Archive for May, 2008
May 31, 2008 at 6:08 pm · Filed under Lady Luck's Lair, Miscellaneous
The toil of physically going to a real gaming room can be enough to drop the idea if you can avoid it. Because the traffic, the toil, and tasks it involves simply aren’t worth the difficulty merely for that chance to lay your bets at real gaming room, nonetheless, if you are the sort of guy who pines for games of luck then opting for games of luck via the world wide web is sure to be the solution for you.
It isn’t required to leave your home to try your hand at online video poker etc simply because you’ll do everything from your home if you possess a computer plus, obviously, a broadband internet connection. Nonetheless, let’s not forget that there are quite a lot of recommendations that you really should swot concerning online video poker etc, in particular if you’re a novice. So defuse that eagerness of yours to ruminate the counsel below. Here’s my rough which clarifies what to focus on when tracking down an honest and trust-worthy online video poker etc site. The top priority that yours truly as a wise Web wagerer would definitely look out for is an online video poker etc Web site of the type offering top winnings. Read on many more leads concerning locating your online card-playing Web site.
You must take care to check that the online card-playing Web site holds an authenticated license, e. g. by searching out the government operating license on the casino site’s pages. Should you be unable to localize any government operating license on a particular online card-playing Web site, don’t think of gambling at that place. In the next step, you will be best advised to check out vigilantly the mixed perks that the online card-playing Web site provides.
Second Free Poker Site for Diamond I
Another tip could be to place your bets at the start in modest amounts in place of frittering crazy amounts on the spot. To begin with, check the health of this online card-playing framework prior to provoking any undue hazard, in particular in terms of money! The last most crucial pointer concerning online gambling. It can obviously only be this– to never neglect that gambling in online casinos should really only be concerned with pleasurable enjoyment and much less about becoming rich. Betting in online casinos is certainly no profession, but, instead, a leisure pursuit that intends to help you feel glad and your life enjoyable.
After having minded the cues described above, you are free to go ahead yield to the pull of online card-playing!
May 30, 2008 at 6:43 pm · Filed under Ads + Plugs
Some people believe that hit exchanges are not good for bringing in free traffic. However I will disagree completely. In my own experiences I have had excellent results while using hit exchanges. The key is to use them correctly.
There are some assumptions you have to make when using hit exchanges, one that the people who will see your ad on the hit exchanges will be surfing only to earn credits towards the advertising of their own site. Number two the people will not read your long drawn out ad, there isn’t enough time, or interest.
If you are going to earn business from people surfing the web using a hit exchange, 2 things will have to happen to be successful, using this method of advertising.
1.) You must have an offer that attracts the viewers attention!
2.) The web page must be built for speed!
Starting with number 1. Most people find it hard to turn down a good offer. Try to offer something that has people interested, in hearing more like, Find out how you can get my product x; at an extremely low, low price. That seems to attract attention quite well. Giving something away for free is another great way to get people fired up about what you have to say.
Number 2 your web page needs to be built for speed. The thing to remember with hit exchanges, you only have about 20 to 30 seconds of exposure time to grab your viewers attention. So make the page short, and to the point. Lastly, I recommend that you put a picture on the page, a picture is worth 1000 words.(This will help you to keep it short)
Here is an example of a web page that I have built for speed. I have generated many on-line sales using this method of advertising.http://www.internet5kincome.com/science.html
You may have to adjust the wording, if you find that you are not getting the results you are looking for. This kind of web page works well, once you have everything right. From there things move into auto pilot!
Notice in my example the picture of the e-book. When I first had built the page I did not include the picture, after adding it my results were 100 times better. Also if you take note of the form on the page. When the viewer submits the information to the auto-responder, the auto-responder sends the E-book to the person’s email automatically.
There is still one more step to take. This step is my favorite, it can earn you a ton of extra traffic, so if you are interested pay attention to this. You already know that your new prospect uses hit exchanges! This gives you a golden opportunity to earn credits by referring them to other traffic exchange services. All traffic exchanges that I have ever used, provided me with extra credits, and even money for referring them to new clients. Although it should be Obvious, you need to send your affiliate links to your prospects to earn credits, and this step can be done using your auto-responder!
Psst, so what if I do not have an auto-responder? You can Get one free at http://www.getresponse.com
I am Michael Ditch, the owner of Internet5kincome.com web site. If you liked what you have read in my articles, or have questions about what you have read please visit my web site, where you will find many ideas and resources, on how to own and run a successful Internet home business. http://www.interent5kincome.com
May 30, 2008 at 4:46 pm · Filed under Health
A Candida yeast infection can display the following symptoms:
• arthritis
• autism
• chronic hives
• fatigue
• digestive disorders
• muscle pain
• short attention span
• headaches
• memory loss
• vaginitis
• skin problems
• impotence
• hyperactivity
• depression
• hypoglycemia
• menstrual problems
• urinary disorders
• respiratory problems
• food and environmental allergies
• learning difficulties
Candida infections have signs and symptoms that vary depending on the location of the infection. This infection is very common to women. Its signs and symptoms consist of a white discharge that is itchy and irritating to the vagina. It can affect the surrounding outer tissues of the anus where a moist patch appears on the contiguous skin of the anus. Candida yeast infections also cause pain during sexual intercourse and a burning sensation during urination.
Candida infections in infants and adults may become visible in different ways; oral Candidiasis (or thrush) is exhibited by thick, white patches on top of a red base and may appear on any area inside the mouth. Bleeding on the underlying tissue occurs if these white patches are wiped away. Without the white coating this infection makes the tongue appear to be red in color. Oral thrush is painful and can contribute to eating disorders.
Prevention of dehydration is a must for anyone who has oral thrush. This infection frequently causes elderly people to have sores and cracks at the sides of their mouth.
Candidiasis can also develop within hours of birth on the palms of a newborn baby. Candida organisms live on the skin and yeast overgrowth occurs if there is a breakdown of the skin’s outer layer. It is visible on the warm parts of the body such as diaper areas and skin folds. Superficial Candida skin infection may look like a red flat rash that has sharp scalloped edges.
Satellite lesions are smaller patches that look the same and may cause itching or pain. This kind of infection causes redness, swelling and softness of the fingernail. In male genitalia, Candida infection usually presents with dry, red scaly patches on the tip or head of the penis.
Candida infections can have an effect on various internal organs and cause pain or dysfunction to a person, especially if they have a destabilized immune system. Likewise, individuals with Candida infection may develop sensitivity to some foods. Other times there is food intolerance for dairy products and glutens. Food intolerance can be positively identified through The Detection Diet.
A person with AIDS typically contracts the yeast infection known as esophagitis in the upper gastrointestinal system. This condition may seem like oral thrush, but this type of infection extends down from the mouth, into the esophagus until it reaches the stomach, it causes painful ulcers around the gastrointestinal system, so that even swallowing liquid is difficult. Food is not fully absorbed when the infection spreads out into the intestines, and the danger of dehydration is present to people with such condition. If Candida yeast infections reach the bloodstream, people gets sick with or without fever. And the spreading of this infection throughout the brain causes acute changes in behavior or mental function.
If you suspect you are suffering with Candida, you should first consult your primary care physician before taking other steps.
By Jane Symms. You can sign up for a Free Newsletter on Eliminating Candida Naturally at Eliminating Candida or for Candida articles click here Candida Articles.
May 30, 2008 at 11:22 am · Filed under Living Self Improvement
Perhaps one of the biggest stumbling blocks in becoming successful
is past regrets. Too many times we become so obsessed with all of
the times in the past when we were unable to achieve our goals that
we believe we are doomed to fail at anything we do.
What actually happens is that we “program” ourselves to fail. We
are still living in the past, unable to break away from the “failure
chain” that links us to our past selves. So we doom ourselves to
repeating the same old mistakes over and over again.
In order to do things differently, we must learn to be different.
Our thoughts, actions and attitudes must all be different than they
were in the past. And one big way to be different is in the way we
percieve our mistakes.
There is no room in the life of a successful person for regret.
Regret is a waste. It does nothing to enhance who you are, and, in
reality, all it does is feed on you. Regret will bleed you dry
emotionally, physically and spiritually.
If you want to be free to achieve your dreams and goals and
live your life to it’s fullest potential, you must not allow regret
to keep you chained to the past in a prison of “should of’s” and
“could of’s”.
One of the best ways to loosen the power that regret has on you
is to accept your past mistakes. Allow yourself to be human and
realize that, as a human, you will make mistakes, and that’s okay,
because that is how you learn.
But now, let’s take it one step further. Not only should you
accept your past mistakes - you should embrace them. That’s
right, be grateful that you are aware of your mistakes.
Why in the world should you do that? Because if you are aware
that you have made a mistake, then you are also aware that you need
to do something different next time around to be successful.
To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So you
can look at what you did in the past to achieve the wrong results -
and use that as your blueprint for what you need to do to achieve
the right results.
So when those past mistakes come to mind, don’t get stuck in regret
and allow yourself to follow the same path that caused the mistakes
in the first place. Instead, embrace those mistakes and use them as
a valuable learning tool - the roadmap to success that they actually
are.
Learn how to create your own destiny and live your life to its
fullest potential in only five minutes a week. Go to http://www.getmotivatednow.com now to find out how.
May 29, 2008 at 1:24 am · Filed under Health
My friend who retired last year from years on Wall Street tells me, “I have to watch very carefully how I spend my money. I don’t know how to do anything.”
One of the reasons people find retirement challenging, is also the solution to the problem of better aging: we identify with roles in our lives. Worse than that, we enjoy them. They’re what our life is all about or we wouldn’t have been doing them in the first place.
Now my friend certainly knows how to do things. He can cook his breakfast, he’s an attentive father, he knows how to mow the lawn. But to his way of thinking, now that he’s no longer a broker, he “doesn’t know how to do anything.”
Whether it’s being a manager, a doctor, or a mother, a recent study confirms we do best when have control over roles we value, and that this is more important than a sense of control over life itself. [”Role-Specific Feelings of Control and Mortality,” Neal Krause, Ph.D., and Benjamin A. Shaw, Ph.D.; Psychology and Aging, Vol. 15, No. 4.]
What does this mean to you and me on a daily basis?
In the study, conducted over 6-7 years, participants were asked to name the roles they valued most in their lives, including such things as parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, friend, homemaker, provider, volunteer work, church member, etc.
In the follow-up study it was found that participants who were able to maintain a sense of control over the role most important to them were less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors (smoking, drinking, obesity) and less likely to die prematurely. And, the research found, it was only the most important valued role that correlated with decline, not choices two and three.
By “having a sense of control,” I imagine they mean being able to continue doing that. I also would imagine, unless your life has been different of mine, there’s no sense assuming control over life in general. You’ve learned that by now!
Your most-valued role amounts to why you like being alive, or what makes life worth living. In other words, what matters to you.
The researchers suggest that psychological coping abilities “decline” with age. I suggest they can be bolstered, even increase by studying EQ, and a look ahead is an emotionally intelligent thing to do.
In my coaching work with clients in transition, the “transition” often amounts to the fact they’ve lost or been ousted from a role they enjoyed. Some were fired, some forced into retirement, others lost children prematurely, others are between parenting and grand parenting, and not “needed” by anyone in that special nurturing role.
How can you cope better? While life is about losses, it is equally about gains and wins. While you may be dumb-founded by an immediate loss, with time and Emotional Intelligence competencies, you can make the next step and find a new role. Resilience is one of the many EQ competencies and it means being able to bounce back after loss, failure, and defeat, while remaining hopeful and enthusiastic.
Somewhere there’s a baby crying … a group that needs managing … an account that needs balancing. How you define your role is up to you. It’s personal choice and that’s what EQ is all about. You may no longer run Coca-Cola, but you can run the volunteer department of the local children’s shelter.
We’re so busy when we’re young, and so many of the roles are proscribed, we can forget it’s an open and flexible system.
Lamenting my “last baby,” I was reminded by an older friend that she went weekly to the neonatal unit at the hospital and sat and rocked the newborns.
On a recent flight to Seattle, I met an 80 year old woman with her foster baby. She took newborns to their adoptive parents, usually a plane ride. There she was with infant seat, bottles, diaper bag, and the whole thing. How she did it physically I don’t know. It must’ve been the drive of her heart, the satisfaction she got, and the physical condition she had to be in to do it. The heart will motivate.
Emotional Intelligence involves flexibility and being able to generate new solutions. Just as the teenager must one day have her first job, you will one day have to move into new territory. Re-creating roles is one thing you can do for better aging. If you are “stuck” on a certain definition and in the “yes, but” mode, consider something different.
CLIENT: I miss so much being a mother.
ME: Then go mother someone.
CLIENT: That’s not the same thing. That’s not being their REAL mother.
ME: Says who?
I have had, when working at the children’s shelter, a child tell me, “I know you’re my real mom.” Yes, it’s heart-rending. Yes, that’s part of it. Wasn’t it part of it the first time round?
As a volunteer director, I relied on many people who were starting new roles, and the more they considered it their job, their real job, the more helpful they were to me.
Managing the kitchen of the shelter can be as much a real management job as you make it, and if you think it isn’t “real” and isn’t needed, on what do you base your judgment? Does money have to change hands? There are other things to work for, and other rewards, and if being important is one of them, you will, if anything, be more important, because many volunteers call in at the slightest whim to cancel, or don’t show up at all. They don’t take it seriously. Taking things seriously is a personal decision and totally within your control.
Molly has “adopted” her niece and nephew by-marriage, who are very young and going through some very difficult times. Notice these people are not even related to her. With a newborn in the house, their toddler has been diagnosed with a heart defect, possibly terminal, and requiring lots of care, while one of their parents is also dying. No one told them Molly wasn’t their mother. And believe me, no one asked for her credentials when she showed up at the door of this overwhelmed young couple.
Somewhere there’s someone who needs you in the role you value most, and if you haven’t found them, you’re being lazy. Don’t be lazy. You’re needed. Get out there!
About The Author
© Susan Dunn, MA, Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc. Coaching, Internet courses and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your personal and professional development. For FREE EQ ezine, mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc with “ezine” for subject line. I train and certify EQ coaches. Email me for information on this fast, affordable, comprehensive, no-residency program.
May 28, 2008 at 10:30 am · Filed under Home Improvement Stuff
Despite the high-end look, discount wood blinds are available. Constructed from the less expensive types of wood, these discount wood blinds can be very reasonably priced. They are pre-designed, pre-made, and pre-cut and can’t be made to order. Discount wood blinds come in limited styles and options; however, they are just as good as customized wood blinds in terms of quality and durability. Most discount wood blinds are made of bass wood, a kind of wood obtained from the Linden tree. Linden trees are native to Mexico, North America, Europe, Japan, and Asia. Bass wood is popular for blind construction because it is soft-grained and light but strong and durable.
Discount wood blinds are available in different styles on the basis of the model. These are mini wood blinds, vertical wood blinds, woven wood blinds, and faux wood blinds. Out of these, the faux wood blinds are generally available in the discount wood blinds category. Because these wood blinds are not made of real wood, they are a less expensive alternative to real wood blinds. However, they have a similar look and feel.
Discount wood blinds are also categorized on the basis of the material used: ramin and bass wood blinds. Bass wood is the most preferred since it has more distinctive grain and is thus stronger. They are also good for staining. They have a no-hole option which enables the blinds to make the room really dark. Besides, the 3-inch valance on these blinds is very decorative. Ramin is a cheaper alternative. They have a 2-inch valance at the top of the window to hide the metal head rails. Wood blinds are available at different prices depending on the type of material used, the kind of finish, the options provided and so on.
Saving money doesn’t mean having no choices. Even discount wood blinds are provided with some limited options. They are also available in different colors, forms, and shades. Discount wood blinds can be quite an alternative to real–and usually expensive–wood blinds.
Wood Blinds Info provides detailed information about custom, discount, woven, and faux wood blinds, as well as wood mini blinds, wood vertical blinds, and more. Wood Blinds Info is the sister site of Mini Blinds Web.
May 28, 2008 at 7:08 am · Filed under Information Portal
The term IVR is short for Interactive Voice Response, which is a
telephony technology that allows interaction between callers and
a phone system to acquire or enter information into a database.
More and more companies are turning to IVR to help reduce the
cost of common sales, service, collections, inquiry and support
calls to and from their company.
Interactive Voice Response or IVR is one of the most common
telephone functions in use across the business community and is
capable of bringing remarkable benefits to your company. IVR
systems allow 24 hour access to a company from its customers via
its phone system. In today’s busy modern world, most callers
expect on first contact with a company, to be handled via some
kind of Auto Attendant or Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
system. This method of call handling is generally accepted as
long as the caller is given ample opportunity to opt out of the
IVR system and be able to speak to a live agent.
IVR systems offer a cost effective and money saving way of
handling customer calls twenty four hours a day, seven days a
week. The handling of routine phone requests for information can
consume a substantial amount of company resources and ultimately
money. Interactive Voice Response systems, tailored to a
company’s requirements can provide much the same information as
a live operator at a fraction of the cost both financially and
resourcefully. To put things in their most simple form IVR
systems let callers interact with your company via its telephone
system.
IVR systems hugely reduce customer call handling costs, and can
be introduced into your company environment in a number of ways.
The most basic IVR systems simply allow you to record a message
that is played when a customer presses the appropriate number on
the phone keypad. The more advanced Interactive Voice Response
systems allow callers to interact with a company on a much
greater scale. For example you could set up an IVR to retrieve
specific account information that is relayed to the caller
through the implementation of text-to-speech recognition
technology. This technology allows IVR systems to read specific
information from a database and then relate that information
back to the customer in spoken format.
Typical IVR - Interactive Voice Response System Applications
The potential applications of IVR systems are virtually endless.
IVR systems can be used to automate a wide range of services and
requests for information. By combining the input of a caller
with tailor made scripts, IVR systems allow callers to call into
a company or IVR hosting company using a touch-tone telephone,
and then to interact with the system in real time. Below is a
list of example IVR applications:
1. Automated account payment systems 2. Customer account
information 3 Banking service for account balance transfer
information 4 Customer market surveys 5 Emergency notifications
6 Virtual receptionists 7 Call centre automation 8 Order status
and tracking 9 Package tracking 10 Virtual PBX’s 11 Voicemail
services 12 Voice instant messaging 13 Bill reminder 14 Bill
collection 15 Telesales 16 Virtual agents 17 Auto attendants 18
Call routing 19 Call recording solutions 20 Plus many, many more
Benefits of IVR Systems
1. Integrated Voice Response systems can be extremely beneficial
to companies by cutting down on live call handling time, thus
saving money and enabling staff to be free to concentrate on
other business areas.
2. IVR systems can benefit callers by either allowing access to
personalised information or, directing them to the right
department or, by a combination of multiple input types and
selections via menu choices involving telephone keypad input and
speech recognition.
3. IVR systems allow callers to retrieve or access information
quickly with or without additional human assistance.
4. Integrated Voice Response systems allow companies to easily
expand their hours of business, without the need for live
operators to be on hand. This allows callers to call at their
convenience and still be able to carry out a multitude of tasks
automatically.
5. Call queuing times to departments within a company can be
drastically reduced. With IVR systems, calls can be transferred
to appropriate departments through the menu selection process.
6. IVR systems allow company representatives to experience lower
call volumes thorough the automation of repetitive tasks. This
allows these representatives to manage their calls more
efficiently and lets them to concentrate on more important
issues.
7. Through the implementation of a good Integrated Voice
Response System, companies may actually be able to expand their
call capacity and respond to larger call volumes through the
correct management and routing of all inbound calls, reducing
the handling cost per call ratio.
8. For companies who accept payments via the telephone IVR
systems can fully automate this task, allowing them to process
transactions anytime of the day, any day of the week.
9. For when call volumes are high, IVR systems allow companies
to highlight new products, updates or product information etc
while a caller is on hold.
10.Companies are able to monitor call progress and transactions
through the use of daily call activity reports.
Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) IVR or Hosted IVR The Choice Is
Yours
CPE - This is equipment that is purchased or leased by a
customer and is then located, hosted and maintained at the
customers site. For most companies this is an expensive way of
harnessing the power a good IVR system can bring to any business
due to the initial cost of the hardware and installation work
that would be required. For those companies that have the
necessary funding for CPE there are of course benefits as well
as drawbacks. CPE allows you to take full control of your IVR
system and will also allow for future company expansion, though
many hosted IVR solutions do allow for this also. The main
drawback to CPE IVR systems is that you would need continuing
technical support and maintenance either from your own internal
staff or outsourced to the IVR system provider.
IVR Hosting - If a customer prefers not to host an IVR system on
their premises, is restricted by location, lacks IT support or
quite simply cannot withstand the initial financial outlay
required for outright purchase then a remote IVR hosting
solution that can be tailored to a company’s requirements could
be the answer. This option is particularly attractive for small
to medium sized businesses who wish to take advantage of a fully
featured Interactive Voice Response system, with a vastly
reduced initial capital outlay, as well as eradicating the need
for system IT maintenance, and support.
Whichever form of IVR system you decide to implement, it is
better to ask the advice of experts before you go ahead and
purchase any hardware or sign any form of lease agreement. A
good IVR systems provider or IVR hosting company will take the
time to sit down with you and discuss your requirements in
detail before helping you make a decision on what type of system
you should opt for.
Thanks for reading.
May 27, 2008 at 10:11 pm · Filed under Ads + Plugs
You labor long and hard trying to create the perfect advertising piece but only about 20% of your copy is going to get read. The rest will simply be scanned. After all your work, your potential customers won’t even read every one of those well chosen words. Is your genius lost on them?
While it might sound frightening or frustrating, it’s a fact of advertising life. So what do you do next? There are some sections of your copy that potential customers are practically guaranteed to read. If you know what these are, you’ll see your sales increase dramatically. There are six key sections of your marketing copy to focus upon for success.
HEADLINES
Headlines have always been and will always be the most important section in any copy.
They are the first thing potential customers will see. They have the greatest impact on whether any of the other copy gets read. Your headlines must be enticing. Think of them as your opening line. If people aren’t intrigued, they won’t read any further.
Use strong active verbs (like slash, chop, quit, etc.) in your headlines. These words clearly demonstrate actions as opposed to more passive words (like reduce, think, consider, etc.). Most of the time, buying is an emotional action. The more you stir the emotions, the more you cause movement toward your ideal customer response.
Pay a lot of attention to your headline. It’s the powerhouse of your copy.
SUB-HEADLINES
If your headline has captured your potential customers attention, they will scan the sub-headlines. Think of sub-headlines as chapter titles. These sub-headlines, when read with the headline, should tell your reader the whole story. Always begin writing your advertising copy by outlining using this headline and sub-headline format.
Headlines and sub-headlines are designed to make the sale. Barring that desired outcome, they can guide your visitors to read deeper into your copy. If you set up a structure of progressive sub-headlines, you’ll have a better shot getting your point across.
Where do your prospective customers read after the headline and sub-headlines? Typically, they will read any captions you have under pictures in your ad copy.
CAPTIONS UNDER PICTURES
Newspaper journalists were the first to use captions. A caption is a few words below a photograph to explain what the picture is.
People are in the habit of looking for the captions in order to relate the importance of the image with the information they are receiving. Captions in advertising pieces are highly read. Don’t waste the space! Don’t just use the caption to explain the picture. Use the caption to sell the product! Use descriptive benefit-oriented words in your captions for maximum impact.
So, they’ve looked at your headline, sub-headlines, and at the captions under your pictures. They might have already made the purchase decision. Congratulations! For those readers that haven’t made the purchase decision yet, let’s flesh out the advertisement with some choice sentences.
FIRST SENTENCES
When you scan a newspaper, what do you read? Almost everyone reads the first sentence or two of each paragraph. These sentences are vitally important. To get your potential customers interested enough to keep reading, add the punch here! Unlike a novel, advertising does not build to the climax. Great ads start with the climax and support its claims in subsequent sentences.
If you create exceptional first sentences, your potential customer will be more likely to continue reading the copy. And, as an added benefit, the first sentences in each paragraph may be enough to convince him/her to buy your product.
Now that you’ve captured their attention and they are reading further, use bulleted lists for benefits.
BULLETED LISTS
First, use bulleted lists when describing features or benefits. A bulleted list will leave more white space around itself and therefore look less intimidating to your reader.
Secondly, as with the first sentence in each paragraph, people also almost always read the first entry in a bulleted list. If it’s on target, they might keep reading. Make sure your first bullet point is extremely powerful and enticing. To keep the potential customer reading, make certain you are writing the copy with their concerns in mind.
The last, but not least, power spot in your copy you probably won’t even use. It’s the call to action.
CALL THEM TO ACTION
The very bottom of your ad copy is the last chance to close the sale! Take advantage of this valuable area. This is where your call to action should reside. What is the call to action? Telling your potential customer what to do next is critical to getting the sale.
A call to action could be “Visit our website today!”, “Call Today for your FREE estimate”, or “Call to Secure Your Seat Today!”. Tell your prospective customer what they need to do to move the acquisition of this beneficial product or service you sell into their home or office.
Time spent on your advertising copy will never be wasted. If you haven’t done it before, now is the time to review your copy to be sure you’re making the most out of these opportunities. Your ad copy is a one-way conversation. You must anticipate their questions and objections. These must be answered in your copy before you get the sale.
Michele Schermerhorn calls herself a “Corporate Freedom Fighter” dedicated to freeing cubicle prisoners to experience their own successful online business. She has over 30 years experience in the business world and over 12 years running her own successful online businesses. She is President of Online Business Institute Inc. (http://www.obinstitute.com), authors a sassy marketing blog (http://www.imarketblog.com), and regularly conducts free online seminars. Online Business Institute Inc. exists to “Create Successful Online Business Owners One Person At A Time”.
May 27, 2008 at 4:08 pm · Filed under House Of Management
As an entrepreneur, hiring an expert can be one of the most efficient ways to turbo-charge your business. However, thousands of consultants flood the Information Highway, and each one promises to positively impact your bottom line. How do you know which expert has the right combination of smarts, skills, experience and personality to move your company in the right direction?
It’s no small feat to allow a consultant to make decisions on your behalf. Empowering a consultant to advise changes can bring up feelings of doubt and fear. To help you choose the right expert for you, here are 6 cautionary tips from Kathy Szpakowski, founder of KBS Group, one of the country’s most successful, organizational development consulting companies:
1. Make sure the expert has a proven track record for delivering on their promises. Visit the consultant’s web site and check on their references.
2. Pay attention to the expert’s commentary after you’ve stated your vision. Do you feel understood? Does he or she “get” it, or do you feel like you need to keep on explaining? If, during the initial conversation stage or in the project outline stage you feel your vision is not completely understood or that there are areas being overlooked or under-valued, consider finding another expert who is more in alignment with your point of view.
3. Observe if the expert incorporates your thoughts and ideas into the conversation. Do you feel a sense of collaboration or do you feel shot down? While working with an expert, there will be times where you might take his or her well-substantiated advice and whole-heartedly agree with certain recommendations, while at other times, you might mildly agree or not agree at all. Based on your discussion, get a sense as to whether this person will be open to a collaborative arrangement, or might be intolerant of feedback or suggestions.
4. Assess if the expert understands the term ‘within budget.’ Rather than have an expert initially tell you all of the wonderful things they can do for you, then fall over from the sticker shock when you receive their proposal and their terms, tell them the budget you need to stay within. A consultant should not be writing from your checkbook. What is important is your budget; not their price.
5. Agree to a mutually acceptable time frame. In order to ensure that the two of you are on the same page, establish timelines to determine when you want to get started, as well as how long it will take before you can expect to receive recommendations, implement the recommendations, and see results. Make sure there is also a way to measure the results.
6. Trust your instincts. Believe in your intuition. If your instincts and experience in your business tells you to go in a different direction, do it. If you don’t feel 100% committed to the recommendations, or have a ‘gut feeling’ that you and the expert are not on the same page - Stop. Ignoring these feelings and going along with any recommendations that you are not committed to, or are convinced will not work, will only make you right - they won’t.
A word of caution: after a positive experience with one expert, entrepreneurs often have a tendency to get lax when evaluating additional experts to assist in other areas of their business. When talking with other experts, it can be easy to fail to completely communicate one’s vision, the importance of integrating one’s ideas, the necessity to stay within budget and on schedule, and the absolute need to know that your new expert ‘gets it!”
Hiring the right expert can be a huge asset to your business, however, you are the only one who will know which expert is ultimately right for you. By applying the advice from the tips above, you can minimize your doubts and fears, as well as create a strategy to find an expert who can truly help you maximize your growth.
Kathy Szpakowski has 25 years of professional experience in sales, marketing, training, organizational and personal development. She is the founder of KBS Group and the creator of “Performance Management Plus” a turnkey solution that has helped entrepreneurs achieve phenomenal results worldwide. www.BetheBest-KBSgroup.com.
Kathy Szpakowski has 25 years of professional experience in sales, marketing, training, organizational and personal development. She is the founder of KBS Group and the creator of “Performance Management Plus” a turnkey solution that has helped entrepreneurs achieve phenomenal results worldwide. http://www.BetheBest-KBSgroup.com
May 27, 2008 at 2:06 pm · Filed under Lady Luck's Lair
Did you miss the lottery jackpot because the planets were in the wrong alignment… er, no! Could it be that you did something bad and this is your punishment… er, no! I know, maybe you won a little bit last week so it really isn’t your turn again just yet… no, No, NO!
The reason you didn’t win the lottery jackpot, is simply because the lottery is just so damn hard to win. It may not look like that many combinations — but when you do the hard math, your chances of winning are somewhere in the region of 1 in 13 million, depending on which lottery you play. Even worse for a Powerball type draw!
That’s why you haven’t won yet. FACT: it’s the only reason.
So what can you do?
Well, here’s my biggest, best, darkest lottery secret of them all. It’s actually an utterly obvious technique to significantly improve your chances of winning the jackpot — but only obvious in that “so obvious we just stop seeing it” kind of way.
Forgive me for it also sounding dull and uncomplicated — no math degree required to understand this. But whatever you do, don’t be blinded to the sheer value and importance of this under-appreciated fact. OK, here goes, brace yourself… Buy More Tickets. Whoa, there we go, I’ve said it. I’ve given away not only the best, but the ONLY way to improve your lottery chances, just like that. I must be crazy huh?
Well you could always just give me a weeks salary and I’ll hide that fact in some complicated bewildering math and pretend it’s a ’secret system’… OR, better yet, I could hide it in a piece of software and you could pay me double for that 
OK, before I upset too many vendors of dodgy lottery ’systems’, I’ll take my tongue back out of my cheek!
Fact is, and big ugly fact it is too, but really the fact is — the only way to increase your chances of winning the lottery jackpot is to cover more of the possible combinations in any one draw.
Think dice.
There are only 6 sides to a dice. So, just 6 possible results when you roll it.
If you only bet on one number, you have a 1 in 6 chance of winning. Bet on two numbers and you double your chances. Bet on all 6 numbers and you’re a guaranteed winner. Woohoo.
OK, so no-one is going to give you a couple of million for guessing which number comes up on a dice. Unless you happen to be betting half a million or so along with five other people!
But, that’s how the lottery works too. Buy two lines, and you really do double your chances. The jackpot odds are still horrendously against you of course — but two lines in one draw is better than one line in two draws. (Makes my head hurt too when I think about it too long, but that statement is entirely correct).
Oooh, did you notice I let another little secret slip out there. Yes, playing less often but more lines does boost your overall chances of winning — yet costs exactly the same. That’s a wise way to play.
So why not play 20, 50, or a 1,000 lines in a draw?
Because that’s pretty expensive, and you don’t want to be risking the mortgage money on the lottery. Not if you want to come home to family harmony!
So what else can you do?
Form a syndicate. Get together with people at work, your social club, the neighbours or your family. Pool your lottery money together, and share your winnings. It costs you no more but your chances improve significantly. That’s a wise way to play.
What if you don’t know enough lottery players to make it worthwhile? Find a commercial syndicate that plays your lottery — or plays another countries lottery (lotteries are pretty much the same the world over!).
Lottery Syndicate World lists and reviews lottery syndicates from all over the world. You’ll certainly find the best syndicates currently available.
So make today the day you choose a wiser way to play. Then perhaps winning the lottery jackpot won’t seem quite so ‘out there’.
Martin Waterhouse is a lottery and statistics fan - who is not popular with the vendors of expensive lottery systems based on dodgy maths and mumbo-jumbo! Publisher of the internets foremost lottery syndicate review and lottery tips site, Lottery-Syndicate-World…
Want better chances of winning the lottery in an instant? Find the worlds best lottery syndicates online today at >>> http://www.lottery-syndicate-world.com
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