business

Be Easy To Do Business With

2008-01-09T00:57:00.000-08:00

The main thing people will remember about you is how easy you are to do business with. Let's look at how Hollywood is doing business these days.

A few of years ago, I conducted a series of programs for government agencies on entrepreneurial thinking. Speaking with me was Carolyn Corbin, author of CONQUERING CORPORATE CODEPENDENCE. Carolyn is a futurist, who projects trends and their consequences.

Her theory is that government imitates business, while business uses Hollywood as a model of how to do business. By the year 2005, she predicts 70 percent of the business world will be doing business like Hollywood where, at any one point, a huge percent of the work force is unemployed.

Today, when people come together in Hollywood, it is for a project with a beginning and end. The old studio system allowed steady employment for tens of thousands who worked with each other for decades. That is now a distant memory.

Today's workers may never have seen or worked with each other before. Yet, the pressure is tremendous to get the job done as efficiently as possible. This leads to a Hollywood fact of life: The people who get hired are those with a reputation for BOTH excellence and being easy to work with.

Today's corporations are imitating this Hollywood model, constantly breaking into smaller units for projects or "outsourcing." Few people can or want to work their whole life for one or two companies. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor sets average job tenure at 4.6 years, and USA Today cites a trend among fast-trackers to change jobs nine times before age thirty-two! That's a year and four months on each job, assuming there is no downtime in between.

Your job is to be employable, not just employed. No matter what you do and
for whom, be the Chairman of the Board of your own career. Be loyal to your
company, of course. It's good for your career, and it's the right thing to do. But while you're being loyal and dependable, be visible in your company, your community, and your industry. Then, if (or when) you are out of work, the word goes out, "Oh, good, there's a wonderful person available."

Within corporate America, as in Hollywood, people may stay employed, but they
will probably rotate among different teams working on different projects. When you earn the reputation for getting things done and "doing the impossible" (that is, doing at least one thing better than almost anyone else), you are more likely to be selected for the fun, high profile projects. The more in demand you can become, the more your fee or salary goes up. That's "Hollywood economics."

People are going to remember if you did a great job, but they'll also remember if you were professional and easy to deal with, or unreliable and a pain in the neck. Either way they won't forget you, but being a professional will get you hired again. Think about that as you plan your career.

by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Communicating Clearly Through Voice Mail and Email

2008-01-09T00:56:00.000-08:00

Clear messages are concise, complete, correct, quick and make you look competent. Whether you were a pioneer in the use of email and voice mail, or have just recently been introduced to this technology, making effective use of these forms of communication is not a "by chance" happening. Here are a few tips for polishing your messages.

Follow the rules of etiquette when creating your messages.
Even though technology has changed, the rules of etiquette have not. Avoid remarks that are vulgar, repetitive and verbose, and never write or say anything you wouldn't want forwarded to your company CEO, your customers, your family, or your friends.

Distinguish between fact and opinion when the difference may not be obvious to the person receiving your message.
If you are making a personal judgment, say so, lest your words come back to haunt you. And even then, be sure you really want to state your personal opinion in potentially libelous situations.

Respect others' confidentiality and expect your own to be nonexistent.
Most of us have been comforted by the thought of our guaranteed right to free speech to say what we think and feel with few exceptions. However, messages left in the private sector do not enjoy such immunity; they are considered private domain and are not subject to "free speech" protection.

Respect all copyright and licensing agreements.
Take great care to discover who has authored information you may be tempted to include as yours. Just because you do not claim the ideas as your own, and even if you acknowledge other "unknown" sources, you may still be liable for copyright infringement.

Understand the difference in being informal and looking careless or stupid.
Informal means a conversational tone, a breezy manner, colloquial words and phrases, intentional sentence fragments, and acronyms. On the other hand, informal does not mean unclear and incomplete thoughts, ambiguous references, irrelevant details, repetitive information, disorganized ideas, unclear actions, misspelled words, or grammatical errors.

Use the MADE format to structure your messages.
People rarely understand messages that do not immediately get to the point. Detailed information or situations make more sense to the reader or listener when the message begins with a summary or overview and the required action, followed by relevant details.

Message: Summary of 1-3 sentences.

Action: What action do you plan to take or want the reader to take?

Details: Elaborate on who, when, where, why, how, and how much.

Evidence: Mention any materials you think will make the message clearer or the action easier to take.

Email and voice mail have made our lives increasingly more productive. Use them to their fullest advantage, without abusing others' rights or offending their sense of decency and appropriateness. Common courtesy and good sense go a long way in matters of etiquette. Your coworkers, customers, family, and friends will appreciate your skill and your courtesy.

by Dianna Booher

So You Want to Do This for a Living?

2008-01-09T00:54:00.000-08:00

So you want to make a living of speaking - want to buy me lunch and pick my brain? I don't have time!! So save your money I have given you some good free advice. If you like it, I have tapes, I give seminars, and I offer a free newsletter to speakers called SpeakerFrippNews - yours for the asking - just send a message to Subscribe@Fripp.com

Making a Job of It
Most of you will be honing your speaking skills as a tool for advancing your intended career. You may discover you're so good at getting your message across to groups that you're considering doing it full time. If so, here's some Fripp Advice. Even if you'd never consider professional speaking, many of these tips apply to starting any new business.

You bring the same qualities to speaking that you have used in your other business affairs. If you have never been even remotely successful before, you aren't going to be now. My overnight success took nineteen years of gradual, constant growth. I worked all the time to get ready for the opportunities that came. You don't get the opportunities first and then do the work.

You can't make it as a speaker on your looks or the power of your personality, not even on your speaking skills. Audiences expect you to have original material or, at the very least, an original slant on your material. Can anyone else say it? Does anyone else say it? If so, don't say it.

As you develop, new material will too. Start with one good speech that people really want to hear rather than sixteen indifferent speeches. Once you have this speech, work on adapting and expanding it, ultimately turning it into a seminar. Then go for speech #2.

Here are five good business habits that will help you as a professional speaker.

Socialize: Go early, go to the cocktail party or reception, walk around and look at the exhibits at a conference, talk to and learn about your audience. You have to be social. You have to be nice. I'm clear with myself and the organizers that I will go to a social event the night before, such as a dinner with the board of directors and their spouses. However, I draw the line at parties at an off-site location ten miles away with country-western dancing where my presence won't make any difference.

Diversify: Never have all your eggs in one basket. A friend of mine gave a presentation about how he had lost ninety-six speaking engagements in two days. He had three clients that each booked more than thirty dates. Then all three had business reversals. I once met someone who was thrilled that 70 percent of his business came from IBM. Guess what happened when IBM eliminated all outside contractors.

Exercise free speech: There is no such thing as a free speech. There are just speeches that you don't get paid for directly. My early clients didn't realize that my "free speeches" cost me about $130 each for preparation, travel, and lost time at my salon. To get customers for my hairstyling salon, I spoke for civic and community organizations. I told them stories about customer service and funny things that had happened in my salon. At the end of my presentation, I'd put their business cards in a hat and pull out one for a free hairstyling. These cards quickly built my mailing list.

Negotiate: If there's an organization you really want to speak for, but they can't pay, remember these magic words: "What else can you give me?" A chain of sandwich shops wanted to book me but were trying to cut $500 from my fee. I said, "What else can you give me that's worth $500? I don't need 250 sandwiches." They agreed to write a letter saying that I walked on water and send it to a hundred influential program chairs of my choice. First I faxed or wrote the contacts asking if they'd like to hire me. Then a few days later each received the rave letter.

The first year I was a full-time speaker, my calendar wasn't as full as it is now. A woman had heard me speak at the National Association of Catering Executives. "I know you're worth it because I've seen you," she said, "but we can't afford your fee."

"Let's not give up so easily," I said. In the end, my brother and I spent five days at a lovely hotel in Berkeley, with a suite each, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including one with friends - all for one free speech to 150 meeting planners on a day I wasn't booked. If we'd actually paid for these perks, the cost would have exceeded my fee. This was one of the best vacations my brother and I ever had together.

Another time a woman called me and said, "I hear you're the best speaker in the world." "You heard right," I said. She was program chair for Women in Travel and wanted me to speak at their installation of officers. The date was open on my calendar, but they couldn't afford me. "Well, I don't need the practice," I told her, "and I'm not doing it for nothing, but I will take a trade. Why don't you call me back tomorrow with your best offer"

The next day, she called back. "Would you take a free, round-trip, first- class airline ticket to England?" "You negotiator, you!" I said.

Count on payback time: I can't tell you how many people call to hire me, saying they first saw me years ago. My brother told me, "Looking back at my career, sometimes I've performed in these horrible places. One day in 1981, we played an especially miserable dump for an audience that didn't appreciate us. But that day, a young man was in the audience named Steve Ball. Ten years later, he had become a world-famous designer of logos for music groups, creating many album logos including the one for "Discipline.".

How to Gather Material
Material is everywhere. First, do what a good speaker friend of mine did when he decided to go professional. Danny Cox went to the beach with a pad and pencil to review his life for experiences and situations that could serve as good or bad examples. He wrote down the high and low points, successes and failures.

Include the sudden and stunning bits of insight that come to you as you're showering or speeding down the highway. Maybe a friend said something that was especially funny or memorable. Write it all down. Record your life as you live it. Every day, write down something that could be in a speech. For every intriguing, funny, or surprising thing that happens to you, think, "how could I use this in a speech?" Eventually, some of these experiences will become the original stories you use to illustrate a key point in your speech. Nothing bores an audience faster than old stories. Keep it fresh.

Start clipping and collecting. Rather than relying on a brilliant flash of creativity, you can "harvest" stories and quotes. Whenever something you see on television or read about provokes a new insight, cut it out or jot it down. Anything that makes you laugh or cry should be added to your file folder.

Office Mechanics

Think big, but start small. At the beginning, don't be concerned with anything except setting things up right. Don't spend a penny you don't have to.
If you have a spare bedroom, don't go out and buy office furniture.
Don't spend money on razzle-dazzle brochures before you know what your topic will be. These days it's better to have a one-page black-and-white fact sheet you can fax or mail. When you can afford it and have a number of such sheets and publicity pieces to offer, invest in a fancy press packet cover. This gives you the flexibility of constantly changing and updating the contents. Keep your fee sheet separate and date it so that someone running across it a few years from now will realize your prices may have changed.
You cannot say you are in business until you have a dedicated fax line.
If you're serious about your business, you can't function without someone in your office to respond immediately to requests, route important messages, and handle crises. Anytime a potential client fails to connect with you satisfactorily, you've lost them.
Whenever you or your assistant goes to lunch, leave a new message on the answering machine: date, time, when you'll return their call. If someone is calling down a list of potential speakers and isn't sure you'll call right back, they'll call the next name.
Take the cost of postage seriously. Once I used a heart-shaped paper clip to hold several pages together in a mailing of 1000-until I discovered that fraction of an ounce pushed the cost of each piece up to the next postage level, a total of $200!
When you travel, park at approximately the same place at your local airport every time. It will save you time and bother when you stagger home jet-lagged at odd hours.

Make it tremendously easy to do business with you. Customers want convenience, speed, and choice. "You can e-mail me, fax me, call me." I built my entire business on my father's philosophy: "Don't concentrate on making a lot of money. Concentrate on being the kind of person people want to do business with. Then you'll make a lot of money."

Speaking Agents
"Where can I find an agent?" people ask. The fact is that agents don't want to know you until you really don't need them. At the beginning and intermediate stages of your career, you create the bread-and-butter jobs that the agents will come and top with jam.

Good agents are bombarded with prospective clients. Don't contact an agent until you can present them with agent-friendly material:
your publicity packet without your name and address on it so they can fill in their own.
a fine demo video they can sell you with.
a halfway decent fee so they can make some money.
a reputation.

I've spoken at meetings with a number of other speakers who were booked through various bureaus. When this happens, I send copies of the program to the other bureaus, saying, "Hey, I was on with your speaker. Would you like to know about me?"

Frankly, every agent who had booked me is someone I first met at a National Speakers Association event. These people are a lot more open to your call if they sat next to you at a luncheon.

If I think a speaker is superb, I recommend her or him to my agents, who know I'm not going to waste their time. My agents know that when I recommend someone, he or she is qualified.

A couple of my speaking friends are handled exclusively by speakers' bureaus. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be guaranteed a hundred speeches a year? But in actuality, when you get to the "A league," you may find yourself in great demand as the flavor of the month. You must understand that this too shall pass. Popularity is a pendulum. A speakers' bureau may think you're wonderful and send you out, but the next month someone else has become their star. Never relax your own promotion, marketing, and networking, counting on a bureau to do it all for you. Promote yourself, even with the speaking bureaus that already hire you!

If you decide to take some time off, arrange to keep your self-promotion active while you're not working. A very successful speaker I know took a year off, and when she came back, it was like starting over. Her clients had moved or found someone else, or their meeting planning was now "outsourced." I'm not saying you shouldn't take time off, but if you do, keep the energy going.

Some people, as they achieve more success, think, "I'll just get a good salesperson, and then I don't have to sell anymore." But it just doesn't work that way. No one can sell you the way you can. I'd rather talk to a client myself. Then I can say, "Tell me what I should know about your meeting," and I can clarify their responses. Or they may be calling to say, "We only can afford half your fee, so can you recommend someone else?" Then I ask about their event, what else it includes. I point out that my full-day fee would also cover a second speech or a seminar, and often this opens up new possibilities.

Selling Related Products
As speakers develop their careers, many begin marketing products related to their subject matter. However, don't invest in products if you don't know how to market them or don't have a marketing mechanism in place. The simplest way to start is to tape-record a keynote speech. Then you have a demo audio to send to prospective clients as well as a product to sell. When you have a one- hour taped speech, you could also be interviewed by someone on the subject and then you have two cassettes. But don't try to start with a six-cassette tape pack if you have only two tapes.

Make every product do double or triple duty. Each can be something to sell, a gift for meeting planners, and a promotional piece all in one. Make your presentation cases as versatile as possible. I use a six-cassette notebook-style box with a handsome four-color generic cover. I can customize the contents and add a sticker to the outside to identify them. Thus I can have very impressive packaging even for tape programs that may be tailored for a small, specific audience.

Marketing your own audio and video tapes, books, and brochures requires a certain amount of resilience. Resign yourself to the fact that every demo you create will be obsolete the moment it is done, that anything you send out will have a typo, and that when your book is finally in print, you will think of the most brilliant thought you've ever had.

When to Say "No!"
People ask me, "Do you ever bomb?" Yes, but even the worst experience, with a little time, can become funny, and I always learn something. Once I spoke for a group of men who worked in a gravel quarry. I said no, I didn't think it was my kind of audience, but the organizers kept insisting. Finally I gave in and said yes. (I admit to this defect in my character: when people beg me to take their money and I refuse but they keep offering even more money, I sometimes end up accepting.) How bad could it be? I rationalized. I went early, set up the environment, changed the lighting, schmoozed with everyone. I'm not saying they weren't nice, hard working Americans, but it looked as if their friends had given them subscriptions to Tattoo of the Month Club. Fortunately there were a few wives. One woman, very thin, sat up front. "Ah, she must have heard of me," I thought. So I asked her if she liked speakers.

"Oh, no, my husband is a bit deaf so we have to sit up front." I schmoozed, especially with their shop steward and a man they called "The Preacher." who was there. When I met their president, I asked him why I was being paid so much money for just a fifteen-minute speech. He replied honestly that he didn't think I could keep their attention for more than fifteen minutes. "Boy," I thought, "this man hasn't seen me Fripnotize a crowd!" Then I started speaking. It was horrible! No one in the room stopped chatting with their neighbors. I learned that any time you have an hour-long open bar for a blue-collar audience before a speech, your chances of success plummet. They would have done better to have a stripper.

After my speech, awards were given out. I couldn't slip away because my handbag was up front. The first recipient was the hard-of-hearing man,who said, "Talking to the owner of the company, I haven't always agreed with you guys, but when you take someone's paycheck, you don't _____ on them." The second award winner was the shop steward, who said, "I don't know why you bring in these motivational speakers. We're all motivated enough to turn up at work every day." Finally came the preacher. He said, "Most of you weren't listenin' to Patricia. You should have done because she was very good. Now, I have 12 points to make..." His speech was longer than mine.

When I got home, I called my friend Susan RoAne. "It was awful!" I moaned. "Should I send their money back?" Susan's reply changed my attitude for life: "You were fine. They failed. You suffered. Keep the money."

I also learned the importance of your position on the schedule. On one occasion, I sent the advance money back because I learned that I was scheduled to speak on the last night of a conference, following a dinner dance. That's just not the right situation for any speaker. At that point in a conference, everyone has been working hard for several days and wants to party, not listen to a speech. I suggested they hire a male comedian instead.

It's also insulting to be scheduled after a dinner with an audience that has consumed lots of alcohol when your message requires focus and concentration. Unless the corporate culture is "no alcohol," I don't take such engagements. Breakfast meetings or morning time slots work best for me. So, learn not to take all the money offered. Say no based on your past experienceÛand mine.

"Shut Up!"
At every service club, there are invariably two retired gentlemen seated at a table by the door, counting the money. One day while I was speaking, two gentleman were sitting in the back of the room talking. Not whispering, but really talking. I began to get indignant. Here I was, giving them a free speech, and not only weren't they listening, but they were preventing everyone else from hearing and concentrating, too. "They don't realize that I'm an important person," I thought. They kept talking. Finally I stopped in mid- sentence, something I never do.

"Gentlemen," I said, "You may not realize it, but I'm usually paid very well to speak. I also have a business in San Francisco waiting for my time. When people pay you to speak, they treat you very well. You've taught me that when you speak for nothing, you have to put up with people talking through your presentation. I'll be happy to leave right now and go take care of my business. I'll also be happy to stay and finish my speech, but if I do, you will have to shut up and listen!"

The Mayor, the Fire Chief, and the Police Chief leaned forward in their chairs. This was leadership (or foolhardiness) in action. The two men stopped talking. Afterwards, everyone was very appreciative, but I admit that I wondered if I hadn't been just a bit too pushy.

Six months later, I got a call from the President of a Rotary Club wanting to book me the following year. Assuming it was another freebie, I suggested he call a few weeks before his date to see if I had a vacancy. He said, "You don't understand. We want the best speaker, and we're willing to pay for it. Don't you remember us? We're the Rotarians you told to be quiet. We loved it."

Inside secrets on the speaking industry and tips for success as a professional speaker from a pro...
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Tribute to Cavett Robert

2008-01-09T00:53:00.000-08:00

Cavett always wanted his money's worth out of life! His incredible energy never ceased to amaze me. In 1977, I attended my first National Speakers Association convention and was tremendously excited at the prospect of attending Cavett's weekend seminar with Merlyn Cundiff. Cavett had flown in just a few hours earlier and had been up all night. But even with no sleep, he was magnificent and vibrant.

The last time I saw him was at the Speakers Roundtable meeting in the summer of 1997 after the NSA convention. We were a group of about thirty-two including spouses. Cavett and Trudy had stayed up late the night before for the dinners and events, yet there they were, looking fresh and rested at the 7:00 a.m. prayer meeting. They were almost twice my age, but I knew I could never have done it.

Cavett's extraordinary skills made even "old-timers" feel like kids in the business by comparison. His stories were always exhilarating and vivid. When he recounted his conversations with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, he had the ability to make us feel we knew Dr. Peale as well as he did.

Cavett Robert

Cavett was unfailingly generous. In 1981, he flew at his own expense to address my Sales and Marketing Executives club in San Francisco. We didn't have enough money to pay him, but that didn't stop him from making it a spectacular event. (While he was there, I became the only Past President ever to cut his hair. We both thought he looked great.)

All of us are constantly meeting speakers from all over the country who were also encouraged by Cavett. At every convention coffee break you hear stories like this one. Leslie Miller from Washington listened to a tape of Cavett and was so inspired she picked up the phone to tell him how much he had influenced her. She knew nothing about NSA and had no idea who Cavett was. He invited her to visit if ever she was in the area. She took him up on that, and he took her for lunch at his club. Later, at his home, she saw photos of Billy Graham and Richard Nixon ... and then he sheepishly admitted, well, yes, he had started this organization called NSA. Cavett was so comfortable with the situation that it was impossible for her to be embarrassed.

Cavett becomes even more special and inspirational when we realize that this exceptional generosity was not an occasional gesture. This was the Cavett norm.

by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Hall of Fame Bio

2008-01-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

Patricia Fripp is a true American success story--except that she is British, born in a small English town. "Probably the best thing that happened to me," says Fripp, "was growing up with an absolutely brilliant younger brother. I assumed I wasn't as smart as others, which made me work twice as hard. That's where my good work habits started."

At age fifteen, Fripp became a hairstylist in Bournemouth, England. To "keep up," she worked early, late, and through lunch hours, soon earning 30% more income for the salon than the experienced male employees (who were paid three times as much).

Where could she best exploit her talent, tenacity and capacity for hard work? "The Colonies!" she decided. At twenty, Fripp arrived in San Francisco with no job, no place to live, and no contacts. She quickly became known as an innovator, the first prominent woman in the new industry of men's hairstyling. One day, she looked around and realized she no longer had to rush to keep up with everyone else. She had left them miles behind. She cut the hair of Cavett Robert and many past NSA Presidents and Hall of Fame recipients.

She was asked to share her knowledge and energy by speaking for groups of hairstylists for a hair product company. Next, her clients asked her to address their Rotary and Lions Clubs....then she was asked "How much would you charge to say that to my group?"

First Encounter with the NSA
She arrived at her first NSA meeting in 1977, thinking no one would want to talk to her. After all, she had only spoken before hairstylists and Rotary clubs. But past NSA President Mike Frank quickly "discovered" her and booked her to speak on the same program with Robert Schuller.

Today, Fripp is a successful entrepreneur, magazine columnist, and media personality. She is also a speaker's speaker. Meetings and Convention Magazine named her, "One of the most electrifying speakers in North America." She has won every NSA award and designation: the CSP, CPAE (Hall of Famer), and the Cavett Award. She was the first woman to be National President and the only CSP,CPAE, CAVETT winner who has been both a National and Chapter President. She has spoken at more NSA chapters than any other NSA member.

In 1980, Fripp founded the NSA/Northern California Chapter. Because the new chapter had little money, she hosted the out-of-town speakers at her home. After a day of cutting hair in her salon, she would rush home and fix dinner for the speakers and the NSA/NC leadership. Soon, because of her guidance (and possibly her cooking), her chapter was the largest in the world. Their meetings drew more people than the NSA winter workshops. Cavett Robert once joked with her that he'd heard a rumor the National NSA was going to ask to join her chapter.

The NSA/NC chapter continued to thrive. They named a leadership award, the "Frippy," after her, and on the chapter's 15th anniversary, Fripp helped them celebrate by jumping out of a cake wearing a Wonder Woman costume.

Currently, Fripp speaks about 130 times a year to Fortune 500 companies and associations around the world. She is the author of Get What You Want and co-author of Insights into Excellence and Speaking Secrets of the Masters, as well as many audio and video programs. In her spare time, she is a major fund raiser for the Leukemia Society.

(Fripp's brother Robert, no slouch himself, founded the rock band King Crimson. He was her date when she was President of NSA in Washington DC. in 1985 )

Fripp's Keys to Success
Fripp feels that what made her a successful hairstylist has also made her a success as a speaker.

Choose good teachers and role models.
Practice harder than everyone else.
Analyze what you do, and then teach others.
Don't take all the money that is on the table.
Do more than you get paid for.

Of all her accomplishments, what is Fripp most proud of? "First, the fact that, once I left home at age eighteen, I never asked my father for money. Second, that I turned myself from a pitiful victim of technology into a self-proclaimed 'Goddess of Geek.'"

about Patricia Fripp, a True American Success Story

Jay Leno Does It, Do You?

2008-01-09T00:50:00.000-08:00

The following happened when I was recently in Orlando. It bugged me so much I had to write about it.

So there I was, along with Dave, standing in the front of an almost empty meeting room. Dave had heard me speak to a group of managerial accountants in Boston. It went over so well, he invited me to present to a group of 425 college accounting students. He knew my abilities and trusted my judgment.

So there we were, along with the AV guys, setting up the room for my motivational speech, "Want to be Good, Great, or a Champion?" I asked Dave how many students he expected? He told me "at best" 425, but we both surmised that the room had been set up for many more.

Now, it's a fact that people do not like to sit in the front rows. It is human nature for people to want to be comfortable. We tend to spread out, so that we are not too close to others if we don't have to be. That's why most people prefer to cluster in the back, leaving rows and rows of empty seats up front.

This is not fun for the presenter. Speaking is intimate; a speaker looks to connect with the audience. And rows of empty chairs become an invisible barrier, one that literally and emotionally creates distance between a speaker and the audience.

Did you know that when Jay Leno took over the Tonight Show, he added rows of chairs and extended Johnny Carson's stage to allow him to get closer to the audience? Like Jay, it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to connect better with the audience.

Dave had given many presentations himself. So he understood the problem immediately. He and I agreed that we should either remove some chairs or tape off the back rows, forcing people to fill in the front first.

The event planner for the organization came into the room just then. We asked her if she could take care of doing just that. She replied, "We'll just have the room monitors at the doors ask everybody to sit up front." She then ran off to handle another issue.

Dave and I looked at each other in shock. "WHAT? They'll never listen. It doesn't work that way!" Granted, she was trying to be helpful and thought she had solved the problem. And yes, she had about a million things to attend to. But the fact was, she just didn't get it. She never had to give a presentation before. She didn't understand the effect a row of empty chairs had on the speaker.

At almost every conference I've spoken, I've noticed that they put out way too many chairs: "Just in case." Just in case what? In case people walk in off the street to go to an accounting conference? Not very likely.

If you have a track record of 100 attendees, even with better promotion, you still have a good idea as to how many people are registered and how many people might register at the door. So be reasonable. It looks better when tables and chairs have to be added— much better than having lots of empty seats.

In her defense, this was only the second conference so there was not as much of a track record. Yet, I still believe it is better to put out fewer chairs than you need. It lends an air of "excitement" when you need to set out more. Too many empty chairs gives the perception of "low turn out" or "this meeting can't be that good."

In the end, it turned out not too bad in Orlando. As people came in last minute, they did not go to the front. There were five rows on the left side of the room that only had 1 person. It could have been much worse.

Event planners: Yes, it is easier to have all the chairs set out ahead of time. But are you going for easier, or a better event? Speakers will do better when the setting is optimal. Attendees will have a more fruitful experience.

Speakers: It is our job to create the best atmosphere, to generate the best connection with the audience. Sometimes we may have to gently educate the event planners. If they are not open to it, keep in mind that speakers are just one part of their event. Whether we are a big part or not, we must not let our egos ruin our reputations. They are the ones paying you. Do everything you can to optimize the setting for your speech.

Be like Jay: Take responsibility and make the room the best setting for you. If NBC had said "No," do you think Jay would have thrown a hissy fit? Do the best you can with what you have.

by Darren LaCroix

The Call Back

2008-01-09T00:48:00.000-08:00

Every year the World Championship contest is an amazing event. Lance, the 2005 World Champion, was wonderful! He connected with the audience and executed his speech perfectly. Lance's message was simple and crystal clear. And a speech well worth studying!

My favorite line, however, came from one of the other contestants, Rowena Romero. During her interview she talked about how previous winners were all known for something. Rowena said, "David Brooks is known for his blue Jeans — Darren LaCroix is known for his fall on his face, I'll be know for my stool." (Rowena stood atop a footstool during her speech.)

Note: Rowena's comment is also a great example of the RULE of THREE.)

It was brilliant humor. That's good comedy! Very funny Rowena!

The Call Back

Ahhh! The call back. A "call back" is a comedy term that simply means "calling back" to an earlier laugh line, referring to an earlier joke that worked. (It makes no sense to "call back" to one that does not.)

If you have a laugh line that works consistently, it is a great idea to call back to it later in your presentation. The call back works best after the presenter moves on to a different topic. Then it is aided by the element of surprise, and a psychological connection with earlier laugh.

It can be even more powerful if you refer back to something said by a previous speaker. The audience loves it because they know that you had to be listening, have confidence, and enough presence to add it into your presentation.

An example from the World Championship Interviews: Johnny Uy, Senior Vice President of Toastmasters International, was the contest master. He was simply hysterical! During the interviews he asked the contestants questions in their native language. Most of the audience could not interpret the question. Douglas Kruger, a contestant from South Africa, took the opportunity (the "set up") to translate for humor purposes. Douglas said, "His question was about my underwear." He got a huge laugh.

Other contestants then used this opportunity when they were asked their question. Jerry Aiyathurai responded, "Fruit of the Loom." Rowena Romero said, "Wonder bra." All great call backs.

Most of you have experienced this as an audience member. Now you have a label for it, and can begin to look for the opportunity. I always try to connect to a huge laugh from earlier in a conference. When I hear a big laugh I ask myself, "How can I tie that into my presentation?"

How can you use this?

Imagine what you will learn by spending a day or three with Darren!

by Darren LaCroix, 2001 Toastmasters International World Champion

When They Do Not Laugh—What Do You Do?

2008-01-09T00:46:00.000-08:00

The eyes of your audience are fixed on you. You deliver your best new humor line. They stare at you in silence.

It has happened to all of us. It will happen again. What do you do?

The conventional wisdom from experienced professional speakers is valid. Pretend you were serious. Humor, properly delivered, should be a surprise. If you told them a joke was coming (telegraphed your punchline), you probably did it wrong. Delivered properly, since it was a surprise, they didn't know it was supposed to be funny. So don't let them know that YOU thought it was funny. The "look of expectation" is what gives you away. It's that look on your face which begs for a laugh. Begging is not a gesture that connects you with your audience!

When a joke dies, one of main things you should do is to learn from it. Consider the silence of the audience a gift that will allow you to grow. After the talk, take some notes. Analyze the structure of the line. Look at the pacing and delivery of the words. Were the funny connections relevant to the audience? Were the setup lines adequate? Was the punchline buried? Was the punchword at the end of the punchline? A bad joke deserves a good autopsy.

Some speakers use savers or bomb-lines to rescue them from a bad line. "That is the last time I will use a joke that Fred gave me." "That line was funny when I practiced it." "Some of these lines are just for me." "Is this thing on? (tapping on the microphone)." "My dog laughed when he heard that story." I personally prefer to ignore the silence and keep on moving.

A good option is to make a serious point. "The reason I told you that story was...." In a speech, hopefully all your humor makes a point, so this technique should be easy to use.

Something you should never do is explain the joke. It only makes a bad situation worse. Remember the "pretend you were serious" advice.

Perhaps you can follow the bad humor line with a sure winner. I have some short humor items that always get a laugh. I call them fence-posts. I usually plan one or two of them before and after trying some new humor which might miss the mark. Hopefully, your bad humor line was not the result of poor judgment. If you considered leaving it out because you thought it might be on the border of good taste...using it is a big mistake. When in doubt leave it out.

Did the joke fail because you did not have "permission" to use it? Did you poke fun at the wrong person? Humor directed at you is always the safest. Humor directed at someone else sometimes requires a setup of some kind. Sometimes that setup is talking to the person in advance. In some situations, a roast for example, poking fun at yourself first puts you in a position (gives you permission) to poke fun at someone else.

Don't panic. Your mind can race as you expect immediate response to your humor lines. Five seconds can seem like 20 seconds when you are in front of an audience. Relax. Give the audience time to absorb the joke. Take a drink of water. I usually find that, given time, most humor lines will connect. Some of my lines I refer to as "time-released humor." This is the type of line that takes a bit longer to register and then washes over the audience like a slow wave. Don't wait forever! Just give your attempts at humor a fair chance before moving on.

Remember the role of eye contact as you deliver the line. Land the punchline to one person. And then maintain eye contact with that one individual for a beat or two AFTER you have delivered the line. Avoid spraying the entire audience with your humor attempts. You are always speaking to one person at a time. If a joke bombs, the tendency is to fall into the trap of nervous eye dart, or to totally avoid eye contact. Immediately after the line is delivered, keep your eye contact fixed on one person. Did you deliver the joke to the wrong person? Were you trying to land the funny line to the person with the crossed arms who appeared to be saying "go ahead, make me laugh." Try to deliver your funny lines to a friendly face. If you find a line is getting a cold reception, switch your eye contact to someone who is laughing, or who is at least smiling.

Unless you are a professional humorist who always connects with your humor, I recommend, when preparing your written introduction to be delivered before you speak, make no mention that you are supposed to be funny. It is best to let it be a pleasant surprise. It increases the chances that they WILL laugh because of the surprise factor. If they are expecting you to be funny, you are then challenged to make them laugh.

Find a safe place to bomb. A friendly open-mike night at a comedy club is a place to test material (some clubs are not so friendly...check out the environment before getting onstage). A Toastmasters club is a great place to be bad. You learn to ride the humor bicycle by falling off and getting back up. Every bombed line is a growth experience.

Always remember that bombing is a state of mind. Don't let your expectations set you up for failure. Expectations can kill a good speech. If they laugh, great. If they don't, it wasn't funny. Don't let your expectations affect your reaction to their feedback.

Do You Read Minds?

I'm not psychic. And I'm guessing that you aren't either. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you can read people's minds. When people aren't laughing, the tendency is to believe that they don't think your line was funny. Many times, that is just not true. Not everyone response the same way to humor. Not everyone responds to everything the same way you do.

I sing in a community chorus. After one of our recent shows, several members expressed disappointment at the audience reaction. The audience was dead compared to the people at a performance earlier that day. Same program, different reactions. But several chorus members also commented on how they had received wonderful comments from the non-responsive audience members AFTER the show. People loved the show but didn't show it during the performance. When they don't laugh, it does not mean they didn't enjoy your talk. It does not even mean that they didn't think it was funny. When I attend a humorous speech contest to support a friend who is speaking, I sometimes warn my friend not to look at me during the speech for feedback. I can enjoy humor without laughing out loud. I can go to a really funny movie and maybe laugh only once during the film.

Everyone is different in their reaction to humor. Some people laugh heartily at everything. Some smile. Some just enjoy it internally! It is said that Groucho Marx, a man with a terrific sense of humor, was never seen laughing out loud. There is no standard humor response. Although we would like to think the response should always be laughter when they find it funny, it is not always the case.

So the next time you give a talk that is supposed to be funny, and it is greeted with silence, convince yourself that you are speaking to a group of non-expressive people who are totally absorbed in your talk and loving the humor. When you talk to them afterwards, their comments will probably prove this to be true. And the positive, optimistic visualization during your talk will energize you to give a better and funnier talk.

by John Kinde

A Humorist Adapts Fripp's Presentation Principles

2008-01-09T00:45:00.001-08:00

As one of my humorist speaker friends John Kinde, well-known for his Humor Power newsletter says, "Great speaking skills give you the illusion of competence. The flip side: Poor speaking skills give you the illusion of incompetence! If your presentation skills are weak, you will probably appear less than competent even if you happen to be a master of the subject matter."

He is a master at observational humor and wrote some brilliant observations about the Fripp Presentation and Speaking School...from a humorist's point of view! In case you are interested in attending any of the classes offered this year...or just want to learn from the highlights, here is what John wrote:

"Last November I had the amazing experience of watching a master in action. After a combined 55 years of National Speakers Association and Toastmasters experience, I have to say that the Fripp Presentation and Speakers School is the best speakers training workshop I've ever attended. Solid content, no fluff, and brilliant laser-focused coaching. Many of Fripp's coaching suggestions blew us away, and several actually got gasps of amazement from the participants.

Although the primary focus of the two-day school was not Humor Skills, most of the concepts could be applied to make you a more humorous speaker. Here are a few gems from Fripp's speaker school and some comments on how they relate to the design and presentation of humor.

1. Never open a speech with a joke! Great suggestion. Everything in a speech should have a point and purpose. A joke, just for the laughs, is out of place in a formal speech. Yes, it's great to open with humor, but do it with a humorous story that has a payoff which ties into the theme of your talk.

2. Rapport covers flaws. When giving a talk, whether you're getting laughs or motivating the audience, don't worry about being perfect. It's nice to be prepared, but perfection is not a requirement. In fact, an occasional stumble makes you a real person. Audiences identify with someone who is real. The audience likes someone who is real. And when people like you, it's easier to be funny.

3. Stand still at the opening of your talk. The eye goes to movement and not sound. In your opening you want the focus to be on your carefully-crafted words. Likewise, when you're delivering your humorous punchline, it is best if you are not moving. Your set-up is likely filled with animation and gestures. And the space AFTER the punchline is delivered is often punched up with movement, your physical reaction to the punchline, called a 'take.' But the punchline itself is best delivered with no movement. Movement attracts attention and diverts focus from the key words which will activate the laugh.

4. Eliminate unnecessary words. A basic rule of humor: The fewer words between the start of a funny story or joke and the punchline, the better. Keep your wording tight and you'll get more laughs. A long, wordy story better have a huge laughter payoff or you're in trouble. If the punchline is weak and the setup is long, the expression is that the punchline is carrying too much baggage. Trim and tighten for best results.

5. When crafting the opening to a speech, ask yourself, "what are they thinking?" That's also the key to good observational humor. If you can determine what people are noticing, and what they are thinking about what they are noticing, you have the seed for a good humor line. When you can tap a universal truth, in the form of a common thought, humor almost comes automatically. Often all you need to do is just state the obvious. They laugh, as they think, "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing!"

6. When you have the right words, the speech is so much easier to deliver. And so it is with humor. A well word-smithed humor story will have the right rhythm and punch that the delivery will flow easily and naturally. You will find it easier to relax and enjoy the experience of sharing the story without having to stress over the word selection.

7. Know your speech so well that you can forget it. Also with a humor story, know key parts of your setup and punchline so well that it comes to you without thinking. It allows you to be 'in the moment' and connect with your audience.

8. Specificity equals believability. And specificity is funnier. A car is funnier than a vehicle. A Yugo is funnier than a car. A yellow Yugo is even funnier.

9. When designing your speech, tie your closing back to your opening scene. Often, I open and close a talk with humor. I call the process 'bookending'. I like to have bookends on each end of the speech. The bookends are similar, that is they match. I gave a speech where I open with a funny line involving an 800 toll-free telephone number. At the end of the speech, I close with a different 800 phone number story.

10. Your audience remembers the mental images that you create. People think in pictures. Paint a funny picture and your humor stories will come to life.

11. Speakers should avoid misusing technology. A speaker can misuse PowerPoint, thinking that the computer program is the key element of the presentation (instead of the actual message and delivery). Likewise, I've observed that speakers who want to include humor in their presentations often misuse props. They rely on the prop to create and carry the humor, just as a speaker could rely on PowerPoint to be the main focus of the speech. For example, when a red clown nose used to get a laugh solely for the sake of wearing a clown nose, a speaker is falling short of the humor potential the clown nose could have if it were blended into a powerful humor story.

12. The pause gives people a chance to think about what you've said and to internalize it. In delivering humor, the pause is what lets people process the relationships and connections that trigger the laughs. Without the pause after the punchline, you don't give the laughter a chance. You subconsciously tell people that there is nothing funny and that they're not supposed to laugh. The pause is one of your most powerful assets when delivering humor.

13. Use verbal shorthand to give your characters a back-story. Describe someone or something with a label that brings with it a rich combination of characteristics. I have a story about an 80-year-old man who gave me some unsolicited advice. I could say that I was approached by a 'George-Patton-style WWII Colonel', because as we talked I discovered that he was a retired Colonel who served in WWII, and that description accurately pictures his authoritarian style.

14. Make them like your characters. As you build your characters, do more than just describe them. Give the audience a reason to like them. In a funny story, just as the audience needs to like you, they also need to like and care about the characters you include in the story.

15. Your life is a comedy routine. Develop your own original humor. Your life is a goldmine of humorous experiences. Dump the jokes and tell your own rich, humorous stories.

16. When looking for interesting stories from your past, ask yourself what questions do people ask about your job or past experiences? I realized that I have 17 years experience as a nuclear weapons launch officer and have never included any experiences from that part of my life in my speeches. I have homework. Certainly there are some story gems from those many years of working at such an unusual job that my audiences would find interesting or fascinating.

17. A movie must have 'five moments.' What are the 'five moments' from your speech that people will be talking about afterwards. If you use funny stories, some of those 'five moments' will most likely be the laugh points in your stories. People remember best what they laugh about.

18. If you want to learn something, teach it to others. She specifically recommended taking what we learned from the speaking school and teaching it to others. I told her I'd write an Ezine article about what I learned and apply it to using humor. She said, 'Great idea.' So here it is.

by John Kinde and Patricia Fripp

Show Me The Funny!

2008-01-09T00:43:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing I've learned in 30 years of studying humor, it's this. You CAN learn to be funny. Some people think you need to be born funny, the class clown. I'm a laid-back, serious, Norwegian from North Dakota and I've won humorous speech contests at the Toastmasters District level four times and three trophies at the Regional level representing the funniest of 10,000 people. If I can do it, you can do it. And if you don't look funny or have a reputation for being funny...great! You'll take advantage of the element of surprise, one of the basic elements that makes humor tick.

In this special report I'll refer to some activities in Toastmasters Clubs that are relevant to both Toastmasters and non-Toastmasters. If you're not a member, consider checking our a club in your local area. Visit the Toastmasters' website: http://www.toastmasters.org

Here's a secret from comedy improv. If you want to be funny, don't try to be funny. Really. Trying too hard kills the joke. Students of improv comedy learn that going for the gag is often a sure way to minimize the laughs from the platform. Relax. Let your humor come organically from your stories, the essence of your character, and your relationship with the audience. Avoid the "Look of Expectation" when a humor bit fails. The look of expectation is what you get from your dog sitting next to the dinner table hoping for a treat from your plate.

The Content of Your Speech

When writing your speech, keep it clean. Sometimes it's tempting to cross the line, but take it from someone who has learned it the hard way. Clean material consistently plays stronger. Not only that, playing it clean takes more talent and skill. Off-color humor is a comedy cop out. Any junior high school student can get a cheap laugh from four-letter words and bodily function jokes. Blue humor puts your reputation at risk. One of your goals is for people to want to hear you speak again and to tell their friends about you. The more experience I have using humor, the more conservative I've become. When in doubt, leave it out!

Joke books are not the best source of funny material. Personal stories are clearly the best. Your own stories are original and compelling. Humor comes naturally from the pictures you paint. Force fitting a "joke" to a point will always be second best to a personal story. And besides, the best kind of joke is not one you've picked off the Internet or found in a joke book. Everyone has probably heard it and your element of surprise is short circuited when you use material that has been widely circulated. A benefit of using joke books is that they can be handy for jump starting your thinking and getting you on the road to writing your own original material.

Identify the key trigger word in your joke and put it at the very end of the joke's punchline. It maximizes the tension build up and the element of surprise. Try to avoid putting even one word after the punch word. Adding clutter after the punchword or punchline buries them and disguises the joke.

Remember that less is more. The more concise you are, the more likely your humor will hit the target. If you have a long setup for a punchline, it is said that the punchline is carrying a lot of baggage. So write your material, and then edit and cut.

It's also a fact that specifics are funnier than generalities. A "1985 yellow Yugo" is funnier than "a car". Paint rich pictures with your word choices. It's also conventional wisdom in the comedy writing business that words with a "K" sound are funnier. Therefore a Cadillac is probably funnier than a Ford.

Invest in your talk by writing and practicing it well in advance. As you're sitting at the speaking venue awaiting your introduction, I recommend that you are not rehearsing your speech in your mind. Instead, hopefully you know your talk and your opening lines so well that you can concentrate on what's going on around you before you speak. Check out the features of the room. Pay attention to the details of the meal and the service. Listen to everyone speaking before you are scheduled. Take notes. Look for humorous connections you can drop into your talk. You'll be adding fresh new material to your talk. The last-minute lines you add have a good chance of being the funniest lines of your entire presentation.

Adding Punch To Your Delivery

Never rush your delivery. When you get to the punchline, deliver it, and then pause. Wait for the laugh and it will normally come. A Toastmaster friend once told me: "I figured out why you're so funny. You INSIST that we laugh!" What she meant was that I wait for the laugh and give the audience a chance to get the joke.

And then, don't be in a hurry to get to the next funny line. Deliver a punchline and let them continue to laugh. Don't step on the laughter. Starting to speak again too soon is like telling them "please don't laugh!" Let the laughter peak and as it starts to fade (but before the laughter completely stops), continue speaking. The proper rhythm will come with experience.

If you try a joke that falls flat, never apologize or explain it. If they don't laugh, pretend you were serious. Your humor is meant to be a surprise. If they didn't laugh, it's you're secret. If a long story meant to get a laugh is greeted with silence, try saying this. "And the point of that story is..." Hopefully your humor has a point!

Animate your speech. Show them rather than tell them. Don't be a talking-head. Don't bury your head in your notes. Doing that will isolate you from your audience. Know your humor well enough, especially your punchlines, that you can deliver the humor without notes and bring your gestures, movement and facial expressions to life.

To maximize the surprise element of your humor don't "telegraph" it. Never use the equivalent of "a funny thing happened to me on the way over here." You'll dull the surprise if you tell them something funny is coming. Just do it.

Try to deliver your humor in a room that it well lit. Because comedy clubs are often dark, we sometimes mistakenly believe that comedy plays best in a dark room. Not true. Humor plays best in a well lit room. Laughter is contagious and people will laugh more when they see others laughing. If possible, arrange the seating so that people can easily see each other.

The Best Place to Practice

The best place to practice delivering your humor is at a Toastmasters Club. There is no substitute for practice and there is no better place to take risks and stretch yourself than at a Toastmasters meeting. What is missing at most speaking venues is good, gentle feedback. That's what you get at a Toastmasters meeting.

In my opinion, the people who you consider the most funny are not actually funnier, they're just more consistent. The main difference between an excellent improv player and a beginner is consistency. Both have moments of brilliance. Both can have an equally wonderful sense of humor. The better player will just hit the mark more often. Your humor consistency ratio improves only with experience. Find a place to be bad while getting better.

If you are not a member of a Toastmasters club, a couple of things they do might interest you: Observational Humor and Contests. Here are some observations from my 30 plus years of Toastmasters experience.

Some clubs practice the Observational minute. This is a humor segment placed near the end of the meeting, normally after the evaluations but just before the Master Evaluator's review of the meeting. The person leading the Observational Humor segment will ask: "Does anyone have any observational humor?" Members create fresh humor out of the circumstances and flow of the meeting. In time, members of your club will gain some genuine humor skills, creating the best and most powerful form of humor (along with stories), observational humor. I've seen tremendous growth in the humor skills of members of several clubs who have used the observational minute. If your club has a JokeMaster, I suggest replacing it with The Observational Minute.

If you're not a Toastmasters member, you can practice your skills of observational humor at any meeting that you attend. Give yourself the challenge to "wear your humor hat" during the meeting and weave in a humorous observation sometime at the end of the meeting. It will make the meeting more interesting for you, sharpen your humor skills, and give you the reputation that people should stay awake while you are speaking!

If you have ever entered a speech contest, always remember that you learn more when you win second place. Losing is a good thing, it leads to growth. When you're second best, you take a harder look at your material and delivery. And besides, when it comes to a perspective on winning, for the most part, you are being judged by people who have not accomplished what you are trying to do. Normally, most judges are not past contest winners. So don't take the results too seriously if you lose...or if you win! If you lose, it doesn't mean that you weren't good. If you win, it doesn't mean that you were great. It just means that on that day, in the subjective opinion of a small number of judges, the points fell a certain way. Compete for the sake of growing. And in the long haul, if you do well, you'll be like Babe Ruth. He is remembered for his home runs, while his record number of strike outs are quickly forgotten. Everyone who competes truly wins a growth opportunity.

When competing in contests beyond the entry level, have comfort in the reality that the higher up the ladder the contest is, the easier it is. Your material becomes more highly refined and tested. The audience is larger. Bigger audiences mean more laughs. The most challenging contest is at the first level. Fact. This also applies to the non-competitive environment. As you speak more often, you get invited to speak to larger and more important audiences. So when you reach the higher levels, step on the platform with confidence knowing that you are prepared and up to the task. And when the audience is sitting there thinking "show me the funny"... you will!

by John Kinde

Creating A More Powerful Speech

2008-01-09T00:41:00.000-08:00

If you want to improve a speech, you need to record it so you can analyze it. This means making an audio recording, or better yet a video recording. And also making a manuscript of what you actually delivered to a live audience. Then you're able to do an in-depth review of your speech content, structure and delivery.

Thanks to technology, recording your talk is getting easier. Good-quality digital recorders are fairly inexpensive. I use an Olympus Digital Recorder. It's small. It records for many hours.

One button starts and stops it. It easily loads the recorded data into your computer's hard drive. For best results, also get a lapel microphone.

Should you decide to video record your program, you'll have the additional benefit of being able to watch your physical delivery.

When I review a speech, I like to use the process which I call Focused-Replay. I choose a specific area of delivery and attempt to focus exclusively on that area while listening. Then I replay the recording and focus on another area. For example I might focus on:
Rate of speech
Pitch of voice
Volume variety
Effective pauses
Use of force and energy

If I were evaluating my performance on a short 5 minute speech, I'd replay the whole speech for each area of focus. If it were a one-hour speech, I might just play a five-to-ten-minute segment of the speech. If I discovered that that segment was totally lacking in the element I was looking for, I'd listen to more.

I'd also examine the audience response to the humor. Did they laugh where I expected? Did they laugh in places I didn't expect? What were the funniest lines? Which lines bombed? What was the laughter response ratio (amount of laughter as a percentage of total speech time)?

Now that you have a recording of your talk, it's time to create a word-for-word manuscript of exactly what you said. This includes the flaws. You'll need to type out your talk as you listen to it, or hire someone to create a transcript.

Nearly every speech coach I've met highly recommends making a written manuscript of your talk. It gives you the ability to take an in-depth look at what you REALLY said. This isn't often what you planned on saying. Keep in mind that although there may be more than one good way to say something...there is usually only one BEST way of saying something. This process is designed to help you find the most effective way to word your talk.

Read the manuscript and examine:
Your opening
Your closing
Your transitions
Your stories
Your humor

On paper, it's easier to analyze the structure of your humor. Look for the placement of your punchlines. Remember that the punchword almost always goes at the end of a humor sequence. Patricia Fripp also points out that even non-joke lines have a punch word. If you're making a serious point, identify the most critical word or phrase and see if it has more impact when placed last. It probably does. For example if you said, "We can save $100,000 by moving our warehouse closer to the airport;" it would probably be more effective to say, "Moving our warehouse closer to the airport would save us $100,000." The key point, the punchline, would be the savings. It's easier to examine the punchline structure in writing that it is to listen to the talk.

Next, with multi-colored highlighters, read through the entire talk and highlight the humor in yellow. Mark the stories in red. Highlight the learning points in green. Identify the opening and closing segments in blue. This will give you a colorful map of your talk to see, at a glance, the balance of stories, humor and learning points. You'll also visually see how much time you devote to your opening and close.

Avoid the temptation to just "wing it" when you're giving a talk. Doing the deep analytical work will produce a better and more memorable speech. The top pros find that they never outgrow the need to analyze their talks. And that's why they find themselves at the top.

By John Kinde, Observational Humorist and Fripp Friend

Less is More

2008-01-09T00:39:00.000-08:00

Less is more. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet: "Brevity is the soul of wit."

1. Brevity makes strong structure.

The punchline is the payoff. Traditional wisdom is that the shortest distance between the setup and the payoff is best. When a story has a long set up before getting to the joke, it's said that the punchline is carrying a lot of baggage. Top comedians work hard on writing a tight setup because it's the most effective way to structure a joke.

2. Brevity clarifies.

The key to humor is relationships and connections. Concise writing helps to make crystal clear the precise words that need to be connected to activate the joke.

3. Brevity gives focus.

Wordiness makes for clutter and can hide the punch word or the punch line. That's why the punchline and the punch word normally go last. It puts the spotlight and focus on the key words. Anything added after only camouflages the joke and confuses the mind.

4. Brevity creates scarcity.

The person who is trying to be funny all the time, wears out his welcome. People get tired of the showboating. The person who is selectively funny wins. Scarcity creates value. It wins the attention and admiration of others.

5. Brevity teaches discipline.

By selecting only the best jokes and delivering only the best lines, you develop the discipline of knowing which lines are funnier. When you blurt out all your funny thoughts, you're not having the mental exercise of filtering out the weak lines. Being selective will make you a funnier person because it will make you a better judge of good humor.

6. Brevity makes you appear funnier.

The person who self-selects and uses only the best lines can appear to be funny most of the time. The person who insists on sharing all lines, strong and weak, will appear to be funny a smaller percentage of the time. I'd rather be known as a person who delivers a gem nearly every time he speaks, than someone who speaks all the time and is occasionally funny. One skill set is attractive. One has the possibility of being annoying.

by John Kinde

Tips and Tricks for Binding Documents with Zipbind

2008-01-09T00:33:00.000-08:00

For years, plastic comb binding was one of the only methods of binding available. Nearly every document, presentation, proposal, cookbook and training manual was bound with plastic combs. However, over time the novelty and elegance of plastic comb binding has worn off. Documents bound with plastic combs have become common and donâ€™t have demand the same attention that they once did. Yet hundreds of thousands of offices across the country still own plastic comb binding machines. For these offices there is a new solution.

GBC Zipbind binding spines use the same hole pattern as traditional comb binding spines. However, zip bind offers a brand new look and new functionality for your documents. This article is designed to offer a few simple tips and tricks for binding your documents with GBC Zipbind. Here they areâ€¦

1. If you plan on using the little zipper tool that comes in the package with the spines you are going to want to click the first few loops closed by hand. You will also want to crease the spine slightly in order to make the closing process easier. You can give the zipper tool a try or simply close the loops by hand and use the zipper to open spines to edit your documents.

2. Every pack of Zipbind spines comes with a blue plastic piece. This is designed to slide over the comb opener on your binding machine. The blue plastic strip will hold your Zipbind spines while you insert the pages onto them. This can come in really handy for the inserting process.

3. Proclick spines are only available in two sizes and two colors. If you are going to need to bind documents with other sizes or need another color you will need to use plastic combs. One of the beauties of using Zipbind is that you can always use combs for thicker documents, odd sizes and special colors. Keep this in mind.

4. One of the great things about Zipbind is that you can very easily edit documents in the field. If you get stuck in the field without a zipper tool you can always use a pen to open the loops and click the loops shut manually. It might also be a good idea to equip your sales representatives with a small comb binding punch such as the CombBind c50 in their car or briefcase. This way they can punch additional pages or sales sheets to add into the documents on the fly.

5. Binding documents with Zipbind is also ideal for organizations that donâ€™t own a binding machine. They can simply buy prepunched comb bind paper and covers and put your documents together without ever touching a binding machine. This presents one of the lowest cost methods of binding available on the market.

These are just a few tips to remember when binding documents with GBC Zipbind. Give zip binding a try and find out just how flexible this new binding style can be.

by Jeff McRitchie

Is the Traditional DistTips and Tricks for Binding Documents with Surebind

2008-01-09T00:31:00.000-08:00

As far as binding styles go, GBC Surebind isnâ€™t really all that well known. It offers a look similar to Velobind but with a few interesting twists. Luckily, binding documents with GBC Surebind isnâ€™t really all that hard. However, if you keep a few important things in mind the binding process will be a lot easier. Here are some simple tips and tricks for Surebinding your documents.

1. Surebind binding spines have 10 pins for an 11 inch spine. Unlike Velobind which uses eleven equally spaced pins, the pins for Surebind are not spaced evenly. Instead, the pins for Surebinding are designed to line up with the hole pattern used for plastic comb binding. This means that if you are looking to bind documents with Surebind and have a plastic comb binding punch you can combine the two styles. Using a comb binding punch will allow you to increase punching productivity and offers the flexibility of choosing the type of binding that you want for your documents.

2. The binding produced by a Surebind binding machine is both secure and permanent. Pages cannot be removed, edited and added back to a document without cutting the binding spine off the document and using your machine to rebind the document. This security is one of the greatest strengths of this type of binding system. However, if you are going to use Surebind for your documents you should definitely consider investing $15 in a Velobind/surebind debinder tool. This type of tool is used to safely cut the spines off of a bound document without injuring yourself.

3. Surebind binding strips are available in sizes up to three inches thick. This means that these systems offer the ability to bind documents that are thicker than any other type of desktop binding system. However, if you are going to want to bind documents using three inch spines you are going to need a Surebind System Three. Smaller systems will not bind documents with the larger sized spines.

4. One of the great things about binding with a Surebind system is that you donâ€™t need to stock a huge number of supplies. In fact, depending on the thickness of the books that you are looking to bind you wonâ€™t need more than one, two or three sizes of binding spines. This can reduce the need for storage space and the cost of inventorying a number of different sized spines. Just make sure that you buy ten pin Surebind strips when you get your supplies and not eleven pin Velobind strips. This is a common mistake and unfortunately the two systems are not compatible with each other.

5. Like Velobind, you can use your Surebinding system to bind hard cover books. You simply need to order custom hard cover cases to use along with your system. These hard cover cases will include a binding case and two adhesive fly leaves. You will bind the fly leaves into your document and then peel off the adhesive backing and adhere the fly leaf into the book.

These are just five things to keep in mind when binding documents with your Surebind system. Give these things a try and see for yourself just how easy Surebinding can be.

by Jeff McRitchie

Tips and Tricks for Velobinding

2008-01-09T00:29:00.000-08:00

For years, Velobind has been the binding style of choice for organizations that wanted both a professional look and a secure bind. However, understanding your Velobind system can sometimes be a little bit difficult. This article is designed to provide you with some simple tips and tricks for binding documents with a Velobind system. Here are five things to keep in mind when velobinding.

1. There are actually several different types of Velobind strips available on the market. It is essential to choose the right supplies for your machine since most of them are not cross compatible. The easiest way to determine the type of Velobind supplies that you need is to punch a sheet of paper and count the holes. If there are eleven holes you will need either 11 pin hotknife strips or GBC One Eleven compression binding strips. If you have ten holes you will need GBC Surebind binding strips. If you have six holes then you will need six pin reclosable binding spines and if you have four holes you will need four pin reclosable spines.

2. With all the different types of Velobind systems there is always a finished side of the spine attached to the comb and an unfinished side that is part of the receiving strip. The finished side is designed to go on the front of the book while the receiving strip is designed to go on the back of the book. This helps to provide a more professional look for your velobound documents.

3. Inserting the comb portion of the strip (the one with the pins) through the pages of your document can be made easier by using the edge of a countertop or table. You can simply hang the binding edge of your book over the edge of the table so that you can see a clear path through the holes on the edge of your document. Hold the document firmly in place with one hand and use your other hand to thread the pins through the holes. This is significantly easier than trying to hold the document in the air when trying to insert the velo comb.

4. Velobind binding strips are available in sizes up to three inches thick. This means that these systems offer the ability to bind documents that are thicker than any other type of desktop binding system. However, if you are going to want to bind documents using three inch spines you are going to need a Velobind System Three hot knife binding system. Smaller systems will not bind documents with the larger sized spines.

5. You can actually use your Velobind system to bind hard cover books. You simply need to order custom hard cover cases to use along with your system. These hard cover cases will include a binding case and two adhesive fly leaves. You will bind the fly leaves into your document and then peel off the adhesive backing and adhere the fly leaf into the book.

These are five tips for binding documents with GBC Velobind. Give them a try and see if you can save some time when binding with your Velobind system. Good luck and happy velobinding.

by Jeff McRitchie

Tips for Keeping Pages Falling Out of Your Unibind Photobooks

2008-01-09T00:27:00.000-08:00

Are you having problems with pages falling out of your Unibind Photo books? Some glossy paper stocks are difficult to bind with the Unibind system. In fact all thermal glue binding systems have difficulty with these paper stocks. Many times, these heavier sheets will have a tendency to work themselves out of the bind over time. This is obviously a problem, especially for photobooks that get used a lot. However, there are a few things that you might consider in order to work around this problem.

1. One of the easiest ways to prevent pages from falling out of your Unibind book is to staple the edge of the documents. When I first suggest this option to customers they are usually hesitant to try it. However, if you do it right, the end users of your books will never know the difference. The key to stapling your document is to use a heavy duty stapler and to set the staples as close to the edge of the document as possible. Remember, the staples are not going to need to hold the book together. Instead, they are being used to keep any single page from working its way out of the bind. By stapling the book block as close to the edge as possible you will ensure that the staples will be hidden inside the steel binding spine (you will never see them) and you will never have to deal with pages falling out.

2. If you arenâ€™t comfortable stapling the pages of your book or if your books are too large to staple you might consider an alternative method for ensuring a superior bind. When using glossy stocks it can sometimes be helpful to use sand paper to rough up the edge of book. This will take the slick coating off the edge of the book so that the glue can better adhere to the book block. This is a technique used by many traditional perfect binding machines to ensure a strong bind. This doesnâ€™t work quite as well as stapling the book blocks but is still effective for binding glossy stocks. If you wanted to take this method one step further you could cut small slits in the edge of the spine of your book. Again this is a technique usually used in perfect binding to ensure superior adhesion.

3. In addition to one of the two possible solutions above there are other things that can help to ensure that pages donâ€™t fall out of your Unibind photobooks. One thing to try is running your books through two binding cycles with your Unibind binding machine instead of just one. This will help ensure that all the adhesive in the Unibind spine is fully activated. Depending on the batch of adhesive used in your Unibind spines (there is no way to tell) the melting temperature can vary slightly. A second binding cycle can sometimes help to solve problems caused by not enough heat in the binding process.

4. Whenever binding documents, reports, presentations or photo books with your Unibind machine it is helpful to remember to tap the spine on a hard surface while the spine is still hot. This will help the pages of the document to fully settle into the adhesive and will result in a stronger bond.

5. Finally, pages can sometimes fall out of books bound with Unibind if they are not completely flush when they are inserted into the cover. If the front or back page is sticking up even an eighth of an inch it is possible that it will not come into contact with the Unibinding glue. For this reason it is important to jog your pages together and make sure that the book block is completely square before starting the binding process.

These are five tips to help solve problems with pages falling out of your Unibind photobooks. Using one, two, three or more of these ideas can help ensure that you have a superior bind that will withstand years of use and abuse.

by Jeff McRitchie

You Can Succeed Making Money Online

2008-01-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

There are many people who say that you can not make money online, they will tell you that it is all scams. Then there are those who tell you that they tried and failed or knew some one who lost money. The problem more likely was that they went about marketing on the internet wrong. When you market online the correct way it will have dramatic effects on your outcome

You need to start by creating an effective marketing plan. There are some simple things that you need to include in that plan. You need to know your product and market, know who and where your prospects are and know your competition.

Getting to know the product or service that you are selling is a must, so make sure you use it yourself. When you use the product then you get to know the strengths and weaknesses of it. You will also have the ability to answer questions that your prospects may have about it.

Once the strong points are known then you have identified who your target audience is. You can now set up a marketing campaign promoting the strengths of the product. This will be advertising to your target audience and not to everyone. This is half the battle in internet marketing, too many people advertise to everyone and not there target audience. Look at commercials do car companies run commercials during children's programming, no that is not there target audience and a waste of time and money. You need to do the same on the internet.

Now you know your target market, so you need to know where your prospects are. Find out where they are online and be there also. Do not openly market your products to them as this will only turn them off. Get to know your prospects, what they are looking for and what problems do they have. Since you know your product and the strengths ands weaknesses you can figure out how your product can provide a solution for them. This is something to incorporate into your marketing campaign.

You will also want to study your competition. Get to know the strengths and weaknesses of their product also. Once you know the weakness you can point that out in your marketing also. See who they are advertising to and how they are advertising. Are they doing something that you can incorporate into your advertising?

Once you have all the information of the the product, your target and your competition you can put together an effective marketing plan. Put it all together by appealing to your prospects, showing the strengths of your product over your competition and how your product help them solve there problems.

In order to succeed online there is one important thing that you must do and that is not quit. Success will not happen overnight. It will take time and research. If once approach does not work try something different. But the only way to fail is to quit.

by: Theresa Stauffer

Why SEO is just the first step...

2008-01-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

Picture this. You have a successful online store. Things are going well - all the money you have spent on online advertising has paid off - and both traffic and conversions are up. Your repeat traffic is steadily improving, and your email newsletter is performing well too - driving traffic to your promotions and key products or services.

You can sit back, relax and count the cash, right?

Wrong. Without knowing how your customers reached the point of conversion you don't know whether they are cursing their way to the checkout or just click-click-clicking their way to the credit card field. Furthermore, you don't know whether you are successfully exposing your customers to other products or services that they would have picked up on in that transaction.

Usability is understanding customer flow - the cognitive processes that each user goes through to select where to look, where to click - and when to give up and go and make a cup of tea. You can use tried and true guiding principles to help you design your website - but when your site is live, how can you tell what those users are up to? Website analytics.

Now, some of you may be following all of this, and some may be way ahead already - and that's really the divide that's out there - but if you aren't monitoring user flow and conversion within your site you aren't doing your job.

Imagine if customers couldn't navigate a physical shop - you'd soon spot where they were getting lost and try to arrange things so that they could naturally navigate through and find what they were looking for... Similarly if you built displays to expose them to key products, you would notice when they were performing poorly.

Using a web analytics page is exactly the same, and produces similar effects. Keeping an eye out produces happy shoppers who will return to buy again. However, all is not plain sailing. Web analytics figures can be a blur of percentages and meaningless measurements (bounce rates, exit and entry rates, etc) at first glance. However, FirstRate consultants can help you set up an analytics package in the first instance and, more importantly, determine what metrics are of value to you.

We can help you keep watch over your customer traffic, and spot any bottlenecks that may have gone unnoticed. We can help you to do multi-variant testing of landing pages or paid advertisement creative within your site, improve revenue and provide a better user experience. Because it is all related.

by: Charlie Drummond

How To Combine The Internet and Playing Games To Make Money

2008-01-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

It is interesting when you look at all the different ways the Internet is used today. One of the most fun ways the Internet is used is to play games. This is being done from little kids, all the way up to senior citizens. One thing you may not thought out however, is it is possible to make money playing games and capitalize on this huge market.

In this article we want to consider how you can make money playing games online.

1. First of all you need a business opportunity that allows you to not only play games, but to make money selling games. Because people are online 24 hours a day the Internet has made it possible to play games. How great would it be if you could make money with some of those people?

2. Another exciting enhancement in the world of Internet marketing is called blogging. Initially blogging started out where people would log their thoughts on the web. Now you're able to monetize your blog, allowing you to make money while interacting with other bloggers and your readers.

3. What has happened after websites and blogging has become known as Web 2.0. This has allowed blogging to move to the next level. Web 2.0 is when you allow your visitors to become part of the blogging process.

This can be done through allowing people to make comments, to vote on polls, or to simply in this case, play games. When you blog and your visitors can be involved they will come back. This process is known as social networking.

Playing games online is very easily done thanks to social networking, because you get to meet other people who want play to games as well. Social networking is really just meeting people online that have common interests as you.

You are able to form communities, known as blog communities and social network communities. RSS feeds allow you to quickly keep in touch with each other. People can subscribe to your RSS feed and receive your blog updates as you post them.

Another piece of all of this is internet chatting. This allows for instant contact with people almost anywhere in the world. When you start to consider the number of people playing games, the potential of blogging, social networking, RSS feeds, and combining Internet chatting, you begin to get the idea that to make money online playing games and selling a product that people will want play games is huge.

So the answer is yes, you really can make money playing games online. You can make a lot of friends in the process as well. You just need to find the right opportunity to take advantage of what will offer the best profit and most fun for you.

by: Dan Brown

Shut-up and Sell!

2008-01-08T08:44:00.001-08:00

Contrary to popular belief, to be a successful salesperson, it doesn't matter how much you know about your product or service. It also doesn't matter how much of an industry expert you are. It doesn't even matter how great your mother thinks you are. The only thing that really matters to be successful in selling is your ability to shut-up and listen.

On numerous occasions, everyone in sales has heard how important it is to get the customer talking, so it's imperative that they have an arsenal of great questions to ask. Despite trying to follow this guideline, every salesperson seems to overstate the amount of time they believe they allow the customer to talk. The many interviews I've conducted over the years with customers and salespeople alike confirm this reality. Therefore, salespeople need to take a step back and consider their sales presentation.

To talk less means you have to ask questions that truly engage the customer. However, this doesn't mean you need to develop complex questions. Instead, the best tactic is to ask shorter ones. Long questions tend to result in short answers, while short questions will generally result in long answers. An example of a great short question is, "Why?" In my opinion, there isn't a better follow-up question you can ask after the customer has shared with you some information. Consider how your customers would respond to other short examples like, "Can you elaborate on that?" and "Could you explain more?" These shorter questions elicit detailed responses and that's just what you want. On the other hand, asking complex questions often tends to perplex customers. Because they are not sure what you are looking for, they respond with the universal answer representing total confusion, "What did you say?" Questions should not be your means of showing your customers that you are an expert. Save that for your statements.

When preparing your sales presentation, a guideline I subscribe to is to limit yourself from talking for more than 20 seconds at a time without asking a question. The question you ask should be one directed at the comments you just made. By doing so, you're checking with the customer to see if they understood what you just shared with them. Again, this is something many salespeople overlook. They get caught up in sharing with the customer their expertise and the features of their product or service and forget all about what the customer is thinking. Even if your product or service requires a complex presentation, you should still follow this rule. Whether you're selling software, high value medical equipment, or technical tools, it's essential to check your clients understanding by asking a question every 20 seconds.

Your goal on any sales call is to talk only 20% of the time. To help ensure that this takes place, you have to plan ahead. Before you start developing your sales presentation, create your list of questions. This is contrary to the pattern of most salespeople who often spend a substantial portion of their time developing their presentation and, at the last minute, develop their list of questions. Consider that if you're expecting to have a 20 minute presentation, you should have 40 questions (2 questions per minute). Even though you may not use all 40, you'll definitely be more prepared. In addition, you'll be able to pick and choose which ones you want to ask. If you're following the rule of asking short questions, you'll ensure that the customer is doing most of the talking. You'll learn valuable information that will help you better understand the customer's needs.

If you want to move your questioning process to the next level, make half of the questions you ask be ones that help the customer see and feel the pain they have. By doing so, they will be much more open to receiving your solution. For example, if you're selling computer back-up systems, you might ask, "Can you explain to me what happens when data is lost?" This short, concise question is designed to get the customer thinking about the risks they face. Furthermore, the beauty of this type of question is that no matter what the customer's response is, some good follow-up questions will naturally arise.

By adhering to these guidelines, you will be able to see dramatic results in the number of sales you are able to close. As simple as it sounds, the more you shut up, the more you'll sell. And, the easiest way to achieve this goal is by asking more, short questions. So, shut up and sell!

Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information or to receive a free weekly sales tip via email, contact "The Sales Hunter" at http://www.TheSalesHunter.com

by Mark Hunter

Maybe A Genuine Internet Business Opportunity Is Your Answer

2008-01-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

The genuine internet business opportunity can bring a change to circumstances, without prejudice, forged with hope and assurance. A genuine place of business has emerged on the horizon, and that place of business is the internet.

A genuine internet business opportunity, once taken, can revolutionize the way we look at things. It's the opportunity to work successfully while we enjoy the relationships, and to recharge those who are in need -- helping one another. It's "people helping people" to share the bounties that life and living offers.

Everyone is always so excited to be a part of such a business. But remember that you have to work with the tools provided by the company -- it is a business, even if it's only virtual. It's the opportunity that someday will eclipse the drudgery of life. An internet business can take you away from the daily grind and gives you the freedom to live as you want.

I invite you to this place of a genuine internet opportunity, where you can work wherever you have a connection to the world-wide web. You can find hundreds of companies with which to work, with just a little searching. Or you can take the freelance approach to an internet business.

The choice is yours!

The same winds of change blows on us all. You can let push you around...or use it to fill your sails and take you to the biggest incomes or your heart's desire.

You have the key to open its doors - an internet business right from home. Don't spend your life only looking at the door, never opening it. Find the genuine business opportunity that is right for you, and walk right through!

Does an internet business sound intriguing? Yes, it's possible and you can do it! For more information on genuine internet opportunity, check out:

http://www.businessathomeincome.com/make-money-effortlessly.html

by: David Nettles

Are You Looking For a Genuine Internet Business?

2008-01-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

Are You Looking For a Genuine Internet Business?

Many people these days would love to work from home. The option of being your own boss, working your own hours and taking time off whenever you need it is extremely tempting. However, making the dream of working for yourself a reality can often be extremely difficult. With so many scams out there, how can you find a genuine internet business?

Finding Genuine Internet Business Opportunities

When it comes to selecting the right internet business opportunity for you it can be extremely difficult. So many opportunities sound too good to be true and the trouble is they are. If you read something online and it sounds absolutely amazing then it is extremely likely that you are looking at a scam.

The main misconception people have about internet businesses is that you do not have to work very hard to get the results that you crave. This is simply not true and if you really want to make a go of working for yourself and providing a comfortable life for your family then you will sadly have to put in a lot of time and effort. However, saying that; the reward that you get back from that time and effort is definitely worthwhile.

If you are thinking of investing your money into an internet business then there are some simple steps you should follow. Firstly you need to make sure that you are investing in something that you enjoy doing. This is because if you enjoy doing it you will dedicate more time and effort into the business and therefore gain back more rewards. You will also understand the business a lot more which is vital if you want to make the business successful.

You really will need to be dedicated to your business. It takes more than a little advertising to keep the clients coming in. You need to constantly advertise and ensure that you treat your clients with respect if you want them to keep coming back. Take the time to grow your business and it really will ensure that you earn enough to keep you and your family comfortable.

Doing your research before you start any business is also a really good idea. That way you can see who your competitors are, how you should be running the business and who you should be marketing your business towards. Setting up a website and thinking of more ways to advertise is also advisable. The more you advertise, the more clients you will draw into your business.

There are a number of genuine internet business opportunities but they do take some finding! You need to know exactly how to spot the scams and you need to realize that you will have to work quite hard to keep your business going. Working for yourself is definitely worthwhile but it does take time and effort.

Does a genuine internet business sound intriguing? Yes, it's possible and you can do it! For more information on internet business, check out:

http://www.businessathomeincome.com/make-money-effortlessly.html

by: David Nettles

Employee Communication: 5 Ways To Measure The Impact On Business Outcomes

2008-01-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

If you are involved in employee communication then you already know that one of the most important aspects of employee communication today is measurement. But so much of that measurement is focused on whether employees access the tools organizations use to communicate with them. You know, questions such as do they read the newsletter, do they access the corporate blog, do they find the information sessions interesting. None of these questions prove that your employee communication tools measure engagement which is what every CEO wants to know. There is one key reason; you are measuring the acceptance of communication tools, not measuring employee communication strategy. So here's what you do.

1. Every organization conducts market research surveys. These surveys typically measure customer satisfaction levels across services and products provided by your organization. Sometimes they even ask questions about competitor products and services. Organizations then take that information and work towards improving the rating they received by introducing improvements to services, products and information.

Now many organizations have a human resources department that usually conduct a staff survey annually. This survey typically includes questions about communication within the organization, understanding the corporate vision, satisfaction with employee benefits and training and so on. What I suggest is that organizations include a supplementary survey of just 10 questions at the end of this survey. And these questions should be framed by selecting key questions from the customer survey and asking staff what do you think customers think about X? These 10 questions in effect become your employee communication engagement measure.

2. Typically the result demonstrates disparity between what customers think and what employees think customers think. Once you have the difference measured between perception and reality then you have the opportunity to commence dialogue about with your employees about what customers really think. Most importantly it allows you to design employee communication strategies specifically to target that business issue. So now you have a business and know the key messages for your employee communication strategy.

3. One year on when the customer survey is conducted, you ask the same questions and again do the same with the staff survey. What you seek to find is that the measure of the perception staff have of what customers think and what customers actually think have moved closer together and towards the organizations desired outcome. This becomes your business measure of whether you have engaged employees.

4. This information is important because your ultimate aim in employee communication has to be to create the "Aha Moment". The Aha Moment is based on information that challenges the employee's belief about an aspect of the business. The information that suddenly helps employees say, "Now it makes sense", "Now I understand", "Now I can do something about it". It is only once you see this gap close between what customers actually think about an issue and what employees think the customer thinks that you have a measure that demonstrates your employee communication engagement strategy has been successful. If the gap still exists then the design of your employee communication strategy is flawed in someway.

5. Finally, it is important that we measure employee communication tools such as readership of our staff magazine, access of our intranet and other tools. However the only way to impact perceptions of the value that the employee communication function contributes to an organization is to measure engagement strategies against business outcomes.

This approach to measurement is low cost. The investment in the human resources staff survey and the marketing departments' customer research is already locked in. You are simply adding 10 questions to the end of the human resources survey based on the marketing questions. The engagement strategies are generally low cost because they involve people, not tools. By this I mean that employees are involved in doing something differently to bring about change in an organization. The staff newsletter and other information tools already exist, all you do is tailor the articles to reflect the main focus of your employee engagement strategy. This low cost yet highly effective approach will ensure that you can measure your employee communication strategies against business outcomes.

Marcia Xenitelis is a recognized authority on the subject on employee communication and has spoken at conferences around the world. For more information on the types of employee communication strategies you can implement to engage employees visit her website http://www.employeecommunicationtips.com for a wealth of informative articles and resources.

by Marcia Xenitelis

Making Money At Home With Clickbank Elite : A Product Review

2008-01-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

An easy way to start making money at home almost effortlessly with your online business is to set up a Clickbank website. This site would offer electronic products available through the Clickbank marketplace that you can sell as an affiliate and earn commissions from. Clickbank is probably the best way online to sell affiliate products.

I wouldn't say that Clickbank is a business for making money at home in itself. Rather, it is something that allows you earn extra cash, big or small, from product sales to boost your regular online business income. In my opinion, it should be used as a supplement to your internet business, not as your only means of generating income.

I say that because an online business is more than just selling products and services to make money at home. A business means you offer something of quality to customers over the long haul in hopes that they will become repeat customers because you have offered information or services that are unbeatable from a source they can trust.

If you want to start making money at home quickly to supplement your business, Clickbank works like a charm, but you have to know how to use it effectively if you want to make the sales.

That's where Clickbank Elite comes in. Clickbank Elite is both a manual and software that will help you choose the top-selling items at Clickbank that you want to promote on your site or blog, or other advertising means. It is updated regularly so you know what's hot and what's not.

The software gives you a search screen where you can select products by keyword, categories, subcategories, commissions earned, popularity, gravity, and so on. You can further sort the data you receive with dropdown menu choices and even export it to a spreadsheet if you want.

Product rankings will let you know which products will help you start making money at home. You can even track where your sales came from, find products that will soon become hot sellers, and create ads that look like Adsense ads to promote your products.

Will this software really generate more sales for you and get you earning more money at home? Well I have been using Clickbank Elite for several months now, and while it is great at helping you find the best products to promote online, it has really not helped me anymore than one person's advice on a forum.

If you have no idea what products to promote, or what gravity and $/sale means, then it's a good idea to get a copy of Clickbank Elite because it will help you start making money at home.

But if you have a good or even basic knowledge already of what gravity means, how much you want to earn, and $/sale, then you really don't gain a lot more by ordering Clickbank Elite than you would by simply going to the Clickbank marketplace and choosing products based on gravity and $/sale.

The thing to remember when making money at home with Clickbank is that if you choose products that are extremely popular sellers, then as a newbie internet marketer, you may not generate any sales because all the top dogs are using their savvy advertising skills and profits to beat you out.

Therefore, making money at home for you would mean knowing how to choose what's popular, but not too popular. For someone just starting out, you might want to choose a product where gravity is about 60-100, and $/sale is more than $20.00. These numbers are listed right on the Clickbank website.

Now I admit to not always being on top of the game with Clickbank and Clickbank Elite, as there are people making fortunes who are using Clickbank Elite on a regular basis, downloading the updates and new products daily. If you do this, you will have an advantage by using Clickbank Elite.

However, with a solid background in internet marketing, and a knowledge of what products to choose based on the criteria mentioned above, then you will still be making money at home with Clickbank without using Clickbank Elite. Much of my income comes from here, so it's a good thing to consider!

by: Liane Bate

How to Develop Your eBay Home Business

2008-01-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

If you are doing eBay home business, you should understand the current trends to maximize your returns on your listings. You should be aware of your expectations from the marketplace and the way to keep up eBay expert buyers. If you are more experienced at eBay, you should have already prepared the plan for the forthcoming quarter. Even while you see the business under control, you should prepare yourself for other unexpected issues and contingencies. In other words, you should be good at contingency management. You can expect few issues at eBay that may improve or affect your eBay home business.

First, if you are building your eBay home business you can expect changes in policies or increase in fee structure at either PayPal or eBay anytime. It can be possible as both these websites constantly update for the maximum benefits of the users. Therefore, in order to cover the costs and provide proper support, they may increase the prices. You can also expect the price hike in the postal or courier services along with the shipping charges.

eBay has actually improved its website & added the facility for the seller to add Skype communication link while listing the product for a better communication between your eBay home business and your customers. This will enhance the two-way communication for buyers, as they can clarify their doubts at the earliest. This will surely improve your business, though it is bit difficult to handle customers sometimes.

Ebay is spending more than $2.6 to buy Skype for auction service. Its implication and impact can be great for the future eBay entrepreneurs. You can see it here:

Do some research regarding the products, you would like to list on eBay or you may end up wasting your time and selling nothing. You may conclude that all the ads about the eBay home business are false. You should select an appropriate item and develop your eBay home business.

You can even expand your business globally, if you are sure that you are selling the hottest product. It is actually a good idea, as there are more two hundred million users at eBay globally. You may also be able to sell few products that are most wanted in other countries only through eBay. While listing your products, you can even add your website. This will also improve your eBay home business.

You can check out the websites of wholesalers that are eBay certified and eBay Developer's Program Member, from where you can buy the top selling or hot products for your eBay home business. You should be able to directly work with them. Attend the workshops and trainings they offer their members at different places. You should always keep updated about the products and the ratings to be in competition with other eBay sellers.

Educate yourself more on eBay tools also to develop your eBay home business.

by Eble Chen

Affiliate SEO Tricks...

2008-01-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

The majority of the world’s working population perform their jobs
in offices and most of the world’s working population do not
like their jobs because, well, who wants to work? So, if you
don’t like to work but have to work anyway, why stick yourself
into a job with low pay? The best solution would be to find a
high-paying job, work hard and then start your own business if
you can. The problem is, even with a high paying job, you can’t
earn enough money to start a business.

The World Wide Web, being an economy in itself, offers a
variety of opportunities for making money. You can try your hand
at freelance jobs like data encoding, medical transcription,
article composition and programming. There are a number of
freelancer websites that you can join so you may work at home
and put some extra money in your pocket. Start-up capital = $0

There are supposedly expert moneymakers who, for a small fee of
$100 to $200 will teach you how to earn $2,000 to $10,000 a
month. You can try out their system for free, but, you will have
to place a deposit to be able to get the free trial. Start-up
capital = $49 to $100 depending on deposit requirements.

Finally, you can be a passive internet salesperson. I call it
passive because all you have to do is establish a base of
operations in the internet. Once that base has been established,
you have the potential to earn from $0 to unlimited income. All
you have to do afterwards is maintain or update that base once
every three months. And yes, this advice is free. No trial
offers, and no deposits required. Read on please.

Vendor sites like amazon.com offer internet surfers the
opportunity of earning additional income in exchange for the
promotion of their website and products. This is how it works.
You will need to sign-up for affiliate membership. Most vendor
sites that offer affiliate programs do not charge you for this.
This is only fair since you will be selling them to people. Be
wary of vendor sites that charge fees for membership to their
affiliate programs.

Once you join-up, they will give you a reference number or an
ID number that you will paste into your html scripts. Your
vendor site will give you instructions on how to paste them.

Normally, an affiliate will have to have a website where they
can promote the vendor site. You will promote the vendor site by
adding links to the site’s home page and some specific products
which you think will sell more. You will need to design your
website to accommodate these links as well as alter some of your
websites graphics to make way for banners, or picture links.
Don’t forget to add the ID or reference number to the link so
that the vendor can identify your referral.

Once you have the links in place, you will need to write some
250++ words about the product you are selling. I recommend
allotting 1 web page per product as this will help you in search
engine result rankings. The content you write will have to be
relevant and filled with keywords that pertain to the product
itself. Once everything is done, you need to find out if your
website shows up in search engine queries when browsing for your
product.

If you think this is too much work, you can try writing
newsletters about a product on a vendor site that contains links
to the product. You then post the newsletter on the internet and
hope that a search engine indexes it.

Mind you, this isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Times are hard
and we need all the financial assistance we can get. This is
just one option where you can possibly earn a lot more than your
current income.

The problem with most affiliate is that they don’t last
long because they fail to maintain and update their product
links. Some of the products that you have linked to before may
have already been discontinued. You need to check on your links
at least once every 3 months or once a month at optimum.
Finally, don’t be content with what you have. Look for
additional products to sell.

by: Len Hutton

Out Top 10 Meeting Icebreakers

2008-01-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Getting people comfortable in a group setting before a team meeting can be the best investment of ten to 15 minutes of time that you can make. Ice breakers get creative juices flowing, can increase the exchange of ideas, establish team identity, and create a sense of community. All of these items are important in forging top productive teams. But how do you get people to participate and not feel uncomfortable with an ice breaker?

For meetings in a business setting in which participants are professionals, ice breakers that require actions not normally associated with day-to-day behaviors in the office generally make people uncomfortable. Successful ice breakers for these type of groups generally consist of having attendees share memorable information with each other, create innovative ways to get people to introduce themselves to each other, or have group members collectively work on a problem where everyone has to contribute.

We've selected our top ten team meeting ice breakers that are sure to get your meeting participants relaxed and ready to focus on your agenda as well as to connect with others in the group.

1.Brainstorm!: Break the meeting into teams of four or five. Give each team a topic. Pick topics that are fun and simple like, "What would you take on a trip to the desert?" or "List things that are purple". Give your teams two minutes, no more, and tell them "This is a contest and the team with the most items on their list wins." Encourage the teams to write down as many things as they can and not to discuss anything, just list things as quickly as possible. At the end of two minutes, the team with the most items on their list wins! This helps people to share ideas without fearing what other people will think.

2. Same or Different: Divide the meeting into teams of three or four and give each team a large sheet of paper and then give each person a different colored marker. Have each person draw a large oval such that each oval overlaps with the other ovals in the center of the piece of paper. Give the group or groups, a theme that pertains to your meeting objectives. Ask the participants to write down at least five or more entries in the non-overlapping and mutually overlapping areas of their ovals. Give them five minutes, no more than that, to talk about their similarities and differences and write them in their own ovals on the paper. If there is more than one group, compare results and identify common themes in both parts of the diagrams and what light these similarities and differences shed on the purpose of the meeting. This helps team members develop an understanding of shared objectives and in a non-confrontational way learn how their views differ from others in the group.

3. Fact or Fiction: Have everyone write down three surprising things about themselves, two of which are true, and one of which is made up. Each person, in turn, reads their list and then the rest of the group votes on which "fact" they feel is the "false" one. If the group does not correctly pick a person's made up "fact", then that person wins. A group can have more than one winner. At the end, the whole group votes on which of the "winners" of the final round, had the most deceiving "fact". This helps people get to know and remember their colleagues.

4. Free Association: The object of this ice breaker is to have small groups generate as many words or phrases as they can that are related to a particular topic that focuses on the objective of your meeting. Give the group or groups a key word you want them to associate with and then give them two minutes to list, as quickly as possible, as many words or thoughts that pop into their heads. For example, if your company is trying to decide on whether to reduce travel and increase the use of teleconferencing, you might use the word "teleconferencing" and have people list as many words or phrases they can that they associate with the key word. For example they might say: "saves money", "saves time", "impersonal", "need to see other people", "get distracted", "sound quality". This reveals what people are thinking, similarities in viewpoints, and possibly even problem areas or topics that need addressing or further discussion.

5. Nametags: Prepare nametags for each person and put them in a box. As people walk into the room, each person picks a nametag (not their own). When everyone is present, participants are told to find the person whose nametag they drew and introduce and say a few interesting things about themselves. When everyone has their own nametag, each person in the group will introduce the person whose nametag they were initially given and mention something of interest about that person. This helps participants get to know and remember each other.

6. Desert Island: Group people in teams of five or six and tell them they will be marooned on a desert island. Give them 30 seconds to list all the things they think they should take and each person has to contribute at least three items. At the end of 30 seconds, tell the teams they can only take three things. Have the person who suggested each item on the list tell why they suggested it and defend why their item should be one of the chosen three. This helps the team learn about how each of them thinks, get to know each other's values, and how they solve problems.

7. Commonality Plus: Group your meeting participants at tables. At each table ask the group to list ten ways that everyone in that group is similar. Let them know that they cannot list body parts or clothing and that what they select cannot have anything to do with work. One person at the table should be tasked to make their list. At the end of your time limit have the group share their list with all meeting members. This is a great opportunity for your meeting attendees to learn about each other's hobbies, families, and common interests.

8. Line Up: As people enter your meeting hand each one a piece of paper with a different number written on it. Ask the group to arrange themselves in numeric order without using their voices, hands, or showing their number. This helps the team to think of other ways to communicate with each other and to work together to achieve a common goal.

9. Meet and Greet Shoe Pile: This works great in large groups and is a variation of the name tag ice breaker. Have everyone take off one of their shoes and throw it into a pile. Have each group member pick up a shoe and walk around the meeting room greeting other people as they try to match their selected shoe to the one another team member is wearing. This is a great way for new people to meet several members in a group.

10. First or Worst: Have each member tell the group their first or worst job in turn. This easy to use ice breaker works great with teleconferences too and allows team members to spark conversation with each other and to have some fun commenting on the jobs that they have each done. Many of our top ten ice breakers can be used for on-site meetings and teleconferences alike. The nature of ice breakers is to get the group to talk, to share, and to get to know each other in a casual exchange. The best and most successful teams start with a little bit of fun; learning how to value what each member brings into the group. Ice breakers can help facilitate this exchange of information and comfort in doing so at the very start of the team forging process.
Amy Linley gives practical and usable advice regarding communication and meetings at AccuConference - http://www.accuconference.com.

Find out more about our conference call, web conferencing and video conferencing services from AccuConference - http://www.accuconference.com/conferencecalls.

by Amy Linley

Increase Your Credibility and Grow Your Business with Testimonials

2008-01-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

One of the challenges that business owners and solopreneurs face when marketing their products and services is the issue of credibility. Prospects have a natural wariness which only increases with higher priced items and services. If they aren�t familiar with you and your company, the decision process can take much longer or even stall.

There are a few ways to overcome skepticism but one of the best is using endorsements from satisfied clients. Unfortunately, business owners often neglect this simple but powerful tactic. Well-written testimonials create believability, credibility, and a sense of security for your prospective client. They set you apart from other businesses and help you break down buyer resistance. It�s no longer about you telling your prospects how great you are, now they have a recommendation from objective, third-party individuals who have invested in your product and service .

�But I feel uncomfortable asking my clients for testimonials�

Many business owners are uncomfortable asking for testimonials. But it doesn�t have to be a daunting task. In fact, testimonials can be incorporated into your business process as part of the regular check-in that you should already be doing with your clients. Additional benefits include:

� Customers become active partners in your business which can further your relationship and lead to repeat business and referrals.

� Asking for testimonials keeps you proactive in ensuring that you�re delivering outstanding customer service.

�How Do I Ask for Testimonials�

There are several keys to asking for compelling and effective testimonials:

1. Strike while the iron is hot, ask for testimonials as soon you�ve provided your service or sold your product.

2. Ask for specific details of how your business or services has positively improved their situation or solved their problem. Request specific �before and after� measurements.

Here is an example of a testimonial which offers specific details about the benefits they received:

�We were able to sell our house for $20,000 more than other houses in our neighborhood and we credit our real estate agent, Jane Doe. She brought us qualified, motivated buyers and our house sold even sooner than we expected. We can�t say enough about Jane�s professionalism and hard work.�

3. If at all possible, include your client�s full name, industry or profession, and location. Testimonials by �B.K.� aren�t as believable as one by �Barbara King of Seattle, WA�.

4. Always make sure that you ask for permission before you use a testimonial. Most people will agree but it�ll prevent any problems with clients who might not want to have their testimonial used for promotional purposes.

5. Thank your clients for their recommendation and let them know how important their support is to the growth of your business. If appropriate, send them a gift card or small token of appreciation.

�I�ve got testimonials, now what?�

There are countless ways to use your testimonials for maximum leverage. Here are just a few:

1. Use testimonials on your website. One option is to have a separate page on your website for testimonials. While this can be very impressive, particularly if you have many testimonials. However, it�s also a good idea to include one or two on all the pages of your site. For example, if you have a testimonial about your ezine, include it on the sign-up page.

2. Include testimonials in your advertising. People are skeptical of ads so having a success story can significantly increase your response rate.

3. Create a �brag� book. You can keep this at your business and use it during sales presentations.

4. Include a link to a testimonials page in your email signature.

5. Testimonials will increase the impact of all your marketing material, including brochures, direct mail pieces, proposals, and public relations materials.

Famous advertising guru, David Ogilvy said that �Testimonials increase credibility and sales�. Make a commitment to ask all your clients for a recommendation and find more ways to use them to grow your business. The results will be worth it.

by Merlyn Sanchez

Business Card

2008-01-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

Networking is an invaluable opportunity, and one that should not be wasted. In order to maximize networking, it is strongly suggested that all business professionals carry business cards. The business cards can be exchanged during introductions, both as a convenience and as a memory aid. In other words, business cards allow networkers to further the relationship through future contact.

Business cards may include one or more aspects of striking visual design, but should also contain important contact information. Use this guide to make the most of your business cards:

1. What to Include
All of this information should be included on a professional business card: Name - This does not have to be your given name, but should be what you expect people in business to refer to you as.

Position - This is really optional; many small business owners find themselves wearing many hats, and may find it beneficial and/or less confusing to leave their official title off the cards.
Address - Physical office location and/or mailing address.
Website - Adding a website address to business cards is now very common and expected.
Email - Email is also now a very common and popular communication channel.
Phone - Include your business phone number.
Instant Messaging/ICQ Address - Internet chat address.

2. Double Sided Cards
If your company is global, or your sales territory focus is in a region where your spoken language is not the predominant language, you might wish to consider using the backside of your business card to include your information in an alternate language. You can also use the back of the card to provide more extensive information and details about your products and services. Or, if you do a lot of local business, you might want to include a small street map to your office on the back of your card. There are lots of things you might be able to do with all that blank space on the back of your cards.

3. Conversation Starters
Savvy sales people often use their business cards as a conversation starter. Of course, the card needs to be unique or unusual in order to generate a dialogue. Some of the more interesting cards I've seen recently were printed on micro-CDs, on magnets, on translucent plastic, etc.

4. Standard Size
Even if you are aiming for something unique, you should still not diverge from the "standard" business card size. For managing their contacts, many people will create a business card rolodex, or may have a hand scanner specifically sized for business cards. So stick with the standard size -- otherwise you may be excluded from their contact databases simply because your card didn't fit!

5. Order Quantity
Quantity discounts apply to business cards. When pricing printed business cards, check to see where the price breaks occur; sometimes you can significantly increase the quantity of business cards for very little additional cost.

6. Quality Matters
Flimsy cards that are paper thin, and cards with ragged perforated edges, just scream "amateur". If you are going to print cards yourself, be sure to use heavy business card stock, and use stock that has "clean-edge" micro-perforations. And "glossy" finished stock can also help boost the quality perception of self-printed cards, especially if lots of color is used in the card design.

7. Brand Cards
Your business cards should be similar to all of your other printed promotional material. Business cards should contain your business or product logo. Double-check the colors with the printer to make sure the correct pantone colors are used. This will ensure that the logo is printed using the correct and matching color scheme.

8. Keep Current
Information contained on the business card should always be kept current. Business cards with obsolete information crossed out are very unprofessional. If any information on the card changes or becomes obsolete, have new cards printed to reflect the change, and throw the old ones away.

9. Change It Up
Textured business cards, or cards with scalloped edges, stand out. Consider a wide variety of ways to make your card jump out of the pack. The texture or color of the card can also be utilized to ensure your card stands out.

10. Legible
Use a legible font that makes the text on the business card easy to read. Avoid making the fonts too small. Use contrasting colors, and avoid using porous paper that will allow the ink to bleed and the text to blend into the card.

11. Spelling
There is little more embarrassing than business cards that contain typographical errors. Proofread the cards multiple times. Let me say that again -- proofread your business cards! And have other people proofread them too, as they will often be able to spot mistakes that you've overlooked.

Maximize the power of your business cards. Whether you are networking, or just being personable, business cards are a must in the professional world, and crucial to business marketing.

By Sharon Housley

India - The Real Estate Player

2008-01-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

In the new millennia of real estate India has emerged as strong, swift and bold player. Industry expert’s believe that the Indian real estate has huge demand potential in almost every sector, be it commercial, residential or retail.

"India is the most exciting real estate market in Asia," says Michael Smith, head of Asian real estate investment banking at Goldman Sachs. "It's one of the last major countries in Asia with an improving market."

The Real Estate explosion

This spurt of growth in the Indian real estate is in large part due to the by the burgeoning outsourcing and information technology (IT) industry. By 2010, the IT sector alone is expected to require 150 million sq.ft. Of space across major cities .New companies means new offices, houses, shops in short commercial, residential and retail space.

This growth is facilitated by favorable demographics, increasing purchasing power, existence of customer-friendly banks and housing finance companies, professionalism in real estate and reforms initiated by the Government to attract global investors. People have more purchasing power and exposure to organized retail formats has redefined the consumption pattern. Even small towns want to emulate the culture of their big city cousins. As a result, retail projects have been mushrooming across even B-grade cities.

This new way of life has quite drastically changed the face of India’s real estate, may it be the city centers the urban areas or the new yuppie towns. Small shops, old fashioned bungalows and office blocks have all changed into luxurious apartments, with club-houses, pools and sprawling greens. Instead of small shops we have humongous sprawling malls and office complexes.

The Global Effect

When Farallon Capital Management, a U.S. hedge fund, and its joint-venture partner, Indiabulls, snapped up an 11-acre property in central Mumbai in March 2005 for $54.5 million an acre, the purchase was called an act of idiocy by local developers. A few months later, when the same joint venture offered $95.5 million an acre for a nearby property, this was the second-lowest bid.

The first dynamic impact that announced a global change in the Indian real estate sector came when the Government introduced new policies in February 2005. It allowed 100 per cent foreign investments in construction projects with fast-track approvals. But the fatal attraction for foreign investors was the potential investment returns of 25 per cent or more in Indian projects that were nearly impossible to achieve in the US and European markets today.

Industry sources more than 90 foreign investors are already in the country tapping into the real estate investment avenues in India. Dozens of US funds are being raised for investments in Indian realty. Those raising the funds include Blackstone Group (US$ 1 billion) Goldman Sachs (US$ 1 billion), Citigroup Property Investors (US$ 125 million), Morgan Stanley (US$ 70 million) and GE Commercial Finance Real Estate (US$ 63 million) JP Morgan, Warburg Pincus, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Colony Capital and Starwood Capital, and believe it or not this is just the tip of the ice-berg.

Morgan Stanley closed a deal worth about US$ 150 million with Oberoi Constructions in Mumbai. The Nakheel Group in Dubai entered into a US$ 10 billion deal with DLF for residential projects in Tier I and II cities. This was followed by three financial institutions -- Khaleej Finance and Investment (KFI) from Bahrain, Kuwait Investment Company (KIC) and Kuwait Finance House (KFH) -- from the Middle East promoting a US$ 200 million fund for investing in India.

Players At Home

Investors back home have also sat and started taking active participation in the real estate segment. Indian financial institutions are competing with each other. Prominent companies promoting real estate funds in India are HDFC Property Fund, DHFL Venture Capital Fund, Kotak Mahindra Realty Fund, Kshitij Venture Capital Fund and ICICI’s real estate fund, India Advantage Fund.

The Tata group has also joined hands with private equity firm, Xander, to raise US$ 1 billion for an institutional retail real estate fund. DLF has raised US$ 2.24 billion in the country's largest initial public offering and has also entered into a joint venture agreement with Indian pharmaceutical major Ranbaxy group company Fortis Healthcare to set up hospitals across the country with investments of about US$ 1.5 billion.

Conclusion

But with the boom comes the crunch, property prices in India are rising fast, real fast and not just in the biggest cities. As the tech boom spreads across the country, and as more Indians buy homes, and as the economy grows at faster than 8% a year, real estate is attracting more investors, many of them from abroad.

It is really no longer going to be cheap or easy to be a player in the Indian Real Estate Game.

by: Rahul Boss

Winning With Your Unique Opportunities

2008-01-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

Ok so a lot of people are probably wondering "What in the world is winning with your unique opportunities?" Well it's just that, winning or taking advantage of the very unique opportunities that surround you each and every day. Every single one of us living on this planet has been given something special every single day of our lives. Let me paint a picture real fast. Every day we wake up eat our breakfast, take our shower, put on our clothes, and rush off to our wonderful nine to five job, RIGHT! And a lot of the time we even have night jobs or other part-time jobs just to make ends meet. Well you see the problem with that is that we have all been programmed to function this way. I mean we have totally forgotten what it means to create our own financial future for ourselves and/or our families. Well I'm here to reprogram your brains into the right mindset! Ok, so uncover your eyes and let's get started with the principles.

1st Principle

It's time to ACT! That's right act. Instead of just going through the motions each and every day tell yourself that today is going to be different. Today I chose to be positive, today I chose to have the right attitude, and today I chose to take advantage of the unique opportunities that surround me. Today I chose to have a purpose.

2nd Principle

Ok so here is the really good part. After you have made that decisive promise to yourself "To Act" you simply do it, get an idea do a little brainstorming and ACT ON IT! Let me explain, I remember not too long ago I came up with this idea. I am currently living in some student housing while studying at a local university, and the landlord of the apartment complex I'm living in is a big enforcer of cleanliness and I mean BIG! So every single month he does a monthly cleaning check to see if our apartments are clean. He always give us two chances to get our apartments up to his standard before he charges us $25.00 to have it cleaned for us. So I had the idea to create a simple flyer informing people that I or someone that I could hire would clean their apartments for $10.00 or $15.00. Then I would distribute this flyer to the 60 apartments in our complex and WHALA!!! I could take advantage of this unique opportunity, and believe me this could work because most college students are very busy and have very little time. They would gladly pay someone $10.00 or $15.00 to clean their small apartments. The only reason that I have not taken advantage of this opportunity is because right now I am focused on other unique opportunities that surround me, but the idea is always there.

Another example, let's say that you are currently working as a roofer for a roofing company. Well, people are always re-roofing their homes, and most likely you can find someone that will hire you to do it for them, or they will find you if you advertise. You could even turn this into your own little side business.

Ok, one more example just to make sure you've got the idea. There are many places in the U.S. that you can find old battered junky cars. In fields, old farms, neighbor's driveway, basically a whole bunch of places where people just want those old battered cars gone! You could offer to relieve them of those old battered cars and salvage them. Take the old parts off and sell them, sell the car to someone that wants a project car or who wants to restore it, take it to the shredder and get paid. Basically it doesn't matter who you are, there is always an opportunity if you pay attention to your unique surroundings.

3rd Principle

Great you're on the 3rd principle, and please tell me that you're starting to get the picture! The third principle is to incorporate this same pattern over and over again. Remember you have certain unique opportunities that surround you every single day. Matter of fact, you have unique opportunities that I don't have. Just remember that the key here is to do a little brainstorming and a little planning then ACT! The more opportunities that you take advantage of the more ideas you'll have and so on and so forth.

4th Principle

This is the last principle that I am going to teach you. You literally have the power in your hands to create a difference in your life, your family's life, and in the lives of others. Remember you have the ability to create and build many multiple streams of income. Like I said do a little bit of brainstorming and planning, review your unique talents, abilities, opportunities and blessings that God has given you. You could even build a stream of income from one of your hobbies or passions. Get your friends and family to help you and I promise that if you will focus, pay attention, and work hard, you too will have great success.

P.S. One more tip! Don't forget that you can also pay attention to the many "Saving Opportunities" that surround you each and every day, but just remember to be wise, pay attention, and ACT!

by: James Straatman

Estimating Current Market Value of a Pre-Foreclosure Property

2008-01-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

When preparing to enter the real estate niche of buying and selling foreclosure properties, it is important to have a foundational understanding of how the values and worth of foreclosure properties are determined. It all comes down to equity. A good working definition of equity is the difference between the current market value of the property and the amount that is still owed on it. In other words, if you were to sell a property and then use that money to pay off the remainder of the loan, the money that you had left over is the equity. This is the most vital piece of information that you can glean from making an accurate estimation of the current market value of a pre-foreclosure property.

As you are working to determine the current market value of the property that you are interested in, you need to keep in mind that there is a difference between a property’s assessed value and its appraised value. The assessed value is the municipality’s assessment of what the property is worth for tax purposes. They use the number to determine what the property taxes should be compared with the other properties that are in the immediate area. The appraised value is what the bank thinks the property is worth. This number is used for financing purposes.

A property’s current market value then, is determined by a combination of factors. If the assessed value is what the local government thinks the property is worth and the appraised value is what the bank thinks that it is worth, then the current market value is what potential buyers think the property is worth. This of course, is ultimately the most important number. As you analyze whether or not a foreclosure property is going to be a good investment, the estimated current market value will be a number that is at the core of all of your studies. If this number isn’t accurate, then the entire basis for you decision will be faulty.

One way that the current market value is useful to you is in determining the debt to value ratio. This is a baseline ratio of how the difference between what the current owner still owes on the property versus what it is actually worth. The bigger the spread on the ratio, the better the investment.

As you complete your due diligence on potential investment properties, you need to become adept at building replacement cost estimates. For every dollar that you need to spend repairing and replacing things on the property to prepare it for resale, you need to consider whether that dollar added to, or subtracted from the worth of the house. While it is often worthwhile to invest some money into improving the properties before sale, you need to make sure that you aren’t putting more into it than you will be able to get back out of it.

Measuring the return on investment is a key component in running any business. This metric answers the question of how much money you are making on each dollar that you spend. It is important to set a goal and then strive to achieve it. If you planned return on investment is only one or two percent, then you might as well put your money in a savings account and save yourself the trouble. If however, you enjoy tracking every penny and want to maximize the power of your dollar, investing in pre-foreclosure properties can be a great tool.

Ultimately, the goal of any investment is net profit. This is the measure of how much you actually made in the deal after all improvements have been made, the taxes have been paid and the attorneys have taken their cut. Being able to estimate a current market value with some degree of accuracy will have an affect on this number, and this is the one that matters most.

Keep in mind as you invest not all properties need to be turned over quickly. The appreciation in value can be greater over a long period of time, and if you are patient you can capitalize on swings in the market. If you buy properties and hold on to them, they will appreciate in value and your liquid assets will give the ability to stockpile property until you are ready to sell.

If you’ve bought multiple properties, the equity value of all of them combined is referred to as equity buildup. The equity that you attain in just one piece of property may not be a very flashy number, but as you accumulate more, that equity value grows. As the equity value grows, so does your purchasing power.

As a final note, it is important to remember that current market value of pre-foreclosure properties doesn’t include the after repair value. Take this number into consideration when estimating your net profit and return on investment. Renovations and improvements can add value to the home, but basic repair costs are rarely recouped.

by: Mark Jones

The Diminishing Popularity Of Banks

2008-01-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

The last decade or so has seen a rise in the Australian economy but it has also seen in a downfall in banking. Banking, as we know has become a necessity and loans are increasingly becoming a popular means of sufficing an immediate requirement. Banks in Australia have always been traditionally focused and some of the top banks focusing on fulfilling basic consumer requirements of include:

Adelaide Bank

This bank is a listed publicly and has its head office in South Australia. It provides different types of financial services through a detailed distribution network and by forming new national alliances.

AMP Banking Australia

AMP is one of the leading wealth management companies in Australia with an excess of AUD$84 billion in assets.

ANZ (Australia and New Zealand) Bank

ANZ Bank is considered as one of the biggest banking companies in Australia as well as New Zealand and was also ranked among the top 50 banks in the world. The world headquarters for ANZ is situated in Melbourne where it started off in the 1830s.

Bank of Queensland (BOQ)

Bank of Queensland is the second largest Queensland-based banking and financial institution and is listed among the top 5 biggest banks in Australia.

BankSA

It was formerly called the Bank of South Australia and today it is one of the largest financial institutions in South Australia and is also the main provider of personal finance, housing and rural banking in the State. Today BankSA is owned by St George Bank.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is one of leading banking and financial institutions, which has positioned itself for future growth and is aiming to make banking accessible to all Australians.

Macquarie Bank Limited

The Macquarie Bank offers different types of investment banking opportunities and also caters to selected retail financial service markets as well as commercial banking in Australia.

National Australia Bank

The National Australia Bank is an internationally acclaimed financial services group that has been providing comprehensive range of financial services in Australia as well as 15 other countries.

RBA - Reserve Bank of Australia

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is the central bank and its primary responsibility is the monetary policy. Some of the key roles of the RBA include maintaining the stability of the financial system and enhancing the efficiency and safety of the Australian payments system.

These are some of the most popular banking institutions in Australia. Off late, it has been noticed by various research groups that Banks are falling way behind in their promises to upkeep customer satisfaction and to consistently thrive to offer competitive interest rates on their loans. As a result, more and more people are turning towards newer and non-traditional forms of accessing capital such as non-bank lenders and now social lending or peer to peer lending networks.

This phenomenon can be disastrous for banks as has been experienced by banks in the UK following the launch of Zopa. Zopa is considered a pioneer in peer to peer lending and anyone can take an online loan from the Zopa borrowing platform. The salient point is that the borrower can set his or her repayment amount with a maximum interest rate. The interest rate is definitely lower than what banks are offering and hence more people are finding it advantageous from their point of view.

Social lending has landed on the Australian shores with Lending Hub (lendinghub.com.au) now being seen in the same light as Zopa and Prosper. Of course the funding vehicle is still under development but one can safely predict that the social lending networks will start to take lending market share from the banks. Another aspect that has pushed social lending ahead is the fact that it is more community oriented, which banks are not (although the banks like to portray themselves as being people and community focused they have spent the last 4-5 years closing branches and making banking highly automated and less consumer focused).

According to a recent study in Britain, it has been found that 74% of people feel a positive attitude towards borrowing from a social lending community as opposed to borrowing from their own high street banks. Almost 49% people feel that the banks have not been able to keep their promise of offering customer satisfaction. Another 81% believe that the banks are self-interested while a good 76% believe that they are greedy.

All in all these features make banking institutions highly unpopular especially now in the light of the unprecedented growth of social lending communities and peer to peer lending solutions.

by: Ivan Mantelli

Paypal vs. Merchant Account

2008-01-08T08:21:00.000-08:00

ALBANY, New York (AP) -- The nation's largest online payment service, PayPal, is paying New York $150,000 in penalties after misrepresenting to consumers its policy on repayment when merchandise doesn't arrive, the state attorney general said Monday.

PayPal, which claims 40 million customers worldwide, had specifically stated that it provided the same rights and protections of a traditional credit card transaction, said Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. But consumers were often denied those rights, he said.

For example, consumers who didn't receive merchandise purchased through PayPal were often denied reimbursement from either PayPal or American Express or Discover credit cards. A spokeswoman for Spitzer said consumers complained they were being bounced between PayPal and their credit card companies and there was no prompt action.

The credit card firms agreed to properly credit consumers in an agreement with Spitzer late last year.

PayPal creates accounts for buyers and sellers using the Internet, including PayPal's parent, eBay, the Internet auction site. The service lets buyers and sellers exchange money through e-mail.

Besides the penalties, PayPal will pay New York state the investigation costs. The online payment service also will clearly describe consumer rights including conditions or limitations on their rights and refund policies.

Without the agreement, consumers using their credit cards through "e-payment" systems like PayPal would lose their protections under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act and similar state laws.

"Protecting consumer rights in online transactions is the best way to establish and maintain confidence in electronic commerce," Spitzer said.

PayPal has clarified that it will investigate any claims about a deal as long as the complaint is made within 30 days of the purchase.

Our Service is a great alternative to Paypal. Not only do you get your own merchant account and the ability to accept credit cards real time on your website, but you can also process face to face or offline transactions. You can't do that with PayPal.

www.cmscreditcards.com even has better rates than PayPals standard program and you get your money in 48 hours directly into your Business Checking Account. No volume limits like Paypal.

Benefits to having your own merchant account and not a PayPal account:

* No chance of PayPal freezing funds or holding money because they don't understand your business. When you sign up for an account with us, we underwrite your account so our banks know exactly what you are doing therefore, lessening the chance for you to have your funds held erroneously and hampering your cash flow.

* Merchant can take both online and offline orders at their home, store, office, tradeshow, etc. You can't do that with PayPal. With PayPal you can only take orders from your website. Though we believe your website sales are important, it is also important that you make sales face to face and via other marketing methods.

* Merchant gets funds automatically in 48 hours to bank account of their choice.

* With your own Merchant Account, your customers will not be required to open up a PayPal account just to do business with you.(This is a huge inconvenience to put your customers through just to make a one time purchase from you.)

* You can do recurring billing transactions for regular customers. Automatically bill a customer $100 per week or per month. You set it up once and don't have to worry about it ever again.

* Pay Pal does not make their phone number available to its customers. Call our office anytime and you'll get a live person during business hours.

Main Difference between Pay Pal and a Merchant account:

The main difference between Pay Pal and a merchant account is that funds are not processed through the merchants own merchant account. All transactions are processed through one or more large bank accounts that the merchant needs to access to get his funds. They are not directly deposited into the merchants checking account.

The accounts where these funds get pooled are typically too large to be FDIC insured. The method of clearing and settling transactions skirts the rules established by Visa and Mastercard as well as state and federal bank regulations.

For more information on how your business may benefit from accepting credit cards now. Click over to http://www.cmscreditcards.com

by: Scott Burke

Making Your Business Click

2008-01-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

The lifeline of most businesses rely heavily on the amount of marketing support can be supplied. There is no doubt that marketing collateral in the form of establishing identity and brand existence are key factors in helping make businesses known. These marketing collaterals can be likened to arming the key personnel in a business such as business cards, flyers, brochures and multimedia material to be able to provide the necessary information and image that a company wants to project.

Marketing collateral does not have to be high cost in nature. Resourcefulness and innovation of the company through its current roster of personnel can help ignite and produce the necessary collaterals a business can lean on. Understandably, cost and expenses are two of the things that business owners are not too keen on hearing. But the supplement of expected outcomes from the investment of marketing collaterals through advertising and promotions will provide a better overview of what to results to expect from such programmed marketing efforts by assigned people of the company.

The hardest part of establishing a business is to spread the word that such a company and its products or services are indeed available. The success of a business lies heavily in providing the necessary information of the existence of such, the purpose of which is to try and penetrate a market properly.

To start things off, the need for proper product or service orientation should be established. Consumers will not immediately rely on mere image and word of mouth. This is the job that is tasked for most marketing executives, to build on the product and make the consumers understand the benefits and fruits that the product brings. This is best done through the use of supporting promotional materials in the form of flyers, posters, and TV commercials if costs are permitted. Making such mediums available to consumers in the easiest way possible for them to get acquainted with the product being pushed is the best way to kick off a product’s existence in the market.

After a successful product orientation towards the target market that a company has focused on, the next thing to handle is the places where the product will be available. Supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, and specialty shops, the mode of availability will be the critical aspect since this will largely depend if the product is readily available. For sure, people will not go out of their way to exert much effort in finding where the product may be. Thus it is the task of the business personnel to make sure that all possible distribution channels are covered, with the target market class under consideration as well. While flyers and posters may be spread all throughout affiliated stores and outlets, it is still the best practice to make sure that the product itself is available in target modes of distribution.

The set price for most consumer goods and commodities today play an important role in enticing consumer demand. While this is more psychological in nature, it cannot be discounted that business executives must determine an acceptable price to jack up their sales and consumer patronization. Pricing has its share of conflicts. Low prices may carry with it low quality product tags, while higher priced goods may push customers to look for alternative products. This is why it is essential that research and development teams must prepare a good comparison of product availability before finally deciding on a set price. The price should also consider the usual costs such as the administrative and operations cost, mark-ups and other related costs for manufacturing the product. The marketing collaterals will also fall under the administrative and operations cost, usually under the advertising and promotions part.

Defining the target market area as well as the consumer class will help determine the degree of saturation in the market a business should aim for. Identifying where the target market class resides or stays in is a good way to help in trimming down the area needed for saturation. Focusing the marketing collaterals in the area where the identified consumer class is situated is a good way to establish identity in the area. This should be a good way to start in effectively covering key areas for segregation prior to aiming for a larger market share.

The attention, complaints and distribution of the product or service still lied in the hands of the people hired to do the life blood of the company. Similar to a soldier going off to war, providing the sales force with business cards, marketing portfolios and other marketing paraphernalia is the best way to make an impact. Other than motivating the sales people to bring in the sales, making sure that they have the necessary materials to show are mirror-like images of the company. They represent the company and whatever they project speaks entirely for the business venture.

by: Jon Caldwell

The Power Of The Right Message To The Right Market

2008-01-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

Two success stories to share with you on advertising effectively.

SUCCESS STORY 1 Network Marketing Money Machine

I received a phone call 2 months ago from a husband and wife team. They have done exceptionally well in the network marketing industry, and now was to go big on the speaking information publishing business.

We designed them a campaign that goes like this

Step 1 Squeeze page to capture emails from people

All a squeeze page does is capture contact information from people who visit your website. You need to entice them into why they should sign up snippets of content they get, free bonus books or audios, etc. When they enter their information name and email they are then sent to step 2.

Step 2 Thank you for sign up and Free CD giveaway

We gave away an audio cd detailed part of their system they use to earn well over a million a year in the industry. The cd is free, shipping and handling is $5. This gives people a very low cost way to get more familiar with you and your techniques. If they take the free cd offer, they click through to the order page with an option to buy into step 3.

Step 3 Upsell to higher end package at 20 -40 times the price of step 2

When people go to the order page for the cd offer, they are offered an option to buy a much higher pried package. In this case we did 2 higher priced options one at 20 times the cd s&h price, the other at 50 times that price. They can get just the cd or take them up on the upsell offers with much more information and product sent to them.

Step 4 For those who never took the offer for steps 2, 3 or 4 they get sold into step 2 through the auto responders they receive once they sign up on the free newsletter

THE RESULTS?

Because the copy was targeted perfectly to their market, and because they had a good number of people read the copy:

1.1800 people purchased the cd option 2.20% of those people bought upsell #1 (at 20 times the price) 3.5% bought upsell #2 at 50 times the price

Do the math! That is a serious money making AUTOMATED machine.

For every 1,000 qualified people they send to their site, they know roughly how much money they will make immediately.

QUESTION FOR YOU

How can you leverage these ideas and automate the sales process in your business?

SUCCESS STORY #2 First time author ROCKETS to #1

Another client of mine just launched his new book. You may have seen some of the promotions this week for The Power of You

We invested a substantial amount of time and resources putting a massive campaign together for him.

1.Teaser sales letters to get people to the main sales letter

2.$3,000 in bonuses to buy the book on the launch day

3.Long copy sales letter to sell the book and bonuses the key was that he needed people to buy on a single day so Amazon could do their calculations on if he had a best selling book (calculated by Amazon every hour based on total books sold from their site)

4.Recruited LARGE numbers of partners to endorse the book to their own client lists. They got to read the book first, then endorse the book to their own clients if they like the book. IMPORTANT NOTE: the partners received NO financial compensation for doing this.

I wrote the copy they sent to their lists, to recruit them as partners, to sell people the book, etc.

5.Arranged everything to happen on August 15th starting at 12:01 am.

THE RESULTS?

#1 on Amazon on the main book best seller list AND in all 5 registered categories the book qualified for!

PLUS, 3 days later it is STILL #1

Thousands and thousands of books sold (still waiting on final numbers) each of those books is a lead generator for him (ads on the inside of the books for other products) and a MASSIVE database built from the launch (people had to supply their emails to get the bonus materials)

Now he has #1 International Best Selling Author to his name.

QUESTION FOR YOU:

How can you leverage these ideas and have other people promote you to their lists? How can you use this to launch a new product, service or bundle?

The key here is to NOT say "that isn't my business". The key is to say "HOW can I make that apply to MY business?"

When you do that and then implement what you wrote you will see similar results as they have seen.

The power of the written word, combined with massive action

by: Troy White

11 Steps To Creating The Perfect Business Plan

2008-01-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

What should a business plan cover?

That’s the million dollar question.

For one thing, it should offer a thorough analysis of the need for the particular product or service you are planning to offer. It also needs to talk about how you are qualified to be making such an offering to the public.

A business plan should address your strategies in terms of production and marketing, how you will be organized, any legal aspects that you must address, and what your accounting methods will be. In short, a business plan should address the following questions:

* What do I want and what am I capable of doing?
* What are the most workable ways of achieving my goals?
* What can I expect from the future?

Keep in mind that there is not one specific format that you should use, or one best way to lay out your business plan. However, there are some steps you can take to make the process go a little more smoothly; we’ve listed what we think is the easiest method, below.

Step 1: Making the Commitment – be sure that you desire to work for yourself is truly greater than you desire to work for someone else.

Step 2: Analyze yourself – list your strengths and weaknesses. Determine how you can build off your strengths, and improve on your weaknesses. Remember, this can be a daunting task because you may have to own up to a few shortcomings you’re not prepared to recognize!

Step 3: Choose a Product or Service – this sounds silly, but just because you think you know what business you want to be in, it doesn’t mean your idea will be a profitable one. Take a look at the feasibility of your idea.

Step 4: Research Your Market – marketing research is crucial to the success of any business, large or small. The more you know about your potential market, the greater your chances of securing the customers you want, right out of the gate, and that means making a profit.

Step 5: Forecast Your Sales Revenue – after you take a look at the market your product is best suited for, estimate the percentage of that market that you think you will reasonably be able to take over. Take in to account the number of your competitors, their size, and the amount of market they already have. It is important to be realistic during this exercise.

Step 6: Choose a Location – is your new business going to be on the web? Or will you have a retail storefront? Will you consult out of your home office? Be careful to weight both your personal preferences and what makes the most sense for the ultimate success of your business. You might like the idea of working in your pajamas every day, but if your shingle needs to be seen by the public for maximum growth potential, a home office might not be your best option.

Step 7: Develop a Marketing Plan – here you will be forced to detail you plan to gain customers, and turn a profit. Discuss possible marketing channels, price points, advertising, and sales promotion.

Step 8: Develop an Organizational Plan – what skills and talents do your new business need to not only survive, but to grow as well? If you don’t have all these traits, how are you going to get them in the door? Will you hire freelancers? Are you hoping to bring on an employee right away? If these individuals, and their skill sets, are vital to your success, do not make a plan without them!

Step 9: Decide on Your Status – sole proprietor? Partnership? You need to decide how you’re going to approach this, and investigate the legal ramifications of each situation. As a sole proprietor, you’re in control, but you’re also solely responsible. In a partnership, you share the responsibility, but you also share the decision making and the profits. What works best for your budget AND your personality?

Step 10: Address Your Accounting – if you don’t know how much money is coming in and out of your business, you will never know if you are making a profit, or if you need to make changes. Keeping track of your numbers is one of the single most important things you can do for your business. Decide on whether you will do it in house, or outsource it to a professional; if you take care of it yourself, decide on what software you will use.

Step 11: Put it All into Numbers – this may or may not be necessary for you; it depends on what type of business you are starting. When you approach a financial institution for a small business loan, they will respond better if they see all of your plans in numbers; they are, after all, in the business of numbers. So, go back through all the above steps, and assign dollar amounts to what you can; when you approach the bank, you can tell them exactly how much you need, and show them where their money will be going. You can then show them, with a number, how much of the market you are planning to corner, and your growth, by percentage, over the next X years.

That’s it – wasn’t so hard after all, was it?

by: Aaron Foster

What's REALLY Holding You Back?

2008-01-08T08:08:00.001-08:00

This may or may not surprise you, but I have learned that regardless of age, it usually isn't lack of skill, time or money that gets in the way of starting or growing your business.

Most of the entrepreneurs I work with are between 40 to 65 years young, and when they hit a wall or spin their wheels, it's rarely associated to lack of ability, desire, physical or monetary means.

Physically, they have what it takes, but mentally -- there's a lifetime of baggage blocking access to real progress.

Many have raised children, have been supervisors at work, devoted and hardworking employees, and creative geniuses, and despite their lifetime of accomplishments, something seems to come up when they begin the journey from employee to entrepreneur.

Some of it is tied to the transition into the business world, but much of it also comes from reaching a certain point in life where you can start putting your needs ahead of others. You have raised your children, supported your spouse in his or her career, served as a loyal employee to your boss and now, it's time to focus on following your dream.

The problem is the dream is clouded by old programming.

How many times in the past did you do or say things you didn't want to simply to please your parents, teachers, spouse, church leaders or children?

Did you take courses you didn't want to take or jobs you hated because someone told you it was best for you? Did you marry someone you shouldn't have because you were told it was the "right" thing to do?

How many times were you told you had dumb ideas, weren't smart, pretty or strong enough?

How many times were you told not to bother pursuing a professional sport, music or writing because you'd never make it -- only the exceptional few did?

If you're struggling to get clear on what you want or if you're not taking the right actions even though you know what must be done, look inside yourself and try to uncover what's really holding you back.

How much of other people's "stuff" are you allowing to influence how big you dream and the actions you do or do not take?

I recall a colleague of mine who today is a millionaire, but when he started his business he struggled to succeed. He had done well in corporate, but when he started to promote his new business, he couldn't attract clients.

It was only after he locked himself in his office for a full day and began looking at his marketing materials that he realized he had designed everything to appease his father and gain his approval. He wasn't communicating to his target audience at all.

He re-wrote his material, changed the way he promoted himself, and within months attracted numerous clients.

Another client realized in her late 50's that because she was allowing her father to make her feel guilty because he had helped her out when she was younger, every day was dictated by his mood and the demands he placed on her.

She couldn't grow her business because she allowed her father to determine the amount of time and activities she could focus on each day.

It took almost two years to release the guilt and feeling that she had to be at his beck and call, but when she did, doors began to open. She started receiving phone calls and orders from large organizations and she started meeting people with huge networks who loved her products and wanted to share her with all of their friends.

She became a vibrant, confident woman and started attracting other vibrant people into her life.

I share these stories not to encourage you to blame your parents or loved ones for the obstacles in your life, but to create awareness of the fact that what often holds us back is our belief that we must be responsible for everyone else's happiness and comfort.

One of my former clients works with people who struggle with what she calls People Pleasing Syndrome because it is more often than not the biggest obstacle to personal and professional growth.

If you're facing challenges in your business, take some time to look at the behaviors and beliefs you hold. What thoughts may be holding you back? What actions do you take that you know for a fact aren't moving you forward?

Make the effort to uncover the reasons behind your thoughts and actions. If this is too hard to do on your own, seek the assistance of a coach or trusted professional.

Your life, your business and your ultimate happiness depend on your ability to give yourself permission to follow your dream without guilt or embarrassment and if you need help to make that happen, give yourself that gift. You deserve it.

by: Laurie Hayes

8 Strategies for Achieving SMART goals

2008-01-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

1. Setting goals is easy but achieving them isn�t. That�s why setting �SMART� goals � Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely � is the first step in making your goal a reality.

Make your goal as Specific as possible and express it in positive terms. Do you want to stop losing money or do you want to start making money? How much money do you want to make?

How do you Measure success? You�ll need a way to evaluate your progress and determine if you�re moving towards your goal. For example, if you want to improve your finances, then you should have a way of keeping track of income and expenses.

Is your goal Achievable? Consider whether you have the resources necessary to achieve your goal. If not, you need to determine if you can assemble everything required to streamline your process. Remove any obstacles before you get started!

Realistic goals are achievable goals, unrealistic goals are just dreams. It�s not necessary to be negative but take time to honestly evaluate whether you�re being realistic. Losing 30 pounds in 2 weeks is not impossible but it�s not very likely and certainly not healthy.

Make your goal Timely by stating a due date for your goal AND the action steps involved in achieving it.

2. Align your goals with your values. If your goal doesn�t reflect your beliefs and character then you�ll have difficulty achieving it. And even if you do manage to get what you want, you won�t be very happy. Set a goal which is meaningful to you and be clear about the consequences of your outcome.

3. Share your goals with three to five key people. Not everyone needs this strategy with every goal but almost everyone can benefit from it at some point. Finding supportive, positive people is key because you certainly don�t need anyone sabotaging your progress..

4. Assemble everything you need before you need it. This prep work is vital in eliminating the frustrating and time consuming �running around� which can derail your progress later on.

5. Minimize potential challenges. There are 3 key ways to prevent overconfidence and poor planning from creating obstacles down the line:

� Create a complete, measurable, action plan which includes all the steps necessary to achieve your goal. Don�t forget due dates for each step.
� Incorporate all your actions into your schedule. Add them to your calendar with anywhere from 10-20% flextime to help you control any unexpected delays.
� Regularly evaluate your progress. You may need to make changes or adjustments as your project takes shape. Anticipate them so you won�t get blind-sided.

6. Complete at least one action per day. Consistent actions will propel you towards your goal. Even choosing a small task will make a dent in your to-do list and may motivate you to do even more.

7. Establish a support system. Who or what can provide you with encouragement, advice, healthy feedback or a willing ear?

8. Reward Yourself. Don�t wait until you achieve your goal, especially if it�s a long-term one. Reward yourself as you reach certain milestones. Something as simple as scheduling time for yourself or perhaps a special treat that you�ve felt guilty about indulging in can keep you motivated to keep going.

Copyright 2007 � Merlyn Sanchez

What Is “The Secret” To Finding Real Wealth?

2008-01-08T07:50:00.001-08:00

Did you know that less than one percent of the people currently living on this planet account for almost twenty-five percent of ALL the wealth? These powerful people certainly don’t want you to know this...they want you to stay as mindless drones whose sole objective is to keep THEM wealthy. What is the secret this small fraction of the population knows that the rest do not?

If you haven't seen the movie "The Secret", I implore you to watch it! The Secret is the most powerful law in the universe! If you have already seen it, watch it again. To watch "The Secret" online, copy and paste this url into your browser; http://www.thesecret.tv/home.html

Or you can watch "The Secret" On Demand via cable and satellite for audiences in the United States and Canada.

This small minority of people who are currently pulling the strings on world politics and world economics have mastered The Secret. These are the same people who want The Secret banned like it was once banned hundreds of years ago. Now The Secret has been un-earthed for all to discover its tremendous power once again!

There also have been great leaders who have mastered The Secret and made positive contributions to all of humanity. Leaders like Albert Einstein, Abe Lincoln, and Mother Teresa to name a few.

We are now living in an exciting new age of technology where humanity can do incredible things. The brick and mortar corporations who once ruled our economy unequivocally over the little guy are slowly losing their death grip due to the astonishing power of the internet!

So what is this secret you ask? In a sentence; "The Secret Is The Law Of Attraction". Simply stated, you get what you wish for...or your thoughts dictate what you get in life. Your health is dictated by your thoughts as well as your wealth.

Think of your thoughts as little tiny magnets...the intensity of these tiny magnets or thoughts are in direct proportion to the emotions you attach to it. The stronger the magnet, the stronger the attraction. This explains why a lot of people don't get what they wish for. They have not attached a strong enough emotion to their dream. Or they feel they don’t deserve their dream so they don’t bother pursuing it.

Let me give you an example of how the law of attraction works in a negative way. Think of the days when you got started off the wrong foot, then said to yourself "this is gonna be a long and terrible day". What happened? A long and terrible day...you got what you wished for! The degree of how terrible your day turned out was proportional to the intensity of the negative emotion you attached to the thought, right?

So how do these little "magnets" or thoughts attract what we want or don't want in our lives you ask? Well, and this is based on quantum physics that scientists have just learned in the last 10 or 15 years. There is an invisible universal mind if you will that contains all the dreams and thoughts of everyone who has ever lived or will live...past...present...future. This is quite the paradox you may think, how can this be?

The "time" element in this universal mind has been negated or altered. Quantum physics has recently shown us that a single electron can occupy two different spaces in an electro-magnetic field at the same exact point in time, once thought impossible. This goes against the laws of physics unless time has been negated or altered some how, the only possible explanation. So you may be able to connect with the dreams of someone who hasn't been born yet. Are you getting excited yet?

The Universal Mind is a sort of collective consciousness. The place where dreams are born. These dreams are invisible and waiting to take physical form.

How do you convert your dreams from the universal mind to the physical realm? By constantly thinking about your dreams with strong emotions and just as importantly - taking action! I am NOT talking about wishful thinking here...you must take action on your dreams!

It helps to have pictures of your dreams and look at them every day. Write your dreams down. Formulate a plan that is specific and with deadlines that will bring your dreams to fruition...and stay the course! “Don’t die with your dreams still inside you” as Dr. Wayne Dyer likes to say.

That is why I firmly believe you should pursue ventures you have a passion for...then you will find it easier to attach strong positive emotions to your thoughts and dreams.

This is the most powerful law in the universe, use it wisely my liege...

Good Luck and Stay the Course!
by: John J. Lynch