freetime-shopping: 2008

วันศุกร์ที่ 8 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2551

How to Network Effectively

Author : Dee Piziak
Networking is the single most effective way to job hunt and to increase business opportunities. Without a circle of high quality professional acquaintances, you will be severely disadvantaged throughout your career. However, building this circle requires planning and you have to continually work at it. How do you get started? Most importantly, how do you make sure you aren't turning people off or damaging your reputation? Read on to learn the fundamentals of effective networking - what TO do and what NOT to do.How to Start- There's really no single formula. However, I recommend that you start with a specific goal and timeframe. For example, decide to meet 3 new people in your field who work both in your company and in other firms over the next 6 months. Once you "program" that goal into your brain, you'll be amazed at the number of opportunities that come your way. Sign up for seminars, attend presentations, take a class, or ask a friend to introduce you to someone. Just get going. And don't worry about imposing – people are generally very nice and like to help each other out.How to Get People Interested in You- Who are you interested in networking with? Probably people who are cheerful, hard-working, well put together and well thought of, right? Well, then you need to work on being that kind of person yourself. You have to demonstrate that you are worth building a relationship with.If you're meeting someone for the first time, let them do most of the talking. People love to talk about themselves. Ask them about their interests, profession…whatever. First, you'll learn pretty quickly if this person is someone you want to keep in touch with. Second, if you do ask them for their business card or contact information, they will gladly give it to you because they now look upon you very favorably as being "a good listener". Make sure you ask for permission to contact them in the future. Don't assume that you can. Just say something like "I'm glad we met. May I keep in touch with you?" If you've used the active listening approach I described, they always say "Yes" or "Of course".If someone isn't interested in networking with you, just back off. Don't bug them or try to change his or her mind. Be objective about why this is the case and try to determine if there is something about yourself that needs improvement. If they never come around, don't worry about it. The world is a big place and there are plenty of great people out there.Start Off Conservatively- Wait for at least 24-48 hours to pass before getting in touch with someone after you meet them. Otherwise, they might get the impression that you're needy or over-eager. Don't ask for huge favors the very first time you communicate with someone, either. Networking is a give-and-take process, not a one-time event. People don't "owe" you anything just because you were introduced or exchanged business cards.Mind Your Manners- What ever happened to "Please" and "Thank you"? People of all ages are violating this basic rule and it's appalling. Use an appropriate level of formality and respectful tone. Over time you can become more relaxed but never, ever lose basic courtesy. If you're sending an email, watch your grammar and spell check it before sending. If you're leaving a voicemail, write it out first and practice saying it a few times. That way, it will be delivered it smoothly and naturally. Your verbal and written communication reflects who you are.Demonstrate Respect for Process and Position- Don't ask people to go around their company's internal processes or to leap over organizational levels for you. This puts them on the spot. Instead, ask them to explain what their company's process is and who they recommend that you contact. Always, always ask for permission to use their name before doing so. This approach shows that you are a responsible and trustworthy person. And, you will ultimately get in touch with the right individual(s) through a series of personal internal referrals Trust me – this works.Set Up a Schedule- A preset schedule will ensure that you keep in regular contact with your networking circle. 2-3 times a year is a good guideline, unless you are working with someone on a specific project or request. Make it a convenient time for them – breakfast, coffee, lunch, or after work. Keep it to 30 minutes. If the other person wants to make it longer, let them suggest it, not you.Keep the Conversations Productive- Be completely professional and upbeat in your networking activities. Networking is not a vehicle for you to whine, complain, or badmouth. It's an opportunity for you to learn from others and to help them out as well. Anybody who is a quality individual for you to know will not be interested in listening to garbage. In networking circles, word travels fast about which people to avoid. Don't get on that list.Be a Giver, Not a Taker- Keep track of how many times you ask for favors. You should be giving and taking in equal measure. End each conversation with "Thanks for your time. Please tell me how I can help you." Even if the other person says "Oh, don't worry about it." or "I don't really need anything right now." - they will always remember you as being a very unselfish and thoughtful person. I cannot stress enough how much networking is about helping others. Again, word travels fast about which people just take, take, take and never do anything for anyone else. Don't get on that list, either.Be on Your Best Behavior at all Times- Not everyone is an outgoing extrovert. And we all have bad days. But the world is a small place and people have long memories. You never know who you will run into and whose assistance you will need, even if it's years and years from now. You can never go wrong by being kind and respectful to everyone all the time.You Must Sow Before You Reap- Start networking NOW. Don't wait until you need something. There is nothing more annoying than getting a phone call from someone you just met or someone who hasn't been in touch for years (or worse yet, didn't return your calls when you contacted them) asking for a big favor.If you truly don't need anyone or anything right now, then reach out to others and help them. And be sincere about it. Develop the reputation for being someone who helps others. Not only is it the right thing to do, but by doing so, you will build up a "bank" of goodwill that you can easily tap into when you really need it. Believe me, that day will come and when it does, you'll be amazed at the outpouring of assistance you'll get.Protect Your Good Name and Reputation- Don't feel obligated to let just anyone into your personal network. Be especially careful if you have any doubts about how a person's behavior will reflect upon you, even if you've known this person since childhood or if she is your second cousin. It can take someone less than 5 minutes to ruin the good reputation you've spent years and years building.Don't blow the person off. Return the phone call and listen to the request with respect. Then simply say "I wish I could help you out. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position right now to be of assistance. If things change, I'll certainly get in touch with you." Leave it at that.Dee Piziak is a manager for a Fortune 500 company and a university instructor. Her consulting firm, Acadia Communications, specializes in professional coaching, career development, and resume writing. Visit her website at http://www.acadiacommunications.com
Category : Business:Networking

วันศุกร์ที่ 25 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2551

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 20 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Debt and Bill Consolidation - Signs You Need To Consolidate Your Debt

Author : Carrie Reeder
If your debt is becoming difficult to get on top of, here are some questions to ask yourself to help you determine if you need some help managing or consolidating your debt. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should probably consider applying for a debt consolidation loan or seeking help from a debt management service.1. Do you borrow from one credit card to pay another?2. Are you unable to pay down any principal on your loan balances and can you only afford to make the minimum monthly payments?3. Do you make your loan payments on the very last possible day that you can get away with making your payment? Are you unable to make your payments even a week ahead of the due date?4. Do you find yourself putting necessities like groceries and gas on a credit card without being able to pay it back by the end of the month?5. Are you continually seeking new loans or loan sources in order to keep up with your expenses and bills?6. Do you have more than 5 credit card payments? Are you paying your debt payments to many different companies every month?If your income is maxed out with debt or credit card payments every month, it can be very discouraging to work all month and only be able to keep up, or not even quite keep up with your bills and debt. Debt can be manageable and livable if you are making progress with paying down your debt balances.Sometimes, if your income has dropped or you are in a situation where you have gotten yourself into too much debt. It is best to seek help managing your debt, or applying for a debt consolidation loan, which can lower your monthly payments and leave you the extra money every month to start paying down your principal balance.You can have financial breathing room if you can consolidate your bills into lower monthly payments. It is a smart thing to do if you are struggling to make your minimum payments.There are many ways that debt can be consolidated. If you have a home with some equity, you can apply for an equity line of credit which can be used to consolidate your debt. Even if you have no equity in your home, you may be able to qualify for a home loan which will go over the amount of equity you have in your home, sometimes up to 125% of your homes value.To view our list of recommended debt consolidation companies or home equity line of credit sources, visit these pages: Recommended
Debt Consolidation Companies and Recommended Home
Equity Line of Credit SourcesCarrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about loans. The site has informative articles and the latest finance news.
Category : Broadband Internet

วันศุกร์ที่ 25 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Network Markaters Irrefutable Law #5 - The Law of E.F. Hutton

Author : Kevin McNabb

ass="view_date">February 9th, 2007Irrefutable Law #5 - The Law of E.F. HuttonWhen the Real Leader Speaks, People ListenThe real leader holds the power, not just the position.Thats why this is called the Law of E.F. Hutton. Because when the real leader speaks, people do listen.Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you arent. Margaret ThatcherIf you see a disparity between whos leading the meeting and whos leading the people, then the person running the meeting is not the real leader.The Eyes Have ItOnce you learn the Law of E.F. Hutton, youll never have trouble figuring out who the real leader is in just about any situation. For example, go to a meeting with a group of people youve never met before and watch them for five minutes. Youll know who the leader is. When somebody asks a question, who do people watch? Who do they wait to hear? The person they look at is the real leader.The next time youre in a meeting, look around you. See if you notice a differencebetween these to kinds of leaders:Positional Leader Real LeadersSpeak First Speak laterNeed the influence of the real leader to get things done Need only their own influence to get things doneInfluence only the other positional leaders Influence everyone in the roomThe real test of leadership isnt where you start out. Its where you end up.Will the Real Leader Please Stand UpDont listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader. Instead, watch the reactions of the people around him. The proof ofleadership is found in the followers.People Become Real Leaders Because of How do the real leaders become the real leaders in the group? As outlined in the Law of Process, leadership is not developed in a day. Neither does a persons recognition as a leader. Over the course of time, seven key areas reveal themselves in leaders lives that cause them to step forward as leaders:1.Character Who They Are - True leadership always begins with the inner person.2.Relationships Who They Know - Youre a leader only if you have followers, and that always requires the development of relationships the deeper the relationships, the stronger the potential for leadership.3.Knowledge What They Know - Information is vital for a leader. You need a grasp of the facts, an understanding of the factors involved, and a vision for the future.4.Intuition What They Feel - Leadership requires more than just a command of data. It demands an ability to deal with numerous intangibles as outlined in the Law of Intuition.5.Experience Where Theyve Been - The greater the challenges youve faced in the past, the more likely followers are to give you a chance. Experience doesnt guarantee credibility, but it encourages people to give you a chance to prove that you are capable.6.Past Success What Theyve Done - Nothing speaks to followers like a good track record.7.Ability What They Can Do - The bottom line for followers is what a leader is capable of.When She Spoke Once you have a handle on the Law of E.F. Hutton, you understand that people listen to what someone has to say not necessarily because of the truth being communicated in the message, but because of their respect for the speaker.How do people react when you communicate? When you speak, do people listen I mean really listen? Or do they wait to hear what someone else has to say before they act? You can find out a lot about your level of leadership if you have the courage to ask and answer that question. Thats the power of the Law of E.F. Hutton.Kevin McNabbhttp://tinyurl.com/yrxbct Pave the road to freedom and prosperity.Learn the secrets of exploding yor SUCCESSfrom over 50 of the World's Greatest Expert's.http://tinyurl.com/yrxbct

Category : General Business: Network Marketing

วันจันทร์ที่ 14 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Casino games. Mathematics in the gambling world.

Author : Arthur Prudent

In the industry of gambles the most if not all depends on precision of a mathematical approach. Operators of gambling-houses and professional gamblers know that but those who want to make a fortune at the casino do not think about it. To understand the gamble, a player should know some determinatives the most important of which is expected value. This is a sum of all possible values of a random variable on probabilities of these values (it is rather easy if think it over). Often expected value is called simply average value. As to gambles expected value implies house edge that is expressed an average gain/loss ratio to the initial stake value. Mathematical expected value of every hands is an average gain/loss on given cards of a gambler. So the amount of expected values of all possible hands makes a general expected value of the gamble. Thus expected value is not a ratio of an average loss to a total amount of money staked by a gambler as in some gambles (such as blackjack or poker) a gambler can increase the stake after the cards were distributed to him. Supplementary increase of the stake does not participate in calculation of expected value of the game/hands while determining initial bet, but it increases the risk. To compare different gambles under this parameter they use another value an element of risk. The element of risk is a ratio of a medium gain/loss to a total amount of money staked on the table. This value also lets estimate and compare different gambles in matter of their profitability and riskiness. The reason the better hand of a gambling house is calculated as to the initial stake and not as to a medium stake is such that if, for example, a gambler knows that in this game his better hand is 0.1% he can determine that a medium gain for every 100 dollars stake will be 10 cents. There is also a concept of STANDARD DEVIATION, a value characterizing fluctuations of the bank playing this gamble. As a rule, it is used to determine probability of the fact that the result of given gamble session will be placed within some limits. Standard deviation of a final result after N stakes is the amount of standard deviation for one stake and square root of a number of initial stakes made in given gamble session. This is the case when supposed that a stake value is always constant. Probability of the fact that the result of the session can be within limits of 1 standard deviation from expected value is equal to 68.26%. Probability of the fact that the result of the session can be within limits of 2 standard deviations is equal to 95.46%. Probability of the fact that the result of the session can be within limits of 3 standard deviations is equal to 99.74%. These concepts are used by everybody who takes a gamble as a business. They influence those who ignore mathematics. And the less a man related to a gambling business pays attention to mathematics, the less chances to win he has. Copyright 2006-2007 Casino bonus codes Tanya N. is the developer of Casino bonus codes , web site covering gambling news, features reviews on Casinos, bonuses promotions and more. Casino games. Mathematics in the gambling world.

Category : General Gaming / Casinos

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 13 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

ReInvent Your Product

Author : Valerian Dinca
Sales, that unique experience that comes and go!When we have it, we think it will last forever, when we donâ€™t, we worry that it will never come. It is not only an experience, it is a way of living in a permanent challenge with competition, with customers and with ourselves.

You have been successful selling your product for a while. You have grown, you have achieved your goals and you have the will to continue to grow and achieve! You cannot wait just doing nothing the time when you will have no demands because your product is an old one.

You must find something new to keep your market warm or if you don't have one, is the time to Reinvent Your Product!

1. Evaluate your product very carefully and make a list with its functions. You might discover a new one or a function you have never promoted.

2. Evaluate the market demand and check the list with your product functions. It is very possible to find that you cover a demand you have never took into consideration.

3. Evaluate the content of promotion in the light of above two points and add a new benefit your competition doesn't offer and use it as your main selling tip.

4. Analyze the ways trough other similar successful products are promoted (websites, mini sites, ezines, etc) to see if you spread the information in an usual and comfortable mode for customers.

5. Set a package containing your product and another 3-4 (free) products (reports, e-books, tools, programs, etc). Promote this full package as a new product able to solve a larger area of problems.

6. Choose a new name but not a very different one. Your old customers must recognize previous brand and product they trust. The simplest method is to add 'Gold', 'Platinum' or something else to draw attention that your product is a new one.

You may think this ReInvention process seems unorthodox, but it sure has worked for other people and will work for you as well. There is no reason to judge yourself because you can't do something extraordinary as long as people buy from you.Valerian Dinca is the owner of the newest online business tutorial. Everything you need when you need it.
Category : Leasing

วันอังคารที่ 8 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Have you found your dream home?

Author : dinesh

Hi Friends,Have you found your dream home? If you & rsquo;re ready to buy a home but don’t have enough cash for the down payment, MaicoHomeLoans can help you with an 80% first mortgage and a 20% second mortgage that cover the purchase price of your new home. Find the best possible home loan for purchasing the home. MaicoHomeLoans offers best home loans and mortgage loans, refinancing rates, and home equity loans in across the USA. Find the lowest mortgage rates for your home loan in California USA. You don't need to look any further for your home equity loan or equity line of credit loan . If you refinance your mortgage, you may be able to reduce your rate. Do you need extra cash to purchase house then MaicoHomeLoans will help you definitely. For more details visit www.maicohomeloans.comThanks,Paul. You don't need to look any further for your home equity loan or equity line of credit loan . If you refinance your mortgage, you may be able to reduce your rate. Do you need extra cash to purchase house then MaicoHomeLoans will help you definitely. For more details visit www.maicohomeloans.com

Category : GEneral Business: Finance

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 6 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Rubber Stamps ? Advice to help choose the right product for you

Author : Seymour Brown

Rubber Stamps ? Advice to help choose the right product for youMany of you may have used rubber stamps before either while crafting or in the office. Rubber stamps are pieces of rubber that can be carved and molded into an image or pattern. The rubber can be mounted onto a stable block and then the ink is coated onto the design and then pressed onto some sort of fabric or paper so the colored image is transferred. There are three basic types of stamps. These are listed below;1) Regular Rubber StampsThese are the basic kind that are used with a separate ink pad. They are easy to get hold of and cheap to buy. However they may be messy if not used properly. This type is ideal for crafters since you can own a variety of designs to decorate almost anything. However, these stamps are also perfect for office workers. The stamp does not need to be replaced only the inkpad when it runs out, which is another advantage.2) Self-inking StampsThese are mechanical stampers with an internal stamp pad attached. The stamp hits the internal inkpad using a swivel action between each use. The advantages of this type of stamp is that they are quick and easy to use making multiple stamping a breeze perfect for anyone working in an office where stamps are used on a regular basis. These are re-inkable and very reasonably priced. However, when the inkpad runs out you will need to buy the whole stamp. Brand names that you may have heard of include Ideal, Trodat, or Cosco.3) Pre-inked StampsThis type of stamp has dye impregnated onto the design. These pre-inked stamps can be split into three types. These are polymer gel pre-inks, the latest in technology flash stamps, and the laser engraved vulcanized rubber stamps. These types of stamps are a lot more expensive but are ideal for offices that use the same stamp over and over again, since they are durable and long lasting, cheap to re-ink, and made to the highest quality. Stamping is considered to be a fantastic hobby where people can collect different designs while others enjoy the designs they can make with the stamps. These decorative stamps can be used on letters, greetings cards, banners, and other similar things to add that personalized touch. The techniques involved in the art of rubberstamping are varied and you can find whole websites devoted to this subject. In fact there are even clubs that you can join so you can get together with others to make things and share techniques and even their stamps!Nicky Whatmore writes for http://www.rubberstamps1.com and has been stamping for many years. Nicky Whatmore writes for http://www.rubberstamps1.com and has been stamping for many years.

Category : General Lifestyle: Pastimes

วันเสาร์ที่ 5 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Network Marketing Success- MLM Success Law of Resistance in MLM Recruiting

Author : Doug Firebaugh

by Doug Firebaugh MLM Success Muscles. There is a Law of Success called the Law of Resistance. And it says that there is no success without resistance to build your "Success Muscles." Resistance is everything in fitness training. There must be resistance on the muscles in order to build and develop them to the size and shape you want. The resistance or opposing force on your muscles, forces them to work in a manner that will create new opportunities for them to grow, enlarge, and expand due to the pressure exerted on them. The body sends the right nutrients and muscle building material to create and solidify the growth. And the growth becomes a result of the opposing force on the muscle, and it's neccessity to become stronger and bigger due to the resistance it has experienced. INFERNO Secret: It is the same in MLM Recruiting. There is NO Success in Network Marketing recruiting without having resistance, and you will never grow in your skillset if you don't encounter the word 'NO' and negative responses. When you do, your brain can send you 'Muscle building nutrients' to build your resolve, determination, focus, and skillset. What happens when you hear the word NO is simple. Most people take it as a negative and look at it as you have done something wrong. (Subconscious thinking) It's part of being human, and how most of us were programmed growing up. No meant "Don't do that!" But what you may not be aware of is that certain Success Forces were put into motion in you and your business with the word "No" that you can either work for you -- or against you. It's called 'Resistance.' The word NO, or Opposing Force in your recruiting attempt stretched you a little in your mind and emotions and forced you to react in some manner. You decide how you respond, positive or negative. Your choice. But the moment that you look at negatives or resistance as BUILDING YOU AND YOUR MLM BUSINESS and an integral part of it, you will have tapped into the Success Power of the Opposing Force in MLM. And you will get better, simply from the mental/emotional resistance that FORCES you to grow and expand who you are. As you grow, so goes your business and recruiting. Network Marketing Success Growth. The more resistance you receive, you will get: 1) Better at neutralizing objections. 2) Better at staying emotionally motivated. 3) Better at doing riveting presentations. 4) Better at building energy in you and people. 5) Better at finding the RIGHT people. 6) Better at handling the pressure and resistance of the word NO. 7) Building your confidence to do this business. 8) Building Your Focus. And if all of the above happens, you will need to open yourself a NEW bank account. And there will be NO resistance on your part to do that I am sure. (smile) Simply, Resistance builds your "MLM Recruiting Success Muscles." And they are built One 'NO' or Negative Comment at a Time. Without it, you never will obtain the Emotional Strength, Recruiting Mastery, and Success that you seek. Here are some Success Mucle Builders: 'I wouldn't be interested." 'This is a pyramid." 'I don't have the time." "I have seen these before,. and they do not work." "I cannot afford to join." "I am not a salesperson." "No, this would be anything that I would want to do." And any other negative opposing comment has tremendous value to your future in MLM. Each time you hear them, and the resistance happens, you are building you a little more on the INSIDE to make it easier to work this business on them OUTSIDE. The Last MLM Word. Remember -- the last word in resistance is "stance." Take a 'mental stance' that all negatives in MLM are building you and your business. And how does that help? Like sore muscles, it may hurt for a little bit at first. But once those 'MLM Recruiting Muscles' are built, and THEY WILL BE. Then, You will be the 'Schwarznegger' of Network Marketing Recruiting! blessings...doug PassionFire Intl (c) 2005/ all rights reserved http://www.passionfire.com http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_8.html

Doug Firebaugh is one of the top MLM Network Marketing Trainers in the world. Over a million people a monthread his training ezine. He spent the last 7 years traveling the world speaking and training on Success.He lives in Birmingham Michigan, and you can receive aFREE subscription to his training ezine- The MLMSuccess HEAT- at:http://www.passionfire.com/pf_heat_4.htmlhttp://www.passionfire.com

Category : General Marketing

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 3 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Erectile Dysfunction

Author : Robert Baird
There is another place in the Caribbean that I have spent a lot of time in. Today it is called Belize and it was a favorite hangout of the pirates. One of its special attractions is the chili plant that produces the hottest chili in the world. The same conditions in the soil also bring us root juices that would have been used by Tantra or other sexual ritual practitioners in places like Josephineâ€™s Virgin (Yes like the Virgin Mary, who was no virgin.) Islands. I can easily imagine Ambergris Caye had a production center of this juice. I know this is one of the few places (Just two.) where the Merovingians have an ashram. These are the Essenes and the local legends there tell us Jesus (Yeshua) came to the Mayan lands and I think his last words reported in the Bible make more sense translated through Mayan.We are inundated with nonsense about Erectile Dysfunction today. Some authors negate the importance of psychology and few address the creative aspects of Tantra. Of course, you can be sure; I think the Merovingian drug or pharmaceutical complex is involved in keeping secrets. This is a link that mentions Ambergris Caye which is near San Pedro and the Essene location - http://www.ambergriscaye.com/pages/medicine4.html and ambergris brought back by whalers may be connected. They love to make stories up that keep the secret and build mystery.â€œREJUVENATION HERBS FOR OLDER PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM HEART PROBLEMS, BLOOD FLOW AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION. ANCIENT MAYA ROOTS - USED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.The root juice sold in Belize is concocted from Coclemeca and Gangweo in combination. The supply is limited and seems to be left over plants around Mayan ceremonial centers from long ago. Since the plants require 35 years to grow, the source is estimated sufficient only for about 500 people.â€ (5)Author of Divere Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
World-Mysteries.comguest 'expert'
Category : Aviation

วันอังคารที่ 1 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2551

Cheap Tickets and Discount Airfare.

Author : Mike Yeager

Finding the best deals for cheap tickets and discount airfare has just become easier. In the past, if you wanted to find cheap tickets and discount airfares you had to contact a travel agent and explain where and when you wanted to go. They would do some research and eventually get back to you with a deal. Well, not anymore!Today you can seek out and find cheap tickets and discount airfares, just by entering a few words into a computer right from your own home. Are you looking for the best deals around? Well, in a few minutes you can find a plane ticket that will take you anywhere you want to go. You can search out the Cheapest, most Discounted airfare originating from anywhere and going to anywhere...literally in the world.You choose your destination, you choose your schedule, you choose which ticket price suits YOU best and when you're finished, you complete the transaction, right from the comfort of your own home. Cheap tickets and discount airfare, it can't get any easier than that!The best Cheap Tickets and Discount Airfares resource you'll find. When shopping online for cheap tickets and discount airfares, be sure to compare prices with flight departure times and schedules. Seasonal variations can affect travel prices and flight schedules. You'll find that searching for and purchasing a plane ticket online is easy and fun. Mike YeagerPublisher<a href="http://www.a1-travel-4u.com/" target=new>http://www.a1-travel-4u.com/</a><a href="mailto:mjy610@hotmail.com">mjy610@hotmail.com</a>

Category : General Publishing

The Tulip Bulb Mania - Extraordinary Popular Delusions And The Madness Of Crowds

Author : Roger Sorensen
"Sober nations have all at once become desperate gamblers, and risked almost their existence upon the turn of a piece of paper. To trace the history of the most prominent of these delusions is the object of the present pages. Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one." --Charles MacKay, 1841Have you heard about the speculative tulip bulb craze that gripped seventeenth-century Holland? The peak of the mania saw a single tulip bulb selling for the equivalent of $150,000 or it might have been $1,500,000, depending on which historian is doing the talking. This story is true, it really happened, and it could happen again.In 1559 Conrad Gestner brought the first tulip bulbs from Constantinople to Holland and Germany, and people fell in love with them. In very short order tulip bulbs became a status symbol for the wealthy â€" they were very beautiful and difficult to get.Early buyers were people who truly prized the lovely flowers, but it wasn't long before speculators got invovled and many buyers were merely in for the money. They created trading activity, and eventually tulip bulbs were placed onto the local market exchanges. By 1634, the demand to own tulips had spread from the wealthy class into the middle classes of Dutch society. Merchants and shopkeepers began to vie with one and another for single tulip bulbs.How bad was it? It was so bad... it was so bad that at the height of the tulip bulb bubble in 1635, a single tulip bulb was sold for the following items:â€¢ four tons of wheat
â€¢ eight tons of rye
â€¢ one bed
â€¢ four oxen
â€¢ eight pigs
â€¢ 12 sheep
â€¢ one suit of clothes
â€¢ two casks of wine
â€¢ four tons of beer
â€¢ two tons of butter
â€¢ 1,000 pounds of cheese
â€¢ one silver drinking cup.The present day value of all these items comes to nearly $40,000! For a single tulip bulb we don't even know the color of. Things became so bizarre that people were selling everything they owned â€" their homes, their livestock, everything â€" to buy single bulbs on the expectation that the bulbs would continue to grow in value.By 1636, tulips were established on the Amsterdam stock exchange to accomodate the speculators and gamblers who had become the primary purchasers of tulip bulbs.Tulip notaries and clerks were appointed to record transactions, and public laws and regulations were developed to control the craze. Late in 1636, a few tulip owners began to liquidate their holdings. At first prices began to weaken slowely, then more rapidly as confidence was destroyed. By then panic seized the market.Within six weeks, tulip prices crashed by 90%. Defaults on contracts and liens on owners were widespread and the Dutch government refused to interfere. Instead, it simply advised tulip holders to agree among themselves on some plan to stabilize prices and restore public confidence. Eventually assembled deputies in Amsterdam declared null and void all contracts that were made at the height of the mania, these were the ones made prior to November 1636. Tulip contracts made after November 1636 were settled if buyers paid merely 10% of the prices to which they had earlier agreed.Tulip prices continued to fall. Next, the provincial council in the Hague was asked to invent some measure to stabilize tulip prices and public credit. Tulip prices continued to fal. In Amsterdam, judges regarded tulip contracts as gambling activities and court rules held that gambling debts were not debts in the eyes of the law. No court in Holland would enforce payment. Tulip collectors, speculators, and gamblers who had tulips at the time of the collapse were left with ruinous losses.Tulip prices soon plunged past the present equivalent of a dollar each. Is it possible for you to imagine buying an investment for $76,000, only to discover six weeks later that it was worth no more than one dollar? Commerce in Holland suffered a severe shock it did not recover from for many years.Now I know you are thinking "What kind of fool would possibly get caught up in that?â€ I understand, weâ€™re talking TULIPS here â€" not food, shelter, clothing, or firearms! TULIPS! What could cause people to lose such control of their senses?I believe the answer is greed. Instead of building the value of their portfolios carefully and with understanding, they went for the quick buck. As long as it looked like the sky was the limit, nobody wanted to accept the fact that they were buying very expensive tulip bulbs.Do you think people are too smart to fall for this kind of speculative risk today? Do you remember the Internet Craze of the late 90's? Otherwise how about these great investment words: Beanie Baby.Roger SorensenAmerica's Financial Guide can be found at ==>http://www.Slave2Work.com Subscribe to Money Basics via http://www.slave2work.com/ezine.htmlSlave2Work.com - Are you ready for financial freedom?
Category : Games

วันจันทร์ที่ 31 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

3 Most Expensive Home Refinance Mistakes

Author : L. Sampson
Refinancing your home can give you extra cash to make home improvements, pay bills, etc. A home refinance can also give you a lower interest rate or get you out of trouble if you have fallen behind on your payments. However, getting a home refinance loan is serious business, and should not be taken lightly. Below is a list of the three most common, and most expensive, home refinance mistakes. Do everything you can to avoid making these errors.Mistake One: High Rate RefinancingYou should carefully consider the interest rate when refinancing. If your new interest rate is no lower than the current rate that you pay, refinancing may not be a good idea. Unless it is absolutely unavoidable, you should not refinance your home at a high interest rate.Mistake Two: Borrowing Too MuchBorrowing too much money is a common home refinance mistake. No matter how much money you borrow, you will have to pay it back. Consider this carefully before you decide to refinance your home. Remember, if you get a large loan and cannot make the large payments, you could be putting your home at risk.Mistake Three: Forgetting About Closing CostsWhen you refinance your home, you will have to pay closing costs. The amount that you pay will depend upon your financial lender, but expect to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars upon closing. If you are unwilling to do this, or if you are unable to come up with the money, you may want to forget about refinancing and get a home equity loan instead. Home equity loans do not have closing costs.Go to http://www.refinancesmarts.com for more Home Mortgage Refinancing Tips.
Category : Finance:Mortgage-Refinance

Free Online Advertising: 10 Dynamic Secrets To Make Your Ad Stand Out And Ignite Sales

Author : I-key Benney
No matter what youâ€™re marketing or promoting, if your
Ad doesnâ€™t stand out, no one will notice
and read it.If it stands out, it will get attention and youâ€™ll
generate sales.What are the tricks to make an Ad stand out?Let me reveal some of these free online advertising secrets
to you:1. Place colorful graphs, pie charts and other charts
in your ad copy. Use charts that will grab a persons
eye and also support your product claims.2. Highlight buying incentives like free bonuses and
money back guarantees. You could place them in
boxes or in front of a different colored background.3. Use short sentences or sentence fragments in the
body of your ad copy. A short burst of words can
catch a skimmers eye with one quick glance.4. Highlight all the important keywords and phrases
in your ad copy. You could use bolding, underlining
and color to highlight the important words.5. Place attention grabbing pictures above and within
your ad copy. A powerful technique is to use before
and after pictures of people using your product.6. Use a headline that catches the attention of your
target audience. One of the most effective ways is
to use a free offer as your headline.7. Make your ad's keywords and phrases standout
by enlarging the text. This technique works wonders
with headlines and sub headlines.8. Make your products list of benefits and features
stand out by using a symbol in front of each of them.
The symbol could be a dash, solid circle, star, etc.9. Use sub headlines to break up your ad copy and
to capture a skimmers eye. You could make them
even more powerful by highlighting them with color.10. Use attention grabbing adjectives to describe
your product. For example sizzling, incredible, high
power, ultramodern, killer, eye popping, etc.May these free online advertising secrets help you
to make a lot of money.Warmly,I-key Benney, CEOI-key, a Millionaire CEO from New York City is the creator of "Mscsrrr: Millionaire Secret Cash System",(Day trading) which has helped thousands of ordinary people from all over the world to attain financial security and shining success during the past 2 yrs.Mscsrrr Millionaire Cash System helps you to generate $1,500+/Week for life, from home or office, part time or full time. No large investment or hassles. Win $1000-$2000 free â€œcashâ€.
Category : Gambling & Casinos

วันเสาร์ที่ 29 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

New Company To Offers Services to Wholesalers, Chains, and Low Price Cigarette Manufactureers

Author :

Two veterans of the tobacco industry have partnered to form a brokerage firm for discount cigarettes and related products. The company, Discount Tobacco Services (DTS), will act as a go-between for manufacturers, wholesalers and chains.DTS is headquarted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will be servicing wholesalers, manufacturers and chains in the northeastern and southeastern United States. Manufacturers often cant, or chose not to, hire a full-time sales force. At the same time, chains and wholesalers would like to have a contact for their 4th tier product. We are addressing both of these needs by representing the manufacturer and serving as a contact for the chains and wholesalers, said Ed Murry, partner.Murry and partner Jeff Doehring have a combined 30 years experience in the tobacco industry, with both Philip Morris USA and Liggett Vector Brands, with proficiency at wholesale and chain sales and service. Through needs analysis and general conversations with manufacturers, wholesalers and chains, DTS will help to find the best possible match and then work as facilitators to ensure smooth and long term relationships. DTS will also serve as troubleshooters for manufacturers, wholesalers and chains.For more information on DTS, view the website at <a href="http://www.DTServices.net" title="test" target="_blank">www.DTServices.net</a>. You may contact Ed Murry at 724-518-4883 or e-mail protected from spam bots, or Jeff Doehring at 412-657-1772 or e-mail protected from spam bots.

Category : Press Releases

วันศุกร์ที่ 28 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

FBI Never Sleeps

Author : Betty Jo Sheley

The FBI indicates 3.7% rise in violent crimes throughout the USA during the first six months of 2006 in their 'Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report' (www.fbi.gov/publications.htm). This data, categorized by city's of 100,000 and over in population, can be a valuable tool to law enforcement agency partners in their prevention of violent crime, murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, property crime, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson. The FBI's investigations delve into every aspect of citizen health care including, but not limited to, false billings, psychiatric and acute care, supply company products, durable medical equipment, pharmacies and laboratories, internet and black market drug sales, etc. Health Care Fraud can potentially cause unnecessary illness or death as a result of fake prescriptions/tests and create substantial losses to Medicare, Medicaid and health care insurers. The FBI's 'Financial Crimes Section,' in partnership with 200+ Governmental Agencies, Task Forces, private industries and the SEC, investigates 24/7 to uncover falsification of Corporate asset information, money laundering, deceptive accounting entries, bogus hedge and inside trades, self-dealing tax violations, etc. From October 2001 through 2006 the Corporate Fraud Task force has pursued and "obtained 2,962 indictments/information's, 2,569 convictions and restitution totaling over $14.9 billion related to Corporate and Securities Fraud." Even while we sleep, FBI Agents and task forces within departments too numerous to name here are working to fulfill their commitment to solve and resolve crimes which impact the lives of USA citizens and the financial well being of the nation. Law enforcement agencies attributing to this thorough 'Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report' issued by Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, are listed below:Advisory: Criminal Justice Information Systems Committee, International Association of Chiefs of Police; Criminal Justice Information Services Committee, National Sheriffs' Association; Criminal Justice Information Services Advisory Policy Board Betty Jo Sheley, http://www.showlinehomesecurity.com Owner Security Products website for Home and Personal Protection. Author participated in Mayoral Conflict Resolution Institute, Community Think Tank Studies. Advise Author of article reprint including my link.

Category : General Government: Law Enforcement

Obtaining Self-Confidence

Author : Shamus Brown
A reader recently askedÂ me the following:
"I enjoyed the information you provided on your website, however you never mentioned how important Self-Confidence is in a sale. I have been told that I am an excellent sales person, however I lack the self-confidence to close the sale. Self Confidence is not easy to 'obtain' therefore for those us with this problem, we can never be successful in sales."
Self-confidence is a very important in sales. It seems to be one of those areas that people believe "you just have it, or you don't." Many people think that you are either a natural, are born talented, or you are incapable. My belief is that whatever one person can do, another person can do (what a person WILL do is another issue). I also believe that what humans have yet to accomplish, can be realized through ingenuity and persistence.
I want to discuss how one comes into a state of self- confidence. To do this, I am going to focus in on a couple of important pieces of what DG said. I think it would be useful before I do that though to define what self- confidence is. Obviously it is a feeling. A feeling of being able to do something. A feeling that one can accomplish what one sets out to do.
Reading my dictionary, I noted the following two definitions of self-confidence:

The state of being certain,
Trust or faith in one's abilities.
So when DG says "I lack the self-confidence to close the sale", what is she really saying? She is really saying that she is not certain, or that she lacks trust or faith.
Certainty in my experience is a state of being that comes about when one knows exactly what it going to happen. One can get to this state by one of two ways. The way most of us are familiar with is by doing something enough times until we know exactly what results we will get when we take certain actions. For some people in some situations, this can produce a lot of fear. The fear stops one from taking action.
The solution to the fear is in DG's statement that "self- confidence is not easy to 'obtain'". DG is correct, self- confidence cannot be obtained. One has to have trust or faith that one is capable. This is the short answer on how to get self-confidence.
The more detailed answer goes back to self-confidence being about a state of certainty. The way to create a state of certainty without first doing what one is unsure of is to create the results in advance.
Now that may sound kind of weird. How do you create results in advance? Easy. You do it in your mind using your imagination. Essentially, what you want to do is envision your desired goal or outcome, and then detail out a specific plan of exactly how you will get there.
You want a plan so specific that you answer "yes" to this question:
"If I take all these actions, will I get my outcome?"
Keep making your plan more specific until you can answer this question. When you can, you will suddenly realize that you have certainty that you will accomplish your goal. And when you have certainty about the future or your abilities, you can have trust and faith in the results.
Many people are loath to plan out their future. Others do so, but only part-way. One of the most limiting beliefs one can have is that detailed planning is only for anally retentive people. Go all the way and plan in detail until you can answer the simple but important question above.
To speed up the planning, copy someone who is already successful. You can find some of this information in books. You can interview and follow around the most successful sales rep that you can find. You can get a mentor, buy tapes, take classes. The information is out there. Because if someone has done it, then so can anyone else.
Once you find the right people to copy, find out what they believe about themselves and their success. Adopt their beliefs or pretend that you believe the same thing. Do this until you become the success that you want to be. Pretend for long enough, and you'll also discover that you are no longer pretending - you actually believe the same things that successful people do because you are one of them.
Â© 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/
Category : Public Relations

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 27 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Hobby Metal Craft Skills; What Exactly Are They?

Author : Colin Croucher
Have you ever watched a metal craftsman in action such as a
Blacksmith at a country fair... most people watch in awe as the
Blacksmith carefully heats a piece of iron in a charcoal forge
before placing it on the anvil and then proceed to hammer it into all kinds of unique shapes, it all looks pretty simple doesn't it...and the Blacksmith would probably tell you that it's not that difficult to hammer & shape things from red hot metal simply because it is quite fluid.He's right you know, generally all it takes to work with metal is
a small amount of knowledge & instruction, and some solid
practice, and before too long even a novice will be producing
good quality metal craft items.But there is a lot more to metal craft than just blacksmith work.While you can't deny that blacksmithing is a lot of fun, and a
skilful worker can make many practical and ornamental items.
With a little practice you could also produce beautiful iron
work, simply by using basic skills & equipment.In the early days the blacksmith was one of the most sought
after "skilled" workers in the village.But you know, you can take the art of blacksmithing another
step. You could use the forge to melt metals.What if you created a small charcoal fired furnace using your
existing forge, it wouldn't take much work to build up a simple
circle of bricks on the forge hearth to form a deep bed of charcoal so that you could produce a bed of red-hot glowing coals which will produce a large amount of heat.
Enough to heat and melt aluminium... maybe even bronze.Of course a crucible is required to place the scrap metal or ingots in for melting purposes,and the crucible needs to be buried in the bed of coals so the heat of the charcoal will do its work for you.All you need to do now is to apply a gentle blast of air from the
forge bellows to begin building the heat in the charcoal, and the
crucible with the scrap aluminium, or home made ingots will quickly melt in the crucible.Most hobby workers use a small electric motor attached to a blower to produce the correct amount of air blast, but for the moment, the manual operation of the forge bellows will suffice.High quality hardwood grade charcoal will produce a high amount of heat, in fact you'll notice with the added heat the alloy ingots will soon start to melt, and once that happens the pool of metal in the bottom of the crucible rapidly promotes the total melt.Once the metal has all melted, it is ready to pour into a sand mould. The idea is to prepare your sand moulds well before the metal has melted, so that everything is set up and ready to go.
Once the methods & techniques are learnt, the whole process is quite easy and straight forward.Any practical minded person could do it.We have many people visit our web site: www.myhomefoundry.com

looking for information about metal casting... lots of people around the globe are involved in metal casting, it can become quite addictive which is not surprising, when you realize all of the things that you can make.For the home engineer, inventor & project builder, hobby metal casting could be just the thing, if you want to create your own special castings at almost zero cost, i.e. once your mini foundry is established.If you take your time to build all of your equipment properly, it should last you for many years.To find out more about hobby metal casting and how you can employ
the methods & techniques to build & create your unique projects,
visit our web site to download a free ebook to begin your understanding of this intriguing metal craft.Col Croucher
Australia.
http://www.myhomefoundry.com

ezineArticles expert Author.
Helpfull, practical, down to earth information
for the novice & advanced metal caster.
Australia.
Category : Domains

วันพุธที่ 26 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Echinacea And The Common Cold

Author : Rebecca Prescott

Every year, as the winter months approach, we go out and spend million on various concoctions to ward off the dreaded common cold. In recent years, the most popular of these has been Echinacea, a natural substance that we are told will reduce the likelihood of us catching our cold, and will relieve our symptoms if we do catch one.The idea of using a natural form of cold relief is very appealing, particularly for parents looking for a mild, organic remedy for young children; an age group particularly susceptible to colds. And the science behind Echinacea? We are told it boosts the immune system and increases production of white blood cells which fight foreign bodies such as viruses in our bodies. But does Echinacea really work? Are those that take regular supplements of this substance any less likely to catch a cold than the rest of us, and will they have milder symptoms when they do? Research has proved inconclusive on these questions, but some studies do seem to indicate that the benefits of Echinacea are far less than we are led to believe. According to these studies, echinacea doesn't seem to have any preventative properties, as those who take this regularly are just as likely to develop the common cold when exposed to the virus. When Echinacea is taken after a cold has developed, it may decrease the duration of the illness by a couple of days, and possibly also reduce the severity of symptoms such as headaches, sore noses. A relatively large dose is needed, however, to achieve these effects, and symptoms such as coughs and swollen lymph glands are unaffected.In children, some research shows that Echinacea doesn't have any noticeable effect at all, even when taken in large doses after the symptoms of a common cold become apparent. In fact, some children develop an allergic reaction, such as a rash, when given large doses of Echinacea, so you should probably avoid this completely. So is the idea that Echinacea could cure the common cold a complete myth? The answer is not that simple.The problem with the studies that have been roundly critical of echinacea is that they do not use a standardized extract of echinacea in a dose that is considered to be therapeutic. If you take a drastically weakened concentration of any regular drug and administer it at doses that are significantly less than therapeutic, you are not going to achieve clinical results. It also allows you to make claims about needing a 'huge dose' to achieve clinical benefits. The reality is that clinical benefits do occur when the dose is concentrated at the appropriate level. Only when scientists start comparing apples with apples will there be meaningful results on herbal medicine such as echinacea. Vitamin C is another popular supplement used to beat symptoms of the common cold. Learn more about the different types of vitamin C available here.

Category : General Medical: Infectious Diseases

Positive Experiences Come Back 10 Fold

Author : Anthony Moore
How many times have you needed to call for a service such as carpet cleaning? Mechanic service? How about a more serious issue such as a flood service?Did you find that looking through the phone book just doesnâ€™t give enough info and searching online pops up to many unreliable, irrelevant leads? Either way, I personally find it hard at times to find quality, fast reliable service.For instance, I thought word of mouth was the best way to get what I am looking for. So I talked to a friend when my car broke down. â€œSureâ€ she said, I know just the place. After agreeing to pay a ridiculous price for a fast turn around, I thought money talks, right? Not in this case, 2 weeks later my car is still in the shop and the price has doubled.Well after explaining that I found the part myself for half the price they were charging, I would just have it towed to my location to fix it myself. I am quite handy and knew how to fix the problem, but I was going to pay so that I would not be under the hood when I needed to be out working. Trouble is I work from that vehicle and after 2 weeks you can get pretty hungry with no income.After the manager found out that I was taking my vehicle, they cut the price in half and I agreed to let them try again. We will see how that turns out. The point that I would like to make is that I see it all to often. I see companies take on more work than they can handle or put the same person on the back burner over and over again. I am a victim of that and it feels terrible. Do you think I will send them any biz?When I started my company Moore Services in 1997, I knew that word of mouth is the most respected advertisement and I wanted just that, a respected name that my customers could count on. From the first day of business, and even now my goal is to build a solid customer base of repeat satisfied customers. Now I have pride knowing that I still have many of my first customers all because of situations that had a negative impact on me. What I mean by that is, I knew I didnâ€™t like to be ripped off or taken advantage of and I sure donâ€™t want a single one of my customers to feel that way either.Sometimes you just need a fast response and hope for the best after making one phone call. I spend each day making sure that all of my customers feel that calling me is in fact that one call they can trust time and again with out a doubt if they need me. If you or a friend run a company, remind yourself of the frustrations you deal with and turn the situation around to make positive impressions and experiences for your customers. They will thank you 10 fold I promise. Try to confront every frustration as a new learning experience share a smile knowing that you would never do that to a friend or a customer.For every bad day you have, make someone elseâ€™s day a good day by giving them a no hassle experience. Remember, it comes back 10 fold maybe even 20 if they have that many friends and relatives. From 1 to 10 to 100 to 1000. Now that is a lot of happy customers from just 1 happy customer. Just imagine if you gave that one person a negative experience.Anthony Moore
http://www.shampooit.com

Dallas Carpet Cleaning by Moore Services
Perfect record with the BBB
Category : Satellite TV

Stellar Customer Service in 10 Simple Steps

Author : Debbie LaChusa
If you're like me, you've had plenty of experience with BAD customer service. Just think about the last time you had a bad experience with a product or a service.

Perhaps the product or service did not live up to the sales pitch. Maybe the company was unresponsive to your calls or emails. Maybe they did not do what they said they were going to do. Or they gave you the run-around when you called to report a problem or ask a question.

If you think about it, all of these negative experiences boil down to one thing, a lack of customer service. And a lack of customer service usually stems from a lack of customer focus. It seems many businesses have simply lost sight of who they are really in business to serve.

Instead of the old saying, "the customer is always right," many businesses seem almost bothered by customers these days. In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret from my early ad agency days. We used to have a saying, "this business would be great, if it wasn't for the clients."

How ridiculous is that?! We wouldn't have had a job if it weren't for the clients (I'm older and wiser now!). Yes, sometimes clients can be difficult, but they are the reason we are in business. Our job is to serve them. If they are upset, we should welcome the opportunity to find out why, and use that information to improve our product or service.

Yes, sometimes you'll run into some yahoo who is being totally unreasonable and you just have to deal with it. But very often, client complaints uncover a problem or something we can improve upon.

So make it a point to really listen to your customers. Make a commitment to treat all your customers well. After all, giving great customer services is one of the best and cheapest marketing tools available. When you treat your customers well, or even better, when you deliver beyond their expectations, you will be rewarded.

Those happy clients are the same clients who will happily refer you. The opposite is also true. If you disappoint a client, or don't deliver what you promise, or you just plain treat them badly, they will likely tell everyone they know how horrible you are. In fact, those disgruntled clients are more likely to talk about you than your happy clients. Unfortunately, that's just the way it usually works.

The good news is, it's not hard to give great customer service. You simply have to be aware and make it a priority. Following are 10 tips to help you offer stellar customer service.

(1) Be accessible

Your customers should be able to get a hold of you, or someone in your company, if they have a question or if they need service. Provide multiple ways for your customers to get in contact with you, such as email, phone, mail or fax.

(2) Respond in a timely manner

Make it your policy to return all phone calls or emails within 24 hours. And, if you cannot commit to that, then determine what timeframe you can manage and let your customers know upfront they can expect to hear back from you within that amount of time.

(3) Listen to your customers

Often when a customer calls or writes to complain, they just want to be heard. In fact, sometimes, just listening is all you need to do. Take the time to listen to what your customers have to say before you start responding or defending your product or service. They may just have a point.

(4) Treat your customers with respect

Even if the customer on the other end of the phone is acting irrationally, or being rude, don't lower yourself to their level by reciprocating. Treat everyone with respect and you will be respected in return. Plus, you never know when someone's just having a bad day, and they happen to be taking it out on you (we've all done it).

(5) Don't argue with your customers

You can never win an argument with a customer. Because if you do win, you've more than likely alienated the customer and you've lost their business. We all know the customer isn't really always right, but instead of focusing on what went wrong and defending yourself, focus on how you can solve the problem or fix the situation.

(6) Honor your commitments

If you say you will answer emails, then answer them. If you offer a guarantee, then honor it. Nothing spoils a customer relationship faster than being promised something and not getting it.

I got a nice email last week from a client that made me realize just how important this is. Here's what he wrote:

"Many thanks for your prompt and comprehensive reply. Your personal interest, caring and enthusiasm is clearly apparent. Most company owners invite you to respond and promise to reply personally, they seldom do so ..."

Yes, it took me some time to respond to his email. But I promise email support to all clients who purchase my 10stepmarketing System and therefore it is important to honor that commitment. If I ever get to the point I can no longer respond due to the volume of requests or other time commitments, I will stop offering this service, not just stop responding.

(7) Do what you say

If you say you're going to call someone on Tuesday, call them on Tuesday. It's as simple as that. If you want your customers to trust and believe you, you have to follow through and do what you say.

(8) Focus on making customer relationships, not sales

The long-term success of your business rests on your ability to make long-term customer relationships. If you sacrifice relationships to make short-term sales, your business will be short-lived.

(9) Be honest

Don't exaggerate the results your product or service will provide. Don't promise things you cannot deliver just to make a sale. I see hype all over the web these days; everything is a quick fix or a silver bullet. It suckers people into buying the product, and then the product doesn't deliver. Think that customer is ever going to make another purchase from that business? Not likely. Be honest and direct about what your products and services can deliver.

(10) Admit when you make a mistake

No one's perfect. We all make mistakes; it's part of learning. So when you do make a mistake, don't try to cover it up or deny it. Just admit it and if necessary, do something to make the situation right. Your customers will appreciate it and they'll be more likely to stay customers.

So how does your customer service measure up? Are you practicing these 10 steps and offering stellar customer service? If not, I challenge you to take your service up a notch. Approach it like Ken Blanchard and instead of just being satisfied with happy customers, create "Raving Fans" (a great little book if you haven't read it).

Commit to putting these 10 tips into practice. Get to know your customers. Make them the focus of your business. It's one of the keys to marketing success and best of all, it doesn't cost very much!

วันจันทร์ที่ 24 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Overview Of Evaporative Air Coolers

Author : Andrew Caxton

If you ask an older relative if they have heard of an evaporative cooler, they may say no. But chances are they would recognize the idea behind the technology. Before air conditioning or other cooler types existed, people would sleep outside on a screened in porch to try to stay cool at night. They would often hang damp sheets over the screens in an attempt to cool the air. As the hot air passed through the sheet, it was cooled. And then the cool air would slowly circulate, relieving some of the heat for the sleepers. The same idea exists today in the form of evaporative coolers. These machines are wonderful cooling mechanisms for people who live in hot, dry climates. They are also known by the name swamp coolers, but that can be misleading because they actually won’t work at all in swampy, humid conditions. The name probably came from the way that evaporative coolers actually add humidity to the air. But in fact, evaporative coolers need dry, hot air to work because in order for the air to be cooled, it has to be able to pick up (evaporate) some of the water. If the air is already saturated, it won’t pick up any more water and it won’t be cooled. Here’s how evaporative coolers work; the machine is composed of a fan that pulls the hot dry air inside the cooler, where it is passed through damp pads. The pads are kept damp by a pump that circulates water through the machine. As the dry air picks up some of the water, its temperature drops, sometimes by as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the climate. The cooler air is then blown into the room. An added bonus of an evaporative cooler is that the pads that cool the air also filter it. As the air passes through the pads, dirt, dust, allergens and other pollutants are captured in the fibers of the pads. So you’ll be breathing cleaner, cooler air. If you’re wondering why you should choose an evaporative cooler over a traditional air conditioner, there’s one more reason we haven’t covered yet. The cost to run an evaporative cooler can be as little as 1/10 the amount it costs to run an air conditioner. In fact, some community power companies in hot, dry climates will actually offer residents a rebate if they install an evaporative cooler because they recognize the effective, efficient cooling capabilities of the technology. Contact your local power company to see if they offer the rebates and ask if they have any information on the effectiveness of a personal evaporative cooler in your area. A.Caxton adds regularly reviews on air coolers to evaporative air coolers guide . An online information magazine about the basics of how evaporative air coolers work and some of the advantages of the technology for a good home air conditioning. At Andrew's site you can find interesting and helpful articles on these home appliances and how to choose your personal air cooler

Category : Home Furnishings

Relax With Aromatherapy Massage Oils

Author : Bryan Josling

After a hectic day at work, your husband complains of every part of his body aching with pain. Will a good nights sleep refresh him for the next hectic day? Not necessarily. With a similar schedule each day, he is adding to his pain, which within time will transform into a fatal disease. You being a caring wife, will you want this chain of events to continue? If no, then aromatherapy massage oils are for you.Aromatherapy massage oils will go a long way in giving the much-needed relief to a person after a long day at work. Massage is both physically and emotionally stimulating for the body. When the massage is supplemented with essential oils, the person gains from the synergistic influences of a calm mind and a radiant skin.Aromatherapy massage oils may be used in two ways. Inhale the massage oil vapours, which refresh your mind too. Alternatively, apply it to the skin. This method ensures that the massage oils are directly absorbed by the body from where they reach the blood stream. This has impact on one's health and skin. After a massage with aromatherapy massage oils, one actually feels splendid. These oils have been known to have special therapeutic qualities. This finds them large-scale use in healing common diseases like cold, flu, pain in the muscles, headache etc.For the purpose of massage, people often mix more than one essential oil to give the desired effect. The most common of these is the lavender, clary sage and lemon blend. It is known as the stress blend. The essential oils in concentrated form can be dangerous for use. Therefore, aromatherapy massage oils are mixed with carrier oils before applying it on the body. Similarly, one can prepare an aphrodisiac blend with essential oils of sandalwood and jasmine. Just have an idea of what purpose the aromatherapy massage oils will be used for and go on with the blending.Aromatherapy massage oils are used largely in spas and physical and mental healing centres. Trained masseurs will help you in relieving stress and give you an ecstatic feeling. If you want, you can also get massaged in your home. Massaging your loved one with fragrant aromatherapy massage oils is the best way to convey the concern for him or her. Aromatherapy massage is also recommended for the infants to give them a glossy skin and strong bones.Aromatherapy massage oils work wonders with your skin and provide mental calmness. It is also used as a cure from several diseases. Bryan Josling is working with the Horticultural Research Station in Adelaide. He has also been involved with research on plants. To find Aromatherapy essential oils,Aromatherapy Candles,essential oils wholesale visit http://www.ndaroma.com

Category : General Government

Make Money While you Sleep

Author : Troy Dudenhoefer

There is absolutely nothing more exciting than making money while you are sleeping. As soon as I open my eyes I get excited and jump out of bed. I make some coffee and log onto my affiliate accounts to see how much I money I made. Affiliate marketing is for real, and it isnt difficult to do even if you dont even know where to start. There is a ton of information out there, so just start searches for affiliate marketing and you will figure it out in no time. Whether you promote other peoples products or create your own to promote, you can make money while lying in your bed snoozing away. If you really want to get going, create your own product to promote. Create an ebook and let other affiliates promote it for you. You can write an ebook about absolutely anything. Do a little research on a subject, gathering as much information as possible, and then write about it. You will have done the leg work and compiled all the information. For your services you will be charging a fee for your ebook. Then for a commission you can let affiliates promote your ebook while you go to sleep and make money! Making money while you sleep can improve your life on almost every level. With a little ambition and some creative thinking you will be making money while you sleep in no time. The truth is you can make money on the internet 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The internet doesnt close down on weekends or holidays. There are millions of people up somewhere in the world surfing the internet while you sleep. Even on Christmas, and everyday is like Christmas when you make money while you are sleeping. Troy is the author of http://www. FreeMoneyMakingEbook.com and writes ebooks for fun and profit. He is also the author of "How to make $65-95,000 dollars driving a truck...and be home everyday" http://richtruckdriver.com

Category : General Affiliate Programs

Saltwater Fly Fishing 101

Author : Cameron Larsen

Fly fishing in itself can be intimidating for the uninitiated.
Watching a fly fisher while holding a spin rod can feel
humbling. The whole world of fly fishing looks complicated,
daunting, unfriendly and expensive. But is also alluring, and
sooner or later if you like to fish, you may very well take the
plunge, and begin to learn. To experiment, and hopefully to
catch a fish., And before long you might begin to think of
yourself as a fly angler. Gain confidence, skill and knowledge.
Try new fly fishing experiences, and learn new techniques, flies
and buy even more gear. And on and on it goes, as learning about
fly fishing is a non-ending path.

Well, let's go one step further shall we? Saltwater fly fishing is the epitome of
everything said in the previous paragraph and more. Even for the
season fly fishing trout angler, saltwater fly fishing looks
like an impossible task, to say the least. For one thing the
ocean is well huge, enormous, and might as well be unending.
Even the most competent caster can only cover a ridiculously
minute portion of the area why would one even bother. When
scanning a river or lake, one can have an educated guess about
where the fish will lie. But the ocean? Where they can be
anywhere can't they, and then you have the whole business of the
tide to learn. It isn't seasonal, it is daily. And then we have
the myriad of flies to learn about all over again. It took years
to learn about trout flies, and it is still ongoing, one must
really start all over again?? Ugh!

Yes it is daunting, but remember when you first learned about
fly fishing in general. Or frankly any new hobby or topic. It is
all daunting at first. Learning is daunting, but becomes easier,
as the new area of interest is unveiled slowly. A little
knowledge to start, to hang later more detailed knowledge on is
the most crucial. So let's start with just a little knowledge.

If you are in an area where saltwater fly fishing is well
practiced, you are in an easier position to obtain such
knowledge, by asking fly shop owners, and fly fisher's, and by
observation you can begin to get a feel for what it is all
about. But much of the world's saltwater fly fishing
opportunities are virtually unexplored.

So let's see what we can do to break this down. Like fishing
lakes and big rivers, you have only look at the territory you
can actually cover with your fly rod. And pretty much ignore the
rest. For saltwater fly fishing that territory is the 60 feet or
so next to shore. The easiest way to explore this area is by
foot at low tide, when you can actually see the underwater
terrain. You can first invest in a chart or survey map, to help
you narrow down areas that might have rocky outcroppings leading
into deeper pools or channels. If you have loads of free time,
this can become an enjoyable activity of exploration all in
itself. Look for activity of fish, and habitats that might hold
fish and their food. One nice thing here, is that fish are fish
are fish, and they all require the same thing. Security, food,
places to lie, if you know how to read habitat in rivers or
lakes you can easily adapt that skill to oceans, and bays.

Once you have your spots located, you will also need some
gear,. If you have some 8 wt gear or larger, you can least begin
to get your feet wet. As for flies, well start with the basics,
the classics, Deceiver's, Clouser's, will give you the best
opportunity to catch a fish. And you have begun to add that
crucial beginning of knowledge onto which you will hang new
knowledge as you become more versed in this field of fly
fishing. Be sure and check future editions of Big Y Fly Fishing
Ezine for more in depth articles.

Category : Boating

Overachieving Your Way to Super Affiliate Stardom

Author : Vincent Teoh

4th, 2007

Vitamin Supplements, Do We Need Them?

Author : hamoon

We live in a health conscious generation where vitamins and nutrition have become important topics. Through news, books, advertisements we are being educated as to why need to use vitamins. Itâ€™s great to see our generation become more aware of our health, but: Do We need take vitamins?
Much research has been done on the actual benefit of vitamin supplements. A recent study has found further evidence that through the intake of multivitamins men and women are able to lower their chance for heart attack. Our every day diets have proven to not provide the right amount of all the needed nutrients for our bodies.
Vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition can lead to all types of different diseases. A lack of Vitamin C can lead to scurvy. You will notice many different symptoms if you have a vitamin deficiencies. Symptoms can include: tiredness, irritability, and muscle cramps. I would recommend visiting a doctor if you notice any of these symptoms on an ongoing basis.
You can see how important Vitamins are in our every day lives. With this being said I would recommend eating healthy, and taking a multivitamin every day to help compliment your diet.

About the author:

Hamoon Arbabi For more information about Multivitamins, Proteins, Antioxidants and Ceatines go to : http://homebusiness.nexuswebs.net/multivitamin.htm

Category : Health

E-Newsletters ... Golden Egg Or White Elephant?

Author : Olga B

If you're like most of us, each week you receive dozens of e-newsletters, e-zin>

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 23 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Solving Difficult Design Engineering Challenges with High-End CAD Presentation by Design Visionaries at the Bay Area CDI - CAD Event

Author :

Design Visionaries, Inc., provider of top quality mechanical engineering and CAD services, invites you to the presentation entitled Solving Difficult Design Engineering Challenges with High-End CAD. The presentation will be held at 6:00pm on March 23rd, 2005 at the Bay Area CDI-CAD Event, hosted by DeAnza College, Cupertino. In his presentation, President Stephen Samuel will demonstrate how Unigraphics, if used well, can quickly and effectively deal with Design Engineering Challenges. UGNX is high-end software that is very easy to use and is a great benefit to Design Engineering., says Samuel. There are certain modeling techniques that are uniquely UGNX that enable rapid product design engineering. Through several interesting industry examples, this speech will detail many of these techniques. Moreover, Stephen will share some experiences that will illustrate the day to day joy of design engineering in general. Stephen will also introduce Design Visionaries brand new book, Practical Unigraphics NX3 Modeling, Drafting, and Assemblies, the only book in the world that teaches how to use UG NX3 to perform difficult design jobs. With over a 100 years of combined Unigraphics experience, the Design Visionaries team members have become experts at applying Unigraphics-based computer aided design to many of the most difficult design engineering challenges available. Through the engineering consulting projects that have been entrusted to Design Visionaries, the team has worked in the fields of aerospace, medical, automotive, industrial, and consumer products to mention a few. The worlds top design firms, who are enabled improvement of all phases of their design process after graduation from our UG courses, continue to choose Design Visionaries as a Unigraphics mentor for their engineers. Bay Area CDI CAD Program and CAD-Engineering Job Fair is a complimentary event hosted by DeAnza College in Cupertino from 5pm 8pm on March 23rd at the Campus Center. We advise that you bring 8 quarters for parking. Please refer to the following maps for specific location: Campus Map <a href="http://www.deanza.fhda.edu/map/" target="_blank">http://www.deanza.fhda.edu/map/</a> Campus Center Map <a href="http://www.deanza.fhda.edu/map/main_quad.html" target="_blank">http://www.deanza.fhda.edu/map/main_quad.html</a> For more information about Design Visionaries, Inc. presentation please contact us at (408) 997-6323 or visit us at <a href="http://www.designviz.com" title="test" target="_blank">www.designviz.com</a> .Press Contact: Vera Belenky, Marketing ManagerOffice: (408) 997-6323Mobile (408) 910-3915E-mail: e-mail protected from spam bots

Category : Motivational

7 Simple Steps To Discipline For The Home-Based Business Owner

Author : Laurie Hayes

e">February 16th, 2007Download as HTML e">February 16th, 2007

?They Should Have Beat Me More? - The Cycle of Physical Abuse

Author : Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

In December, 2005, I conducted a two-day workshop with men who had recently been released from prison for domestic violence. With the men were their wives, as well as the father of a batterer who was still in prison.The father, Douglas, sat in front of me, sharing his childhood experiences. ?My momma was a very loving woman ? a big-hearted, hard working loving woman,? he told me. From my many years of counseling, I knew that my definition of love and his definition of love were likely very different.?Did she ever beat you?? I asked. ?Oh yeah. She beat me all the time. My daddy beat my momma and my momma beat me. But she beat me because I was bad. I was really bad. Maybe if she had beat me more, I wouldn?t have been so bad.??What did she beat you with???Anything she could get her hands on. Extension cords, wooden spoons. Often I had to go into the yard and pick out the switch.??How did you feel when you knew you were going to get a beating???Oh, I was terrified. I?d beg and plead and promise not to do again whatever it was she was mad at. But that never worked. I always got the beating. Then after the beating she would tell me that she loved me, that it was for my own good, and that it hurt her more than it hurt me.??And how were you bad???Well, sometimes I?d come in late, and sometimes I would talk back. Then I got into alcohol and drugs at a very early age. Maybe if she had beat me more, I wouldn?t have done the alcohol and drugs.??Why do you think you did the alcohol and drugs???I was just hurtin? too much. It took me outta all the pain for awhile.??What was the pain???I don?t know. I was just hurtin? a lot.??Do you think it is possible that you were hurting because the woman who was supposed to protect you was instead hurting you? That she was confusing you by telling you she loved you while she was beating and terrifying you? That there was no one to turn to for safety and nurturing? That you were scared much of the time for fear of the beatings? That you were terribly lonely and could not turn to your parents because they were the ones causing the pain??Silence???Then he looked at me in shock. As the light bulb when on in his mind, the tears started rolling down his weathered cheeks. Soon he was sobbing. ?That?s right?That?s right?.The beatings were the problem. More beatings would not have helped. And I beat my children thinking it was the right thing to do, and now my son is in prison for beating his wife and protective services want to take away their daughter. And I almost hit her the other day when she didn?t mind me. I?m so glad I didn?t. This has to stop! This has to stop!?I looked around the room. Everyone was in tears. Kathy, the wife of one of the batterers, spoke up, sobbing.?I?ve always hit my kids, and no matter what anyone told me about it not being good, it never made sense to me. This is the first time I understand why it?s not a good or loving way to discipline my kids. And I can see why I?m having so many problems with my older son and why he is on drugs. He has always been furious with me and I had no idea why. Now I understand. I need to learn a new way to discipline. I?m going to take a parenting class and start reading parenting books.?I hugged Douglas for the profound work he did, and for the effect his work was having on everyone in the room. I thanked God for giving me the privilege of working with these people. All of them, it turned out, had been severely beaten as children. I am deeply grateful to James Beard who conducts workshops within the prison with batterers and to Lindsay Wagner, who also works with these men and their families. Both of them were assisting me at this workshop. We all smiled at each other in deep gratitude for the healing that was taking place. About The AuthorMargaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and ?Healing Your Aloneness.? She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone Sessions Available.

Category : Parenting

What to Get a New Baby

Author : Steve Dolan

Baby GiftsHaving a baby is an amazing experience for the new parents, but at the same time it can be hard to cope with. You can help make life a little bit easier for the happy parents by giving them a baby gift that assists the transition from couple to family. It's easy to buy something cute for a baby, but there are also many helpful and practical gifts that will really make a difference. You'll also know that your gift will get used plenty of times, rather than admired and then shoved in a cupboard.One great gift you can give is a baby monitor. These clever devices monitor the sounds made by baby while sleeping, so that mom or dad can get on with other things that need to be done and can immediately hear when baby wakes up. They're also useful at night, because you'll know very quickly when baby is awake and wanting to be fed. New parents tend to worry a lot about their baby's health, so why not give them something to assist them? Digital baby thermometers are simple to use and much less intrusive than the old fashioned thermometers. You can buy thermometers that take the temperature orally, from the skin, or in the ear. Great for reassuring a nervous parent that baby is fine, but also for indicating when a visit to the doctor might be required.If you'd still like to buy something cute and fun, then check out the range of crib items. There are heaps of great ideas available, including toys that attach to the inside of the crib and use music and lights to help lull baby to sleep. Perhaps you could choose a mechanical mobile with cute decorations for amusing baby. Look at the Lamaze range of baby toys, designed to be fun and interesting for baby, while stimulating various senses at the same time. Great for development.You can also choose baby blankets, sheets, towels, washcloths and a whole lot more, all available in a wide variety of styles and colors. Look for cute but practical clothing, including sleepwear, onesies, socks, jackets and t-shirts. Always test out the clothes to make sure they're easy to put on and take off again, and that it's easy to access the diaper for a quick change, without having to completely undress the baby. If the new parents need some more expensive baby items, why not join together with some other friends to buy a bigger baby gift. This is a great way to give parents items like strollers, cribs, car seats, or playpens. You can either organize to purchase the item yourself, or give the new parents a gift certificate to cover the cost and let them choose their own. Another useful gift is diapers. Either buy plenty to keep the parents going for a while, or if they like cloth diapers, organize a diaper service. They'll take away the dirty diapers once a week, wash them, and then bring them back again. Any new parents will love you for that gift!Baby gifts are a wonderful way to get the new family started in their life together, and you can do a lot to help that process. Don't waste your money and something cute that will never even get taken out of the box. Try to combine practical and fun, and the new parents will thank you for it - over and over again. Selecting the appropriate baby gift can be a challenge. Mary Amos is a mother and has a multitude of neices and nephews. Click Baby Gifts for some great ideas.

Category : Baby