Mr. Star's Thoughts

HIRED!!!

2008-05-13T01:10:00.000-07:00

by Mr Star.

Often in my blog entries I have told stories regarding my interviews and how the results are. But this time is different. I am officially hired!!! I will start to work as an engineer in a telecommunication industry company. I will start to work on the end of this month!! So, for all my friends that had prayed for my success, I say my appreciation. Good luck to me OK. Chowz!!!!

2 Days, 2 Different Companies, 2 Interviews, 1 thing in common

2008-03-10T23:48:00.001-07:00

by Mr. Star,

Last Friday and Saturday (7th and 8th March 2008) I went to 2 different company for a job interview. On Friday, I went to Bukit Bintang for a job interview to be a trainee project manager by an event, promotion and marketing agency called Channel Direct Asia. The interview exposes me to the sales and promotion position where if I were selected I can manage to get up to RM4000 per month (depending on performances). With all the positive to gain, I think I have failed to impress during the interview session because my input are too technical and for me cannot be compared to other experienced sales person that are also attending the interview. Nevertheless, I always takes things as part and parcel of my never ending search for experience and knowledge to improve my life.

Due to the lack of performance in my Friday's interview. My heart was burning with fire to redeem back my self esteem in the next job interview on Saturday. For Saturday, I had went to Jaya Jusco Wangsa Maju for a job interview to become Management Trainee for AEON company (the company that owns Jaya Jusco and MaxValu supermarket). This job opportunity interest me not because of the salary offered, but because of the career development plan that had been structured for management trainee in building their ambition in the retail business. I believe my performance here was much better than the day before and hope to get the results soon.

As you might notice both these company have one thing in common. It is not an engineering company as previous job application and interview attempts before. I choose to join the session to broaden my view regarding various job prospects and opened my eyes to other possibilities.

I pray for the best :-)

Great day at Autosurf CC with Local FIFA Champ

2008-03-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

by Mr. Star,

As mentioned earlier, I had won a practice session with Malaysia’s No 1 FIFA player as my gift in participating The FIFA Blog. And yesterday was the day that I came over to Autosurf CC to get my reward.

Rinie (the Champ) is a warm and fun guy to talk to and thus providing n excellent opportunity for me to learn as much as I could in an hour period of time. He thought me on when to attack, provide width to the team and most importantly how to slow or fasten the tempo of my FIFA 08 game. The session which is ended around 4:20pm, have given me good experience and I will make sure all the knowledge will be fully benefited in my game.

Game Results

1. Rinie 4 - Me 0
2. Rinie 3 - Me 1 (Yeah.. I score!!)
3. Rinie 4 - Me 0 (Argh.. Being whooped again.. haha)
4. Rinie 2- Me 1 (My best game with him)

Thank you Rinie for the practice session (and the RM50 ang pau also ).

Hope we will meet again and next time I may not be that easy to be defeated. LOL!!

I won!!!!

2008-02-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

by Mr. Star,

The FIFA Blog is currently the one of the newest blog for playing FIFA and it is maintain by a local champ. There is a competition where viewers can provide inputs for the blog to be more interesting. I won it!

Reviewed it here :-)

Great Interview Session

2008-02-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

by Mr. Star

Hello again,

Last 2 weeks I had another interview but this time I joined a local car manufacturer's open interview. I am glad I've arrived there early because latter that day I found out up to 500 people come to try there luck. Here are my assessment for the interview.

Firstly, there is an IQ test set up with 36 questions to be answered by 40 minutes. Since I had an experience of doing test before (last 2 posts :-)), I manage to keep my heads and hand firm to answer them all. The questions is basically wants us to select the best possible sequence of the next picture and each question have 7 different answers to choose from.

Then, came the waiting game where all participants are required to wait at the conference hall until the results came up. It took me 1.5 hours before my test results is showed and Thank GOD I manage to pass it. Some of the participant failed to do the IQ test and even though some of them are 1st Class Honors, they can't go through the interview session and had to go home (sounds like Malaysia Idol elimination session hahaha).

After that, I had to wait in line. Even though there are only 3-4 people in front of me, it took me another 1.5 hours before my turn to impress the interviewer. The interview session runs greatly and by far, this is my best performance in terms of presentation, answering questions and my background research regarding the company really pays off. I think I manage to get their attention to my ability rather than my grades. I hope this time around my effort will not go in vain because I really wanted to join the company.

New Horizon in Blogging

2008-02-09T01:32:00.000-08:00

Hello there,

I am proud to announce my arrival in my second blog using Wordpress.

It is located at http://encikstar.wordpress.com/ .

I am please to tell all you that the features in this blogging application provides varieties of tweaks and tricks to allows blogger to blog more efficiently, more dynamic and most importantly, its easy.

I will keep updating that blog and this one simultaneously to bring choices for users to view. Thank you.

Regards,

Mr. Star

Test results

2008-01-20T22:03:00.000-08:00

I have got my results for the global problem solving test, and unfortunately I fail to get the job offered. Well, this does not stop me from going all guns blazing to secure a good job upon my bachelor degree completion at my university. I also got the results from my past interview with a manufacturing company and ones again i fail to get the job.

I believe in hardship before glory and I hope these hardship will bring me further both in my career and my life. My brother have told me of term "downtime" after graduating. This "downtime" means the time you spend freely because u are already graduated and wanting some time to rest before finding a job. Hm.. I've looked into the matter with deep interest and concluded that the only "downtime" i will have is the time I spend to search a new job and not doing nothing. Hope things will be better for me in the future.

Global Problem Solving Test?

2008-01-02T00:31:00.000-08:00

by Mr. Star

Like you might have know, I am currently a final semester undergraduate student studying Computer and Information Engineering. I have been constantly looking out for good jobs for my professional career. Today I finally got my 1st ever reply from a company that I have applied for a job for.

Later next week I had to attend a Global Problem Solving Test scheduled at a town outside my own. I really hope I can do it brilliantly. Wish me well my friends. Before this I had to complete a 60 paged form and I really glad I did that. This could be my path to my destiny of becoming someone important, rich and happy. Hahaha.. Wish me luck again my lads.

Life Insurance? Get one ASAP :-)

2007-11-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

by Mr. Star

Well, some of us might think life insurance is some company scheme to get hold of our monthly salary with various advantages "if something happened to you". You must think "Why bother, I can take care of myself", "I wont get hurt" and some may say "I wont die, don't worry :-)". Well guys and gals, you might be wrong. Accidents can happens, and it can happens to you.

My father, a strong man, he works day in and out with great strength and health. Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. My father have a heart problem, and must be treated, operated as soon as possible. We do not have enough money to cope with the medical fund. Why? Because we don't have a life insurance.

One more case (for those who think I am a healthy man because I do sports). I got a friend who is with me, actively involved in football. One day, in an intense match, his leg snapped. Only god knows how painful it felt like, but it will be more painful if he does not have a life insurance. He does, therefore he gets 1st class treatment in a private hospital and all his medical fees is handled by his insurance.

These two incident may occur to you too, so you might wanna have a look on some of the ideas regarding what does life insurance offers can offers you. I recommend you this web http://www.advantagetermlife.com/ . This is one the life insurance company that can help you. From here also I've learn that there are various other feature that I never know a life insurance company ca offer,such as

You can customized your insurance according to you need (or criteria)
http://www.advantagetermlife.com/best_rate.php
You can organized an insurance for you whole life
http://www.advantagetermlife.com/whole.php
You can select the best possible types of coverage according to your budget
http://www.advantagetermlife.com/premium.php

Information is important for you to decide which package or even to compare prices with any other life insurance company. The main part is you must aware of the importance of having a life insurance.

"Always prepared of what might happen, not after it had occur"

Make your own work schedule - make money online

2007-11-26T22:29:00.000-08:00

by Alan Lim

No flexibility working at a full time job

Your kids have exams and you need to sit down with their studies, but there is an important conference coming up and there is no way you can take off now. You are obviously in a dilemma and do not know which to make your priority. Don’t you wish you could just sit back and help your kids? Well there is a way to do just that, you can make money online.

Or your sister is visiting you and you haven’t seen her for years, but you have exhausted all your leave and cannot dare to apply for more. Your spouse has been offered a wonderful opportunity in another town, but will it be possible for you to relocate and find a job for yourself there? You do not want to be on call 5 days a week at your job, with only the weekend to catch up with your issues at home, so what the other option you have is to work from home to make money online.

You have realized a creative streak in you and would like to explore the possibility of changing your profession, but how do you go about it? Well you will have the freedom and the flexibility to do all this and much more if you opt to make money online. No more waiting for the next lot of leave to come up, you need not miss out on any of the things you want to do. There are various options for work online and you do not have to be without a “job” at all.

The more your work the more you can earn

You have been slogging and working yourself to the bone but you do not see that raise coming. You begin to wonder whether you should tackle the boss for a raise in a subtle way or look for another more lucrative job. You need have none of these qualms if you make money online. You hold the rights to what you want to earn in your own hands and can make as much money as you want to by opting to make money online. The more you work the more you can earn, and if you want to take a break there is no problem.

Set your heart on a snazzy car – but how do you make that extra buck

Now that you have set your heart on a snazzy new car and you just have to have it. You do not mind working harder to make the extra cash but there just does not seem to be a way to do it. You have a regular job, but the options to work overtime or make some extra money are very remote. Well you need not worry about this anymore you can make money online. Without giving up your regular job you can work outside office hours and earn that extra amount. Are you wondering where to find this dream opportunity, well you just have to make money online.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

High Blood Pressure Medicine Solution

2007-11-26T22:23:00.002-08:00

by Juliet Cohen

High blood pressure or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the pumping heart to all the tissues and organs of the body. High blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke, especially when it's present with other risk factors. High blood pressure can occur in children or adults, but it's more common among people over age 35. It's particularly prevalent in African Americans, middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers and women taking birth control pills. It may run in families, but many people with a strong family history of high blood pressure never have it. High blood pressure is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher. Nearly 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no symptoms. Affecting approximately one in four adults in the United States, hypertension is clearly a major public health problem.

High blood pressure typically develops without signs or symptoms. and it affects nearly everyone eventually. There are two levels of high blood pressure: stage 1 and stage 2. It is less common in younger adults. Most cases are mildly high (up to 160/100 mmHg). However, at least 1 in 20 adults have blood pressure of 160/100 mmHg or above. High blood pressure is more common in people with diabetes. About 3 in 10 people with Type 1 diabetes and more than half of people with Type 2 diabetes eventually develop high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a 'risk factor' for developing a cardiovascular disease , and kidney damage, sometime in the future. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems with such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. Some people can prevent or control high blood pressure by changing to healthier habits.

Calcium channel blockers may work better for blacks than do ACE inhibitors or beta blockers alone. Some medicines lower blood pressure by removing extra fluid and salt from your body. Others affect blood pressure by slowing down the heartbeat or by relaxing and widening blood vessels. Diuretics are sometimes called water pills. They work by helping your kidneys flush excess water and salt from your body. Beta blockers help your heart beat slower and with less force. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors keep your body from making a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are newer blood pressure medicines that protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels. Vasodilators open blood vessels by directly relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, causing blood pressure to go down.

High Blood Pressure Treatment Tips

1. Diuretics are sometimes called water pills. They work by helping your kidneys flush excess water and salt from your body.

2. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors keep your body from making a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow.

3. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are newer blood pressure medicines that protect your blood vessels from angiotensin II.

4. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels.

5. Alpha-beta blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels the same way alpha blockers do, but they also slow the heartbeat, as beta blockers do.

6. Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses from the brain.

7. Vasodilators open blood vessels by directly relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls, causing blood pressure to go down.

8. Alpha-beta blockers- reducing nerve impulses to blood vessels, alpha-beta blockers slow the heartbeat to reduce the amount of blood.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Juliet Cohen writes articles for http://www.healthatoz.info/, http://www.health-disease.org/ and http://www.health-care-articles.info/

Basic Rules of Scam Baiting

2007-11-26T22:23:00.001-08:00

by Dany Siraz

There are handfuls on common sense basic rules, which a scam baiter should follow:

1. The first rules is to have a good anti-virus software running on your system all the time and do keep the virus definitions ready. This is must for any computer which has internet connection but it is most significant for the scam baiting.

2. Make sure you don’t believe in anything, which a scammer tells you until you know it is true. In case scammer tells you “here is my photo” you could argue it isn’t. If on Monday the scammer tells you its Monday, check the calendar. It’s possibly Tuesday.

3. Next you should make sure that you do not give any real personal information to the scammer. This needs to be very obvious. Any actual personal information carries your real name, real address, place of work, real bank account number, and personal e-mail address and so on.

4. Remember you should never go to meet any scammer in person, regardless of their location given. As most scammers are just nothing more than pretty cheat artists, there had been many cases of muggings, kidnappings and also murder of people who had gone to meet with 419 scammers. Please do not do it.

5. And the most important rule is, you should never involve directly any innocent third parties in you scam bait. No matter how much you may hate you boss or your ex-spouse, don’t take revenge through this. You should not take on the identity of any real person existing or do not send a scammer to meet with any real person.

About the Author: Dany Siraz is an expert in analyzing and describing the spam’s that are making the people to fall as prey without awareness, especially the Nigerian 419 scams. He had published many articles about describing the way of spam producers to fraud the people especially through e-mails, and had advised the best ways and tips to escape from these spam frauds. For further more details of Nigerian 419 scam visit to http://www.nigerianspam.com/.

Why Satellite TV Scores over Cable TV? - Satellite TV Benefits

2007-11-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

By Mike Smith

Cable TV is slowly becoming a thing of the past and is being replaced by Satellite TV in almost every home and office across the USA. Though there have been numerous discussions about which is better, it is becoming more and more clear that Satellite TV scores over Cable TV in almost all regards.

What is Satellite TV?
A Satellite TV is a superior television system that catches strong digital signals received by a Satellite TV dish. Unlike Cable TV, Satellite TV comes with many more viewer friendly features and superior add-on services which truly magnify the television viewing experience. DIRECTV, which is one of the leading Satellite Television providers, is offering excellent customer service making sure that once a viewer opts for Satellite TV, they never look back.

Benefits of Satellite TV
Satellite TV has revolutionized television entertainment - Here’s why

·Larger number of Channels: In contrast to Cable TV, with Satellite TV, you can never get bored! From drama to comedy, sports to news, cartoons to music, Satellite TV offers an unbeatable range of high quality channels suitable for all age groups.
For e.g., the DIRECTV® TOTAL CHOICE® package gives you an all-access pass to over 135 of your favorite digital-quality channels for only $41.99/month, including your local channels and regional sports network.

·Superior Digital Quality: Satellite Television offers crystal clear picture quality. You don’t have to worry about poor quality and weak reception like you did with Cable TV. With Satellite TV, all channels including your local network channels come with 100% digital quality that makes TV viewing a pleasure. Watching your favourite game on Satellite TV will make you feel like you are watching it live! Moreover, Satellite Television reception is rarely affected by bad weather.

·Easy Set Up and Installation: Satellite Television providers like DIRECTV know how to take care of their customers. This is the reason why, when you opt for 12 months of TOTAL CHOICE programming; you get a satellite dish and up to 4 standard receivers absolutely free. What’s more – set up is hassle-free thanks to the professional team of installers who come to your doorstep and install your satellite television free of cost. This is unlike most cable companies who charge for installation.

·You are the Boss: With DIRECTV® DVR, you can pause, rewind and record any program you like - giving you immediate control over live TV.

·Low Cost: Satellite TV providers like DIRECTV and others compete with each other to offer extremely competitive prices and the benefit of low costs reach the customer.

·Great Sports Coverage: With DIRECTV, you get to watch your favourite games including NFL SUNDAY TICKET TM in high definition. You also get to follow your favorite teams across the country with DIRECTV's selection of major professional and college sports subscriptions from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS and ESPN. The sports package is a dream come true for all sports fans.

Satellite TV offers superior picture quality, a whole gamut of offers and excellent customer support at extremely reasonable prices - It is no wonder that Satellite TV scores over traditional cable TV to the extent that Satellite TV has now become synonymous with ‘non stop Entertainment’.

About the Author: Article by eXpert Mike Smith, for a more lengthy discussion about Satellite TV ,Dish Network Cable and DirecTV visit eXpert Satellite DIRECT TV

Choose the mp3 player that’s right for you

2007-11-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

by RickMartin

Music is one of the greatest entertainment sources in today’s world. Listening to music can be relaxing, fun and is even known to have a therapeutic effect. The invention of the mp3 player marked a new and exciting era in the world of music, allowing everyone to listen to their favorite tunes anywhere, at any time. Portability is just one of the many advantages mp3 players provide. If you’re looking for a reliable source of cheap mp3 players, DHgate.com is the place for you.

Mp3 players are small portable gadgets, used to play mp3 music files. Since it first appeared on the market, the mp3 player was clearly superior to any other music playing gadget invented at that time. Its first advantage, and the most obvious one, was its reduced dimensions. The mp3 player is much smaller than any CD player and therefore much more practical. Whenever you’re in the mood for music you can slip your mp3 player into a pocket and go anywhere without having to worry about carrying extra weight. Furthermore, mp3 players allow you to listen to a large number of songs, with no extra hassle. This was a huge advantage, considering the fact that CD players required you to change the CD constantly and limited your play list to about 16 songs. At DHgate.com you will find dozens of cheap mp3 players to meet your needs.

There are four basic types of mp3 players commonly used today. First of all, there are the flash-based mp3 players, which have a built-in flash memory chip. These players are perfect if you’re planning to listen to music while working out. The memory of a flash player ranges from 32MB to 2 GB, the latter being the most expensive ones due to their high storage capacity.

Hard-drive based mp3 players are also very popular nowadays, using a 1.8 inch hard disk drive for storing music files. Their main advantage is the high storage capacity, being able to hold more than 10GB of music. These players are not suited for physical activity but they are perfect if you want to be able to store tons of music. You can find a wide choice of cheap mp3 players at DHgate.com.

Another widespread category of mp3 players is the micro hard-drive mp3 player category. These gadgets feature very small hard-drives which give storage space of about 5 GB. The micro hard-drive mp3 players are very popular because of their modern and compact design. If you’re looking for a fashionable gadget, the micro hard-drive player is the right choice for you.

Last but not least, there’s the mp3 CD player category. Mp3 CD players look and feel just like regular CD players, with almost no design differences. Using this gadget requires you to have a CD with mp3 files, which can be played in the unit. A CD holds about 150 mp3 files so you’ll have a pretty extended choice of music at your fingertips. The disadvantages to these players are their large dimensions and their tendency to skip songs if bumped.

What would the world be like if we had no music? For most of us, this prospect is unthinkable as we all feel passionate about our favorite music genres. An mp3 player is a little technological wonder that allows us to take our music everywhere, as comfortably as possible. DHgate.com is a top provider of cheap mp3 gadgets and hundreds of other products of the highest quality.

Forex Enterprise: Warning

2007-11-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

by John Hughes

It is common knowledge that the internet is the best place to make money - but can you make money with the Forex Enterprise package? or is Forex Enterprise just another money making scam.

"Who Else Wants To Earn Thousands Of Dollars Per Month With A System That Virtually Runs 100% On Autopilot!?"

This statement on the Forex Enterprise home page instantly made me think that it was a scam. So I decided to do some digging and see what I could find out about Nick Marks and his Forex Enterprise package.

Here's what I found:

Forex Enterprise is a huge, profitable company. They are best known for teaching people to make money with foreign currency exchange (hence the name ForEx). Doing this can be very profitable, although it takes a significant amount of money to start.

Once you enroll in the Forex Enterprise program, they will give you a plug for their currency exchange program, which costs thousands. This is a major turnoff. I prefer companies that allow you to make money without buying anything additional.

The Forex Enterprise makes some ridiculous claims on its website, and that's a red flag. Any company that claims that you can make $100,000 in your first month should be avoided. While you may be able to make some money with Forex Enterprise, it won't be near the amounts that they claim.

Many internet gurus give Forex Enterprise their stamp of approval. I do not recommend it but if you're set on giving it a look the Forex Enterprise does come with a thirty day money back guarantee.

I believe that there are better wealth programs on the internet than Forex Enterprise. If you're looking to do currency exchange, Forex Enterprise might be worth giving a look. If you're looking to make money online, there are better places to learn than from Forex Enterprise.

I recommend taking a look at the Ultimate Wealth Package. Unlike Forex Enterprise it's great for beginner's, reasonably priced and their are no strings attached.

About the Author: For more information click here to visit Ultimate Wealth Package

Identity Theft: Phishing in Dangerous Water

2007-11-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

by Daryl Campbell

Have you received one yet? You know. The email directing you to visit a familiar website where for some odd reason you’re being asked to update your personal information? The website asks you to verify your passwords, credit card numbers, social security number, or even your bank account. You recognize the company name as one that you’ve done business with in the past, so you click on the “take me there” link and proceed to provide all the information they’ve requested. No problem right? Except you find out much later that the website is a fraud. It was created for one reason: to steal your personal information. Welcome to the world of phishing.

Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) means to send an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. By fooling the recipient into giving their private information, the phisher has in effect stolen their identity.

It’s not easy to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The "From" field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company's website, but in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.

Many of these people are professional criminals that have spent considerable time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing your email remember that the "From Field" can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it’s coming from a company you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Keep in mind that phishers will go all out in trying to make their emails look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. They also like to include a clickable link which the recipient can follow to conveniently “update” their information.

How do you check to see if the link is authentic? Point at the link with your mouse, and then look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. This is a fast and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.

Also never and I mean NEVER click the links within the text of the e-mail. Delete the e-mail immediately and empty the trash box in all of your e-mail accounts as well. If you are truly concerned that you are missing an important notice regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the website into your browser. That way you can be confident that you are being directed to the true and legitimate website.

Phishing is a major weapon of choice for online identity thieves. Don’t get hooked.

About the Author: Daryl Campbell’s website http://fightidtheft.winthemarket.com provides free tips,resources, featured articles from experts and up to the minute news concerning identity theft and fraud

10 Musts for Search Engine Safety

2007-11-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

by Andrew Bermam

Search engines ease the efforts of locating web sites that are relevant to your work. But sadly just as users discover the many joys of using search engines, there are others who work hard to unravel ways in which the search engines will help them in carry out malevolent work. Spam, spyware, adware, phi sing, and dangerous downloads are all carried by websites search engines innocently lead you to.

The most dangerous keywords that can cause trouble are: free screensavers, bearshare, music downloads, free ringtones, winmix, and download Yahoo messenger. As the user and one at risk you must be extremely vary about where you go and which sites you choose to open. Search engines despite all efforts cannot protect you.

Protect yourself by:

1. Avoiding clicking on search engine advertisers.

2. Using keywords that are on the “danger” list.

3. Try and learn about the site’s practices. This will help you protect yourself.

4. Use organic sites they are safer than sponsored sites.

5. How ever eager you may be to read/view something don’t say yes to installation of any “most essential” programs.

6. Use a site advisor software like MacAfee’s SiteAdviser see: www.us.mcafee.com.

7. Protect your Pc’s search record and clear the cache regularly. People can use your IP finger prints and check on you or even do worse.

8. Read Google’s page that gives instruction for cleaning out IE, Firebox, and any other browser you may be using.

9. Clear tool bar history as shown by MSN. Always check the help features on your computer to learn how best to protect yourself.

10. Protect surfing privacy by using tools such as those devised by Earthlink.

Malevolent people in the World Wide Web are well aware of what tempts users. The popular vehicle for unwanted and dangerous software are beautiful screensavers, tempting music downloads, and offer of freebies. Sites that give away these are chock-a-block with adware and spyware.

Sadly, innocently registering at a few sites also results in unwanted spam. An in depth study by McAfee and Ben Edelman found that as much as 9 % of sponsored results and 3% of organic searches led to questionable sites. Most dangerous of course are sponsored links and seemingly innocent freebies. The work revealed that free screensavers contributed 64%; bearshare contributed 57%; screensavers accounted for 55%; and winmix for 51% of the disasters.

Other than SiteAdvisor there are other tools like ScanSafe’s Scandoo. This also provides warnings about pornography, pirated software and gambling apart for intermittent dangers. StopBadWare.org is a coalition formed by Google, Lenovo, and Sun Microsystem to create an intensive database of questionable Web sites. They hope to warn surfers about sites that are security threats.

The Cyber world is somewhat similar to the spy games played during the “cold war.” So, you the PC owner need to protect your own back and stay one –step ahead of the enemy.

About the Author: Andrew Bermam is a freelance writer for Coupon code , the premier website for online coupon code, services to buy best coupon code, discounts, bargains, promotional coupon codes, special offers, free coupon codes and many more. He also freelances for Credit Report site.

Dating e-book - A new trend.

2007-11-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

from http://www.easyarticles.com/article-92843.htm

I understand that a lot of books have some valuable points to offer though. Look, there more or less 1000 dating “gurus” out there, everybody with his/her own system. What should you focus on? You have no chance of making it by reading everything. Information overload will burn your brain circuits.

The best thing is to have somebody you know and trust and try to model his style for some time, or somebody that has been where you are right now suggest some of the books that have been helpful. In every case, don’t just “dive” into the dating e-book sea before you have some knowledge about the subject.

Have you heard of analysis paralysis? That’s what happens to the best guys out there, who are full of desire to learn, but they just consume data till they lose all their energy.
Let me tell you how to begin. You should ask and learn what is helpful, and in the meantime you should set some goals for yourself. I don’t mean necessarily difficult and impossible goals, a simple one every week, just to keep you moving forward. For example, for a shy guy, smiling to a beautiful woman, or asking for directions is a perfect “assignment”.

Study, but don’t forget to act. Most guys buy the e-book, are full of hope, and stay at the same level because they forget to act. Practice, keep doing, and one or two good e-books will do the trick. It’s all about changing your beliefs and ideas about yourself and the outer world. Simply philosophizing is not going to work.

About the Author: If you are beginning, or if you just want to make your good “luck” with women keep going, visit my page. Surprise yourself by Visiting my page. I promise to help and to suggest what I know that helps in the dating e-books world.

When Friendlies Attack

2007-11-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

by Kenrick Cleveland

I like the way Abraham Lincoln said it best, "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"

I don't know how many of you, my readers, have actual enemies,arch nemeses, foes or adversaries as these descriptions seem somewhat extreme, but in business at the very least, sometimes rivalries happen. What is important to remember is that these rivalries need not define or impede us. Contrary to what we see in the movies, most people are really just looking for a friendly face.

People are always looking for a friendly face. They're looking for someone to acknowledge them and it makes no difference who you are, where you're going, what you're doing, they are looking for this acknowledgment.

People are sending out the signal looking for friendlies searching for people who are going to be nice to them.

And most of the time, the world ignores them.

Here's an important thing to remember as a persuader: You are going to get ignored. You will put yourself out there, open yourself up and people are going to flat out disregard you. But that's okay. This is a built up cynicism. They don't know better. You do. And you'll know how to influence them in a heartbeat.

So here's a weird incongruity--how is it that what people really, truly want in life is to be acknowledged and accepted and yet they end up not paying any attention when other people are acknowledging and accepting them? We are all conditioned. That's one thing. We set up boundaries early on. Maybe we're protecting ourselves against rejection, sheltering ourselves from disappointment. We're trying to keep up a wall that separates us from the "crazies" out there and we've opted to look down at our feet and appear occupied instead of extending our energy.

And despite all of this, despite the fact that you WILL be rejected, let us commit to stop ignoring people and to cutting back on our own rudeness.

Of course this rudeness isn't confined to the U.S, but it's definitely not as prevalent in other countries. Other cultures are quite different in terms of their unconscious hellos and a general openness to greeting people.

Several years ago I visited a Latin American country where I was woefully ignorant of their particular way of greeting. And I say woefully, because I had not only misinterpreted, but I had judged in the process.

When I arrived at the airport, I noticed the greeting immediately and immediately misconstrued it. The man tipped his head back and pushed his lips out at me. Instead of realizing this was a greeting, I took it as him hitting on me, as in, hey, I'd like to kiss you.

As I went through the day and evening, I encountered the same treatment everywhere I went. Was I all of the sudden a very hot commodity in the gay community? Nope. I wasn't giving off a different vibe. And yet over and over I was confronted with men who apparently wanted to kiss me.

Well. . . As quick as I like to believe I am. . . EVENTUALLY, I realized what was going on. A fellow member of the religious group I was working with did the exact same thing and I was certain he was not looking to hook up with another man. That's when it dawned on me. The constricted and limited cultural frame I was looking through immediately expanded and I began noticing EVERYONE was doing the same exact thing.

Once I realized this, I began to immediately mirror the behavior and my discomfort became acceptance.

About The Author:
Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of affluent clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in http://www.maxpersuasion.com persuasion techniques.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

2007-11-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

By Ian Lurie ,

How it fits into your Internet marketing strategy

Ian Lurie, Portent Interactive, Seattle, WA
December 29, 2003

Pay-per-click marketing is a great way to get visitors when you need traffic and you need it now. But it's risky: You can spend a fortune, generate many visits, and end up with nothing to show for it. This article will provide you with a high-level view of pay per click marketing, provide some general strategies and provide an example of what to do, and what not to do.

What is Pay-Per-Click Advertising?

On its face, pay-per-click marketing, or PPC, is pretty simple: Search engines and services, such as Google or Overture, provide listings on a per-bid basis. This is in addition to their 'natural' search results, which are still powered by a combination of keywords found on your site, link popularity and other formulae.

If you place the highest bid for a specific keyword or set of keywords, then you rank number one in these paid listings. On Google, , PPC listings show up in the Adwords column on the right-hand side of the screen. Other engines, such as MSNSearch or Yahoo, display P P C listings as 'sponsored listings' in the same column as the natural search results.

If someone clicks on your PPC listing, they arrive at your web site. And you are charged the amount you bid. So, if you bid $.15 per click on 'widgets', and that's the highest bid, you'll show up first in line. If 100 people click on your P P C listing, then the search engine or PPC service will charge you $15.00.

Why PPC Advertising is Bad

But PPC advertising can cost a fortune. It's easy to get caught up in a bidding war over a particular keyphrase and end up spending far more than your potential return. Some PPC engines, such as Overture, offer convenience features such as 'autobid' that will automatically increase your bid amount to maintain a particular rank. That sounds great on its face, but it can get expensive in a big hurry.

Also, ROI can be very hard to measure. Some PPC engines (Adwords and Overture, specifically) provide conversion measurement tools, so that you can track whether your pay-per-click campaigns are generating the desired result. But these tracking tools aren't 100% accurate, and at the time of this writing the smaller PPC providers don't deliver any conversion tracking.

And watch out for junk traffic. Most pay-per-click services distribute a segment of their results to several search engines. While you certainly want your listing displayed on Yahoo, AOLSearch and MSN, you may not want your listings showing up and generating clicks from some of the deeper, darker corners of the Internet. The resulting traffic may look good in statistics reports but is very unlikely to generate a return.

Finally, pay-per-click advertising does not scale. If you get more traffic, you pay more money in direct proportion to that traffic - your cost per click stays constant, and your overall cost increases. Compare that to natural search engine optimization, where you invest a fixed amount of time and/or money to achieve a better rank, and your cost per click goes down as you draw more traffic.

Why PPC is Good

Pay-per-click advertising can generate traffic right away. It's simple: If you spend enough, you can get top placement, and potential customers will see you first. If folks are searching for the keyphrases on which you bid and you've placed a well-written ad, you will get clicks the moment the ad is activated.

So PPC advertising is fast: With some systems, such as Google Adwords, you can generate targeted traffic within a few minutes of opening an account.

PPC advertising is also nimble: Where natural search engine marketing or other forms of advertising can lag weeks or months behind changing audience behavior, you can adjust most pay-per-click campaigns in hours or days. That provides unmatched ability to adjust to market conditions.

PPC can also be a bargain: Sometimes, you can find keyword 'niches' for which the top bid is around $.10 - in that case, PPC is a great option, because you can generate traffic to your site for a fraction of the cost of any other form of paid advertising.

So, balancing the good and the bad, where does PPC fit in? As a focused advertising tool.

The Role of PPC Advertising

Most businesses can't afford to solely rely on PPC advertising. It's too expensive, and bid amounts inevitably climb. But pay-per-click can fill a few important roles:

Campaign- and issue-based traffic: If you have a short-term campaign for a new product, service or special issue, pay-per-click can be a great way to generate buzz. You can start a pay-per-click campaign within, at most, 24-48 hours, and you can generally change the text of your ad in mid-campaign, so adjusting your message is easy. If you need to focus attention for a finite amount of time, PPC is perfect.
Direct-response business: If you sell a product or offer a service that folks can purchase the moment they arrive at your web site, pay-per-click is a great tool. Online stores are a great example: You know that each click generated is a real potential customer, so spending money to increase the number of clicks makes sense.
Niche terms: If you are trying to generate traffic for a highly specific keyphrase, PPC can often provide bargains. For example, you might not want to pay the top bid for 'bicycles', but 'Landshark Bicycles' is probably a lot less expensive ($.10 per click as of this writing, actually).

The overall rule of thumb? Focus, focus, focus. Natural search engine optimization is a PR-based, long-term attempt to grow your brand and image. Pay-per-click advertising, however, should be handled like any other form of paid advertising: Gingerly, and with a clear, quantifiable short- or medium-term goal in mind. In other words, concentrate on conversions, not clicks.

Where Can You Get Math Homework Help

2007-11-26T19:58:00.001-08:00

by Scott Palat

Many students ask questions like "Where can you get math homework help" or "how do I get help on homework." There are many places to find help. This article will explain the best ways of getting help on your difficult math homework. It is important to pick up topics in math quickly, or you may not get later concepts, and the problems will snowball.

The first place you should look to is your teacher. Your math teacher can offer you the best help, since he or she is the one who taught it to you. That has the advantage of letting your teacher know that you're serious about doing well in the class, and he is more likely to give you more attention later. Teachers really like to know when a student is trying, because that is the first step to succeeding.

But where can you get math homework help besides your teachers? Try your parents. Though they may not have had math in a long, long time, they will likely be able to help you get started or point you in the right direction. Sometimes it is hard to take advice from a parent on math, though, but give it a shot, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Going to a teacher or parent is usually the easiest way, but sometimes it is better to seek "professional" help from someone you don't know. So, where can you get math homework help from someone you don't know? Online tutoring services or local tutoring services are a great place for that. You can find people who specialize in geometry or trigonometry or calculus--whatever your need-- through tutoring services. They will be able to help you with your math homework without being too close to you that it feels strange getting advice from them. They are trained in tutoring, so they will be patient with you in explaining the problems.

Hopefully you have a better idea of where can you get math homework help. So, don't wait, find someone to help you now. It is never too soon start getting help on your help work. Math is a difficult subject when you fall behind the class, so the sooner you get help with homework, the better!

To read more articles about math homework, visit http://www.live-onlinetutor.com

A Prospersous Writer's Marketing Momentum

2007-11-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

by Kathy Poole

A very surprising thing happens just about every time I sit down to work on my marketing plan, call a prospective client, mail a few thank-you notes to current clients, or take any other marketing-related action -- even if its just to conjure up some new marketing strategies. Whenever I have a true intention to market, the Universe responds by opening a door. A client I havent heard from in a while asks me to do a big assignment. I find out that my pitch to a big company has paid off, and my contact is ready to sign a contract. Or I get an out-of-the-blue call that brings me glad tidings of great joy and prosperity (that is, the caller has never talked to me before but knows about my work and implores me with all sincerity to do a project in just two weeks, adding, of course, that the company will happily give me 150 percent of my usual fee all in advance!)

That last scenario doesnt happen very often (well, okay, it happened just twice), but other door openings are very common. These door openings tell me that just having the intention to market is often enough to start or increase the flow of abundance in my life. I am rewarded for making the effort and being willing.

However, I know I cant fool myself, much less the Universe: My intention must be honest. Its not enough to simply think about the fact that I need to do some marketing. I must intend to actually do some marketing very soon -- usually that day. In many cases my intention registers only after I put myself into marketing mode by doing some definitive action, such as making a list of people who are due for follow ups, working on my web site or simply reading a book filled with marketing ideas that rev up my enthusiasm and creativity. Then the doors of opportunity open.

I call these door openings the magic of marketing momentum, but that doesnt mean you can rely on magic alone. Intention is the key you must put into the lock. Action is the process of turning the key and opening the door. Whats inside? Opportunity and prosperity. Enjoy!

This article may be copied and distributed in its entirety and without alteration, if accompanied by the following information:

Kathy Poole has had a highly profitable freelance writing business since 1985. As a Writer's Coach, she helps other writers prosper financially, create freely and live passionately. For more information, resources and inspiration, visit www.prosperouswriter.com, or e-mail Kathy at clarity@iag.net.

The War on College Alcohol Abuse

2007-11-26T19:35:00.002-08:00

by Denny Soinsk

Why do college students abuse alcohol? The answers are probably many, but the simplest answer is this: Because they can.

Abusing Alcohol is Easy

When there are so few immediate consequences for excessive drinking, when repeat offenders are not disciplined, when parents are not notified about their children's drinking activities, when students get mixed messages from the college administration about alcohol, when students have seen their parents drinking alcohol in an irresponsible manner, when students are not informed about the long-tern negative consequences of alcohol abuse, when there are few alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students, when minors or intoxicated students are served alcoholic beverages by the local drinking establishments, and when the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities are not monitored---drinking and excessive drinking become so very easy.

What Draws Students to Abuse Alcohol?

When peer pressure or influence is added to the equation, when it is disregarded that drinking alcohol temporarily removes a person from his or her problems, when ignoring the belief or perception that drinking alcohol makes it easier to socialize with potential dating or sexual partners, when it is so acceptable to engage in activities that emphasize the drinking of alcohol, when the "good feelings" or the "fun" of getting an alcohol high or buzz are not considered, and when the party atmosphere at college is expected by students--it becomes more clear regarding what causes college students to abuse alcohol.

More Than Education is Needed

While I am 100% pro-education, especially when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse prevention, I do not think that education is the only solution or the only weapon that can be successfully used in the battle against college drug and alcohol abuse. Let me explain.

Proactive and Reactive Measures

With respect to alcohol abuse in higher education, many reactive AND proactive measures have been initiated at some colleges and universities that have reduced the availability, acceptability, and irresponsibility of alcohol use on and off campus. The result: a noticeable, if not a significant reduction in alcohol-related problems manifested by students.

What are some of these measures? Establishing immediate consequences for excessive drinking, disciplining repeat alcohol abuse offenders, notifying parents about their children's drinking activities, eliminating mixed messages by college administrators about alcohol (for instance, removing alcohol advertisements from stadiums and from sports brochures), informing students about the long-tern negative consequences of alcohol abuse, increasing alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students, having college administrators talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol, and monitoring the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities.

Medical Research and Treatment Are Not Enough

I assert, however, that the above proactive and reactive measures, most of which are NOT education-based, are needed to compliment educational approaches. Why? I am enough of a realist to believe that even if medical research eventually discovers viable ways to escape addiction and if the medical community is able to offer effective treatment to all who need it, there will always be those who, for whatever reason, will choose to disregard medical warnings, ignore their health, and who will discount common sense as they involve themselves in alcohol and/or drug abuse.

Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.

About the Author

Denny Soinski, Ph.D, writes about successful alcohol rehab, alcohol addiction, alcohol detoxification, substance abuse, alcoholism, alcohol recovery, alcohol treatment, and alcohol rehab. For more information, please visit http://www.Drug-Abuse-Facts.com right away!

Lending Personality to a Website

2007-11-26T19:35:00.001-08:00

by Oudam Em

There are currently over a hundred million websites on the internet competing for the eyeballs of visitors. How do you make your site stand out above the rest? The SEO and internet marketing gurus will repeat the old "content is king" mantra and will tell you to come up with something unique and original.

Fair enough. But how exactly does one go about doing this? What exactly is unique, original content? With the billions of pages on the net I think you'd be hard-pressed to to come up with something that is truly new and original that hasn't been published or presented in some way by someone else already.

One way to make your content unique is add a personal touch to it. There are 5 billion people on the planet, and everyone is unique. What better way to render a site unique than to lend it a unique character that mirrors one's own personality? The way we write, how we organize content, the words we choose, and even color scheme speaks to a site's personality and imparts some degree of uniqueness and originality to it.

In real life a person can stand out by possessing one or more exceptional qualities, such as charisma, intelligence, creativity, trustworthiness, or whatever. These qualities can be played out through a site's design and content to give it a certain personality.

When it comes to doing business online, people tend to be leery of whom they're dealing with. The anonymity of the web does not mean it is easier to mislead and deceive people. Rather, it means that we must work harder to build trust and loyalty online. If you feel good about the products or services and are prepared to provide them in good faith, why not design your site in a way that exudes your confidence?

The personality of a site can attract visitors as well as build loyalty in the site. While the internet may seem like a faceless, nameless medium, but it's the living, breathing people behind the websites that make things happen. As in real life, success in cyberspace hinges on one's ability to forge positive personal relationships online. As a frequent shopper of online goods and services, I feel more comfortable dealing with an online company when I feel that I know the people behind it. So, it's really not the websites themselves, but the people behind them, that influence my purchasing decisions.

Oudam Em is the webmaster of UnlimitedTraffic.net, a site that offers a wide range of cost-effective web traffic solutions. Download his SEOPal Toolbar to have all the best SEO and internet marketing tools and resources at your fingertips.

PLR Software – 5 Ways You Can Use Private Label Rights Software To Increase Your Traffic

2007-11-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

By Jinger in E-Books

On the internet there are so many ways that you use software to help you increase the traffic to your site. When you have plr software, you can use this to help you get more traffic and to help you build your opt-in list. Here are some ways that you can use plr software to build the traffic to your business.

One: You can give the plr software to your newsletter or ezine subscribers. It gives people a reason to want to sign up to your ezine which is important because there are so many ezines that they can choose to sign up with. There are a lot of places online that you can find tons of private label rights software that you can give away.

Two: You want to make sure that you get the name and email of anyone that is going to downloading the plr software. You don’t want to ignore this because if you do then you will be giving up a lot of customers. You can use an auto responder to automate this process for your business.

Three: You can place free target marketed software downloads on your site. You will again want to get the name and email of anyone that will be downloading this software.

Four: You can place plr software on a limited time give away site. This will help you to build your opt-in list and will also help you to get some testimonials for your product that will help your business make more money.

Five: You can let people download the plr software for free if they agree to link to your site from theirs. You will be able to get your link all over the internet by doing this and it will definitely bring in traffic to your website.

The more ways you can think of to use plr software to get traffic to your site the more money you will make. You just need to use your brain and use private label rights software to your advantage. You don’t want to not use this software because when you do you will be losing customers and money. So do some research and find out all about the different ways that you can use software for your business. You will be glad you did when you see your opt-in list grow as when the money you make grows at a steady rate.

Gabor Olah invites you to visit his private label rights website for an unbelievable collection of free private label rights and master resell rights products. Claim your free lifetime membership and receive $197 in plr products here right now: —> http://www.plrwholesaler.com

Business Manners Apply to Interviewers As Well As Applicants

2007-11-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

By Lydia Ramsey

Today's job applicants are encountering a lack of courtesy that is all too common. Businesses are flooded with applicants for every opening and many are showing a lack of respect for job seekers by failing to respond to their applications.

Most employers request resumes and other documentation be sent by e-mail. Occasionally they use the old-fashioned method-the anonymous post office box. The huge volume of applications makes it seem difficult to respond personally to each one. However, the technology is there to reply to all.

Most e-mail programs have the ability to send an automatic response letting applicants know that their information has been received and how and when they will be notified of an interview or the lack of one. If the application is handled through postal mail, a generic letter can be generated and sent out with the same details. There is no excuse for leaving applicants in the dark.

Following an interview, employers continue their thoughtlessness. Applicants are told they will be contacted within a certain time, but it never happens. With the search narrowed, the number of calls or letters should be manageable. People who reach this level in the interview process deserve a follow-up. They need to know if the position has been filled or if the process is continuing.

Consider it public relations for the organization. The person who applies for the job and is treated shabbily by an organization has friends and acquaintances whom they are likely to tell. Furthermore, that applicant may one day be an influential businessperson with a long memory when it comes to choosing business connections.

Job seekers are customers, too, and should receive the same level of customer service as everyone else.

(c) 2006, Lydia Ramsey. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted so long as article and by-line are published intact and with all links made live.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL -ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. For more information about her no cost e-zine, her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site http://www.mannersthatsell.com

How 2 give your salesforce 10 definite dos

2007-11-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

By Polly Anderson

1. Do be clear about why you are in this profession

Lots of companies template the role. Fewer template the human being who is likely to succeed in the role. A good starting point is to be clear about the attributes you really need. We advocate the construction of a template which we call K.A.S.H. . It breaks down the profile of the type of person you require under the columns of Desirable, Essential and Unacceptable within four broad categories:

Knowledge
Attitudes
Skills
Habits

In considering the Attitude category -- your salesperson should be passionate about his / her role.

Age wrinkles the face, but a lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul

You must have enthusiasm. In a personal sense, this is one of the most central attributes. All successful salespeople possess enthusiasm. They will meet plenty of apathy and inertia along the way but apathy and inertia cant live for long with real, unadulterated enthusiasm.

Your customers will very often base much of their opinion of your company upon what they have seen and heard from your salesperson. If your salespeople are not enthusiastic how on earth can they expect their customers to be enthusiastic?

You also require energy of your salespeople and you need people who can be bold. Both of these qualities are essential if your salesperson is to really penetrate your customers organisation getting to new contacts to influence decision-making -- and gaining referrals to new opportunities.

T.I.R.E.D.s lack enthusiasm and are neither bold nor energetic

In the UK in 2003 the number of employees went up by 9,000. The number of self-employed people rose by 282,000. I bet these people arent T.I.R.E.Ds either!!

2. Do look and act as if you mean it

First impressions are SO very important. At Salespunch we believe that the first impression is one of the great missed opportunities in selling.

Research has shown that it can take up to 15 subsequent meetings to correct a bad first impression. Harvard studies have shown that 93% of our first time impact on others is non-verbal. Given such compelling evidence, it is hard to understand why so many foul up their early meetings with customers and do not give it a second thought. The basic stepping stones are not complicated:

Check the name of the person who presents themselves (to ensure that youve got the right contact) and introduce yourself your name alone will suffice at the moment because you are just about to..
Swap business cards early (the spelling of your contacts name and job title are then right under your nose)
Clarify the time available (shows respect for the customers time and yours)
Be better and different from the herd by getting down to business promptly and politely avoiding the nonsense talk which so many people lean on
Have a carefully prepared thumbnail sketch to briefly introduce your company in a relevant fashion
Clarify the objectives of the meeting succinctly
Motivate your customer to answer your questions (give a reason why he should answer your questions -- rather than a reason why you are going to ask them)
Be ready and prepared to make notes (i.e. have writing material in front of you ready to go rather than fishing about in your briefcase for pen and paper wasting time and losing eye contact)

To strike a mercenary note: studies from London Metropolitan University show a direct link between earnings and what we wear. A badly dressed man will earn 15% less and a poorly dressed woman will reduce her earnings by 11%. In short, it is vitally important to look like you mean business. Books have been written on this subject and there isnt the scope within this article to cover the necessary detail comprehensively but here are a few thoughts:

Whether we like it or not, we are being assessed from the moment we walk through the door and people usually whiteness test visitors within a few minutes
I once worked with a very savvy lady who said that she couldnt take a man seriously who wasnt wearing leather-soled shoes..
Business people carry briefcases. Market researchers in anoraks carry clip-boards and folders
Its hard to present a modern message in an old-fashioned outfit. Your appearance says a lot about you. A chalk-striped suit and braces might be right for a merchant bank but might not be right for a dot.com enterprise.
Casual clothes often sub-consciously trigger casual behaviour
Consider the words / phrases you use. Are they right for your customer? Are you using jargon which is inappropriate / incomprehensible?
Do you look and act like the kind of professional (and de facto representative of your company) your customer would trust and rely upon?

3. Do know your sales propositions back-to-front

One of the most important things an organisation can do is to determine exactly what business it is in. Peter Drucker

I recently went around a room of 15 people at a sales conference -- and got 15 different descriptions of the business they believed they were in!

Starting with a consistent (i.e. company-wide) view of what you deliver for your customers, consider specifically where you potentially zoom-in and add value for the prospect you are currently focused on. This will be driven by your pre-call preparation.

Think through in some detail where and how the differentiated advantages of your products / services are likely to connect meaningfully for differing types of decision-influencing contact within the organisation. Then, critically, think through the acknowledged needs which you would ideally like to identify which will allow you to connect the differentiated advantages in a quantifiable fashion.

Moral of the story: know where and how your product / service adds its value and be clear about the needs you must establish to highlight this value to the customer..

4. Do be aware of the customers position

Every why didnt we win? / why did we lose it? survey weve ever seen says: THEY DIDNT UNDERSTAND OUR BUSINESS.

Over and over again we see that salespeople just do not take the time and trouble to find out about their prospects business. They rarely get beyond the headline facts about the people they are selling to. A genuine interest in the business of the person sitting the other side of the desk surely should be a pre-requisite.? In a technologically-empowered age there is so much at our fingertips. Knowledge is power so to position yourself most favourably to win, here are some hints:

What does their business position look like? How has it grown? What are their future plans?

o Market position

o Overall size of business

o Profit levels

o Business unit structure

What do they sell and what are their value propositions?
Who are their competitors? Where are the competitors a threat?
Where are the sources of influence within their industry / industries?

5. Do avoid assumptions

Given the right level of preparation, our ability to fit the right, mutually profitable solution in place depends on how well we can identify the problem. You will not identify the problem by telling your customer how wonderful you are or by dumping a lot of data in his lap before you understand the full extent of his problems and issues in fact you will not identify the problem, FULL STOP, by telling him anything

But its tempting isnt it? There might be some early signs, or even some early comments / signals of interest from the customer and because youve heard it all before, there is a real urge to segue straight into a technicolour description of what you can do for him But you must not.

Remember the N.A.F.O.F. principle:

Never

Assume

Find

Out

First

6. Do ask plenty of questions...

By a nose, making too many assumptions is the 2^nd biggest make which we see salespeople making. The biggest mistake is they pitch far too early!!

In frothier times gone by, salespeople have hit their targets by taking orders from people with decent budgets to spend. More recently we have noticed though that the budget-setters (as opposed to the budget-spenders) more regularly intercede and expect to see clear evidence that the products being presented to them represent a real return on investment for their business. Without this evidence the cheque is unlikely to be forthcoming.. and whats more it is not likely that the frothier times are ever coming back.. The ROI will continually need to be demonstrated. What this means to you is:

You must appreciate in a deep and wide sense where and how your product / service potentially achieves business value for your customer (see section 3 on sales propositions above)
You must be very well equipped to drill into the quantifiable needs and wants (needs are logically based; wants are emotionally based) of your customer to make the connection with your sales propositions.. Thus --- you need to be accomplished at asking incisive and thought-provoking questions.

Your questions should gradually explore where the needs and wants for your propositions are in particular you need to know where the pressure, cost, pain etc is.

On each broad subject ensure that your earlier questions are quite broad and less obviously associated with the subject matter then use more searching leading questions when you have plenty of information obtained from the broader questions.

As a rule of thumb keep your questions open so that you optimise the likelihood of a fuller answer.

Group your broad subjects in a logical sequence but be prepared to move them around according to the way the conversation shakes out.

As your questioning progresses take every opportunity to quantify the cost, pain, pressure etc. This of course will provide you with the hard evidence required when you are ready to present your solution later.

7. Do listen to the answers you get to your questions

Listening is a skill which most of us need to develop. Having asked the incisive questions, it makes a lot of sense to listen carefully to the answers!!

Are you active with your listening?
Are you watching and listening carefully? (E.g ..thats a little outside of my budget as opposed to: thats much too expensive for us or the sharp tactical intake of breath when the price is presented: h --- o ---w much..?)
Are you avoiding distractions?
If you do not fully understand, do you politely challenge the speaker?
Do you make enough notes? (See below)

8. Do summarise en route

A meaningful summary will be difficult if you havent made good notes (unless you have a phenomenal memory!!)

You almost cannot summarise too often. There is no better way of clearly demonstrating that you are genuinely interested in what the customer is saying and that you have been listening. Also, if your summary is a little off-target, your customer can re-interpret for you without any loss of face on your part (..no.. thats not quite what I meant)

A full summary of your customers needs and wants is necessary BEFORE you present your solution. Furthermore, you should not move into the presentation until you have received firm affirmation that your summary has hit the target.

9. Do get to grips with how decisions are made

It makes sense to understand how the buying decision is made (the process). My view though is that it is vital to identify who the people making the decision are -- and how the dynamics between them work. Three Magnetic North themes are:

Organisations do not buy people do
All men are equal, but some are more equal than others
Do not confuse the process of evaluation with the process of making a decision.

The relevant players need to be categorised in relation to their influence and support for your proposal in this kind of fashion

This should then become the template for organising yourself to convert the Threats and capitalise on the support of your Drivers and Advocates.

10. Do ensure that your solution is on target and fits your customers needs & wants

I read recently that when Alistair Campbell rescued someone from a mugger he was greeted with: Youre Alistair Campbell arent you? I fng hate you

Moral of story: trying hard to meet the real needs & wants of the customer with your solution just isnt good enough your solution must meet the needs as the customer sees them.

Along the way, with good questioning, rooted in your sales propositions, it is possible to develop these needs & wants significantly. In the final strait though you must ensure that what you present corresponds with the position as the customer sees it.

Reach back into your summary and take one need & want at a time. Link it with the applicable advantage of your product / service (with a proof if appropriate) and tie this in to the very specific, quantified, benefit which (if your questioning earlier in the dialogue was incisive) should ring the bell loudly. You will need to repeat this cycle as many times as you have needs & wants in your summary like this:

You should ask gentle commitment-related questions at the end of each cycle (how does that sound? Is that on-target?) except at the final stage when a more finite commitment-related question is appropriate. (So when can we do some business together? Do I need a purchase order number?)

Summary

So there you have it. Ten dos for success in selling:

Do be clear about why you are in this wonderful profession in the first placeand from the managers perspective, be clear about the attributes you need. (You may wish to avoid T.I.R.E.Ds .)
Do look and act as if you mean business
Do be exceptionally well immersed in your sales propositions
Do take the time and trouble to really understand the depth of your customers business position
Do avoid assumptions
Do ask incisive questions which are driven by your sales propositions
Do listen carefully
Do recognise the power and relevance of the summary
Do carefully quantify the influence of the players within the customers decision-making process
Do ensure that you present your solution in a way which is bolted into the quantified needs & wants of your customer.

What Can You Expect From An Online Business

2007-11-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Kraska

Four years ago I decided to start an online business, never knowing what that would entail. I truly believed the hype of a business running 24/7 by itself. How utterly naive I was.

Essentially an online business does run by itself, once it is set up. However, an online business is constantly changing. New challenges await the unwary behind every website. Not only does it keep changing and challenging you the business owner, but as your business evolves so do the challenges. How you adapt to these challenges and changes will determine whether your online business will succeed.

From my personal experience, once you decide on the home based business you want to involve yourself in, allow at least three months to learn new strategies, for some a new language (computer speak), and to improve the multitude of new things you will be learning to enable you to run your home business. Have patience these first three to six months as they will be over in a blink of an eye; you need this learning curve to succeed. You need to know what you are doing and how you are doing it to start to grasp the concept of your running a home based business, and not chasing the dream of owning one.

Throughout the first year you will be learning every day, but within six months you should start seeing some award for your work in the form of cash! After months of trying and seeing little or no results that first big sale is like manna from heaven. It usually happens around the six month mark, but there are no guarantees in online business, to some extent it is sheer luck and perseverance. For me it was people telling me I could not make a living online. Something about being told I cannot do something has always struck a nerve with me.

If you have reached this turning point you will know that you have chosen the right home business for you.

This is also the time when you think you can sit back and reap the rewards. Not So!
You have started building the business, now you have to add on. Much like you build a building. You have started the foundation, now move on to the upper floors. You need to take a close look at what you have built, and decide what you are doing that is working and what is not. Get rid of or refine what is not. Continue and refine what is.

I check my website daily, to see where my sales are coming from. If one product is doing better than another, that product gets more exposure. Do the same with advertising. If you use only free advertising as I do, check your sites several times a week to make sure your ads are getting the exposure you need them to get, if they are not getting any hits, rewrite them. I am constantly looking for new and legitimate work at home opportunities. Many of the opportunities I try out first before I put them on my website to make sure they are what they say they are, if it is something I cannot check out I enlist the aid of a trusted group of people who check the offers out first. There are a lot of scam artists out on cyberspace, unfortunately.

Owning your own home business is a continuing learning experience. It really never ends.
Look into automation and programs that will help you improve your home based business. The business forums on the Internet are a good source for this type of information. As your profits increase the excitement of that first sale remains, but remember why you wanted a home based business. You need to take some of the profit and put it back into your business either in the form of better advertising, better software, whatever you need to make your business run smoother and faster.

Your home based business will give you the freedom and flexibility to enjoy life. Once you succeed in automating your business, you will be able to choose when you want to work and when you want to play.

Within the first year you will have set up a daily schedule which will give you a routine to your working days, while still maintaining the flexibility you longed for when starting. You won't be rich yet, but you will be your own boss. At the end of the first year you have made it past the ups and downs of owning your own business, you should be seeing a profit, and you are on track for where you want to be.

Most online marketers who are within their first five years are still working for someone else, but they, unlike their counterparts, see the end in sight. They know that they are where they want to be, and within a short period of time, they will be working only for themselves.

Nancy Kraska has been involved with internet marketing since September, 2004. For more information visit her directory of Work At Home Ideas and Opportunities at Home Work For You http://www.hmewrk4u.com

Article Source: BusinessCurrents.net

Don't Get Ripped Off

2007-11-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

Author: Terry Detty

For the most part, affiliate programs are a nice, easy way to make money online. However, like many other online opportunities, you need to be on the lookout for scams. Internet scams are all over the place, as they are increasing in popularity. Unfortunately, there are also scammers who are using affiliate programs as fronts. Although it is hard to associate good news with internet scams, there is good news. That good news is that there are ways to make sure that you join an affiliate program, make sales, and actually get paid for those sales.

As previously mentioned, a large number of scammers are starting to use affiliate programs as fronts for their scams. These scams can take on a number of different sizes, shapes, and styles. One of the most popular affiliate program scams involves affiliate programs that do not pay. These programs are selling real, legitimate products. The only problem is that many of these affiliate programs do not pay. Essentially, you end up doing a bunch of work for nothing. Another common affiliate program scam involves selling a product that doesn't even exist. Not only will you not get paid for your hard work, but you will also be participating in a scam that involves ripping off consumers, by taking their money without giving them what they paid for. As it was mentioned above, there are a number of different ways that you can prevent yourself from joining an affiliate program that doesn't pay. One of those ways involves choosing a well-known affiliate program. If you need assistance choosing an affiliate program, you can seek it online. There are a large number of online websites that give accurate and updated information on a wide variety of affiliate programs. There are also programs, which are regularly referred to as affiliate directories. These directories are actually in charge of running a company's affiliate program. Many of these programs, which include LinkShare, come highly rated and recommend, as do the affiliate programs they have listed in their directories.

In conjunction with researching an affiliate program, you can also research the product that is being sold. A large number of customers write product reviews. Many of these product reviews, which can be both positive and negative, can be found online. You will also want to check out websites that are known as scam websites. Scam websites allow internet users, just like you, to post ways that they have been scammed and by whom. You can find information on poor quality products, individuals, companies, and even affiliate programs that are not considered legitimate. When researching an affiliate program or even a product, it is important to remember that nothing and no one is perfect. While it isn't uncommon to find one or two negative reviews, you need to be cautious of numerous negative reviews.

Since it is relatively easy to avoid an affiliate program scam, you are advised to do so. If anything appears out of the ordinary or if you suspicions are raised, you are advised to use your common sense. In the long run, you will be glad with your decision to do so. Not only can avoiding an affiliate program scam ensure that you get paid, but it will also help you save your own reputation. The last thing you want to be associated with is an affiliate program that doesn't deliver the products that they promise. In fact, your name or your company's name could literally be drudged through the mud. While you may think that this won't have a long lasting impact, it might just, especially if you plan on selling your own products in the near future. Even if your products are quality products, many consumers might remember you as the person who scammed them before.

Although it is relatively easy to spot an affiliate program scam, there are a few that might "fall threw the cracks." If you later determine that you are involved in an affiliate program scam, or even just a program that is selling poor quality products, you are advised to get out as soon as possible. Severing your ties will help to ensure you get paid, as well as build a good name for yourself.

Terry Detty, 42, enjoys his time away from work and getting out for a breath of fresh air occasionally. His work focuses mainly on internet marketing, internet marketing software and email marketing.

The top 5 reasons to open an eBay Store

2007-11-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

Author: Parimal Patel

Today I'm going to share my top 5 reasons why anyone who's serious about selling on eBay should open a store as soon as they have a steady supply of products to sell.

Here they are...

Reason #5: More flexibility = more opportunities to sell in the format your buyers like best

Just because you have an eBay Store, it doesn't mean you have to stop putting your items up for auction! An eBay store allows you to put your products in front of people in a variety of different ways.

My recommendation is to list 80 as auctions in order to drive more visitors to your store.

Reason #4: More automation = more free time for you!

With an eBay store, it's far easier for you to automate daily chores such as relisting unsold items, asking for feedback, and keeping track of your inventory. The more you can automate your business, the more time you can spend growing it -- and multiplying your profits!

Reason #3: More communication with buyers = more chances to sell to them in the future

When you have your own Store, eBay makes it easy for you to stay in touch with your bidders and customers, by allowing you to create your own store newsletter that eBay will send out on your behalf.

All you have to do is add a link at the top right corner of your store page that says, "Sign up for store newsletter" -- and then eBay will automatically send people notices about your latest specials and products for sale.

It's a great way to put your products right in front of your best potential customers... and encourage them to buy!

Reason #2: More exposure = more traffic

Unlike your regular auction listings, your eBay Store homepage -- as well as your store category pages and any custom pages you create -- doesn't disappear once your seven-day auction is over. It has a constant presence on the Web.

And that means those pages can get indexed by the search engines!

So not only will a store help you get tons more exposure on eBay itself, you'll also be able to put your products in front of a huge number of off-eBay shoppers, as well.

Reason #1: Lower eBay fees = more profits!

As I said at the beginning of this article, when you own an eBay Store, your listing fees are way less expensive.

Just how much will you save? Well, if you run a regular auction for an item that costs $24.99, it'll cost you 60 cents to insert your listing. But if you have a store, that same item will cost only 5 cents to list! That will add up to huge savings once you start listing a large number of items.

The final value fees are also considerably lower. For example, you have to pay 10 of the total value.

And money saved = more profits for you!

A basic monthly eBay Store subscription costs just $15.95 -- so if you're selling 20 or more products a month, you'll definitely find it worth your while.

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Earn EASY $65 commissions promoting a 99 cent trial of my brand-new
eBay success system, "Insider Secrets to Selling on eBay!"
http://www.auctiontips.com/t.cgi/915917/powersellers
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In Success Language, Failure Means You Are Almost There!

2007-11-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

Author: John Di Lemme

I have to admit the title of my section this week is OUTSTANDING! We all know as we are progressing towards our personal goals, dreams and aspirations that we will fail repeatedly, and then all of a sudden we achieve our ultimate outcome and attain our WHY in LIFE! As I state on my story page "Each failure is a stepping stone to Success, which in turn will become a very long and lovely stone walkway into the castle of your DREAMS!" You must truly internalize the need to fail in life.

Most people fail more between the ages of 16-25 and then they don't fail ever again in life, which means they never SUCCEED! You see, at the age 25 the majority of people lose their steam and decide to live a life instead of designing a lifestyle for themselves and their families. I am very proud to say that I have failed numerous times in my life. Just ask my parents, they will tell you ..."but John you went to college just get a JOB!" As entrepreneurs, we all know that we never have jobs because whatever we do has our life-print on it, which represents our potential. The following is a list of people that we all know who failed before they succeeded. I cannot emphasize enough that you need to continue to try over and over until you succeed and realize that, as I've said before, "Each failure is a stepping stone to Success, which in turn will become a very long and lovely stone walkway into the castle of your DREAMS!"

FAILURES...BUT NOT QUITE --After Fred Astaire's first screen test, a 1933 memo from the MGM testing director said, "Can't act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." Astaire kept that memo over the fireplace in his Beverly Hills home.

--A relatively unsuccessful marketer of restaurant equipment, he didn't sell his first hamburger until age 52. At a time when many people prepare for retirement, Ray Kroc built McDonald's from a handful of hamburger stands into the world's largest food chain.

--When his older brother was killed during World War II, he first withdrew into a shell. Then he began to listen to the radio to ease his pain. Soon he was dreaming about hosting his own radio show. That led Dick Clark to start American Bandstand.

--Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper for lacking ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

The question that I have for you now is, "Do you realize how you must be proud of your failures because they really are successes?" Many of my workshop attendees have heard me say "...experience is what you receive when you do not achieve what you desire." I suggest to print this out and put it on your desk where you can read this article every day and remind yourself about Fred Astaire, Ray Kroc, Dick Clark, and Walt Disney and say to yourself, "What is MY story going to be?" You need to fail in order to ultimately succeed in LIFE! After all, "IN SUCCESS LANGUAGE, FAILURE MEANS YOU ARE "ALMOST THERE!"

John shocks millions globally by exposing the truth about how to achieve monumental life success despite the labels that society has placed on you. Through his award winning live seminars, power-packed training programs, live tele-classes, weekly ezine and website (http://www.FindYourWhy.com), John Di Lemme has made success a reality for thousands worldwide.

Work at Home - Stay at Home

2007-11-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

by Mohd Zulfaezal Che Azemin,

Working at home has been a dream of many that goes back many years. Staying at home and enjoying watching the kids grow up is a goal worth fighting for.

Let's take a look into making a living or part time living from the comfort of your home. You owe it to yourself to gain the freedom a home business can offer.

In the past, there have been multi-level marketing plans to sell everything from vitamins to soap. There have been mail order catalog opportunities. Many tried buying and selling real estate. Each of these opportunities made many people a lot of money, but each of them also cost many people a lot of money.

More people have spent money than have made money in every business venture. The problem is many inexperienced people get into moneymaking schemes after attending a meeting somewhere. The offer may be legitimate, but most people fail in business.

According to the US Small Business Administration, over 50% of small businesses fail in the first year and 95% fail with the first five years. That is a scary statistic.

This means that the average business is doomed to fail from the beginning. It also means that you will lose a lot of money if you start a business. WOW! No wonder you are leery about putting up your hard-earned cash for what is statically a crapshoot, a roll of the dice.

So, what is the answer for the average person who does not want to lose their savings and even their home investing in a business? Start building a "digital business" online. Create a website that generates its income without you needing to invest in inventory or even lease a building to house your business. Then create two or ten more websites generating income for you.

You may not know how to create a website today. It is an easily learned skill. There is software you can buy or download free that will help you. There are tutorials on making a website profitable. You can do this.

Once you have a website online you can put other people’s advertising on your site and be paid when someone buys one of their products. If this was my baby toys webpage and I mentioned a great baby toy with a link to my advertiser’s toy page you might go there and buy the toy. If you did, I would get a commission.

You could also put ads on your pages that only require someone to click on the ad for you to be paid. Again, if you were on my baby toy page and an ad talks about a toy. You click on the ad to go see it and I am paid for you clicking on the ad. The advertiser feels their sales page is compelling enough for them to sell enough of that toy to cover their cost of the clicks that got you there.

Some advertisers do not require you to buy the product when you click on an ad, but I will not be paid unless you fill out their application. This is usually seen on sites like insurance sites or loan application sites. You do not have to get a policy or take out a loan for me to be paid. When you fill out the form, I qualify for my commission for sending you to the advertiser.

These are typically the ways a beginning website entrepreneur starts generating income on the Internet. Once you understand that part of internet marketing, you may move on to selling your own digital products.

A digital product is one that can be downloaded from your website. You can sell your own ebook you wrote yourself or an ebook you purchased and have the rights to sell online.

If you are a programmer, you can sell you own computer program from your site. You could also sell someone else's program that you purchased the rights to sell.

Notice that not all of the above ideas require you to invest in a lot of inventory. Even the products are free if you create them yourself. Not everything you are doing so far requires a large investment of your hard earned money. It does require a large investment of your time.

All of the material you need to create a website can be found free online if you do not want to purchase some popular program. Your only expense SHOULD be a domain of your own, such as yourdomain.com. You can get free hosting from various places but for moneymaking venture, this is not advised.

For a small investment, you too can be PRESIDENT OF YOUR OWN COMPANY. Maybe the statistics are the same for success online as they are in other businesses, but this is a chance to find out without losing the farm doing it.

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My mentor can be reached at...
http://www.Call-It-Cool.com/pips
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Mohd Zulfaezal Che Azemin is a lecturer in Physics and Computer Applications at Multimedia University, Malaysia. He is currently active in internet business, whose mentor is Stone Evans.

How To Advertise Online

2007-11-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

by WorkOnInternet.com

For everyone that decides to start their own web site online, advertising isn't as easy as it seems and many people end up paying others to do their dirty work. Face it, hours and hours of boredom. So how can you get your name out there successfully? Below is a list of some useful advertising tools that can help you lift your web site off the ground!

1. Put your web site in the big search engines (Google, Yahoo, Live, etc). Everyone uses search engines, so that is always a help.

2. Pay to get visitors using Google AdWords. You pay Google a certain amount of money per click that is made on your Ad which is placed on someone's web site. Their site would be related to yours so it's targeted traffic, and they receive money for the clicks so everyone’s happy.

3. Exchange links between other web sites. This is a great way to get traffic. Whether you contact web site owners personally and see if they wish to do a link exchange or you just sign up for a "paid" link or "reciprocal" link, which is where you post their link on your web site as well. These links help you get visitors, backlinks, and improve your Google Page Rank.

4. Purchase advertisement spots on other web sites. Make sure that they are popular, receiving a decent amount of unique visitors every day. You could purchase a banner which is very noticed to help optimize the visitors you get from the web site.

5. Contact customers by e-mail advertising your web site. You can set up a mailing list of only people that would be interested in this so people don't consider it "spam".

6. Submit your web sites URL’s in as many free directories as you can. Even try to submit your web site in DMOZ!

7. Use Digg! Submit articles on their web site to help get traffic to your web site. This is a great method and if you pick very good topics for your articles, even topics that trick the readers to click, you can get a decent amount of traffic.

8. Become an active member on forums related to your web site and put your web site link in your signature. Make sure you confirm with staff at the forum that it is alright with them first because you don’t want to waste your time for nothing!

9. Buy signature links from active members so they can post and get traffic for you.

10. Advertise on MySpace! Yes, that is right, MySpace! Get yourself thousands of friends, real people, not other advertisers like you and put up bulletins advertising your web site.

11. As usual, we saved the best for last. This is definitely one of the best ways you can get traffic to your web site, guaranteed. Put up a video on YouTube with the displayed picture of a naked girl, then trick them to watch and get them to your web site.

Those were just some of the basic methods that you can advertise for free, or at little cost. Good luck getting some traffic!

David operates the Website Joint

Social Marketing Is The Ticket To Advancement

2007-11-26T02:24:00.000-08:00

By: Jason Pearson.
Click Here Now To Find Out More About Jason Pearson.

With a few easy steps, social marketing can be used to help advance your business. One of the biggest advantages comes through using a blog. Blogging is a key element to receiving large amounts of traffic as well as bypassing your competition.

There are a few main reasons that you should use social marketing as a part of your Internet business. The first reason is that social marketing is considered to be an accepted way of getting information. All across the world, people are using directories like Digg and Netscape to stay current on what’s happening.

The second reason you should use social marketing is that it’s so easy to do. To get started, set up a WordPress blog so that the top directories can quickly be bookmarked. Each day, take some time to blog. If you’ve never tried blogging, know that you have all you need if you are capable of talking and typing. An easy form of traffic comes through blogging and submitting to social directories that are worth your time.

Another reason is that social marketing provides a way to develop relationships in an interactive way. This is known as Web 2.0, which matters for the future of your business. This is so important in the world of Internet marketing because the lack of interaction can sometimes limit the way people do business. It remains true today that people enjoy relating to other people. In the Internet world this can sometimes be forgotten. So, if you can make a blog that’s interactive it will help solve that problem as well as better your chances for sales and repeat customers.

Lastly, a quick ticket to advancement can come through the use of search engines. If you can post blogs that contain popular keywords you will in essence be helping out those who are doing the research. Once you have more experience with social marketing, you will discover how your blogs can be seen on the homepages of Google as well as other popular search engines. Find out how the process of spidering works with companies like Newsvine or Reddit to see how you can move past your competition.

If you enjoy reading, take a look at “The Authority Black Book” by Jack Humphrey. You can get it free online as an ebook. It’s a great resource for exploring the realm of social marketing and will provide tips on how to grow your business.

Don’t hesitate to get started. Implement the suggestions above and you will soon be on your way to mastering the ins and outs of social marketing.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Jason Pearson is an online marketing expert who wants to share his secrets with the world. To find out more..Click Here Now To Find Out More About Jason Pearson.

Seven Strategies for Inspiring People To Follow You

2007-11-26T02:06:00.000-08:00

By James Delrojo, "Unleash the Success Power of Your Mind"

You can appoint a manager but leadership must be earned.

There are, however, some strategies that can help you earn that mantle. In this article I will outline seven such strategies for you to use if you choose to.

Strategy 1:

Paint your vision in terms of the benefits your followers will receive.

The three most common classes of benefits that will induce people to follow a leader are:-
1) a solution to a perceived problem that they have been unable to solve for themselves.
2) a promise of something that they desire but don't know how to get.
3) a feeling that they are an important part of a greater purpose.

Often the vision will involve all three of the benefit classes. An example of this would be a socialist revolution where the followers are promised a solution to poverty, a better future than they have now, and a chance to be a hero of the people.

With this combination of perceived benefits people are willing to follow their leader to the death if need be, even if the promises are totally unrealistic.

Strategy 2:

Build enthusiasm by building a picture of their final reward.

Most people don't have an inspiring vision for their future. A leader who paints that vision for them will gain loyal followers.

Religions do this very well by painting a vision of a magnificent after-life for those who follow their teachings.

Strategy 3:

Describe your ideas in inspiring, motivating language.

Most people, when they take in information, use a mental representation of the information encoded in one or more of the five senses. This helps them understand and absorb that information.

Good leaders will use metaphors that help their followers mentally see, feel, touch, hear, and even smell the leader's vision. In this way they are aligning their vision with the way the listeners are processing and so the listeners will more fully absorb and accept what is being said.

The good leader also uses lots of emotion in the delivery of their message as it has been shown that emotion is the mental glue that causes ideas to stick in the brain and influence behavior.

Strategy 4:

Show faith in your followers.

A good leader shows faith in his followers by asking them to perform some task.

The leader initially chooses tasks that he knows the followers will do well and then rewards them by showing great appreciation that makes the follower feel that he is a valuable member of the team.

Strategy 5:

Build Faith.

If a follower has a well practiced habit of agreeing with everything you say and do, then when they are asked for a leap of faith they will have the confidence in you to give you their faith.

Leaders build this faith gradually by consistently doing things that will be perceived as right by their followers and not asking the follower to challenge their own beliefs too early in the relationship.

Strategy 6:

Reward people with increased rapport or appropriate praise as they move toward the outcome you desire. Gently reduce rapport as they move away from your position.

When two people are in rapport they feel comfortable. When they are out of rapport they feel stressed. The skilled leader uses techniques like mirroring and matching to consciously control the level of rapport the other person feels.

They increase rapport when the person is falling in line with the leader's position and decrease the rapport when the person is drifting from the leader's position. The person feels this at a subconscious level and interprets this as a gut feeling that the leader's position is a good one.

Strategy 7:

Always keep your promises exactly.

A good leader keeps every promise exactly as promised. This consistency builds great confidence amongst his followers.

So there you have the seven strategies for becoming a leader. You may feel that these strategies are good or you may feel that they are manipulative. But regardless of what you feel these are the strategies that leaders are using either consciously or subconsciously.

40 Ways To Lead Like The Greats

2007-11-26T02:01:00.000-08:00

by David and Lorrie Goldsmith

Solid leadership is a combination of instinct and education. It is born of the inherent versus environment precept. It is never all of one and none of another, but a balance. Great leaders carry a charisma: some of it inborn, some of it through the development of skills that bring with them confidence. That charisma, or as we call it, that “It” encompasses more than sheer charisma. “It” is the magic that causes people to follow when it doesn't make logical sense to do so. “It” enables groups of followers to weather storms, fight uphill battles, stretch their own limits beyond what was once thought possible, and live on long after the leader is gone. (By studying the greatest leaders in history, such as Ganghis Kahn, Atilla the Hun and Winston Churchill, we can get an education in the secrets of “It.”)

Any great leader has an “It” checklist that looks like this:

1. There is a difference between leaders and managers. Managers make sure that things are running smoothly, leaders create change and followings through vision.
2. Leaders create visions in which others can believe. Leaders enable followers to buy in to decisions by giving them clear objectives and expectations and them leaving them to use their talents and strengths to do the work.
3. Leaders understand and honor the words autonomy and empowerment. Leaders know not to do too much, but to supply their people with the resources and guidance they need to follow through on their own. Outstanding leaders lead the charge, riding on their horses with the troops, but they allow each soldier to draw their “bayonettes” as conditions necessitate.
4. Leaders see the totality of their company. Their cross-functional teams know how to work as a whole enterprise. The best of leaders teach their teams how they are interwoven, and how each team carries a vital purpose to the whole, and how they fit into the interwoven mesh of the corporate blanket.
5. Leaders understand the necessity of key subordinate leaders. They know how to hire based on unique valuable talents and remember to let those talents work for the group. They know that it is the weak leader who allows his own fears about loss of control to cloud his memory in regard to why those special talents were brought on board to begin with.
6. Leaders have followers who not only believe in the mission of the organization, but have followers who are accustomed to winning. Winners believe that goals and objectives can actually be captured. Leaders hire people who know how to win and thrive on the energy generated by winning.
7. Leaders are curious. Usually they are curious by nature. They want to know why and how things are done. They ask questions and aren't afraid to probe into unknown areas to find solutions.
8. Leaders are instinctual. They follow their gut. Their curiosity drives them to accumulate the necessary information they need so that when decision time comes, it is the gut that has the final say.
9.Leaders understand the saying that a rolling stone carries no moss. Their organizations are not mossy. They know that the key to success is continual momentum. Momentum breeds momentum. They carry this forward from product development and reward programs that boost morale, to customer satisfaction efforts.
10. Leaders reside in the moment of today and tomorrow simultaneously. They are not short sighted, developing systems and institutionalizing their best strengths in order to succeed today and in the future.
11. Leaders plan. They know that 90% of their time is best spent planning and 10% is spent on administrative work.
12. Leaders form partnerships. They don't pretend to be lone rangers. They know that their success hinges upon their ability to use other people strategically. The partnerships of successful leaders are win-win partnerships. They ally themselves with anyone from customers, competitors, vendors and whatever sources bring the results their organizations need.
13. Leaders are not incremental. They transform. They welcome change and use change to keep on top of their industries.
14. Leaders admit their mistakes. They know how blame casts a fatal blow to morale and trust. They do not, however, gravel and seek pity. They acknowledge, learn, and move on.
15. Leaders are masters of observation. They listen, watch, and detect what others overlook. They use the subtle cues or observations to give them the upper hand when needed.
16. Leaders institutionalize their values, visions, accomplishments and strengths. They know how, through procedures and systems, to filter their strengths through the organization.
17. Leaders may leave physically, but not spiritually. Their legacies live on long after they have exited their employment.
18. Leaders don't hold hands, they shape their organizations through shaping minds. They provide direction and guide. They do not believe in making decisions for their key subordinate right hands.
19. Leaders give credit where credit is due. They acknowledge and reward achievement and use the momentum from the accomplishments to fuel further success in their followers.
20. Leaders don't provide positions out of the goodness of their hearts. They create positions and fill them based on the objectives and the vision of the company.
21. Leaders remain focused on the company missions and lead their followers to do the same.
22. Leaders are global thinkers. They don't underestimate the power of the global economy. They constantly search for ways in which they can expand or benefit upon the global and they are keenly aware of the pitfalls of turning a blind eye to the global business markets.
23. Leaders know communication. They're savvy interpersonal and technological communicators. They know the ins and outs of dealing with various personalities as well as they know how e-mail connects them to their front line staff.
24. Leaders think outside the box, inside the box and all around the box.
25. Leaders are not afraid to take an unorthodox approach. You'll never hear one say, “We don't/can't do it that way.” They go beyond the “That's the way we always do it” mentality to the “That's the best way to do it.”
26. Leaders learn from leaders. They look to history, competitors and mentors. They are not too proud to always learn from those they admire.
27. Leaders know that there is always something more to learn. They are constantly feeding their minds. They know that the key to progressive transformation is found in ideas. They realize that success isn't going to happen. They have to seek new ways in which to make it happen.
28. Leaders give ownership when it is strategically advantageous to do so. They give rewards and incentives, such as stock options, in order to keep key employees. They understand that rewards give birth to new successes.
29. Leaders create teams to achieve goals. They know that the meeting of two minds can develop opportunities that only one mind may miss. They successfully manage the interactions of their teams in order to meet desired ends.
30. Leaders develop creative ways to cut through unnecessary bureaucracy or eliminate hindering bureaucratic practices in order to expedite vital activities.
31. Leaders know that in order to keep pace and be innovative, they need to educate and empower their staffs. They provide training, education, and workshops to keep the minds they lead in top, competitive shape.
32. Leaders focus their people's efforts on the customer.
33. Leaders understand that key employees are assets. They are careful about who is hired and appointed, understanding the ripple effects of putting the wrong people in the wrong places. Gary DiCamillo, Polaroid's Chief Executive since 1995, has suffered the woes of poor employee retention, losing key people in sales and product development. It's reported that most of these human resource assets were lost when DiCamillo filled his executive vice-president position with Judith Boynton, previous controller for Amoco. Key employees were baffled by the appointment and lost faith in DiCamillo for putting, what they thought, was an unqualified sub-leader in such a high-ranking position. Polaroid steadily lost $166 million since DiCamillo's reign, from 1995 through 2000. [Source: Forbes 1-22-01 p. 69.]
34. Leaders know how to eliminate the wrong people.
35. Leaders are decisive.
36. Leaders have the courage to live with their decisions. *
37. Leaders work it out when things go wrong. They face problems head on and deal with the issues at hand quickly and effectively.
38. Leaders charge forward with urgency.
39. Leaders guard all assets that give them an edge. They are careful to set in place confidentiality systems and to properly license and trademark intellectual property, inventions and groundbreaking concepts.
40. Leaders know that even the greatest product is not enough. Often criticized for not acting quickly enough to develop spin-off products from its PT Cruiser, DaimlerChrysler recently revealed concept cars based on the blockbuster success of the PT Cruiser. Why? The market will always demand something new, better, more versatile, etc. The GT Cruiser Concept has a larger engine, the PT Cruiser Convertible Concept offers a sporty, fun twist, and the Panel Cruiser Concept is offered as a light cargo vehicle with its 119.8 cubic feet and wood base floor. The original PT Cruiser is one of the most sought out vehicles by buyers today; it's sold at full list price and backordered for months at a time. DaimlerChrysler's possibilities are endless. What are they doing with the product to renew it, to increase demand, and to prepare to fill that demand?

Look at the list again. How can you better motivate your staff to perform at higher levels? Do you see what might be slowing down progress? What might you need to improve upon in your quest to run uphill and seize the flags of victory? Chances are you're doing a good job already. The question becomes, what can you do to convert from good to great? Prosper and enjoy!
© David and Lorrie Goldsmith

Learning To Work With Different Personality Types

2007-11-26T01:41:00.000-08:00

By Timothy Millett

In any field, you will find a variety of personality types that work within it. While this can create an innovative working environment filled with talented individuals, it can also cause stress, tension, and bad feelings. Depending on your own personality, you may be able to work with a variety of different types, while others may not. If you have had some difficulty in the past, you can learn from mistakes you or others have made so your contribution to a negative work environment is kept to a minimum.

TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT

Even if you are not always treated with respect, it is important for you to always act professional and keep your frustration to yourself. Gossiping about others, making jokes about others, or confronting those who are rude or who don't take their jobs seriously is not a good idea. This will only lead to more angry feelings and negative attitudes.

Instead, understand that many times coworkers are not upset with you; they are reacting to an event that has happened in their personal or work life. It is best to ignore it and go on with your day. If the problem persists, then you can talk to your supervisor, or file a complaint with HR.

WORKING IN GROUPS

When working on a group project, you may have to work with many different personality types. This may be tricky, but there are ways to work together to get the project completed on time. When you are assigned your part, focus on your tasks and don't worry about what other people have to do. If they cant complete their tasks on time, the project manager will handle it.

If you are the project manager or leader, make sure when talking within a group that everyone gets their turn. While not all ideas will be used in a project, making people feel inadequate about their ideas is not professional. Lead the group in productive discussion and try to keep personal feelings out of the discussion.

AVOIDING GOSSIP

In every workplace there will be gossip. While it may appear fun to hear the latest news about a colleague, you should avoid contributing to it. Getting caught gossiping can cause problems with other colleagues and may earn you a reputation of being a gossip, a liar or someone who isnÕt trustworthy.

Working with others is not always easy. But if you keep your focus on your job, you should be able to deal with different personality types. When confronted with a potentially bad situation, talk to HR or your supervisor so you can resolve any issues as quickly as possible.

About the Author: Timothy Millett has extensive expertise in performance training, sales training and customer service training. Tim has helped participants from organisations such as SWIFT and UBS achieve peak levels of personal performance. For more information please visit Management Training.

It’s Not the Opportunity That Counts!

2007-11-26T01:32:00.000-08:00

By Roice Krueger.

The real challenge is that we have all been incorrectly conditioned and trained to believe that the most important thing in business is the opportunity. However, if you try to make use of all the opportunities that show up, you lose all focus. The real challenge is that we have all been incorrectly conditioned and trained to believe that the most important thing in business is the opportunity.

However, if you try to make use of all the opportunities that show up, you lose all focus. By trying to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing to everybody.

I had a financial services company that was operating out of Zurich, Switzerland.

Several months after the launch of our business, we got together for a meeting with the principals and the owners, and one of them said, “Well, I’d like to open up the meeting to discuss the possibility of issuing credit cards.”

I looked over and said, “Credit cards? Why would you want to issue credit cards?”

He said, “Well, because we can.”

And I said, “If you say that again, I will walk out of here. Never do anything just because you can.”

I managed to put that idea down, and then somebody else said, “Let’s now talk about establishing a private bank.” I said, “Why would you want to do that?” He said, “Because we can.”

The fact of the matter is that although we are limitless beings with limitless potential and limitless power and the things we can do are completely limitless, the time we have to do these things is not.

Never do something just because you can!

So, by the end of the week we managed to get our focus down to one thing.

Our Chairman looked at everyone and said, “It has become apparent through this week that we have one product to sell. I don’t care if you thought you were in accounting before, I don’t care if you thought you were in human resources, it is now the job of every individual in this company for the next 120 days to sell this product and do nothing else.”

I want you to think about the power of that decision for a moment. If you had only one product to sell, could you learn to sell it well?

If day in and day out, from morning to night, the only thing you did was to make one pitch, would your pitch improve? Would you find a pitch that works?

And it goes even further. If you were a manager and you had people working for you, and the only thing you had to do was manage people who had only one job, which was to sell one product, could you manage that process and do it effectively? The answer is yes; anyone could.

This is what is so important, because in companies you are eventually going to be working with everyday people and average employees. If you become a big company, you can’t have 100,000 outstanding employees, because if you have 100,000 people, they are by definition average.

The net effect of our focus was that 120 days later we had sold $660 million of the product. Focus produced $600 million in sales in 120 days!

Six Quick Tips to Build Charisma

2007-11-26T01:31:00.000-08:00

"Charisma is the intangible that makes people want to follow you, to be around you, to be influenced by you."
-- Roger Dawson

Each person is born ethnocentric, or believing that other people and events revolve around them which is generally true for the first few years of a child's life. The focus of activity for a growing child is inward. Some people carry this inward, self-focus into adulthood. These people, so overly concerned with their own well being in a self-centered way, never learn the secrets of influence. Successful people, who want to have the power of persuasion, turn their circle of activity and interest outward. They expand their centers to be as conscious of the world around them as they are of themselves. They develop what we call, charisma.

Charisma means you have learned to:

1. Act with credibility. Those who are inconsistent in their behavior repel people while those who are consistent in their behavior draw people to them. To be influential, have integrity. Speak up for what you believe, then act accordingly.

Gerry Spence, one of America's greatest trial lawyers, said, "One can stand as the greatest orator the world has known, possess the quickest mind, employ the cleverest psychology, and have mastered all the technical devices of argument, but if one is not credible one might just as well preach to the pelicans."

2. Be interested. Be truly interested in the other person. Treat him or her as the most important person you'll interact with that day - a VIP, Very Important Person. Smile at them, not just for a brief, dutiful second, but for a magical two or three seconds.

When you smile, lean toward the person a little, and think in your mind, "I like you. You are a great individual. I want to get to know you better." You'll be amazed at the connection and trust that will occur.

3. Extend respect. A few interaction skills that make a big difference to a respectful atmosphere in your organization include not interrupting conversations, asking if the person has time to talk, and listening to ideas.

Remember not to be in such a know-it-all position or in such a hurry that you finish other people's sentences. Be sure to comment on their ideas to let them know you have really been listening, not just waiting for them to take a breath so you can jump in with your agenda.

4. Deliver sincere compliments. People you work with do care what you think about them. They appreciate your mentioning their good work. When you do recognize them, be specific in your compliments.

Refrain from saying in an off-handed manner, "Oh, great work, Donna." Make it more personal: "Donna, that is the best research that has come across my desk in the last six months. Excellent work."

5. Accept sincere compliments. If a colleague comments, "Good presentation." Refrain from saying, "Oh, it was nothing." If a friend says, "Nice suit," don't reply, "This old thing? I've had it for years."

Deflecting a compliment often draws unwanted attention and belittles both you and the person offering the compliment. Just say,"Thank you." You'll be pleased with how gracious you become.

6. State what you are FOR, not AGAINST. People don't like nor do they cooperate with people who they think are against them. When you are against something, the person thinks you are against them personally. Once you voice your opposition to another person's idea, you become part of the problem. It's as if a war has started with each of you fighting to be right.

When you are for something, you begin focusing on the potential for positive change. You start the process of collaboration. You become a powerful person.

Try it. Next time a colleague brings you an idea for improving the department, find something about the idea you can be for. You may find that you never have to state what you were against in her ideas because the synergy and creativity has taken a positive turn to solving the problem.

About the Author: Karla Brandau, CSP is a speaker, trainer & successful entrepreneur. She is "A wealth of empowerment information" who provides "real help, not theory" to improve, enhance & energize your leadership skills. Visit http://www.karlabrandau.com Call Karla on 770.923.0883 or email her karla@karlabrandau.com

Love and Marriage: Robots Designed to Replace Humans in Next Five Years?

2007-11-26T01:04:00.000-08:00

Author: S. Michael Windsor

Imagine the year 2040, our energy source is outer space and nearly everyone is happily married. However, a normal person cannot tell one thing by looking at many of these beautiful spouses. They cannot see that many of them are robots. True to form and a perfect match for the person beside them. Is this the future of happy relationships? Many scientists claim that it is. At first it may seem a bit strange to the average person, but there are, in fact, individuals who see this as something they would be seriously interested in if and when it appears within the next five years or so. Some of the new developers are Japanese scientists who are naming the new robot android Repliee Q1 Expo. She breathes like a human, flutters her eyelids like a human and even moves like a real human! The robot has over 42 actuators. But as I have come to understand, it is merely the tip of the iceberg as of present time.

Who in the world would marry such a robot? Who knows. But there is evidence out there that there are indeed plans to develop more humanlike robots for the purpose of assisting humans with their every, and I mean every, emotional and physical need. I sit here now writing about this after doing much research on the subject today and realize that it may be quite accepted as a normal undertaking in the future where man will have the option to be with and marry whomever he or she pleases. This does bring up the question of ethics which is indeed a raging topic involving these sorts of things. But would it really be a bad thing for individuals who cannot actually find a partner who either loves them back, can put up with their personality or mental stability, or just cannot appreciate the way their appearance naturally is?

Developers today are putting the pieces to the puzzle together for just this reason. They want to create a robot that 'bonds' with humans and provides all that our individual urges require. Now, this being said, I would say that is a marvelous idea for many of those who have problems socially or are displeased with what their current relationships provide them both physically and emotionally. Could a robot be an acceptable way to 'fill in the gaps' in relationships in the future? What if these 'devices' did actually come into play and replaced items such as the ever popular vibrator, dolls, prostitutes and such? What would this do to the future of our human existence? It is indeed truth that the technology is here to create such a robotic rendezvous. In 2006, Henrik Christensen, who is the founder of the European Robotics Research Network, predicted that people will be having sex with robots within five years. As there are already lifelike items a person can buy, now all they have to do is add some electronics and a little software, make some major adjustments and presto-whammo…you've got 'love' in the air.

In contrast to that last statement, there are many skeptics on the subject, including many roboticists such as those a the Georgia Institute of Technology who do not think human-robot marriages will take place any time soon. So what is to come of these alternative 'adjustments' to our existence? Only time will tell, with a little 'fine tuning' and good hardware. After reading several articles on this subject, I have become quite intrigued by what these 'walking iPhones' will inevitably provide us fellow homosapians in the future. Here is a link to one article based on these robots: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4714135.stm Will they really be all that great? Will they sell like the wondrous Roomba? How much will they cost a fella to get their top notch 'silichrome' maiden? So it seems they have figured out the 'nuts and bolts' of our human needs, but we will just have to wait and see if all it will take is five years or even ten to nail everything in order to provided such an easily produced alternative way of living.

S. Michael Windsor is currently publisher and a writer for The Windsor Express Daily, which features daily exclusive articles based on improving the things which matter most in our daily lives. Visit us today at http://www.TheWindsorExpress.com and subscribe for free!