How to Market with Articles

Writing articles is a very effective way to get one way links to your site as well as to have people learn more about your website or service. However, there are ways to do this that can make you more successful versus have your articles be overlooked and not considered.

Shane Pearce has written the Lazy Man's Guide to Article Writing which outlines some helpful tips. I was first impressed with his tip that when you submit your article to an ezine publisher or a webmaster, that you can offer him to use his own affiliate link in place of your own. For instance, if you have written an article on motivation and have a link to a clickbank ebook on motivation and goals, you can offer the publisher that he use his own affiliate id instead of yours. What this means is that the ezine or website publisher will be getting a free article already written with a link that may give him some monetary income. You still would have your own information in your resource box at the end, so people can click to your website as well. Think about what the website publisher you write to will get out of the exchange and find a way to make his or her life easier.

Other tips he gives are to read frequently asked questions to find out what people want to know about in terms of popular topics. Shane discusses how to make a viral ebook based on a faq niche that can be passed around. If there are frequently asked questions on a topic that is a sign that the topic has an interest as well as the fact there may be an interest in some guide or tutorial.

Also I like the sample autoresponder examples he uses as well as different ideas for a signature file at the end of one's article. I think he is very good at showing how to integrate a couple of affiliate links without being pushy. He recommends sending people to opt-in to a mailing list as part of your signature file.

Another section I found useful discusses how to create checklists and use them both for your website and in articles that lead back to your website. People like checklists. Shane discusses how to use these. They also help break through writer's block or paralysis because you can have a list of steps .

There are ideas given about utilizing both 2-tier affiliate programs and residual income programs that will help you keep you earning as your articles circulate around the net. Shane gives some interesting suggestions on types of sites that work for this.

I also like that Shane gives an example of a flop he did of an unsuccessful attempt at marketing. He analzyes it and compares it to something someone else wrote he feels was better expressed. It is a very interesting study covering various ways to get your articles noticed and published. I publish articles regularly but learned some valuable tips from this ebook.

Dee Cohen is an author and publisher at http://www.socialsitesmarketing.com/article-writing.html, You can visit to learn effective ways to gain traffic by writing free articles.Malia Blog34330
Mira Blog31763

Mortgage Leads, Selling Over the Telephone

When a loan officer or mortgage broker purchases a mortgage lead from a mortgage lead company, their very next step is to call the customer.

This is not as easy as it sounds, because we all know you never have a second chance to make a first impression. So you want to be prepared before you make the call.

By being prepared I mean have a few mortgage products you want to go over with the customer that you believe will meet their needs based off of what information you were given on the mortgage lead.

Also, mortgage lead companies will sell their mortgage leads up to as many as five times. So, you may end up running into some challenges if the customer is already working with another loan officer.

Or, perhaps they have even lost their nerve.

Here are a few scenarios you may run into and how you can lessen the impact should you be confronted with such a situation.

Purchasing or refinancing a home is a very big financial deal, so it is understandable if your customer gets cold feet.

Say something to this effect in the nicest voice you have . . .

Oh, Im very sorry to hear that, after looking at the on-line form you filled out, I was able to fit you into one of our loan programs that I am sure you would have some interest in.

If a prospect says to you that they are working with another loan officer, they either really are, or again, they have lost their nerve.

Say something to this effect . . .

Im really sorry to hear that. We offer some really nice mortgage products and I only wanted to take a few minutes of your time to go over some of our mortgage programs.

Although these approaches will get the customer talking the majority of the time, there are the times when it does not work.

Here are a few other things you can do . . .

Most mortgage lead providers supply you with an e-mail address, so e-mail them with some attractive mortgage products and tell them briefly about the benefits of working with you and your company.

Also, you can mail them out some flyers with some mortgage products that you believe would meet their mortgage needs along with some of your business cards.

Whatever happens on your sales call, do not give up after one objection. If you have not been having success with your leads, than you need to change your approach.

Also, you may end up having to leave a voice mail which is not at all uncommon these days.

Should you have to leave a message, be sure to be direct and to the point. Let the customer know who you are and why you are calling, and give them a reason to call you back.

Tell them you have a product that you believe they will be interested in and it is very important that they call them back.

To sum it all up, no single mortgage lead is a slam dunk, no matter how good it looks on paper. Nine times out of ten you will be faced with some sort of challenge. So do your homework and be prepared to face your challenges head on.

Jay Conners has more than seventeen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry. He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage marketing and resource site for loan officers. He is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.comMax Blog69822
Melva Blog6093

The Best Online Colleges & What They Have to Offer

Attending an online college is a lot like attending a traditional college. Although you may be getting a quality education from any of these colleges, the truth in the matter is that you will look more appealing to future potential employers when you decide to attend an online college that is reputable. Since they know the college's name, they will be more likely to hire you than somebody else with the same qualifications that has not attended such a reputable college. Of course, before you can take advantage of attending a reputable online college in order to increase your jobs of getting a wonderful job and a quality education, it is so important for you to learn about what some of the best online colleges are. Here, we will take a much closer look at some of the many online colleges which you may want to think about attending, as well as the different types of programs that they have to offer to their students.

There are a number of wonderful top online colleges out there. One of the best online colleges which you may want to think about choosing is Westwood College Online. Some of the programs which you will get the opportunity to enroll in at this online college include animation, business administration, criminal justice, game software development, interior design, web design and multimedia, and more!

Another one of the best online colleges which you may want to think about attending is American InterContinental University Online. You will be able to major in fields such as business, criminal justice, education, healthcare management, marketing and more. You can earn both your bachelors degree and masters degree through this online college.

The University of Phoenix is another one of the most reputable online colleges which you may be interested in attending. Some of the areas which you can earn a degree in at the University of Phoenix include business, health care, criminal justice, education, nursing and more. Each of these programs will provide you with a wonderful outlook for the future.

There are just a few of the very man online colleges which you might want to think about attending. Attending each and every single one of them would be a wonderful choice for anyone interested in attending an online college. No matter what online college you decide to attend, the main key is to make sure that you decide to attend one. So many potential students pass up the opportunity because of financial reasons, but it is important for you to realize that there is financial aid which is available for you to apply for. All accredited online colleges will be able to provide you with a quality education, which you will need to success in the field which you are interested in getting a job in. However, by attending an online college which is reputable, you may be able to increase your chances of getting hired by any potential employer greatly. This is the main reason that learning more about some of the best online colleges is a must.

Joe Roberts owns and operates http://www.online-college-buzz.com Online CollegesMariele Blog73083
Maud Blog53312

Use a Funded Proposal to Build Your Network Marketing Business Quickly, Easily, and Inexpensively

Have you ever attempted to build a Network Marketing business? Did you achieve the results you wanted or expected? If not, you are among 95% of the other people who have attempted to succeed at Network Marketing.

The problems are lack of marketing knowledge and not using a true duplicatable system to the fullest extent possible.

You may have had wonderful products to sell. However, products never sell themselves and they do not build down lines. They do however, sustain down lines.

Leadership and marketing systems sell products and build down lines.

Network Marketing is all about marketing, training, and promotion. Unfortunately, it is pursued by people who do not know how to market, train, and promote. 95% of the people doing Network Marketing are doing everything wrong. This business is all about marketing. When you do it right, you do not have to sell and anyone can duplicate.

What are people looking for who are investigating a network marketing opportunity? The answer is simple: They are looking to solve a problem. That is all. When they look at the typical network marketing opportunity they see an initiation fee, recurring product purchases, lots of negativity from their warm market, and marketing or advertising expenses. This creates a problem for them, not solve one.

A Funded Proposal system is all about marketing. When you do it right, you will always succeed and anyone can duplicate your success by plugging into the system. A Funded Proposal system is also about solving problems.

Using a Funded Proposal system, your network marketing company (the primary business) comes last, not first. The system works every time no matter what network marketing company, if any, you are working. It creates solutions for your prospects problems. They are:

1. Building businesses
2. Building a prospect list
3. Generating leads and
4. Showing a profit.

It becomes a reliable source for your prospects and your down line.

By using a Funded Proposal system, you and your down line have all of the free training they need to be able to build your businesses by using Internet Marketing techniques. All you have to do is plug yourself and your down line into it.

Then you use low to medium cost affiliate programs to provide you with a customizable web site, hosting, e-mail services, quality lead generation, and a compensation plan that pays for your marketing and other expenses as well as making you a profit. Your down line and new recruits also begin to build their affiliate businesses and make money. This creates trust. Once this occurs you can introduce your people to your primary network marketing business.

Once you and your down line are up to speed on the system, it is not unusual for each of you to recruit 15 to 25 people per week. I know people who average 50 new recruits per week. Very few people drop out of this system.

So there you have it. Network marketing the way it should be done--without all the stress of presentations and recruiting the hard way. It works and it works well. I hope to see you there.

Bill Briggs has been a network marketer for about ten years and has experienced various level of success, some excellent. Funded Proposal has helped him build a permanent career. If you wish more information regarding a Funded Proposal and access to free tools and training, sign up for free at http://www.billbriggsinc.com. Please be sure to listen to the personal message from Joel and Paul.Morlee Blog92325
Mavis Blog36788

Avoid the Opportunity Trap

Picking a business opportunity seems relatively trivial on the web. The amounts of money are generally not huge indeed some of them are effectively free; the provider has other ways of getting paid. However, pick the wrong opportunity at the start and you can pretty much write off your web future. The reasons: you lose time, your energy level drops, and your emotions play havoc with you. The vast bulk of people simply drop out leaving their dreams on the mat. But it doesn't need to be so.

There are 7 Rules for picking an opportunity

1. Is the supplier reputable? Is it a scam? In the offline world, there are all kinds of ways of assessing whether a business is a scam, on the web it's not so simple. Check out the opportunity on the scam sites. But even quicker if you are a member of a traffic exchange and you try to advertise the opportunity you will find out almost instantly if it's a scam. The other members will tell you in no uncertain terms!.

2. What is the nature of the business? How do you make money out of it? How complete and sophisticated is it? Is it an affiliate opportunity, network marketing, MLM, or what? In some cases it will be a hybrid of different things: Empowerism is an email business, with MLM and network marketing at its core and a couple of investment vehicles thrown in. Plug-in Profits is an affiliate marketing business using MLM opportunities and residual income thinking. Try hard to understand it before you buy in.

3. Can you explain it in simple terms? The absolute best businesses are very simple at core. Try this. Imagine you have to explain what you are doing to your elderly mother or grandmother. She is going to tell her friends about it and you'd better get it right! So your e-book business: "I write "How to.." books and sell them over the Internet". Your gambling site: "I run a casino on the internet". Your affiliate site: "I sell products (specify theme) on the Web". Your network marketing opportunity: .well you get the idea. The aim is to get the statement very crisp and clear so that you know what you are doing! If you cannot squeeze it down ("I sell second hand golf balls to . across the web"), then you probably don't understand it or it is too complicated. You certainly will not be able to explain it to your customers!

4. Does it fit your personality? Can you generate a passion for it? If you're in business strictly to make money, you may succeed but the chances that you won't are very high. Businesses that are in it for the money tend to chase the latest big idea', they get unfocused, confused and become unprofitable. Select something you care about and remember the rule "You care about something when your mind returns to it in idle moments", this will help you decide if you really care.

5. Can the organizer make money out of it? Is it stable over the long haul? There are few things worse than investing time and energy in an opportunity that is going to die. Ask yourself if the opportunity generates money for the seller: this seems silly. You are often paying to get into something. But a one time payment for a business opportunity is rarely a recipe for long term stability. The seller should be driving long term income from it: classics are hosting fees, affiliate fees and royalties from compulsory products, upgrade fees and so on. Ask yourself how they are going to stay in business. If the answer is not obvious: don't touch it.

6. How does it make money? How do you make money out of it? How much? What are the projected returns? How certain are they? The question to you is how much you, specifically, can make with your skills, time and energy? A high yielding investment program may guarantee' 12% per month until it collapses. An affiliate mall may make nothing unless you are very active in promoting it. What experience do you have in doing something like this; can you be sure of earning anything? Or is this a learning exercise?

7. Can you afford it? Does it require investment? If so, how much? What are the exit costs? I have left the money angle until close the end, because for the vast bulk of web opportunities the money investment is not high. If you are going into a network marketing opportunity you may have to invest $2,000 to $5,000US in inventory and other stuff, but most businesses are tilted to folk with very few financial resources. Additionally, in many business opportunities the costs are monthly, so they are spread out and in theory you can pay them out of profits. The true costs tend to come in generating traffic. However, that said, no web business is free and you should be prepared for low thousands of costs (even if paid out of profits) if you are trying to build something significant.

The last thoughtbe brutally honest with yourself. Are you serious or a hobbyist? With the web becoming more professional, hobbyists mostly don't win

Michael Kay is Research Director of HBB Research a business school based research program looking at web home-based business. He is the lead author of HBB Research's recent Report: The Gold Rush currently being serialised in the Insights Letter. For more on HBB Research and to get your free subscription to the Insights Letter go to http://www.hbbresearch.com/Marjorie Blog21861
Merrie Blog62945

Hints for the Working Mother

Being a working mother comes with a unique set of challenges. The working mother must balance not only her duties at work but also her role as a mother and primary caregiver. It can be difficult to feel focused on work when you know that your little one is in the care of another person.

There are some hints that can help the working mother make life easier for herself and her child include:

Finding adequate childcare early. One of the most stressful aspects of being a working mother is finding childcare. If left to the last minute, the new mother can find that she has to settle for whatever is available. Instead, she should be researching and interviewing potential caregivers early in her pregnancy. Another tip is to have a back-up plan in place in the event that your caregiver isnt available one day. Many people will turn to a family member to provide this occasional last minute type of care.

Saving sick days for when the child is ill. Many people take advantage of the sick day policy their employer provides. They will stay home whenever a small cold erupts. In the case of a working mother its most advantageous for her to save those days for when her child is ill. The child will feel better knowing that their mother is close, while at the same time the mother wont have to face a day of worry about her sick child.

Change your work hours if possible. Many employers are now recognizing the benefit of accommodating the schedules of working mothers. Some women have requested a 4-day workweek in which they work extra time each of the four days in order to have the fifth day off. Others have decided to work at home part of the time, while being in the office just a few days per week. Many employers are open to these types of suggestions and it certainly doesnt hurt to inquire at your work.

Working mothers can certainly make time for both their career and their children. It can take some help from the father and other family members, but it is possible. Its very important for the working mother to always keep her priorities straight. Becoming a mother is a wonderful time in the life of any woman but it certainly doesnt mean that a woman has to give up her career aspirations. With some much-needed balance and a clear idea of what needs to be accomplished a working mother can thrive in all areas.

Gianna Lazarou is one of the owners of http://www.businessrise.com, an International Online Business Portal.Melita Blog27783
Moira Blog68795

Affiliate Link Cloaking

Is this guy nuts? As far as I know, Im NOT losing 40% of my affiliate commissions!

Wait. Are you sure? Are you might be losing money. You might be losing up to 40% (or even more) of your affiliate commissions. And most affiliates A in this danger zone. Its hard to imagine how much money all those affiliates lose every day. And it drives me mad. Because I know that it can be easily avoided with less than 15 minutes of work!

Please dont make the same mistake that almost everyone makes. Most of my serious affiliates already know how & why they must avoid it. But Im sick of seeing the majority of regular affiliates ignore my advice. Looks like they just want to lose their money. Oh well. But you should be serious about your affiliate business. Heck, im sure you already are.

Stop losing your hard-earned commissions cloak your affiliate links!

The whole idea of cloaking has much to do with peoples thoughts, reactions and nature. In fact its all about psychology. Im not a psychologist (some guys wanted me to, but no thanks I really enjoy affiliate marketing ) But at this moment I can predict your reaction with 100% accuracy.

Watch this:
http://www.the-ultimate-widget.com/?affiliate_id=57486

And now this:
http://www.the-ultimate-widget.com

Well, weve just seen some pure psychology in action. Tell me?

Why does the second link look and feel better? Why is it better? Why does it get the click while the first one doesnt?

Thats right. The second link doesnt look affiliatish. It doesnt resemble a referral url. In other words;

"that unknown individual from the other side of the net wont make money on MY purchase!

Please dont say youre not like that. Dont say youve never wanted to remove that annoying affiliate code from someone elses link.

Robert Bell is the owner of Affiliates Directory. You can find more information at http://www.affiliatesdirectory.bizMelantha Blog77743
Margi Blog93944

Are You Struggling To Make Money Online? Heres Help

Do you wish there was an easier way to make money online? Of course we all do. But while there are dozens of ways to make money online, still 95% of those starting up internet businesses fail.

One of the easiest ways to make money online is selling digital products. Digital products could be an ebook, an MP3, video or software. Selling these products is fast, easy and commands big profit margins. No inventories to watch, delivery trucks are non-existent and most of all it works 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. Really an entrepreneurs dream come true.

What are the exact steps involved to make money online with selling digital products? The following steps have been proven to be effective:

1. Choose the right product.

The first thing that you need to do is get a product that you can sell. Be certain that you choose the right product to sell. In choosing a product, you can either create your own or sell other peoples product. However, you must ensure that the product you will sell is in demand and that it is something that many people want or need.

You may check clickbank.com to see and get a feel of what products are in high demand. If youve been in the internet for three to four months and have been subscribing for those newsletters from sites you visited, then you may now have an idea of what topics attract large crowds. Subjects on golf, search engine traffic, weight loss, marketing, adsense, dog training, personal improvement and make money online have proven well overtime. There are some niche subjects which also have been drawing huge following.

Remember, the number of people looking for that particular topic, product or subject is extremely important. You cant make money online if only a handful is interested with that product you are trying to sell. The number of competitors also plays an important role. As much as possible, choose an area with lesser competition. If youre just starting out, it is hard to compete with guys who are the McDonalds of the industry. If youre a bit sophisticated, there are tools available to figure this out. You can try the keyword tools and look for topics that have been searched by volumes and volumes. These tools also provide you with the number of competing websites. There is wordtracker.com, inventory.overture.com that you can start with.

If you dont want to create your own product, you can easily find hundreds of products with master resale rights. What are master resale rights (MRR)? If you own a product with MRR, you have the right to sell it to others and keep all the profit for yourself! With master resale rights, the person who buys from you can also get the resale rights to the product.

There are also products with private label rights. Private label rights give you freedom to alter the product or change the content and put your name on it as the author or originator. You may try warriorforum.com and look at the warriors special offer (WSO) for great deals on resale rights.

2. Build your website.

Now dont scratch you head yet. You will not be building a full blown website but a very simple three page site. The pages are: Sales letter Page, Thank You Page and the Download Page. Trial and completely free web building softwares are available for download. Theres the 123WYSIWYG and NVU which are both easy to use. If youre not that tech driven then you can hire some college kids in your neighborhood who might be good at building websites. Or you can try elance.com and rentacoder.com to find somebody to do this. Just focus on your goal to make money online.

To accept payment, just use Paypal. Its easy to get. Using the standard Paypal button is okay. Paypal will ask you for the redirect page, in this case, use your Thank You Page. Don't put the download link there. Put an opt-in in box instead. Say that you will send the download link in the email. The opt-in box is extremely important if you want to build a business. You will have the chance to capture customer information here. You can make money online over and over again once you have a large list of customers.

In the email that goes out after a person subscribes to your opt-in, you will tell them where to download the product. Your download page should contain a link to your product with a few directions on how to download and how to use it. If you are selling an ebook in PDF format, tell them that Adobe Reader is required and point them where they can download it.

3. Generate traffic.

Once you have chosen your product and created your website, you must attract visitors. You cannot make money online if your site doesnt have visitors. You can get traffic to your website in many different ways. However, you want to be certain that you bring in the right kind of traffic. What is the right kind of traffic? Targeted! You want visitors to come to your site because they want to, not because they are forced to. You want visitors that are interested in your product.

One of the ways to attract traffic is search engine marketing (SEM). SEM is a set of marketing methods to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages. Yahoo and Google are the top two sites where most of the web searches come from. Experts estimate that Google account for 45% of the searches while Yahoo gets 30%. In order to make money online, your website must be listed in the top 30 results of the search engines. Do you think anyone would bother to look on page 97 of the results? or page 110?

Your sites ranking on the search engines will depend on how optimized it is with the keywords you choose and the number of competition it has. The lesser the competition for the specific keyword, the higher the chance of your site to get to the top of the search engines and the chance to make money online is significantly increased.

Another way to get visitors to your site, and this is the quickest one, is by pay per click advertising (PPC). You can try the Google adwords program, Miva and Goclick. Be very careful, however, as PPC advertising may burn your pockets and your plan to make money online would be affected. Make sure to set your daily budget when doing PPC.

These three simple steps to make money online when followed would get you the results you want. There are dozens of ways to make money online. What separates the successful online entrepreneur from a failure is focus and consistency of efforts. Most of the people starting to make money online get sidetracked with every new program that comes to them. If you want to make money online, choose one specific way, and then follow that way until you succeed. Dont jump from program to program. Author is giving ebooks at http://www.homebusinesstoday.name

Alan Ocab specializes in teaching real people how to start profitable Internet businesses. To get instant access to some of his most profitable marketing campaigns, strategies, tools, and resources, visit his work at home website at http://www.grandstart.com.Merl Blog41721
Merlina Blog4371

10 Tips to Help Position Yourself in the Speaking Industry

Becoming a professional full time speaker isnt easyeveryone knows that, it takes a lot of dedication, determination and most important you have to have the passion, if the passion isnt there then my suggestion would be, dont even attempt it! I could spend days teaching you how to package yourself as a professional speaker and how to gain more exposure, but the following article as been bundled to give you just a few quick tips and ideas so you can start implementing them into your business.

1. Niche Yourself

Yes, I know you have heard this many times and it couldnt be truer! One of the biggest mistakes a speaker can make is having too general of a topic. You want to narrow your expert niche as much as possible. Become the Speaker of Choice, research your topic industry so you know whats hot and whats not. Take that research and develop a niche around it, be sure it is something you have experience with and will be able to present it as a professional expert speaker in that field.

Dont waste your time, energy and money on developing a niche that just isnt going to get any recognition because it isnt something that planners will be looking for! Do your research and I do put emphasis on this tip! Once you have discovered your niche, you must continue to practice your speaking skills and update your material and presentations to keep-up with the trends and changing issues.

2. Build your credibility

There are many ways to build your credibility and become known as an expert, but this tip is about building your credibility by knowing your audience.

Your job as a presenter is to take the context you will present and put it into a form that your audience will understand and can relate to. You want them to really understand what youre saying. Always remember your presentation is not about you, its about the audience, what they want to know, and what they want to know is whats in it for me? How will you help their business grow?...How will you help them save timesave money...How will you make them feel!

Vision yourself sitting in the audience you will be presenting to and ask yourself, What do I want to get out of this?, What do I want to learn?, Whats in it for me? Once you can perceive yourself as a participant of the audience than you can start putting the pieces together in building a top notch presentation that your audience will remember and one that will have members coming to you and asking you to get your schedule out because they want to book you.

The more you relate to your audience, the more you know your audience, the better your chance of building your credibilityyou have an audience that is happy, engaged and drawn to you and one that is sayingHey, this speaker knows his stuffhe knows us!

3. Develop an eye-catching media kit

Planners get hundreds if not thousands of proposals and media kits every year. You have to wow them immediately to grab their attention, before they set it down and go to the next one!

Make sure that your media kit is up to date, precise and professionally put together. Nothing else turns away a meeting planner or organization more than an unattractive, boring, and unorganized media kit. They wont even bother with it nor have the time of day to look over the remaining contents if they don't like what they see at first glance and many times the hours, days and money you have spent in putting it together are now wasted as it sits on the planners shelf gathering dust. I know this seems a bit harsh, but being on the inside I know this to be true, as I have seen it many times, so just spend some time on your kit when putting it together or possibly re-do the one you already have, remember you want to catch the eye of the reader to draw them into reading more.

4. Have an online presence

Develop a website with information on your experience, topics you cover, promotional material available and testimonials from previous clients. You dont need a big, fancy, or expensive website to attract visitors and the attention of meeting planners, just make sure you are catering to the planners needs and have the information easily accessible and downloadable. If youre an article writer make sure you add your articles to your own site.

If your budget doesnt allow for your own web site, join speakers organizations and add your name to their online listings - The more exposure you get, the better your chances of being found by people seeking speakers.

5. Work with meeting planners

Very important: be willing to work with them. Dont be so stubborn that you talked yourself right out of one of the most important speaking engagements of your career. Most planners are eager to work with the speaker, but you also have to be willing to give a little to get a lot. Remember you want to be a magnet to planners and the hiring company, not an itch under their skin. So be pleasant and be negotiable and give them the best performance possible and in return they will continue to book you and recommend you!

You want to position yourself within the meeting planner realm as being enjoyable to work with, fun, and easy-going! Trust me on this one, there is nothing worse then working with a stubborn, un-pleasant speaker who is unwilling to budge or negotiate, it doesnt matter if they are well-known or have years of experience, planners dont have the time for this nor want to deal with it. I also want to mention, dont be too quick to pass on a free speaking engagement as this can bring you more opportunities (Many great enterprises were built from small opportunities)

6. Introduce yourself as a contingency speaker

This is one way to get your foot in the door. One of the biggest fears of a meeting planner is a no-show or cancellation of the scheduled speaker. You can send out a letter via e-mail or regular mail to event planners, program managers, etc.

Your initial contact with the event planner should be on eliminating one of their largest fears. If you have a properly written letter and have done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or hiring authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.

7. Marketing yourself

Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you dont market you all know they wont find you! You have to go to themlet them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Dont be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!

Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.

If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!

8. Interact with potential clients

It is very important to mingle and network! Get yourself noticed. Hand out business cards every where you go. Talk to everyone you meet. Go to seminars and meetings that are the same as your expertise. Watch and pay attention. Who are the attendees, what is their reaction to the speaker on the platform? Most importantly, be very personable and agreeable with every meeting planner you meet. You want to leave the impression that you are easy going and willing to make adjustments at the last minute. Meeting planners don't like to work with difficult and irritating speakers, it doesnt matter how well known you are in the speaking industry. They look for someone with humor, an abundance of energy, flexibility, and great content!

9. Write a book/ info products

This is a BIG credibility builder.

I know its not as easy as it sounds, but if you are an expert in your field and you have information you want to share, I would suggest writing a book or some informational products. This is an excellent marketing tool and an addition to your income. We know you have the speaking ability and you know what you want to say, but some speakers just dont know how or have the time to put it in book/product form. You do have the option of outsourcing that task. There are many companies who specialize in that field and can assist you with your project.

10. Article writing

Almost everyone knows about article marketing and submitting them online, but I just want to mention it again. I would have to say I bring up article marketing at least 5 times a day in many different conversations because that is how important I feel article marketing is. You are a speakeryou are an expertso you shouldnt have any trouble writing a simple article. Add article writing and submitting them online to your marketing plan and do it on a regular basis. This is one of the best and FREE ways of promoting yourself and your business, and also gaining more visitors to your website!

Many times I see an excellent article that was written with just the authors name, no contact informationnothing! Well, if youre like me you dont have the time to try and do a search on this author to find their site and learn more, you want instant contact information by just clicking your mouse so you can be taken directly to where you want to go. So, dont forget to add an eye-catching bio at the end of your article so readers can find you and learn more. Be sure and include your contact information including website and email address.

Wendi McNeill is the owner of Charli Jane Speaker Management and while working closely with speakers for many years, she assists them in growing their business and shares her expertise, knowledge and passion that are needed to grow your speaking business. She knows what planners are looking for and how to make a good impression by using simple techniques that can cut off months of research, save you money, time, and energy by mentoring and guiding you in the right direction. You can also learn more about speaking leads available at http://www.CharliJaneSpeakers.com and visit her at http://www.CharliJane.com to learn more about her services. She can be reached via email at wendi@CharliJane.com or by phone at 877-570-0615Melosa Blog13310
Mimi Blog29162

eBay: Can You Really Make Money Here?

As a mother of two, Sarah was always busy. But, this did not stop her from finding her niche in the world. She had been designing beautiful jewelry for her friends for years. She gave them as gifts. She presented them to others who wished to buy them to give to their friends. She made each piece by hand and loved every minute of it. She knew, though, if she wanted to make any real money on this little business that she got going that she needed to find individuals that would pay for them. Her circle of friends was wearing them, of course, but she knew if they loved them so much that others would too.

Sarah took her search online and found eBay. This online auction house allowed her to easily place pictures of her products on their site and soon enough people were bidding on them. She was selling her own products. Later, she would open an eBay store that would promote more than just one product for her. She soon found herself spending more time at the post office than ever delivering her jewelry to her newfound audience.

eBay is by far one of the most sought after internet businesses to dip your hands into. But, if you don't have a lot of 'junk' lying around your home, you may find it hard to understand how you'll make any money in this business. Don't want to spend your days at garage sales and picking up other people's trash so that you have something to sell? Here are some numbers that will make you think twice about these things.

a. eBay has more than 1.2 million registered users. That is your customer based presented to you.

b. Of those, about 25,000 of them are making five figure incomes from their eBay businesses.

c. Not looking for full time? Consider part time eBayers can supplement their income by several thousand dollars a year.

If you aren't like Sarah and can't make a product to sell, as many of us wish we could, you'll find hundreds of other options too.

How Does eBay Work?

eBay is an online auction website. The website is designed to connect those that wish to sell products and those that want to find a great deal on products. The company is built on the fact that people want to get a better deal and love finding one. Just think about how you feel when you do go to that garage sale and find something that you want and can use in good shape for much less than what the retail stores sell it for. You know the shy smile that you get when you realize you are getting something for much less than what others have paid? You can think of eBay as a way to get those deals all the time.

From The Salesmanship Side

So, how do you sell and make an income on eBay? Most individuals start by cleaning house literally. They start by getting rid of things throughout their home that they simply do not need. When you can take stuff you don't use and make a few dollars off of it, you'll want to do it more. Cleaning just got profitable!

But, besides just selling things from around the home, those that are true eBay sellers realize that they need more to sell. Some will have their own products or services to offer. For example, some will sell crafts and such. Others will purchase products for next to nothing and sell them at a slight markup. This is where most eBayers make their money.

Wholesale Options Too

To find products to sell for low costs, many eBay sellers tap into the world of wholesale. Don't worry, there are plenty of companies offering services online for wholesale prices if you by in quantity. Let's say that you find out that XYZ Retailer has 10 refurbished MP3 players that you can purchase for $50 each. The new cost would be well over $100. Now, you can list them on eBay and make a solid profit on these, right?

Don't Make Less Than It's Worth

One problem that many mistakenly run into is not getting their money's worth out of the products. But, eBay has protection here too. If you don't want to lose any money on your MP3 purchases, you simply use a reserve on your auction. This term means simply that until the reserve is met, the product will not be sold. So, if Jane Doe is the only bidder and only bids a mere penny, she won't win the bid unless she raises her bid to meet your reserve or beyond.

Keys To Being A Successful Auctioneer

eBay is not the only company that you can auction with but with over 2.6 million users each day, it is definitely the one to go to in order to make that five figure income. Here are some tips to be successful.

a. Provide excellent, crisp and clear pictures. Make them as professional as possible by making them large enough to see detail. Offer several views. Along with the picture, provide an easy to read description. It needs to be detailed and can often be borrowed from the manufacturer's website. List the quality of the product and be clear about the condition it is in.

b. Drive feedback up. One of the risks of eBay is that people are leery about providing their information to you. Will you deliver? The way to know if a seller is worth the risk is through their feedback rating. Keep yours high. Do this by delivering fast, answering questions quickly and clearly and being courteous. Also, make sure that you make your deliveries as safely as possible. Provide a guarantee of the product's quality and deliverables.

So, can you make Sarah's story your story? Do you have a hidden ability to make a product? Or, perhaps you are able to help friends get rid of their products too. In fact some individuals actually pay people for things that they know will sell well on eBay and make a killing on it! It could be a good thing to start a business just by selling what's lying on your desk right now. Hmmm, what could you sell?

eBay may be the place for you to make a solid income. Consider taking a course to make sure you get all the tips and tricks out there.

Keith Lee is a motivational speaker, a life coach and a fitness instructor for the past 10 yeras. He study and did research on the Internet Marketing Industry for years. Go to his webiste http://www.MyInternetMarketingSuccess.com for some superb tips.Maridel Blog19547
Milli Blog64368

The Secrets Of Internet And Online Marketing

There are a plethora of things you can do online and of all the things you can do online, there is one that you should definitely know how to do. MARKET YOUR OWN BUSINESS ONLINE!

Now with the incredible power of the Online World to reach millions of people, online marketing is definitely an amazing tool that every business should utilize. The simple fact that advertising is can be very low cost and sometimes even practically free. The ability to get the results of thousands of dollars in free publicity is practically unheard of in the business world today. Only recently have more and more people figured out how to utilize the ever exploding online world to market their business ventures.

There is probably isn't a business in existence that wouldn't benefit from free publicity! The fact that properly utilizing free and low cost advertising raises net profits to unbelievable levels! Using any or all of the major online services can help you market your business efforts.

Let's begin with plain advertising. For example, on AOL, they will let you place classified advertisements for free! They have a variety of classifications and categories to choose from. By placing some of these free ads you can generate some very quality leads that can turn into sales. If you are an excellent marketer you could sell something straight from your free ad.

There are other services that offer free advertising from time to time. When they do charge for classified ads it is usually a very low cost, and they are still a great deal considering how many people may see them. When you place any ads you should always "track" your ads. This means put something in each individual ad that will tell you, if you get any business from it, which ad it came from. This way, you will probably find that some sections are better producers than others, and you will want to concentrate on these sections and not the ones that weren't making any money.

To track an ad you could make them request a certain "report" for more information. You should give each report different tracking links for each ad. Such as: "ask for report #1tv" , this way you would know that this request came from the ad on television, for sale category, and so forth. If they send you an order straight from the ad, make them give you an order #, which would be different for each ad. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ADVERTISING ONLINE ARE NOT USING THESE AD CODES!!! THIS IS A MAJOR MARKETING MISTAKE!!!

If you do not track exactly which ads are making money, then you are wasting your time by continually placing ads in "loser" categories that don't provide any sales. ALWAYS keep track of every ad you place. Make a note of what it said, where and when it was placed. You will be pleasantly surprised when you analyze your "ad data" and see some positive trends developing. Just repeat these trends and it will help you to make more money!

Wouldn't you like to have a name list of several hundred (or even thousand) people who might be interested in the particular product or service you are selling based on their jobs or interests? Wouldn't that be great!? Well, you can! And the Online Services supply this service as a part of your regular membership.

This little unknown tool is called the "Member Directory!" You can do searches in the directory for other users with certain characteristics. For example, if you were selling fishing equipment, you could do a search by "fishing." All of the people that were registered in the directory and had listed fishing as one of their hobbies would show up on that search list. You could now send each one of those people an e-mail message telling them about your product or service, it's just like using a mailing list, but you have no postage! (*Make sure you check with your online service to see if they allow unsolicited email.)

The bottom line is that you "test" and record the results of your Online Marketing efforts. Then just repeat the steps that are making you money and expand on them to reach more people. You should conduct split-testing on your site. A method were you have two different pages, performing the same function but with different copy so you can tell which one is converting better.

You will also find hundreds of articles on the World Wide Web. By searching one of the WWW search engines like Webcrawler you can find all the information you can read. Use search strings such as: "online marketing", "internet advertising", "selling online", and so on.

You can also find many books on the subject at your local bookstore or being advertised online.

Wayne Van Dyck is a former venture capitalist and builder of offline technology companies. He is the founder and developer of Simple Money Machines. Simple Money Machines is all the money making technologies in one, easy-to-use, hosted application enabling non-technical people to set up online businesses in less than 30 minutes. It's made for people with 9-5 jobs, retired folks, stay-at-home moms and college students. To get a FREE copy of "STARTING A HOME BUSINESS MADE SIMPLE", go to: http://tinyurl.com/ykyoqx.Mireille Blog66306
Nadia Blog88534

A Smart Way To Start Online Business - Take A Full Advantage Of Freebies (1)

Maybe you have just started doing online research for your internet business or maybe you have been looking around online and getting tired of the endless digging, purchasing and reading those get rich quick ebooks for a little, or nothing of results.

There are simply hundreds of websites out there selling money marketing tricks, suggesting that they can teach you how to make tons of it online in 30 days, two weeks, or even in two days if you buy their secret ebook.

But each time you have purchased any new ebook, you were left disappointed, feeling you had wasted your money and your time again.

You are drowned in Internet information before you know how to do business online. You havent found out how to make money, yet your credit card has already been charged to the max by random buying in the hope of purchasing something clear.

Now you are looking at your monthly statement wondering if you should stop and give up your dream to have an online business.

You Are One Of over 90% of Futile Online Marketers If You Give Up Now!

Dont stop right there! Really, you dont have to spend a single penny to purchase any ebooks and programs at the very beginning without knowing exactly what you need to know, and what is in their book.

You could spend a lot less money and time looking for the free information instead.

What is the good thing about freebies?

Like the purpose of the movie trailer, a freebie works in the same way. In order to attract the readers attention the promoter has to partially give away a part of good information, even through the rest remains crappy in the book. Then, other competitors will have to give away different bits of information. You can take full advantage of their competition and get all the freebies they give away! You have full control on all the information, and choose what is good for you. And it is at no cost at all!

Information not completed?

There are plenty of freebies online thrown at you by information product promoters. They are like pieces of a large puzzle, finally when you put the puzzle together you will see a clear picture of online marketing.

Some times the promoter only gives away the Content Guide of its book, dont look down at it, you dont need to read a book back to back to learn what is in it, the content guide in most cases is like a guideline or a checklist showing you the most important information in one or two phrases.

In fact the freebies out here are more than enough for you to make your own judgment on What and How to start your online business,

When you are clear about what you dont know in Internet marketing, you just follow the link in the particular puzzle, and by digging deeper you can find the exact missing information needed with limited cost, time and disappointment.

For more information about free information downloading, please visit:
http://www.smartnewbies.com
http://www.webaudiorecording.com

Ying Wang is a founder of Stimulus Communications a Montreal based marketing company. He is a street-smart about marketing and advertising strategic planning, experienced in the production of both traditional and digital marketing media. Ying was awarded a Masters of Art History and Art Technology from the National University of Kobe, Japan, and was also awarded a professional degree in Multimedia Design from Montreals International Academy of DesignMarianne Blog41708
Malia Blog34330

Frustration Abounds Looking For Elusive Success

In all of my fairly long time on this marvelous planet, with all of the joys and tragedies through which I and my family have lived, I could never have imagined the utter frustration I would encounter in the unfortunate folks trying to make a living online! IT IS ALMOST PALPABLE.

Why? Why is it that every day, in every way, no one that I come across seems to be able to feel a sense of satisfaction in what they are trying to accomplish?

The answer, it seems to me, is a simple as it is sad. There is no one telling the thousands of struggling marketers out there that what they are trying to accomplish will require a great deal of work.

Worse still, there is an expectation foisted upon these bright and shiny faces of "instant riches with no effort and no experience." I know of nothing in my vast experience that could cause failure to be more likely than this kind of ill-addvised, inaccurate and mostly untrue nonsense. Claiming to make anyone an instant millionaire is bad enough. doing so while combining it with the promise of "2 hours a week'" is a prescription to setting failure in motion.

If not already bad enough, it is also to be believed that we can not only make instant riches, in as little as 2 hours a week, but we can do so with utterly no experience!

In mathematical terms. the equation would look something like this:

Promise #1 + Promise #2 + Promise #3 = CERTAIN FAILURE!!

An article like this can be of value if only to encourage new marketers to believe in themselves. To know, with certainty, that anything worth doing is worth working toward and that they are seriously mislead if they believe that they and they alone are unable to get rich instantly while sunning on a beach having driven there in a brand new Porche!

Take a deep breath. Revive your self esteem from the battering it is taking. You are neither stupid nor alone. The answer to your desire to succeed online is no different than it would be in anyother prosperity effort. It will require work. It will require patience. It will require, if not experience, then learning. And sometimes, as in my own case, the learning curve will seem more like a learning circle. Again, in mathematical terms it looks like this:

Hard Work + Perseverence + Training + Focus = SUCCESS

Don't let anyone tell you any differently. Trust in yourself. Do the work. Apply the best of who you are and get to where you want to be - the journey will be slower than you'd wish. Do not give up or give in.

There are various genius Marketing Masters who are more than willing to share their knowledge (often for free or for reasonable costs) and I am happy to say, I have been very fortunate in striking gold with such mentors. Without their coaching, although a positive person at heart, I may well have believed that I am failing where others are not. Take comfort in knowing that they are out there and can be found through people just like me, who feel your pain and want to help make it better.

Margaret C. Mackenzie Marianne Blog41708
Mercy Blog28825

Motor Sports Goes Online

Are you a total motor sports fan? Well, you now can actually watch snippets and videos about this online. You see, Live Nation, one of the world’s leading live event and venue management companies, has informed the motoring nation that it would soon be placing on archives videos on motor sports.

The archived videos that show off motor sports and everything in it is a project by Live Nation’s motor sports division. And ordinary motor sports lovers would be able to access these videos through the Google Video website. And if you are truly interested, some of the videos that you would be able to watch online include great events from Live Nation like the Supercross, the Monster Jam, Arenacross, Freestyle Motocross, as well as the famous Nitro Jam series of drag racing events.

Charlie Mancuso is the president of Live Nation’s Motorsports Division. He exclaims, “This content is the perfect offering for the motorsports aficionado. Google is a great vehicle for diehard motorsports fans to gain access to clips of some of the best events we have produced over the years.” This statement is further backed up with one from Michael Abrams who is currently the president of the whole Live Nation Studios. Abrams says, “Our Motorsports division produces some of the most exciting, high octane events in the US. As the world’s largest live entertainment company, we are excited to be working with Google to bring Live Nation Studios’ motorsprots content to a tremendous broadband audience worldwide.”

Once everything about the Live Nation motorsports videos are running smooth on Google Video website, you surely would be having a grand time online. Plus, you can try scrutinizing the vehicles as they pass by you on the screen. You can check out which Audi used auto parts could give your car the kind of look that you see with those motorsports vehicles.

There would not be a problem when it comes to accessing the video logs. You see, Live Nation has made sure that anybody and everybody could access them. They are not exclusive to just a group of people and they are offered for free for audiences anywhere in the globe.
Tracy Dawson is a 29 year old researcher and writer from Dallas, Texas with extensive experience in writing auto-related articles and covering automotive related events. She is currently a contributing writer for a leading automotive e-zine. Mirella Blog61026
Milicent Blog16068

How to Make Money with Arts and Crafts

I have been to many arts and craft fairs and festivals in my life and theres on thing I notice in all of them. They are busy. If you pay attention to whats going on at these fairs and festivals, youll notice that people buy these crafts. I thought to myself Why cant I do this? Well, guess what, I can do this and I do.

Let me tell you how I got started in doing arts and crafts. After I visited many of the arts and crafts fairs and festivals, I went home and decided get some e-books on making arts and crafts. The first e-book I got was about soap making. I got this e-book because at the last arts and crafts festival I was at, the soaps was the biggest sellers. I read the e-book and learned how to make soap. I got to work on making soap for the nest arts and craft festival. I didnt want to make a lot of soap at first for fear of not selling it all. Well, I made about 100 bars of soap and asked a friend if I can sell at his book. He said yes. I ended up selling 75 bars of soap. I made a nice little profit from selling the soap.

After that arts and crafts festival, I went home and got a few more e-books. I got about gel candle making, bath salt making and perfume making. I read all the e-books and got busy with making some more soap, and I started to make perfume, bath salt and gel candles. With the research that I did by going to the arts and crafts fairs and festival, I found out what was hot to sell now.

Anyway, I went back to another arts and crafts festival and ended up getting my own booth. I ended up selling all but 10 bars of soap, selling all the bath salt I made, selling all but 1 gel candle and I sold all perfume I made. That weekend I made about $500 with only putting in $100 in products. I was happy. So I went home and ended up get another e-book. I got how to make a wind chime e-book. Well, to make this long story short, I read the e-book made some wind chimes for another arts and crafts festival. I ended up selling all of the wind chimes.

Ernest KentMegan Blog20538
Marlee Blog82548

The New Age Is Here

It is really amazing how over the course of only a few decades how the world has changed. One of the things that stick out in my mind as a kid growing up in a small town in eastern Canada is how far we have come in such a short time. I lived in a house that didnt have any indoor plumbing we had one TV and we had just gotten that and there was only 3 channels on it anyway. That was it for electronic devices along with your good ole AM radio. These items were not much for real entertainment that I have grown accustom to over the years.

The biggest impact on the world today as we know it has to be the PC (Personal Computer). It was introduced to the world 25 years ago and has for ever changed how we communicate, get news and do business. I dont know if they really knew the impact that it would have on our lives, but could you ever imagine getting anything done today without one. Computers have become the ultimate tool for the whole family to use and enjoy weather it is for work, school or just entertainment.

With most advances in technology comes risk with the use of these advances. The PC is no different. With the introduction of the internet and computers becoming more and more accessible for people to own, came the exploits to damage these personal computers. Computers are being used for many things from storing personal data and conduct financial transactions online. The risks have grown even more when using the internet to do these things.

Internet exploits and crime has become a billion dollar industry for internet criminals. There are still people who are either not using the proper internet security products or none at all to protect themselves and families online. Not taking the proper action to make sure your computer, children and identity is safe when using the internet is just not smart today. Dont become a statistic just another person who has become a victim of internet crime. With the price of software these days it just doesnt make sense not be protecting you and love ones from the threats and exploits that are present all over the internet these days. They say that an unprotected computer on the internet will last only about 20 min before if will become compromised by some sort of maleware or exploit on the internet.

How many stories have we heard about children getting exploited or becoming subjected to some kind of inappropriate material? The internet is a great tool for kids to use for research for school; its like having a library right in your home. Not taking the proper steps to make sure your kids are protected while on the internet falls all on the parents. If you want to control your kids access to the internet and what the can view you have to have some kind of parental control installed on your computer.

I know most parents think my child would never do anything like that or they know what they are allowed to do on the computer. Well if you believe that that is just hogwash.

I will tell you a little story about a phone call I received from a shaking mother of a friend of my daughters. My daughter is 13 by the way, well I get a call from the mother of her friend and she tells me what the girls were doing when they were over her house on the computer. These are three young teenage girls chatting on msn using bad language and viewing material that they shouldnt be viewing. Needless to say I had a long talk with my daughter about this stuff and what is appropriate to be doing while on the computer especially in someone elses house. I didnt ground her because you know how kids can be especially when they get into a group there is that thing called peer pressure.

The problem I think is with the parents, you would like to trust your kids and believe that they wouldnt do anything like that but they are kids and will explore the unknown. If the parents had some kind of parental control on their computer in the first place none of it would have happened. My daughter has a computer and it has parental control on it not because I dont trust her but because I have to protect her from the unknown.

With computers you cant wait until you have a virus that has to be fixed or your identity and personal information has been stolen or your kids get themselves in trouble that is going to bring harm to them. You have to protect your computer and your family before any of this can happen by getting yourself some internet security and information on how to protect yourself while on the net.

John FallsMaribel Blog56732
Maribeth Blog11225

10 Tips to Help Position Yourself in the Speaking Industry

Becoming a professional full time speaker isnt easyeveryone knows that, it takes a lot of dedication, determination and most important you have to have the passion, if the passion isnt there then my suggestion would be, dont even attempt it! I could spend days teaching you how to package yourself as a professional speaker and how to gain more exposure, but the following article as been bundled to give you just a few quick tips and ideas so you can start implementing them into your business.

1. Niche Yourself

Yes, I know you have heard this many times and it couldnt be truer! One of the biggest mistakes a speaker can make is having too general of a topic. You want to narrow your expert niche as much as possible. Become the Speaker of Choice, research your topic industry so you know whats hot and whats not. Take that research and develop a niche around it, be sure it is something you have experience with and will be able to present it as a professional expert speaker in that field.

Dont waste your time, energy and money on developing a niche that just isnt going to get any recognition because it isnt something that planners will be looking for! Do your research and I do put emphasis on this tip! Once you have discovered your niche, you must continue to practice your speaking skills and update your material and presentations to keep-up with the trends and changing issues.

2. Build your credibility

There are many ways to build your credibility and become known as an expert, but this tip is about building your credibility by knowing your audience.

Your job as a presenter is to take the context you will present and put it into a form that your audience will understand and can relate to. You want them to really understand what youre saying. Always remember your presentation is not about you, its about the audience, what they want to know, and what they want to know is whats in it for me? How will you help their business grow?...How will you help them save timesave money...How will you make them feel!

Vision yourself sitting in the audience you will be presenting to and ask yourself, What do I want to get out of this?, What do I want to learn?, Whats in it for me? Once you can perceive yourself as a participant of the audience than you can start putting the pieces together in building a top notch presentation that your audience will remember and one that will have members coming to you and asking you to get your schedule out because they want to book you.

The more you relate to your audience, the more you know your audience, the better your chance of building your credibilityyou have an audience that is happy, engaged and drawn to you and one that is sayingHey, this speaker knows his stuffhe knows us!

3. Develop an eye-catching media kit

Planners get hundreds if not thousands of proposals and media kits every year. You have to wow them immediately to grab their attention, before they set it down and go to the next one!

Make sure that your media kit is up to date, precise and professionally put together. Nothing else turns away a meeting planner or organization more than an unattractive, boring, and unorganized media kit. They wont even bother with it nor have the time of day to look over the remaining contents if they don't like what they see at first glance and many times the hours, days and money you have spent in putting it together are now wasted as it sits on the planners shelf gathering dust. I know this seems a bit harsh, but being on the inside I know this to be true, as I have seen it many times, so just spend some time on your kit when putting it together or possibly re-do the one you already have, remember you want to catch the eye of the reader to draw them into reading more.

4. Have an online presence

Develop a website with information on your experience, topics you cover, promotional material available and testimonials from previous clients. You dont need a big, fancy, or expensive website to attract visitors and the attention of meeting planners, just make sure you are catering to the planners needs and have the information easily accessible and downloadable. If youre an article writer make sure you add your articles to your own site.

If your budget doesnt allow for your own web site, join speakers organizations and add your name to their online listings - The more exposure you get, the better your chances of being found by people seeking speakers.

5. Work with meeting planners

Very important: be willing to work with them. Dont be so stubborn that you talked yourself right out of one of the most important speaking engagements of your career. Most planners are eager to work with the speaker, but you also have to be willing to give a little to get a lot. Remember you want to be a magnet to planners and the hiring company, not an itch under their skin. So be pleasant and be negotiable and give them the best performance possible and in return they will continue to book you and recommend you!

You want to position yourself within the meeting planner realm as being enjoyable to work with, fun, and easy-going! Trust me on this one, there is nothing worse then working with a stubborn, un-pleasant speaker who is unwilling to budge or negotiate, it doesnt matter if they are well-known or have years of experience, planners dont have the time for this nor want to deal with it. I also want to mention, dont be too quick to pass on a free speaking engagement as this can bring you more opportunities (Many great enterprises were built from small opportunities)

6. Introduce yourself as a contingency speaker

This is one way to get your foot in the door. One of the biggest fears of a meeting planner is a no-show or cancellation of the scheduled speaker. You can send out a letter via e-mail or regular mail to event planners, program managers, etc.

Your initial contact with the event planner should be on eliminating one of their largest fears. If you have a properly written letter and have done your research, you will more than likely make an immediate friend. This is where the business relationship begins and in most cases, the event planner or hiring authority will book you in because you have approached them this way.

7. Marketing yourself

Add this to your weekly business tasks, this is of course a must, if you dont market you all know they wont find you! You have to go to themlet them know you are unique, you are knowledgeable, you are the best and that you can knock the socks off their audience. Dont be afraid to approach meeting planners, you want to keep your name fresh in their mind! Be PERSISTENT!

Standing out from the crowd is a major challenge for today's professional speaker. Marketing yourself and your company, should be one of your major priorities, which requires to be done on a regular basis. Unless you have ample time on your hands and the expertise it takes to market yourself effectively, one of the best suggestions we can make is hire a professional marketing specialist or consultant/public relations company. Find someone that will work side by side with you in developing a marketing campaign that will benefit you and your speaking career.

If your budget does not have room for the expense of a professional PR agent then there are many ways you can gain exposure and become known as an expert in your field by doing some simple marketing techniques that are sure fire ways to get you the attention you need. Remember to be unique!

8. Interact with potential clients

It is very important to mingle and network! Get yourself noticed. Hand out business cards every where you go. Talk to everyone you meet. Go to seminars and meetings that are the same as your expertise. Watch and pay attention. Who are the attendees, what is their reaction to the speaker on the platform? Most importantly, be very personable and agreeable with every meeting planner you meet. You want to leave the impression that you are easy going and willing to make adjustments at the last minute. Meeting planners don't like to work with difficult and irritating speakers, it doesnt matter how well known you are in the speaking industry. They look for someone with humor, an abundance of energy, flexibility, and great content!

9. Write a book/ info products

This is a BIG credibility builder.

I know its not as easy as it sounds, but if you are an expert in your field and you have information you want to share, I would suggest writing a book or some informational products. This is an excellent marketing tool and an addition to your income. We know you have the speaking ability and you know what you want to say, but some speakers just dont know how or have the time to put it in book/product form. You do have the option of outsourcing that task. There are many companies who specialize in that field and can assist you with your project.

10. Article writing

Almost everyone knows about article marketing and submitting them online, but I just want to mention it again. I would have to say I bring up article marketing at least 5 times a day in many different conversations because that is how important I feel article marketing is. You are a speakeryou are an expertso you shouldnt have any trouble writing a simple article. Add article writing and submitting them online to your marketing plan and do it on a regular basis. This is one of the best and FREE ways of promoting yourself and your business, and also gaining more visitors to your website!

Many times I see an excellent article that was written with just the authors name, no contact informationnothing! Well, if youre like me you dont have the time to try and do a search on this author to find their site and learn more, you want instant contact information by just clicking your mouse so you can be taken directly to where you want to go. So, dont forget to add an eye-catching bio at the end of your article so readers can find you and learn more. Be sure and include your contact information including website and email address.

Wendi McNeill is the owner of Charli Jane Speaker Management and while working closely with speakers for many years, she assists them in growing their business and shares her expertise, knowledge and passion that are needed to grow your speaking business. She knows what planners are looking for and how to make a good impression by using simple techniques that can cut off months of research, save you money, time, and energy by mentoring and guiding you in the right direction. You can also learn more about speaking leads available at http://www.CharliJaneSpeakers.com and visit her at http://www.CharliJane.com to learn more about her services. She can be reached via email at wendi@CharliJane.com or by phone at 877-570-0615Maribeth Blog11225
Melloney Blog57298

Pittsburg Schools Magnet Schools Programs

Pittsburg Schools Holds a Magnet School Information Fair

The Pittsburg Schools is holding an Information Fair aimed at providing parents with the information they need to provide their children with the best opportunities. The Pittsburg Schools Magnet Information Fair will be held on October 7th at the Frick International Studies Academy. Pittsburg Schools Magnet schools and educational programs aim to provide students with the best opportunities in areas of special interest, talents, or future career pursuits. Enrollment in the magnet program is expected to lasts one year and students enrolled in the program must maintain proper academic progress, citizenship and attendance. If the student cannot meet these requirements the student will be transferred back into their assigned school.

The Pittsburg Schools Magnet Information Fair is important because there are only a limited number of spaces available. Fifty percent of these places are reserved for students of African American background with the remaining positions for students of other races in order to preserve a racial balance. Faculty and students from the Pittsburg Schools magnet schools will be at the Magnet Information Fair in order to help answer questions parents may have. Magnet options are available in elementary, middle and high school students.

A preferred registration period will be offered from October 9-20. Preferred registration in the Pittsburg Schools magnet schools programs is offered to students who: are currently enrolled in the Pittsburg Schools magnet program and wish to reenroll in the same magnet program; younger siblings of any student who is currently enrolled in the same magnet program in the same school where the younger sibling is applying; and finally a geographic preference is offered to certain students based on space and racial balance, students with difficulties in mobility will also be given geographic preference to the magnet program to which they apply.

General Information About the Pittsburg Schools Magnet Schools

Pittsburg Schools Magnet Schools program provides students the opportunity to pursue certain special interest and talents. Several of the Pittsburg Schools magnet programs offer the opportunity to begin in kindergarten and continue on into middle and high school. General registration to the Pittsburg Schools magnet program will be from November 1-15. When the student is finally accepted to the Pittsburg Schools magnet program is based on the promotion to the grade that is being applied. Twins who are accepted to the same magnet school program will not be separated. Notification of acceptance to the program will be in January of 2007.

If there are too many acceptable applicants then a lottery may be used. This lottery will include all the applicants from both the general and preferred registration periods. Applicants who submitted their applicants after November 15 will not be in the lottery. A computerized system will be used to decide how the students will be arranged. Parents and students will be informed by mail. Only the grades of kindergarten, sixth, or ninth are entry grades and students must meet certain requirements for other grades.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on Pittsburgh schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/index.html.Mitzi Blog17028
Maybelle Blog38247

Two Reasons to Use Timesheet Software

This short paper will expand on two key reasons to move to a computerized timesheet system at your company. There are more than two reasons of course, but these will be expanded on at a later date. The two key reasons to be discussed here are Timesheet Efficiency, and Timesheet Automation.

Timesheet Efficiency is the concept of a single data entry exercise done accurately and quickly. Timesheet Automation is the simple concept of managing timesheet information electronically rather than on paper. When taken individually both these concepts make a compelling argument to move to electronic timesheets, taken together you should be asking yourself why you aren't kicking off the process today.

Timesheet Efficiency

When I started out my working career in consulting we had paper timesheets. These were (supposedly) to be filled in daily, submitted weekly, and data from them entered into the accounting system monthly. However, people being people, the accountant only checked them once a month, so they were generally only submitted once a month, and thus usually only filled in once a month when prompted by project managers. This resulted in inaccurate and late timesheet information.

This affected billing, time and materials projects would take up to four weeks to be invoiced, and thus it could be up to 60 days before payment was received. Why then are some companies constantly challenged with getting employees to accurately complete their timesheets while other firms have no problems? The difference is usually leadership and data ease of data entry. Most consulting companies employ skilled intelligent people, and a manager who fills in his timesheet information promptly and accurately can legitimately expect his staff to do so. However if the system is cumbersome and difficult to use then there will be constant conflict.

Easy to use computerized timesheet systems mean more employees are successfully filling out timesheets as they work rather than writing the time into a diary or calendar and then transferring the information at the end of the week (or month). It has been well proven that debtors are easier to manager and projects more easily monitored the closer that timesheet information is processed and invoiced to the time the work is carried out. It is just much more simple to collect all your billable hours (more chargeable time!) if employees record their work as they do it.

Of course data entry is just one side of things. Processing the information is just as important. Internal discipline and company policies must be set to ensure that all information is collected by the time you have decided is the deadline. Whether this is Friday 5:00pm, or Monday 9:00am, deadlines must be followed and enforced. Timesheet software with built in workgroup functionality like messaging, timesheet approval, live monitoring, and so on can greatly enhance this process.

There is no point pretending that timesheet information and collection is glamorous. It isn't. It should just be part of the normal mundane fabric of business. It should be routine and boring. But most importantly it should be quick, easy, and provide no disincentive to doing it. Good computerized systems should offer all of this.

Timesheet Automation

The most basic benefit that a computerized timesheet system gives is one of automation, timesheet information is entered into a computer rather than onto paper. This eliminated the need for people to transcribe their timesheet information from a diary onto a paper form, and then for administration staff to re-enter this information into a job costing system. The computerization allows you to completely eliminate the middle steps. Staff enter information directly into the job costing system.

The next logical step of computerization is to leverage off of the computer to provide a host of other benefits. This includes interlocks like preventing people from booking time to projects that dont exist, or projects that are closed, or projects they should not be booking time to. It allows project managers to access live data showing actual time spent on their projects, this data can be manipulated and visualized in different ways using other computer software. It can even interface directly with dedicated project management software.

Other benefits can include automatic timing of work, popup information showing specific project information helping timesheet accuracy, daily timesheets, reminders telling people to fill in their timesheets, integration with messaging, email, and the web, and live integration with accounting packages.

Conclusions

By themselves each of these points makes a good argument for moving to a computerized timesheet system. Taken together they are truly compelling. Increased accuracy and reduction of the billing cycle means that a computerized system can usually measure its payoff in just a few months. For any company that does bill its time, it is should not be an option any longer, it is a simple next step. Interested in looking at some low cost alternatives? Why not take a look at Timesheets Lite or Timesheets MTS. These are low cost systems ideally suited to the small company.

Tom Jacobs writes for http://www.superbtimesheets.info where you can find out more about timesheets and other topics.Mirna Blog53481
Mollee Blog49798

Traditional Dog Training Revealed

Traditional dog training was initially developed to train war dogs. It was very useful during World War I. This training technique was embraced by civilian trainers after World War II, and quickly became the standard way to train dogs.

It seems that Colonel Konrad Most was the founder of this technique and, therefore, he is acknowledged as the father of modern dog training.

However, the main supporter of the technique was William R. Koehler. His book "The Koehler Method of Dog Training" could be the all-time best selling publication in the field.

Modern scientific principles of learning were not used to develop traditional training, so it is an empirical technique. Nevertheless, it seems that Konrad Most already understood the principles of operant conditioning on 1910, several years before those principles were published. So, this technique can be explained by operant conditioning principles.

Negative reinforcement and punishment are the main teaching ways of traditional training.

Negative reinforcement is the process that strengthens a behavior because an unpleasant situation is stopped or avoided as a consequence of that particular behavior. For instance, pushing on your dog's shoulders will provoke an unpleasant situation for him. If the pressure over his shoulders disappears when he lies down, he will be more likely to do the same in the future, just to avoid that unpleasant sensation. Thus, your dog will be learning to lie down through negative reinforcement.

Punishment, on the other hand, is an unpleasant consequence of a particular behavior. Although punishment could weaken a behavior, it is not a guarantee that this will happen. Besides, punishments usually have undesired collateral effects.

An example of punishment would be if you hit your dog or yell at him because he climbed on the armchair. As a consequence you may get your dog off of the armchair, but there is no guarantee that he won't climb again. Some possible undesired consequences could be that your dog bites you, he gets scared each time you appear or he gets phobia to armchairs.

Choke chains, prong collars and shock (electric) collars are common tools in traditional training and all its variants. Also, this kind of training is usually targeted to dog obedience exercises, disregarding behavioral problems.

Advocates of this technique often argue that traditional training provides reliable results which can't be obtained with other techniques. They also claim that training collars (choke, prong and shock) are harmless because dogs have a high threshold of pain.

Detractors of traditional dog training argue that both the technique and the tools are cruel and violent. They also claim that the technique can cause dangerous collateral effects, such as fear biting and damages to the dog's trachea.

Rodrigo Trigosso is a biologist and professional dog trainer. His website http://www.dog-training-tutorial.com provides great info on canine training and behavior.Melloney Blog19194
Marline Blog8653

I Finally Found a Polaris Youth ATV

I just wasn't willing to spend the $2200 that it was going to cost me to get my daughter the Polaris Youth ATV that she's been wanting for some time now. Though the sticker price was less than $1900, once they added on the commission, set up fees and taxes, the price became more than $2200. I just knew I could find a Polaris Youth ATV for less.

I started looking online and found some more reasonably priced Polaris Youth ATVs. The problem was that every Polaris Youth ATV dealer I'd find online seemed to want a king's ransom for the shipping charges. The prospect of buying a Polaris Youth ATV online was quickly dwindling before my eyes, as the addition of shipping charges made these other potential Polaris Youth ATV purchases about the same as at the local ATV store.

I was about to give up, meaning that the Polaris Youth ATV purchase would have to be saved for Christmas. At this point it occurred to me to look at one of the online auction websites. I decided to try the auction juggernaut, eBay first. And lo and behold, I was able to find just the deal on a new Polaris Youth ATV that I'd been seeking.

I found a Polaris Youth ATV on eBay for $1700. This didn't include shipping, but their shipping rates were very reasonable and not padded whatsoever. Yet, in my case it didn't matter anyway, as the seller lived close enough to my home that I was able to go and pick up the ATV myself.

My daughter loves her new Polaris Youth ATV. It came with all of the usually accessories that this model of ATV comes with at retail stores, as well as some other handy additions. I was pleased with the six month transferable warranty.

The Polaris Youth ATV that I purchased on eBay came with a battery, handlebars, tires and oil. If you want to have the ATV shipped these things must be charged and/or installed by your self. Since I was going to pick it up in person, it was ready to run. It had the battery charged and installed, as well as full oil and gas.

Along with the basic ATV components, the ATV package also included a Polaris Youth ATV helmet, an instructional video that goes over operational aspects as well as safety procedures. Included were an extra key, a tether switch for increased safety, a safety flag for increased visibility and some other smaller items as well.

The Polaris Youth ATV is a 2-stroke engine with electric kick-start backup. It has a fuel capacity of one gallon and weighs about 185 pounds. This child's ATV is about 48 inches long and only about 28 inches tall. I found that this size was just perfect for my eleven year old daughter.

I strongly believe that too many parents don't properly teach their children how to safely drive ATVs. Please, if you buy an ATV for your child, take the time to teach your child the proper safety procedures and riding techniques. In many areas there are classes to help teach proper ATV riding techniques.
Donovan Keithly has been a SUV owner for the past 10 years. Hes an active outdoors person who loves to go off roading in his ATV. He has owned and operated countless ATVs over the years and shares his riding techniques as well as model reviews on his site.Margi Blog93944
Marjory Blog21072

Three Different Affiliate Marketing Scams To Avoid

Everywhere you look, there are scammers. Most of the websites claiming to give information that will help you earn money online are scams. And yet some people seem unsure about what scams really are.

I've heard it argued that if you're provided with an e-book, it's not a scam. It doesn't matter how good the e-book is. It you've been given a product in return for your money, it's not a scam.

I disagree. I believe that a scam is, quite simply, an attempt to get someone to pay money by being in some way dishonest. This can involve a great range of things, but when it comes to affiliate marketing I have divided into three main categories. I outline them below.

The first is the most obvious: when someone lies about what you will receive for your money. They might claim to give away a free website, only for none to appear when you've given up your money. It might be bonus e-books, or a video course that you never get to watch.

Whatever it is, it's clearly dishonest. This is the easiest type of scammer to catch. By lying about what they offer, they are breaking the law, and there are many genuine affiliate marketers out there including myself that wouldn't hesitate to report them.

Sometimes, they are slightly more subtle. For example, claiming that with the information they give you can start making money in minutes without doing any work at all. If anyone has ever found a program that can really tell you how to do this, please send it to me! Claims like this are clearly impossible, and yet are often written in such a way that they seem completely convincing and can lead to thousands of people giving their money away.

A second type of scam can also be easily caught. Some scammers, rather than writing their own material, simply sell other peoples. I have seen e-books sold that are nothing more than collections of articles taken off free article directories. The information might be useful but this is also illegal. It is plagiarism, plain and simple.

That's not the only way it can be done. A scammer might find an e-book written by a genuine affiliate marketer and edit out the author information. They then insert their own name in place of the real author's. Again, the information might be good. Again, this is illegal: plagiarism.

A third type is more subtle, and therefore easier to get away with. Many scammers will quite simply sell information that is either useless, inaccurate, or available elsewhere for free.

One of the difficult points if that they might not be aware that they are, in effect, scamming people. They might genuinely believe that the information they are offering is helpful. It could just be that they are a very poor writer, or that they are unable to explain what they mean clearly enough to help others. They could have the best intentions in the world, but if they are asking for money for information that is worthless, they are scamming you. After all, it is their responsibility to make sure their product is good enough.

They might also take amusement from the idea of selling inaccurate information. Sad as it is, some people are like they: they enjoy the idea of hurting or annoying other people. They ask for money, and give information they know is bogus. The result is that people who try to follow it could end up losing even more.

Or there could be another, more innocent reason. They might have decided that selling an e-book on affiliate marketing would be a great way of making money without actually knowing anything about affiliate marketing. They therefore write the best e-book they can, but because of their lack of any practical experience it is useless.

Finally, there are those who try to make money by selling information you could get for free elsewhere. I saw an excellent example of this just a few days ago: a site offering to sell you a list of legitimate affiliate marketing opportunities! No doubt, after you buy it you are presented with a list of affiliate links to make him even more money with. There are plenty of websites that review genuine affiliate marketing programs, and they do it for free. The same goes for other types of information. If someone thinks they can convince you to buy something, they will many people are too lazy to pause and search to see if they can find it free elsewhere.

Scammers need to be stopped. They are making money through illegal and dishonest methods that hurt the entire affiliate marketing community. The best way to get rid of them is to hit them where it hurts: their wallets. Before you buy, always make sure a site is genuine. Don't be their next victim.

Anita Buchan is a full-time affiliate marketer who now wants to help others become as successful as she is. For reviews of legitimate affilliate marketing opportunities and free resources visit http://www.dont-get-scammed.bizMarget Blog35330
Molli Blog90355