12.07.04

Top 10 Business Email Etiquette Basics

Posted in Business at 12:00 am by admin

Top 10 Business Email Etiquette Basics
By Judith Kallos

When it comes to your business email communications, you need to make an impression that can lend to the determination that you are a credible professional enterprise and someone that will be easy and a pleasure to do business with. Your first impression made is invaluable to building trust and confidence.

For your consideration below are the Top 10 Business Email Etiquette issues that need to be addressed with every commercial email sent. These are the issues business owners and their employees minimally need to be aware of in their day-to-day online communications so their business can thrive.

1. SUBJECT: Field: The SUBJECT: field is the window into your email and can many times determine even if your email will be opened. If this is your first contact with a customer based on their request through your site or otherwise, be sure to have a short SUBJECT: that indicates clearly what the topic of the email is. Never be misleading in this regard! Typos, all caps or all small case can lend to the impression you may be spammer.
2. Level of Formality: Never assume a position of informality in your business email. Only time and relationship building efforts can guide when you can informalize your business relationships and therefore your email tone. In some cases that time may never arise. Do not assume that email is impersonal or informal when it comes to your business communications. It is very personal – a window into the type of person you are and how you run your business. Remember, people do business with people not companies. One should communicate as if your email is on your company letterhead at all times. This is your business’s image you are branding!
3. Addressing: How do you address your new contacts? I would suggest initially that you assume the highest level of courtesy: Hello, Mr. Anderson, Dear Ms. Jones, Dr. Osborne, etc. Until your new contact states, “call me Andy” or “you can call me Diane”. Keep it formal until it is clear the relationship dictates otherwise. You will also be able pick up clues by how your contacts approach you and their tone. Most business people do not mind being called by their first name, however, in a global economy that can be perceived as taking premature liberties in the relationship if used too soon.
4. TO:, From:, BCc, Cc fields can make or break you:..In the TO: field make sure you have your contact’s name formally typed. John B. Doe – not john b doe or JOHN B DOE.

   ..In the FROM: field make sure your have your full name formally typed. Example: Jane A. Jones. Not: jane a jones or JANE A JONES. The later two give the perception of lack of education or limited experience with technology. Always use your full name. By only including your first name or email address you are giving the perception you may have something to hide or do not know the basics of configuring your email program.

   ..BCc: use this field when emailing a group of contacts who do not personally know each other. By listing an arms length list of email addresses in the Cc or TO fields of contacts who do not know each other or who have never met is conducive to publishing their email address to strangers. No matter how great the list of people may be to you, never make this decision for others! This is a privacy issue! With those you are forging partnerships with, visibly listing their email address in with a group of strangers will make one wonder what other privacy issues you may not respect or understand. Not good.

   ..Cc: Use this field when there are a handful of associates involved in a discussion that requires all be on the same page. These business people know each other or have been introduced and have no problem having their email address exposed to the parties involved. If you are not sure if a business associate would mind their address being made public, ask!

5. Formatting: Refrain from using it in your business communications. Unless you would type something in bold crimson letters on business letterhead, don’t do it when emailing for commercial gain. With all the spam filtering going on today; the more formatting or embedded images that higher the chance that your email could be blocked as spammy. Even something as simple as using a different font makes your email’s display contingent upon the recipient having that specific font on their system or it defaults to their designated default font. Keep in mind the recipient may not have their email program configured in such a way as to display your formatting the way it appears on your system – if at all.
6. Attachments: How do you think your relationship with a potential new customer is enhanced when you send them that 10M Power Point presentation they didn’t request and you fill up their inbox causing subsequent business correspondence to bounce as undeliverable? Nope. And, if they do not have Power Point they couldn’t open the file anyway! Never assume your potential customers have the software you do to open any file you may arbitrarily send.
7. If you need to send a file over 500,000 in size, business courtesy dictates you ask the recipient first if it is O.K. to send a large file. Next, confirm they have the same software and version you do and what is the best time of day to sent it to them to ensure they are available to download the large file and keep their email flowing. Never send large attachments without warning, on weekends or after business hours when the recipient may not be there to clear out their inbox and keep their email flowing.
8. Using Previous Email for New Correspondence: If you want to give the perception of lazy, find a previous email from the party you want to communicate with, hit reply and start typing about something completely irrelevant to the old email’s subject. Always start a new email and add your contacts to your address book so you can add them to a new email with one click.
9. Down Edit Your Replies: Do not just hit reply and start typing. Editing is a skill those you communicate with will appreciate as it lends to reflecting a respect for their time and clarity in your communications. Removing parts of the previous email that no longer apply to your response including email headers and signature files removes the clutter. In addition, by making the effort to reply point by point keeps the conversation on track with fewer misunderstandings.
10. Common Courtesy: Hello, Hi, Good Day, Thank You, Sincerely, Best Regards. All those intros and sign offs that are a staple of professional business communications should also be used in your business email communications. Always have a salutation and sign off with every email. Here again – think business letterhead.
11. Signature files: Keep your signature files to no more than 5-6 lines or you may be viewed as a bit egocentric. Limit your signature to your Web site link, company name, and slogan/offer or phone number. Include a link to your site where the recipient can get all your contact information from A-Z – that is what your site is for. Do not forget to include the “http://” when including your Web site address within emails and your signature file to ensure the URL is recognized as a clickable URL regardless of the user’s software or platform.

There you have it! The above Top 10 items will certainly allow your business communications to rise above the majority who do not take the time to understand and master these issues. When forging new business relationships and solidifying established partnerships, the level of professionalism and courtesy you relay in your business email communications will always gain clients over the competition that may be anemic, uninformed or just plain lazy in this area.

When it comes to business, regardless of mode of communication used, professionalism and courtesy never go out of style!

Luckydabber Bingo is a Bingo Directory that focuses on safe online bingo sites that offer best bonus and fun for Online Bingo players.

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08.05.04

How To Choose Diamond Stud Earrings

Posted in Business at 12:00 am by admin

How To Choose Diamond Stud Earrings
By Lauren Stomel

Diamond beauty versus cost: What is the best combination?
Better quality diamonds are more brilliant and beautiful, but they command higher prices as well. This article explains how to find the best value in diamond stud earrings: the brightest diamond for the lowest cost.

For those who can afford it, we recommend an excellent cut diamond of G-H color and “eye-clean” clarity. This is a moderately priced diamond, but earrings of this quality will produce the same dazzling shower of light as those costing thousands of dollars more.

There are three simple reasons: first, it is the excellent cut that breathes life and sparkle into a diamond. Second, most experts agree that a G-H color appears colorless when mounted, so spending more for D-E-F color diamonds isn’t necessary. Third,a diamond of SI2 clarity is “eye-clean”, meaning it has no flaws visible to the naked eye, but costs a lot less than the higher clarity grades.

Excellent bargains with only a slight compromise in beauty can be found in the I1 Clarity range as well, as long as the cut is good and the color is in the G-H range.

For those who are on a budget, don’t feel embarrassed to buy diamonds of a lower quality. All diamond earrings sparkle when they are worn on a woman’s ear, and let’s face it: for the same price, many women would rather wear 1 carat studs of a lower quality than 1/2 carat studs of a higher quality.

Fast Fact: there are many good websites to purchase diamond stud earrings. Our top recommendation, however goes to a specialty site www.diamondstudsonly.com. They sell the same color, clarity and cut grades for about 25% less than the typical “sale” price in a retail jewelry store (and other internet stores), and they back it up with a price comparison tool that allows you to view prices for earrings of the same quality on many other major internet jewelry sites. You will also have the security of their free insurance against loss of any kind for a full year.

Choosing the right Color:
The finest diamonds are colorless, rare and expensive. On the GIA grading scale, D-F are considered colorless, G-I near colorless and any grade J or below shows an increasingly yellowish tinge. Beyond the preference for a whiter stone, however, the color of a diamond does not affect its brightness or sparkle.

Fast Fact: Most experts agree that, when mounted, diamonds in the “G-H” range appear colorless, and represent a much better value than “D-F” stones which command significantly higher prices.

Choosing the right Clarity:
Diamonds with fewer flaws (inclusions) are rare and therefore more highly prized. In many cases, these flaws don’t detract from the beauty of the diamond because they are invisible to the naked eye.

Fast Fact: Any grade “SI2″ or above has inclusions that are “eye clean”, not visible to the naked eye. An “I1″ grade can be an excellent value, particularly if the inclusion is on the outer edge. “I2″ grades can still exhibit a fair degree of fire and light. “I3″ grade diamonds are noticeably more opaque or dark to the naked eye.

Choosing the right Cut:<
More than any other attribute, it is the Cut that makes a diamond brilliant and beautiful. A diamond that is well cut reflects light internally and displays a dazzling shower of light back through the top of the stone.

Fast Fact: When viewing a diamond, look directly into the center: if there are dark facets in the center or a dark ring around the center, or if the diamond appears opaque, it is probably due to poor cut.

Brilliance, Dispersion and Scintillation:
The secret of a diamond that is properly cut is that it returns a measurably greater amount of light, which is displayed as brilliance, dispersion and scintillation. This is the true measure of a diamond’s beauty.

Brilliance: The total amount of white light, both external and internal, returned from the diamond to the eye of the observer.
Dispersion: Flashes of color, or fire, particularly when viewing a diamond in strong, direct light.

Scintillation: Reflections and flashes of white light from the diamond’s surface as the diamond, observer or light source moves.

Click here to view photos along with the above presentation

Submitted by: Lauren Stomel

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You Have to Spend Money to Earn Money

Posted in Business at 12:00 am by admin

You Have to Spend Money to Earn Money
By Byron Wong

It surprises me that many people fail to grasp this concept as they first set out to start their own businesses. Thanks to the power of the Internet, anyone who has a computer and an Internet connection can now START their own online businesses with little investment. However, generally speaking, it is a given that you have to invest money into your business to if you seriously want it to grow.

Affiliate marketing is a great way for ordinary people to start making money on the Internet. After finding an affiliate program that offers products you are interested in promoting, you can start an online business with just a website. So your total investment up to this point may simply be registering for a domain name and paying for a web hosting account.

But then what? You have to start marketing the products and getting people to your website! A lot of people are turned off when they discover that this is a demanding process that requires a substantial amount of hard work, time, AND money!

Let me give you a specific example. As all experienced Internet marketers know, “the money is in the list.” Simply put, you want to build a mailing list of people who may be interested in what you have to offer.

One of the most effective ways to grow your mailing list is to use a pay-per-lead service where you PAY a company to bring targeted subscribers to you. The company will run an advertising campaign for you and deliver motivated, opt-in subscribers to your list. The cost can vary greatly depending on the information you require. The e-mail lead packages I have been using recently range from $.10 to $.35 per lead.

The best lead provider I have used is TrafficOasis. It provides targeted leads that are fresh, NON-SHARED, responsive, and affordable. If you who like to know more, check out its website: http://www.trafficoasis.com/index.php?118787

Other areas where you MAY want to invest money in include: logo design, web design, web promotion, and useful tools such as a graphics editor and a powerful autoresponder. However, there are plenty of free resources on the Internet and I encourage you to seek them out.

The saying, “You have to spend money to earn money,” generally holds true for ANY business! An Internet-based business is no exception,whether your are promoting your own products or someone else’s.

It is also important that you re-invest a portion of your profits into your business! That way, not only will your business continue to grow, but its GROWTH RATE will also increase! This in turn brings in MORE profits, which allows you to invest MORE into your business… Do you see a pattern!?

The key is to invest money into your business wisely while staying within your budget. If you believe in your business, you are bound to be successful!

To Your Success!
Byron Wong

Visit http://www.internet-home-business.org for the BEST money-making opportunities and internet home business programs!
Subscribe to our free newsletter NOW by sending an e-mail to ezine@internet-home-business.org and receive a free gift!

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The Secret Language of Money

Posted in Presentation at 12:00 am by admin

The Secret Language of Money
By David Krueger MD

At a number of business seminars and presentations, I passed out an index card and asked each person in the audience to write anonymously a single answer to each of three questions. The three questions are:

1. To me money means _________.

2. My current annual income is _______________.

3. In order to insure happiness and contentment financially, with no more money problems and worries, my annual income would need to be __________.

The answers to these three simple questions reveal how much more we attribute to money than it being a medium of exchange. Money has a range of emotional meanings hitchhiking on it: love, security, control, power, worth, freedom, success, status.

In over 90% of the hundreds of people I have polled, their annual income would need to be roughly double its current amount for them to feel happy, content, without money problems and worries. This is as true as for someone who makes $50,000 a year, and believes it would take roughly $100,000 a year in order to be financially content as it is for someone who makes $500,000 and believes that it would take roughly a million a year. And, in discussions after this brief poll, those who actually experienced their income doubling also doubled their “happy and content” amount: for someone who had made $50,000 and believed that it would take around $100,000 to be happy, when they had achieved $100,000 annually, they then thought it would take about twice that amount to be content and worry-free about money.

Money was always intended to be a symbol, so it is a ready stand-in as a screen onto which we project personal meanings of what we idealize, want, yet fear we don’t have enough of, don’t deserve, or can never have. Particular emotions, such as fear and greed, may predominate in the money arena. Strategies and game plans may be abandoned at times of excess stimulation – when things are going particularly bad or especially good – and bad investment decisions prevail.

Money’s symbolism is uniquely subjective, though society adds metaphors of its own. Some of the meanings are outside the realm of logic, reason, and intellect. The issue of money may quickly spark ambition, insecurity, envy, fear, jealousy, complication, guilt, or any number of emotional reactions. If someone is competitive, insecure, or prone to fantasize and worry, money is always a reliable and tangible focus, a yardstick of many measures.

Many emotional and relationship issues can manifest vividly in the financial arena, focusing on money as the answer, the problem, or both. Money may be the common language of success phobia, impulsivity, and even fear of autonomy, such as creating financial crises from which to be rescued. Money symptoms include compulsions such as gambling, shopping, hoarding. Money may become the currency of addictions such as work, financial risk-taking, money acquisition, or impulsive spending.
While we often make decisions on an emotional basis, the particular meanings and significance of money has a built-in readiness to be an emotional trip wire for meanings and decisions that are repetitive and limiting.

The more money represents unfulfilled needs or wants, the more promise it holds of happiness. The perpetual hope that more money will provide happiness sharply focuses what “enough” is. Someone who assumes that more money would bring more security or freedom may find that more money paradoxically brings a lessened sense of security and freedom. Or, if we could have just the right amount of money, then we could do exactly what we really want to do and have what we want. The “right amount” may be a specific figure, but if it is a floating figure defined by “more” it is perpetually elusive. But this illusion may not have to be confronted as long as the amount extends beyond the realized, and about double is a safe lead.

Understanding and changing money problems and patterns requires understanding your money story as part of a life story that you are creating each day. The beginning of evaluation of that story is to recognize that you are the author of that story. Whatever you think, feel, and do are active creations for ownership moment by moment.

Being loyal to a game plan and reaching a goal assumes having a game plan and attainable goals. First, construct a map to figure out where you are and where you want to go. Without a map, there cannot be a plan to get there; without knowing where you want to go, any map will do. Next, figure out how to get there. Primary problems with those who do not succeed include not knowing where they are, where they are going, not having a plan to get there, or getting distracted from their plan to get there. Having a map (attainable goals and measurable results) allows you to filter noise, to discern the route to where you want to go, and to recognize what is tangential or a detour in getting there.

Your life is the manifestation of your beliefs. Changing your mind changes your brain and life, as beliefs, goals, and visions drive action. Your experiences are always consistent with your assumptions: enhance the ones that work, and change the ones that don’t work.

David Krueger, M.D. is an Executive Strategist/ Professional Coach He is the author of 14 books including EMOTIONAL BUSINESS. The Meanings and Mastery of Work, Money and Success.
dkrueger@mentorpath.com
http://www.MentorPath.com

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Top 10 Ways Websites Makes Me Suffer

Posted in Business at 12:00 am by admin

Top 10 Ways Websites Makes Me Suffer
By Jason OConnor

I believe some people create and publish websites for the sole purpose of tormenting their visitors. Browsing various websites and navigating the Web can often be like trying to read on an airplane while a kid kicks the back of your seat and the baby next to you alternates between screaming, crying and drooling on you. There are some excellent websites out there to be sure, but there are also a lot of dreadful ones too. The latter are the bane of so many people’s existence, especially those who use the Web regularly.

The Net continues to grow in popularity and importance for consumers and businesses alike. Therefore, the quality of sites needs to keep pace. Creating and maintaining high-quality websites is more important now than ever. Higher quality equals more revenue.

The following lists the top ten ways that a website misses the boat and contributes to hair loss and nervous breakdowns. Notice the common thread that runs throughout each of these. Namely, a bad website neglects to consider the site visitor’s experience in some fundamental ways.

1. Animation

Seven year-olds like watching animated cartoons on Saturday morning, business people, professionals and most other adults don’t. Sites that include showy Flash animations as an ‘Intro’, animated gifs on every page, or flying words are really annoying. They take away from the content and distract the visitor from achieving their goals. Unless your site is an entertainment site, try to avoid maddening motion. However, if your product or service can be better demonstrated using Flash, Quick Time, or other multimedia, which is common, offer your visitors the chance to click a link to view it. But don’t force them.

2. Too much scrolling

Once I scroll down a full screen’s worth, my eyes start to blur, I feel slightly lost, my head spins and my interest wanes. Computer monitors really aren’t the best medium for reading. The Net and many sites are so big that it’s important to always provide a clear frame of reference for your visitors at all times while they’re on your site. If a page requires two full screens of scrolling or more, simply split it up into multiple pages.

3. Long, text-heavy and blocky paragraphs of unbroken text

I really have to be into a topic or desperately need to glean the information to trudge through big chunks of unbroken text online. If I’m just shopping around for a product or service, you’ve lost me if I have to endure this kind of torture. Again, it is harder to read text on the Web than in other mediums such as books. Additionally, Web users are notoriously impatient, so make your content easy to read and non-intimidating. Use titles, sub-titles, small paragraphs, bullets and numbering.

4. No obvious ways to contact the company

If all you supply is an email on your website, your legitimacy may be questioned. Why can’t you answer the phone? Why hide behind an anonymous and cold email address? Make it easy for your existing and potential customers to talk with you.

5. Unchanging or out-date content

If I start reading content on a site and soon discover that the content was written three years ago, I split. Since there’s so much information out there, my reasoning is there’s got to be comparable information online that’s more current. If you keep your content fresh your site will attract repeat visitors. And repeat visitors are more likely to turn into customers.

6. Long page downloads

It’s amazing that this is still a problem. When I click on to a site and have to sit there waiting for it to appear in my browser, I start sweating, picking my teeth, tapping my toes, rolling my eyes and soon want to throw my computer through my office window. I’m obviously a little impatient, but again, I know there are other sites out there with the same information that will download more quickly, so why wait? I’m gone.

7. “Me, me, me!” instead of “You, you, you”

Generally speaking, no one cares about you, your company or your thoughts. What they do care about is what you can do for them. So sites that show pictures of the company building or tout their deep philosophy on the way business should be conducted really don’t bode well for keeping the interest of site visitors. On the other hand, sites that speak directly to potential customers about how they can solve their problems, make their lives easier, safer, richer or more comfortable have a much better chance of keeping the eyeballs glued.

8. Non-explanatory buttons or links

Here are some examples of buttons that leave me dazed and confused: A wedding site with a button called ‘Blanks’, a boating site with a button named ‘The Lighthouse’, a book site with a button called ‘The Inside Story’, or a Web design site with a button called ‘Tea Time’. They sound like Jeopardy categories. Imagine trying to find your way on a highway where its various signs read ‘Over Here’, ‘Moon Beams’, and ‘Lollypops’. Good luck navigating your way through. It’s the same with navigating websites. Button and link names need to tell the visitor where the link leads to. Make it as easy as possible for a visitor to know where they’re going before they click. However, there are times when naming a link an ambiguous name may pique the curiosity of a user and get them to click on it. But as a general rule, keep your links and buttons as descriptive as possible.

9. Inconsistent navigation

Imagine sitting down at a restaurant and the waiter comes over to you and hands you five different menus, one for the appetizers, one for the soups and salads, one for the entrees, one for the desserts, and one for the drinks. Annoying. Now imagine if each menu had a different format, layout and method for listing the items. Brutal. I really don’t want to work that hard at picking out my dinner, I’m hungry and I just want a meal. Don’t make your visitors work hard either by expecting them to re-learn your navigation system each time they enter another section of your site. They too are hungry; for useful information and they’re even more impatient.

10. Inconsistent look & feel

When the look & feel completely changes from one page to another in a website, I think I am visiting another site, another company, a partner or subsidiary. I get very confused. This screams poor planning and often results from tacking on new sections later after the original site was built. This can lead to design-drift. It may be tempting to stray from the original design; you may have a better design now. But wait till you do a complete next-generation re-design of the entire site before introducing a new look & feel. If not, lots of visitors will be scratching their heads with one hand and possibly clicking away with the other.

Finally, any site that employs a number of these notorious features is particularly painful to experience. When I click to a website that has five different fonts and colors, scrolls down to the core of the Earth, incorporates zinging words and big fat blocks of text, lists no phone number and has content written and dated in 1996, I scream and know deep down inside that pulling my fingernails out wouldn’t be as torturous as having to remain there a minute longer.

*******************
Jason OConnor is President of Oak Web Works
The synthesis of Web marketing, design, and technology
Jason is an expert Web development expert, e-strategist,
and e-marketer
http://www.oakwebworks.com
jason@oakwebworks.com
*******************

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Splitting the Roles of CEO and Chairman

Posted in Business at 12:00 am by admin

Splitting the Roles of CEO and Chairman
By Jessica Klein

Traditionally, in American businesses, the same person occupies the role of chairman of the board and chief executive officer, though this is gradually shifting to the European model. In most European, British, and Canadian businesses, the roles are usually split, in an effort to ensure better governance of the company, and in turn bring higher returns to investors.

Combining the roles does have its advantages, such giving the CEO multiple perspectives on the company as a result of their multiple roles, and empowering them to act with determination. However, this allows for little transparency into the CEO’s acts, and as such their actions can go unmonitored, it paves the way for scandal and corruption.

According to Ira Millstein, an expert in corporate governance, an effectively independent board is a shareholder’s best protection. Separating the roles allows the chair to check up on the CEO, and in turn the company’s overall performance, on behalf of the stockholders.

Separating the roles also allows the CEO and chairman to focus on different, equally vital aspects of the company’s performance.

“We think it is an appropriate segregation of duties. As a business grows, the CEO can focus on the business and the chairman can help with the ever-growing regulatory requirements,” noted Lino P. Matteo, CEO for the Montreal-based management accounting firm Mount Real.

Ultimately, when the chair does not also occupy the role of CEO, they are able to govern the board in a more impartial manner, meaning that investor returns could potentially be higher.

However, a new survey by three consultants for the international management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton found that the companies that divided the roles actually had smaller shareholder returns, leading some to rethink the CEO-chairman split.

A survey by Christian & Timbers showed that 97% of European executives believe that the roles should be split. However, stockholder returns were nearly 5% lower in European companies that implemented the split, when compared with companies that had the same CEO and chairman.

In America, where only about 20% of the major public companies split the roles despite that 86% of executives polled by Christian & Timbers believed that the roles should be split, returns were 4% lower in companies with a separate chairman and CEO.

One of the reasons they gave for the higher returns in the companies with the same CEO and chairman was the once the board commits to arranging itself that way, they focus less on constant watchdog evaluation of that individual than making him or her successful.

They also pointed out that CEO-chairman might be able to withstand pressure better, especially when short-term changes don’t pay off, than non-CEO chairman.

Thirdly, they attribute the surprising results to lack of authority on the CEO’s behalf. “Clearly, a CEO who is not a chairman is the board’s hired hand; a chief who is also chairman has far more influence over other directors,” they noted.

According to an article in the business journal McKinsey Quarterly, Americans tends to view the role of chairman with less respect than that of CEO, especially in companies where the roles are split.

Therefore, they should consider remarketing the job of chairman as a more respected career path, as it is in British companies, where 95% of companies have separate people occupying the roles of CEO and chairman. The remarketing could then function as a way of restoring trust and confidence in the increasingly corrupted corporate American landscape.

Regardless of whether the CEO is the chairman of the board or not, there is no way the company can be successful unless the directors dedicate themselves to helping the CEO and other upper-management sustain a superior level of performance.

Jessica Klein is a member of the ‘Mount Real Research Team’, whose aim is to seek out and distribute business information to the virtual public. She is a freelance writer based in Montreal, Canada who loves writing about anything from accounting to zebras.

For more info about Mount Real, visit http://www.mountreal.com.

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Smashing the Myth of the Press Release

Posted in PR at 12:00 am by admin

Smashing the Myth of the Press Release
By Bill Stoller

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class
songs and performs them in a manner that moves his listeners to
tears. He records a demo tape and sends it to record labels. He
gets a contract and becomes rich, famous and adored.

The lesson: demo tapes are the secret of becoming a famous
musician.

Wait, you say, the demo tape was just a tool, just his way of
conveying his talent. It’s his ability as a musician that got
him the contract and made him famous.

You’re right, of course. He could have become just as famous if
a record executive saw him in person, or heard about him from a
friend, or as a result of a variety of other events.

Which brings us to the press release.

Somehow, the press release has taken on a magical reputation as
the alpha and omega of publicity. Wanna become rich? Send out a
press release. Wanna become famous? Press release. Wanna get
on the cover of Newsweek? Press release.

Publicity “gurus” are springing up all over the Internet touting
the press release as the answer to all marketing ills. Just
knock out a release, mass e-mail it to journalists, sit back and
wait for Oprah to call.

It’s a cruel joke.

Here’s the reality: the press release is no more important to
your potential of scoring free publicity than the demo tape was
to our musician friend. If he had no talent, if his songs
sounded like garbage, the best recorded demo tape in the world
wouldn’t get him signed. Ditto for the publicity seeker. If you
don’t have a story to tell, your press release is utterly
worthless.

I’m not knocking the press release — it’s an important tool. But
it’s just that: a tool. It’s not the first thing you need to
think about when it comes time to seek publicity. In fact, it’s
one of the last. And it’s not even absolutely necessary (I’ve
gotten plenty of publicity with just a pitch letter, a quick e-
mail or a phone call).

If you worship at the shrine of the press release, it’s time to
rearrange your priorities. Here, then, are the things that are
MORE important than a press release in generating publicity:

1. A newsworthy story. This is the equivalent of our musician’s
talent. It’s the very basis for your publicity efforts. Without
it, your press release means nothing. To learn about how to
develop a newsworthy story, take a look at
http://publicityinsider.com/questions.asp and scroll down to “Is
my company/website/life really newsworthy?”

2. Learning to think like an editor. Oh, what an edge you’ll
have in scoring publicity over all those press release
worshippers once you learn how to get inside the head of an
editor. Give an editor what he wants in the way he wants it and
you’ll do great. I’ve got an entire article on the subject at
http://publicityinsider.com/freesecret.asp Go there now and
absorb it all. Trust me, it will make a world of difference.

3. Relevance. Tie in with a news event, make yourself part of a
trend, piggyback on a larger competitor’s story, but, by all
means, make your story part of a picture that’s bigger than just
your company. Stories that exist in a vacuum quickly run out of
oxygen.

4. Persistence. Sending out a press release and waiting for
results is lazy and ineffective. If you really believe in your
story, and you believe that it’s right for a particular media
outlet, you need to fight to make it happen. Call or e-mail the
editor to pitch your story BEFORE sending the release. If one
editor says no, try somebody else. If they all say no, come back
at them with a different story angle.

Getting publicity involves so much more than just sending out a
press release. Treat it as seriously and with as much respect as
our newly minted rock star treats his craft and you’ll be well on
your way to success.

Bill Stoller, the “Publicity Insider”, has spent two decades as
one of America’s top publicists. Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp :>http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp he’s sharing — for the very first time — his secrets of scoring big publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and much, much more, visit Bill’s exclusive new site:
http://www.PublicityInsider.com

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I Am A Habit

Posted in Sales at 12:00 am by admin

I Am A Habit
By John Di Lemme

JOHN DI LEMME on “I Am A Habit”

H-A-B-I-T…When 95% of people hear this word, a negative thought pops up
in their minds. Typically, most people think of a habit being negative.
The secret to your future lies in your daily habits so ask yourself
right now, “Are my habits today going to help me achieve my WHY in life?” This is a life-empowering question if you truly ask it and listen for the answer.

I received the following excerpt from a very dear friend of mine and
felt that it is definitely the best explanation of a habit that I have
ever heard:

I am your constant companion.

I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.

I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,

and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few

lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great men.

And, alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine.

Plus, the intelligence of a man.

You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin; it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me and I will put the world at your feet.

Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am a HABIT!

One of my daily habits that is the foundation of my life is
spending 45-60 minutes each and every morning feeding my body physically
by exercising and feeding my mental spirit by reading or listening to a motivational message. This habit warms me up for the day ahead.
Everyone washes their physical body and feeds their body every morning,
but 95% of people will find an excuse about why they can not find the “TIME” to invest in a habit of feeding their MINDS! This parallels the statistic that 95% of people are dead or dead broke by the age 65. I consider this particular daily habit of mine to be the driving force behind my ability to consistently maintain my intense focus on the journey of success and living a dream life.

Is it easy all the time? Of course not, but when it becomes a habit –
you will do it! If you commit today to begin each morning warming
yourself up for the day ahead by feeding your mental spirit, your entire
life will change in a positive fashion very quickly. It is like
driving a race car with the emergency brake on and you try to go ahead,
but you can’t move. You stay in the same location with your wheels spinning, burning up, making a lot of noise, but not going anywhere! All it takes is to release the brake and you will fly towards toward your WHY in life!! You need to review what your habits are and ask yourself…“Would I recommend MY habits to someone I truly love and care about?” Your entire future lies in your daily habits—positive or negative. You have the most powerful force right now in your hands, the ability to decide what your habits will begin to be.

Find Your WHY & FLY!!

As I say,

You must be absolutely clear about your goal and be relentless
in your pursuit of Your “WHY!”

Changing Lives!

John Di Lemme
http://www.FindYourWhy.com
Free Weekly Ezine

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Miracles are Your Responsibility!

Posted in Sales at 12:00 am by admin

Miracles are Your Responsibility!
By John Di Lemme

John Di Lemme on “Miracles are your responsibility”

Miracles are your responsibility! What does that mean?
Simple…You have a responsibility to create miracles in
your own life. The responsibility lies on your shoulders.
You cannot blame anyone else, and you can’t look outside
of yourself for someone else to create the miracles for
you. In this article, I’m going to break down the word
“Miracle”, because each of you have a responsibility. As
you know, my Why is to impact others and change the world
one heart at a time. As you read this today, my goal is
for you to take responsibility and realize that you have
the innate ability to create miracles. So let’s get started!

The letter “M” means Momentum, which is created by you.
You must create Momentum in your life for yourself, for
your Why, for your family, for your success, for your
finances, for your health…YOU create Momentum! No one
else will do it for you. You aren’t a surfer waiting for
the next wave to come in. You and only you must create
your own Momentum to drive you toward creating your Miracle!

The letter “I” stands for Incentive. You must have something
inciting you to action…your ultimate “Why”. Why are you
doing what you are doing? Why do you want to begin that
business? An Incentive builds the foundation that keeps
you focused on your Miracle. No doubt about it! But again,
it is your responsibility to determine what your incentive
is and how it will drive you toward your Miracle.

The letter “R” stands for Revelation. As you read this
today, get a Revelation! It’s your responsibility…no
one else’s. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you
came from, how much money you have…get a Revelation.
YOU can and will create Miracles!

The letter “A” stands for Action. I know you’ve heard
this before, but read this today, print it out and
decide that you are going to take Action to create
Miracles. Once again, no one will do it for you!
Take the Action that you know that you need to take
to create your Miracle.

The letter “C” stands for Commitment. Finally…once
and for all…dive right into it…get Committed to your
Miracle! It’s your responsibility. Inside you is a
reason for why you are here…your Miracle…so Commit to
it. Go for it!

The letter “L” stands for Love. You must Love what
you do. You must Love the Miracle that you are focused
on creating. If your Miracle is all about money…you
will fail! Your Miracle cannot be based on money.
Your Miracle must be based on what you can do to impact
the world, which will produce everlasting results.
You will produce true Miracles! Don’t let anyone else
tell you what you must do for money. Love what you
do and create your own Miracles.

The letter “E” stands for Energy. Your gonna need
Energy to create your Miracle. There’s no such thing
as it “falling in your lap”, “luck” or “winning the
lotto” in a success mindset. It takes hard work!
You need the Energy to take those daily action steps
to create your Miracle. Again, it is your responsibility
to maintain your Energy to create your Miracle.
Miracle…It’s your responsibility.

As I say,

You must be absolutely clear about your goal and be relentless
in your pursuit of Your “WHY!”

Changing Lives!

John Di Lemme
http://www.FindYourWhy.com
Free Weekly Ezine

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