Voice Mail

Typically it is said that when you open up a new venture, it takes fro 2 to 5 years of steady growth before you can call it a success. All things considered, this is true and because it is true, it is all the more important to do everything correctly, right from the start! So here are 7 guidelines on engagement for every business entrepreneur.

1 GET AN ON-LINE PRESENCE:

It is a different world out there and worldwide access can increase your sales dramatically. It’s just like fishing. If you are on a lake with 100 fishermen and only 10 fish in the lake, odds are slim you are going to get anything unless you have the perfect spot and the perfect bait. However, if you are on the same lake with the same number of fishermen and there are 10,000 fish. The odds are you will have a great day out on the water. That’s exactly what a web presence does for you. It allows more fish to check out your bait! OK, enough with the fish! Getting hits on your site is another topic.

2 GETTING HITS:

One thing about building a web site, they all start at the bottom. Where they go from there is a matter of money, tenacity and hard work. If you have the funds you can do pay-per-click. A good place to start is http://www.kanoodle.com/return.coolquery=pay+per+click.

Other than that, if you want to manage your own site, the right keywords, manual site submission and tweaking will become a way of life. Getting the know-how will also become a way of life. There are a lot of e-zines available to help you out. One of my favorites is http://www.merlesworld.com/newsletter.htm.

3 FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED ALTERNATIVE MARKETING:

Naturally word of mouth is by far the best and eventually, no matter how big your audience, the truth about your company will spread far and wide. In the mean time, if you are doing business locally, business cards, fliers, mailers and door hangers are very effective parts of your marketing arsenal. Especially if you are in a localized business such as the Real Estate or Mortgage Business. As a rule of thumb, for every 100 you send or give out, a 2 % return is considered standard. None of these techniques by them selves are worth very much nor will they bring you a stream of business. But used in tandem and with consistency, the business will continue to build. You should also keep in mind that some of these applications work better for certain business’ then they do for others but generally speaking; you can judge your effectiveness by the 2% rule benchmark.

a. Business Cards:

One should make it a personal habit to hand out a minimum of 20 business cards per day. It doesn’t matter if you gave them one the last time you visited. When you send out your monthly bills both personal and business, drop a card in the envelope. When you eat out at a restaurant, leave a good tip and a card for the server. If you hand out 100 in a day, you can consider yourself done for the week. Good steady habits will help you win in the end!

b. Fliers:

We have all seen them on telephone poles, car windows and trees. They have their place depending on your type of business. They are mildly effective and very business specific for example, home based, weight loss, etc.

c. Mailers:

If your budget allows, mailers can reach a larger area and you have the ability to pinpoint your target audience by zip code, income level, recent car buyers, recent mortgages, new home owners, etc. I have tried different types of mailers including form letters, postcards, special delivery looking letters and even tube type mailers. Unless you target a very specific need such as wheel chair sales to wheel chair users, 2% is the rule.

d. Door Hanger:

Pizza places all over the U.S. do it everyday. They wouldn’t be doing them week after week if it did not work. I found this to be an effective tool for almost any localized business.

e. Local Throw Away Paper:

Every town has them and they are typically very affordable for reaching thousands of people. You can choose which zip codes you would like your ad to appear in. Different zip codes typically have different income levels so the response you may get from one zip code may be totally different in another. You will have to play around with a few before you find out which one clicks. A good way to reach perspective prospects but like fliers and door hangers, they are usually work better for some business than others.

4 WHICH ADVERTISEMENT IS WORKING:

P.T. Barnum once said “50% of all my advertising is useless, if only I could figure out which 50%”. The next section is on toll-free numbers but I found a great use for them other than voicemail. Whenever I run a marketing campaign every piece of advertising I use has a different extension number. By simply putting my 800 number along with a different extension number, I can track which ads are effective and pulling in leads. I have used various 800 services, the best for this purpose is by far FreedomVoiceMail at www.freedomvoicemail.com

5 800 AND TOLL-FREE NUMBERS:

I recommend a voice mail service for any business that is serious about becoming a success. Why spend all your time advertising and planning only to miss the call when it comes in. If you do not answer, someone else will reap the benefit of all your hard spent marketing time and advertising money. When you have an 800 or Toll-Free voicemail number, you will never miss a call and the general public is more likely to perceive you as a legitimate company. The least expensive way I have come across is a service called Freedom Voice Mail, www.freedomvoicemail.com. They have different systems available on a monthly basis and there are no long term contracts. Each system includes your own unique toll-free number. If you already have you, you can transfer it to their system or you can get yourself a vanity number such as, 1 800 buy this.

6 PRESS RELEASES:

Sending out a Press Release to various newspapers in the areas you do business in can be a big fast boost to your company! The key to writing a press release is to keep it short and to the point while adding enough pertinent information where the newspaper can re-print snippets of your information. Almost every word program available today has a template press release included in their programs. Still feel a little shaky; there is a lot of information available on the net. Type in writing press releases and you will be in press release heaven.

7 ARTICLE SUBMISSION:

Submitting articles on line are probably the best things you can do to increase your rankings in the search engines and give your business authenticity. There are plenty of submission sites available. Go to any search engine and type in article submission being specific to your field such as real estate article submission.

About The Author

Robert Vilardi former VP for Specialty Rest., in charge of 27 operations, has sold and taught catering marketing with annual sales in excess of $125 million. Robert holds a Florida Realtors License, teaches Ethics for the Pasco Board of Realtors and is the Vice Chairman of their education committee. An active Mortgage Broker, he writes the Sunday Article for the Florida Saint Petersburg Times Real Estate and Mortgage section. His Mortgage Website www.rjvilardi.com is considered by many to be the most informative mortgage web site available on the Internet today. Mr. Vilardi can be reached at rjv@rjvilardi.com.

Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important; a job seeker needs to send customised job application letters. A secretary needs to send out an official invitation letter. A purchasing assistant may need to prepare an invoice. It does not necessarily imply that you must just have a good standard of English. You should remember that correspondence means to communicate a message. It is a two-way effort between the writer and the receiver.

Here are some tips:

The Printing

The quality of your printing reflects the stature of your own company. Ensure that your printer has an adequate ink cartridge and the printing is even. Do not set your printer to “quick draft” as the quality is not up to standard and may not be easy for the receiver to read.

Write To The Point

The structure of the business correspondence should always be to the point and not be opened to various interpretations. Your writing should not be repetitive and a business letter should preferably be a page long. If your receiver does not have any background information, you should include an attachment with the cover letter.

The Title Of Business Correspondence

The title of your business correspondence should preferably be a line long and not have a font that is too big. If the title is not clear, your letter may be put under the KIV tray of your receiver. There are many senior executives who empower their personal assistants to sort out their corporate mail.

Short Sentences Your sentences should not be too long. They should be consistent with the theme of the correspondence and you should avoid jargons or quotations.

Watch Your Punctuation

Punctuation rules should be adhered. With the popularity of office software tools, presentation bullets are used indiscriminately in all business correspondence. Please use this tool appropriately and maintain the official nature of your writing.

The Receiver’s Details

It will reflect very badly on your professionalism if you make an error in the name or designation of your receiver. It implies that you do not take the business correspondence as important.

Your Contact

You should leave your direct contact number or even an email address if you need an urgent reply from the receiver. With the improvement in telecommunications, it is expected that the message be relayed in the quickest manner. It is not a good idea just to leave your corporate number with a voice mail.

Remember To Proofread

It is a good habit to proofread your writing; do not just rely on spell-check or grammar-check to do the job. As an illustration, after careful reading of your business writing, you may discover that your writing is too casual for the situation.

Fax Cover Letter

If your are sending out a fax, you must remember to include a cover letter to accompany the rest of the correspondence. This is to ensure that your receiver obtains all your correspondence.

Your Signature

You must remember to sign your business correspondence, where necessary.

About The Author

Colin Ong TS is the Managing Director of MR=MC Consulting http://www.mrmc.com.sg. Please email him at colin@mrmc.com.sg if your corporate website requires free content by him.

Should your business have a toll free number for customers to make sales, service and billing inquirers The industry began in the early 1970’s and today most customers expect you to have it. Providing a toll free line can bring in a number of benefits to your business.

From the customer standpoint, it opens an opportunity to inquire about your products or services at no expense. Not only does it show you are established and successful, but it also shows that you care about what is convenient for them. It creates a corporate image of your company in their mind. Customers expect you to give something back in return for their business.

Think of it this way. Have you ever purchased from a company that didn’t have a toll free number Some companies may not benefit from a toll free number, such as those with business to business sales or companies with a limited local targeted market. In other cases, such as catalog sales, Internet stores or companies with a continuous demand for support will most definitely need it. A toll free number allows you to advertise a “local” number to anyone in the United States. It is human nature to be attracted to anything free and it entices the customer to act now.

When was the last time you heard a toll free number in a radio or TV commercial Were you able to remember or write it down Did the number spell out any words Having it spell a particular word is called a vanity number. Vanity numbers can be crucial for any business as they are easier to remember and promote. One company spent millions to have 1-800-FLOWERS and it has affected their sales in a positive manner.

When considering activating a toll free number it is important to also look at the drawbacks. Besides the fact of creating an extra expense, you will receive more calls from customers that are not necessarily serious about your offerings. Since the customer has nothing to lose, they may be tempted to call even if they are not interested anytime soon. Toll free lines also give them the ability to inquire multiple companies at no expense, while increasing your chance of losing the sale.

Whether you are a home-based business or a large fortune 500 company, anyone can get a toll free number. For larger corporations, it is best to purchase a hardware phone system such as a PBX. For an excellent online guide, see: http://www.buyerzone.com/telecom_equipment/phone_systems/. For smaller companies, many long distance providers offer an identical service at a fraction of the price. Such systems are what they call a virtual PBX or office. They allow you to have personal greetings, multiple extensions and mail boxes, on-hold music, etc.

Number Search – ATT’s web site has a useful tool for searching toll free numbers on any available prefix 800, 888, 877 & 866. Take your time and find a good vanity number that is relevant to your line of business. Avoid using words that are hard to understand vocally, such as “swipe.” Asking a few friends or family members to repeat the number will be a good test.

Service Providers – doing a search on Google for “toll free number” or “800 number”, will come up with a number of service providers. Be careful when choosing one as you may run into a few flakey companies. Major carriers such as, ATT, SBC, Sprint and Verizon offer the service, but are normally higher for low usage clients. Other carriers that specialize in this line of product, such as Telcan.net, also provide a reliable service.

Tracking System – most providers offer an online management system that logs your call data in real-time among other features. One common feature is the ability for the provider to place a 1 or 0 in front of the caller’s phone number. You can use the call data to improve employee productivity and per call profitability.

Personalized Auto Greetings – if you need a personalized auto greeting, look into the virtual PBX or office system feature. An example of such greetings would be, “Thanks for calling Gotmerchant.com, for sales press 1, billing press 2 and so on.” Even though this will add to your long distance bill, it may give an impression of a larger corporation.

Live Rep – the toll free number can also be setup to go directly to your phone without any greetings. Having your customers bypass a list full of menu options before speaking to someone may have a positive affect.

Voice Mail – You can retrieve your messages by calling your toll free number or use an online account management system if one is available. The voice mail service provided by your local telephone company may also be used.

Number Portability – a portable toll free number belongs to you and not the carrier. You will have the ability to switch providers at anytime.

Incremental Billing – the long distance is billed in blocks of time and typically come in 6, 30 or 60-second billing increments. A shorter interval will result in lower fees and can be significant on a larger monthly volume. 6 second billing is the most popular choice.

Call to Ring Number – toll free numbers are pointed to any phone number of your choosing. One helpful feature among providers is the ability to instantly change this number.

Setup Charges – there is normally no setup fees associated with a new toll free number unless you are using a vanity number. Even then, there are some carriers that do not charge a fee for setting one up.

Interstate & State to State – when researching providers, make sure the rates you are quoted is for interstate within your state and state to state calls.

Residential or Business Line – not all carriers are able to provide service to a business using a residential line.

Shared-Use Numbers – some providers offer what they call a shared-use line and allows more than one person to use the same number by utilizing a pin number.

About The Author

Curtis Stevens is the founder of Gotmerchant.com www.gotmerchant.com, an online guide to merchant account service for any business looking to accept credit cards. His online site has helped thousands understand the service and protect themselves from unethical sales reps. stdcds18@shsu.edu

1. Connection fee: This is also known as Access Fee. This should be known to most of the calling card customers. This fee is charged whenever one calls to the destination. This usually varies from 5 cents to 1 dollar. The worst thing that can happen with this connection fee is, when the card buyer makes the call and either the answering machine gives a reply or the call is routed to a voice mailbox. This immediately deducts the connection fee even though the customer has not really uttered even a single word.

The best option to get over this problem is to choose a card, which has no connection fee. There are a lot of companies, which sell cards without connection fee. Before buying any Calling card, just find out the average rate per minute considering all the costs. This would definitely give a clear idea about the best option.

2. Service Fee: This is charged pro-rata to the call fee. Usually around the levels of 5 - 15%.

3. Billing increment: Also known as Minutes Rounding. If the company says it has 1 minute rounding, a call of 50 seconds will be charged for 1 minute and 200 seconds will be charged as 4 minutes. This could be a better option among all. The higher the rounding period, the more the customer loses.

4. Maintenance fee: This is a notorious, hidden fee. This gets charged on the phone card either on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. While buying the phone card itself, the customer should read the fine prints to find if there is a Maintenance fee. If at all there is this fee, this card should be chosen only if the customer is going to exhaust the card before the specified period.

5. Payphones: There are surcharges on the phone cards for the calls made from Payphones. This will be charged on the customers phone card irrespective of whether the call goes through or not.

6. Access Number: The billing also depends on whether one calls a local access dial in number or a toll free number. Usually a caller realizes very less number of minutes if he calls a toll free number. It is advisable calling the local dial-in number as it works out cheaper compared to the toll free number.

7. Long Talking Fee: Some phone cards charge a long talking fee if the call goes beyond a specified duration. This duration is usually around 20 minutes. It is better to know and reconnect around this period.

8. Expiration date: Most of the pre-paid calling cards have an expiration date. There can be two types of expiration dates. One is the date from which you start using the card and other one is a General expiration date for the card. One cannot use the card even if he has talk time left after any of these dates.

About The Author

The author Muthukumar.V is a seller of calling cards. He owns a website http://www.shopcallingcard.com selling Long Distance Calling Cards.

An Ann Landers column "Parenthood is not a job for the weak at heart" caught my interest.

Job Description for a Parent

Position: Parent

Job Description: Long-term player needed for challenging, permanent work in chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts. There is some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed.

Responsibilities: Must keep this job for the rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule. Must be willing to tackle stimulating technical challenges such as small gadget repair, sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must handle assembly and product safety testing , as well as floor maintenance and janitorial work. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and levels of mentality. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute and an embarrassment the next. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of end project.

Advancement and Promotion: There is no possibility of either. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

Previous Experience: None required, but on-the-job training is offered on a continually exhausting basis.

Wages: None. In fact, you must pay those in charge, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 and attend college. When you die, you give them whatever income you have left.

Benefits: There is no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options. However, the job offers limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life.

This article is of special interest to those of us who work out of the home. Seeing this Ann Landers column made my think about why so many of us wanted to work out of our homes. One of the big reasons being to spend more time with our families. Balancing a family life and a home-based business can be a delicate one, especially when you look at all of the duties we have as a parent. Truthfully, it is amazing we get anything done at all.

If both partners or spouses are running the business there are some very different and other important factors to consider. Since we have already addressed and written articles on these issues, I will direct you to our website to the articles, Business / Marriage Partners: Will the Marriage Survive Parts I & II

There are some good rules however, to help you balance family and business.

Rule #1 - This is one of the most important rules. Yes, this is your home, but it is also my office. What that means is the things you use in your business like computers, files, fax machine, business phone, supplies, etc. are off limits to them.

Rule #2 - Set office hours. This lets your family members and friends know when its okay to disturb you; when your day is done. This will avoid them taking you away from your work.

Rule #3 - No one but you answers your business line, and if your office is in part of the house, there is to be quiet when you are on the phone. I know sometime pandemonium breaks lose. Well on those occasions it does, dont answer the phone, let it go into voice mail and call back as soon as you can get away or get the situation under control. Almost all phones today have a mute button, use it, especially with young children that cry and scream.

Rule #4 - Establish rituals. Just like when you worked an outside job, you if dropped them off at the daycare, or their bus stop or school, even if you dont leave the house, when you are ready to go into your office, tell them good-bye. When you are done for the day, say "Im home", or if you take a break say "Im back for a bit", but be sure to tell them when you leave again, so they know you cant be interrupted.

Rule #5 - Follow the other rules. Be sure that the above rules are followed. This is the most important rule. Rules not only help you, they help your kids, family and friends draw the line between your work and your home day.

Some other tips are:

1. Keep a stash of kid stuff in your office. Get a variety of things like paper, stickers, crayons and games, in case your children are in your office and you need to take a call.

2. Get a cordless phone as an extension to your business line. When you enter the "home" part of your house, take the phone with you. If it rings, answer it and walk back to your "work space". Let your children, family and friends know that when this happens, they should try to be quiet until you are out of earshot or ask the person to hold, and press your hold or mute button until you are back in your "work area" or quiet space.

3. Understand it may not be easy, but if you train your children, family and friends to respect your time, space and need for concentration, both your work and family life will be easier.

Copyright 2001, DeFiore Enterprises

About The Author

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, its like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com coaches@homebusinesssolutions.com

What’s the one thing starting today that you could start doing, stop doing, or change that would have a dramatic impact on your client relationships It’s an excellent question and I hope you’ll take a moment to consider your response.

It sometimes takes a great deal of effort and an extraordinary amount of energy to close “a big deal.” Never forget, it may take even more effort and energy, to keep the business after you win it. It takes courage to get the business and creativity and imagination to keep it.

Consider the word AWESOME and all that means. To be awesome is to be formidable, imposing, grand, impressive, outstanding, wonderful, excellent, and even remarkable. Most salespeople don’t even think in terms of being AWESOME. They walk around doing a great imitation of benign mediocrity. It doesn’t take much to leap from the ordinary to the extraordinary, but it does take effort. It’s all about leaving a great first impression, not merely a good one. It’s about delighting your customers, not just satisfying them. It’s about rising above the crowd, not being lost in it.

Here are some ideas for you on how to be AWESOME for your customers.

A - Ask good customer questions. There are two types of questions and you know salespeople consider them to be open and closed questions. Let’s raise the bar on that kind of thinking. While questions can be open and closed, they can also be wide and deep. The wide questions are surface questions i.e. “How’s it going, how’s business,” and “Any other any problems I can help you with today”

A deep question always leaves its mark i.e. “What would have to happen for you to consider us as your best supplier” Another really inspired question is, “How do you measure success when working with your current supplier” David Frost, the famous interviewer, once said “you can tell the quality of a question by the quality of the response.” Are you asking quality questions If not, why not

W - Work your priorities and prioritize your work. Prioritizing will make you enterprising. To be really effective you must be able to distinguish between what is urgent and what is important. Be careful not to start the very fires you’re trying to put out. For example, eliminate the following from your voice mail message, “if it’s really important page me or call me on my cell phone.” The only people who don’t possess a FedEx mentality are the people who work for FedEx.

Everybody else thinks everything else is a high priority. Get a grip, get a life, and begin everyday with the list prioritized with numbers of the 6 most important things you want to complete and don’t encourage the distractions. Develop the habit of sticking to your list of priorities and only deviate from your list if a higher priority lands on your desk. The best salespeople and sales managers always take care of the most important stuff first. They are not easily distracted. Set you priorities for the day and focus on them like a laser beam and only take your eyes off them for a higher priority.

E - Energize yourself every day with a positive attitude. People with positive attitudes live longer, enjoy life more, and tend to be more likable, from their customers perspective. I learned a long time ago, we choose to affect or infect the people we meet every day. Don’t bring your personal problems to work because they never add value to your customers.

If life has dealt you a difficult set of cards right now, deal with them privately and put your troubles on a trouble tree when you leave for your first sales call. Remember, your customers have their own problems, so there’s no need to burden them with yours. People with positive attitudes are enthusiastic, animated, excited, smiling, and always expect the best things to happen. “Your face is your own fault after age 40,” according to Cicero, so check it often with a mirror. How you handle your problems says a lot about you.

S - Style is important. If you agree you must feel like a chameleon. Most strained interpersonal relationships are created by different styles. There is the “Driver” who is very assertive, demanding and autocratic. There is also the “Expressive” who is extremely sociable, loves to talk, and lousy with details. Then there is the “Analytical” who is very precise, organized, and extremely neat. Finally, there is the “Amiable” who is generally low-key, trusting, and very innovative.

One of the biggest keys to selling success is the art of adapting your selling style to your customers’ buying style. This is easy to say and hard to do. To learn more about behavioral styles, read articles, buy books and listen to audiocassette training tapes on the subject. This is one subject where ignorance is definitely not bliss.

O - Others focused. Another key to successful selling is the ability to build relationships while taking care of business. Here are some ideas for you: don’t make people feel invisible, always maintain good eye contact, remember, you can’t smile enough on the telephone or in person, to stay connected – ask people who get your voice mail message to leave their e-mail address and telephone number, watch your body language, buy a composition notebook to record all your relationship-building ideas, only do dog and pony shows if your customer needs a dog and pony, add the words “for you” to the end of your sentences, every four months record your end of your telephone calls to improve the quality of your calls, blaming is shaming so don’t do it, always take notes to demonstrate that you care and you are listening, and always take the time to say “Thank you” to everyone who contributes to your success.

M - Master the business basics. Listen to your voice mail message. If it doesn’t sound upbeat, enthusiastic and professional change it. E-mail is a way to communicate. Use creative subject lines and remember less is more if you want your message to be understood. Never call a meeting without first preparing an agenda. Begin all meetings on time. End your meetings on time. Secure commitments for who is going to do what and by when. Form the habit of writing personal handwritten notes using a fountain pen. It’s a great way to be a high-touch person in the high-tech world we live in today. Try being more likable, agreeable, adaptable, and relatable. Maintain your focus on the other person, especially when its a customer.

E - Enthusiasm and passion are powerful attributes for professional salespeople to cultivate. Too many people are dying on the job today and still working. Some people walk into a room and breathe life into it. Other people walk into the same room and do their best to vent all the oxygen. Get excited about your work. If you don’t like it, change it. Your life is too important and too short, to waste it doing something you hate doing. Be yourself and avoid trying to imitate somebody else. Have an attitude of gratitude. Say “thank you” often. That kind gesture will make someone’s day a better one. Enthusiasm is contagious and so is the negative stuff. Enthusiasm is an acquired quality and it’s FREE! Go out and get some, if you’re running low.

If you want to take, your sales career to the next level learn do the unthinkable. Quit saying “I’ve always done it this way.” Quit following the crowd. Take a new path to solve old customer problems. The old way may not be the better way. If you’re too comfortable, it’s time to change. Always aim higher and you’ll be rewarded handsomely.

Being AWESOME is no small task, especially when the customer is doing the evaluation.

If you dare to be different, strive to be effective, and are attentive to your clients’ needs, you too can be AWESOME.

Free - eCourse The Art Of Closing The Sale. Use this link to get started right now: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/javanof.aspMerchantID=39581&ProductID=1791340

Free White Paper - How To Make Sure Your Next National Sales Meeting Is Better Than Your Last One Use this link to get your copy Link http://www.meisenheimer.com/articles/whitepaper.htm

Free Can you pass this Professional Selling quiz Use this link to find out. http://www.meisenheimer.com/articles/quiz1.html

About The Author

Jim Meisenheimer is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training. His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at 800 266-1268, e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com or by visiting his website: http://www.meisenheimer.com.

The seven essentials of business communication

There are seven essential elements to successful business communication: Structure Clarity Consistency Medium Relevancy Primacy/Recency Psychological Rule of 7±2

If you are going to communicate effectively in business it is essential that you have a solid grasp of these seven elements.

So lets look at each in turn...

Structure

How you structure your communication is fundamental to how easily it is absorbed and understood by your audience.

Every good communication should have these three structural elements: an opening, a body, and a close.

The Opening allows your communications audience to quickly understand what the communication is about. Short, sharp and to the point, a good opening lets your audience quickly reach a decision of whether or not to pay attention to your message.

The Body is where you get to the heart of your message. It is in the body of the message that you communicate all of your facts and figures relative to the action you want your communications audience to take after attending to your message.

Theres a key to rapid uptake of your message -- KISS. Pitch your presentations graphics at a grade seven child. If THEY can follow and understand them, chances are good that your audience will too.

The Close is where you sum up your communication, remind your audience of your key points, and leave them with a clear understanding of what you want them to do next. The more powerfully you can end your communication, the more easily remembered it will be by your audience.

This structural rule holds true no matter what your communication is -- a memo, a phone call, a voice mail message, a personal presentation, a speech, an email, a webpage, or a multi-media presentation.

Remember - your communications audience can be just one person, a small team, an auditorium full of people or a national, even global, group of millions.

In this instance size doesnt matter -- the rules remain the same.

Clarity

Be clear about the messaqe you want to deliver, as giving a confused message to your audience only ends up with them being confused and your message being ignored.

If you are giving a message about, say, overtime payments dont then add in messages about detailed budget issues or the upcoming staff picnic -- UNLESS they ABSOLUTELY fit in with your original message.

Its far better and clearer for your audience if you create a separate communication about these ancilliary issues.

Consistency

Nothing more upsets a regular reader of, say, your newsletter than inconsistency of your message.

Taking a position on an issue one week, only to overturn it the next, then overturn THAT position the following week, only breeds distrust in your message. And distrust in you!

People who distrust you are exceedingly unlikely to take the action you wish them to take. They are also highly unlikely to pay any attention to your future messages.

As well as consistency amongst multiple messages, be aware that inconsistency within your message can be just as deadly to audience comprehension.

At the risk of sounding like the Grouchy Grammarian, please make sure that your tenses remain the same, that your viewpoint doesnt wander between the 1st and 3rd person and back again unless you deliberately want to create a linguistic or story-telling effect — be careful with this! and that your overall theme or message doesnt change.

Medium

If the only tool you have in your toolbag is a hammer, pretty soon everything starts to look like a nail.

Similarly, if all you believe you have as a communications tool is PowerPoint™ then pretty soon all youll do is reduce very communications opportunity to a PowerPoint™ presentation. And as any of us who have sat through one too many boring slideshows will attest, "seen one, seen em all"

There are a myriad of was you can deliver your message — the trick is to use the right one. But which is the right one The one that communicates your message: with the greatest accuracy with the largest likelihood of audience comprehension at the lowest fiscal cost at the lowest time cost

Note: it must meet ALL of these criteria. Theres absolutely no value in spending the least amount of money if the medium you choose doesnt deliver on any of the other criteria.

Choosing the right medium or media is obviously critical. Get the media mix wrong and you could end up spending a whole lot of time and money on a very visually attractive business communication that delivers next-to-zero ROI.

Relevancy

It never ceases to amaze me that business managers still believe that everyone would be interested in their message — and then proceed to subject any and every person they can find to a horrendous PowerPoint slideshow put together by a well-meaning but aesthetically-challenged subordinate.

Screen-after-screen of lengthy text, in a small barely legible font size because a small font size is the only way to fit all of the words onto the slide, which the manager duly and dully reads verbatim.

Ugh!

The psychological reality is that unless a person is interested in the subject of the message they are highly unlikely to pay ANY attention.

Which means that if you force them to attend to your message you will actually turn them against you and be even less likely to receive their attention in the future.

Save your in-depth budget and performance analysis Excel- generated charts for those who genuinely care and need to know about such things.

If your business communication needs to touch on several areas that might not be of interest to your entire audience, let them know of alternative resources that more fully address each of these additional areas.

You can do this by, for example, providing them with an easily-remembered and written link to a webpage where a greater depth of information can be stored.

Primacy/Recency

It is essential to know that, one week later, a business communication is remembered by one or both of two things: the power and memorability of its opening the power and memorability of its close

Psychologists call the effect of remembering the first few items presented as a Primacy Effect. Similarly, they call the effect of remembering the last few items presented to you as a Recency Effect.

Since individuals differ in which Effect is the most dominant for them, it is best to cover your bases and make an effort to have both a powerful and memorable opening and a powerful close.

A powerful opening can be anything that captures the audiences attention: a quote, a joke, a loud noise, a preposterous statement.

Just make sure that your opening remains consistent with and relates to the subject of the communication.

Equally, a powerful close that bears no resemblance to the main body of the communication would just confuse and disappoint an audience brought up to expect something more.

And dont think that humour will save you.

Business communication is a serious business and very few people have the skill to be able to deliver a humourous message that the audience will retain and act upon.

As Granville Toogood says in his excellent book The Articulate Executive, humour is a very risky strategy.

If you are determined to use humour in your presentation, then please follow Toogoods recommendation: Tell the story as if it were true. The punch line is a lot funnier if we arent expecting it Tell the story to make a business point. If you dont make a point, you have no business telling a joke Make sure you tell the story correctly, dont mess up the punch line, and make sure its appropriate.

The opening and closing of your business communication are the two most easily remembered and therefore essential elements. Make sure you give your audience something to remember.

The Psychological Rule of 7±2 seven plus or minus two

Psychologists have long known that the human brain has a finite capacity to hold information in short-term or working memory.

The brain is also structured to retain information in clusters or groups of items. These clusters average, across the whole of mankind, at seven items, plus or minus two.

Which means that your audience is only able to hold on to between five and nine pieces of information at any one time.

Now do you see the importance of clarity of message and of having a distinctive and memorable opening and close

If you want your key points to be remembered even five minutes later, it is essential that you limit your business communication to between just five and nine key points.

Equally, if you want your key action points to be remembered five weeks later, ensure that your communication is amongst the five to nine most memorable messages your audience has attended to in the last five weeks.

Conclusion

There are seven essential elements to successful business communication: Structure Clarity Consistency Medium Relevancy Primacy/Recency Rule of 7±2

If you are going to communicate effectively in business it is essential that you have a solid grasp of these seven elements.

About The Author

Lee Hopkins When you match consumer psychology with effective communication styles you get a powerful combination. At Hopkins-Business-Communication-Training.com you can find the secrets to communication success. At Hopkins we show you how to communicate better for better business results.

www.hopkins-business-communication-training.com

If you called my office you will hear my voice mail message that ends with the words “Expect Success.”

There’s a important intent behind that. What if every time we made a phone call or personal request or met with a potential new customer, you expected you would be successful Do you think your behavior would be different

If we truly expected success we would make more phone calls, make more requests and schedule more appointments. And that would result in more business, more income, more ease in our workday, and more overall success.

When we call people or meet with them, we have to hold the attitude that we are offering them an opportunity—an important opportunity, and maybe even the perfect opportunity for them. If they do not go for it, that’s fine. Our responsibility to ourselves is to make the offer. It doesn’t matter what the thoughts and actions of the other person are; it doesn’t matter whether they agree to what you are offering or not. What matters is that you go for what you want all the time, every time, and are as proactive and confident as you would be if you knew you could not miss.

As you well know success is not a destination we arrive at; it is an attitude we hold along the way. All the joy of our professional lives is not in the outcome, but in the process. Do not rob yourself of the satisfaction that lies on the path along the way—enjoy every call you place, every order you take, every presentation you make. Revel in the process of being a success—today.

To expect more success, more of the time, follow these steps:

Acknowledge all the small successes in the process. Count your “wins” daily. Wins are all those things that go your way in a given day—the letter you wrote, the VIP you finally got hold of, the parking ticket you eluded, the compliment you received.

Smile. Both psychologically and physiologically, this simple, easy action improves our well-being, which improves our outlook, which prepares us for all the great things we are expecting to happen to us. To become fit and healthy from a success standpoint, give your smile muscles a workout just like the rest of your body.

Hold your success attitude in your body. Stand up straight, raise your chin up, keep your shoulders back and feet firmly planted. Feel the power of personal success in every cell in your body.

Create a compelling success image in your mind. Once you expect your success, see it. Imagine it vividly and in color—what are you doing, where are you, what are you wearing, how does it feel like in your body Make your success as real as possible in your mind, so your expectancy is even stronger and, as a result, your actions even bigger.

Use an affirmation or set an intentions. State to yourself over and over what you intend to create today. State your intentions verbally, out loud to yourself; state them silently, in your mind; and record them on a cassette tape so that you can listen to yourself stating what you expect to create in your life.

Beyond Affirming, Feel It. Do not stop at the mental part of expecting success. Also feel it in your body. You have felt the good feeling of connecting, achieving, realizing what you want.

Be bold. Do all those things today that you know you will do when you are more successful. That is how you will create the success you strive for in your business and life.

You will never be more successful than you expect you can be. Greet every day with the belief that good things are going to happen to you. Expect to be successful with your calls, appointments and projects. Your work life will be enriched; you will take more risks, make more requests, and seize more opportunities. That will result in a better life, and that is what success is all about. I say that people who expect success not only think they are more successful, they actually are more successful. I urge you to vigorously and fully prove this theory in your own life.

About The Author

Caterina Rando, MA, MCC coaches women entrepreneurs and direct sellers to succeed with ease. She is a sought after speaker, master certified coach and author of the national best-seller Learn to Power Think. Caterina is also the Success Center Director for the Direct Selling Women’s Alliance and contributing author to the soon to be released book Build it Big-101 Secrets of Top Direct Selling Experts. Caterina can be reached at 800 966-3603 or by email at cpr@caterinar.com. Visit her website http://www.caterinar.com for more articles and a beautiful, colorful downloadable daily inspiration card.

Are you sending e-mails to prospects instead of calling them

Is e-mail your selling medium of choice because it lets you avoid the rejection that you dread when you make real cold calls

Do you wait and wait for return e-mails from prospects that will give you the green light to move the sales process forward

Sad but true, these days most people who sell for a living spend 80% of their time trying to communicate with prospects via e-mail instead of actually picking up the phone and speaking with them. Are you one of those people If so, you arent alone...but do you understand why youve turned to e-mail instead of personal contact I think there are 2 core reasons that underlie this unfortunate trend:

Fear of rejection. The sheer negative force of anticipating rejection makes people turn to e-mail to generate new prospect relationships because it hurts less to not get a reply than to hear that verbal no.

Getting blocked by gatekeepers and voicemail. When salespeople dont know how to break through the barriers of gatekeepers and voicemail, they start thinking, Forget it -- its not worth the aggravation, and it takes too much energy. Ill just e-mail instead.

However, when you try to use e-mail to offer your product or service to someone who doesnt know you, you cant possibly establish the natural dialogue between two people that allows the trust level to reach the level necessary for a healthy, long-term relationship.

We all know how much everyone hates e-mail spam, but even so, many salespeople are still sending introductory e-mails to decisionmakers. They feel that, because theyre from a credible organization, they wont be associated with the negative image of a spam solicitor.

However, these introductory e-mails typically contain the traditional three-part sales pitch -- the introduction, a mini-presentation about the products and services being offered, and a call to action -- and this traditional selling approach instantly tells the recipient of the e-mail that your only goal is to sell your product or service so you can attain your goals, and not theirs.

If youre still using email to sell, watch out for these 7 pitfalls:

Avoid sales pitches. If you feel you must use e-mail to start a new relationship, make your message about issues and problems that you believe your prospects are having, but dont say anything to indicate that youre assuming that both of you are a match.

Stop thinking that e-mail is the best way to get to decisionmakers. Traditional selling has become so ineffective that salespeople have run out of options for creating conversation, both over the phone and in person. However, its best to view e-mail as a backup option only, not as a way to create new relationships. Try to use it primarily for sending information and documents after youve developed a relationship with a prospect.

Remove your company name from the subject line. Whenever you put your company and solution first, you create the impression that you cant wait to give a presentation about your product and services. Your subject line should be a humble reference to issues that you may be able to help prospects solve.

Stop conditioning your prospects to hide behind e-mail. When you e-mail prospects, its easy for them to avoid you by not responding. Also, they get used to never picking up the phone and having a conversation with you -- and they may want to avoid you because theyre afraid that, if they show interest in what you have to offer, youll try to close them. This creates sales pressure -- the root of all selling woes. This avoidance becomes a vicious circle. If you learn to create pressure-free conversations, youll find that youll start getting phone calls from prospects who arent afraid to call you.

Avoid using e-mail as a crutch for handling sticky sales situations. Are prospects not calling you back Many salespeople who call me for coaching ask how they can get themselves out of sticky situations with prospects -- but the e-mails theyve sent have already triggered those prospects to retreat. Its tricky to come up with the correct softening language in an e-mail that will re-open a conversation with a prospect who has decided to close off communication --direct, person-to-person phone calls or meetings are much easier and more human.

Avoid using I and we. When you start an introductory e-mail with I or we, you immediately give the impression that you care only about selling your solution, rather than being open to a conversation that may or may not lead to a mutually beneficial match between what you have to offer and the issues your prospect may be trying to solve. If you can change your sales language to a natural conversation, your prospect will be less likely to stereotype your message as a spam solicitation.

Finally...

If you can, stop using e-mail selling altogether. There is a way to renew your confidence and eliminate your reluctance to picking up the phone and have pleasant conversations with potential prospects. Learn a completely new way of working with gatekeepers that will get you past voicemail and to your decisionmakers without the rejection and frustration that are inevitable with traditional selling approaches.

For all these reasons, you should think of e-mail as your last resort. If you can learn to pick up the phone without fear, start a trusting conversation with a gatekeeper, learn how to go beyond voice mail and find your decisionmakers, youll join the thousands of people who have made the Unlock The Game™ breakthrough the most natural and efficient way of generating sales opportunities.

About The Author

Ari Galper is the founder of Unlock The Game™, the only selling program completely focused on eliminating pressure from the sales process. His best-selling Unlock The Game™ Self-Study Program continues to make in-roads in the U.S., UK, Australia and Canada. Visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com to take a Free Test Drive!

One of my classes in management focused on the repeat customer. The course stressed the importance of the repeat customer to the financial welfare of the business. We spent hours discussing ways to turn “first time” buyers into repeat customers. This is not a new concept. We’ve all heard the term “the customer is always right”. And then there is the movie we watch every Christmas where Macy tries to out “customer satisfaction” Gimbel. I prefer to take that concept one step further with what I consider the most valuable asset of a business, the loyal customer.

The loyal customer is one who will buy your product or service even when it is more expensive or at a personal inconvenience. The loyal customer is one who will recommend you to his competitors. The loyal customer is one who will stand up and defend your company against unfair comments. The loyal customer is one who will teach his children to purchase your product or service because they can depend on your company to treat them with fairness and honesty. The businesses of America, large and small, have been built on the backs of the loyal customer.

In his inauguration address, President Bush stated, “ as citizens we must uphold the principles of civility, courage, compassion, and character that a civil society demands from each of us”. Civility is a word we don’t hear much anymore. As companies have merged and as pressure from investors has increased, businesses have lost their civility. The concepts of respect and fair dealing that have been the cornerstones of American business are crumbling.

In the age of the computer and voicemail, companies are ignoring the fact that on the other end of the line is a living breathing person. They will spend millions on advertising to gain a new customer and then banish them to what I term “Customer Service Hell”.

Take the case of Denise in New Mexico

“I have been MORE than patient with Dell Computer Corporation. It has taken me 6 months, a minimum of 100 hours of my time, 20 different people, 10 phone calls to service, 5 to the rebate ripoff department, close to 30 mails, several faxes, daily blue screens which switched to daily black blank screens, all three drives not working, still not receiving a confirmed rebate on a machine I ordered in August, 2002, an ordered part Ive yet to receive, two individuals saying they will call RIGHT BACK who still havent called, and problems growing on an EPPurchased machine literally by the day ~ to get THIS upset.

Im sick of being jerked around by large corporations who make it impossible to reach their corporate offices who are only interested in SALES and could care less about SERVICE.”

Then there is my own personal experience with Nextel. My company was spending a substantial amount of money with Nextel and we loved the phones. However, customer service was non-existent. I once spent four hours on the phone with six different “representatives” and was hung up on when I asked to speak to a supervisor.

No answers were received to my faxes or letters. Voice mails to my local salesperson went unanswered. Even the letter from our attorney was never acknowledged. Needless to say we now have another cellphone provider.

These examples point to an alarming trend. Businesses are focusing on gaining new customers and failing miserably to turn these new clients into loyal customers. They have lost their civility, not only with their customers but with their employees as well.

What can you do If you believe like I do then take these beliefs and make a difference. Acknowledge that the people that you come in contact with are living breathing persons and treat them with goodness and respect. If you can’t do that in your present position then its time for you to make a change. As President Bush continued, “Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe In ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves”. Let’s resurrect the “Miracle on 34th. Street”.

About The Author

Wayne Patterson is the author of "Solidgoldmonthly" home business newsletter. Home business news and views that you can use. No scams allowed! Subscribe now to receive FREE book of eBay Marketing Secrets, sold on other sites for $27.00. http://www.solidgoldhomebusiness.com solidgoldhome@charter.net

With the holidays around the corner, you may find yourself struggling to keep your home-based business and your home life separate and running smoothly. And youre not alone.

Operating a home-based business has many benefits as you already know, but its main drawback is that it often causes the line between your work and your personal life to become permanently blurred. Unlike those individuals who work outside the home and who know their day at the office ends when they get in their car and start the commute home, home business operators do not usually have a definite end to their day.

The reverse situation is also possible: they may not have a definite start to their day either. If you have a hard time breaking free of your work responsibilities or if you sometimes have trouble settling in to tackle them, these tips will help you bring both aspects of your life into equilibrium.

Separate Your Office From Your Home

If your work computer is in the living room where everyone in the family congregates, chances are you are being bombarded by distractions. Plus, when it is time for you to relax, you may find it difficult with the computer right there as a constant reminder of all the work you still need to finish and all of the communications you still need to respond to.

The answer is to set aside an area of your home just for work. If you have an office or an extra bedroom where you can set up your space, then you can block out the distractions simply by shutting the door. Also avoid putting anything in your home office that might prevent you from getting your work done, such as a television.

If you dont have an entire room to dedicate to your office, move your computer and materials into a room that is rarely used or that is normally unoccupied when you need to be working, such as a bedroom. Once you have separated your home from your office, you will find it easier to stay focused on your work but also to leave your work in its space so you can relax and enjoy the remainder of your home.

Create Specific Working Hours

One of the best things about running a home-based business is undoubtedly the flexible schedule, but it can also have negative consequences. On the one hand, your schedule may be so flexible that you only work 30 minutes a day or so hectic that you find yourself working at all hours of the day without taking a break.

The answer is to set your own office hours. Creating your own schedule still has benefits. For one, you can decide what time of the day you start, so if youre not a morning person, you dont have to get up at the break of dawn. Also, if you prefer to stop working when your children come home from school, you can consider that when you decide when to stop for the day.

Another benefit is that you provide clients and customers with a specific times when you are available to work with them. The most important thing to remember, however, is to set hours for yourself that you can live with. Once you decide on a schedule, you need to stick with it long-term, so be realistic about how long you can work without taking a break and how much time youll need to accomplish everything that needs to get done.

And, no matter how much you may be tempted to keep working, you need to stop when you say you are going to stop. Taking a break allows you to come back refreshed and more alert, so you can be more productive. An overworked, overly stressed person simply is not an effective worker at home or in an office.

Draw the Line Between Home and Work Communications

Has this ever happened to you You and your family have just sat down for a dinner around the table when a client calls to talk about your current project or a customer phones with questions about a recent purchase.

The easiest way to prevent work from interfering with your family is to keep communications separate. Start by having a second phone line dedicated to your work and attaching an answering machine or voice mail to the line.

When your work day ends, you can turn on the machine and let it handle any after-hour calls. An extra phone line also allows you to maintain professionalism. Imagine the embarrassment of having your young child answer the phone when an important customer calls.

You may also want to set up a post office box for all of your business-related mail. Not only will this prevent your important mail from accidentally getting thrown away with the junk, but it will also offer you and your family a level of privacy.

After all, you do not want to make your home address available to everyone; its just not safe. If you use email or instant messaging as part of your business communications, youll also want to establish separate accounts for those as well.

The key to running a home-based business is balance. While it may be difficult to stop working on that important project or to concentrate on work while your preparing for the holidays, striking that balance is essential for your well-being, your familys security, and your businesss success.

About The Author

Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business Opportunities - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources to make money from home. Visit him at: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com.

What I call "Time Wasters" is any action interfering with running your home based business.

What Are The 7 Most Common Time Wasters

Check Out The Following!

1. Email.

Email is without a doubt a very important factor in operating your Online business. After youve mastered sending and receiving email, theres no limit to the people or organizations you can reach at the press of the send button.

There is a downside to the marvelous convenience of email. Think of all the time the average business person spends checking email accounts. You could easily waste half your work day on email.

To the rescue e-prompter. This free software is easy to use and it will check several email accounts while you surf or work on other business matters.

Download e-prompter here... http://www.downloads.com http://webattack.com

2. Pop Ups.

Are you bombarded with pop ups at every turn on the Internet Pop ups will slow down your surfing and its down right frustrating trying to get rid of these annoying unwanted ads. As you know, Internet Explorer is not packaged with a good pop up blocker. So you will definitely need to download one if you plan to surf the Internet regularly.

To the rescue Google Toolbar!

The google tool bar has a great and free anti pop up weapon.

Download the Google bar. http://www.google.com

3. Surfing.

How often do you plan to check a website resource, and click unrelated links.

Fight mindless surfing!

Remember your goal. Ignore links that detract from your objective. If you are looking for information on the latest "Computer Virus Hoax" why are you visiting music sites or downloading screen savers

4. Forgetting To Write Down Your Objectives. Open Notepad or write what you plan to do on a sticky note. And check off the goals as you accomplish them. This listing method works great if you overloaded with too many task.

5. Time Limits.

Learn To Set a time limit! This will force you to focus on accomplishing your objective within the designated time frame. For example, limit yourself to 30 minutes checking email, or 1 hour researching a topic.

Heres an easy little count down timer that you can download.

Download Egg Timer Here: http://www.geocities.com/smallbizbits/free.html

6. Telephone/Television Distractions.

Unplug your telephone. Turn off that television. The telephone is a big time waster. Ignore urges to check your voice mail or answering machine for messages every few minutes. Only return important calls.

No more soaps! Thats right! While you are working tape your favorite programs. Watch them after business hours.

7. Family Distractions:

Make your home office "Off Limit" during work hours. Tell family members to handle any minor problems while you are at your computer. Close the door to your office. Place a sign on it "Do Not Disturb During Work Hours."

BB Lee is Editor/Publisher of SmallBizBits FREE Home Based Business Ideas Newsletter. Subscribe Now and receive a free home based business advice ebook bonus. Visit http://www.geocities.com/smallbizbits/

About The Author

BB Lee is the editor and the publisher of SmallBizBits newsletter. http://www.geocities.com/smallbizbits smallbizbits @geocities.com

It is Sunday evening and you are preparing again to go on a business trip. Monday morning the alarm goes off at 4:00 am, you drag your body and your briefcase to your car, drive to the airport, wait in a long line, get on a plane, get off a plane, and find your way to your client’s office. When you finally get home Monday night, you have spent more time traveling than meeting and you have dozens of emails and several important phone calls to return.

According to leading web conferencing service providers, the typical sales cycle can be cut two to three weeks with web conferencing. Providing a virtual conference room environment, web conferencing eliminates the need to travel, linking geographically disperse workgroups and telecommuters. The return on investment for web conferencing can be measured not only in dollars and cents, but also in personnel efficiency, knowledge distribution and increased sales opportunities.

The ability to virtually link workgroups and project teams enables real-time collaboration, a task that once required lengthy email threads or face-to-face meetings.

Web conferencing enables businesses to: Reduce operating costs Minimize unnecessary travel Close sales and negotiate contracts faster Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of communication Deliver clear, concise and consistent training Encourage real-time collaboration between distant and local co-workers Engage in greater levels of communication with clients and business partners

Since its inception, web conferencing usage has expanded to a number of business applications such as daily sales and marketing efforts, interaction with co-workers and customers, corporate presentations and training initiatives. Financial corporations use web conferencing for internal meetings, customer briefings, employee training, client consultations and investment workshops. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies use Web conferencing for product promotion and marketing, sales presentations and demonstrations, and product training and development. Educational institutions use web conferencing for project teams and student workshops. And, government agencies rely on web conferencing for training and inter-agency communication.

Most organizations use outsourced web conferencing. Why Because of the quickly changing technology, businesses opt not to invest in what could soon be obsolete. In addition, on a day-to-day basis, it is more cost effective to have web conferencing outsourced. Additional reasons include: Leading edge functionality provides greater levels of security, moderator control, and participant options. Your people can now focus on your core business, not support systems. The external company makes the investment in new features so that your fixed costs are reduced and your overall expenditures are lowered. With no capital expense, new technology can be implemented with minimal impact to the bottom line.

When beginning the search for a web conferencing solution, start with setting your objectives and determining the features you require. Here are a few basic questions that should be answered: How many participants do you anticipate attending your online meetings or events Will the number of participants remain consistent from meeting to meeting or will the number change How many meetings will be conducted each week, month, quarter Will usage fluctuate depending on the time of the year What type of content will be presented Power Point slides, software applications, web-based applications, documents, or spreadsheets What degree of interactivity do you require Q&A, polling/voting, application sharing, text chatting, live video, file sharing, etc. Do you want your own software or a hosted solution How much technical support or event management support do you require What is your monthly budget Are there any special security requirements

Once you have determined your requirements, screen a number of vendors. Visit their web site, review live demos, and seek client testimonials. Here are few suggestions for choosing a vendor:

Select a pricing model. Determine whether you want to pay-per-use you pay only for the time you and your attendees spend in web conferences or pay-per-seat you pay a flat monthly fee for a certain number of “seats”. Pay-per-use pricing is the better conservative choice for most companies learning to how to use web conferencing for their business. You avoid set up charges and you don’t have to monitor the number of concurrent users in order to avoid overage charges. You can always start with a pay-per-use plan and switch to a pay-per-seat plan once there is a clear, long-term financial advantage.

Get the features you need. Some web conferencing solutions only support online presentations while others offer full-featured packages that include polling, chatting, application-sharing, white boarding and group web surfing. Make sure that the product meets your needs.

Check into customer support levels. Is training and ongoing support available What hours Is there an extra fee Is there a telephone number available so that you can contact a support person or is only email support offered What are their support hours Call each vendor’s customer service number and see if you get a live person vs. a menu or voice mail. You don’t want to be in a situation where an attendee has technical problems joining a critical meeting and not be able to contact a live person immediately.

Consider security requirements. Depending on the audience and the information being sharing, security may be a concern. Most solutions are secure enough and do not store meeting data any place except on the presenter’s PC. Participants only see a graphical representation of the data through a standard web browser. Some services provide pass code authorization, basic encryption, and the ability to lock and unlock the meeting.

So, the next time Sunday night comes around and you are faced with another week of travel, email trails, difficulty in scheduling training and long lead times in closing sales and negotiating contracts, do yourself a favor and look into web conferencing for your business.

About The Author

Denise Bridgens has more than 20 years experience in product marketing and product management for communications and is the founder of Argo Navis IT. Argo Navis IT is a value added reseller of Premiere Conferencing services and is their exclusive Minority Women Business Enterprise partner. Premiere Conferencing has consistently led the industry in developing the most advanced conferencing solutions, fulfilling today’s business-critical communications needs and delivering the highest levels of security and reliability. Argo Navis IT is headquartered in Morristown, NJ and is opening an office in a HUB zone shortly. The company contributes 10% of profits annually to battered women’s shelters. To learn more about Argo Navis IT, visit their web site at www.argonavisit.com

There’s a common phrase used by Organizational Development and Human Resource professionals, when identifying kinks in the growth of an organization or company - “It’s a training issue.” The same phrase can be applied to almost any group of human beings that are working together to achieve a common goal. When progress stagnates and obstacles appear, you can retrace the path of movement and discover that things started to go wrong when someone wasn’t trained properly.

Have you ever experienced any of the following situations

Fast Food Nightmare:

You pull up to a fast food drive through window and a voice, with a foreign accent quickly spews out some inaudible words that you assume are probably akin to “May I take your order”

The waitress from hell: 

After being seated for thirty minutes at a local restaurant, a waitress finally approaches your table and asks if you’d like to order. When you politely explain that you’re frustrated because you’ve been waiting thirty minutes, she condescendingly responds with a sigh, “The kitchen is backed up and I just had a party of fifteen in the other room.”

Know-nothing Receptionist:  

You miss a much anticipated call from service person you’ve been trying to reach about a product you purchased that doesn’t work correctly. When you call the person back, a receptionist says the person is not in and you should try back later. The receptionist is not sure when would be the best time and – no – the person you seek doesn’t have voice mail.

Travel Trauma:

After being on the road for twelve hours, you arrive at the hotel where you have a reservation for the night. The check in time is posted as 3:30 pm. You arrive at 4:30 pm but the room is not ready. You are politely encouraged to check back in about an hour to see if the room is available. The front desk clerk has no idea what you should do with the hour of “kill time” and can’t guarantee that the room will even be ready in an hour.

Office Chaos:

You work in an office and have a large amount of administrative tasks that bog you down. There is an administrative assistant working ten feet from your desk who is supposed to offer support to your team. His understanding of “support” and yours differ. It appears that some members of your team get more support from this guy than others. You express the inequity of support to your boss who sees the conflict as “personality differences.” You just want your darn copies made in a timely fashion.

All of the instances above show poor service and mismanagement – in some cases “abuse,” but it all could undoubtedly be corrected through proper training. Thus, the root of these corporate and retail nightmares are addressed as “training issues.”

“Training” is such a bland word. The mere mention of the word conjures up visions of boring classroom environments, unenthusiastic training instructors and wasted time having concepts that common sense has already taught you rammed down your throat. Few people are ever excited about training.

My husband, who is an iron worker, recently went through training mandated by OSCA that instructed all the workers on his team in the safety procedures for operating a forklift truck. One of the most crucial training points was that “one should never leave the driver’s seat of the forklift while the motor was running and the forklift was in gear.” Duh!

Despite the negative karma training has gained in the corporate world, and the hype it was granted during the dot.com boom, the simple truth is that training is not merely dispensing information about technique and skill.  It is also communicates expectations and requirements of the job. People need to be told what is expected of them in clear terms, and relaying that expectation is a part of the training process. Training lays the foundation for affirming performance as well as correcting mistakes.

In all of the examples above, the “untrained” employee has emotionally disconnected themselves from the person they are employed to serve. Each has personal issues foremost in their minds which override their willingness to adequately serve others. If you were to get their side of the story, you’d hear some of the following responses:

"Everything moves so fast around here. It’s all I can do to keep up. No one really tells me what to do; they just tell me if I’m doing something wrong.”

“I could do my job if those I depended on could do theirs.”

“I’m tired of taking the hits for the poor performance of my superiors.”

“No one ever told me exactly what my job is. I guess they think I’ll figure it out. What I know of my job expectation has been mostly communicated by others telling me what I’m doing wrong. It’s every man for himself around here”

Poor service is not due to poor employees, but poor employers.

The bottom line is that lack of service = lack of growth, lack of productivity, lack of profits. Your company’s lack of service will pay a high price in the world of your competitors. You will have to continually compensate with special promotions, additional advertising, increased hiring and give-aways to disgruntled customers. Good service is linked to happy, valued employees that provide the service. Training is a crucial tool in helping employees feel valued in the work environment.

How do you use training to solve the problems mentioned above It’s all about having a training program that is set in place and held as a priority. Don’t fall into the “training out of desperation” category and only offer training when you have to put out a fire. Remember that training can be a form of giving your employees attention and recognition. If done well, they will appreciate it and feel affirmed.

Always have some type of training scheduled. It can be as infrequent as once a quarter or as frequent as once a week. You can do it in house or outsource it. Having scheduled training opportunities will prevent the development of service problems that cost you big time in the long run. 

New Hire Orientation

The most important training you’ll ever do with an employee will be when he or she first comes on board. Here’s an example of training to put in place for new hires.

1. As a company policy, be sure to have specific, written job descriptions for each employee, and a system established for continually updates. Job descriptions should focus on competencies rather than functions.

2. Develop an Orientation Training Program for each new employee that is hired. The program can last anywhere from one half a day to a week, but it should include the following: Introduction to the rest of the staff. Thorough review of the job description and company policies with the direct report, clearly laying out expectations and processes for recognition and correction. Allow time for questions and answers. Site tour – where are the bathrooms, kitchen, parking spaces, emergency exit, etc.Employee paperwork – W4, benefit forms, waivers, copy of Personnel Regulations and job description, etc. New hire should be given a thorough briefing on what the organization does, its goals, its vision, who it serves and the role of the new hire’s position in the grand scheme of things.  If possible, assign another staff person to be on call for questions that arise by the new hire. Be nice and have that staff person or yourself take the new hire to lunch their first day. Have a 30 day review set up mark it on your calendar where you will evaluate the new hire’s performance and inquire about their feelings and frustrations related to the job. NOTE: If you reschedule or cancel this 30 day review, youll send that employee a clear message about the priority you place on their training and development. This meeting is crucial to the new hire and they anticipate it with great expectation.

A training program, aside from being a way to continually dispense needed information to your employees is also one of the most effective methods for gaining information about how to improve company infrastructure. It is a safe environment for workers to share thoughts, feelings and ideas on how to improve the company. In addition, training – when done properly – affirms employees, helps them to develop a sense of loyalty to the company, reduces turnover and creates a prime opportunity for building consensus.

Training and development is an investment, not a cost.

Fortune 500’s lists on top companies, Best Small Businesses, Best Companies to Work For and Best Bosses have repeatedly displayed interest in employee satisfaction as well as training and development. Edward Jones, a stockbrokerage out of St. Louis, MO was rated #1 for the second consecutive year on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”  

According to Fortune it spends 3.8% of its payroll on training, with an average of 146 hours for every employee, and new brokers get four times that much. When asked why it spends so much on training managing partner John Bachmann replied, “In order to grow, you have to be trained or you get trapped in the present.” One administrative assistant at Edward Jones was quoted by a Fortune journalist saying, “I’ve never experienced working for a company that has so many satisfied employees.”#

A training program is an ideal starting point to take action to decrease turnover, improve employee performance and initiate loyalty. It is also a strong foundation for developing affective communication within the company or organization. If you have no training program currently established, start with an orientation training program or look to your local university or community college for training opportunities. Start a training library by ordering books, videos and periodicals that address competencies you want to develop in your staff. Beginning or improving a training program shows employees that you care.

#. Fortune Magazine, January 20, 2003 Issue: Summary on Edward Jones – Ann Harrington

About The Author

Mindie Burgoyne is an Organizational Development Consultant and owner of Lowershore.net, a Maryland Business Development Company. She has assisted small businesses and Fortune 500 Companies in business development, product development, staff management and leadership training. www.lowershore.net. info@lowershore.net

Some of you have expressed, to me, that you are a little afraid of writing ads. In this article, we will talk about writing one or two line ads and why they are more effective.

One of the first things to think about is, How do you read ads. Are you in a hurry and just scan them When you scan do you just look for the jist of the ad Do you get bored because of all the yada, yada, yada How long is your attention span When reading ads do you wish they would get to the point, so that you can know if you are interested or not Do you get impatient with the same ad over and over If you answered yes to any one of these questions, what makes you think that others dont feel the same way

That brings up another question. Are your ads being read Would you like for your ads to be read If you want your ads read, I am going to offer some suggestions:

1 Most peoples attention span is very low, especially on the internet. Everyone is always in a hurry, therefore you need to keep it short. After all what are you trying to get people to do with your ad You want them to visit your site, or an affiliate site and maybe make a purchase, right

2 You dont need to write a book. Simply tell the people about your offer, but make it tweak their curiosity. Well talk more about this later.

When I read ads, I scan them to get the jist of the ad. What are they trying to tell me Oh, its about a Free cell phone, with all the trimmings. I already have a cell phone and I am happy with the service I get. No, Im not interested. Next!

Lets stay with the cell phone ad, for a minute. Lets say that your cell phone offer is unique, in some kind of way. Maybe you will offer a person 3 months of Free service, if they change to your service. They never find that out. Why Because their isnt enough room to say all of that in the ad. Where would there be room enough to really expand and tell them all the good stuff On your web site or your affiliate website.

Lesson # 1-- You cant sell them in an ad! You need to get them to visit the web site! How can you do that Lets have a closer look at that question. Which ad would you be willing to click on:

Ad #1: Get your Free cell phone, including voice mail, three way calling, unlimited nights and weekends, paging, caller ID and much more, for only $39.99! Now thats a deal! Visit us at: http://mycellphone.com

Ad #2: We can save you money! How does $122.00 sound http://mycellphone.com

In the first ad, if you arent in need of a cell phone, you wont bother to click the link. In the second ad, doesnt that peak your curiosity It does mine. I would begin to think, They can save me $122.00 How I would click the link, go to the web site to find out.

TIP: Your ad is not to sell the person. An ad is to peak their curiosity enough to get them to click the link. The web site is where you sell them. Doesnt it make sense that you have more room on your web site to tell them about your offer and explain it to them If you can get them there, you might make a sale, even if they already have a cell phone. They may want to change the service they now have to your service. Wouldnt that be great You have made a sale!

You have to think like your customer. Would you like to save $122.00 Of course you would. We are all looking to save money, especially in todays economy.

Now lets do this exercise. Take a few moments to think about what you are selling How could you describe it and peak my interest Now condense the ad down to 1 or 2 sentences. Think about what 1 or 2 lines would peak Your curosity. Send me an ad about your product or service 1-2 lines that will make me click on your web site, or your affiliate web site. Send me the ad at mailto:funad@janes-place.com We will have 2 winners. The 2 winners will have their ad spotlighted in our newsletter. Talk about exposure! Set-up another email account at yahoo.com -- jpad@yahoo.com , which stands for janes-placead@yahoo.com and lets see how many responses you get from the ad. Test it in other newsletters too! If you get a good response, it will tell whether this works or not. You will also collect the email addresses from those who respond, so that you can market to them later. I will write an article later and explain how you would do this. You can only win trying this out! I promise I will not embarrass any one! If I have any suggestions, I will email you personally. Deal

About The Author

Jane Fulton is Owner & Webmistress of http://janes-place.com Home For Newbies & Beginning Marketers. She has been helping them for almost 4yrs now. She publishes a newsletter, Newbie & Affiliate SOS Newsletter. It appears online twice a month. If you like these How To type of articles, subscribe to her newsletter at: http://janes-place.com/sos.htm webmistress@janes-place.com

In Part 1 of this article we discussed how to select office furnishings and why making the right choices were crucial to your comfort and ability to remain organized. In Part 2 we will take a look at your basic home office equipment needs.

1. Computers

The type of computer thats best for you depends upon the type of work that you do, and whether you spend all of your time in your home office, or go out on the road to meet clients. While there are a seemingly endless choice of makes and models, there are essentially only three basic choices.

For most home office situations, the desktop computer reigns supreme. However, if you are on the road a lot then you can find notebook computers with nearly the same horsepower as the best desktop. If you do choose a notebook, the consider one that has an available docking station. That way, when you are in your home office, you can easily use a standard keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

Even if you have a desktop or notebook, you might have room in your life for a Personal Digital Assistant PDA. PDAs, such as those from Palm Computing, can be a very valuable personal productivity tool especially if you need real-time access to your appointments, to-do lists, and phone numbers. With the growing popularity of wireless Internet access you can even use your PDA to connect to your home office computer no matter where you are.

2. Printers

Your first decision is what type of technology to go with --laser or ink jet. Laser printers use a toner cartridge/drum assembly while ink jets accept ink tank cartridges. Lasers are generally better for high-volume printing and have higher duty cycles--the manufacturers rating for the units recommended monthly workload. Lasers also produce better-quality black text than most ink jets, though some ink-jet models rival low-end lasers.

Lasers are also faster than ink jets, but ink jets offer a lower cost model if you need to print in color. Color laser printers are still very expensive. Since the prices for laser and ink jets are so low, you could consider buying one of each.

Another important item to consider is resolution. A printers resolution determines the overall print quality of your documents. Resolution means the number of dots per inch that appear on the page as a horizontal and vertical measurement such as 600 x 600 dots-per-inch or dpi. A 600 x 600 dpi resolution produces adequate quality for most projects.

Your final deciding factor is speed. While printers rarely perform up to the manufacturers claims, you should still use the printers posted performance specifications as a guideline. An acceptable speed for personal laser printers is around 6 to 10 pages per minute. An acceptable range for ink jet printers is 4 ppm or above.

There are printers that do double, triple, or even quadruple duty as a fax, copier, and scanner as well. You should consider buying one of these models if you have a need for all of this equipment.

3. Internet access

Today you have a wide choice of Internet access protocols. If you access the Internet only to check your email, and browse the web a bit, then you might be able to get by with an inexpensive dial-up account. This type of access generally runs around $9.95 per month and up.

If constant, high-speed Internet access is a requirement for your home office business, then you need to step up to either Digital subscriber lines DSL, or a cable modem. Both provide sufficient speed for any type of business that you are likely to run out of a home office.

DSL utilizes unused bandwidth on your existing telephone lines to provide a constant connection, while cable modems use your existing cable television network. DSL may not be available in your area. It depends upon your telephone companys technology and how far you are from a DSL access point.

Cable, on the other hand, is available in all but the most remote markets. Still, if you cant get either, then there is always the possibility of a satellite uplink. While this was considered extravagant only a few years ago, its affordable and no more trouble than installing a small dish antenna on your home and signing up for the service.

4. Telephones

No matter how high-tech your home office is, the telephone is still the most basic and essential of your business tools. Available features are at an all-time high and prices are at an all time low. Almost any home office phone on the market comes equipped with programmable speed-dial numbers, multiple-line capability, speakerphone operation, conference call capability, and headset jacks. In addition, your local phone company offers a wide array of add-on services such as called id, voice mail, flat-rate long distance and more.

If your work keeps you up and around your home office, or if you like to take business calls while out on your patio or while walking around your home, then a cordless phone is a joy to have. There are so many makes and models to choose from that it almost seems like you need a consultant to help you make the right choice. Its not really that hard. Just keep the following in mind:

a Choose the right technology

Avoid analog phones at all costs. Analog phones are susceptible to interference from other devices and range is very limited. Also, analog phones permit eavesdropping through baby monitors and other cordless phones.

Digital phones have greater range than analog phones plus they offer better call privacy through the use of random codes that scramble communications between handset and base unit.

Digital Spread Spectrum DSS is the best of breed for right now. The Spread Spectrum technology uses multiple channels and frequency hopping to thoroughly scramble communicate between the handset and base unit. You also get increased range due to decreased electrical interference, plus DSS phones are permitted to use more powerful transmitters.

b Frequency

The range of your cordless phone also depends upon its assigned radio frequency. Most home office phones fall into three frequencies.

900 MHz: This is by far the worst choice. This frequency is crowded with devices such as baby monitors, pagers, and cell phones, and is subject to maximum interference. A 900-MHz phone has a range of around 1,500 feet and prices start at $20.

2.4 GHz: While once the best choice available, the 2.4-GHz spectrum is overrun with wireless networking, microwaves, and other devices. A 2.4-GHz phone has a range of 2,200 feet and pricing starts around $50.

5.8 GHz: This is the latest unlicensed spectrum available for wireless devices. Very few devices operate in this spectrum so there is a marked reduction in interference. A 5.8-GHz phone also boasts a range of around 2,200 feet and start at about $150.

c Other considerations

Make sure that any phone you select has a headset jack, and then invest in a headset. There is nothing worse than cradling your phone on your shoulder while you consult your files or try to type something on your keyboard. A headset frees both hands while you talk.

Dont forget to take a look at your potential phones battery life as well. Most cordless phones offer at least four hours of talk time and seven days of standby. Make sure that your phone uses replaceable battery packs, and that the battery packs are widely available.

One last thought. Cordless phones are useless without power, so always keep a regular corded phone handy for blackout emergencies.

In Summary

There is a lot more to equipping an efficient home office than first meets the eye. Hopefully this two-part series gets you going in the right direction. Chances are everything that you buy for your home office is tax deductible. Check with your accountant to be sure.

© Vishal P. Rao

About The Author

Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business Opportunities - A web site dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources to help you start and run a home based business. Visit his site at: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com

Knowing when to disconnect, shut it off, unplug, or walk away from work is one of the essential keys to work/life balance for harried and overworked people.

When was the last time you completely left work behind How frequently do you take work home, check e-mail or voice mail from home, or take your work with you on vacation Do you feel you can’t afford to not do these things What’s the real impact on your personal sense of balance when you are consistently making work your top priority

The work many of us do is extremely demanding of both our time and energy. In many cases, you may allow the intrusion and justify the cost on a personal level for real or anticipated gains on the career level. But way too often, we’re sacrificing family time, exercise, or much-needed personal time without making conscious choices about the implications and trade-offs.

Many of us feel stressed and overworked because we are overconnected. As a result of the onslaught of information, along with the never-ending ways that people can access us anytime of the day or night, we feel perpetually connected to our work. Think about the number of technology resources you now use that were not commonplace just a few years ago. Cell phones, pagers, e-mail, instant messaging, online chats, voice mail, call forwarding, wireless Internet pagers…. the list just keeps growing. How much is enough of these technology tools and the obsessive connection to our work! And how do we begin to reestablish those important boundaries between our work and our personal lives

In our book, "Dot Calm: The Search for Sanity in a Wired World," we provide a wealth of “how to” tips for managing the work-life challenge:

The first step: JUST SAY NO!—and draw clear boundaries. This takes on multiple forms: Turn off your cell phone when you shouldn’t be interrupted. Don’t take a cell phone to an appointment or when you are focusing on someone else. Don’t give out your cell phone number. Use it only for outgoing calls. Screen calls using caller ID. Block out time when you will not be interrupted. Hold certain times “sacred.” If you make a commitment for a social or family event, honor that commitment without interruptions. Use the “delete” option early and often. Arrange for calls from the office only in cases of emergency. Maintain your commitment to “work-free” vacations. Make sure you are clear about what you value and what is important to you. Let voice mail or the answering machine take your calls. On your voice mail greeting, be clear about when you will and will not be available. Update that message regularly. Exercise to burn off stress—and don’t talk on your cell phone or into your dictation machine while exercising!

Obviously, some intrusions of work into personal life are unavoidable, depending upon the nature of your work. If you manage a nuclear power plant, are a member of an organ transplant team, or have on-call responsibilities as part of your job, then some intrusions go with the territory. However, more often than not, we let work seep into our personal lives even when there’s not a bonafide emergency or time-urgent crisis. We’ve become so accustomed to the ever-presence of our work that we’ve unconsciously allowed further intrusions that have, in many cases, become unreasonable.

Our research involved hundreds of interviews and surveys to learn how busy people are achieving balance and integrating overwork solutions into the lives. There are five key solutions that are working for these people, some of whom work long hours, receive over 300 e-mail each day, travel extensively, and have families they treasure. Here are a few specific steps you can take for each of these solutions:

1. PRIORITIZE AND ORGANIZE Know what you need to accomplish and focus on that. Maintain a firm commitment to being organized and used systems that support that. Ignore those e-mails and voice mails that are not really important.

2. TAKE DAILY “TIME-OUTS” Take a nap, a walk, or a mini-meditation break with a few minutes of silence. Maintain daily rituals, such as teatime, meditation, prayer, exercise. Leave the office—and leave your work there.

3. TAKE MINI SABBATICALS. Enjoy a weekend trip with family or friends. Schedule game night or movie night or pizza night with your family. Plan a work-free family day at least one weekend each month.

4. NURTURE THE SOUL AND MIND. Read a good book unrelated to your work. Participate in community service activity with your family. Go to a movie, the theater, the opera, or the museum.

5. NOURISH THE BODY. Exercise regularly. Eat and sleep well. Get a massage.

About The Author

Debra A. Dinnocenzo is a dynamic speaker, author, and trainer with expertise in telework, virtual teams, and work-life balance. She is president of ALLearnatives, a learning and development firm that designs and implements telework, sales performance, virtual teams, and work-life balance programs. She is the author of “101 Tips for Telecommuters” and co-author of “Dot Calm: The Search for Sanity in a Wired World,” which offers solutions for achieving work-life balance. ALLearnatives offers workshops, seminars, and the free e-newsletter, “WorkWisely.” Visit www.allearnatives.com to subscribe to “WorkWisely,“ schedule a presentation, or obtain additional resources.

This article may be reproduced providing it is published in its entirety, including the author bio and all links. For additional information or to request additional content for articles, contact Debra Dinnocenzo, ddinnocenzo@allearnatives.com

The telephone is still the best and most effective way to reach people. It can help generate more sales and build your business. Unfortunately most people don’t like the telephone and don’t use it effectively. In order to become more proficient using the telephone, you need to follow some basic guidelines and then practice, practice and then practice some more.

Like everything else, selling by using the telephone has changed over the years. The hard sell approach doesn’t cut it today. With voice mail, answering machines, tele-zappers, and caller ID the old fashion way doesn’t work any longer.

If you are selling a high end product, trying to do it all on the first call doesn’t work. You need to go through a couple of stages to get your end result – the sale. First you need to introduce yourself. Tell them about you, your business and your product. Next try to set up an appointment to go into further detail. Or maybe send some information before calling again. Moving one step at a time gives the customer time to become familiar with you and your product. It also gives your customer time to realize how important your product is to them.

You need to be confident and positive. As we have told many of our students, if you don’t feel like getting on the phones – don’t. That negativity and lack of enthusiasm is going to come through on the telephone. Many years ago when I was working in corporate America as a receptionist my supervisor told me to always answer the telephone with a smile on. That smile carried over into the impression the caller received when contacting a company.

So be sure that a positive attitude comes through . Remember, the old adage, “you must first sell yourself, then sell your product”.

Also of utmost importance is to know what you want to say. If you use a script, have it handy, but don’t just read it. I can tell immediately when a call I get is being read from a script. Write down an opening statement for example, Hi , my name is Susan from Home Business Solutions. I’m calling about the home you have for sale. Are you the person to speak with What’s your name. Make notes of points you need to cover. Practice saying what you want to say until it comes naturally. Be sure you make strong statements. Avoid the words: maybe, could, but.

You also need to know your product. You have to perceive its value before you can convince someone else. You have to know what it does, how it works, and be able to describe it in terms that the layman can understand. You also need to explain the benefits of your product.

One of the first things I go over with our students regarding our telephone script is that they must learn to listen, and I mean really listen. You can tell a lot about your customer just by hearing what they are saying. Also be sure you ask their name, and then use it now and then. Don’t overuse their name because this can become very annoying. My philosophy is if I hate it, so will someone else.

Be sure to ask questions to encourage them to talk about themselves. Empathize. However, don’t do a lot of talking until you are sure you understand. Let them do the majority of talking.

If you pick a certain time frame to make your calls, or do a certain number of calls in a row, try to say it a little differently each time. If you don’t you will start to sound stale, lose your happy voice and sound as if you are reading a script. So if this starts to occur, take a break, or stop for the day.

As we discussed earlier in this article if your product is a high end one you will make several calls to establish a relationship. Once you have done this, and they remember who you are, introduce something new about your product. Keep a record of your calls, and details of what you discussed previously, so that you know where you stand when you call again. When I worked for a franchise company, I kept a record of every call that came in from franchisees or calls I made. First, my employer was amazed at the amount of knowledge I had about franchisees at my fingertips, and more important the franchisees felt like they were the only one, I knew them so well.

Using the telephone can help you get repeat business. For certain products, you can call customers to see how they are doing with the product. Maybe there are additional questions you could answer or problems you might be able to solve.

If everything is going well, you have a excellent opportunity to introduce your newest product, and hopefully, make another sale. This is also a great time to ask for referrals. Even if the follow up call doesn’t pay off right away, you are building a relationship with this customer. Remember it is a lot easier to keep a customer happy than to find another one. Your follow-up also builds credibility with your customers.

Doing the above will give your business a boost.

Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises

About The Author

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, its like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com coaches@homebusinesssolutions.com

Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work quickly, feel they can’t afford to take the time to get organized. On the other hand, conducting your job search in an organized manner will reduce the amount of time you spend looking for information, following inappropriate leads, or waiting for your dream job to fall into your lap. It generally takes at least a month to find an entry-level job, and as much as nine months for one requiring a high level of skill and experience. Getting organized before you begin your job search can ultimately save you a lot of time and frustration.

You should take several preliminary steps before you even begin your active job search. You should start by identifying your skills, interests, target market, and any child care, transportation, or other issues that you will need to keep in mind. A career or employment counselor can be very helpful in this area, as well as with the preparation of your resume, cover letters, and any other job search materials you will need.

Once you’re ready to face the job market, there are three areas where you’ll find it beneficial to be well organized: your schedule, your workspace, and your contacts.

Your Schedule

First, you must decide how much time you can realistically commit to your job search on a weekly basis, and then create a weekly schedule of activities. Keep in mind that looking for a full-time job is in itself a full-time job! Some of your time will be devoted to reading and applying for advertised positions, but be sure to allow plenty of time for other job search activities such as making telephone calls, generating and researching new leads, reviewing old leads for follow up, writing thank you notes or other correspondence, and visiting placement offices, employment agencies, or other service providers. The percentage of time you dedicate to each activity depends on what is most effective for your field of work or geographical area, so it may be worthwhile for you to ask others what has worked for them.

Most people perform different activities more effectively at different times of day. Take your natural energy flow, as well as the availability of quiet time for conducting research and telephone calls, into consideration when planning your schedule. If quiet time is not available at home during the daytime or evening, an employment resource center can be an invaluable resource.

Keep your personal preferences in mind when planning your activities. For example, if you dislike talking on the telephone, it may be less stressful for you to get your calls out of the way before beginning your other activities, or to intersperse your phone calls between other activities so you don’t become overwhelmed. If you’re planning to drop off unsolicited resumes, map out a route of targeted businesses that are in a particular area, and plan to cover the entire area in one day. This will cut down on your travel time and expenses as well as the number of times you need to dress up.

Keeping a log of the actual time you spend on each activity will allow you to see whether you are on track and to identify any problem areas. It’s not uncommon to become frustrated and depressed when you’re out of work, so be sure to schedule regular time for self-care and other personal activities like going to the gym or the hairstylist.

Your Workspace

At a minimum, you need a chair and a desk or table with plenty of space for you to work with your information, make and receive telephone calls, and plan your job search. All necessary supplies should be stored close by, including paper, pens, index cards, paperclips, staples, and your telephone directory. During your job search, you’ll likely accumulate various versions of your resume and cover letter, job postings, company profiles, advertisements, and business cards, but they will be of no value to you if you can’t find what you need. A binder or filing system, sorting the information into topics, will allow you to refer quickly to both the job posting and that specific application when you receive a telephone call from a prospective employer. It will also allow you to find easily any other information you may have gathered about the organization before your interview.

You may find it beneficial to have an alternate “job search office” such as your local library or employment centre, where you can research, read, and write without the distractions you may encounter at home. Many are equipped with computers that you can use for Internet job search as well as resume and cover letter preparation, which can be a great benefit if you don’t have a home computer or must share it with other family members. If you plan to use this type of service on a regular basis, you’ll need some type of portfolio or briefcase to hold your job search material, including your resume in printed form and on a diskette, your calendar, and a notebook for jotting down leads and ideas. Most facilities do not allow you to receive telephone calls, so be sure that potential employers can reach you by voice mail, pager or cell phone.

Of course, you’ll need a calendar for marking down job interviews and other important meetings. You’ll also need a system for keeping track of your job applications. This information may be needed to confirm your eligibility for unemployment insurance or social assistance, and will help you to follow up on your applications.

Your Contacts

During your job search, you will probably communicate with hundreds, if not thousands, of people, but in order to make effective use of the network you develop, you’ll need a way to keep track of all your contacts.

The simplest method is a card file system, with a card for each contact. Each card should include the contact’s name, title, organization, address, telephone number, fax, and email address, the source of the lead, and dates and details of any conversations, correspondence, or interviews. You may find it helpful to set up a “recipe box” with a set of dividers labeled with the days of the week and a set numbered 1-31 for the days of the month. You can file each card under the date you wish to contact that person. For example, you may speak with someone on the 10th who suggests that you call him or her in two weeks. After noting the information on the index card, file it in the section for the 25th where it will serve as a reminder for you to follow up.

There are wonderful software programs available that can help you with organizing your job search contacts. WinWay Resume, for example, has a section for storing contact information that you can merge with your cover letter. ACT! allows you to schedule tasks and reminders as well as perform mail merges. If you don’t wish to buy or learn a new software package, email address books in Outlook, Outlook Express or in free Web-based email packages are also an excellent way to keep track of your contacts. However, unless you have unrestricted access to a computer, or a portable system such as a Palm Pilot, you won’t be always able to access the information. The key features of any organizational system are ease of recording and ease of retrieval. If using an electronic system will make your job search more complicated and time-consuming, don’t use it.

Job searching can be overwhelming, but when you organize your schedule, workspace, and contacts effectively, you’ll be able to stay on track and find your new job more quickly.

About The Author

Janet Barclay, Organized Assistant, is a Professional Organizer and Virtual Assistant with a background in employment services. For more information visit www.organizedassistant.com. info@organizedassistant.com

Junk faxes waste the resources of every business. It is estimated that they cost businesses tens of millions of dollars a year in wasted paper, toner and fax machine maintenance. There is nothing more aggravating then coming into the office each morning to find a pile of junk faxes promotion everything from mortgage refinancing to septic tank solutions. I don’t even have a septic tank!

Junk fax companies have been fined by the federal government and sued repeatedly, but has anyone noticed a reduction in the number of junk faxes I certainly haven’t. The question for most businesses is whether there is a practical way to beat the daily waste of resources caused by junk faxes Many businesses are using the fax-to-email solution provided through online unified messaging systems.

What is Unified Messaging

Unified Messaging is a highly flexible communication system that ties all of your communications together. It has the capacity to centralize your voice mail, faxes and email messages in one online area through an email address and single phone number. These systems use their own phone lines and provide you with a separate number, so you don’t have to tie up your own or have an additional line installed.

Fax to Email Conversion

One of the best aspects of Unified Messaging systems is the fax-to-email conversion feature. You are provided with a phone number where people can send you faxes and leave voice mail messages. The beauty of the system is that the faxes are then automatically converted to text files and emailed to an inbox.

So, how does this save you money You simply delete the junk faxes unless, of course, you need to “maximize the potential of your septic tank.” You then read or print out the faxes that are germane to your business. No wasted paper, no wasted toner and no smoke coming out of your fax machine!

An added advantage of the fax-to-email conversion element of unified messaging is the flexibility it gives you. Since the faxes are available to you online, you can print the ones you need at any location. You no longer have the frustrating situation where you are working at home, but need to see a fax that was just sent to your office. You just access your inbox and print it out.

The cost of using unified messaging is very low, particularly when compared to the cost of wasted paper, toner and fax machine maintenance. Depending on the service you use, you may be charged a monthly signup fee, by the minute for phone line usage or both. The best option for your business is entirely dependent upon the number of faxes you expect to receive each month.

Despite the lawsuits and fines issued by government agencies, there is little doubt that junk faxes will continue to bombard your fax machines. Unified messaging provides an inexpensive and practical way to eliminate the cost of junk faxes.

About The Author

Barry Waxler is the President of 3in1box.com - your unified messaging solution. Visit http://www.3in1box.com to get your FREE unified messaging box or contact Barry at BarryWaxler@3in1box.com

"Slaves to the clock" was the cover story in the March issue of CEO magazine.

"You can never out work a problem, you have to out think it." said A.G. Lafley, Proctor & Gambles CEO."

Too much to do. Too little time. Its a universal problem. From the CEO to the newest hire.

Were bombarded with information. E-mail, faxes, voice mail, overnight deliveries and old-fashioned snail mail. Unexpected phone calls, impromptu meetings, and emergencies that force us to drop everything.

So many projects, tasks, problems, opportunities, and people are fighting for our time and attention that its almost impossible to separate the important from the urgent from the unnecessary.

With so much clutter its easy to lose track of long- and short-term goals. And... the proposal thats got to be finished by 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.

Its easy to spend eight, ten, or twelve hours each day doing things that dont have any real payoff.

And we wonder why we feel like were stuck in quicksand. The more we struggle the deeper we sink.

"P&Gs Lafley says, "Im here by 7:00 a.m. so that gives me a stretch of uninterrupted thought before the workday officially swings into action and the phones start ringing." "

Time is the one thing that limits us. The common lamentation is If only I had more time. Thats the wrong premise.

The problem is were using our valuable and precious time, in unproductive and non-rewarding ways.

Busy... yes. Productive... NO!!!

Think differently. Dont manage your time.

Do come in early so you can get some work done before everybody else arrives Before the phone starts ringing Before your meetings start

Before the day - and your schedule - falls apart because of the many fires you must put out

Fires! Fires! Fires!

Someone didnt do what they were supposed to do, when they were supposed to do it. Now it lands on your desk.

Youre forced to drop everything and put out the fire. Your whole day goes up in smoke and you dont realize that somebodys guilty of arson.

To be successful in todays highly-competitive world you must be focused. You must have long and short-term goals.

When you know where you want to go, its easy to determine whether or not the work, tasks, and projects youre working on will take you there.

Here are three strategies you can use to leverage your time:

1. Block out time for yourself. Close the door. Turn off the phone. And give yourself an hour of uninterrupted time each day.

2. Work on your most important work, tasks and projects. Only do the things that have value. Eliminate everything else.

3. Use your Prime Time. Theres a time of day when you do your best work. When youve the most energy and enthusiasm. Tackle your most important work at the time of day youre at your best.

Set your goals. Leverage your time. And youll become more successful than you ever dreamed.

c 2004, Jeffrey J. Mayer, SucceedingInBusiness.com

About The Author

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey Mayers SucceedingInBusiness.com Newsletter. Jeff helps individuals, business owners, corporate executives and sales professionals set their priorities, get focused, and achieve their goals; so they can grow their business, get ahead in life, and live their dreams. To subscribe to Jeffs free newsletter, visit http://www.SucceedingInBusiness.com Jeff@SucceedingInBusiness.com

Being organized at the office involves managing a few key activities effectively: Emails Phone Meetings

The increase in productivity from investing a small amount of time in efficiently managing these activities upfront is more than worth the result.

E-MAIL MANAGEMENT

Keeping up with the daily onslaught of emails is a major challenge for most of us, both personally & professionally. The following tips will help you manage the daily flow of emails:

Create an electronic filing cabinet, much like the physical cabinets you have, with electronic folders for category names

Once emails have been read and responded to if an action is required, move the email from your inbox to your storage folders. This makes it easy to track which emails still need an action. Many companies impose limits on “inbox” size. By moving your mail out of your inbox to a personal folder, an added benefit is that the restriction on size will not interrupt your day at precisely the moment you need to send an email.

If your email program includes previous email content for that email string when replying, be sure to delete earlier versions of the string to avoid redundant emails filed. This makes it much easier to find the latest copy in the string when searching later.

If your email has an attachment file, detach and save it as a file in your electronic filing system for future reference, so you won’t have to go searching through your emails to find the file later. Relying on email subject headings can create a time consuming search for the file later.

If you frequently send the same type of email, save a copy as a draft or template that you can reuse over & over changing the specifics such as name, date and amount for each email

If a document is available electronically, but you refer to it frequently, print it and keep it in a hanging file or on your desktop.

Every 6 months or so, go through your folders and delete emails no longer needed. This will save disk space and make your searches more streamlined.

PHONE MANAGEMENT

When you leave a voice mail for someone, if the issue you are calling about is a straightforward question, ask it on voice mail to avoid playing telephone tag. Also, encourage the responder to leave the answer on your voice mail if they miss you. However, if the issue is complex, do not leave a lengthy voice mail explaining the issue out of consideration for the recipient.

If you know you will be in meetings or unavailable at certain times, let the person know o avoid voice mail telephone tag.

If you are in the middle of a complex task that requires an uninterrupted thought process, let voice mail answer the phone. Otherwise, take the call to avoid a pile up of messages to return later.

Phone messages should be responded to within 24 hours. If you have been too tied up to answer a question or inquiry, at least respond to the person who called to let them know that, and then give them an expected date by which you will have the answer for them. This way you still seem responsive, even if you cannot address their request immediately.

MEETING MANAGEMENT

When calling a meeting, always draft an agenda and attach it to the meeting invitation. The agenda will serve multiple purposes: Help attendees prepare for the meeting Provide a sense of time allocated to each subject, so attendees can be mindful of intended time allotments Focus attention on the key issues to discuss in case the meeting agenda gets sidetracked Demonstrate to others that you value their time & intend to make the meeting productive

This work equally well for small or large meetings, but becomes even more essential to productivity with a large meeting

After the meeting, it is helpful to prepare “meeting minutes”. The minutes provide a summary of the key points discussed, and the associated outcomes and action items. They serve as a helpful recap for the attendees, as well as others who could not attend, but who have an interest in the subject matter. A track record of accurate meeting minutes also helps to keep meeting size to a manageable volume, as all of the affected parties will feel less of a need to attend the meeting in order to understand its’ directional outcomes.

The day before the meeting, make sure to arrange for copying of any required handouts.

If co-workers are always dropping by for impromptu meetings, don’t hesitate to create a “Do Not Disturb” time to be used for those complex thinking projects, where being interrupted has a big impact on your train of thought.

About The Author

As The Organizing Wiz, Ilene Drexler works with residential clients who want to get organized in their home or offices. As a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers NAPO, as well as the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization NSGCD, Ilene is a part of the industrys leading resources for professional organizing. Ilene has honed her organizing skills during 20 years working in corporate operations management, where her work was focused on redesigning & streamlining processes, as well as project management.

The Organizing Wiz 201 East 87th Street #11G New York, NY 10128 Phone 917-301-1981 Fax 212-828-3663 Email: ilene@organizingwiz.com url: www.organizingwiz.com

Copyright 2004-All rights reserved

The Internet is reshaping every form of communications medium, and faxing is no exception. The latest twist: Internet faxing services that let you send messages to any fax machine from any Web browser or email, and others that give you a "personal fax phone number," then forward any documents sent there to your e-mail inbox.

The Fax Machine - Workhorse in the 80s and 90s.

It enabled you to send a document to anyone, anywhere, at any time, and know that it was received instantly. It was a godsend in the 1980s and everyone had to have one. But it has become an expensive bit of machinery that will cost you money every time you use it. Smart organizations are now reducing or eliminating the fax machines they use in favor of electronic services. The fax machine costs you in paper, toner, phone bills and repairs. It is like a taxi-meter in that regard, and the bill keeps growing and growing. Currently most of the documents that you fax are created on a computer. If you fax them through a fax machine, you must print out the documents, manually create a cover page, and you must go to the fax machine to send the documents. Every time you receive a fax, you must retrieve it from the community fax machine, rather than having it delivered directly to your PC workstation like any other document. Many people still use fax machines today. The alternative is to use fax services from companies that provide Internet fax services.

Fax Machine Costs

The fax machine is considered a simple tool by many, which is probably why they havent replaced it yet. Anybody can stick a document into the auto feeder, dial a phone number, and send the document at 14.4 or 33.6 Kbs. But it costs to send a fax.

Among the actions employees must take to fax a document, labor is the greatest hidden operating cost. Labor is a key factor because your staff is more expensive than phone calls, and it makes the biggest difference in fax costs. Most businesses neglect to factor in the costs of actions such as employees walking to the machine, waiting to use it, the faxing process and the employees return trip to their desk. All of this takes time. And in the world of hidden fax operating costs-you guessed it-time is money. Also, keep in mind that it isnt unusual to find executives with six-figure salaries performing some of the same fax-related tasks as clerical workers. When that happens, those labor costs can be as astronomical as some of those six-figure salaries. Costs also incurred are lease and maintenance charges for fax machines as well as sending charges for making fax phone calls. These depend on the rates you pay and the speed at which your fax machine and the machines you send to can distribute faxes.

How Internet Faxing Works

Ever heard of eFax You sign up for a fax number. When people send you faxes, theyre auto-forwarded to your e-mail Inbox, where you can read them, trash them if theyre junk, or print them out only if necessary. Not only do you save paper and ink, but you dont need a fax machine or a second phone line-and you get your faxes wherever you happen to be in the country.

Together, in principle, these Internet fax services offer all the advantages of fax -- a universal system for quick and convenient distribution of anything you can put on paper -- without making you spend your money on a fax machine, fax supplies or fax phone fees.

In the business world, any time that you can save money, your customers will ultimately save money too. That is why Internet faxing is a good idea. Internet faxing is the practice of using your email or a website to send and receive faxes. The speed and efficiency of email, coupled with the lower costs of sending broadcast faxes via email is more desirable than making lots of phone calls.

Sending and Receiving faxes over the Internet with your regular fax machines sounds cool, but so far, todays standard fax machines do not yet know how to speak Internet - you cant use them over the Internet. Some of the newer models will have this capability, but it will take time to gain worldwide acceptance. In the meantime, there are a number of services that bridge the gap between traditional faxes and the new world of Internet-based communications.

A number of companies, such as eFax, Faxaway, Internet Fax Provider and MaxEmail, allow you to send or receive faxes over the Internet. These services are either free or charge a monthly fee.

However, many of these services are limited in what they can do: Require people to dial a long distance number to send you a fax [eFax, MaxEmail] Attach their own advertising to your outgoing faxes to cover their cost [eFax] Dont offer fax numbers in all local area codes [eFax, MaxEmail] Dont work for handwritten faxes unless they are scanned in [all]

Still, Internet faxing provides many advantages. Convenience and better resolution are the two main pluses. They allow you to send and receive your faxes entirely with your email service - the best thing to happen to the business world in the last 10 years. You can send and receive faxes anywhere you can access your existing email account: from your home, office, clients office, hotel, airport or cottage. Or even better, a web-based interface that keeps track of everything youve done with your faxing business and allow you to do cheap and efficient broadcast faxing.

Some of the advantages of Internet faxing: To send a fax, simply send an email. It will automatically be converted to a fax and delivered immediately To receive a fax, simply check your email. All faxes sent to your fax number will be forwarded to your email Web fax - For people who need to fax their information to thousands instantly. Send thousands of faxes in minutes from our website - Broadcasting. Avoid tying up your computer or telephone lines No software to download or hardware to buy Easily distribute press releases, product and pricing information, newsletters Sending to International phone numbers is cheap - the charge is based on the destination country Easy and convenient - faxes are sent and received over the Internet from the office, at home or on the road. Your Internet "Fax Machine" is available 24x7 and is never busy. Toll-Free is cost effective - some virtual fax numbers are toll free so that no matter where your customers are, they will not pay any additional long distance charges and your North American clients and contacts can reach you free of charge. Privacy - You are the only person to see your faxes, giving them the same privacy as your email. Portable - You can receive your faxes at multiple email addresses simultaneously and you can send and receive faxes while traveling. Receive faxes directly in e-mail - Faxes are receivable and retrievable anytime, anywhere. Faxes are not misplaced and privacy is ensured. Send faxes directly from e-mail. - Eliminate manual faxing. Faxing is integrated into workflow and faxes are delivered faster and at less cost. Immediate Implementation - No unique client/server or software is necessary, only standard e-mail capability. Minimal to no user training. Unlimited scalability - Support as many users as required without purchasing additional fax machines. Combine multiple document types into one fax - Fax multiple documents as easily as sending an e-mail. Account code tracking - Budget and cost management is simplified. Automatic retries for busy or incomplete deliveries - Eliminates need to continually check progress of a fax. E-mail notification of incoming faxes - Users know immediately when a fax has arrived. Delivery confirmation via e-mail - Users always know when their faxes have been delivered.

Quick Summary of the 4 big services Efax - http://www.efax.com/ Undisputed leader in the field of Internet faxing. Offers free version. Free version doesnt provide you with a local number. Regular service is expensive. Offers many other products - remote control of computer, etc. Requires proprietary fax viewer software to view faxes. The most local area code numbers available in the US. Fax-away - http://www.faxaway.com/ Competitive regular service. Web faxing not supported. Many customizable features and options for sending. The personal fax number they assign you is not local - they are all in some location where the area code is not local to you - just like the free eFax service - not too useful for your customers. Internet Fax Provider - http://www.internetfaxprovider.com/ Offers toll-free numbers which can be used anywhere in the US with the first 50 faxes per month included in the monthly rate - very convenient for the people sending faxes to you - they will not pay any additional long distance charges. Best rate for broadcast faxing. Many customizable features and options for sending. Comprehensive Web faxing features. MaxEmail - http://www.maxemail.com/ Offers local numbers in the US. However, you will find that only the major cities are covered. No web faxing available. Good receiving plans.

These fax services use the Internet to mimic real fax machines - that is, they deliver your fax to a recipients fax machine, anywhere in the world, just as if you had dialed it yourself. Most of these services charge anywhere from 10 cents to 20 cents a page. Thats more than youll pay to send a fax across town, but its much less than you would pay to dial an overseas phone number, even for a short fax.

Most major e-fax vendors offer additional features, including broadcast faxes, the ability to route incoming faxes to you as email attachments and monthly billing.

On the sending side: Most Internet faxing vendors allow you to send faxes by attaching files to an email. When the Internet Fax server gets the email, the emails get converted into a fax coversheet with the recipients fax number pulled from the "To:" address. The attached files then get converted to TIFF or PDF files for easy viewing by the recipient. The service will then deliver the converted fax to the recipients standard fax number.

On the receiving side: Most Internet fax vendors will provide you with a phone number that you can then give to your customers. This number can be a local number if you are located in or near a major US city or a toll free number available everywhere. People will send you faxes to that number in the standard way. The service will then convert the fax to a PDF or TIFF image or in the case of eFax, a custom image for viewing w/ their software and send to your email as an attachment. You can then view the fax with any standard Windows Image viewer.

In the future as more fax machines include built-in Internet connectivity, faxing might give email a run for its money as a cheap, convenient way to send documents. Until that time, however, e-fax services will provide the best alternative to picking up the phone and sending faxes the old-fashioned way.

Conclusion

In summary, after reviewing all of the major Internet faxing service vendors, I have found the best service to be the one provided by Internet Fax Provider IFP. IFP has the best rate plans and offers toll-free numbers that include 50 free faxes per month. I dont go over 30 faxes per month, so it certainly makes sense for me - because with the toll free number provided, my customers dont have to pay long distance charges when they send me a fax. IFP also has the best broadcast sending rates and regular sending plan with the most features. And it was the simplest to use you dont have to use all the available options.

For free Internet faxing, I found that eFax offers the best plan. But of course, it puts limitations on the service and you dont get a local fax number. Also, if you live in a big city and you would like a local fax number, then eFax is the best solution. That is if most of your customers are local, because if not, they will pay toll charges when sending you a fax.

Internet Faxing Services Reviewed

The following services provide some type of Internet Faxing:

CallWave http://www.callwave.com Installable software helps consumers and businesses get more out of their wireless phone, home phone, and Internet-connected PC by bridging calls between these devices. More of a cell phone solutions provider - requires custom software.

Data On Call http://www.dataoncall.com The company offers a comprehensive suite of fax services including electronic faxing inbound and outbound, web/fax integrations, developer APIs, fax broadcasting, fax on demand, and custom applications. Only offer 858 area code and toll free. Expensive. Broadcasting at 8cents/min.

Digital Mail http://www.digitalmail.com/ E-mail to fax and fax to e-mail services. Users receive a unique phone number, accepting voice mail and faxes. Difficult to understand, No price structure setup

EasyLink http://www.easylink.com Small Business Integrated Desktop Messaging - E-mail to fax, fax to email and desktop faxing. The service was previously named FaxSav. Large corporate solutions - not meant for small businesses or individual users.

eFax http://www.efax.com Send faxes, Receive faxes, anywhere you can get email. They have a free service with limitations. Standard service is expensive.

FaxMate http://www.faxmate.com E-mail to fax, desktop to fax, broadcast fax, and fax to fax via the Internet. Its U800 service allows users a personal toll-free number, which automatically forwards faxes and voice mail to e-mail. International send rates are standard. $30/mnth, $0.15/min

Faxaway http://www.faxaway.com Internet fax & unified messaging service. Faxaway gives customers faxing tools at their desktop. No local numbers available. Competitive rates and many features and options.

FreeFax http://www.freefax.com Send via web, receive as email Ad supported. Only web-based interface available.

IntelliFax.com http://www.intellifax.com Allows you to send and receive Internet faxes. Provides middleware for other Internet fax vendors. Limited local numbers available. Good send rates. Limited features and options.

Internet Fax Provider http://www.internetfaxprovider.com Email-to-Fax, Fax-to-Email, Broadcast faxing. Best Internet faxing solutions and rates available in the US. Simple to use with powerful options. Offers toll free numbers with 50 free incoming faxes included. Best rates for broadcasting service. Web-based interface included.

Interpage http://www.interpage.net/sub-faxing.html Offers a variety of Internet and Telecommunications-based services - including E-Mail Paging, Web and E-Mail Fax Services, Remote Site Monitoring & Internet Voicemail. Focus is not on faxing services. Competitive rates - meant for large corporations.

MaxEmail http://www.maxemail.com/ Allows you to send and receive faxes via the Web or e-mail and includes voicemail. You can receive notification of incoming faxes and voice messages directly to your digital phone. Expensive service. Offers local fax numbers, but not as many as eFax and not as convenient as a toll-free number with free service.

Our Fax http://www.ourfax.com OURFAX, is the worlds first, easy to use, ad supported 100% FREE service, that allows any email user in the world, to send faxes directly from their email address, to almost any fax machine in the world. Free - Ad supported, Amateur website

SuperFax http://www.superfax.com Super Fax is a small internet fax device that replaces your fax machines, receive your faxes, and emails them to you, on your email address. $495US per unit. Still need a fax line

ZipFax http://www.zipteam.com/zipfax/ ZIPFAX.com will allow you to send from your desktop e-mail to fax machines. It offers text only with no attachments. You must prepay for online postage with a minimum opening balance of $9.99. Rates are 14 cents per page for most US states.

About The Author

Ellen Farrell - former telecommunications specialist in Telecom. Have reviewed many telecomunications products for large and small business. Worked with large Telecom service providers in marketing and development. Currently review technology for business development in Northeastern US. farrell@faxwize.com

Have you ever gone car shopping with a former car salesperson Their industry and sales knowledge is powerful information vital to the average buyer. Gaining their street smarts and savvy gives the buyer an edge. This "edge" can be the difference between getting good value and being taken advantage of.

As a former top web hosting salesman, I have decided to come forward and shed some light on the industry. The rapidly growing world of web hosting, domain names, and basic web design is still a mystery to many interested people. My intent is to help you understand basic "dos and donts" in order to help you make a better more-informed decision.

When I got into this business several years ago a close friend if mine had paid $35 for a domain name and had monthly expenses of $20 for simple hosting. By quickly checking the domain name I discovered it was in the hosting companys name and not the actual owner of the website! I also quickly realized that this $275 annual expense was available at less than $100.

Not controlling your domain name can become a huge problem to website owners even though it is the smallest annual expense. You can be "held hostage" by hosting companies who control your domain name. This is how they keep you paying more than you should monthly, because you cannot leave! Make sure you are dealing with a reputable reseller or actual Registrar when you buy your domain name. Also consider buying the name for 5 or 10 years for $40-$80. If your email address changes or the credit card expiration changes, you can accidentally lose the name and have fines of $200 to get it back. Be wary of free domains and free web hosting, as you still get what you pay for. For more info on the subject refer to DomainInformer.

Not having the username and passwords to access the web hosting accounts is another huge mistake many buyers make. If your web designer turns up missing, and you cannot gain access to the files you bought and paid for, then you cannot leave that web host. This is the most common problem I encountered in my selling names, sites, and design! By the time you realize you are over-paying, you are frustrated because you are powerless. Do not trust anyone to keep this information for you. The relationship may change and you will be glad you are independent, informed, and in control of the situation.

Finally you also need to keep a copy of the files on your hard drive and/or backed up on a CD. This way if the web host loses the files or your designer is MIA you have a backup plan. Be sure the domain name is registered with you as the administrative contact, and that you have all username/password combinations for names and hosting accounts.

When you are a prospect everyone acts professionally, but what about after you are a customer To be really comfortable with your web host make sure they give a 30-day money back guarantee. Load the files and see what kind of performance and customer service you get for a few weeks. If they promised 24/7 customer care on the 3rd ring and you are getting voice mail or being on hold for 15 minutes... you will be free to leave!

Web hosting is simply space in a computer where your html documents and jpeg. images are stored. Good web design allows for easy navigation through the written words and the pictures you want the world to view. What you need to be concerned with is the speed with which your website loads and the amount of uptime your host claims to give. When traffic is a heavy a slow loading website will frustrate interested viewers, and cause them to leave. In addition the host needs a backup plan for power and Internet connectivity. Many top hosts claim 99+% uptime year round. Get details about top hosts at HostReview.com.

Things to consider when buying web space are as follows: Will you utilize a database for a dynamic searchable site Are you going to have a store, selling products online in a shopping cart Are you going to have Unix or Windows based hosting Do you need a secure site static IP needed to enter sensitive information like social security or credit card numbers safely How much space do you need for large audio and video files, versus pictures and text only And what is the difference between shared and dedicated hosting

To answer all the above simply I will paint some broad stokes below. More knowledge about technical info can be found at WebKnowHow.net http://www.webknowhow.net. People are unclear on the differences between shared and dedicated hosting. Most everyone starts with shared hosting as it is more affordable and works fine. In a shared hosting environment, the computer space is sliced up and "shared" among many small sites. Shared hosting ranges from a few dollars a month for a simple site to as much as $30-50/mo if you are selling online. Dedicated hosting usually begins at $59 and can easily reach $200/mo. and more.

If your site ever gets really popular and/or you have many transactions happening you to will move to a dedicated server. Dedicated meaning that all of that computers resources are allocated to you alone. If you do not know how to configure the server then you will need technical assistance in the form of an IT employee.

This technical expert will monitor the data center operations; of your hosting company to make sure data is backed up and protected by firewalls. Firewalls protect your computer from being "hacked" into unauthorized people. Another option you may consider is an emerging trend known as "managed dedicated servers". The host helps to manage the servers daily operation, in order to help the novice operator.

Both shared and dedicated hosting requires a decision between Unix and Windows. This has been compared with peoples preference to Ford or Chevrolet. Some people grow up and get used to one and prefer it for some reason. Others know both and utilize what will be best in each situation.

From the viewers perspective, both Unix and Windows look the same. If you are going to use ASP Active Server Pages you will need Windows. Unix utilizes PHP instead of ASP, and is generally more stable and affordable. This is because the license fees paid to Microsoft increase the hosting companys overhead and they pass that on to the consumer.

Many PC users have Front Page design software from Microsoft included as a gift in their original purchase. Unix hosting now includes front-page support for well under $10/mo. So you can utilize design software you already have, and host for under $100 per year.

Dreamweaver is the other popular design software program you should investigate if you are thinking about doing website design. Be wary of friends or relatives who will do the design for free. If they are gainfully employed, the tasks that they are paid for will take priority, which places unnecessary strains on the relationship. More info on web design and search engine optimization can be found at PromotionWorld.com http://www.promotionworld.com/.

We also need to understand the relationship between the static IP address, using a database, and using eCommerce features to sell products online. IP addresses help identify where the actual end user is located physically. This is important if we need to locate to the original sender of a message or a live user creating havoc on the Internet.

Many of us have bought an airline ticket online by now. You may have noticed the screen that alerts you to the fact your connection is secure. This secure certificate assures a computer user that it is safe to enter credit card info and buy without fear of someone intercepting your sensitive data.

The static IP allows authorities and credit card processors to track storeowners and their computers to insure 100% honesty. Most shared web hosting sites share IP addresses as well. This is fine for a simple informational website with just pictures and text.

Dynamic sites are capable of storing your name and user profiles at an initial visit. This allows the site to "recognize" you on a subsequent visit and quickly load the profile for instant access. Dynamic sites also search for products or names in the companys stored database. Searching for different items quickly and the site saving all your personal information, is a direct benefit of a database.

Most initial sites will not use static IPs or databases unless you are going to be selling online. These stores are referred to as eCommerce web hosting and are the most expensive of all. Monthly charges can easily exceed $50/mo when you consider all expenses of the static IP, payment gateway, merchant account, and shopping cart.

Buyers add items to their "shopping cart"; it totals shipping and taxes and charges your card. Merchant account banks process your buyers online purchase, charging 2-3% fee total to send money to your bank. You are then free to ship the product they bought.

My personal website has lots of pictures and text, yet is barely over 50 MB in size. 1 GB 1000MB of storage, now is available for $10/mo, and has 20 times the storage I need. Large video files such as streaming video and audio are the largest users of space. 200MB and 10 email addresses are going to be as much as many small sites will ever need. Often of you prepay the year you can get a free month or the setup fees waived. Also find a host who pays you to refer friends, and you can get free months that way.

I hope this information helps you better understand the power of the Internet. We are all connected through this World Wide Web, and it is your right to benefit in every way possible. Come on, jump in, the waters fine...

About The Author

Jamie Chantiles is Director of Sales for DevStart. He has been featured in magazines and on TV as an expert in peak performance. His speciality is in increasing productivity and attaining peak performance by harnessing the power of your own brain. Jamie has worked in the web hosting industry, selling and training for the last 2 years. Read more stimulating, probing and revealing articles on HostReview www.hostreview.com.

jamie@devstart.com

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has grown in popularity recently and with that rise in popularity has come a number of common misconceptions and confusion. Global Value Conncet http://globalvalueconnect.com has complied this simple guide to address some of these most common questions and concerns. What is VoIP and what does it stand for How do I make a VoIP phone call What equipment do I need for VoIP phone calls Are there any differences between making a local call or a long distance call Who can I call if I am using a VoIP service Are there any advantages in using VoIP phone service Will I be able to dial 911 emergency services Will I be able to use my computer while making a VoIP phone call Will I be able to take my phone adapter with me while traveling Does my computer need to be running in order to use VoIP service How will I know when I receive a phone call over my VoIP service Who regulates VoIP services What are the computer system requirements for VoIP Are free trials normally available How can I improve the sound quality

1. What is VoIP and what does it stand for

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it allows you to place telephone calls over a data network like the internet. It operates by converting your voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that can then be transmitted over the Internet. The digital signal is then converted at the other end back to a voice signal that the other party can hear. When you use a phone with an adapter the calls are placed just like a regular telephone. You first hear a dial tone then the call is made. You are also able to place a call directly from your computer using a conventional telephone or microphone.

2. How do I make a VoIP phone call

Making a VoIP phone call is no different from using a regular land line telephone. You pickup the receiver and listen for the dial tone. You can then dial your number as you always have in the past. The call connects to your high-speed Internet connection and travels to your local telephone companys equipment to a VoIP provider which transport the signal through the Internet to the local provider of the party you are calling. They relay the signal to your parties telephone. As an alternative, you may also place the call using your computers hardware and software, entering the number through your keyboard. The signal is then sent through your cable modem to your local telephone carrier.

3. What equipment do I need for VoIP phone calls

Your existing incoming high-speed Internet connection should be sufficient but the higher the connectivity the better the signal.

In terms of hardware, you can hook up an inexpensive microphone to your computer or connect a phone directly to a VoIP telephone adaptor ATA. Or you can use a phone specially made to work with Internet Voice. This is called an SIP Phone. Each SIP phone is a network endpoint, and voice is routed via its IP address. It allows a DID direct inward dialing number to move with a user. You can move, add or remove stations and never have to call your interconnect/PBX service company. SIP phones also allow full use of advanced features like voice mail to e-mail and auto attendant.

4. Are there any differences between making a local call or a long distance call

There are many different calling available for VoIP. The calling rates and fixed plans will vary from one vendor to another depending on the service you select. Please make sure to read all of the fine print associated with any plan that you choose.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that VoIP can blur the difference between local and long distance by issuing a local number for your Internet phone. This allows you to make LOCAL calls to your home area code from that phone, regardless of where you are geographically. All you need is an Internet connection to plug in your phone, it doesnt matter what Internet provider you use, and you can call your local area code from anywhere in the world without paying long distance rates.

5. Who can I call if I am using a VoIP service

Your calls can be made to any local telephone number, mobile phone, long distance number, or any international number. You may even use the service to speak with more than one person at a time. More importantly, the person you are calling does not need any special equipment; just a regular telephone.

6. Are there any advantages in using VoIP phone service

If you are using a broadband internet connection, you dont need to maintain and pay the additional cost for a regular land line just to make telephone calls. With VoIP youre able to talk to many people at the same time. You can set up conference calls with your colleagues, staff, family and friends. VoIP allows you to reduce interconnect/PBX fees by enabling you to add, move and remove stations from your network without calling your service provider. In addition, you dont have to buy an expensive phone switch to set up your network. VoIP also offers many advanced calling features from caller ID and call forward to voicemail and distinctive ringing to call tracing and reminder calls, among many others. You can also manage your features through the Internet; log-in and customize services that normally you would have to rely on your provider to change - for a fee of course. Voice over Internet can lower long-distance fees by assigning a local telephone number to your VoIP phone. You will then be able to take your phone anywhere in the world, plug it into any broadband connection regardless of specific provider, and you can make LOCAL calls to your home area code. Parents can keep in touch with children at college; churches can contact missionaries all over the world; and businesses can connect branch offices in different cities.

7. Will I be able to dial 911 emergency services

Some Internet Voice services have difficulty seamlessly connecting with the 911 dispatch center or identifying the location of Internet Voice 911 callers. Check with your local VoIP provider to determine if they can provide this service in your area.

8. Will I be able to use my computer while making a VoIP phone call

Yes you most certainly will be able to use your computer while making calls on your VoIP network.

9. Will I be able to take my phone adapter with me while traveling

You should be able to use your VoIP service wherever you travel as long as you have a high-speed Internet connection available. Your adaptor should work the same as when you are at home or in the office as long as you have access to a high-speed Internet connection.

10. Does my computer need to be running in order to use VoIP service

Your computer does not need to be turned on but your broadband connection must be active in order for VoIP to functionproperly. However, if you are not using an adapter and choose to use a microphone or headset with your computer then your computer must be on.

11. How will I know when I receive a phone call over my VoIP service

Your VoIP phone will ring like any other telephone.

12. Who regulates VoIP services

The Federal Communications Commission FCC has worked to create an environment promoting competition and innovation tobenefit consumers. Historically, the FCC has not regulated the Internet or the services provided over it. On February 12, 2004, the FCC found that an entirely Internet-based VoIP service was an unregulated information service. On the same day, the FCC began a broader proceeding to examine what its role should be in this new environment of increased consumer choice and what it can best do to meet its role of safeguarding the public interest. In November 2004 they ruled that States do not have the jurisdiction to impose taxes on VoIP services, another victory for the consumer.

13. What are the computer system requirements for VoIP

The specific requirements of any VoIP system must be checked with each individual VoIP provider.

14. Are free trials normally available

You need to check with your selected VoIP provider to determine if a free trial is available. Most VoIP providers will provide some kind of free trial or conditional free trial period. If you are dissatisfied for any reason you should return the equipment in their original packing boxes together with all shipping paperwork and packing slips to ensure they will honor their warrantee.

14. Will I be able to use VoIP behind a firewall

You need to ask your network administrator regarding any special setting that are required to function through the firewall.

15. How can I improve the sound quality Speak with a headset instead of a microphone. Better still, use a phone with an adaptor. If you are using a microphone, hold it away from the speakers to avoid having the sound from your speakers recirculate into your microphone causing feedback. Lower the volume on your speakers. Check with your sound card manufacturer to be sure you are using the latest drivers. Use a direct phone jack. A split line or extension cord between your phone jack and computer can distort the sound causing an echo.

Global Value Conncet http://globalvalueconnect.com offers a wide range of VoIP products and services from the most reliable vendors at the most competitive prices. If you are in the market for VoIP services or curious as to what it may cost or how you may benefit then stop in and check out our products and services at: http://globalvalueconnect.com/VoIP.htm

Copyright 2004 Raymond Klesc

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to info@globalvalueconnect.com

About The Author

Global Value Connect http://globalvalueconnect.com has been providing the best value in telecommunication products and services for the home or office since 1995. If you want to cut your telephone bill in half register today for our free eBook entitled "Telephone Bill Saving Tips for Home and Office" and is available at: http://globalvalueconnect.com/Saving_Tips.htm

info@globalvalueconnect.com

Is your phone bill getting out of sight, like ours did We were disconnected from Verizon, so we looked elsewhere. What we found was Voice-Over-Internet Protocol VOIP services through our cable. So far, we have liked the services we have received, and we would like to share the advantages and disadvantages of switching to VOIP.

Advantages of VOIP services

You get to make free long distance calls, and you get all the free features such as caller id, call waiting, three-way calling, voice mail and more.

VOIP cost about half the cost of traditional phone services and it seems that the taxes and surcharges are much lower. Also your bill is easier to understand and it can be viewed via the Internet. You can track all of your incoming and outgoing calls and the minutes that you are using with real time reporting.

Great instant online and phone customer support that is far better than the service that you receive through the big companies. There are no holding problems, delays, or automated calls.

Disadvantages of VOIP services

Sometimes you hear an echo sound through your phone; it sounds like you are repeating yourself. Also if your cable or DSL goes out, so does your phone line.

There is no emergency reliability. Maybe you will never need it, but if you have to use 911, you have to give exact address and name. They have a hard time tracking where you are and this could cost you valuable seconds.

You must have a DSL router or a second computer set up to run a second phone line. With traditional phone services, a phone jack is in almost every room.

Research your choices

Use due diligence in order to make a wise choice in choosing your phone service. We hope this advice is helpful for you in making a sound choice on your home telephone service.

Nationwidebillrelief.com

About The Author

Juston Garland

Copyright 2003-2004 Nationwidebillrelief.com No use of this article without permission from us.

I have been in the Telecom industry since 1997. I have been represented by Vartec and Excel Communications as an National Regional Direct and National Trainer and have Specialized in local and long distance phone and internet services. Nationwidebillrelief.com provides quick and easy access to the best deals available in Internet services, home loans, local and long distance services, home and auto insurance. Visitors can compare prices and find the providers that can best meet their needs and current budget - all for free.

New Years Resolutions: Making them is a tradition -keeping of them is usually optional. Thats unfortunate, because some of the pledges we make in those moments before the calendar changes are wonderful things to aspire to - spending more time with our children, exercising regularly, stopping a bad habit like smoking - or considering chocolate one of the main food groups. Yet, this is the one time of the year that its condoned - almost expected - that we dont follow through on our promises.

But what if we did follow through What if we could make a resolution that changed our lives for the better What if we made a tiny adjustment in our perspective and it allowed us to be happier, feel freer, and enjoy a more mindful existence

Well, get ready to make a commitment - its as easy as embracing the idea of simplicity. Yes, simplicity.

The start of the New Year is the perfect time to make some changes. Resolve to get back to basics. Im not advocating a cabin in the woods with no heat or electricity, just a small step to the left of the consumer frenzy. Where do you start Right at home in your own headspace - by making a conscious decision that your time and daily experiences are more important than money and stuff.

Reduce your clutter: Unless you use it regularly, or it holds a high degree of sentimental value, it should go. Choose a charity and schedule a pick up. Just think of how much easier your house will be to clean, and how much easier it will be to find things once youve thinned out your belongings.

Decrease distractions: Cell phones, voice mail, two-way walkie-talkies, online instant messenger, and palm pilots are all tools created for convenience. Left unchecked, however, they can start running your life. Be sure your not becoming a slave to advanced technology. Oh, and turn off that darn TV too.

Learn to say "no": This tiny two-letter word is your best defense against becoming overextended. Start using it - no one will think any less of you if you do.

Learn to say "yes" when others offer help: Stop with the Superwoman fallacy. There is no harm in accepting help when offered, or even in asking for it when needed. In fact, most people are happy to be of assistance.

Cut down on compulsive buying: Shopping has become a sport in this country and credit card debt is hitting an all time high. Before you break out your plastic to get that new Prada handbag ask yourself - do I really need this Will this improve my life Is this "thing" worth the time I will have to put in working in order to pay for it If the answer is no then dont buy it.

Relinquish some control: You cant speed up the driver in front of you, make the check out line at the supermarket move more efficiently, or govern the happiness of others. Just let it go. Take some deep breathes in traffic, practice your Kegel Exercise while waiting at the grocery store, and lead your life with integrity. Dont carry the weight of the world on your shoulders - its too heavy.

Reduce decisions: While having a choice is a good thing, too many options can be overwhelming. Whether you are contemplation a major purchase, or deciding what to cook for dinner, limit your self to two options. Choose one, then be happy with your decision - second guessing never helped anyone.

Enjoy the little things in life: Read a book, take a walk, have a bubble-bath, start a snowball fight with your kids, eat together as a family at the kitchen table, garden, snuggle, pursue a hobby, listen to music, write a letter, meditate, and follow your passions. Partake in everyday pleasures - all the things that dont entail shopping, spending, or crowds - and spend quality time with the ones you love.

Living simply is not about depravation; its about living well. Our lives are complicated, in part, because we make them that way. Resolve to make 2005 the year of simplicity, and greet the coming months with a relaxed and peaceful spirit.

About The Author

Deborah Martin is a writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. She holds a masters degree in psychology and is a licensed professional counselor. She is a certified teleclass leader and offers teleclasses and workshops on a variety of subjects. For more information please visit her website at www.dreamlearncreate.com.

dmartin@dreamlearncreate.com

1. Create a directory of web sites on a specific topic. Give people the option of adding the directory to their web site by linking to it. Put your business advertisement at the top of the directors home page. This technique will get lots of people to linkto your web site and give you free advertising.

2. Do you have a product or service that doesnt sell good Offer it as a free bonus for someone elses product or service. Get free advertising by placing your web site or business ad on the product or in the product package.

3. Trade autoresponder ads with other businesses. If both of you send out information with auto- responders just exchange a small classified ad to put at the bottom or top of each others autoresponder message.

4. Start a free tip line. Offer a free daily, weekly, or monthly tip recorded on your voice mail. The tips should be related to your business. Include your ad for your web site or business at the beginning or end of your message.

5. Exchange content with other web sites and ezines. You could trade articles, top ten lists, etc. Both parties could include a resource box at the end of the content.

6. Offer to insert ads into your product package for other businesses. Just ask, in return that they do the same for your business. You should only trade insert ads with businesses that have the same target audience.

7. Offer a free daily class in your web sites chat room. The class should be related to the subject of your business or web site. This will get people to visit your web site everyday.

8. Do you have a product that doesnt sell good Offer it as a free bonus for another businesses product or service. Youll get free advertising by placing your web site or business ad on the free bonus.

9. Place different emotional response ads for the same product or service all over your web site. One ad may hit their hot button to buy more than another ad.

10. Publish your e-zine in e-book format. You could offer a larger number of articles per issue. It also allows you to include graphics with your ezine.Your advertising revenue would increase because you could charge businesses for large color ads.

About The Author

Article Written by John Smith of www.10BestEcommerceHosting.com - Need a webhost Avoid hosting headaches and mistakes, read informative reviews of top rated web hosting companies from a trusted source. Visit us today for a free personalized recommendation based on your specific web hosting needs. webmaster@10bestecommercehosting.com