anchor for greatness

Organisation Structure - 3 Key Roles Critical to the Success of Your Change Management Programme. By Stephen Warrilow

2009-08-13T01:26:00.000-07:00

A clear understanding of the key roles in a programme of change management is a vital and often overlooked aspect of successful strategies for managing change.
It matters because a successful change initiative really does result from a clear understanding of the key roles that are needed to make it possible.
Regardless of the size of your organisation and whatever approach you are adopting, there are clear lessons to be learned and benefited from the programme management based approach to running a step change initiative.

In the organisation structure of a programme based approach there are three primary roles:

(1) In any change initiative someone has to fulfill the role of leadership and needs to be seen to be consistently the driving force throughout the initiative. That person also needs to be ultimately accountability for the change initiative. In a programme this will be the Programme Director.

The Programme Director owns the programme and therefore is ultimately personally accountable for the success of the Programme.
So this is not simply a titular role, the individual appointed must be empowered to direct the Programme effectively - capable of doing so - and seen to be doing so.

Without this role being fulfilled - it just simply will not happen!

(2) The second role is fairly commonly understood - the person with responsibility for day-to-day management of the initiative, its risks, issues, conflicts, priorities, communications, and ensuring delivery of the new capabilities.

However, what is not so commonly understood is that this role is more - far more -than that of a project manager.
In a programme this is the Programme Manager. This role has responsibility for the wider dimensions of the change initiative - particularly the management of the people impacts and all other broader strategic and operational aspects that have a bearing on the ultimate success of the initiative.

(3) The third role is less often fulfilled outside of programme management circles. This is the role with responsibility for actually realising [or achieving] the organisational benefits of the step change initiative - namely the Business Change Manager.

[N.B. This role within a programme management context is not to be confused with the business process improvement focus of a business change manager in a company with a project management culture that has no awareness or practise of programme management.]

There is a fundamental difference between the delivery of a new capability and actually realising measurable benefits as a result of implementing that capability.

The programme management approach recognises this difference in the complementary roles of Programme Manager and Business Change Manager.

The Programme Manager is responsible for delivering the capability; whereas the Business Change Manager is responsible for realising the resultant benefits through the integration of the new capabilities into the business operations.

This is so often overlooked. Partly because the whole idea of clearly defined and documented, measurable benefits is in itself overlooked and also because it so often assumed that simply completing projects and delivery new capabilities will of itself deliver the benefit - which of course it usually doesn't - as is reflected in the 70% failure rate of all change initiatives.
Each of these 3 roles may be a full-time role or a part-time role. The deciding factors are the scale and complexity of the step change you are seeking to implement and the size and complexity of your organisation.

The amount of time allocated to each role is at this stage very secondary to the fact that each role is recognised and defined and undertaken by a person with the appropriate skill, and personal authority to exercise the role. What is of paramount importance is that somebody understands and owns the execution of each role - whether it takes them 10 minutes per day or all day every day.

The change initiative will almost certainly NOT succeed, if these roles and the processes inherent in the execution of these roles are not fulfilled.

Inbound Customer Service - A Key to Successful BusinessBy Sandra Mary Jones.

2009-07-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Today many companies outsource their inbound customer services to an offshore call center. Most of the business owners have a hard time to give up the responsibility to their own employees, let alone an outsider. Customers are lifeline of any business and most of the companies value their esteemed customers. Most of the large business houses outsource the non-core aspects of their business after much thought and extensive research.

Today, the companies have realized that, customer service outsourcing is an important tool to boost sales and gain maximum revenues. While there are still many who are reluctant to outsource their inbound customer services. The truth is that in today's competitive business environment inbound customer service is smart choice. It allows companies to handle the important aspects of their business. Most of the reputed call centers have skilled work force. They are professional and are trained to handle calls proficiently which are needed to manage a business successfully.

Inbound customer service is important for retention of customers. Acquiring a new customer is seven times more costly than keeping the existing ones. An inbound customer representative understands the importance of customer relations and manages those relations in most professional manner. The call center services offered by an outsourcing firm is tailored to place the importance of customer service.

The inbound customer service offered by reputed call center is focused to make each customer a customer for life. A professional call center agent makes sure that each phone call that he or she handles results in something positive that your business can build upon. They play a pivotal role in making sure that the customers are satisfied with your product and services.

By outsourcing inbound customer service, a company actually increases the level of customer service. A call center has trained operators that are always available to handle customers need,concerns and problems. They process the requests of the customers as well as answer the queries of the customers related to the product or services. They also take all necessary action to resolve each and every issue so that the customers have unmatched level of satisfaction.
Today running a small or a large business is a daunting task. This is due to labor costs, recruiting problems and ever changing telecommunication equipment. At this time inbound customer service provides the basic ingredient for a company's success.

The call centres in India providing inbound customer service are well equipped with good infrastructure, highly qualified agents, security solutions and cutting edge technology.
The call centres in India have state-of-the-art multimedia centers that offer multichannel interaction through voice email, SMS and fax services. There is no doubt that Indian call centres can handle a range of outsourcing services.

Some of the inbound call centre services have specialization in appointment setting, research surveys, lead generation, debt collection, consumer response, dealer locators, direct mail response, email management services, help desk solutions, inquiry handling, interactive voice response, product technical information and telemarketing in verticals like mortgage, insurance, telecom industries. The inbound customer service includes order taking, technical support, customer service, answering service and help desk services.

In today's business environment outsourcing is often not a decision that needs to be justified. Some of the non core business functions that are handled internally could be outsourced. Business process outsourcing refers to the rearrangement of entire business functions to some other BPO service provider. Most of the companies that look to outsource are multinationals or companies from the western part of the world. Most of the BPO units are in countries like India, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Kenya and even Russia.

Way to Get Your Needs Resolved When Calling a Call Center. By James Thomas Mcguire

2009-07-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

In the recent time, call centers are a growing industry not only in the United States but also across the world. Call centers have millions of customer care representatives (calling agents) across the world to fulfill the needs of customers. When call center customer service representatives do their job correctly, the customer is satisfied and never realizes that their call is only one of hundreds that will be received in any given day. They have been made to feel as if they are the only customer at the moment and their needs are the only ones that matter.
The call center agents handle incoming, outgoing and telemarketing calls from disgruntled customers and are trained to do so in a professional manner. Unfortunately, when a call is started with many insults to the agent, often the agent does whatever necessary to end the call at the earliest. Sometimes this means giving the caller what he exactly wants, but not always. To ensure that you will effectively get their needs resolved, it is much more productive to stay calm and work with the agent.

Customer care representative (Call Agent) is required to ask some personal & confidential questions to verify account information and ultimately protect the client. Even if, you have entered information through the automated system, such as your social security number(SSN) or phone number, often the agent is still required to verify the information. Cooperating with the call center agent will speed up your call, and your precious time will save.

If you are calling to inquire about billing, the agent must take your call to resolve it as soon as possible. If you calmly explain about your problem, s\he will be more than happy to fix it out.
If you have problems with the service, the agent will need to do some research and / or set an appointment. Your patience at this point will enables the representative to understand of your problem properly and solve it once and for all.

The Call center agents are themselves customers, and most of them are truly dedicated to serving the needs of its customers. By establishing a friendly relationship since the beginning of the call, you can ensure that the agent will does everything in their power to meet their needs. If you truly feel the staff has not provided the service you deserve, ask to speak to the supervisor.

Prioritize Projects - Move Many Things a Few Inches Or a Few Things Many Inches by Todd Gettelfinger

2009-07-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I had a conversation with a client regarding process work that he's undertaking for his business. As a growing small business, the client has scaled to the point where the founders need to get out of the way and transition from doers to managers (and later to leaders). To make this transition, they are focusing on the importance of adding enough structure to the business to allow the team to own their work and deliver the same high quality service. The client is in the early stages of defining a consistent process, building tools to strengthen the process, defining the positions that own and support each process, and building performance measurements to drive quality.

As the client and I discussed their issues and ways to solve them, the client grew more and more concerned as the list of good ideas increased. The list contained work that ranged from small to medium sized projects. Even the small projects were several days of work time. The list drove real concern because everything is important and everything must get done, but the client didn't really know where and how to get started checking things off the list.

A common response to this situation is that we just start working on the whole list or at least many things on the list. We start brainstorming about everything on the list. We start working on everything on the list. This sometimes leads to what I call the "move many things a few inches" approach. This almost always leads to a freak out moment somewhere down the line. It also typically leads to crappy results because we just starting running a marathon without any training. Fundamentally, we make a couple mistakes in these situations:

* We fail to acknowledge that resources are finite. ALWAYS! I know that we get pressure to get everything done and sometimes we ignore this fact. We think that we are a work super hero who can get everything done just by working hard. The sooner we realize that there is a limit to our time, we can manage it better.
* We start building without a blueprint. We don't have a plan. It's hard to build anything without taking a few measurements, planning out your materials, and planning how you will systematically construct your building. Even for the smallest projects, it's important to develop a blueprint.
* We forget to prioritize. We all know this is important and yet we overlook taking the deliberate steps to pick the most important projects. The next time you are faced with a list of projects that exceeds your capacity, pull out the list below and use it as a quick guide for better planning. These high-level steps will at least help get the highest priority projects kicked off quickly.

1. Write a couple sentences to describe each project on your list - Create descriptions that help clarify what the projects entail and what objectives they will accomplish
2. Rank the top projects on your list - Determine some basic criteria and use it to develop a priority ranking of the projects
3. Pick the top projects on the list - Select the highest ranking projects. The number of items you pick should be based on how many projects you and your team can effectively handle at one time.
4. Define a project charter for the top projects on your list - The charter can be just a couple paragraphs, but should at least document the background, rationale, objectives, scope, and deliverables for the project. The level of detail should be enough to ensure that clear expectations are set for the project.
5. Assign one owner for each project - When possible, delegate the projects and make one person accountable for successful completion of the project.
6. Set deadlines - Get buy-in and input from the owner so they clearly commit to the deadlines that include regular milestones so that you can check on progress
7. Develop an approach - Ask each owner to develop a project plan and explain how they are going to manage the project. The amount of effort that should go into this step is dependent on the size and complexity of the project..
8. Develop a high-level plan for the items that didn't make the top of your list - Lays out how you'll attack them after getting the top few done.

All these prioritization and planning steps should be used on every project regardless of size. The key is to scale them based on the risk, sensitivity, and size of each project. If you follow these steps, you'll be more likely to deliver quality results faster. In other words, you can move a few things many inches rather than many things a few inches.

The 7 Keys to Keeping Customers - Key Six - Be Reliable

2009-07-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

It might seem ridiculous to include "Be Reliable" on the list of the seven keys to keeping customers because one would think that if someone owns a business, they would already understand the importance of keeping their word to their customers and how not doing so could lead to them lose those customers quickly.

But, unfortunately, a lot of business owners don't understand this simple principle and end up, either knowingly or unknowingly, letting their customers down by showing them they can't be trusted. If customers don't trust you, they won't buy from you. Period.

If you're a business owner who's having this problem, there's a simple fix. Just keep your word to your customers. If you tell them you're going to complete a job by a certain day or at a certain time, do everything in your power to make sure when that day and time come, the job is done.
Or, if you tell your customers they're going to love a certain product or service they purchase from you and they end up telling you they hate and it doesn't work like you said it would, be willing to either give them their money back or give them credit towards something else you sell.
The point is this. If you aren't 100% sure you can do something for your customers, don't even hint to them that you might be able to do it. Often when people hear you say you might be able to do something for them, they get so excited about the thought of having it done, they hear you instead saying you will do it.

This can lead to misunderstandings that cause your customers to see you as an unreliable person to do business with. It can also leave your customers looking for someone else in your industry who will be reliable when doing business with them. So, if you're absolutely positive you can make something happen for your customers, by all means, tell them. Then, when it comes time for you to make it happen, make sure you do.

But, if you're not sure about something or, even worse, you're sure you can't make something happen for your customers, don't make them think you can. This will only lead to a loss of business, or money, and of customers who no longer feel they can trust you.
By Jessica Martinez

Elements Impacting Sales Compensation

2009-06-30T03:37:00.002-07:00

Many sales-force consultants have models they use to describe the elements of a sales model. Based on my over twenty-five years of business experience, I have developed a sales model that contains the elements that impact both sales compensation and sales effectiveness.

Customer Segments and Profiles describes how customers and prospects can be characterized such as industry segment, annual sales, number of employees, buying patterns, potential, opportunity. The purpose is to understand slices of the market to determine insight where profit and opportunity exists.

The next element is Sales Channels to Market. Companies can deploy a direct sales-force or sell through distributors or both. Which is more profitable? If you have a direct sales-force, you can deploy outside reps or inside reps or national account managers or all of them. Once again, which channels are most profitable? And if you have segmented the market, companies can determine which channels should cover which segment.

Next, a Sales Playbook would include initial value propositions for each segment, for each channel and for each sales strategy. The definition of a sales strategy would be to acquire, retain or expand accounts. In addition, specific sales tools are used to execute the specific strategy.
The next element is the Sales Process. This documents the activities, generic roles and time allocation for each segment, channel and strategy. This would be the foundation for the next element which is Job Design and Hierarchy. Job Design would determine what type of roles you need to execute a sales process. Roles could be designed by segment, by channel, by sales strategy. Reps could be National, Key, Major, Territory, Inside, Outside or Indirect. roles are then placed into a hierarchy to determine whether the organization should be centralized or de-centralized.

The next element is Sales Deployment. Companies determine how many reps covering which accounts and which locations. And then management roles are layered on top depending on span of control.

The next element is Forecasting and Goal Setting. This is where the sales-force estimates upcoming revenue and is used as an input for the goal setting process. Depending on the goal setting cycle, goals are cascaded down from the top through the sales-force.
Finally, the last element is the Sales Dashboard. This is the reporting of results compared to budget.

What's important is that all of these elements can have an impact on the effectiveness of the sales compensation plan. The most elegant compensation plan could be derailed if one of the elements is sub-optimized. Given this background, what do you think is the #1 inhibitor to compensation optimization? In my opinion, Job Design is the #1 inhibitor. Oftentimes, I have had to redesign roles before I could start on compensation design. The takeaway here is to make sure that you assess all elements before starting compensation design.

Bob Malandruccolo is the founder and principal owner of Sales Force Effectiveness Consulting. With over twenty-five years of practical business, management and consulting experience in sales and marketing, Bob has worked with a broad range of clients from Fortune 100 corporations to small, closely-held firms with special emphasis on sales and marketing process implementation. He has worked closely with his clients through hundreds of successful engagements and implementations across multiple industries (manufacturing, engineering, distribution, software, healthcare insurance, medical products, healthcare, automotive, telecommunications, retail, information handling, media).
By Bob Malandruccolo

Elements Impacting Sales Compensation

2009-06-30T03:37:00.001-07:00

The Sweet Sound of Success in Sales

2009-06-30T03:19:00.000-07:00

These five proven principles of motivation will have every member of your sales channel playing the same song and well on their way to applause and encores.
A successful channel performance improvement (PI) program is like an orchestra. Each section may play different notes and each instrument has its own sound, but all are united in a common goal.

Distribution channels also have sections - a direct sales force and an indirect network of distributors, dealers, resellers, retailers and other intermediaries - who need to focus on the same goals.

Delivering outstanding sales results requires an integrated push-pull strategy that targets all channel audiences. Motivation begins with setting goals for improved sales, service and customer satisfaction. These goals must then be translated to the channel. Often, five or more groups of participants must strive to achieve similar goals.
A critical component of goal setting is an ROI analysis. A performance increase forecast is needed to calculate the investment required. This, in turn, guides five key program decisions: rules, a communications plan, tracking technology, education support, and awards and recognition.

1. Program rules must inspire. Your participants will judge the quality of the program by the rules. They will ask, "What's in it for me?" and "What is required?" You must provide a unique and meaningful selling proposition customized to each audience segment. Be mindful of the costs of open-end and closed-end rules - your rules are your budget.

2. Interact with a strong communication plan that reflects your corporate image. Whether you use print, video, Web sites, flash mail or kickoff meetings, a consistent look and message at every channel touchpoint is necessary. There is a direct correlation between communication frequency and results.

3. Use technology to track and connect with participants. Tracking is more than periodic progress/earnings statements. It is the umbilical cord linking marketplace activity to individual and corporate performance. The more participants know about what they have earned and how far they need to go, the more engaged and active they become.

4. Use education to power your program. Education is an important component. Elevating sales skills and product knowledge is a sure-fire way to establish a competitive point of difference, align business goals with a diverse audience, and increase performance.

5. Combine awards and recognition to the above for synergistic effects. Combined with the program components listed in numbers 1-4, awards can make a far bigger impact than they would make alone. It's best to customize the offerings to the performance and interests of the participants. Also, combine various awards - travel, recognition and points - to make a powerful awards collection.

Apply these techniques and every channel member will be playing the same song, and that creates the sweet sound of sales success.
By Michael McCann

Knowing Your Numbers, Tracking Your Success

2009-06-29T02:18:00.000-07:00

When I made a commitment all those years ago to doing what ever I needed to do to become a Top 20% producer, I was taught about the importance of knowing, tracking, and interpreting the number and kinds of phone calls I was making. Before this I had no idea of how many or what kinds of calls I was making, and I soon learned how much more effective I could be once I began tracking them.

First of all, it's talk about how to do it. Even if your company can track your total number of calls, I still highly recommend that you take responsibility for it in the following way -- each morning get out a new sheet of paper and make three columns at the top -- Calls, Contact, and Deals/Leads. Down the left side, create one-hour time slots -- 8 to 9 AM, 90 to 10 AM, etc.
Next, use stick figures each time you dial the phone; make four of them and then cross them all with the fifth one so you can easily count them later. One line for each time you dial the phone, but record one in the contact column only when you reach the prospect, buyer or decision maker. Obviously when you accomplish your goal of a qualified lead or deal, then record that in the third column.

Here's what to look for -- first of all, after a few days of keeping track of this, you'll see not only what your overall effectiveness is like - how many total calls you're making - but also what time of day is more effective for contacts, cold calls, etc. Now that you have hard numbers, you'll also be able to begin setting goals for making more calls in a day or week and thus be able to track increased effectiveness. This is crucial for setting effective goals.

Another benefit is that you'll also be able to divide the number of calls by year earnings and come up with a hard number of just how much money you make each time you pick up the phone. Is each call worth 5 dollars? $10? Or more?

Knowing this kind of information is very empowering. It will suddenly create an urgency for you that wasn't there before. Now each time you're not dialing, you're literally robbing yourself of money. Try it and you'll soon see what I mean.

Also, if you're a manager or business owner, you'll soon find that the numbers don't lie. Not making your revenue numbers? How many real calls is your sales team making? This is a great way to hold your group accountable.

Overall, knowing how your numbers equate to your actual results and success is what each Top 20% producer thoroughly understands. You should too. Why not start today?

by Mike Brooks

To Be a Good Manager of Sales You Must Be a Good Manager of Time

2009-06-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

A bold statement you might think. What does Time Management have to do with being a successful Sales Manager? In my opinion, everything. If you can learn to manage your time a lot more will be accomplished every day. You will be in a better position to help your Sales staff which will lead to great productivity which leads to greater profits. Let me make some suggestions to help you be that successful Sales Manager.

1. Start each day with a plan for your time. Divide your day into sections. I would suggest four sections.

2. The first section is Communication. Answer your phone calls, e-mails, tweets, bleeps, chings, dings, and any other kind of communication that is out there. Set aside time in your day to do it as a block. Otherwise you will be interrupted constantly to answer your incoming communications. By setting aside time for Communication that will leave you time for the other three sections.

3. Staff morale. This includes training, feedback sessions, analyzing performance, help with difficult customers, and any other issues that are common in your business. If you and your sales staff know this is an important event each day they will come prepared and the more prepared they are the more effective they will be as Sales people. This helps them, helps the customer; helps you; and helps the business.

4. The third section is Paperwork. No explanation needed for this but set aside time for it. Don't do it as it arises. It will always come up and you will be constantly distracted and become less and less effective.

5. The fourth section is Review. By setting aside time for this in your day you will be able to monitor what your Sales staff has done well and what areas need improvement.

These four sections of your day will allow you to achieve a great deal more than you would otherwise. Time Management will make you the best Manager you can be. Take the time to learn it

By Gerry Hartigan

The 5 Secrets of Motivating Your Sales Team

2009-06-29T01:50:00.000-07:00

Motivation seems to be one of the toughest areas to get a handle on. Many managers tell me that some of their reps are already motivated and don't need their help in that area (usually the Top 20%), but that the majority seem to need constant motivating, mentoring, counseling, or out right babysitting. Sound familiar?

When asked what to do, I tell them there is only so much they can do because true motivation comes from within -- in other words, each member of their team is already motivated. There are, however, 5 things you can do to get the most out of your sales team and keep motivation and morale high. Here's what they are --

#1) Make your monthly revenue goal, and each rep's part of that goal, crystal clear. I'm sure you have a monthly revenue goal, but does each member of your sales team know what their specific part of that goal is? (Hint -- it's not all equal). Recognize that some reps will produce much more of the overall goal than others, but also make sure each one is clear on what their part of that overall goal is.

#2) Individualize the bonuses or prizes. The problem with most bonus programs is that as soon as they are released, over one-half of the sales team knows they can't win so they are more discouraged than encouraged to produce. Customize each rep's bonus based on their individual production goal. This ensures every body has a chance to win and thus will be motivated.

#3) Get out of your office and close some deals. Most managers are way too busy in meetings, or reporting, or just plain hiding out to be really effective. Remember one thing -- as the manager, you are the leader. And leaders lead by example. Want to motivate your team, make your numbers, and create real value for yourself? Go onto the floor and close business for some of your sales reps and help them make their revenue goals. This is the most important thing you can do not only for your bottom line, but for your team's motivation as well.

#4) Invest $100 in a couple of trophies. The best money you'll ever spend -- make one a "Weekly most improved" or "Best effort" and hand it out each Monday morning. Each winner gets to keep it on their desk that week. The other trophy can be either "Most deals," or "Most new clients" or whatever other category everyone has a chance to win (as long as it is revenue related). Again, hand it out in your Monday morning sales meeting, and each week the winner gets to keep it on their desk. Rule #1 in motivating: recognition among peers is almost always more important than money.

#5) Have some fun! Go to a toy store and buy one of those beanbag tosses, and after lunch on Friday make some teams and have some fun playing as a team. Tack on $50 for good measure and watch the competition and fun build your team and dissolve stress. This works - try it!
So there you have it. Inexpensive, proven techniques to build morale, motivate and make more money.

Want a bonus? Invest in and give each member of your team a copy of my new CD series , "The Secrets of the Top 20% - How to Double Your Income Selling over the Phone." That alone will turn some of your sales reps into Top 20% producers and then they will forever be motivated from within -- the ultimate motivation!

by Mike Brooks

Career Planning For a Challenging Economy - 3 Strategies

2009-06-26T09:05:00.002-07:00

Career planning during a tough economy calls for logical thinking. Yet it's easy to get caught up in a swirl of emotions. You have to deal with rumors, fears and uncertainty. In my experience, the best course of action will not seem immediately obvious. But here's what I recommend, based on years of living through economic cycles.

Begin by turning off the news. Stop buying newspapers that display scary headlines about jobs and sales forecasts. Be especially wary of news networks and programs. They have to come up with stories every day and they like to evoke strong emotion.

Journalists are wonderful people but they need startling headlines. They work on a case basis, highlighting extreme experiences. What's happening "out there" may not make any difference to you. I talk to people every day who are changing jobs, getting raises and moving up with promotions.

With the time you save by not watching news programs, grow your network of positive, successful people.

This one action alone can get you on the right track. You get ideas and connections that will move you to your goals. You get inspiration to develop new goals.

Sadly, you may have to bite the bullet and release negative people from your life. Don't be too quick to drop someone who's having a bad day. But every time I've moved away from one negative source, two positive people arrive unexpectedly.

Finally, take the most difficult step: create a second stream of income before you need one. Use your evenings and weekends to take the first step.

For example, "Karla" needs more money. She wants to enjoy life and buy a lot more, but she realizes she can't get a raise at work.

Since Karla is still working, she cannot violate her employer's rules on second jobs. More important, she needs to think outside the box. One city government official works in accounting and runs a lawn care business on weekends. He loves it. He gets out in the fresh air. He gets to be physical rather than cerebral. And his target market wants his services on weekends, when he has no obligations to his employer.

You might also consider developing online income. Avoid the "Get Rich Quick" schemes. To earn revenue on the Internet, you have to invest some time and energy. Chances are you can use find a business model to fit your own talents, preferences and skills.

Finally, some advice doesn't change in any economy. While you are still working and secure, create your Plan B. Even in a high-performing environment, we are all vulnerable. After all, you might wake up one day and realize your job or your business is making you sick. This situation is extremely rare and I never advise anyone to quit a job without another one waiting. But it could happen.

Your Plan B includes provision for health insurance, alternative income sources and a clear idea of how you will support yourself for the next six months to two years. It's scary to put all these components together when you're under the gun. So if your job feels comfortable or you've just started a job, make creating a Plan B your first priority.

By Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.

Developing "People Smarts"

2009-06-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

For managers, compassion outweighs other core skills.

Whom would you rather work with: a smart person who's emotionally unstable, or a smart person who's on an even keel? There's really no doubt, is there? Intuitively, we know who succeeds in business and why. Now we have the facts to back it up.

Research reported by Daniel Goldman in his book Primal Leadership (Harvard Business School Press, 2002), shows that technical skills (like business planning) or cognitive abilities (like analytic reasoning), while important, are not the key drivers of business success. That lies more in the area of emotions.

This is not psychobabble. Sophisticated studies from nearly 500 global companies show that 85 percent of what distinguishes outstanding leaders from the average is attributable to factors other than technical expertise or cognitive abilities. Call it "emotional intelligence." Here's a description of what's involved and some questions you can ask about yourself.

Know Yourself Emotional intelligence is made up of two areas: personal competence and social competence. In the general area, primal leaders - those with a highly developed emotional intelligence - are very sensitive to their inner-world experiences; they are self-aware.

Are you able to read your emotions, assess your strengths and limits, and act in a self-confident way? If so, your emotional intelligence is high. Successful leaders can also manage themselves well; they're in control. Can you keep destructive emotions in check? Are you trustworthy and flexible? Are you driven to improve performance, ready to act when needed, and optimistic in the face of difficulties?

Know Others Emotional intelligence also involves social competency. Primal leaders are quite sensitive to the inner world of others; they are socially aware. Are you empathic? Do you understand the subtleties of your organization, and are you other-directed?

Second, successful leaders know how to manage relationships. Are you influential, a motivator and a catalyst for change? Do you build others up, create a web of relationships, and build teams well? If yes, you're demonstrating a high level of emotional intelligence.

Of course, not even the best primal leaders do all these well, but they seem to have a critical mass of competencies that set them apart. Not yet convinced? Look at the impact of emotional intelligence on the bottom line. In one company, partners with significant strengths in emotional competencies added incremental profits in the range of 100 percent - 400 percent higher than partners without them!

There you have it. If you want to go higher in business, get there faster, and make a lot more money in the process, be smart. But above all, be people savvy.

By Michael McCann

Impressing Your Boss

2009-06-26T07:46:00.001-07:00

Most businesspeople take pride in determining their own success in the workplace. But even mavericks must report to someone. Here are six simple rules to help you make the most of your relationship with your boss:

• Report frequently. Bosses like to know what's going on at all times. Always hand in your reports and other paperwork on time. Look for ways to communicate informally, too.

• Be candid. No one likes surprises. If you discover a problem pending, don't try to sweep it under the rug. Discuss the situation - before your boss starts looking for someone to blame.

• Be resourceful. Never use your manager as a dumping ground for problems. Whenever you report a problem, always suggest at least one solution.

• Be straightforward. Honesty never hurts. So if you notice a policy or plan that doesn't seem right, say so in a discrete, sensitive manner.

• Be willing. You're not going to win every time. If your boss overrules you, do the best you can to make the policy or plan work, despite your reservations.

• Succeed. Last, but far from least: Salespeople (and other employees) who meet their goals and beat their quotas are the most likely to attract their boss's positive attention.

If you choose to not impress your boss, it can be hazardous to your bank account. Most bosses are "tuned-in" to people who are trying to be team players and conscientious workers. If your boss sees you as an asset to the organization, you'll move ahead faster.

Good luck!

By Michael McCann

Getting Ahead Through Positive Relationships With Colleagues

2009-06-26T07:25:00.001-07:00

The American way says that if you are going to get ahead in this world you've got to climb over the beaten and broken bodies of your peers. The essence of this idea is that organizational peers are in fact competitors for the next promotional opportunity that comes along. With help from thinkers like John Maxwell, we are gradually coming to consider the idea that getting ahead in an organization is more about being committed to the success of your peers than beating them down and removing them from the pool of competitors. It is about helping our peers to be successful. Sounds strange doesn't it. Seems like it takes the logic that we have been given all along about the role of competition in our success and turns it upside down.

Organizational leaders have come to realize that leadership is about getting things done, about making a difference, about achieving results. Today's companies are complex entities and no single person can be responsible for the entire operation. It takes a team of people to get the job done. The team must work well together, must help each other, must be challenged and enjoy the idea of mutually striving for success. This is where notions like collaboration and cooperation take on more significance than competition and power. Organizational peers need to operate from a perspective of mutual respect and caring. They need to acknowledge each other's successes and help each other recover from mistakes and failures.

So, let's assume that you have been totally supportive to your colleagues and peers; you have helped them be successful. How does this lead to you being the next in line for the big promotion? Here are several characteristics you will have which will be noticed by your superiors.
1. You're a team player. As someone who relates well to others and can accomplish a task.
2. You're someone who puts the success of the group ahead of personal gain.
3. You're able to avoid the negative behaviors which damage relationships with colleagues.
4. You're able to navigate the tricky waters of friendship and professionalism with peers.
5. You know how important it is to learn from others, and at the same time you're willing to contribute your knowledge.

That's a pretty good resume if you ask me!

By Larry Wenger

Are You Investing in a Sure-Thing?

2009-06-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

There is a common tendency, in times of economic down-turn and uncertainty, to look for the 'sure-thing' - something that can put fears to rest and help reduce anxiety. In such times, individuals with high self-confidence and self-esteem thrive and prosper by capitalizing on the lack of inspired competition. While everyone is looking for ways of cutting back and reducing overall costs, it is important to remember that though times may be tough now, it is critical that we continue to invest - both time and money - in the things that will endure long beyond the recession, namely, our families and personal relationships.

With enough negative information in the media surrounding the state of the global economy and the same message often being echoed in the workplace, now more than ever, we need to draw our strength and confidence from the people closest to us. The home is our refuge. It is also a place to get re-energized and inspired; to give love and receive love. While it is easy to get wrapped up with resume writing, social networking, job-fairs and head-hunters, we need to make time for each other. This time, however we chose to spend it, is invaluable to all our other aspirations.

The boost to one's feeling of self-worth, acceptance and value as a human being received at home will propagate and permeate all other aspects of our life. A positive sense of self will translate to a more upright posture, greater tendency to smile, a firmer handshake, a confident 'can-do' attitude and the belief that I have value to your organization, company or enterprise and you will miss out if I walk out of here because I can make it happen: I'm a sure thing.

The investment of time and money need not be large to generate profound results. The economic climate we currently face will not last indefinitely, but the steps we take today towards enriching our lives on a personal level will have an exponential return on investment in the future. If we take care of each other, the rest will take care of itself.

By Alicia K

Achieve Success With Simple Steps

2009-06-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

I think that it is pretty safe to say that most people would like to achieve success on some level and in at least one area of their life. After all, it is pretty much what we were designed to do as humans as we are constantly evolving in some way or another. But, many people get stuck when they feel that whatever they want to achieve success in is somehow too big or that it is impossible.

There were at one time many things that seemed impossible that are common place in today's world. Free speech was once an impossible idea. So was an 8 hour work day. And the idea of an internet would boggle the mind of people that lived 100 years ago.

One of the easiest and most effective things that you can do when a problem or a goal seems to be bigger than you are or bigger than what you are capable of achieving is to break it down into smaller and more manageable steps. This way, it seems to be far less overwhelming and complex.

Most of the time, the greatest obstacle that gets in the way of our success is ourselves and the way we look at things. When a project feels like it is too large to handle, it can be hard to get up the energy and the motivation to really put our best foot forward.

Give yourself a little push by completing one small and easily manageable aspect of your goal or your project. If your goal was to build up $ 10,000 in savings, put all your attention on getting that first $ 100. As long as you keep moving forward, eventually you will get there.
Would you like to learn more?

By Bryan Appleton

Be the Successful Person You Always Dreamed Of!

2009-06-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

So what does it take to succeed to become a successful person? Success is accomplishing a desired end result or objective. If I asked you if you want to be a successful person, of course you'll say yes. The first thing to consider is-what is it really you're trying to be successful at? You have to make that decision--What do you want to achieve in your life? Are you striving to be more organized? To be healthier by losing weight? Or are you trying to pay off those debts? Or how about trying to enjoy your retirement years? Whatever your goals and dreams are, bear in mind that they don't materialize by wishing on a wishing well or catching a falling star.

You have to make the necessary steps in order to attain your goals and be a successful person.

Firstly, you have to be specific-because if you don't, you may not discern if you've already triumphed. To summarize, first decide what you want, and create a plan of action to get there. Of course, with success comes happiness. If you enjoy what you're doing, then you'll be a successful person. Happiness is a decision-so decide to be happy now. And don't ever condition your thoughts that you'll only be really happy if you acquire certain stuff or you'll only be truly fulfilled if you reached a certain point in your life.

Just tell yourself to enjoy the trip and you're certainly on your way to be a successful person you always aspired to be. Your delight would be the drive that you got to do what you have to do in order to become a successful person. Okay, I admit that it won't always be a walk in the park, but you feel good anyway, knowing that whatever you're experiencing right now is just a process and a journey to your success. And when the right time comes, your goal would come to its fulfillment and realization. Remember that almost every individual has tasted the bitter sting of failure before they reached the pinnacle of success.

Therefore, don't be afraid to fail, because if you never failed in your life, then you never tried anything at all. Don't be petrified of taking that huge leap of faith now-so what if you failed? At least now you know than forever wondering, "what if" or "what might have been". Setbacks and obstacles are just temporary challenges to test us, but don't let them make you wave the white flag and surrender. The successful person is not a quitter and it doesn't matter how many times you fall, but how you endured the hardships that come your way. Finally, strive not to judge yourself based on what you are now, and especially based on the mistakes you've done on the past.

Just move on forward and start over with a clean slate; do whatever you could within your power to get closer to your dreams and try to celebrate even the smallest triumphs you have.By

Amy Twain

How to Create Passion and Secure Success

2009-06-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

You can't just jump straight into network marketing without being properly prepared and expect to make money. If you want to become a doctor, brick layer, mechanic, rocket scientist, construction worker, or a teacher, there are essential things that must be learned before you can be successful.

Many so called gurus say Internet marketing is a walk in the park and will tell you all that you need is the belief that you can do it, all this is false information, you must prepare properly.
Although once you have mastered the rules and avoided the pitfalls it is a walk in the park compared to what you normally have to do at work, like have a boss, watch the clock and all that traveling to and fro to work.

Many people will not make a penny on line but those that do make more in a month than most normal workers make in a year. Why do you think that is? The reasons are very difficult to pinpoint but I think one of the main reasons could have been already explained? Preparation! Another essential reason is having a passion for what you are doing, without it you will quickly become discouraged. You must have Passion!
To make money on line you must have a Passion for what you are doing, this applies to any Internet business and/or service. Passion in this sense translates into work, education and excitement within the context of the product or service you are providing, in other words Preparation. Preparation has given you the Passion because you are achieving your goals.
You must be careful not to believe that you only need Passion to be a success. If you have prepared properly you will go further if you are passionate about your subject. Although some on line entrepreneurs are a success with or without passion but it normally take some time and experience before they can achieve this.

Passion is not the only requirement, as said previously, careful preparation is essential. To be successful you must learn to market using as many marketing tools as possible. Where do you get these tools or learn how to use the systems? See below.

By J Elejaa

Who is a Better Teacher - Failure Or Success?

2009-06-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

"Action is the foundational key to all success." - Picasso.
"The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows." -Buddha
I've been reading about success and failure for the last couple of years now. It still amazes me how many SUCCESSFUL persons will say that FAILURE is the best teacher when comes to life lessons. A couple of years ago, while I was in college, I used to say to myself many times trough the day: "Failure is not an option". Was I motivating myself the wrong way?

As I said before, many athletes, entrepreneurs, politicians, musicians and all kind of successful people claim to have learned more from their errors, their failures than from their success...Donald Trump, successful businessman and real estate developer once said: "Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war." The meaning behind that statement is just .. INCREDIBLE.

Maybe, I wasn't wrong about failure is not an option...when you've learn your lessons trough life.

I believe that the element that makes failure such a good teacher is the amount of effort you need to put on your situation to have a 180 degrees turn around...If you are not creating the kind of success you want right now, there is a reason for that...At this moment of my life of course I want BIG Success....But I embrace FAILURE as a very valuable teacher....like a voice in my head that says: "you can't do that...unless...".

I honestly believe that in order to be successful you have to take managed risks. If you know what you worth, what you are made of you gotta be willing to take full responsibility of your errors and more importantly to LEARN from them. Every single mistake I've made lately, has become later on a very VALUABLE lesson for the rest of my life.

So the next time that you feel that you go down and don't know what to do remember:

"Success came when emotion left" - Mike Dillard.

By Cesar Fasano

Take Back YOUR Life!

2009-06-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's not uncommon for many people to come to a point where they feel like they are just going through the motions. Most people tend to wind up at a job that they really don't get excited about and living their life feeling as though they are just trying to get by and survive. The thing is, when you feel this way, the more likely it is that you will stay stuck in the rut and not move forward.

You have to really decide that you are going to take back your life and that you are not going to let circumstances and situations control the direction that you are moving in. When you make this decision and you are committed to it, you will begin to shift from a consciousness where you are dealing with your life and the things that are affecting it and into a consciousness where you are going to take control and make your path your own.

The biggest obstacle you face in life is not the situations ad circumstances that you will deal with, but how you react to them and process them. We have all faced hardships in life and only we can determine whether or not we will turn the situation around and make it beneficial and see the opportunities that exits within them.

At one point, I found myself unemployed and with a son to care for by myself. Most people would allow that to overwhelm them and at first, I did. But after a couple of weeks doing that I realized only I could make it better and to turn it all around. Today, I earn more money from home than when I was working at a regular job and I am there to spend time with my son whenever I want.

Do yourself a favor. Take back YOUR life RIGHT NOW!

By Bryan Appleton

Become Fit and Become Empowered in Life

2009-06-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Are you feeling fat, unable to lose the 20 pounds that you have put on in the last few years? Are you gaining a middle body bulge? Many of us have a hard time losing weight and getting fit because we do not find the time and then after awhile it's even harder to find time because you have replaced exercise time with other things. But when we feel and look fit we are empowered.

We feel like we have more chance of going after goals, dealing with work issues and forging ahead in life. Have you noticed when you look and feel good you can rise above the challenges life poses for you? When we look and feel fit our self-esteem goes up and we have more courage for challenges in life. Hence, we are empowered.

Think about someone you know who is fit and trim. Do they seem to have lots of energy? Do they seem to always be accomplishing something? Do they seem to like the challenges in life? Do they seem to always be optimistic? They feel this way because they have empowered themselves to live a healthier, stronger and powerful life.

We can all do this but have to make the commitment to ourselves. Take a picture of yourself. This is a good way to really view you. A video is even better. The pictures tell the truth better than a mirror. Is the picture showing you as you would like others to see you? How we present ourselves to the world affects how others interact with us. If we feel and look good, we show that to others, that is the picture they have of us. That empowers us. Imagine the rest of your life.

Do you have goals, aspirations that you want to achieve? Empower yourself to start taking care of your body first. This is where it starts. Imagine that your body is the house that houses your life, spirit and soul. It must be cared for in order for you to thrive. Empower your mind to realize this.

If you have children or grandchildren, think about what kind of image you are presenting to them. Are you a role model and are you empowered to teach them to be fit? This is something that you will pass down to the next generation and hopefully your children will pass down their empowering ideas to their children. So...think about these thoughts and empower yourself to take care of your body.

By Kat Smith-Starlove

Knowledge Isn't Power and Wealth, Or is It?

2009-06-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

There are many people who feel they lack the education or knowledge necessary to be successful at something new. They feel the only way to succeed at it is to learn and know everything possible about it. They must know every answer to every question that could be asked. They feel that general and specialized knowledge is power and this is what will make them successful and wealthy. I would love to say this is true, but it isn't, knowledge is only potential power. You could have all the knowledge in the world and still be poor. The key to wealth and success when it comes to knowledge is learning how to organize and direct it into a plan of action.

Now some people that are new to online business opportunities think they need to know everything about their products and company. Well the good news is you don't have too, all you need to know is the basics. Don't worry about learning everything. When you feel you have to learn everything, you really never get started with your business. All you have to know is were to direct those people asking the questions to find the answers. Many of the wealthiest men of our time didn't have the knowledge of every aspect of their business. They just organized and directed knowledge into a plan for success and wealthy. One of the easiest and most popular ways they organized knowledge is with a mastermind group. A mastermind group is a diverse group of people all specialized in there field brought together for a common purpose and belief.

Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were masters at using mastermind groups. Both of these men combined had an education of a sixth grader. However they were some of the wealthiest and most successful men of our time. They had better things to do then fill their brains with all of the knowledge necessary for their success. They know they could find other people that had the knowledge they needed to be success in their field.

However, if you love obtaining new knowledge make sure it is specialized knowledge and not general knowledge. Don't fill your head with general knowledge. If you do that you will be taking up valuable space. Also after you have learned the specialized knowledge, make sure to apply. You always want to apply what you have learner. Otherwise you are just wasting your time and energy. If you never apply what you have learned and just keep accumulating it. What good is learning it in the first place? Also once you have applied the knowledge, don't be afraid if it fails. You always want to fail forward. Make sure you take the first step and the other foot will follow.
Once you have create a mastermind group of your own or learned the specialized know on your own make sure you create a plan of action to achieve success, wealth or what ever it is you want.

I believe this is the biggest reason why most people fail. If you don't create a plan of action, you are setting yourself up to fail before you even begin. Also you don't want to plan the plan of your attack. This is want most people do. Just jump right in and plan as you go. You can always readjust and reconfigure as you go. It like the story of the rocket that was launched form earth to the moon. The rocket is programmed with all of the coordinates to travel from point A to B. However, as that rocket travels through space it will veer slightly of track. So the rocket has to continually readjust its coordinates. The same goes for your plan of action, you always want to readjust it or tweak it for success. The most important part is to develop a plan and implement it.

By Zack A Miller

Most People Don't Have a Clue About Mindset

2009-06-22T04:07:00.000-07:00

Most people don't have a clue how important mindset is to their success. A considerable amount is written about the subject and there is a whole raft of material on the Internet about mindset and, in particular, about positive mental attitude - but what does it mean?

If I asked people why it is important to be positive they would give a load of stock answers and if I questioned them and drilled down for a little bit more information they have very little idea about the power of thought. There is no positive or negative to the brain simply the power of thought and the old cliché "if you think you can or if you think you can't then you are probably right" proves the point.

Therefore it becomes vital to business success that we get our thought processes aligned with our desire to succeed. It can be difficult, particularly in the early stages of a business, to remain positive and certain of success when you keep hitting road blocks and your plans become frustrated BUT all successful people have been in this position and they come through it.
It is essential that everyone who has aspirations to start their own business should take time out to plan the business and take on the skills necessary to succeed. When launching a business a considerable amount of time is given over to formulating the business plan where all the financials and the marketing are considered but I have never seen a business plan that encompasses the mindset of the owner and their thought processes. I have launched two companies and the bank manager did not ask me if I had given any thought to my personal development and mental attitude! He simply wanted to know about the prospects of the company and if I had enough collateral to cover the loans I was asking for.

In an online business mindset is probably even more vital because you tend to work alone on the PC and you have little interaction with other people during the launch phase. If you cannot maintain a success attitude then, the chances are, you will not be able to keep your focus when things are not going well. My advice would be to surround yourself with successful people and feed off their attitudes, find out how they work, how they keep positive, how they keep focused and then you have blueprint to follow.

The outcome of any event depends on one thing - HOW YOU REACT TO IT. Don't immediately perceive an event as a problem see what you can learn from it and move on to the next challenge. How about this for a change of mindset - the bigger the challenge you face the more successful you are becoming so thank God for massive problems.

By Ian Simon

Achieving Your Desires

2009-06-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

It is a common feeling among most people to have the opinion that it is incredibly hard to achieve all of your desires and that in many ways this is an impossible task. While it may be true that to achieve every single thing that you could possibly want to accomplish, many people use this kind of thinking to set the bar pretty low for themselves. This may be because they just want to align themselves with these kinds of thoughts or it may be because they want to save themselves from the anticipation of upcoming disappointment.

Whatever the reason, many people will fail to really go after the things that will make them happier simply because they believe that they are unachievable. When in reality, they may be more likely to happen than you may at first think.

Whatever your belief is, that will dictate how you pursue the things that you would like to accomplish. If you feel that they are impossible, it will be hard to muster the motivation and the inspiration that is necessary to attain whatever goals that you may have.

Do you fall into the category of people that fail to act because they believe that they will fail anyway?

If so, then you have guaranteed your success at, well, failing. By failing to act, you have decided to give up all possibility of creating the life that you truly want to live and to experience. Is that what you REALLY want?

Or are your finally ready to spring into action, grab your destiny, and achieve ALL of your desires?
By Bryan Appleton

5 Traits to Become a Super Achiever

2009-06-22T03:40:00.000-07:00

We all know examples of people that seem to be able to achieve and accomplish almost anything that they would like to in their lives. And usually there is a little tinge of jealousy as we wish that we could do the same. What are some of the traits needed to become one of these high level achievers?

1. Set goals. People that accomplish success at a high level in many areas of their life are constantly setting goals and doing this gives them a precise image of exactly what they want the result to be. It gives them the drive to keep moving forward.

2. Dream big. You have to live your life without limits. The more limitations that you place upon yourself, the harder it will be to feel motivated to building yourself up so that you can make your dreams become your reality.

3. Have faith. Knowing that you have the ability and the talent and the drive to do anything that you want is a must. You have to have faith in yourself or else it will be far too easy to fall back into your old patterns of thought and back to the old limits that you have placed upon yourself.

4. Learn. After high school and college, many people discount just how vital it is to keep up with the process of learning more. The more specialized that your knowledge is, the better off you will be.

5. Take chances. The more chances that you take in life, the higher your probability of having one pan out in your favor increases. And many times all you need is that one big chance to pan out for you to create a momentum that propels you to success

By Bryan Appleton

Take the Shot and Go For Your Goal!

2009-06-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

The proof is in the pudding. Ever play basketball? It almost seemed as though trash-talking was written into the way that the sport was played. I guess being one of the games that you get to play and talk (or be able to) and the opponent always seems to be talking down to the one holding the ball. Hmm, the one that is holding the ball......Isn't THAT the one who has the opportunity to score? They always seem to have that focused look on their face too, as they are looking towards getting the ball into the basket to score. So what are the lessons here?
Get the ball!

What is your goal? What is it you want to achieve? You got to know what you want in order to go after it. No matter how big or small your goal is, it is something you need to hold onto and have a clear idea about before you can get on the court and head for the net.

FOCUS!
Once you have a clear idea of what it is you want to achieve, keep that clear vision of your goal in your sights. Make a vision board, sit down with your eyes closed and visualize your goal achieved, post sticky notes around your home or office as reminders of your goals. Keep asking yourself how you can move closer to your goal each day.

Push past opposition!

Now that you are taking the steps towards reaching your goals you have to keep moving up the court in order to get the ball in the basket. The more steps you take, the closer you get to the net, the closer you get to scoring. Each step forward is another step accomplished. Those steps you are taking towards your goals are goals within themselves. Each day decide on an action you can take to move around obstacles and positively through your opposition to get in position where you can.....

SCORE!

MAKE THE SHOT! The one holding the ball is the one who gets to make the shot and has more opportunity to win the game. Get the ball in your possession! And keep taking shots at the basket. It's the best way to win......Play the game! When you know what it is that you need to apply in order to get to your goals, then you can always be in a position to score and succeed. You don't have to go and play basketball to get in the game. Feel free to apply to other areas in your life.

By Elisa Sterling-Cowan

Are You Investing in a Sure-Thing?

2009-06-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

There is a common tendency, in times of economic down-turn and uncertainty, to look for the 'sure-thing' - something that can put fears to rest and help reduce anxiety. In such times, individuals with high self-confidence and self-esteem thrive and prosper by capitalizing on the lack of inspired competition. While everyone is looking for ways of cutting back and reducing overall costs, it is important to remember that though times may be tough now, it is critical that we continue to invest - both time and money - in the things that will endure long beyond the recession, namely, our families and personal relationships.
With enough negative information in the media surrounding the state of the global economy and the same message often being echoed in the workplace, now more than ever, we need to draw our strength and confidence from the people closest to us. The home is our refuge. It is also a place to get re-energized and inspired; to give love and receive love. While it is easy to get wrapped up with resume writing, social networking, job-fairs and head-hunters, we need to make time for each other. This time, however we chose to spend it, is invaluable to all our other aspirations.
The boost to one's feeling of self-worth, acceptance and value as a human being received at home will propagate and permeate all other aspects of our life. A positive sense of self will translate to a more upright posture, greater tendency to smile, a firmer handshake, a confident 'can-do' attitude and the belief that I have value to your organization, company or enterprise and you will miss out if I walk out of here because I can make it happen: I'm a sure thing.
The investment of time and money need not be large to generate profound results. The economic climate we currently face will not last indefinitely, but the steps we take today towards enriching our lives on a personal level will have an exponential return on investment in the future. If we take care of each other, the rest will take care of itself.

Coaches - You Can Grow Your Business With Virtual Groups

2009-05-21T07:42:00.001-07:00

Imagine spending 5 hours a week on the telephone and earning a monthly income of $6,000. Do the math. It is possible (5 groups x 10 people each x paying $120/month). If you want to multiply your profit - work less and earn more - then consider e-learning virtual groups.

E-Learning, in the form of teleclasses, teleseminars, distance learning, virtual groups, and virtual classrooms from K to college, is exploding in popularity. There are many different terms describing this emerging business opportunity. One definition of e-learning is from the Utah Education Network: "E-learning is a term covering a wide set of applications and processes, such as web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration."
Virtual Groups:

Definition: A virtual group is one form of e-learning. A virtual group is simply a group without a geographical boundary or face to face/in person meetings. The group is united virtually via technology such as interactive audio- teleconference. A virtual group can be conducted simply by using the telephone and the internet. Groups may use additional technology such as webinars, chat, list serves, blogs, Facebook, Linked in, Twitter or other Web 2.0 tools.

Benefits: E-learning virtual groups are a natural for the nutrition and health industry. We live in a virtual world and people turn to the internet to get their medical and nutrition information already. Virtual groups are simple, cost effective, convenient, and green (no venue, no travel, etc.) With virtual groups your market is the globe! Don't be left behind with the e-learning explosion.

Distinction: Although the terms are related, an important distinction between a virtual group and teleconference or teleclass is the latter is often a one time event versus a virtual group that meets many times over weeks, months or even years. Very different dynamics are in play in in a virtual group and leaders have to do things differently. In a well functioning virtual group the group itself takes on a life of its own.

Leader Skills: Leading a face to face group is similar to leading a virtual group. However, running a great virtual group requires some special skills. You don't have your physical presence and body language to convey competence so your voice - words, tone, tempo, take on additional significance. You want to assure your voice communicates your expertise and also your passion and connect with the group. This is more challenging when there is no face to face communication. It is OK for the leader to 'sit' in the background and be invisible at times and allow the group interaction to thrive.

A closing word for those who may be aspiring entrepreneurs..this is a great way to get started while keeping your day job. Offer a virtual group in the evening.

Checklist to guide your planning. Virtual Group Checklist and Timing ( prior to launching group)

1. Identify Target market, Title, Topic 6-8 weeks

2. Develop content, syllabus, tools, enrollment tools, handouts, payment methodology 6 weeks 3. Secure/ prep guest speakers 6 weeks 3. Confirm Logistics: Dates; time,technology 6 weeks
Develop marketing and pricing strategy, tactics, tools. 6 weeks 5. Begin to market and enroll participants. Social media is an ideal way to find customers and market virtual programs. 4-6 weeks 6. Begin pre-program communication with participants 2-3 week 7. Conduct the program ongoing 8. Graduate participants or re-invigorate group varies 9. Post group communication 2 days - 2 weeks 10. Leverage and repeat ongoing

By Jean Caton

Coaches - You Can Grow Your Business With Virtual Groups

2009-05-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Imagine spending 5 hours a week on the telephone and earning a monthly income of $6,000. Do the math. It is possible (5 groups x 10 people each x paying $120/month). If you want to multiply your profit - work less and earn more - then consider e-learning virtual groups.

E-Learning, in the form of teleclasses, teleseminars, distance learning, virtual groups, and virtual classrooms from K to college, is exploding in popularity. There are many different terms describing this emerging business opportunity. One definition of e-learning is from the Utah Education Network: "E-learning is a term covering a wide set of applications and processes, such as web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration."
Virtual Groups:

Definition: A virtual group is one form of e-learning. A virtual group is simply a group without a geographical boundary or face to face/in person meetings. The group is united virtually via technology such as interactive audio- teleconference. A virtual group can be conducted simply by using the telephone and the internet. Groups may use additional technology such as webinars, chat, list serves, blogs, Facebook, Linked in, Twitter or other Web 2.0 tools.

Benefits: E-learning virtual groups are a natural for the nutrition and health industry. We live in a virtual world and people turn to the internet to get their medical and nutrition information already. Virtual groups are simple, cost effective, convenient, and green (no venue, no travel, etc.) With virtual groups your market is the globe! Don't be left behind with the e-learning explosion.

Distinction: Although the terms are related, an important distinction between a virtual group and teleconference or teleclass is the latter is often a one time event versus a virtual group that meets many times over weeks, months or even years. Very different dynamics are in play in in a virtual group and leaders have to do things differently. In a well functioning virtual group the group itself takes on a life of its own.

Leader Skills: Leading a face to face group is similar to leading a virtual group. However, running a great virtual group requires some special skills. You don't have your physical presence and body language to convey competence so your voice - words, tone, tempo, take on additional significance. You want to assure your voice communicates your expertise and also your passion and connect with the group. This is more challenging when there is no face to face communication. It is OK for the leader to 'sit' in the background and be invisible at times and allow the group interaction to thrive.

A closing word for those who may be aspiring entrepreneurs..this is a great way to get started while keeping your day job. Offer a virtual group in the evening.

Checklist to guide your planning. Virtual Group Checklist and Timing ( prior to launching group)

1. Identify Target market, Title, Topic 6-8 weeks
2. Develop content, syllabus, tools, enrollment tools, handouts, payment methodology 6 weeks
3. Secure/ prep guest speakers 6 weeks
4. Confirm Logistics: Dates; time,technology 6 weeks
Develop marketing and pricing strategy, tactics, tools. 6 weeks
5. Begin to market and enroll participants. Social media is an ideal way to find
customers and market virtual programs. 4-6 weeks
6. Begin pre-program communication with participants 2-3 week
7. Conduct the program ongoing
8. Graduate participants or re-invigorate group varies
9. Post group communication 2 days - 2 weeks
10. Leverage and repeat ongoing

By Jean Caton

Uncover 6 Easy Ways to Jumpstart Your Leadership Training

2009-05-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Do you have the ability to unlock the full potentials of individuals or even a team so they achieve concrete business results? Then, you can sink your teeth into leadership coaching. Here's what you need to get started:

1. Assess your skills and your expertise. You cannot simply sink your teeth into leadership coaching just because you want to or just because you find it fascinating. As this endeavor requires high level of skills and awareness, you need to make sure that you have what it takes before you get started in this field. Aside from relevant educational background, you must also have at least 5 years related experience and have attended various trainings and seminars.

2. Obtain more information. Do your research and learn as much as you can about leadership coaching. Right now, there are quite a few websites that can offer you with in-depth information about this field. You may also opt to take advantage of high ticket coaching programs or seminars that can help you get more valuable information about leadership coaching. Sign up with those people who have proven track record in this field to ensure that you'll get great value for your money.

3. Know your audience. You need to understand that each of your clients is different. Thus, they need varied set of information, assistance, and advice. Before you design your coaching programs, make sure that you get to know these people on a deeper level. This is the only way to make your programs highly focused and targeted.

4. Practice what you preach. You need to be a good role model to your clients if you want them to follow your instructions. If you want them to open their minds to possibilities and if you want them to remain grounded, they must see you as somebody who possesses these qualities.

5. Communication skills. As a coach, it is very important that you have exceptional communication skills. You must be able to articulate your thoughts and ideas pretty good without causing confusion. I recommend that you practice on a daily basis and expand your vocabulary. It pays to be able to put your thoughts using the most appropriate words.

6. Keep a positive attitude. As a coach for future leaders, you need to have a positive mental attitude. You must be able to see the bright side of things and you must not dwell on those elements that can pull you down.

By Sean R Mize

Be Your Own Authority

2009-05-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's not true what you've heard. Those who say you can't accomplish what you're passionate to achieve, and that you shouldn't even bother trying. Or those that remind you of others that are already doing something like what you've got in mind. As if it were true, there's only so much room for success.

Too long the critics and critical voices have dominated our thinking, and left us in a semi powerless state.

Somewhere between I might and I'll try.
That way of thinking and I became good friends. I always knew if I didn't finish something, or shied away from accomplishing my goal, my inner critic would applaud me and remind me to take a seat.

Are you with me on this? How many times have we believed others have our answers? How many times have we thought something, kept it to ourself, only to find out that we did know! How much of our passion has been lost by sharing our vision with those who judge us, rather than empower us?

Question is, how much longer will you hold back? No one will know about your authority if you keep quiet. Time to venture out. Step up to the plate. Take a few swings. Pretty soon you'll find comfort holding your own. It takes patience with yourself, and a safe place to let your gifts unfold.

Life needs cheerleaders. Those who understand that encouragement breeds greatness. In the presence of those who see us as whole, complete and blooming, we flower. Surround yourself with kindness, even if you know just one source. Visit it often. This acceptance will open you up to YOUR voice, YOUR Wisdom. YOUR Authority within.

As a highly sought after Spiritual Life Coach, Mind/Body Cleansing Coach, Hara lectures coast to coast on the importance of whole body cleansing, diet, detox and transforming old unproductive patterns.

Hara has trained with some of todays' top Holistic Doctors and Spiritual Teachers to learn the latest therapies and treatments available to cure the body of illness and the mind of limitation. In 2003, Hara founded Get Centered, a wellness center located in NYC offering the latest tools for life enhancement. Get Centered has been featured in many publications including Harper's Bazaar, In-Style and Quest Magazine. Hara has been interviewed on "Trend Watch", Vogue Magazines nationally syndicated TV segment, Good News Broadcast and German TV Morning Show for her innovative services.

By Hara L Taicher

Live by Design, Not by Default - 7 Practical Actions Steps to Take Control of Your Life

2009-05-21T07:14:00.002-07:00

Learn to take control of your time and find the success you desire and deserve! When you choose to take charge of the actions in each day and plan for success every day you will take charge of your life. Doing so will reduce the interruptions and distractions and put you back in control of your life. You will be designing the life you desire.

7 Actions Steps for Taking Control of Your Life:

1. Know your goals. What do you truly want to accomplish in your life? Write out your goals and become one of the top 10% of the people in the world! Catapult your success by knowing your goals and reviewing them regularly.

2. Plan your action. When you know your goals you have a target to shoot for. Now you need to plan the action steps that it will take to fulfill those goals. Till you take the action to accomplish those goals you only have wishes. Continuous action leads to fulfilled goals.

3. Live on purpose. Each day determine to set your course in the direction of achieved goals. Living on purpose takes deliberate decision to act on your goals and live on purpose.

4. Avoid interruptions. Interruptions steer you off course. Be sure in your own mind of the things you want to accomplish and then send out that message with your actions. You determine who or what you allow to take your time. Guard your days to avoid meaningless interruptions and fulfill your dreams.

5. Measure your progress. Do you know how close you are to reaching your goals? Devise ways of keeping track of your progress. Review your actions at the end of each week. Evaluate your accomplishments and learn from your mistakes. Choose your actions for the following week that will progress you toward your goals.

6. Enjoy the moments. You have this moment. This is the moment that determines tomorrow and the following days and years. Enjoy what you do and set the course for an enjoyable future.

7. Make a difference. How would you like to impact other people's lives? What do you want to be known for? Don't let life pass by before you've influenced the people who need you to do so.

By Pat L Anderson

Self Empowerment - Understand and Use the Emotional Ladder to Raise Your Level of Personal Power

2009-05-21T07:09:00.001-07:00

True personal power comes from the art of mastering one's emotions. You cannot operate effectively and joyfully in this game of life, if you have not learned how to work with your emotional guidance system.

Part of developing self empowerment is learning how to move from a negative emotion to an emotion that is of a higher vibrational nature. Feelings can be calibrated. They can also be perceived as being rungs on a ladder; with the lower rungs representing the negative emotions and each higher rung representing a higher emotional state.

The idea of an emotional ladder is useful in understanding where you might currently find yourself in relation to your love life, your career, your finances and overall well being. It will then assist you in understanding which emotions you will need to move up and through in order to get to the higher vibrational states and hence attract more of what you desire, such as joy, peace and love.

Negative emotion is your indication from your Inner Being that the action you are considering is not in harmony with your greater intentions. - Abraham Hicks from The Astonishing Power of Emotions.

Dr. David Hawkins in his work, Power vs Force calibrates the emotions on a scale of 20 - 700+; the lower emotions being those of shame, guilt, apathy, grief, and fear and then moving up the scale to courage at 200 and the all the way up to love, joy and peace. It is important to know that this rating is not an arithmetic type of scale but rather a logarithmic progression. It suffices to say that moving a few points up the ladder is enormous as far as the potential it holds to increase your personal power, and well being.

An emotion that vibrates under 200 is considered a negative emotion, and it has an undesirable impact on the body, mind and soul connection.

The time a woman spends moving up to the next higher emotional state may or may not take a long time depending on various factors and whether she chooses to consciously work through a particular state. For example, choosing to blame others, and not taking responsibility for your life experience will slow your progress through the various states. There are ladies who get stuck at a certain emotional level for a very long time, in fact for many years.

If you have ever lost a loved one and felt grief, you may recall that at a later point in time, you felt better once you had moved up through anger. Those around you may have preferred it when you were in grief, as you might of been easier to handle when in grief rather than in anger. However it was necessary for you to move up through anger to then get to the level of courage, and then further up the ladder still, to acceptance and so on.

When women are experiencing very negative emotions, frequently those around them do not know how to help them, and therefore consciously or subconsciously they try to control and manage the women, and their emotions.

It is important to note that if you do not believe that it is ok to express your anger and therefore you push yourself back down the emotional ladder, you will cause a yoyo effect. Every time you come up to the state of anger you will cause yourself to go back down to states such as fear and grief. You could actually come up and go down repeatedly, keeping yourself stuck for a long time. Be aware that having old emotional baggage come up while working a particular state is normal. You will be well served by implementing strategies that can assist you through your climb up the emotional ladder.

No matter where you might find yourself on the emotional ladder, what you want to do is work at feeling better and experience some relief from the current state.

When climbing a real ladder you would not think of going from the bottom rung to the top rung in one step, you would go up incrementally, and it is the same idea with the emotional ladder. Besides, if you were to try and move through all the emotional states quickly, you would likely be an emotional basket case. Therefore, chances are you will find yourself taking many steps on the way up this emotional ladder.

Each step up the emotional ladder will increase your awareness of self and others, and allow you to navigate your life with greater ease. With greater ease by your side, and by feeling better you will be able to manifest more of what you want and less of what you do not want. You will actually be increasing your personal power.

By Lynette Chartier

What's in a Marketing and Sales System?

2009-05-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

Marketing and sales are critical components of a successful business. Appreciating the difference between the two is essential to building a thriving business that is sustainable.

Marketing is what attracts prospective clients to your business and makes them want to purchase your products and services. An effective sales process is what "seals the deal." Both are essential to your success and each requires a system for consistent results.

Marketing Power: Let's explore three ways to boost your marketing power.

*On your Internet real estate (i.e., your website or blog), include a way to capture the names and contact information of visitors who want to stay in touch with you. I suggest using a service like Aweber or Constant Contact.

*Use an autoresponder service (like those provided by the companies listed above) to schedule the delivery of tips and short articles to members of your target market who have indicated their interest in your business by signing up for your updates.

*Deliver relevant information to your database once a week. This allows to you stay "top of mind", without inundating your database with messages. You can deliver information in the form of a short newsletter, weekly tips or even weekly words of inspiration and motivation. The format is not nearly as important as your commitment to delivering relevant information on a consistent basis. Your delivery of timely, useful information is what will attract fans, friends and followers - and, convert them to paying clients. If in the past, you have not been as consistent in communicating with your database as you would like, do not despair. Get started again ASAP and make a commitment to stay connected.

Success in Sales: Develop a proven sales conversion guide to convert more clients in less time.

This is the essence of sales success! Let's explore how to build a sales conversion guide.

* Pay attention to exactly what happens when you convert a prospective client into a paying client.

*Document the process in a detailed step-by-step checklist and sales script. This document becomes your sales conversion guide.

*Repeat the process and refine your sales conversation guide as necessary.

*When you are comfortable that you have documented a sales conversion process that works, train new team members to follow your sales conversion guide and delegate this business activity.

Marketing and Sales Systems = More Time and More Money

Once you have automated a portion of your marketing and delegated the sales conversation process, invest your time and energy in projects that require your creative action: developing new business offerings and serving clients.

The First Step Toward Success- The Starting Point

2009-05-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

Salespersons are coached in the power of a first impression. Orators devote hours to opening statements. Journalists are admonished never to bury the lead. Sprinters practice racing out of the starting blocks. Interviewees are taught the importance of their initial handshake with a potential employer.

In leadership, as in many other areas of life, the beginning often determines the end. False starts and weak foundations can be ruinous. Here are five insights to help you start successfully.

HOW TO START SUCCESSFULLY

1. Start With Yourself

As Gandhi famously said, "Be the change you want to be in the world." By starting with yourself, you build the self-confidence needed to attract and inspire others. Leading yourself well is a precursor to accomplishment, and accomplishment earns respect. In order to make deposits in the lives of followers, you have to have a beginning balance in your leadership account. Start leading by proving your mettle - to yourself and to prospective followers.

2. Start early

Sadly, many leaders squander their early years and spend the rest of their careers trying to make up for lost time. In leadership, as with finances, decisions made early in life accrue the most interest. When we choose poorly or establish bad habits, we put ourselves in debt. Then, we must not only repay our loans, but the interest on them as well. On the flip side, when we invest our time and talent wisely from a young age, we reap the benefits of compounding interest on our leadership.

Specifically, where should leaders start? What areas should take precedence at the beginning? From my experience there are 10 things you should do as a leader prior to reaching age 40:

Know yourself
Settle your family life
Determine your priorities
Develop your philosophy of life
Get physically fit
Learn your trade
Pay the price
Develop solid relationships
Prepare for the future
Find purpose for your life

If you're over 40, it's never to late to make improvements. Unfortunately, an old dog doesn't easily learn new tricks. Undoing years of misplaced priorities and poor self-management will take extra effort.

3. Start Small
Don't expect to understand what it takes to get to the top, just take the next step. Think big, but start small. Doing so encourages you to get started, and keeps you from being frozen by the magnitude of the vision in front of you. When you accomplish a small step, you gain confidence that you can accomplish the next step.

The success found in starting small comes when you diligently apply the lessons you learn. As my friend, Dick Biggs, has said, "The greatest gap is between knowing and doing." Commit to mastering the details under your control, and follow through when experience has given you instruction.

4. Start with the end in view

"Most people spend more time planning their grocery shopping than designing their future."~ Tom James, Personal Development Coach.

You can also reach me by sending mail to noahtoyintayo@yahoo.com

The Secret to Accomplishing More - It's All About Timing

2009-05-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

Now more than ever, it's critical to accomplish more with less. Less money, less time, less help...

There is never enough time for everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important things. What are they?

In Eat That Frog!, Brian Tracy says that your "frog" should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one where you're most likely to procrastinate; because, if you eat that first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. But, if you don't...and let him sit there on the plate and stare at you while you do a hundred unimportant things, it can drain your energy and you won't even know it.

"Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse can happen to you the rest of the day." --Mark Twain

To be more productive, try this. Identify that one task that you need to do which will make a difference and take steps to do it right away with urgency. This will provide you with the fuel and motivation to do the less painful items.

What Not To Do First

Avoid doing your easiest task or most favorite task first. We've all had those mornings where we start with great intentions of making those phone calls, writing that letter, or updating the database--but then we first check our email or browse the headlines of your favorite news source. Two hours later, your enthusiasm is gone, along with valuable time you could have used getting stuff done. Somehow, this sets the tone for the rest of the day.

What To Do Instead

Plan every day in advance. Think on paper. Every minute spent in planning can save 5-10 minutes in execution.

Step 1 Create a list of your tasks for the day. Start each day with a clean plate. Focus on key result areas. Identify and determine the results that you absolutely, positively must have. Put each task into one of four categories:

a. Things you don't want to do, but really need to do.

b. Things you want to do and really need to do.

c. Things you want to do, but really don't need to do.

d. Things you don't want to do, and really don't need to do.

Step 2 Narrow your list to ten items or less. You should not reasonably expect to do more--though if you find yourself having completed all ten tasks, you can simply add more.

Step 3 Out of those ten items, pick the three tasks that once accomplished will move you closer to your goals. Consider the consequences. Most important tasks and priorities are those with most serious consequences. Focus on them. Put a star beside them. These are your most important tasks.

Step 4 Out of those three items, pick the worst one. Circle it. Make that your frog. Do that task first.

Step 5 Out of your list of ten, pick your favorite or easiest item.
Whatever you do, don't do that task first. In fact, don't do that task until you get all three of your most important tasks done. Make doing that task your reward.

So, here's your assignment: for the next 30 days take a look at your list, circle the frog, and eat that first. I'd like to know more about your frog-eating experience.

By Sandy Horner

Time Management Strategies For Project Managers - And Anyone Else

2009-05-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

Of the resources available to a project manager to get a job done, the most precious resource is time. Not using your time wisely is almost a guarantee for project failure. Fortunately, you can learn to manage your time effectively by systematically applying a few basic time management strategies.

Time Management Strategy 1: Know how you spend your time

Just like someone getting ready to diet keeps a record of what they eat now, so they know where to begin cutting calories, you must know how your time is spent in a typical day to understand where time is being wasted. Keep an activity log that includes: how many phone calls you initiate and receive; how many emails; how much time is spent on status, planning, budgeting, supervising and meeting.

Time Management Strategy 2: Know where you get your data

I spend so much of my time getting data, understanding the implications to the project of the data collected, and applying that data to decision making. The data comes to me from so many disparate sources: emails, meetings, phone calls, hallway conversations, and even SMS. Knowing where you get data now will help you optimize future data collection to save time and improve effectiveness, especially in trying to narrow down the collection points (see below).

Time Management Strategy 3: Organize your data

Do you have hundreds of emails in your inbox? Is your desk littered with pieces of paper or your computer monitor covered with yellow sticky notes? You can waste many hours in the five minute increments you spend looking for the right piece of paper or email. It is essential that you develop a reference system to tag your disparate information bits for easy retrieval.

Time Management Strategy 4: Use the features of Microsoft Outlook to improve your organization

Outlook should be your primary collection point for incoming work and status information. Integrate Outlook with your reference system by using its folders and subfolders. You can use Outlook rules to automatically move email into the correct folders or color code email by category and action requirements. You can also use the Outlook task pad to place upcoming tasks or commitments onto your calendar. Outlook can even help you schedule meetings, invite participants, and track attendees.

Time Management Strategy 5: Learn the value of closed lists

Instead of maintaining an open to-do list that grows continuously and leaves you feeling as if you can never do it all and are never done, commit to using a closed list of tasks. A closed list is valuable because it ensures that you finish the day with a sense of accomplishment and it keeps you from jumping from one emerging fire to another. Make it a hard-and-fast rule to finish your closed list every day. When a new to-do comes in, place that task on the closed list for the following day or to a category named "below the line" for completing after the closed list; do not just add it to the current list.
Just using one of these strategies will result in a huge gain in time and unburdening the clutter in your mind. Unburdening the clutter in your mind will go a long way to restoring work - life balance.

By Rick Haywood

Work Life Balance Tips For Tough Economic Times

2009-05-14T02:38:00.000-07:00

With stories of economic distress commanding the airways, balance can seem more elusive than ever. But in tough times, it becomes more important that ever to take care of ourselves. It also gives us a great opportunity to reconsider what is most important. Consider these tips for achieving a better balance between your work and the rest of your life.

Work-Life Balance in Tough Economic Times

Tip #1:
Prioritize. If you want balance, you simply must know what your priorities are and make good choices. Consider all the things competing for your time and decide what will stay and what will go. Decide which things are the absolute most important and make sure that is where you spend your time. This is a level of discipline that does not come easily to most people.

Tip #2:
Telecommute. Explore your company's policy regarding telecommuting or flexible hours. Telecommuting even one day a week will immediately pay returns in more time and reduced stress. Sell your boss on what's in it for him/her ""I love my job, and feel I am an asset. I'd like to discuss ways that I can be even more productive. I'm in a not-so-unique situation of caring for my elderly parents (or whatever your particular situation is), and working from home once or twice a week would give me much-needed extra time. I believe I'd be more focused and deliver even higher quality work."

Tip #3:
Control Technology-Don't let it control you. Technology is there to make your life easier, not to rule it. Establish times, like dinner, when your household must remain tech-free. During that hour no one can answer the phones, e-mails or text messages. Let everyone know about your tech free times. This will help you manage the boundaries and be a model to others.

Tip #4:
Create back-up. Having a support system of friends, family, neighbors and co-workers who are willing to jump in and help when something unexpected arises will shift a crisis into a manageable situation. Be willing to reciprocate for them too.

Tip #5:
Schedule Down Time. You won't function well if you are on the go all the time. Schedule time to relax and preserve these appointments with yourself. With money tight, this is the perfect time to shift from spending to finding joy in slowing down and enjoying the little things in life. When we slow down, we discover that much of what we run around doing, isn't as necessary or rewarding as we thought.

Women's Success Coach, Minna Keller, empowers successful professional women with demanding schedules, to achieve better business results faster, AND have more time more fun and less stress.

Minna Keller

Strategic Selling Skills For a Tough Economy - Follow the Money

2009-05-11T05:04:00.000-07:00

If you were to distill the essential wisdom from all of the sales books and articles published in 2009 to one key golden nugget, your mission statement would become "Find the people with money and custom-tailor your value statement to those people."
Of course, that's pretty conventional wisdom for even the best of times. But in the current economy, the people who are willing to spend money on your products or services might exist outside of your "sales comfort zone." Therein lies the first step...if you are willing to surrender any notion of the false concept of a "sales comfort zone" (or a comfort zone in any area of life, for that matter) you are already miles ahead of the rest of your competition.

As an example, you might be very comfortable with the "walk in / drop in" method of in-person cold calling. In the world of strip malls and "Mom & Pop" businesses, it's one of the easiest ways to get directly in front of your prospect. In most situations, it is also "gatekeeper-free." You simply walk in, strike up a conversation, and you're selling. If you are uncomfortable on the phone, you will not face that issue. If you are articulate, well-groomed and professional, there is a good possibility of quickly building rapport and entering into a sales cycle within moments. You might secure an appointment for a follow-up conversation, or you might close the sale on the spot. During times when the "Mom & Pop" stores lining Main Street in Anytown U.S.A. are thriving, it's a veritable harvest waiting to be plucked.

We are not in those times. Sole proprietors, Mom & Pop, small business owners...these are the prospects who are reading the newspapers, watching TV, surfing on the Web and witnessing unrelenting doom and gloom and a hundred reasons a day to keep their wallets in their pockets.
That does not mean that every small business owner has mentally shut down when it comes to spending. It simply means that if this is your area of sales expertise, the basket which holds all of your eggs, and the one trick your pony has mastered...you've got a problem.

In the current economy, as a professional salesperson, you have two key objectives: find the money and go after the money. You cannot chase and hope to catch something which does not exist. In thriving economic times, "persuasion skills" and a bit of cat and mouse might help you turn the corner with hesitant prospects. In tough times, you are potentially dealing with prospects living in fear, in panic, in "survival mode." The extended effort you waste in attempting to "persuade" them keeps you away from other, more qualified prospects.

A colleague phoned me recently. He's a small business owner who specializes in incentive gifts...items like coffee mugs emblazoned with a corporate logo. He bemoaned the fact that "things are tough out there right now." He asked if I had any clients who might have a need for his products and services. I explained that many of the business owners I've spoken with in recent days are hesitant to spend a single penny on what they consider to be "non-essential purchases." An additional problem lies in their definition of the things they consider to be "essential." That includes expenditures which might, ironically, help them survive...marketing, advertising, and promotion. I told my colleague that unless he is able to approach a prospective customer and clearly articulate how his products and services will make them money, save them money, or bring them new customers, he most likely will not get an extended audience with them.

In this scenario, my colleague has an overwhelmingly tough uphill climb. He can find the money by stepping out of his current comfort zone of small business owners into a broader corporate playing field, but once he's standing on it, he will still face the challenge of crafting his value proposition. At this particular point in time, companies don't have to provide perks for their employees. They simply need to point to the headlines and the daily stories of layoffs. The climb must go higher, up through the first level of clouds, up through the first few levels of people who have the money to spend.

Once that level is reached, a new challenge presents itself. Perhaps the "incentive gifts" determined to be appropriate for small business owners won't pass muster in larger companies. That calls for a new offering, and with it, a new value proposition.

It all begins with finding the money and conducting thorough research on the person or company in possession of it. The second step is to identify all areas of growth or challenge that the person or company is currently facing. The third step is to craft a value proposition, preferably laced with detailed and enthusiastic testimonials from current customers, which clearly and unquestionably translates into making money for the prospect, saving them money, or bringing in new customers.

A salesperson who can accomplish that is a salesperson who can sell successfully in any economy. The remaining salespeople need to internalize all of the elements outlined above and aggressively put them into practice. Consistency of effort will yield the desired results, but more importantly, will also result in a "sifting" process which empowers the salesperson to identify the best markets and the best approach in each. Let go of the familiar. Step outside of the comfort zone. Take a deep breath, put a smile on your face, and go to work.

Article by: Michael DeAngelis

Why Most Sales and Marketing Techniques Don't Really Work

2009-05-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

Saw a pretty cool movie recently with my wife.

A movie that explains why a LOT of customers don't buy. And reveals a sales and marketing "secret" that can dramatically increase your profits.
Anyway, the movie is called "Fire Proof".
It is an unabashedly Christian movie about a fireman and his wife on the path to divorce -- but whose hearts are changed by a 40-day "test" the fireman's father gives him.
Whoa!
I can ALREADY see some peoples' eyes rolling reading this.

"C'mon Ben! Why are you wasting my time with this!"
Patience, grasshopper.
All will be revealed in a second.
You see, there are many themes running through this movie. Some are obvious (such as, "never leave your partner behind, especially in a fire".) And some are not-so-obvious.
The sales lesson is one of the not-so-obvious ones.
It goes like this:

When the main character (the fireman) first tries to save his marriage, he only goes through the motions as he follows his dad's 40-day plan. In fact, he goes the first 20 days without his heart being in it at all -- only thinking of what he will gain from his efforts.
His wife (not surprisingly) sees right through him.
She doesn't buy his act.

And as a result, she DISTRUSTS him even more.
Which is where the sales lesson comes in:
How many of us go through the motions like this when selling? Without truly CARING about our prospects? Without caring about their pain and challenges? Without caring about anything except "sucking as much money as possible from their bank accounts"?
I'm not saying this attitude can't work.

Especially when selling to the low-hanging fruit (who buy anything).
But most people see right through it. And will naturally distrust you (and not buy from you) as a result. This is why I believe if someone wants to take their business to the "next level" they can't just go through the motions.

You must CARE about your customers.
Your heart has to be into helping THEM first.
And you have to believe (REALLY believe) what you're selling is going to change their lives for the better.

I realize this is a little "touchy feely".
But when your heart is into helping your customers like this, success is almost automatic.
You automatically do what's in your customer's best interest. Automatically create (or pick) the BEST products to sell. And automatically do things that POSITION you as someone who cares -- and is therefore trusted and believed.

This caring stuff isn't always "sexy."
But it works like gangbusters.
And in most cases, your competition is probably NOT doing it.

Article by: Ben Settle

Sales Motivation - Revealed - 4 Rewarding Methods to Motivate Your Sales Team to Make Enormous Sales

2009-05-11T04:21:00.000-07:00

The main objective of any business organization is to secure profits -- the more profits, the better and there is only one way to achieve this -- increase the number of sales. As a sales manager, it is your responsibility to motivate and boost the morale of your entire sales team. Keep in mind that of all the people in the organization, the people who are in the front lines are the ones who need the motivation the most as they are the ones who bring business to the company.

Here's how you can motivate your sales teams:

1. Include your team in goal setting. Include your team in the process of setting sales goals and make them feel accountable in reaching these. You can meet with them at the start of the month and discuss how many exact sales you want them to make for the entire month. Ask if they have any questions or suggestions then seek for agreement.

2. Proper training. Your sales team will be most likely to feel confident in transacting with customers if they possess skills that are needed in closing a sale. Conduct several trainings on building product value, customer service skills, communication and persuasion skills, handling objections, presenting rebuttals, and negotiation skills.

3. Product knowledge. Your sales team must have in-depth knowledge on products and services that they are selling. Conduct seminars where these people will be able to get to know the company's offerings inside out. Tell them how the products were made, their limitations (if any), their selling points, and the benefits that they offer. When your sales team knows these information, they can easily create a need for your products or present them as the most appropriate solutions to the problems being faced by your customers.

4. Reward system. There is no better way to motivate your team to secure more sales than rewarding them for their efforts and contribution. Launch an employee reward program where top sellers will be recognized and will be given exciting prizes and rewards. For best result, I recommend that you involve your team in conceptualizing the reward program. You can send them a survey to determine the items or rewards they would like to get. They may want monetary rewards, vacation packages, gadgets, etc. Go with the vote of the majority. Since these people will have the chance to get what they really want, you can bet that they'll try their hardest to make as many sales as possible.

Article by : Sean R Mize

Winning in the Relationship Economy

2009-05-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

We are living in a "relationship economy" where you need to have more than just skills to find success. There are many people with talent, as that is the currency you are expected to pay with to have a seat at the table. Talent and education are important, but they are not enough.

Hard work is good, but again, in the current global financial climate, everyone is working hard. There are still only 24 hours in the day. Time is the great equalizer in the current situation. No matter how hard you want to pretend you are working, others can match your effort.
Decision makers are facing hard choices in all areas and they cannot afford to make mistakes. Those selecting vendors or making hiring decisions are frightened as their own futures might be hanging in the balance. They are confused, as they have multiple options. They will use their heads to gather information, but will make the final choice with their heart.

It comes down to your reputation and how they "feel" about you. This can be your individual or corporate brand in the community, but in this "relationship economy" it is all about perception.
This angers some. One person I know with an MBA was dumbfounded when a promotion he coveted went to a co-worker who had never finished college, but had come up through the ranks in the company where they both worked. It never dawned on him that her relationships could trump his sheepskin in the world of the corner office.

A sales professional friend recently lost a deal to his competitor because an executive at the prospective client "liked" the owner of the other company. He did not even know how to compete in this arena, since he worked for a larger out-of-town corporation, thus he had no local boss.
The mistake that many people make is they put too much faith in the "USP" (Unique Selling Proposition) of their product or service, without regards to what the marketplace values. If you are selling a commodity (or if your clients can remotely see your product or service as a commodity.... remember, perception IS reality!), then you are wasting time in how you are pursuing business.

Relationships matter.
Do not rationalize your way around this.
Look at your competition. Do people know them better? Do referral sources like them better? Are they winning business? Are they opening new accounts that you are not aware were seeking your services until after the fact?

If you answered "yes" to the above four questions, or discovered yourself focused on the subjective nature of the words "know", "like", "winning" and "opening"...then you are in trouble in the new "relationship economy". I am not kidding. This is a problem.
With business environments changing, too many executives are hoping that the changes are not real. But the "relationship economy" is not a fad. People do business with those they know, like and trust. This has always been true, but now they know more people. The internet, social media and other technologies make introductions, communications and information more pervasive. "Like and trust" are now head and shoulders above "know". It is easy to be known, but harder to reach the deeper levels that are needed these days.

You cannot rely on prospective customers hearing what you are saying, as there is too much noise out there. You must enlist the community at large to help cultivate your reputation by making you part of the ongoing discussion. Both live and online, if nobody is talking about you, then nobody else is thinking about you. Out of sight is out of mind, and that equals death.
So what can you do? Make this a major priority NOW. There is no time to waste if you think your competition is currently engaged in creating strong personal connections with those who have the ear of your business community. Either you control the conversation or you allow others to dictate what is said about you and your industry.

For real impact you might need to have paradigm shifts. Who in your organization is leading the charge for your outreach? (in person and online). It does not need to be the CEO, but a person must be publicly acknowledged as the "face of the firm". This individual has to have the visible support of the company management internally and externally. They must be seen as the credible spokesperson and have the respect of their co-workers.

The effort to expand your reach has to be an agenda item at all meetings going forward. When a company makes their image and visibility a priority they will see results. If they are just giving lip service to the topic or think there is a short term fix, they are destined to fail.

Finally, you must make a financial and time investment in your plan. You cannot reach the highest levels of reputation prevalence without an entertainment and education budget. Hosting informational and social events for clients, prospects and referral sources are key to extending your reach. A combination of live events and online webinars along with newsletters, blogs, PR and participation in social media will all work together. A pre-planned schedule with mixed activities will allow you to touch everyone you desire in a variety of ways.
In the end, success in the "relationship economy" depends on your taking ownership of your relationships.

By: Thom Singer

Selling Skills - Latest 6 Big Ways to Develop Selling Skills

2009-05-11T04:08:00.000-07:00

Sinking your teeth into the field of selling or taking a job as a sales person requires exceptional selling skills.
Here's how you can develop that particular skill:

1. If you are just starting out in this field, I personally recommend that you choose a product or a service that you really believe in -- this will surely make the process of selling a lot easier for you. On top of that, you'll surely increase your chances of making a sale as you'll sound enthusiastic and believable when pitching your offerings to your clients.

2. Product knowledge. You'll most likely to feel more confident in talking about your products or services if you know them inside out. It will feel really awkward if your prospects ask about certain feature and you are virtually clueless about it. So, read and learn as much as possible about the product that you sell. If possible, use them to get first-hand experience.

3. Be passionate. You can easily influence the buying decisions of your target market if you show enthusiasm or passion each time you pitch your products or services. You wouldn't surely buy from a sales person who does not show interest on his own product, right?

4. Be genuinely interested with your customers. Focus your sales pitch on the needs and demands of your prospects. Make these people feel that more than making a sale, you are truly interested in helping them out. If you think that they don't really need your product, tell them so. Yes, you won't be able to make a sale but I am pretty sure that this will help you widen your network as the people you have helped will surely recommend you to their friends and family members.

5. Practice makes perfect. Try talking to strangers about your products and services. See if you can get these people to take interest on what you are selling. Each time you do so, list down the techniques that works for you and those that do not. By doing so, you can refine a sales process that can bring difference to your sales.

6. Learn from the experts. Each time a salesperson try to sell you a product, listen. Learn the elements that they are using and be conscious on all their selling techniques. Make a mental note of what might work to your sales process and try them when you get the opportunity.

Article by: sean R Mize

High Ticket Marketing - Discover 6 Steps to Increase Your High Ticket Marketing

2009-04-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Do you want to boost your revenue? Who doesn't? If you want to get a couple of steps closer to your financial freedom, you must strive to always increase your high ticket sales.
What are high ticket sales? High ticket sales consist of premium online coaching, consulting, and class packages tailored to the specific needs and desires of a more experienced or sophisticated client. Clients demanding high ticket items allow you to maximize revenues with fewer sales.
Picture in your mind your ideal clients. Some clients need basic information while some prospective clients require more detailed and advanced information. Here's what to do.

1. Determine the unique wants and desires of your prospective client.
Again, imagine your ideal client. What traits and characteristics does this client possess?
• Strong desire for financial freedom • Well versed in the basics of the subject matter of your course • Requires more advanced, sophisticated or detailed information

2. Develop services and solutions catering to the needs and desires of specialized clients
Clients demanding high ticket items possess unique appetites, wants, and desires. Typically, these people are better educated in the subject matter of your general course material, possess a higher degree of sophistication, and desire more advanced material.
They desire more informative product and service lines and are willing to pay a premium price for the services they desire.

3. Anticipate and correct problems before they occur
A good buying experience cements the relationship between you and your clients. Is there anything that impedes the fulfillment or delivery of information to your client? Identify those issues and correct them.

4. Optimize processes to deliver services and mine customer contact information
Outline each step of the process flow your client experiences from the first moment they hit your website until the last bit of course content is delivered. Streamline your process to deliver services in a timely manner.
Your client selected you because they found something in the content of your coursework that fulfilled a need. You have them here, now is your opportunity to really shine.

• Deliver the content to the client efficiently and consistently, • Collect customer contact information for post-sale follow-up, • Review service delivery processes and identify and eliminate waste and inefficiencies.
A positive experience ensures that your client will return to you the next time he or she requires services.

5. Provide superior customer service
Your clients deserve the best follow-on support you can provide. Let's face it, though, sometimes problems do occur. But, this can be a time to really shine and further cement your relationship with your client.
You promised to deliver a quality service/content to your client. In the event of a problem, do your best to make things right.

6. Personally follow up with high-ticket clients at regular intervals
Personally contact and follow up with your client. Survey your clients. Confirm client satisfaction and the performance of the item they purchased. This is also an opportunity to announce special offers or new course material.

Article by:Sean Mize

Best Way to Utilize Sleep Time - 3 Great Ways to Learn Lucid Dreaming

2009-04-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Are you aware that you spend nearly a third of your life sleeping? Don't you think it would be wonderful if you could utilize this time to solve problems, cure yourself, gain creative inspiration, or have fun? The great news is that you can utilize sleep time to the fullest. You don't have to snore the night hours away. Lucid dreaming enables you to use your sleeping hours as creatively as possible.

Lucid Dreaming Defined
Lucid dreaming is the ability to stay awake as you dream! While your body is asleep, your conscious mind is fully aware that you are having a dream. What's more, you can even control the events of your dream, given that you have gained enough expertise in lucid dreaming.
If you have never had a lucid dream in your life, you don't have to despair. You can easily train your mind and body to have a lucid dream. Just follow these time-tested and proven techniques of inducing a lucid dream.

1. Improve Your Ability To Remember Your Dreams
Natural lucid dreamers can remember their dreams very well. In fact, learning to recall your dreams is the initial step to learn how to have lucid dreams.
If you cannot remember your dreams, you can train yourself to remember them; however, it is a time-consuming process and requires a lot of patience and will power on your part.

2. Keep A Dream Journal
Keeping a dream journal facilitates better dream recall. Write down the details of your dream or whatever you remember of it immediately after waking up. Don't put it off until later in the morning. This is because you will forget even the little that you remember if you fail to write it down immediately.
The practice of keeping a dream journal teaches your mind to recall your dreams better, and you will find yourself able to recall your dreams better and better as the days go by.

3. Reality Checking
This technique trains the mind to identify a dream. The idea is to develop a habit that might find its way into your dreams. Make it a point to ask yourself every now and then whether you are dreaming or awake. You might repeat this pattern in your dreams and suddenly realize that you are having a dream, a realization that will make the dream lucid.
You can do the reality checking in two ways.

A. Write a few lines on a sheet of paper. Take the paper out every now and then and read what is written on it. Ask yourself if the writing has changed or if the words make sense. If you cannot read the writing or if it has changed in some way, you must be dreaming!
B. As you are drifting off to sleep, imagine that you are having a dream. What would you do now? Imagine that you are able to do whatever you want...fly, jump over a building, meet your favorite celebrities, and so on. This practice teaches your mind to recognize dream stuff. Your imagination might find its way into a dream, and you will immediately recognize it.
Most techniques of initiating lucid dreaming follow a basic pattern. They all aim at training the mind to think in ways that might be repeated in dreams. If they do, your brain immediately recognizes that these are dreams.

You will take a long time to master the art of lucid dreaming. Learning lucid dreaming is like opening the doors of a brand new world. You then stand the chance of tapping into the rich sources of your unconscious mind to find answers to questions, gain inspiration, overcome phobias and anxieties, and many more.

By: Abhishek

Learn to Express Your Business Vision

2009-04-27T07:52:00.001-07:00

Web development becomes the visible expression of a long-term dream. In many ways the hardest work in your online business occurs long before you get online.

The seed of your idea was planted long ago. Many storms have come to buffet your seed and the soil surrounding it. The sun of great days came to encourage it to grow. In the end you began to realize there was substance to your dream and the fruit being developed was ripe for the picking. You picked because you knew what to do with the fruit.

This is the point when web development becomes the logical next step. The role of this process is to share your vision. Face it, you understand your vision, the concepts unique to the dream and how others might benefit from what you have to offer. Your web design can welcome others to the party.

This is the point where wannabes are separated from the true visionaries. This is where business branding comes into play. This is the process that asks you to boil down, condense and extract the vital elements of your dream and remain so in control of the vision that you can breathe life into the idea in every phase of your site development.

Some potential business owners will err when they determine to move forward with an ill-defined concept and hope that it works out for them. The truth is it's almost impossible to sell a concept and instill trust when you really don't know what you are doing. It is difficult to be convincing when you're still trying to learn the ropes.
Most consumers will pass on a product if the salesperson can't adequately explain what the product does, how it helps the average consumer and whether the product exhibits exceptional quality.

I don't know about you, but I will happily go to a more expensive computer store to purchase components than to go into a department store where I am greeted by someone who has yet to take their SAT or ACT. More often than not they have general knowledge about computers. After all they are a generation that has known nothing but computers. However, they may not be able to deal in specifics and that's the kind of information I need.

This is the picture of how business owners approach web design. They can be highly specific and have worked hard to so completely understand their objectives that they become natural leaders in the advancement of their dream. They can also be somewhat wishy washy about where they're headed and set things up to resemble something akin to a cyber lemonade stand. There might be the occasional pity buy, but no one seriously believes they are a connoisseur of lemons.

Can you so identify with your dream that you could explain your vision in one well-defined moment, or would it require scattered bits and pieces of thought over a long period of time to catch a glimpse of your dream?

Take time to become friends with your dream. The result will be a web development project that really connects with both you and your customers.

article by: Scott Lindsay

Seven Steps to Online Business Success

2009-04-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

There's a small cloud on the horizon. It's too small to predict the potential storm. There is a chance it will dissipate before it fully forms. There is also a chance that this might be the biggest storm you've ever encountered.

Time. That's what's needed to know for sure. Storm watching can be an interesting pastime. So you watch as the thunderheads develop and you watch as the boiling sky removes the blue and you marvel at the shafts of lightening that begin dashing from the heart of the storm. Raindrops fall. First slowly and then the steady cadence of moisture.
Eventually the storm passes leaving behind clear air, blue skies and other sensory clues as to the presence of a magnificent event.

This is the visual I'd like you to think of in terms of an online business. Your presence will be little noticed and your potential may be minimized in the initial stages of business development. As you begin to develop marketing potential your business will begin to show up on the radar for some consumers. When you push determinedly forward you may begin to see that your business 'storm' is developing a life of its own.

Your online business will not likely be an immediate success. Most traditional businesses require at least a year before they gain significant trust among consumers. This is important in the development of your ecommerce idea.

When all the pieces fall together at the appropriate time your business will make an impact. There will be a tipping point that will move you from a marginalized business to something more.
How do you begin a storm? Here are seven steps to consider.

Concept. In the case of online business you need to start with a great idea. With anything less your business may be viewed as simply one of many who provide the same thing.
Construction. Your website needs to be crafted of the highest quality content, graphics and fully developed vision. Know what you are aiming for - then aim. Don't forget to shoot.

Consistency. Don't make a mad dash at one concept and then change course when it doesn't result in immediate sales. Pick a quality strategy and incorporate that strategy across the board.
Commitment. You will need to demonstrate your own fervor for the products or services you provide. If you're lukewarm about what you offer you shouldn't be surprised by a tepid response from consumers.

Clarity. If you have a great idea but haven't boiled it down to a highly concentrated package you may need to head back into the idea kitchen to figure it out. You need to be able to clearly articulate what you are doing and how you plan to do it. Your concepts should be clear and concise.
Community. You should participate and develop points of community involvement. This can be guest blogs, participation in other forums as well as the development of blogs and forums of your own. Show yourself an expert and welcome guests who may be interested in your ideas.
Customer Service. You may become best known for how you treat those who actually spend money with you. Devise a solid plan before business construction on how you will respond to consumer complaints.

You can develop an incredible storm in the online world, but it will only happen when you are intentional about it. A half-hearted approach will garner a half-hearted response.
Hold on. I feel a storm coming on.

article by: Scott Lindsay

Home Business Tips - Your Simple Plan For Internet Profits If You Just Don't Know Where to Begin

2009-04-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

If you want to know one of the secrets to home business success, here's one of them: get serious. I mean it. Sure, there are some people who live a jovial, care-free life and are successful. But generally, the people who bring in the dough are the ones who are serious about what they are doing.

One of the first things you will want to do is to create a strategy or a business plan. If you work without one, trust me, you'll be lucky if you ever make any money online. As the saying goes, a fool and his money are fortunate to be together. So start planning.

What business should you get in? Seriously, almost all of them work. Selling on eBay works. Selling information products works. Freelancing works. You've just got to focus on one business model in the beginning, and make it profitable first.

If all else fails, remember this: build a list. Yes, you have probably read and heard a thousand times over that money is to be had when you have an opt-in list. You may or may not have done anything about it. But if you still don't know where to begin, then you can do a lot worse than building your own list.

Create a free email newsletter or create a free PDF report. It's not difficult. The information is out there all over the Internet. Get an autoresponder account. Create a simple squeeze page. Drive traffic to that squeeze page and start getting some subscribers into your autoresponder account. Then promote back-end offers such as affiliate products to them.
This is the simple formula for making money from your home business. Stop thinking, and start doing!

By: Fabian Tan

Why Does President Obama Act Like He's Still Running For Office? Is He Running For Dictator Now?

2009-04-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

President Obama's campaign team and handlers did a superb job of running their election drive, even better their ability to collect 100s of millions of dollars above and beyond their opponents in the primary and general election.

Certainly $700 million dollars, the most ever spent on an election will do that for you. Some of Obama's harshest critics have said that you could have gotten a dog elected for that much, perhaps even a Portuguese Water Dog for that matter.

Indeed, this was a historic election, not because President Obama is an African American, because he is mostly white, and Arab with only a little bit of African American genes, but rather it was historic due to his unbelievable support from the media and the huge number of dollars spent during the election.

Of course, all this is water under the bridge and the winners or victorious always re-write the history to serve their own legacies, so let's talk about now.
It appears now that President Obama is the supreme chancellor duly elected, that he is still for some reason running for office, but exactly which office is he running for, as he is already holding the highest office in the land, or the planet, as he is the President of the United States, thus, leader of the Free World.

Well, in case you have not learned from history, our newly elected young president is running for Dictator. And when a man arises from the people, or shows the illusion of doing so, and is running for dictator he must get the permission of the masses to lead them.

If you have noticed we have a gentleman here who is still running for office after having been elected and rather than leading, he is using his position to garner more power. My question is; are the American People going to allow President Obama to be their dictator, and what events ahead are going to cause them to give him the key to the shining city on the hill; History repeats, think on that.

Article by:Lance Winslow