better to
support the producer and host with sufficient information
so they have a guideline for the interview. Otherwise,
they could go in a new direction and you might not be
prepared appropriately.

11. Energy Is Critical In Delivering A Radio Interview.
Practice speaking with energy, excitement and passion in
your voice as your voice, along with your content, play a
critical role in the success of your interview. Energy can
also be thought of as urgency. Urgency, in that, you feel
compelled to share your information with others in that you
can help them. Listeners will sense your passion and
listen. Hence, a great interview!

12. Be Personable With The Host & With Callers. Use good
relationship building skills to create a rapport with the
host such as using his or her name when you speak to them
on the air or if they ask you a question that you feel is
especially good you can say "great question" or even
better, you can say "great question, Joe" and go on to your
answer.

----------------------------------------------------
Annie Jennings PR is the creator of numerous next-level
publicity strategies designed to make you a million dollar
author and expert superstar. Creations include platform
strategy, the most powerful radio campaign in the industry,
the famous pay for placement publicity program, the
strategy on how to be a socially relevant expert, online
media kits, media sites & more.
Contact Annie Jennings PR: 908.281.6201 or
http://www.anniejenningspr.com

Benefits of International Trade

Benefits of International Trade
The definition of International trade isn't at all unlike
how we would normally define domestic trade. The only
difference is that the occurrence of trading crosses
geographical boundaries. A country would consider trading
Internationally in an effort to give their GDP a big boost
very quickly. International trading is nothing new to the
business world. We have been trading across boundaries ever
since we found ways to move past borders in the latest
modes of transportations but the way trading is done these
days is far more complicated and lucrative than it used to
be. Industrialization, globalization and formation of many
multinational corporations have all changed the way nations
deal with each other.

International trade is also important to the value of one's
lives today; imagine if our choices were limited to what we
can produce locally. Without the goods and services
available from other countries, we would be living in a
world confined to what we are given...this is against the
principle of growth of humankind.

Trading Internationally involves heavy costs because on top
of the price of the product or service, the nation's
government will usually impose tariffs, time costs and the
many other costs involved in moving (usually) the goods
across into another country where language, system, culture
and rules are considered a big hindrance.

One of the largest movers in the International trading
world that we have today is China where labor is plentiful
and cheap. Many labor-intensive products designed and
produced by United States and other European countries are
assembled or manufactured in China where labor is
inexpensive. This is typical because it's a move that can
save the original country a lot of time and money.
Furthermore, with the opening of door of China, citizens
now have more income opportunities to make life better.

However, when a country deals a lot with International
trade, although it creates exponential income opportunities
for the locals, by importing or exporting too much of
something can cause damage to the local scene. During
recession, countries suffer local pressure to change laws
governing International trade to protect the local
industries. The most painful and memorable of such incident
is the Great Depression. Each country dealing with
International trade have their very own laws and bylaws
which governs their trading policies but on a global level,
trading activities are monitored and done through the World
Trade Organization.

The role of WTO is to ensure that there is peaceful and
mutually benefiting business atmosphere. Trading amongst
each other can cause minor unwanted rifts between parties
concerned and if left to sizzle can cause major problems on
the International front. In the event such problems are
detected or voiced, the WTO can step in and take precedence
over the disputes by holding talks, discussions and finding
ways of solving the International trading problems
amicably. One of the ways to do this is to sign agreements
or multilateral agreements not unlike the FTAA between the
Buenos Aires on the Free Trade Area of the Americans.

Don't be surprised but the people who benefit from all
these International trading activities are the small
businesses and medium-sized organizations who have good
products or services to offer. So, if you're thinking about
going this way, if you hit it right, you could be riding a
long successful wave of business deals.

----------------------------------------------------
Paul is active in various social and community programs
aimed at providing equal opportunity to
education,health,jobs and business opportunities to all
regardless of race or religion. Paul has over 10 years
experience in managing a successful multi-million dollar
advertising and publishing company.Paul can be reached at :
http://www.tradeplanets.com

Become the Solution To The Job Interviewer's Problem

Become the Solution To The Job Interviewer's Problem
The absolute worst way to go to an interview is with the
attitude of: "Please, please - hire me."

When you go to an interview with that attitude you appear
desperate. And even though you actually may be desperate in
a difficult job market, you don't want to appear that way.

The demeanor and attitude that you bring to the interview
will set the tone for the entire interview.

Let's look at it from the employer's/interviewer's point of
view.

You are the employer and are seeking a solution to a
problem. Your best sales person has just left and you have
no one to cover the territory. You are hoping that you can
find some who is capable to help you solve this problem.
You are tired of interviewing candidates who seem to fall
short. You would like to find a good person who can do the
job and take over the problem. This will allow you to get
back to your job to get on with your work.

And one afternoon a candidate walks in who appears to be
confident, has a lot of energy, and who seems to understand
your problem. This candidate is very personable and has a
great attitude toward the type of situation you need to be
filled. There is a real connection between the two of you.
He "gets you."

The more questions you ask this candidate the more excited
you become about his qualifications. He presents himself
with confidence. He doesn't just say he's good at closing
sales, he gives great examples of times when he not only
closed sales - but he exceeded expectations.

You heart starts beating fast and you know that you have
found the solution to your problem. He looks professional,
he's prepared, he has stories to back his claims, and he
has asked intelligent questions that demonstrate his
interest in what you do.

This is the man you are going to hire.

But wait, there are some problems: he has a higher salary
expectation than you budgeted for. You reason that you can
handle that by using your "fudget factor" and finding some
extra money somewhere else.

The other problem is this person has been out of work for a
few months. Could this be a problem? You already have a
problem - you don't want to hire another problem. When you
question him he is sincere and honest. He's going through a
tough time in a tough job market. You ask him why he left
his last job. He explains very forthrightly that the
company that he worked for went through several changes and
he no longer fit into the culture. He didn't bad mouth the
company or doesn't appear to be bitter about the situation.
Since you've had a similar experience you can relate.

After spending an hour with this person you are sure you
have found the right "fit" for not only you but for the
candidate. Everything you have asked him seems to work with
your company and culture. He seems to know what he is
looking for and what he wants when you question him about
his goals and why he wants to work for your company. This
is important to you because otherwise he won't be happy
working at your job and you will have to repeat this
process again sooner than later - and you don't want that
to happen. You want to hire a "solution."

You decide to check out his reference and if the comments
are as positive as this candidate claims - then you will
make him an offer.

Looking at the job process from this perspective you can
see that when you appear desperate and aren't prepared with
good answers, the interviewer will not get those positive
vibes about you being the person to solve his problems. A
desperate attitude and demeanor will work against you in
the interview.

Negative thinking such as: "I'm probably not the "perfect"
fit for the job, I'm over-qualified, or lacking in some of
the skills," or "They probably won't like me," will
sabotage your efforts to make a good impression

There may be no such thing as the "perfect" job or the
"perfect" interview, but when you change your attitude
toward the interview, you have a better chance of having a
"near perfect" interview. And, a far great chance of
finding the job that will satisfy your values and your
needs.

----------------------------------------------------
Carole Martin, America's #1 Interview Coach has specialized
in the subject of "Interviewing" for the past 15 years from
both sides of the desk. She has produced a free practice
interview that shows you where you are going wrong in your
interview. See if your skills pass the test at
http://www.interviewcoach.com/interviewlogin.html . Don't
be caught without the right answers, get your free 9-week
ecourse at http://www.interviewcoach.com

The Value of a Value Proposition

The Value of a Value Proposition
I work with many business owners and selling professionals.
When I ask them what they do they immediately rush into
their title. Each states, "I am the President of a Bank",
"I am a Consultant", "and I am a Professional Speaker". If
I were a client and heard this I immediately state, "So
What"? Professionals today refrain from their titles and
occupations in the service business and speak with the
reply to "So What"? The method for doing so is known as a
Value Proposition.

What is a Value Proposition? Simply put, a value
proposition is a pithy statement that promotes the business
to clients using outcome and results. This brief statement
denotes the benefit(s) that a client receives from working
with you. It is outcome based and focuses all attention on
client outcomes not process, method or anything further.

Most companies lack a useful value proposition. Research
illustrates that many firms (93%) focus on process and not
client outcomes. Exemplars include:

- We provide sales training.

- Our assessments assist with personality profiling.

- We analyze your issues with a needs assessment.

- Our model incorporates organizational redesign and
leadership development.

These are not value propositions. While they indicate
factual information about the organization; they do nothing
else but focus on the organization. The entire purpose of a
value proposition is to focus on sole benefit to the client.

Why have a value proposition? The proliferation of both the
Internet and small business has created a conundrum of
noise and activity around clients. That said it is vital
for your services to be heard. Organizations today require
focus on two complicated issues productivity and
profitability- your mission is to create a succinct message
that addresses these concerns to the decision maker.

Be mindful, this is not an elevator speech. The value
proposition succinctly addresses the concern. Dependent the
offered results the statement might also help with brand! A
perfect example is FedEx- absolutely guaranteed to be there
overnight. Not only is this one of the most powerful value
propositions in the world but one of the best brands.

There are other reasons for writing a value proposition:

- Distinguishes you from the competition.

- Distinguishes you and the organization in distinctive
markets.

- Provides a better source of lead generation.

- Accomplishes quicker time to market.

- Enables selling professionals to expediently get in front
of decision makers.

What methods can I use to develop one? This tool contains
no more than 10 to 15 words featuring as many adjectives as
possible. Value propositions have these characteristics:

• Focus on what the buyer gets, it is outcome based

• Results focused that uses colorful words to gain the
attention

• General in that the statement can appeal to any industry
dependent on need

Here is an example to develop a value proposition:

1. A poor value proposition: - We help create a fit
individual

2. A good value proposition - We have a 7-Step program for
better abdominals

3. A great value proposition - We dramatically accelerate
results that match your individual fitness desires

How can an organization or individual develop a value
proposition? The concept for developing a statement is not
difficult to achieve yet takes patience. It is vital to
look at the organization from a customer or competitive
view. Questions to answer are:

1. "What does your organization do that from a benefit and
results perspective stands head and shoulders above any
competitive pressure"?

2. What results to clients achieve with you?

3. What is the organization extremely passionate for in
meeting client's needs?

4. What are your core values that provide results to
clients?

5. What an individual or organizational values, stated
and/or implied provide value to clients?

6. How does the organization minimize client risk and
provide a return on investment?

These are only a few of the many questions that can be
asked to begin crafting a message. Do not expect to obtain
a statement overnight yet do not belabor it either. Too
many organization spend countless hours on mission, vision
and values yet the organizational culture does not
exemplify the creed or shamefully do not understand it.
However, if you desire better results for your sales and
marketing efforts it is best to begin with asking questions
focused on client value and return on investment- to the
client. If you cannot gain the answers the best source,
your clients! Testimonials and case studies are great
examples of value. Take their statements and simply develop
them into benefit-based sentences.

It is imperative to understand that no magic formula exists
for the creation of a value proposition. Further, it is an
often overlooked and underutilized tool. And, organizations
typically confuse mission and vision statements with this
benefit based phrases. However, when researched, reviewed
and required, these thought provoking statements might
assist your organization to break away from the pack. The
drafting of an articulate message might be split second
differentiator between a cursory review of your
competitor's brochure or phone call and yours. Craft a new
message, speak of value and results and watch the gap widen.

----------------------------------------------------
Drew Stevens PhD is known as the Sales Strategist. Drew
assists organizations to dramatically accelerate business
growth. He is the author of seven books including Split
Second Selling and Split Second Customer Service and Little
Book of Hope and is frequently called on the media for his
expertise. Drew was recently nominated as one of 50 Top
Sales Experts. Download a FREE copy of Drew's White Paper
on "Selling Effectiveness" or "Business Building" e-book at
http://www.gettingtothefinishline.com .

Why Your Customer Service Is Going Off Track

Why Your Customer Service Is Going Off Track
This past week I spotted a trend among my clients. You
might call it the 'dash'... everyone is sprinting to prove
they're making changes in their business's productivity as
if that is a badge to earn all by itself.

And too often they are speeding down a track that is taking
them to actions and solutions that will cost a lot of time
and money and not even solve the issue at hand.

You may be caught in the same sense of urgency, starting an
unnecessary race. So I thought I'd share the steps I use
with my clients to get them focused at the right pace so
that they get the full result they're hoping for to grow
their business.

Step 1 - Define The True Issue

One of my largest clients asked me to sit in during the
first presentation by a tech team to address improving the
Customer Services function at their company. Sure enough,
the team 'presented' the issue by quoting back 35
interviewees' concerns and then went straight into the
proposed solution. Fortunately the COO paused the
conversation and identified that he hadn't heard the actual
'need' for which the proposed project was a solution.

Make sure you've defined exactly what is being 'fixed' and
be sure the users of the solution are at the table defining
what is needed.

Step 2 - Research the Options for Solutions

We all fall in love with our area of expertise. And the
tech team members showed it clearly. They were proposing
'web based' technology and mega databases to gather all the
interactions with clients... and they completely neglected
the more familiar automated phone options and even email
exchanges. Not to mention the non-tech solutions that could
be created by realigning customer service personnel roles.

Take the time to flush out at least three options and run
those ideas past the potential users to see if you're
staying on track.

Step 3 - Check that the Solution Matches Your Business Model

For this particular client, the end user will never be the
person contacting Customer Service. Their distributors are
the ones who will report issues and 20% of them are not
computer users. That doesn't mean they might not find
technology solutions useful, but it won't be sitting at
their desk. They need solutions they can use when they are
standing on site at a client, or get a phone call while
driving between appointments.

All the technology in the world won't solve your key
challenge: make it easy for your customers to communicate
with you the way they are ready to today. OR make it even
easier!

Step 4 - Double Check That The Solution Works 'Inside' AND
'Outside'

Not only does my client need to make it easy for their
customers to be heard and responded to... They also need to
capture the information so they can check internally to
identify trends in their products and services and decide
what may need to be redesigned. The tech team will need to
design a system for gathering information easily, and
passing it to those who need to know immediately, and
summarizing it in reports for periodic trends analysis. At
each stage, the information may look very different to each
audience.

Sort out how you'll store information over time so that you
can be sure it serves improving your customer's experience
AND your own organization's performance.

Step 5 - Design How You'll Test And Adjust The Solution

Just like a rubber band springing back into place, changes
in systems and people's behavior can melt away when you
assume it will all come together as needed. Nothing takes
you off track more predictably than designing and
instituting changes and then walking away from the project.
Never assume the 'design' is the solution.

Before you invest time and money in permanently changing
processes, and policies, and roles and responsibilities
test the proposed system with all the users.

Commit to the project's long-term success by assigning
responsibility for testing your chosen solution and
evaluating how it's working... AND commit to adapting it as
you learn what is working well and what needs to be tweaked.

Step 6 - Test And Adjust, Test And Adjust

My client is bringing together a task force of six
disciplines to talk through all of the steps above. They'll
be guiding the tech team's focus to be sure it meets all
the users needs and stays on track with the Issue
identified back in Step 1.

Now it's your turn on the track.

----------------------------------------------------
Management expert, consultant, and coach Linda Feinholz is
"Your High payoff Catalyst." Linda publishes the free
weekly newsletter The Spark! to subscribers world-wide and
delivers targeted solutions, practical skills and simple
ways to build your business. If you're ready to focus on
your High Payoff activities, accelerate your results and
have more fun at it, get your FREE tips like these visit
her site at http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com

How to Not Lose Customers : Tips Every Business Owner Needs to Know

How to Not Lose Customers : Tips Every Business Owner Needs to Know
As a business owner, and as a discerning consumer myself,
I've seen my fair share of do's and don'ts in the realm of
customer service, and I know what makes for a bad, average,
above average, and finally stellar customer experience.
It's amazing what you start to notice after you have been a
small business owner yourself for a few years, when you are
on the receiving end of a customer service experience.

You start to really notice the little nuances that you may
not have noticed or even cared about before you went into
business for yourself. It's not like I didn't know what
bad and good customer service was before, it's just that
I've become more intuned to it now since it is the
cornerstone of my bread butter as well.

When I have a really good or a really bad experience as a
client, I tend to mull it over and figure out why it
bothered me, and what the business owner or representative
of the serving business could have done better, or how they
could have handled it differently to make my experience
better.

This line of thinking has led to what I call, in my world
as a customer and a business owner, the foundation of good
customer service. If you can grasp these as a business
owner, and pass them on to anyone who works for you or
ingrain them in your corporate culture, well, you only have
one way to go, and that's up.

The first rule is to always maintain professionalism. This
may seem like common sense to you or the next reader, but
what seems like common sense doesn't always translate into
the right thing being done out there when clients are
involved.

I'll give you an example. I was in a small privately owned
spice shop a few weeks back, in an upscale shopping
development. I like to shop there once in a while for some
hard to find spices and sauces, and am willing to pay the
higher than average price because it is a specialty store
and because it has a nice, calming atmosphere.

I have been to this particular place at least a dozen times
before and consistently had a good experience - nothing I
would categorize as spectacular, but acceptable, and
definitely not "bad".

The last time I went to browse happened to be with my
sister who was in from out of town. The person working at
the counter, and apparently the only employee in the store
at the time, and quite possibly the owner for all I know,
was in a heated discussion with someone who appeared to be
an acquaintance. Not only were we not greeted and made to
feel welcome, but their argument actually made us so
uncomfortable that we had to leave the store.

This is what I call the ultimate in bad customer service
and definitely the ultimate bad experience. Did this
person have any idea that we walked out because of their
heated discussion? Who knows, but the fact is, once we
walked in, the discussion should have stopped, or they
could have carried it on in the back room.

We've all had those experiences when we've felt ignored or
even trivialized at a place of business, and that always
leaves a lasting negative impression that is detrimental to
that business' customer base.

So, rule number one is that consummate professionalism
ALWAYS is, in my opinion a necessary foundation for great
customer relations.

The customer always comes first, and this means their needs
supercede any personal drama, job angst or other issues you
as a business owner or as a representative of a business
may have at the moment.

The second rule is to always make sure a client gets timely
responses to any issues or complaints they may have. In
the online world, this is especially an easy one to
overlook, since it's easier to just not answer or ignore an
email for a while.

I can't tell you how many times I've had bad experiences
with this one. In my line of business, I deal with a lot
of people online and over emails, and many times I will
either never get a response to a question or complaint, or
it will be delayed several days, even weeks.

This always leaves a bad taste in my mouth as a customer,
and has even forced my hand at finding a different service
who values me as a customer and responds to me in a timely
fashion.

On top of a timely response to questions or issues, it is
especially annoying and even angering to clients when they
receive a response that is not relevant to their question,
or only answers part of it or dances around the true
problem.

I know you've all experienced the "form letter" approach to
problem solving, where you get a response that is supposed
to resolve your question or issue that only creates more
questions, or does not directly address your problem at
all. And I also know how frustrating that is as a customer.

Please, as a business owner, make sure you are supplying
on-point and direct resolutions to your customers problems.
They will appreciate it and remember it.

Last but not least is showing, or training your people to
show and actually have, empathy for the customer. We've
also shared that similar experience where we've called
about a question, problem or issue with a product or
service, and are met with a cold, unsympathetic voice on
the other end of the line who doesn't seem to care or want
to really help.

Hire good people. Hire people who have demonstrated at
other jobs a genuine desire to do the best they can for
customers, and treat them as they would like to be treated
if they had called with the same question or issue.

As a business owner, if you are not a one man show, your
business is only as good as your employees, so make sure
you are hiring the right people, and training them to
handle customers in an empathetic, timely, professional and
courteous manner.

----------------------------------------------------
Danna Schneider is the founder and primary editorial
contributor of http://www.primeratecredit.com where
information on low interest credit cards, special deals on
low to no interest credit cards, and the best deals
currently going in credit and loans. She also manages an
online financial and credit info and catalogue on the best
deals in credit cards called
http://www.creditcardcatalogue.com .

Market Research Strategies for Small Businesses

Market Research Strategies for Small Businesses
Have you ever done any market research? If not, you may be
missing some valuable marketing ideas and information that
you could capture by doing some research. Market research
is a vital part of the process that most small businesses
or start-ups neglect to do. However, it could be the
single most important thing a new business does prior to
formulating their business plan, location or marketing
strategy.

Marketing research is the process of gathering data and
opinions from consumers, employees, or a specific subgroup
within the public, to improve decision making and reducing
the risk associated with those decisions.
Individuals/businesses can use information gained from
marketing research to assess awareness, attitudes,
perceptions, or opinions on products, services,
advertising, brands, and/or companies. The two types of
research are qualitative (words) and quantitative (numbers).

Qualitative research is an in-depth analysis of relatively
few respondents, which provides a holistic insight and
understanding of the issue at hand. For example, if a
company is interested in testing company logos, qualitative
methods would provide rich data.

- Focus Groups are an "informal" gathering of 6-10 people
from your "target group" to have an in-depth conversation
of opinions on your product, brand, advertising, and other
areas of your product and/or service.

- Face-to-face interviews typically involve a one-on-one
conversation with your consumers or decision-makers. These
methods can be more expensive than a traditional survey,
but will provide a more comprehensive evaluation.

Quantitative research seeks to summarize data and typically
applies some form of statistical analysis. Using this
method, for example, a company could measure their
customer's level of satisfaction and then, in turn, make
internal changes to increase that satisfaction.

- Researchers should use surveys or questionnaires when
trying to measure an audience's opinions more accurately.

*Telephone surveys are often the most expensive, but are
the most effective at getting respondents to complete the
survey.
*Mail surveys can be relatively inexpensive, but the
response rate on a mail survey is typically 3-10% and takes
more time to conduct. These cannot be used when results
are needed quickly.
*Online surveys are relatively new, but growing fast in
popularity. With online surveys, you can ask survey
questions, but also get feedback on things such as logos
(using picture files) or commercials (using streaming
video).
*Intercept interviews are a tool a company uses when they
do not have a list of their customer base, such as a
restaurant or a sports team, but would still like to
measure their customer's satisfaction.

For the small business owner it might be helpful to hire a
marketing company or market research firm to help with
these types of in-depth research however it's not to say
that you couldn't ask your current clients or contacts as
well on your own. Just remember you do not have to do all
of this yourself, it's always good to consult with experts
in areas that you are not familiar or experienced with so
it's the best use of your time and it gets done right.

Now what do you do with all that great qualitative and
quantitative information when you receive it? It is
imperative that you work it into your marketing materials,
Web site, correspondence, sales presentations, advertising
and many other areas of your marketing plan. When you find
out what your target market wants or likes, it is important
NOT to ignore those results.

----------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2008 K.Sawa Marketing. Katrina Sawa is an
Award-Winning Relationship Marketing Coach who's helped
hundreds of small business owners take dramatic steps in
their businesses to get them to the next level in business,
revenues and life. She offers one-on-one coaching, group
coaching and do-it-yourself marketing planning products. Go
online now to get started with her Free Report and Free
Audio at http://www.jumpstartyourmarketing.com !

Exploring the Online Marketing Network

Exploring the Online Marketing Network
Since its appearance, the internet and worldwide web has
attracted a lot of attention. One of the main benefits is
that no matter what the size of the business, whether large
or small, the same amount of exposure can be gained by
both. It can be an inexpensive and cost effective medium to
use in today's high tech business world. Essentially the
internet can be considered a huge sales channel aimed at
the consumer.

An incredible amount of exposure can be gained through the
internet, with a business owner reaching millions of
potential customers. Compared to other, more conventional
forms of advertising, the internet is far less expensive.
For the cost of one days classified ads in the local
newspaper, the online network marketer can get a website
built and up and running for a whole year. This has the
benefits of not only reaching the local market, as in the
case of the newspaper, but also the region, country or even
worldwide market. Because of the personal interaction an
online prospect has, the online marketing networker will
get far more attention than through other forms of media.

Due to the high tech view of the internet, many people feel
very uneasy about using it. However, the technological side
of the internet is not the main issue here. For online
marketing networkers the main issue is that it provides a
personalised atmosphere for your prospects, allowing you to
build close one-on-one relationships with many people.

To do online marketing effectively, the internet requires a
unique set of rules and regulations. Online consumers
actively seek out information, unlike conventional
advertising where a message is sent to a target market and
the recipient of this information then chooses to act or
ignore the information. It must be understood though that
internet marketing is not a get rich quick scheme. Success
is reliant on gaining a full understanding of the concept
as well as the hard work involved the need for attention to
detail and the constant promotional activity required to
make it work. You do not need to worry about fancy graphics
to be successful; it is about providing valuable, quality
information specific to the industry, presenting a
professional marketing image and having a reliable hosting
service so that the information you provide is fast and
easy to download.

A different approach is required by the online marketing
networker in the development of their website. Here a re 4
tips to help in this process:

1:- Including quality, active copy when building your
website. The only aim of this is to obtain mare leads, make
more sales and to increase profitability. The use of good,
fine graphics and scripts, although not essential, will
make your site richer and more appealing to your visitors.

2:- The use of powerful and proven marketing strategies and
techniques will allow your website to recognise excellent
results and also at the same time cutting your online
marketing costs.

3:- Transform your online marketing network website into a
lucrative money making vehicle by constantly improving and
adjusting it.

4:- Online marketing exposure can be increased by using
customised and up to date marketing campaigns. This will
help secure consistently high results from your sales and
marketing efforts.

The online marketing networker needs to be constantly
looking at what they are doing and tweaking their campaigns
in an effort to remain visible and be seen to be a market
expert.

----------------------------------------------------
Mark Watson of MarkWatson2008.com is a successful internet
marketer working form home with some for the top marketers
and leaders. For more information visit
http://wwwMarkWatson2008.com

Culture and Collusion - Condoning Corporate Anarchy (Part One)

Culture and Collusion - Condoning Corporate Anarchy (Part One)
© Leanne Faraday-Brash

A client of mine was talking to me about their previous job
as internal legal counsel for a professional services firm.
His first week in his old job was particularly memorable,
he reminisced. A distressed employee had come to him with
a formal complaint alleging sexual harassment against one
of the senior partners. As he dug a bit deeper he found
that this was but one in a string of allegations by
different women in the firm including a couple who'd left
and talked about his sexual intimidation and offensive
behaviour in their exit interviews with Human Resources.
Counsel admitted to me that his first thought was "If this
is true, it's outrageous and must be stopped". He then
admitted his second thought hot on the heels of the first
was "Groan, why me... and why this week?" Notwithstanding,
he took a deep breath, approached the partnership and
readily gave unequivocal advice on what he thought was in
the best interests of the firm if the allegations were
substantiated. However in stark contrast and to his
consternation, he found their equivocation on what to do
with Mr. Million Dollar (annual billings) Man quite
pronounced. Following investigation, the partner was
exited from the business but not without some sweaty palms,
some real chagrin and not a little anger, some of which was
(mis)directed at Counsel aka
bad-news-messenger-on-probation.

In past weeks we have seen careers destroyed, verdicts
handed down and arguments rage on blogs all over Australia
as people consider the issues, the evidence and opinions
before them, and make decisions on who to back and why?
Should the champion footballer have been sacked for drug
use? Should Sthe senior Police manager have been stood
down? Should the Supermarket chain manager have been
dismissed for drinking at lunch? The common denominator in
so many of these cases which have provided such fertile
ground for supposition, critical analysis, newspaper
editorials and good old fashioned water cooler gossip is a
much more serious and fundamental issue and that is one of
organisational culture and the lawlessness that can take
hold of an organisation that either refuses, or in the
context in which it operates, is powerless, to act.

I feel very frustrated and a little betrayed. I have
consulted to some of these companies (no not the Ocean
Grove Football Club, and frankly you can have them). I
have met outstanding, well intentioned, principled
individuals wanting to improve their organisations, serve
their communities, provide value for their shareholders,
drive performance cultures. They commit no crime asking
their people to do an honest day's work for an honest day's
pay and even that endeavour is sabotaged by those who see
that accountability culture as a threat to working life as
they know it.

This is not necessarily the fault of unions or lazy
opportunistic employees but also an IR system (on any side
of politics) that attempts to demand natural justice but in
its application defends the indefensible. But poor
performance doesn't usually bring down organisations.
Scandal does. Scandal borne of corruption, dirty politics,
ruthless game-playing, or cowardice.

----------------------------------------------------
Leanne Faraday-Brash is an organisational psychologist,
Principal of Brash Consulting and co-founder of the
Workplace Justice Consortium
Visit her websites at http://www.brashconsulting.com.au
http://www.workplacejustice.com.au

How to Use the Recession to Your Advantage, Part 2

How to Use the Recession to Your Advantage, Part 2
An economic downturn can prove fatal for many businesses.
However, it can also present unheard of bargains when it
comes to advertising. In general, businesses cut back on
advertising. When you know your prospects are cutting back
on their spending, you need to get creative. When times
are tough, the tough get going. Now is the time to capture
the market and brand your company as the only business in
your industry.

How can you entice your prospect to call, order or shop in
your store? It takes some creative campaigns to get your
prospects interested.

Here are 4 ideas...

Do you sell products that people can use at home for
enjoyment or entertainment? Consider this headline:

NOW YOUR NIGHTS AT HOME CAN BE JUST AS ENJOYABLE, IF NOT
MORE ENJOYABLE THAN GOING OUT. NOT TO MENTION ALL THE
MONEY YOU'LL SAVE.

Do you sell home improvement services? Consider this
headline:

SPENDING TIME AT HOME HAS NEVER BEEN MORE ENJOYABLE

Do you sell services to businesses? Consider a promotion
such as this:

NOW MORE THAN EVER YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON RUNNING YOUR
BUSINESS. OUTSOURCING NOT ONLY SAVES YOU TIME, IT SAVES YOU
MONEY.

With the price of gas, people are very focused on their gas
budgets which means they will cut back on other purchases.
Why not offer a $50 gas card with purchase to get the sale?
Here's how a vacation rental company might entice
vacationers.

VACATION AT THE SHORE - AND WE'LL PAY FOR YOUR GAS TO GET
HERE

There are many ways you can use tough economic times to
increase sales. What can you package or bundle together?
Can you find a new purpose for an old product or service?

Your ultimate goal is to present your product or service so
that it matches what's on your prospects mind. People are
always thinking and when times are tough, more often than
not they are thinking about ways to save money. It's your
job to be their solution and to be in front of them.

A recession is one of the most important times to
advertise. Your competitors are likely removing themselves
from the minds of your prospects by cutting back on their
advertising. Now is the ideal time to capture more of your
market. Not to mention you can do it more affordably than
during robust economic periods. Remember that most mediums
are offering great deals that can sometimes double your
reach. It's true, times are tough, but you're ready to get
going.

----------------------------------------------------
Marketing consultant Nicole Shields is the creator of the 7
Step Marketing Plan, a fill-in-the blank system which
easily and automatically builds effective marketing plans.
Her techniques will transform any small, offline business'
marketing from mediocre to exponentially profitable. Get
lots of f'ree resources at http://www.7stepmarketingplan.com