Effective Advertising and Info Management

Next time you travel on vacation or for business to Boston, don’t worry about who’s going to feed and look after your darling pet. Just take it along.

Every hotel has individual policies for pets. For example, the size of the pet, whether or not the pet can be left unattended in the hotel premises, whether they will charge you per night for the pet or a one time fee are all taken into account. Some hotels may also charge a refundable pet fee and some may mention that they only allow “Well-behaved” pets, so teach your pet a few lessons in etiquettes before you decide to take it along. At some hotels, you may also hire a pet sitter. So, you can go into the city for work or pleasure, while your pet is being well pampered by the hotel staff. Book yourself into a hotel after a careful review of the pet policies of the hotel. Also, book well in advance because in every hotel, there are a limited number of rooms that are pet friendly.

Some of the favorite hotels in Boston for pet lovers are The Inn at Crystal Cove; Best Western Roundhouse suites that will give a special welcome to your pet with a goodie bag; Boston Harbor hotel; Swissotel Boston and Holiday Inn Boston-Brookline. The luxury hotels like the Ritz Carlton and Onyx will treat your pet like a king. Your pet will be groomed and pampered in much the same way as you. So, go ahead and enjoy a lovely holiday with your pooch.

Boston Hotels provides detailed information about Boston hotels, Boston luxury hotels, cheap Boston hotels, downtown Boston hotels and more. Boston Hotels is the sister site of Florida Timeshare Rentals.

Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge eating?

In a recent issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, I read a feature article about the treatment of bulimia and binge eating.

Bulimia is defined as 2 or more episodes of binge eating (consuming a large amount of food in 2 hours or less) at least twice a week for 3 months. These episodes may be followed by vomiting or purging (with laxatives or diuretics) and may alternate with fasting and compulsive exercising. People who suffer from bulimia often view this behavior as a shameful secret.

Binge Eating Disorder (binging that is not followed by vomiting, fasting or exercise) has gotten more attention recently since it is being considered for inclusion as a psychiatric diagnosis.

The criteria are tentatively listed as “a condition that causes serious distress with at least 3 of the following symptoms occurring at least 2 days a week for 6 months:

• eating very fast
• eating until uncomfortably full
• eating when not hungry
• eating alone
• feeling disgusted or guilty afterward

Since most of the population has probably engaged in these eating behaviors at one time or another, I guess it comes down to the frequency and severity of the problem. You can be a binge eater, but you would have to be binging quite regularly to be considered to have Binge Eating Disorder.

Many people engage in some of these behaviors all the time. People who live alone often eat alone. And while eating when you aren’t hungry is not the most satisfying experience, sometimes it is just an ingrained habit.

You do not have to be overweight to be a binge eater. Many people with binge eating problems think they are overweight or are worried that they will become seriously overweight. Dieting does not necessarily stop the binging and is often viewed as being part of the problem rather than the solution.

This article pointed out that the body resists dieting by slowing metabolism and increasing appetite, commonly accompanied by an intense preoccupation with food, more binging, anxiety and depression.

If you are struggling with bulimia or severe binge eating problems, seek help and get the support you deserve. Don’t keep it a secret. You do not need to be heroic and suffer alone.

If you engage in some of the binge eating behaviors, join the club and keep reading . . .

You can learn to change all of these behaviors, even mild to moderate binge eating by listening to your body, eating mindfully and being kind to yourself.

Here’s to getting the help you need,
Carol

Carol Solomon, Ph.D. is a psychologist and personal coach who specializes in helping people who want to lose weight and eliminate food and weight issues.

By going from food obsessive to charge neutral (i.e. Did I eat today?), she became dedicated to making it easy for others to step off the vicious cycle and live free of anxiety about food and weight.

She is the author of “Lose Weight Now Stay Slim Forever,” a practical “how-to” manual for learning to lose weight without dieting.

Sign up for her free email newsletter, Slim Forever at: http://www.lose-weight-now-stay-slim-forever.com
http://www.LoseWeightWithEFT.com
http://www.MoreMoneyWithEFT.com

A remote operated car is made up of a remote and the motor vehicle. By turning or pushing the controls up or down and left or right, the worker has the capacity to make it go in whatever direction required.

There are many various makes out there at great discounts in the consumer market. The simple replica cars can only just about travel a little distance. Consumers that hunger to experience the bona fide real deal would be advised to buy the radio control vehicle that needs to be built and bespoke from scratch.

Radio controlled cars are classified either as electric operated or nitro power-driven. The incredible feature about toys that have an electric powered engine is that the battery unit can just be recharged. Whereas, radio control vehicles that make us of fuel will have to be topped up and greased after a precise period of time, which is very comparable to regular vehicles.

These model vehicles are used by kids and adults of varied ages. Particular shops have models identical to those driven in NASCAR racing and monster trucks that are often seen in the demolition derby. This merely highlights that people are able to take pleasure in radio operated cars either on or off the road.

Do these marvellous toys require loads of maintenance? Yes they can. The owner must examine the battery, the shock absorbers & the tires on a frequent basis. This will help make sure that the vehicle is able to keep it is speed and efficiency each and every time it is sent to the race circuit.

The hobbyist would be advised to be aware that not all of the cars parts are capable of being fixed. This is because of toy makers designing their toys to operate only up until the mechanisms basically break. Consumers that want to enjoy the remote control toy will somehow have to change the mechanisms, which on occasion can difficult to acquire.

Remote operated toys do not purely apply to cars. There are also several planes, ships & helicopters to find in the toy department

Both parents and kids alike who are inquisitive and for some reason have never done this before maybe should stick to the entry level model(s) then just upgrade later if the kid is utterly serious about it and wishes to participate in model racing contests regularly. Check out Toy Shopper today for the all the essential info on nitro radio control cars.

When I began my career in the graphics industry, almost 17 years ago, I would approach the design of any new logo by first taking out a pad of paper and a pencil and sketching out basic ideas before diving into any real concept creation. As computers and design software became more and more a part of the design process I tended to find myself heading to the computer immediately to put together my ideas. This only tended to result in a lot of time spent staring at a blank computer screen. As my business expanded and time became a more precious commodity I began to head back to my early days and approached my designs again with a pencil and paper before sitting down at the computer. This not only gave me more free time but helped me to increase the profitability of my business. The following is an outline of the design process I now take whenever I am creating a logo for a client. I hope it will inspire some of you to take pencil in hand prior to sitting down in front of the computer.

Core Practice Partners is a leading international expert in Labor Management for companies that don’t work a traditional “9 to 5″ schedule. Their clients have included such industry leaders as Kraft, BMW, and General Electric. Their approach to creating solutions for their clients is unique and their desire was to have a logo that was both professional and creative.
They approached my company with a few ideas of their own, but were very uncertain whether the look they truly wanted could be achieved. I first set up a phone conference with their president, John Frehse, to discuss the goals he had for the logo and how he wanted to be perceived by the clients he serviced. After our initial discussion I sat down at the drawing board to rough out some ideas for the logo. This is the normal approach that I take in the designing of any logo. It allows for the creation of many concepts within a short period of time and dramatically decreases the amount of time spent producing the initial concepts to be presented to the client.

Once I had 6-8 rough ideas conceived I then scanned in the designs and used them as templates for the creation of computer generated concepts. I typically place them in the background and insert text and graphics over the top. Once the groundwork has been laid in I then remove the sketch from the background and add the finishing touches.

The initial presentation to the client contained anywhere 4 concepts that I felt worked best with the impression they were looking to achieve. These first ideas were presented in black & white. I have found that clients will initially lose interest in a concept if the colors are not to their liking. On more than one occasion I have seen ideas rejected solely on the basis of the colors used without the client giving any regard to the overall design presented.

Once a concept was chosen by the client the design was revised, if necessary, and then rendered in color and resubmitted to the client for approval. There are usually 6-8 color renderings for the client to choose from, in this case there were 8. Most of these featured colors from the same palette (warm, cool, etc.) and there will be perhaps one or two ideas that could be considered “outside the box”. It is these additional color options that will either direct the client towards the preferred palette or will illicit a sense of excitement from the client about color choices they never imagined would be appealing. This can be one of the steps where a real sense of creativity can be injected into the design process.

The client immediately accepted one of the designs and now the only step left was to finalize the project. I provide most of my clients with a CD that contains their logo design in a number of different formats. Some designers may feel this enables the client to take the design and use other sources for the rest of their design work, but I have found that this merely gives the client a sense that they have recieved something concrete and if I have done my job correctly and have fulfilled all their desires then they will certainly use my services again.

As it turned out in this case I was hired by Core Practice Partners to design their stationery as well as numerous marketing materials. The logo of a company is an integral part of their brand identity. By establishing a good relationship with a client in this critical step towards creating the brand that will become their public presence you can build a solid foundation to creating a long term position as their designer of choice.

More images and details could be seen at http://www.sitecritic.net/projectDetail.php?id=8/

Sitecritic.net Web Site Reviews is formed by a group of web addicts, mainly volunteers from all over the world. Our goal is to create a community of web designers and developers who share the common interest in bringing out the best in creatiing effective web sites.

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Min Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. Andrew Brash last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

Now that Bahadur Sherchan has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism. Sherchan just 24 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Mt Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the mountain and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Andrew Brash returned a hero to Calgarians. Indeed, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Min Bahadur Sherchan with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Chomolungma. They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

More than 3150 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Therefore, he was all too aware of the potential dangers the mountain could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused The 77-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Mount Everest. This season Anthony Loeff the French climber is reporting the scales for Chomolungma or Mount Everest after he reached the summit of earlier this year.

They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. He was reported in good health as he began making his descent. “the Mount Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

“The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the mountain. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though the mountain is shared by two countries. His first found him within 199 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Two years later, Andrew Brash, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Everest to finish what he had started.

I love calling qualified leads! To me they are the easiest and most effective way to increase business. People have made fortunes from doing it and so can you. The key is to mentally prepare yourself and step out of the box of conventional thinking and doing.

Here are 7 ways to do that.

1. Call your leads when no one else is - During so-called “quiet” times

There are certain periods of the year, for example summer, that many will say is a slow time. And they’re right … because they say it’s slow. And because they say it, they believe it and what they believe happens. Others will say it isn’t slow… and they’re right too. And THAT is what makes the difference between mediocrity and greatness!

Let me ask you this. If you had a regular business and you closed it down for 3 months in the summer, what would happen to the momentum, profitability and goodwill of the company? The answer is obvious. So why is it so many Distributors’ take the summer off? Wouldn’t the same thing likely happen?

So make the summer, and other so-called “quiet” times, a stellar time to be in the market and expanding your business. Unlike fall and winter, the field is clear… there is less competition, and you have more time to find, nurture and train your new downline.

2. Calling leads from a lead list is NOT cold calling!

If you’re a little nervous about calling, remind yourself you’re calling someone who has requested you do so. This is because they are looking for something and you might have the solution.

A cold call is calling someone you have never met and don’t know about. It’s like pulling a name randomly out of the phone book. So do yourself and them a favor… return their request as soon as possible and discover what that is.

3. Expect Positive Responses

People don’t think what you think they think. If you start your call with the negative expectation that you will get a lot of resistance - the chances are you will! Why? Because you get what you expect!

People are mostly kind and receptive. Just like you, they’re looking for ways to make their life easier, more fulfilling, etc. That’s why they invited you to help them.

Again, change your thinking to one that your lead is expecting you to call.

4. Discover What’s Missing In Your Lead’s Life

Whatever you do, don’t get into the trap of thinking that it’s all about “educating” or “giving them information”. It’s not. It’s about allowing them talk in detail about what they want and why they want it.

Having this frame of mind is so important. See yourself as a problem solver… as someone who has potential solutions to the problems your leads are facing. How do you do you do that? By getting into Dialogue with them by

1. Asking questions

2. Listening without prejudging

3. Feeding back based on what you’ve heard them say.

Then you’ll find every call you make will end with a positive result. Why? Because people love talking about themselves, and they will always feel good about you and listen to you… if you listen to them first!

5. Go Slow To Go Fast.

Spend time here helping you and your lead qualify each other. Ironically, the more time you spend, the faster you will build your business.

Relationships take time. If you don’t have time when you call - when will you find time? THIS is the time to find out their ‘Why’. Not later on. Your lead will give you all the time in the world. Why? Because they are talking about their favorite subject… themselves. Time just flies by.

6. Qualifying.

Did I say in #5, “helping you and your lead qualify each other”? Yes I did. The answers to your questions are just as much for your lead to think about… ponder and perhaps shift their beliefs over… as they are for you!

Contrary to a lot of conventional opinion, selling is not about qualifying your lead in the first 15 seconds. It’s impossible to find out about anything from most people in 15 seconds and you’ll lose more opportunities than you will gain if you take this attitude. Spend the time.

7. Don’t Wait to Get Good

Most Distributors’ wait to be good! As someone I know says, “1 degree of temperature can turn boiling water into steam”. Raise yourself by one degree and you’ll turn yourself into the star that’s waiting to be released.

These 7 tips will help you get the most from your leads. So, take action and call NOW! The sooner you speak with people, the quicker you’ll build your business and get the results you’re looking for.

Michael Oliver is the author of “How To Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends!” and an internationally recognised speaker and trainer. Each year he helps thousands of Network Marketers, Independent Distributors and Direct Sellers achieve outstanding business and personal results. In 2004 and 2005, Michael was voted “Best MLM Trainer” in the annual “MLM Insider” poll.

You can find more details about Michael’s books and audio programs at http://www.NaturalSelling.com?c1=article&source=ezine

When you close the sale with a new client don’t you feel great? Did you know that you increase the lifelong value of that new client by doing a few more steps? They aren’t secrets, but when you apply them, they unlock the door to greater returns for you.

First, congratulate your new client on their decision and reinforce their commitment to work with you. You want to build that bond so tight, your client will never want to let go.

Second, help your new client see that you are not a flash in the pan, that you are making a personal commitment to them, their company, and their needs. Tell them what your future together holds.

To build a deeper connection, ask your client sincerely why they bought from you. Listen actively. They will appreciate your interest and it will be priceless insight into your target market as you reach out to other prospects.

Each time you call or email to thank them for their business you have the opportunity to engage them in a number of ways. Be sure to leave the door open for them to contact you directly with any questions they might have now or down the road. Start a habit of telling them what to expect next: what they’ll receive, what you’ll do, what they’ll need to do, etc. Restate the results and benefits to them that you will deliver on. Set the expectation that you will be in touch in 30 days so even if they don’t call you with a question/problem, you are going to make yourself available to them at that time.

We all get unsettled by surprises. It’s human nature. Be sure to explain what reactions and surprises your new client may have in the first/next month of using your product or service.

If you don’t receive payment upfront with the sale, have an automatic procedure in place to follow-up, confirm, or inquire about payment. That way the process is independent of the personal rapport you have established.

In each subsequent call/visit for the lifecycle of that client, it is part of the sales process to ferret out the client’s unspoken concerns and doubts.

When you take these steps and take good care of your clients, they will never leave you. Since it costs 7x more (in time, money, effort) to win a new client than to keep an established one, isn’t it worth it to you to pay attention to the details?

Kerri Salls, MBA runs a virtual business school to train, consult and coach small business CEO’s and entrepreneurs in 10 key strategies to make more profit in less time. Learn more at www.breakthrough-business-school.com/products.html or sign up for a free weekly newsletter at www.breakthrough-business-school.com/newsletter.shtml

You’ve listed your home for sale, you have a Buyer and now their Inspector is performing an inspection. You think you have a pretty good home, but do you really know for sure? What is he finding? Why is it taking so long? Here are 5 deal killers to watch out for when selling your home.

Deal Killer #1: FPE Breaker Boxes. These breakers and breaker boxes are known to have performance issues. They are no longer made, however they were very popular between the 1950’s and 1980’s. Many homes still have them.

Some of the problems were that the breakers would trip but still allow electricity to pass through the breaker. Another issue was that the breaker would not trip at all causing an over current condition which could lead to fires.

Just because the home is 30 years old and you’ve had no problems, don’t expect any Professional Real Estate Inspector to look past a FPE breaker box. The time theory does not hold water with electrical components. In my market, the cost to replace the box with a new 150 amp breaker box is anywhere from $1000 to $2500 depending upon the company and the extent of the work.

Deal Killer #2: Aluminum Wiring: The problem with aluminum wiring is that it expands and contracts more than copper wiring. So the components meant to be used with Copper wiring did not work well with Aluminum. The Aluminum would work its way loose over time and cause arcing, which lead to excessive heat, which leads to fires.

Even after the alloy was changed in Aluminum wiring, problems still persisted with the wiring.

Special outlets have to be used. These are marked CO/ALR. This means that the outlet is designed to work with either Copper or Aluminum.

“Pigtailing” the Aluminum wiring with Copper so that the Copper wiring can be attached to the outlets (remember, less expansion and contraction” is allowed by the National Electrical Code. No one is sure why. The Consumer Product Safety Commission does not see ‘pigtailing’ as a safe alternative.

Rewiring the home can be costly. The total price depends on to many variables to give you a price range here.

Deal Killer #3: Asbestos: Asbestos was used in many building materials and is still used in a very few even today.

Areas a Seller or Buyer will have to worry about it are in a few places. Pipe insulation on older heating pipes, vermiculite insulation, some paints and to a lesser extent, on roof and siding shakes.

Asbestos causes the most problem when it is in a loose state (friable) where particles can float around. We’re all aware of the health problems concerning Asbestos, so I’m not going to go into them here.

If you have Asbestos siding or roofing shakes/shingles, then there is a lesser worry because these are not friable unless broken.

Asbestos removal can be very, very costly and not likely a cost a new buyer will want to tackle shortly after moving into their new home.

Deal Killer #4: Composition Wood Siding: Some of this type of siding is known by it’s generic terms like Masonite and LP siding (there are other brands). This type of siding was (and some are still) involved in class action lawsuits.

This type of siding is basically constructed from pressed and glued wood particles, some as small as sawdust.

Some of the problems arise from poor installation techniques that allowed this siding to get wet. It would then start rotting and letting more water into the structure.

There have been many homeowners who joined the class action lawsuits, received money to replace the siding, but instead pocketed it and put their homes up for sale.

Composition wood siding companies only pay once for siding on a home. If a claim has been filed and paid out on a home, there’ll be no more money coming down the pipe for siding replacement on that particular home!

Deal Killer #5: Polybutylene (PB) plumbing lines: These are water supply lines that are grayish in color.

The problem was that this type of piping is known to burst, especially at the seams. Many of the class action lawsuits have been closed and it may be difficult, if not impossible, to receive any money for replacement if the home you are buying has PB plumbing.

Replacement cost can be in the thousands of dollars. Any good home inspector will call this out on their inspection report and likely recommend a licensed plumber to investigate. I don’t know of one reputable plumber who will recommend keeping the pipes in your home.

Granted, many of these Deal Killers only exist on older homes. However, especially in rural areas, we’ve seen these components show up on newer homes. How, I don’t know unless someone had a stockpile of these materials.

A pre-listing inspection by a reputable and qualified home inspector will bring these Deal Killers and other potential deal killing threats to you attention before listing your home. Playing ignorant about what is in your home (like some real estate agents recommend) will not save you from having to fork over some greenbacks before you home will sell.

Donald Lawson is a Professional Real Estate Inspector licensed in Oklahoma (#454) and Texas (#5824). He currently owns and operates a multi inspector firm in Houston Texas, V.I.P. Home Inspections. You can learn more about homes and home inspections by visiting his site at http://www.best2inspect.com. There are also pages about the local real estate market at Houston Real Estate

E-mail the main stop on the information superhighway can be a blessing or a curse.

It was a curse to Harry Stonecipher, Boeing CEO, who was ousted when a female employee revealed through e-mail an illicit affair. It was a curse to Goldman Sachs when the company paid $2 million to settle federal regulators’ charges for improperly offering securities through e-mail. And it was a curse to Enron when sensitive e-mails ended up in court as part of a congressional investigation.

According to Jean D. Sifleet, business attorney and author of three books, “Many companies think that having an e-mail policy is enough to protect them from legal exposure. That’s just not realistic. Employees use e-mail for all sorts of activities, and they need to be trained about what’s okay and what’s not okay.”

Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts, business writing expert and author of 19 books, states, “E-mail is a blessing when it’s used properly. Using e-mail properly goes beyond legal and etiquette. E-mail is a serious business communications tool, and you must treat it with the same respect as any other business document you write.”

Training is the key to proper, safe, and productive e-mail usage.

Training is now available online. Here’s a preview of what you can expect:

E-mails that Mean Business

Write e-mails that get read and get you the results you want. For example, think how efficient it would be for the subject line column of your inbox to read like the “Newsline” column of USA Today. Your readers view your subject line (as a headline) and get critical information about your message. That’s how efficiently you learn to write. Learn to write e-mail messages with a subject line that shouts “Read Me!” . . . messages that have the impact you want to have on your readers . . . messages that get results. Here’s a preview of what you can expect to learn in this interactive format:

-Craft a subject line that commands attention and gets responses.

-Deliver the essence of your message in the subject line.

-Write a clear and concise message that answers who, what, when, where, why, and how in the opening paragraph.

-Use e-mail etiquette so each message is personable and professional.

E-mails that Avoid Legal Pitfalls

Learn to recognize what’s “okay” and what’s “not okay” in e-mail, and avoid unintended legal consequences. Extra caution is needed in using e-mail because, unlike a telephone or face-to-face conversation, e-mail is a permanent record. For example:

-An exchange of e-mails can result in a legally binding contract. You want to be clear about the terms before you hit the send key and make a legal commitment.

-E-mail can be evidence of harassment. If you state an opinion in an e-mail and send it to a colleague, remember that the e-mail can be forwarded on. Before sending an e-mail that includes disparaging remarks, uses profanity, makes sexual or other remarks about someone’s appearance or ethnicity, stop and consider whether it could be harassment.

E-mail skills are critical to your success in doing business. Training helps to transform e-mail from an informal means of communications into a powerful business tool (e-mail, the blessing), reducing the risk of legally damaging or embarrassing situations (e-mail, the curse).

Demos of the courses are available on-line at http://courses.techcomm-partners.com/ - just click the demo button on the left side of the screen to view them. For more information, email info@techcomm-partners.com or call 401-568-5816.

Jean Sifleet is a practical and experienced business attorney whose career spans many years in large multi-national corporations and includes three successful entrepreneurial ventures. Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts is an award winning author. To learn more about the backgrounds of the authors of the program, check out Sheryl’s website at http://www.sherylwrites.com and Jean’s at http://www.smartfast.com

Many small business owners, remember small is defined as companies with under 500 employees, fail to market themselves and consequently continue to lose market share. The inability to increase sales revenue goes beyond the expertise of your sales staff and is directly tied into your marketing plan.

First, do you have a marketing plan to deliver your marketing message? How are you marketing yourself and your business? Even if you are a Single Office Home Office Business (SOHO) or home based business, you need a marketing plan. Obviously if you are a larger organization, you understand the value of having such a plan. HINT: If you don’t have a plan or have been procrastinating about writing a plan, STOP right now. Find; hire someone to help you write that plan. These plans should be directly tied to your strategic plan of Who Does What By When within your business plan. Read about where to begin at www.processspecialist.com/articles/DoYouKnowandPlanforthe3RsforBusiness.pdf

Second, does your marketing message interrupt your prospect or suspect? What makes your message stop your prospects’ behaviors to want to further listen to what you have to say? Look to those now infamous Super Bowl commercials or even the ever-changing ones on television. Why does one commercial literally STOP YOU? Is it the graphics? Is it the music? Is it the content within the message? HINT: Use some measurable term such as double your results, triple your business, increase profits by 100% to interrupt your prospect.

Third, does your marketing message engage your prospect or suspect? OK, now that you have your prospect’s attention, how do you keep it? This engagement may be just for a few moments as in those 30-second sound bites we hear every day. Engaging your prospect is critical to the success of your marketing strategies. HINT: At this point, you should be providing some benefits that create the What’s In It For Me?

Fourth, does your marketing message educate your intended audience? Can you provide some solid education in your message? Citing proven, documented data or statistics helps to solidify your message. For example, within our business services, we provide a student leadership development and interpersonal skills program (America’s Rising Stars). We let parents know that: “According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average national timeframe to earn a 4 year degree is 5.3 years. Many universities report that it will take 6 years to earn a 4 year degree.” If you are a parent with a college bound student, would this not be a valuable piece of education? Imagine how much more money the parents are envisioning that they will be spending and if they have more than one college bound student, the numbers are incredibly high and very, very expensive. HINT: Connect the education to the needs of your prospect.

Fifth and final question, does your marketing message provide an immediate offer? How many times do you hear? “If you call right now, we will reduce the price by $50? or “Call right now and you will receive 2 for the price of one.” The offer is clearly stated. Why, because the seller, that being you, wants the buyer, that being your prospect, to take action right now, not later, but right now. HINT: Be creative with your message by offering a substantial discount if one buyer secures 10 other buyers.

Remember, you absolutely need a marketing plan where your marketing message interrupts, engages, educates and offers. If your current message is not delivering these 4 objectives, then take some time to rework your plan. You will be simply amazed by how quickly your results double.

Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, www.processspecialist.com

This article may be freely published. Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. CEO of ADVANCED SYSTEMS located outside of Chicago, IL, is the Learning and Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business & education experience, she helps her clients to double their performance. By beginning with the belief systems, Leanne brings a unique perspective to business consulting along with training and development that delivers ROI solutions in 4 key areas: financials, leadership, relationships and growth & innovation. She works within a variety of industries including education, healthcare, manufacturing and professional services. As co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential: 7 Capacities for Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement due for 2005 release, Leanne speaks nationally to a variety of audiences. Please contact Leanne at 219.759.5601 or visit http://www.processspecialist.com/newsletters.htm to read how you can connect your passion to your purpose to double your performance for unheard of results.