Reciprocal Link Exchange A Way To Increase Website Traffic

Effective link exchange can attract larger, quality and targeted traffic for your web site. The link exchange process helps you establish innumerable fruitful links with other web sites. Thus, you can win more quality and targeted visitors from your link partners . The Reciprocal link exchange is capable of winning more traffic through your link exchange process. If you want to promote your web site on a limited budget, link exchange is the best option. Link exchange can save a lot of money that you otherwise would have spent on other means of Internet advertising. Link exchange is a very effective and inexpensive approach of gaining popularity and prosperity on the web. Link exchange your will get back link to your website & also receive new visitor from other website. Firstly more links that you exchange more change of visitor from other website follow the link.

Secondly, your website will be perceived more importantly by search engines.

More Link back to your website mean more visitor will come to your website and with more link gets in search engine. More relevant back link help in search engines optimization.

Things to be kept in mind for Reciprocal Link Exchange:

1) Only link exchange with website similar to your website theme.

2) Do not Link exchange with page that have unorganized Links

3) Do link with sites that will be of interest to your visitors

4) Don't use link farms or FFA pages. You are unlikely to get extra traffic using these methods and the search engines may penalize you.

5) Do stay organized. Use link exchange software, or a spreadsheet to keep track of the link exchanges you have requested and the contact details of the webmasters.

Improving Your Social And Business Networking

Social networking is not a new phenomenon - people have been meeting together for centuries as a way of expanding their friendships, increasing their sense of community, and establishing new business relationships. And even in the last half century neighborhood or city-based networking organizations have arisen such as the Lions, Kiwanis, and Elks clubs along with those dedicated to pure networking like Business Networking International and LeTip. But it wasn't until a website called sixdegrees was created a few years ago that online networking started to take off - sure chat rooms and listservs had existed in the pre-1995 days but there were never resources online dedicated exclusively to networking. And while sixdegrees sold off their company's assets to other online upstarts, the networking craze had begun. Depending on where you look, there are potentially hundreds of websites where one can network, separated out by interest, industry, and geography and whether the networking interest is for business or personal reasons.

For more business networking, there are 4 primary sites individuals use to expand their network and ultimately their income. The granddaddy of them all is craigslist - a San Francisco-based warehouse of local community news, classifieds, dating options, and job listings started by Craig Newmark that has content specific to the top metropolitan regions in the US. It's a popular site and useful for many things - as ebay found out when they recently purchased a 25% share. ecademy is a UK-based site created by the uber-networker Thomas Power. ecademy requires membership and is set up for pure networking, particularly on a worldwide basis. The site also enables blogging, industry-specific content and chats, and is enabled for heavy-duty networking with known and unknown associates. Ryze is a site focused on business to consumer networking and provides a venue to create a community around your business and personal interests - unfortunately, Ryze use is not regulated too well so the connections and content often related to business opportunities, MLM deals, and value-less connections. LinkedIn is the current disputed leader in the US and worldwide due to its ease of use, practical benefit, and value added features including providing a testimonial for someone you know, passing along requests for connections, job listings, and easy networking with those with similar interests.

Regardless of which site you decide to use, pick one initially and commit to a week or month of consistent participation in the community and decide how you might benefit the work or personal lives of others. As with everything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it - so think both of how you can benefit yourself and others as you participate

Advice For Writing A Strong Resume

Creating a strong, solid resume involves several steps, which, when taken together, prove fruitful for an improved resume. Simple enough in themselves, it is important to actually go through and check that all the elements needed for a strong resume appear. First of all, an aesthetically clean, grammatically correct, and clear resume is a must. This indicates a well-educated and polished individual. The resume must be well organized and focused to be considered. In other words, include only previous employments that apply to the new job which you want in most relevant order. In the process of polishing up your resume, be sure that it stays interesting to the perspective employer. Your resume should be specific to each job to which you are applying, and your resume should speak for you as to why you are the right candidate. Your resume represents you, so the impression your resume makes is the impression that you have made. With these points in mind while writing and revising your resume, you shall end with a strong, attention-grabbing resume.

Language is indispensable to us and we use it constantly, but grammar, spelling, and writing style have taken a back seat for the majority of us thanks to computer technology which corrects for us. All too often though, these corrections leave much to be desired. In other words, it is still up to the writer to ensure that what he has written is well written. Any blatant spelling or grammar errors jump out at the reader, and your strengths and talents take a far back seat to the minor spelling mistakes. Revisions must be done on resumes, and the first revision should check for correct grammar and spelling. Many executives find that typos and grammar mistakes are the most common oversights writers make on their resumes ( http://www.jobweb.com/resources/Library/Interviews__Resumes/Typos__Grammati_270_1.htm ). Having someone else proofread is wise, as it is always easier to see others' mistakes rather than our own. Resume builder websites specializing in optimizing and improving resumes are also a great idea to help you avoid the pitfalls of resume writing. These specialists will view your resume objectively and will notice mistakes, both of grammar and good resume form.

Clarity and conciseness are also important in the resume. The fewer unnecessary words and the more direct your phrases are, the easier it is to read through your resume. Keep in mind that resumes are not read, they are merely read through. They are glanced at, or at best skimmed, so the clearer and more concise you are in expressing yourself, the larger portion of your resume will be noticed. One page resumes are preferred as they are concise and help you focus. This focus forces you to choose and include only your most important jobs and achievements.

When writing a resume, never lose focus. Remember the point of the resume: the key to securing interviews. Thus, make sure that every point included in your resume indicates to the resume reader why you are the one who should get the interview and, eventually, the job. Don't include extras in your resume. If they have nothing to do with the skills and talents you will need for the job you want, they do not belong on the resume. Again, keep in mind that resumes are only skimmed over, and so should contain only that information which applies. If you have a life experience that is so unique and interesting that you have to put it on your resume, tie a skill learned from it with the job you hope for. The unique activity will be noticed, and the fact that you learned from it in a way that will help you at future jobs will be viewed as a plus.




In keeping organized and focused, state your work experience in relevant order. Hopefully, and most likely, your most recent work experience is most relevant to your future job. If you are fresh out of college, you will likely want to prioritize your education, as presumably you will not have a meaty employment section at this point. On the other hand, if your college graduation is an old, fond memory at this point, start your resume with work experience.

Following the above tips will help keep the attention of your prospective employer. Keeping the interest of those reading your resume is vital, since these are the people who will be contacting you for an interview. Clearly indicating your career goals is a wise choice. It is an immediate indicator if yours are compatible with and conducive to the company you are applying to. The use of words indicating action, initiative, and energy is an intelligent move. Such words will help you focus on what you have done personally, and make your resume specific and unique.

It is wise to have a template resume from which you format specific ones for each job that you apply to. This way, you will never have a generic resume, which will naturally impress potential employers. When you take the time to personalize your resume, you show that you want the job more than others who are not willing to input this time and energy into theirs. A specific resume will wax the interest of the resume reader, and give rise to questions they will want to ask upon meeting you. In other words, the reader will want to interview you. There are resume builder services that you can utilize on the web to help ensure your resume is polished and professional. Shop around to find one that best suits your needs.

Investing time into your resume will lead to an investment of time by those reading it. The resume is the first impression you make on a potential employer, so use it to your advantage, and compose it carefully to separate yourself from other applicants. While it is important to use a standard resume format, it is not important, and even discouraged, to base your resume on the 'standard'. The only result will be an average resume, and you want anything but. So focus your resume on your personal achievements and goals in a well-written, organized, focused, and interesting presentation. Once you send out this well-prepared resume, make sure your phone stays on as those phone calls start coming in

How to do business in China

It is not surprising at all when many foreign investors complained when they do business in China. Many wondered why their years of experience in the business world could not be applied in China immediately. Doing business is about building mutual trust and benefit amidst establishing relationship with people. If you do not understand your counterpart well, it will be quite difficult to establish good cooperation with him/her. An old Chinese saying goes: know yourself and your enemy well and you can fight a hundred battles without any fear of defeat. This greatly emphasized the importance of knowing and understanding your counterpart.

Modern economic model differ greatly from the traditional one, whereby people in the past 'fight' till the last man standing. Today, people seek to achieve a "win-win" situation, and pursue long-term trade cooperation under a fair and healthy competition environment. Understanding factors such as China's history, humanity and culture will be the key to investors' success in China. As Western thinking and China's traditional values do differ, encountering the culture differences is therefore inevitable, thus a better understanding of the cultural differences is necessary when doing business in China:

1. Learn how to handle Guanxi (relationship)

In China, Guanxi (relationship) is a complicated field. Establishing relationship with others does not mainly deal with achieving own self-interests or personal goals. A special feature of doing business in China will be that Guanxi (relationship) in China will have to include relationship with the government body, investors, partners and even relationship with your own staff. China government plays a large role in administrating the investment in China. This is because China is a socialist state; the economy is still largely controlled and managed by the government, so when doing business in China, it is important for foreign investors to learn to coordinate with the China government. At the same time, seeking a suitable local partner may be a shortcut and helping hand in developing your business in China market.

2. How to prevail over competition

China, at the moment, can be said to be a big, open market, and the ability to prevail over competition is a very important issue today. Investors should fully realize and maximize one's advantages. Some investors are afraid that the China's imitation products will hurt the sale of their products. Even though this symptom is worrying, however in a free and competitive market, it will always be one that has the superior quality that will not be afraid of competition and will prevail eventually. China market is constantly undergoing standardization, and the China government has vowed to protect the quality of the market. <




The Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation had previously stated in his speech that being a member of the World Trade Organization, China government will continuously rectify and standardize the economic structure of the market, and will persistently crack down illegal acts of producing counterfeit products. Technology level in China is still relatively lagging behind, thus foreign investors should fully make use of their advantages in technology and expertise to produce high-quality products and services. One should not be over worried about the negative impact brought about by new counterfeited products. Continuous development of one's technology and emphasizing on innovation will be the key to success.

3. Route for Investment

There are three options to take when make investments in China, mainly: wholly foreign-owned enterprise, Chinese-foreign cooperative enterprise and Sino-foreign joint venture. Which option to take will have to depend on factors such as the investors' investment direction, investment environment, and the amount of investment to be undertaken. Generally speaking, wholly foreign-owned enterprise require examination and approval from many government bodies and this process can be quite hassle and time-consuming. Government procedures for establishing Chinese-foreign joint venture and contractual joint ventures will be even more and the process will require even more from more government bodies. Thus Sino-foreign joint venture appears to be the ideal investment option as less governmental procedures and authorization time will be required. Possibility of encountering hiccups will be smaller.

Advantages of a Multilingual Website

You are a business owner and your have your website in English. It does pretty well and your online business goes pretty smoothly. You are satisfied with results, but you really want to grow your company and expand it internationally. Yet, your website is still in English. Why? Why not to change it?

This article tries to explain advantages that multilingual websites have over conventional single language.

First of all, English is not a predominant language in the Internet any more. As the Internet grows, the more people from developing countries such as China, India, Russia and Brazil gain steady access to the web. They browse websites, look up for information, and, of course, make purchases, lots of purchases! They prefer to browse websites in their own language such as Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Japanese, Korean, Russian, Hindi and so on. Variety of languages is huge. If you can deliver your website in all of those languages. This means you will be able to sell much more to those new customers. There are plenty of ways to receive online payments to US bank accounts from foreign countries, and, therefore, merchants' opportunities for sales are big. Great buying audience is a first advantage of having a website in several major languages.

Second of all, if your website is translated to many languages, it receives not just many new orders, but it enjoys a bigger flow of traffic. Your website will receive more visitors per day, per week, per month. This is also great. If you know how to put this traffic to work, then you will probably use AdSense ads more efficiently and will receive more CTR and will increase overall dollar amount per day. More traffic means more clicks. Similarly, more clicks means more AdSense revenue. This is a second advantage of a multilingual website.

Third of all, Multilanguage website brings credibility to a company. Since professional language services are not cheap, having a website professionally translated to many languages brings respect to its owners. I am not talking about a cheap free machine translation of a website. I am talking about a professional human approach to translation when each sentence is conveyed to the foreign language correctly, when each image or button is translated well. All errors may hurt reputation of a company. Poorly done, machine translation may erode a company's reputation completely. But thorough human approach to translation of a website may help to avoid such pitfalls and problems. Thus, credibility that can be established by a website that is translated to many major languages. Multilingual website brings credibility and respect to its owners. This is the third advantage of having a website translated to foreign languages.




Contemporary Internet shifts toward globalization. This word has strongly gotten to our vocabulary. There are new people coming to the web each day. Internet grows and matures. New laws are being implemented and old ones get challenged. English is no longer a number one language on the web and it will never be. English is even challenged here domestically in the United States of America where it gets a lot of competition from Spanish, Chinese and Russian. The future language will become a mix of languages and having your website translated to most of them will secure your small business in the long run and will ensures its steady source of income. Website translation is not an expense, it is an investment, probably the most cost-efficient you will ever make.

If you feel convinced about your website translation and would like to find out more about this, please visit our website for more information. www.translation-services-usa.com

Translation Services USA is your reliable language partner for all your language needs.

Tips For Purchasing Chinese Products

As you may know, the huge Chinese manufacturing market is full of companies that offer customers with all sorts of products. But only a few of them have online stores which you can directly buy products without having to move an inch.

Purchasing products online offers you many advantages. If you buy products directly from the manufacturer's website you will save a few dollars each. Why is that? It is pretty simple. Let's take an example of purchasing a card reader from a Chinese manufacturer. If you go to your local shop which sells this type of product you will have to pay extra for the product because you will be given not the manufacturer price instead you will have to pay for the manufacturer price + additional money the shop imposes on the buyer.

Without the additional cost the shop imposes, these kinds of shops wouldn't be existed for a day because this is the only way they make a living, the additional money you have to pay for is called "trade markup". Purchasing a card reader right from the manufacturer will save the buyer from paying the additional sum of money that the shops impose.

If you do want to purchase a product directly from the manufacturer, you have to know that reliable companies which deal with these issues have a very low shipping cost. Serious companies have a developed infrastructure of transportation so that your ordered product will arrive in time. Buying online will save you the trouble of going to every shop in town or worst in other towns to find the desired products, by clicking with mouse buttons you will order the exact product you desire, safe and fast.




Just like any other regular store, the online stores are updated daily with a wide range of products, from antennas to vintage telephones. Also on online shops you can find full-detailed brochures about the products you are thinking of buying and also, a very useful thing, comments by other people who bought these products. From the reactions of other people you will find out if the company which sells the product is serious or not.

These kinds of online shops are growing every day so the competition is very strong; regular customers benefit from this because the shops must put the effort in order to attract customers selling their products at low prices, promotions and other similar strategically methods. Some of the shops which sell Chinese manufactured products have a technical support team whom you can ask questions about the products to, with no extra cost.

The most evolved Chinese manufacturers offer full warranty for their products and also Money Back Service. You can trust these manufacturers as they offer quality products without any hidden scams. Although many people say that Chinese products are poorly built and of average quality, it isn't entirely true because if you know where to look for the best among the pool, you can purchase very good products at extremely low prices.

All in all, purchasing online directly from Chinese manufacturers has many advantages: low costs, fast shipping, full warranty, Money Back Service, good quality products, prior purchase free customer service.

What's A Quick Breakdown Of Jobs In The Music Industry?

There's a lot more to the music industry than standing up on stage and singing your heart out. A love of music is a key ingredient in all jobs in the music industry - but we all show our love in different ways. Not all jobs in the music industry are about performing. If you're interested in making music a part of your working life, there are interesting jobs in the music industry that make use of the skills that you have.

What sort of jobs can you find in the music industry? Everyone knows about musicians and performers, or course, but there's an entire industry devoted to supporting, producing, teaching, publicizing and supporting performers. If you're looking for jobs in the music industry, here are just some of the careers you might consider.

Music Teacher

A music teacher may work in a public or private school, have a job with a social agency that offers enrichment, or give private lessons. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 3 in 10 music teachers are self-employed, and many music teachers only teach part time. There were about 253,000 music teacher jobs in 2004, but that number is expected to grow faster than jobs in other industries as baby boomers continue to embrace lifelong learning. The median salary for a music teacher is $14.85 per hour.

Music Ministry

A music minister is far more than the Church organist. Under the direction of a senior clergyman, a music minister may organize the choir, participate in planning of musical events for a church, encourage attendance in church and help parishioners develop and present their own musical worship and praise. The American Guild of Organists offers salary guidelines for Music Ministers that range from $31,000 for a minister with a Service Playing Certificate to $67,000 for a music minister with a Doctorate in Sacred Organ Music.

A&R Scouts, Coordinators and Administrators



If you have a good ear for music and a good grasp of what people like to hear, you could find a career in the A&R (Artists & Repertoire) area. Among the most fun jobs in the music industry, A&R scouts and other professionals actively seek out talent for record labels and production companies. A&R scouts visit clubs and concerts, listen to demo tapes and watch videos to find new talent, and are often responsible for finding songs for existing talent to perform.

Music Therapist

Do you believe in the healing power of music? Music therapists work either independently or in nursing homes, schools and other institutions to use music as an aid to healing, bring enjoyment to patients at varying stages of recovery, relieve pain and provide emotional comfort to patients with various physical and emotional illnesses. For a musician who wants to feel good about his or her work, it could be among the most rewarding of jobs in the music industry.

Songwriter

From freelance to staff songwriting positions, there are many jobs in the music industry for songwriters. You may work alone to write and produce your own songs, work as a staff writer for a record or publishing company, write jingles and ads for the radio or television advertisements, perform your own work in front of an audience or never sing a note. You may write just the words, please, concentrate on the composition of instrumental pieces or write both.

These are just a small sampling of the kinds of jobs you might find in the music industry. For more information, you can take a look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. A career in the music industry can offer far more than a weekly salary. If you enjoy music, can write, play or perform music, or just know music inside out, then you may find your career niche in one of the many jobs in the music industry.

Tips on creating professional quality brochures

Creating a brochure is something anyone can do now with the many brochure making software available on the Internet. Those who do not have the time or the inclination of making their own brochures can always hire one of the many online and offline printers who will print brochures for you at a price. However, it is the tips to create a professional quality brochure that has to be kept in mind when making a brochure.

The first and best thing to do before creating a brochure is to collect and study brochures found around you. Find out what it is that sets one design to be more appealing than another is. By carefully studying the other designs, you can very well develop your sense of good design to create a good-looking brochure. Once you have got an idea of what the brochure should look like, you have to decide which group of people you are catering your information to. Choose a font that best expresses the voice you desire, like perhaps a professional, humorous or casual one, and still manage to keep your message clear. It is not advisable to use more than two fonts in the brochure, as in doing so; you distract the reader from your message. Instead, to get your message through, you could vary the font size of individual parts of the design according to its importance in the brochure. It is of no use underlining matter for prominence as it only causes clutter and makes the text harder to read.

Next comes the part of placing the right information in the respective pages of the brochure. Decide which information is necessary, and arrange this information in order of its importance. The clearer you are about the order of importance in the brochure, the better the brochure will be. To get the best placing for your matter, it is better to make sketches and move the matter around till you get the best layout. If you have to use boxes and bars in the brochure, use them sparingly as although they work well for directing one’s attention and separating busy areas, too many of them makes your brochure look cluttered and confusing. You could try other options for grouping and separating like making the more important information being larger, bolder or brighter than other information.

Make sure to promote your company in the brochure, as this is the main aim of a brochure! People are always more comfortable dealing with a known entity. So if you promote you and your company with it’s credentials and credibility, the customer feels more comfortable dealing with you. Make sure you include such information in the brochure that speaks for you when you are not there. Don’t forget to stick to general terms of quality and leadership when promoting the products of your company instead, state what it is that you have and no one else has. This is bound to increase sales to your company. When promoting service and warranty in the brochure, make sure that it also relates to reliability, as people need reliable and loyal services when dealing with a company. You could also consider including testimonials or client lists in your brochure. You will be surprised at the wonders good references make! There is no point on including cliches and trendy jargon in your brochure, as not everyone can understand this jargon. The prospective of the brochure is lost if not everyone can understand whatever it is that you print in the brochure.




Try to keep some negative space in the brochure to create a relationship between the contents and the page and bring specific information into focus. Having some empty or white space in the brochure affects the overall tone of lightness and heaviness of the brochure. Whatever design or layout you choose for the brochure, it is always better to keep the brochure as simple as possible. Place only the necessary ingredients for communicating your message in the brochure. If you feel like placing graphic elements in the brochure for ornamental reasons, first ask yourself if they help in directing the reader’s attention or only serves as a distraction.

There are hundreds of paper colors available for using on the brochure. However, the most effective brochures are usually done in only one or two colors. Sometimes, black and white brochures prove to be more dramatic than colored brochures. Remember that the cost of printing has to be taken into consideration when choosing colors for the brochure. The more colors there are, the more expensive will be the printing costs. Paper too comes in a wide range of colors, sizes and textures. You could also consider using recycled paper which adds an interesting flair to your brochure design and also reduces the impact we make on our natural resources. However, recycled paper is more expensive than regular paper, and could make the printing of your brochure more expensive.

After completing the layout and choosing the font and paper for the brochure, it is important to proofread your brochure. Proofread it several times before having it printed, as once printed, it is impossible to fix an error not spot. Reading lines backwards is a good idea for checking errors. Once all this is done, stand back and look critically at the overall layout of the brochure. If needed, you could also get someone else to look at the layout to give his or her views on it. If everyone, including you, is happy that this is a great brochure, then go ahead and print it!

How to Double Your Sales Appointments in Half the Time

In Part 3, How To Double your Sales Appointments in Half the Time, we reviewed and remedied the first 3 sales prospecting errors that start us down the 'Slippery Slope' to low Sales prospecting conversation ratios.

So let's continue to address the final 3 sales prospecting errors, discuss some proven solutions that will head us toward our worthy goal of spending Less time to achieve more targeted 'Top-down' sales appointments.

Sales Prospecting Error #4

We fail to develop an effective Call to Action; strategic words and phrases that create a positive 'visual' reference to the Prospect of what happens during the initial appointment and how long it takes.

Develop your Call to Action communication as a visual block of time in which a 'Step-by-step' process occurs with the objective of having your 'Top-down' prospect inform you they perceive enough of a potential benefit to take the next step in your evaluation process.

How long does it take to run your 1st appointment in your current sales process; 30, 45, 60 minutes? I'd estimate in the small to medium size B-to-B arena the average 1st appointment timeline is about 35 minutes. That is to re-cap why you are there, to inquire about their current state of the union, to overview your solution offering and to gain commitment for the next step in your sales process.

But if you ask a business person with fiscal authority for more than 15 minutes of their time initially, your closing ratios on a sales prospecting call will go down dramatically.

I don't know the scientific reason why, but I do understand the logical explanation. These business people are busy. It's that simple. Every minute of the day is accountable to moving closer to their business objective. There is 'No room in the Inn' for distractions that are not in line with their business objectives.
Especially the idea of "Meeting with some stranger that is only interested in selling me something that I don't need just so they can make a living".
Because in their minds, if they knew something was broken, they'd already have gone in and fixed it.

Ultimately your key objective for the 1st appointment is to 'Gain Commitment to Take the Next Step' in your sales process, whether that step is a diagnostic survey, a demo, a site visit or a proposal. But when your sales prospecting methodology is a 'Top-down' approach, these C-level prospect contacts do not get into the nitty-gritty of your evaluation process. They won't walk you through the office opening up closet doors to evaluate telephone systems or help you pull current service invoices from file drawers. They want to understand what's in it for them from a financial aspect, what your diagnostic process looks like in order to see if the solution fits and what timelines there are to see the results. And they don't like major change.

But if your 15-minute Call to Action communication is effective, they will delegate these tasks to a lower level to effectively conduct the evaluation to qualify if your solution offering will help them with their business challenges. By them delegating down, it will help you minimize any service bias within the organization with non-decision makers. And that lowers sales cycles and increases sales closing ratios.

In summary, frame up your Call to Action under the theme of 'The Business Reason to Meet' and visually communicate the steps in your diagnostic process, the potential benefits (Along Economic terms in line with Business challenges) and what they will get in return for the time invested in the 15-minute face-to-face appointment.


Sales Prospecting Error #5

We don't support our 'Call to Action' with 3rd party valuators parallel to the Prospects business objectives; valuators like business statistics, appointment performance ratios, ROI figures and relevant success stories.

Here's a hard-knock lesson on sales prospecting conversations and one you need to put to memory



A targeted Business prospect does not care what you think. I repeat; they do not care what you think or what you personally want. After all, they don't know you yet…and that's fair. That's the reality of the moment. After they get to know you, they will respect you're personal perspective on what you feel is good for them, but not now. It's too soon. Got It?

Here's my point. How many times have you heard someone talking to a prospect and communicating the words, "Here's what I'd like to do", or "I think you should have me come in to meet and …", or "In my experience, here's what I've seen."
Get my point? We already realize we are perfect strangers to this target prospect, so why should we reference what WE think or what WE have found to work. It's not valid data. So here's the golden rule:

Avoid 1st Party references when communicating on a sales prospecting call.

Replace 1st Party references with 3rd Party Valuators.
When you communicate the 'Business Reason to Meet', back it up with real numbers; business data like your own conversion ratios of helping prospects become clients or your overall company's ratios. What about condensed case studies of current customers that hold the same title of responsibility in the same industry? Or how about accumulating business ROI statistics in relevant modules in line with prospect business issues and challenges?

3rd party references to support the 'Business Reason to Meet' should be specific and applicable to your Prospect's world, and not visually project a one-sided salesperson view or a marketing brochure.


Sales Prospecting Error #6

We fail to document all possible Objections and develop Powerful communication templates to negotiate 3rd Solutions.

"There are only a finite amount of scenarios in any selling process and if you identify, train to and measure each and every one, you are on your way to excellence."
That statement I coined some years back is especially true in a sales prospecting conversation.

It means there are only a finite number of objections you encounter over the telephone when attempting to set a 1st appointment with your Target contact.
Statements like, "Send me some information", and "I don't handle that…so and so does".
Or what about the popular, "I'm happy with my current Vendor" and 'I'm under a Contract"?

Identify all of them and develop Powerful communications templates in line with each one.

Perception is Reality.
Your target sales prospects initially will put you into a 'Perception bucket' you do not belong in and you can't afford to be in. They want to fit you into a past experience, good or bad. It's up to you to differentiate yourself from the very beginning when directly responding to concerns and objections spoken, unspoken, or implied.


'Systemize' your Sales Prospecting System into individual Components and Elements and 'Practice before you Preach'.

You're only as good as the intellectual capital you share throughout your sales organization. That will keep you ahead of the competition.

Understand the 6 errors that have been discussed in this article series and decide to do the opposite. Develop best practices and business communication paths parallel to each possible scenario. Because best practices are techniques that through experience and measurement more often than not lead to the desired result.

Then invest in the technology to bundle it up into a learning system that you can become certified to, adopt it and adapt it over time.

We understand why Professional athletes practice prior to the event. Professional sales people need to do the same.
Because if you can double the amount of targeted sales appointments and spend half the time achieving it, it will save you a bunch of valuable time, make you more money and get you the recognition you deserve.
And that's a worthy cause indeed.

Did you know that it's ok to have and make money?

Written by Chris Cobb

This week, I'm going to provide you with some excellent online business tips that will help any business, and also I'll tell you a story about an e-mail that I received this week.

Firstly, on New Year's Eve I met a friend of a friend... We were allowed by our respective partners to talk business for an hour over dinner! In all seriousness, we'd spoken before, but this was the first time that we'd met in person so we had our excuses...

Anyway, he has a similar background to myself - he's a normal person just like you and me... But, he decided one day that the office and a 9-5 job just wasn't what he wanted to do for the rest of his working life. The result of this decision was that he refinanced his house and set-up his very own landscape gardening business in his local area.

He told me that one day it just hit him - out of the blue. He realised that he only had one shot at this life and he hated what he was doing at the time... and he wanted to make more money… And I could certainly relate to that!

His business has been going for over one year now, but he did confess that 2006 was going to be a make or break year for him in terms of purely finance... And as we talked more it became obvious to me that for the immediate future he needed to target very specific 'contracts' that would bring his business a residual income for the entire year or perhaps longer.

In the past, he'd been dropping a simple leaflet through doors, or letters to the bigger clients - and we talked about what the leaflets and letters contained. They were good in content, but I suggested that he needed to stand out from his competition by offering something in addition to the service that everyone was offering. i.e to maintain your garden for £x every month.

So, with my marketing hat firmly on and in place, I suggested that he offer something free - as an additional bonus for winning the contract. Something that would encourage the potential client to become a paying client...

I told him that he needed to focus on his customer - what do they want from a landscape gardener? What are they really looking for? It's not primarily cost, but something to make you stand out from the competition.

He told me that potential clients were often unsure as to the quality of the job or whether gardeners could be trusted. Well, this was it... this was the 'clincher' that I was looking for...

He's since added a few testimonial quotes to his sales letter and is now offering a 'first month free' service to all maintenance contracts signed in January. Of course, he's adjusted the price to accommodate this free month, but the importance is winning the contract in the first place... And I understand from speaking to him this week that he's already arranged two meetings with potential clients for next week.




You see, marketing and sales is all about knowing what your market wants. If you can offer them what they want at a reasonable price and make yourself stand out from the competition, then you'll be successful. To target your market, you can then use leaflets, direct mail, internet marketing, e-mail marketing or even a telephone call.

My tip for this week is, therefore, to get inside the head of your customer and then ask yourself (as the customer) "what do I really want?" Once you master this, the rest will be simple.

Moving on...

I received an e-mail that upset me this week - it was from someone that isn't a customer of mine questioning how to set-up an online business. I always try to help everyone that I come into contact with, so I responded to a series of questions from this person in an attempt to help them get started... The response to my final e-mail amazed me!

It read something along the lines of "it's alright for you - you do this for a living"...

Well, what do you say to that?!

Believe it or not, I wasn't born with my home-based online business in a box - ready to open and start making money whenever I felt like it. There was a time when I knew nothing about the internet, nothing about marketing techniques and even general business knowledge let alone an online business!

So to say something so defeatest just amazed me. To me, it's like saying that becoming a self-made millionaire just isn't possible...

Sure, people have done it, but that doesn't mean that I can do it?!!

So much of where you are and what you do is in your mind, which is why I want to make the following statement regarding the rich and successful amongst us:

Everyone has the right to become wealthy and experience financial freedom. Those that do… believe that "it's ok to make and have money..."

And if you think about this statement for just a moment and consider all the negativity associated with having or making money, then it becomes very clear as to what this means.

At a young age, we're taught that "money is the root of all evil" and "money can't buy you love/friends". We also see our parents using credit and spending everything they have, so we copy them...

My parents retired BEFORE they'd paid off their mortgage, so not only did I have absolutely no advantages than the 'normal' person... I saw that working all your life was NOT the way to go.

If you take only this from this online business message, it should be that any business can be improved with the correct and most cost-effective marketing. And in order to succeed you need to start thinking like the rich - it's ok to make money... and lots of money at that.

Best wishes,
Chris Cobb

How to Protect Children from Advertising?

Wealth of imagination engenders wealth of opportunities. Traditional ways of site promotion are well known and are widely applied. Here we will talk about the methods that are usually left off screen. They include both expansion of standard opportunities and totally independent methods. A direct link saying nothing in the guest book can be an effective tool. Of course it is better if you write something – for example, you may praise a site where the book is located or on the contrary you are free criticizing it severely. And as if by the way you may mention that you know a site providing information on the same topic but more informative and interesting. You should choose the sites with as many hits as possible.

It guarantees that your ad will be read by many people. Origins are again in fashion. Most free mail servers attach their or somebody else's paid ads to the bottom of your letter. Try posting your ads on notice boards – they must be brief, informative, and natural and the main thing excite interest. But there is one disadvantage here – moderators and site administrators can't stand flamers and spammers and they will refer you to this group. So, your ad will have a restricted time of location there. The above methods are easy in implementation. The following methods are more complicated but far more efficient as well. You can place one line java script on the necessary page. It will give you an opportunity imperceptibly to download another site in the area of one pixel. Due to this trick less popular sites obtain traffic from their more popular competitors. You should install different meters on them.<




Your site has a section with interesting miscellany, music archives, and program archives and so on. You can insert html-page with description, help or a new portion of anecdotes into program archive. You can add frame elements tot his page and due to them some part of description will be down loaded from your web resource. There is a great variety of options to choose from when promoting your site. You don't like standard ones – turn on your imagination. It is up to you. But take into account the subject matter of the site. It would be odd to see the ad of tire covers on the women's site. Just don't overdo it. Advertising becomes boring very fast and thus it does not enjoy success. Make a quality your first priority.

How to find a Website Designer

This is the fourth of eight articles about website design. Our discussion will deal with some of the issues which need to be considered when developing a new online presence. You may have already thought of some of these, but perhaps there are probably things which you haven't even considered.
In the last article, we discussed domain name registration.

This week, we are going to start our search for a webmaster, aka "web designer." Unless you are an accomplished programmer, you are going to have to spend some money at this point.

For example, is the server you are thinking about Linux/Apache or Windows based? Will it support dynamic pages, or only static, and if they do support dynamic will they support both PHP as well as ASP? Or do they stick to one flavor of dynamic. If these terms mean nothing to you, you are going to need the services of a webmaster, and now is the time to bring one on board, either as a contractor, or as an employee.

Web designers tend to specialize, so don't feel like you need to get someone who is versed in every aspect of website design.

If you just want a basic HTML site then just about anyone with web design experience should be able to help, but please don't call cousin Sam who just took an intro course and the community college. You want someone who knows something about business as well as websites, for you are building a business website. If you are not going to take orders online, then a static site, primarily for image purposes, is a good way to start.

But if you need a dynamic database driven site, you will need someone who understands PHP and MySQL. One who does ASP and Microsoft SQL may not be able to help, or perhaps they can.

There are many choices you can make here, but if cost is a major factor, stick with PHP, MySQL and some form of Linux. You may not know what they are, but when I say that they are free to use, it may give you good reason to think that way. And, believe it or not, there are A LOT of folks supporting these products for the good of the world, without pay. In my opinion, MySQL rivals any database system in the world for almost any use, and it is totally free for you to use. This is one time, my friend, that you get a lot more than you pay for!<




The Yellow Pages are a good place to look for a designer. The size of the ad may give you an idea of experience and cost. A shop with many programmers is going to be more expensive, but may save money in the long run. In any case, get several estimates.

A web designer should be able to build a mock ups, or rough demo, for you early on to give you an idea of what the site may look like. They can put together some basic pages, add images and some generic text to give you a feel for the site. Do not expect to see a final site before you fork over some cash.

There are generally two ways to pay for a project like this, either a flat fee or by the hour. If you know precisely what you want, then go for a flat fee. If you do that, however, do not expect to make a lot of changes or additions that you expect to be done at no cost. You do not want to make your webmaster unhappy.

For most of us, an hourly based time and materials contract is best. The designer can give you ball-park estimates and tell you what it will cost per hour for anything else. And there will be changes, trust me.
Next time, we will talk about hosting your new site.

Viral Marketing Tips

Viral marketing is a technique that is used by many people, yet it is still relatively unknown. Many people hear the words "viral marketing" or "viral traffic", and think that it has something to do with a virus. Fortunately, viral marketing and viral traffic have nothing to do with people spreading viruses via email, etc.

Viral marketing is simply defined. It is any strategy that is implemented to encourage people to pass on a marketing message to others; which in turn creates the potential for growth and more people seeing your message. Viral marketing also increases targeted traffic.

The only way viral marketing is similar to a virus is in the way it can expand and replicate at a very quick pace. This can cause for viral traffic to pick up, and your marketing message to reach a lot of people in a short amount of time.

Before you begin a strategy to increase viral traffic or targeted traffic you must understand that some strategies work better than others. But if you put the proper amount of research into your viral traffic strategy you will increase your odds of coming up with a successful program. There are a couple of important tips that you should keep in mind when trying to increase viral traffic, they are as follows:

1. The most important aspect to remember when trying to increase viral or targeted traffic is to give something away for free. Everybody likes free stuff, and if you are giving something away that people like there is a better chance that your recipients will pass on your marketing message. The word free alone will increase your viral traffic. As far as how long it will take to increase traffic is not as easy to determine. Some viral marketing programs take off right away, where as others build slowly. It all depends on your strategy, and what you are giving away.

2. To increase viral traffic you must also make sure that your message is easily transferable from one person to the next. You will never increase your viral traffic if you have to depend on somebody else to pass along your information. It should be automatically done via email, websites, or even software downloads. The bottom line is that you need to make sure your viral marketing message is concise, to the point, and easily transferable




3. Before putting a strategy in place to increase viral traffic you will want to make sure that you can handle the traffic and requests that come along with it. This goes along with doing your research before starting. If you cannot handle the new viral traffic, all your hard work will mean nothing in the end.

4. One of the easiest ways to increase viral traffic is to use existing networks. In other words, implement your strategy to touch base with people who will be interested, and therefore pass your information onto other people in their network. This will ensure that you get a good group of targeted traffic to take notice of your project. You need to be giving away your free gifts to people that will use them, so targeted traffic is very important. By working within a network you will have a better chance of driving up targeted traffic, which will help your strategy spread.

5. Do not rely on yourself to do all of the work when it comes to attempting to increase viral traffic. Even though you will be putting the overall strategy into effect, you should still be able to use other resources to increase targeted traffic. Affiliate programs and press releases are two great ways to increase targeted traffic without having to put in too much work.

Overall, viral marketing is a great way to get exposure and increase profit. If your strategy does a good job of bringing in targeted traffic there is no reason that you should not be able to accomplish the goals that you have set forth.

Internet Home Base Business Review

About a year ago I lost my job due to circumstances beyond my control. It was a big ugly corporate story that I won't bother to get into right now. Let's say that it was probably the best thing to happen to me. I was tired, and mentally burnt to a crisp. If you saw 'Office Space', you know where I'm coming from. I was in an unrewarding job, and just a slave to 'The Man'. When the office was closed I was afraid of the future. How would I find a job? Will I lose my car? Wait a tic...why should I rely on someone else to support me? I need to take care of myself.

When I lost my job I began to notice all of the 'make money on the internet' ebooks for sale. Maybe they were beginning to boom, or maybe I just had more time to notice. I'm a very skeptical person. I would look at many of the different programs out there, but I would never buy one. I always felt like someone was out to separate me from my money. After a few weeks my bank account was getting thinner, and I had to do something. I purchased one program, and it helped....well for awhile. I read the book a few times before putting it to use. I really saw the value of the program when I went to put it in use. Many of the websites that were mentioned in the book were no longer in use, and the systems that were mentioned were just out of date. Yeah, I got burned. I was frustrated, and put the whole internet home business on the back burner. I always felt there was a way to make it work, but didn't quite know how.

Fast forward a few months, and I was talking to a friend about my internet based misfortunes. He laughed because he was trying the same thing, but didn't want anyone to know about it. He felt like a fool for trying, but if it worked out he would be financially set. I asked him what he was using. He mentioned the Rich Jerk program. Great, a pompous guy telling me how much more money he has than me. Just what I need. He told me that things were working out for him. He wasn't making a killing...yet, but his income was growing each month. Ok, so I'd give it one more crack. Misery love company, right? A long story short....I'm not miserable. The Rich Jerk program really gave me some useful information that I could use right away. They even built a website for me...FOR FREE! Yup, I didn't even have to mess around with any HTML code. I just told them what I wanted and I was off to making some cash. The last time that I checked they brought back the free website offer, but it's for a limited time. This is the real deal.

After some time I began to talk to more people about different internet home businesses. I've heard the horror and the success stories. I did notice a trend to the stories. The same three sites were mentioned, so I began to check them out a bit more. They are all very good, but certain types of people tend to excel with the different programs. It's just a matter of finding the one that is right for you. I've broken down the three best work from home bussiness on my website to make your searching easier. Take a look around and decide for yourself. I doubt you will find a better listing with out all of the marketing filler.

http://www.nomorerainydays.com

Avoid these advertising mistakes at all costs!

People have taken a number of approaches trying to do their own advertising ranging from silly all the way to insulting. These people choose there approach for various reasons. Some were ignorant about advertising and marketing while others were acting on incorrect information - usually in the form of cliches such as "sex sells." If you're in doubt, I can assure you that unless your business is in Nevada, sex does not sell. If you're going to handle your own advertising, here are a few things to avoid:

Pictures that have nothing to do with your product or service - If your company is in the carpet cleaning business there is no reason to have a picture of a baby. No one is going to say "What a cute baby, I think I want this company to clean my carpets." The same goes for pictures of sexy people (male or female) in provocative poses and little clothing.

Cheesy headlines - I actually saw an ad with a headline that said "We might be able to afford a bigger ad if you'd buy something from us." Yes, this will probably get someone's attention, but do you want to be remembered as the company that is having financial problems?

Illegible fonts - Most people will not take the time to decipher your ad when it is written in brush script, in which case, even the most persuasive copy is rendered useless. You want to use simple, clean fonts for headlines and body copy. Save the artistic fonts for accents and things of that nature.

On Networking Groups

Online networking web sites. Are they really networking and are they really working?

They have been springing up all over. They are based on contact management. They are direct in messaging, emailing, and even in the six degrees of separation. They go by many different names and have various methods of finding people. The problem with these sites is that they are not really networking. Do you disagree?

To be effective in networking requires building a relationship with another person. This is difficult to do through messages and email. If you have ever had a discussion with a person through email or instant messaging, I would like to ask if you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to actually pick up the phone to find out what a person was really talking about?

In relationships conversation is extremely important. The communication is key. The thing that we may not really pay attention to is the importance of tonal inflection in the voice and the added benefits of body language in expressing ourselves. These are the things that online networking is lacking.

Since the most important aspect of having a relationship with another person is based in trust, it is difficult to develop trust in someone that you have never seen nor heard. It is even more difficult to get a person to do business with you without some type of face to face contact.<




With this in mind, will these web sites last or are they merely a passing craze? Are they popular simply because we are looking for success in any way that it might come to us? Time will tell.

It is my advice that if you are looking for new contacts, step away from the desk and out into the community. Online networking is less effective for getting business than it is putting your resume online to get a job. All of the people are faceless and voiceless and no one really wants to do business with an email. Or do they? With the thousands of people out there who are selling what you need, including those in your own community, how do you decide what to buy? My guess is that you end up buying most premium products and services from someone that you have met in person, even if it is just a clerk in a store. I am of course excluding buying products through an online store.

So then what is the future of online networking? You are in control of it. Please take a moment and send me your opinion of online networking. Please be sure to tell me if you have ever gotten any business from it exclusively. I am guessing that you probably haven't and you probably won't.

Success on the Internet - 3 Crucial Steps

There are at least 3 important steps to a successful plan when working on the internet. These 3 steps can be applied to just about any plan, and when coupled with the right amount of determination and perseverance, will result in success! But remember, you must persevere through the dry spells and difficult times. Everyone has hard times and this is just a fact of life. The key is to keep working toward your goal and never give up.

Three Important Steps

1) Develop the Right Philosophy.

The first point is to develop the right philosophy. How you approach your business (and life) will determine your success or failure. Try to always be growing and expanding your horizons in some way. You might want to think about continuing your education or contributing to your local community in some way. (Make sure to set-aside enough money for personal development.)

Success University has a faculty of over 50 of the best personal development coaches available. Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Dennis Waitley are but a few of the coaches. The tuition is very reasonable.

Most successful people do not blindly follow someone else. They learn, evaluate, and make the necessary adjustments in their approach to career and life. Excellence is the goal, and continuous training and instruction are a very important part of the process.

As you continue to grow and develop, be sure to find other individuals who can help in the process. Good mentors are hard to come by, but indespensable when it comes to personal growth.

2) Decide What You 'Really" Want.

Determine your true inner desire and then do it! If you don't really desire to accomplish what it is you are currently doing, when the difficult times arrive you will simply quit.

It's a fact of life! Thousands of dollars are lost by people who invest in ill-suited programs which they soon quit. The inner desire and the "real" interest were not there in the first place




Always remember...to be successful you must first determine your true inner desire. Identify what it is that you really want in your career and life. The answers to these questions will lead you to success.

Always make sure you are committed to achieving what you desire. A lack of commitment is a sure way to insure you spend money without sufficient return on your investment. You always want a positive cash flow within 3 months of starting your business.

3) Take Action.

Do your homework, but by all means step out and do something. Not just anything,mind you...you can actually be busy and not accomplish anything.

Everything you do either takes you closer to, or farther away from your desired result.

Clearly see your target and take a straight line approach to reaching your target. Little diversions can be deadly to your business. While you are doing mindless tasks someone else is taking consistent action.

Consistent action in the right direction will produce results. It is the law of sowing and reaping. You reap what you sow. In other words, you get what you deserve not what you need. Plant enough seeds and you will find growth. Ask enough people and someone will join or buy what you are offering.

Never leave the sight of a goal without taking action.

I look forward to seeing YOU at the top!

Bob Blessinger is a Director with Success University. http://bbb.successuniversity.com/new He is dedicated to personal and professional development and coaches hundreds to success on an ongoing basis

How To Gauge Your Ad Campaign?

The success of ad campaigns are not easy to gauge since you don't have any formula to help you in computing just how much of your postcards for example, has been converted into dollars. However, you may always apply trial and error methods but even this will not provide you with the exact figure of how much you have earned from your ad campaign. The trial and error method will only provide you with a rough estimate of how much returns in terms of sales your ad campaign has brought your business.

Some may tell you that you can assess or monitor your sales by the number of new customers that your business is getting everyday. But just how many business owners really do this? Probably very few and only those with very small businesses wherein their customers are composed of a couple of number of friends, relatives, neighbors that the business owner really gets in contact with most of the time. So just how would a business owner knew that the customers are new? There really is no way of telling unless of course the business owner religiously checks on her surveillance camera and take note of not so familiar faces that enters his establishment. Let's face it; it's very hard to remember every single customer that enters a store.

And so just how are you to gauge whether your ad campaign did work or not? Here's how: In every ad campaign you have a certain product or service that you wish to promote and so obviously an increase in the sales of that certain product or service will tell you that your ad campaign was successful. Now if the opposite happens, it only signifies that you ought to think of other ad campaign alternative to help you in promoting your products and services.




Another way is to compare your sales before, during and after your ad campaign. However, don't expect that you have an outright result because there are some ad drives that really take quite sometime before result can be achieved. One way of an effective ad campaign is one where a business offers discounted items attached to some of their highly saleable products are great in enticing customers to take hold of products and services a business is offering.

There are also some businesses that held raffle promos wherein they give away cars for prices. What they usually do is to place a bracket on every purchase of their customers. Telling customers that the higher the amount of purchase the more the quantity of raffle tickets given. And since most customers want to win the price they tend to purchase more to earn more tickets. This kind of ad campaign is generally employed by malls and other big businesses.

Lastly, before setting on any advertising or promotional expedition try to have a concrete and concise goal of what you want to achieve. It is important so that you will be guided not only in your choice of ad campaign but also to direct all your endeavors towards your goal.

Jobs Available Online

In the past, applying for a job meant looking through the classified ads in the local paper. The advent of the internet has created various job sites online making it easier for someone to apply for work in another state and in even in another country.

It has made the world a smaller place with everything at one's fingertip and just a click away. Most job sites will require a person to open an account, fill in certain information and deposit a resume.

These sites usually ask for pertinent information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number and social security number.

Other information that will be requested are educational background. Some companies prefer someone with a degree in a certain field or a licensed professional to do the job or perhaps a person who possesses a master's degree.

Employment history is also another thing that has to be mentioned. This includes the job description and highlights that you have experienced during your career.

With the information provided, some of these sites offer a service with a fee that will match your qualifications with jobs that are available and enable you to apply for that position. Some even promise to make your resume stand out over other applicants giving that person more priority over others but even that is a not a guarantee that one will get the job.




One also has to mention the salary the person is receiving both in the current and previous jobs as this is matched with the job the individual wants and the salary one desires.

These sites offer various jobs to people. It caters to professionals and teenagers who want to work either for full time, part time or on a per project basis.

Applying online is not only done through job sites. A lot of companies have websites that have a section on careers which one can access and check what openings are available. One simply has to go through the process of also giving certain information that is asked for and uploading one's resume.

The first impression employers or headhunters look at is one's resume. Given that many people apply, this usually takes these people a short period of time to review and screen certain applicants before going to the next phase of being scheduled and called for an interview.

There are many jobs available in the market. It just takes a little effort on one's part to sit down in front of a computer and look for the right job

Step Plan To Get Going With Networking

Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, feel like you have the gift of gab or just don't know how to make small talk, networking know-how is very important for your business success. There is a notion in business that I believe most of us subscribe to that says "all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those they know, like and trust." And the key to this is obviously being able to develop relationships.

Think of networking as the cultivation of mutually beneficial, win-win relationships. In order to be win-win, there must be GIVE and take (notice the emphasis on give). Networking shouldn't be viewed as "events" where you go to sell your business. When effective networking is taking place, the parties involved actively share ideas, information, resources, etc.

Ok, so you know that you should be networking because it is one of the most cost-effective lead generation activities when used wisely, appropriately and professionally. But, maybe that seems easier said than done. Here's a seven step plan to really get going with networking for your business.

1. Check out several groups to find the best chemistry and perceived value. Most groups will allow you to come and visit at least a couple of times before you have to join. Go and ask around to find out why others have joined and what value they get out of belonging.

Resist the urge to just go join the Chamber of Commerce simply because everyone tells you that's what you need to do. If that's not where your target group can be found, then you might just be wasting a considerable amount of time (and money).

I'm not telling you not to join the Chamber. Just be clear about what you'd like to get out of this or any other group. If it's to find prospective clients or referral sources, then you need to be networking where those resources can be found.

2. When you find a group or two, join and go to all the meetings you can. Don't go just once or twice expecting things to happen and then if they don't quit. Building mutually beneficial, win-win relationships will take some time.

The contacts you make need to constantly see your face and hear your message. Continual contact with others over time will open up opportunities for you to go deeper and learn more about each others thoughts, ideas and capabilities in regards to your respective businesses.

Know, like, and trust generally only happens over time. Being regular and persistent will pay off.

3. Get involved - be visible. Do as much as you can to make yourself more visible within the organization. Volunteer to help with meetings, be on committees, or become a leader or board member.

Being involved does a couple of things for you and your business. First, you'll get more opportunities to establish connections and get to know some of the contacts you've made even better. Secondly, the higher the visibility you have in the group, the less you'll have to work to make new connections. Instead, as new people come into the group, they will likely seek you out because they view you as a leader within the organization.




4. Keep your circles of contacts informed. Don't just assume that running in to someone once a month (or even once a week) will cause them to start doing business with you or sending it your way. You need to let them know what's going on when you're not at that particular group in order to inform and educate them.

Send them invitations to your events or open houses. Send them email or letters to share big news or success stories, especially anything of relevance to them or those in their networks of contacts. If you believe that you have valuable ideas, information and resources to share with others, then doesn't this just make sense?

5. Work at GIVING referrals and sharing valuable information. That's right, you need to be willing to GIVE before you get. That means you need to get to know other members and what makes a good prospect for them. What kinds of information might you have access to that could be useful to them?

You may initially think you don't have much of value to share with others (besides your business and what you provide). Part of the key to getting good at giving is to not make assumptions. For example, don't assume that some basic resource (e.g., a web site) that you're aware of is familiar to someone you might be talking to just because they are the "expert" in that field. Be willing to ask if they know about the resource and ready to share if they don't.

Want to get better at actually giving referrals? Here's a simple question to ask someone you're connecting with. "How am I going to know when I meet a really good prospect for you?"

Just the fact that you are willing to explore giving will elevate your know, like and trust factor.

6. Focus on Quality, not Quantity, Quantity, Quantity. It's not necessarily about the number of connections you make, but about the quality of the ones you do make. Are they mutually beneficial, win-win relationships?

Quality connections will be identifiable because all involved parties will be actively sharing ideas, information, and resources. Yes, it is true that you need to spend some time and effort getting to know the other person(s) and what's important to them. But, you also need to be clear and actively thinking about what information or resources you want and need.

Staying in touch with and following up with a smaller number of quality relationships will generally be much more productive than trying to follow up with a larger number of superficial contacts.

7. Be persistent, but be patient. The goal of a networking event shouldn't necessarily be to come away with prospects every time you go out, but to come away with great connections. Networking usually takes time to get the relationships developed and nurtured.

Don't approach networking as a scary proposition or a necessary evil for being in business. Take the pressure off yourself and really focus on how you might be able to connect with someone you meet. Focus on them first and look for ways to be useful to them. As you become known as a connector you'll eventually be ready to reap what you sow.

Strategies For Successful Business Networking

There are a variety of organizations that run networking groups across the country. The largest group is probably BNI, which offers members the chance to attend weekly meetings and develop new professional relationships to help them grow their business. some chambers of commerce are now organizing "leads groups" for their members as well. These groups are intended to offer members a way to connect with each other and potentially refer each other business.

In most "leads groups" each group allows no more then one representative from any industry, so if the group has a mortgage broker other mortgage brokers have to join another group or wait for the seat to open up. The idea is that by restricting membership, you eliminate competition within the group.

The agenda at most structured networking meetings is pretty straightforward. Each member is given an opportunity to introduce themselves, then there is a short presentation by one or two members (each member gets the chance eventually). The meeting ends with members discussing potential referrals for each other. This means that most of the members get about one minute to present who they are and teach the other members of the group how to refer to them.

Most people do a great job of presenting themselves. However, most people do not think to ask for referrals. At most networking events, you are not expected to ask for a referral or explain what a good referral for you is. However, at a leads group it is not only acceptable, it is expected!

I am involved in a number of networking groups and have used the simple outline below to create my elevator pitch (quick introduction). When I deliver my elevator pitch to a leads group, my goal is to educate everyone in the room about my company and what I do, as well as to teach them the best way to refer others to me. In addition, I want to make sure I actually ask for a specific referral. I will go through each piece of the outline in detail, but here are the basics.

* Introduction
o Name
o Position + company name
o Location of the company
o Overview of services
* Tell a story
* Call to action

The introduction piece of your presentation should stay the same every time you give it. You might say something like, "My name is Joe Smith. I am mortgage broker at ABC mortgages in Anytown, USA. We offer a full line of residential and commercial mortgage products." You can add some additional detail, but you should really focus on keeping this short and on point




At each meeting, you will have the chance to differentiate yourself from the competition by telling a short story during your presentation. The story can be related to a specific challenge you helped a client overcome, a unique feature of your product or service, or you can simply talk about a new development at your company. Consider writing out your stories in advance so you know what you are going to say at each meeting. In addition, you can schedule the content so that the other members of your group learn more and more about you at each meeting. You need to focus on educating your group a little more each week.

The "call to action" is very important and the piece that most people overlook. You need to tell the other members of your group exactly what type of referral you are looking for. For example, our mortgage broker, Joe Smith, might say, "Today a good referral for me would be a Realtor at XYZ real estate company." Joe may also say, "Today a good referral for me would be anyone who purchased their home more then 10 years ago."

I alway recommend that your "call to action" is as specific as possible. If Joe stands up and says that a good referral would be anyone who needs a mortgage, the rest of the group will have a harder time thinking of people to refer. If Joe asks for an introduction to a specific person at a specific company, someone in the group may know that person or know someone at that company who can facilitate Joe's introduction. The more specific the request, the more likely it is to trigger someone else in the group's memory.

A last minute hint:

Keep focused on the networks of the people in the group, not on the people themselves. In other words, when you are participating in a networking or leads group, you should not focus on gaining the business of the people at the table. Instead, you should focus on gaining their trust so that they will refer you people in their network.

How to Answer Interview Questions

It seems that no matter what age you are there is nothing more stressful than going through an interview. Whether you have years of experience in your profession, or if you are a teenager looking for a summer job, the thought is there, how to answer interview questions.

There are the obvious right and wrong answers to some questions. The questions that are determining the basic skill level needed for a particular job. These are usually not the questions that determines who gets the job, because they will be covering the basic job description and basic duties. It is learning how to answer interview questions where the interviewer is looking for a certain attitude or skill that will determine if you will stand out among the others that are being interviewed. These are the questions that are the most difficult to prepare for. These are also the questions that you answer over and over again in your mind once you leave the interview room. I know that I have left many interviews wishing I had worded my answer differently or that I had elaborated on a certain answer. It is also important to learn how to answer interview questions in a way that lets the interviewer know that you will bring enthusiasm along with knowledge to the job.

There are a number of techniques and tips that are available that address how to answer interview questions. Some interview aids give a list of most asked questions so that you can practice an interview. I have found that the techniques that are the most helpful to me are those that also provide answers to how to answer interview questions. You want to be careful that you do not sound too rehearsed in an interview, but you want to be able to have the confidence to get across that that you know what you are talking about and that you are the best candidate for the position. If you come across too rehearsed you might give off the impression that you are bored with the process. It is helpful if you can develop a brief personal pitch so that the employer knows you are a good match. This pitch goes beyond knowing how to answer interview questions and presents your skills and attitudes towards the business you are applying for.<




For some of the higher level jobs that are more difficult to get into there are interactive mock interviews. By participating in these you will not only learn how to answer interview questions, but will get feed back from the interviewer on how you come across. This will give you tips on body language and mannerisms that also impact the chances of getting a job. How to answer interview questions is a skill that will take you far in your career once you have mastered it. Once you have overcome the worry of how to answer interview questions it will be much easier to appear confident and knowledgeable in your skill level. Also having the right attitude towards learning a skill that you might not have yet is a positive sign to an employer. Many employers are willing to teach a basic skill to a person that they feel is a good match for the position. You can show that you are the right match by having confidence in how to answer interview questions.

Design For Six Sigma

Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is the application of Six Sigma principles to the design of products and their manufacturing and support processes. Whereas Six Sigma by definition focuses on the production phase of a product, DFSS focuses on research, design, and development phases. DFSS combines many of the tools that are used to improve existing products or services and integrates the voice of the customer and simulation methods to predict new process and product performance.

DFSS can be compared to DMAIC (Design, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) and often the acronym DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) is used to describe the strategy of DFSS. The precise phases or steps of a DFSS methodology are not universally defined. Most organizations will implement DFSS to suit their business, industry, and culture. DFSS methodology, instead of the DMAIC methodology, should be used when:

* A product or process is not in existence at your company and one needs to be developed
* The existing product or process exists and has been optimized (using either DMAIC or not) and still doesn't meet the level of customer specification or six sigma level
DFSS is a way to implement the Six Sigma methodology as early in the product or service life cycle as possible. It is a strategy toward extraordinary ROI by designing to meet customer needs and process capability. DFSS can produce the same order of magnitude in financial benefits as DMAIC. But it also greatly helps an organization innovate, exceed customer expectations, and become a market leader.

DFSS is the Six Sigma approach to product design-namely, designing products that are resistant to variation in the manufacturing process. Using DFSS means designing quality into the product from the start. You are preventing wasteful variation before it happens, thus being able to identify and correct problems early when the solution costs are less. A successful DFSS implementation requires the same ingredients as any other Six Sigma project: a significant commitment and leadership from the top, planning that identifies and establishes measurable program goals and timeline, and the training and involvement of everyone.

Planning for DFSS requires collecting the necessary information that will allow for error free production of defect-free products and processes that satisfy the customer profitably. DFSS attempts to predict how the designs under consideration will behave and to correct for variation prior to it occurring. That means understanding the real needs of your customers and translating those needs into vital technical characteristics of the product and ultimately into critical to quality (CTQ) characteristics of the product and process. You can then use design of experiments (DOE) to develop a robust design that optimizes efficiency and reduces defects




Valid and reliable metrics to monitor the progress of the project are established early in the project, during the Measure phase if using DMADV. Key inputs are prioritized to establish a short list to study in more detail. With a prioritized list of inputs in hand, the DFSS team will determine the potential ways the process could go wrong and take preemptive action to mitigate or prevent those failures. Through analysis, the DFSS team can determine the causes of the problem that needs improvement and how to eliminate the gap between existing performance and the desired level of performance. This involves discovering why defects are generated by identifying the key variables that are most likely to create process variation. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Anticipatory Failure Determination (AFD) can be used for both the design of the product and the design of the process.

DFSS provides a structured way to constructively use the information learned from these analyses. Armed with real data produced by the DFSS process, you can develop competent manufacturing processes and choose processes that are capable of meeting the design requirements. Further analysis can verify and validate that the product design will meet the quality targets. This can be accomplished through peer reviews, design reviews, simulation and analysis, qualification testing, or production validation testing.

The benefits of DFSS are more difficult to quantify and are more long-term. It can take over six months after the launch of the new product before you will begin to see the true measure of the project improvements. However, the eventual return on investment can be profound. This is especially true when the organization can use the DFSS project as a template for fundamental changes in the way it develops new products and processes across the organization.