Null Play

Have you ever felt like the distances from your loved ones and cherished connections are just too big? You then stop communicating as much, and soon your relationships are no longer what they used to be. In this day and age it needn’t turn out this way. The Internet is a medium that can be used for love and friendship as well as business and information. It’s not expensive to set up email and websites which gives one the means to write letters that are received instantly, send photographs digitally, and now with web cams you can even see the person live in front of you when having a conversation with voice communication.

Overseas mail can take two weeks to get to your Mother in the homeland and then another two weeks for a reply that may not get written right away. This means months for a simple conversation to take place. The telephone is useful, but it is often very pricey when compared to email and even a website. With a website you can put whole ‘albums’ of pictures on the Internet that can be accessed any time, anywhere. This means Gramps can watch the children grow week by week and have visual confirmation of all the main events in their lives.

Email is like passing notes back and forth in class, except your classroom covers our whole world. Information, cool web sites, and other tidbits can be sent as attachments, making photocopying obsolete, which saves paper, money and the time it used to take to copy text, which is now done with a button.

All this may sound a little technical but let me assure you if I can do it, anyone can. They don’t create this technology for superior, genius, elite humans, (Do they even exist?) but rather for the average person. It’s all structured very simply so it can become a mainstream part of our social system just as the mail service and telephone services have become in our present culture.

Specialists say the Information Age is bringing our world closer together as people share knowledge and wisdom universally like never before. But, don’t believe that this is the only positive attribute of this new era. Love and friendship are now much easier to sustain and obtain as communication links become stronger, faster, and more elaborate in their depth of connection.

As well as staying in touch with people you already know, the ability to meet new friends of like mind is increasing dramatically. Through web logs, chat rooms, web sites, and on-line clubs, the feeling of being alone in life can change easily as each of us can meet people from all over the globe from the sanctity of a bedroom.

My proposal is that we turn this technical, and somewhat inhuman sounding Information Age into what it truly is-an age of universal friendship and love brought about by advanced human thinking. As the Earth shrinks in size metaphorically as humans connect and communicate more than ever in history, let it be known that we’ve finally reached the Age of Human. This is a time for awareness, wisdom, compassion, and love, as our evolving consciousness has brought about a new medium of interaction. Let’s let the machines work for us, yet realize they are but a tool to bring our world further in human evolution.

About The Author

Jesse S. Somer - M6.net - http://www.m6.net

Jesse S. Somer is a human analyst of the technological world hoping to help people come together through the futuristic medium of the Internet.

priyankaa@m6.net

Alex Tew’s million dollar homepage was a success in only
three months. The college student became a millionaire almost
over night with his last 1,000 pixels selling for $32,000 dollars
on ebay. Over a thousand pixel sites sprang up since last
September hoping to cash in on this new idea. So I decided to
do the same. I whipped up a 4 page website similar to all these
pixel sites, without all the uploading technology and the grid
thing. I even got listed 9th on google for thousand dollar
homepage out of 120,000 listings. Not much success,though.
I suspect that there is just too much competition among pixel
sites.

Some pixel sites do well while others don’t get much business.
What is tiring is pixel sites advertising on pixel sites. Some
even allow what is considered to be pornographic pictures on
their sites. The whole effect is much like graffiti. What is in
the future for pixel advertising? Not sure but it seems like
most of the world does not recognize it as being legit yet,
although the phenomenom did reach millions through 10 o’clock
news on tv.

One thing for sure as some sites now offer 5 years of
advertising and pixels as low as penny a pixel is that they
started something that may seem like a fad at first but in the
end decidedly changed the face of internet advertising at a
very basic level. It just stands to reason that any idea that
makes a million dollars so quickly will spawn many imitators
to do the same. Anyways, back to the drawing board.

The author Norman Dreamer has three websites to his credit.
http://www.MidnightFantacy.com ,
http://Dreamerskorner.atspace.com ,
and http://wxyz.0moola.com which is his Thousand Dollar Homepage
pixel site.

Everything we are and ever will be in life is because of the choices we make. The path to success lies in the critical concept of personal choice and responsibility. There eventually comes a time in everyone’s life when they must exercise control over how they behave and this is when the issue of choice become critical.

Our life is an ongoing sequence of experiences or a series of choices. While one single choice doesn’t create success or failure it does set you in a direction towards success or away from it. This is true no matter what circumstances a person has in life.

For example, if you are in sales and have a day where you don’t make any sales, you have a choice to be bitter and hostile to others for your lack of success or you can greet other people with a smile. You have a choice.

You have to take total responsibility for what happens to you. You can’t blame age, gender, physical condition, parents, or financial circumstances for the quality of your life. Freedom of choice means that you must face yourself and say without qualification, “I am what I have chosen to be.”

Each of us is born with an internal guidance system or an internal voice that leads us directly to making the best choice at a particular moment. People, who have high levels of self-esteem and are successful, tune in and listen to this inner voice. On the other hand, people who have low levels of self-esteem and practice self-defeating behavior have learned how to short-circuit their internal guidance system or tune out their internal voice.

Winning choices require less effort than do complex or bad choices. For example, think about how easy and natural it is to jump out of the way of a speeding car. When you are responding to real fear, you don’t pause to analyze whether the car will stop before it hits you, what type of injuries you might sustain, or why the car is missing a hubcap. You simply react. That is the natural and sensible think to do.

Every time you are faced with a choice, your healthy inner voice is directing you to make the winning choice but when you have low levels of self-esteem or practice self-defeating behavior, you are constantly expending energy to make choices that go against your healthy inner voice. Going against your healthy inner voice creates tension and it also takes a lot of effort on your part.

Blocking out your healthy inner voice takes place in your subconscious mind. Because you often have to make choice instantly you are able to fool your conscious mind into believing what you’re doing is natural. This is an exhausting and stressful process. It’s one of the main reasons why people who make bad choices are often depressed and tired all the time.

By comparison, the person who makes winning choices leaves his or her mind and spirit to move forward and deal effectively with whatever challenge or choice the next moment presents. A successful person who has high levels of self-esteem does not get caught up in a cycle of recollection, fear anxiety, and rationalization. He or she is alive and healthy in the present moment.

I realize that it may be hard for you to see the winning choices that are available to you. My clients often tell me that when they make a bad choice, they are only doing what they believe comes naturally. These people feel that they essentially have not choice about how they behave.

For example, when I ask a client why he or she is not successful, usually the first thing he or she will say is “I don’t know. I guess that’s just the way I am.” Later when I have managed to convince the person that he or she in fact chooses to be successful or unsuccessful, the next response is often, “OK, but if I don’t have a college degree or I don’t have executive job resume, then how can I ever be successful.

People often feel that their self-defeating attitude is part of who they are. Or sometimes they simply lack the information about alternatives. Choices often have to be made so rapidly and so often, and are influenced by so many factors, that is hard to freeze them in time and examine them. We can’t observe the inner processes that lead to individual choices, but we can however, implement techniques to listen to our healthy inner voice which will lead to winning choices.

We you find yourself caught up in a cycle of self-doubt, you must try to slow down the speed at which you make your choices, and use that time to obtain as much valid information about reality as possible. This means that you must unlearn the powerful cycle of retrieving misinformation and taking actions based on your fears, which leads to misery, anxiety, and doubt.

It is only when you are able to recognize and acknowledge your ability to make choices that you’ll find it possible to break free from the cycle of self-defeat. When you acknowledge your ability to choose is when you will be able to declare yourself free to travel the road that leads to success, happiness, and fulfillment.

Copyright©2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many businesses around the world, on the subjects of leadership, achievement, goals, strategic business planning, and marketing.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

“Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant advantage over the competition, with many benefits and cost savings.” -Heidi Richards-

More and more competition in the marketplace is making it necessary for companies to find creative ways to connect with customers and prospects, to enhance brand identity and attract top-notch employees. In order to enhance competitiveness in today’s marketplace, more and more companies are forming strategic alliances. Strategic alliances can maximize your position in the marketplace. When you learn how to leverage partnerships you increase your market share. It is also a very smart way to grow a small business. Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant advantage over the competition with many benefits and cost savings.

A strategic alliance is based on an arrangement between two companies to combine resource that will help both gain a greater share of the market. They are often formed when one business alone is unable to fill the gap in serving the needs of the marketplace. Forming strategic alliances can save time and boost productivity. It enables companies to be more efficient and concentrate on the core strengths in developing their products and services. These alliances can be formal (partnership agreement is put in writing) or informal (a handshake is all that is necessary to “seal the deal”).

There are several ways you can collaborate with another business or individual to increase revenue, traffic, and even expertise to your business which ultimately will increase the value to the end-user (customer).

Find the Right Partners

Collaborate with a well-known company - Most small businesses benefit from partnerships that add value, prestige and greater credibility to their own endeavors. Associating with a well-known business can give your company instant credibility and exposure. It’s not always about the bottom line.

Collaborate with Your Best Customers - Look at the company or companies who do the most business with yours. Work with them to solidify the relationship by offering them more than just good products and service. Make it nearly impossible for them to consider going anywhere else. Continually asking them why they do business with you and why they stay are the best ways to keep them. Collaborate with the Nonprofit Community - Joining forces with nonprofits can increase your circle of influence and your visibility in the community.

Collaborate with a Former Employer - You offer a product or service the former employer needs and provide it to them. You become a subcontractor or vendor to them. One of my dear friends worked for a fast-food company as their corporate trainer. When she decided to go into business for herself, they hired her to continue to provide training to their employees for several years. As her first major contract, the collaboration they created started her company on the road to success, and she still travels and does work for them.

Collaborate with a Competitor - Believe it or not, competitors can be very good partners. For instance, they may offer a service or product you don’t or don’t wish to and vice-versa. They may also have the ability to handle a larger “job” than your company. Joining forces with another business on a project makes you look good to the customer. You become the hero. In 1999, I had the opportunity to provide all the decorations for a HUGE Floral Fair in Miami, Florida. I knew my small company alone could not handle all the business. So I called several other florists in the community whom I admired and who did similar work. I subcontracted them to do portions of the project and get a piece of the action. Because these were floral importers we were serving, the other florists had the opportunity to network with and find new suppliers of product. It was easy to convince them to participate. It was such a success, that it has been an ongoing project for several of the shops over the years.

Think about the many businesses that are natural partners. In the real estate field, realtors partner with one another when selling a house. Florists partner with caterers, photographers and others in the event industry. Automobile insurance companies often partner with auto repair companies to insure their customers get the best service at a fair price.

In an issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, I read about a coffee company in New Jersey who became the ultimate collaborator. The coffeehouse carries works from a local art gallery, has a reciprocal agreement with a local community theatre to offer significant discounts to their patrons, cross promotes with a local music store, book store, cigar shop, as well as many local nonprofits.

My flower shop has partnered with masseuses, welcome-to-the-neighborhood companies, travel agents, professional organizers, beauty salons, and realtors, and several nonprofits, to name a few. We have collaborated on networking events such as business after hours and open houses. We have promoted one another through door hanger campaigns. We have given each other our coupons to distribute to other companies. We have carried one another’s business cards and brochures to distribute to our respective clients and customers. We have given away one another’s products to our customers. We offer hyperlinks on one another’s websites to further promote each other. The possibilities are endless. Look for opportunities in your community that would be mutually beneficial to your partnership.

The real key to success in cross-promotion, is to collaborate with non-competing businesses that are going after the same client or customer base. Choose businesses and people you trust. The promotion should make sense to both partners. It should be a true win-win for everyone involved. Plan the promotion and evaluate the Alliance on a regular basis. Look for ways to expand your reach without increasing your overhead or debt.

Excerpted from The PMS Principles - Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business by Heidi Richards

About The Author

© 2004 - Heidi Richards is the author of The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business and 7 other books. She is also the Founder & CEO of the Women’s ECommerce Association, International www.WECAI.org (pronounced wee-kī) - an Internet organization that “Helps Women Do Business on the WEB.” She can be reached at www.HeidiRichards.com. (Permission to reprint this article is hereby granted with the understanding that the article and signature file remain intact)

heidi@wecai.org

The nuisance of going to a betting hall provides plenty of reasons to give up on it if you can avoid it. Traffic accidents, the nuisance, and task list the process involves won’t warrant the inconvenience for the mere prospect of trying your luck at betting hall, this said if you are the kind who is quite fanatic about virtual casinos then heading for online games of chance could be what you want to do.

For this there’s no necessity for you to go outside for online texas holdem since you’ll do everything from your bedroom assuming you own a personal computer including access to the internet. Then again, before you start indulging yourself, there are a few guidelines and things that you should train yourself in regarding online texas holdem, in particular if you happen to be lacking experience. So take it easy with your hormones and review the following briefing. Here is my sketch that delineates how to track down a reputable, secure online texas holdem Web page. The foremost thing that a nifty internet punter like me definitely should check is an online texas holdem website of the kind offering the best winning odds. Read on a few select further guidelines and details regarding locating your online betting website.

You must be sure to make certain that the online betting website is legally licensed, for example by looking for the government certified permit as manifested on the casino site’s About page. If you cannot track down any government certified permit on that targeted online betting website, don’t ever try to gamble at that place. After this you’ll want to comprehensively think through the assorted perks that the online betting website has decided to offer you.

Galaxy Gearing up for Possible Chinese Online Gambling Legalization

Beyond, further advice could be to try your luck at the beginning with trifling amounts instead of frittering great amounts of money on the spot. Check out the functionality of this particular online betting structure before chancing any dangerous hazard, in particular in regards to money… Finally, here is another notable suggestion regarding virtual roulette. It can only be to always call to mind that wagering should merely be concerned with entertainment and less about high winnings. Gambling is certainly no chore, but, rather a pastime that should help you become joyful and living delightful.

After you have gone with all the cues summarized above, you’re free now to bow to the temptations of online betting…

Most Moms think about starting a home based business at one time or another.

Maybe the youngest has started school, and Mom suddenly has a lot of free time. Or perhaps Mom was successful in her career before having her first child, and wished to put her skills to good use in a home based business. Another reason may be that a couple is accustomed to the lifestyle they can afford with two incomes, and when Mom suddenly decides to quit her job to stay home and raise the children, the loss of income is uncomfortable…or even intolerable if the income is sorely needed to pay bills.

My purpose in writing this article is to give you some compelling reasons why you SHOULD start a home based business, and do so TODAY.

1) Having a Home Based Business provides you with a safety net if your husband loses his job.

We don’t live in the days of our Grandparents, where the advice was: Get a good education, get a good job, work hard for 40 years and let the company take care of you. Retirement is almost a joke. There is no such thing as job security anymore. Layoffs and downsizing are commonplace today. Social Security and Medicaid may not even be around when some of us reach retirement age.

For many families, the loss of the primary earner’s income is devastating. Most families simply do not have the 6-12 months of living expenses set aside in savings that financial advisors recommend. Oftentimes it takes a person weeks or even months to find employment that matches the salary they are used to. Unemployment benefit checks are not enough to cover even the bare necessities of life.

Having a Home Based Business provides the family with a second income. During the period of unemployment, Mom can step up her efforts to build her business and make more money. Dad might be in a position to help out more, giving her the ability to do this with more focus. Who knows… Dad might even decide to join Mom in her “little business”…especially when she starts earning more than he does. Stranger things have happened!

2) Having a Home Based Business provides extra income to help the family meet certain goals.

For instance… getting out of debt. An extra few hundred dollars a month added to the credit card debt load could make a huge difference in how quickly the debts get paid off.

After this is accomplished, the money that was going to credit cards could be applied towards private education for children, savings for college, that special vacation the family has always wanted to take, a newer model car, renovations on the house so siblings can have more space (or Mom her own office!).

Another awesome goal is that of paying off the mortage early. By making an additional mortage payment periodically most couples can shave YEARS off of the life of their mortage. Few people own their homes outright, but what a freeing feeling that would be!

3) Having a Home Based Business models entrepreneurship to children

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever for our kids to learn how to “mind their own business”. Children who grow up watching Mom work her business learn how to manage time wisely, they learn how to take responsibility for themselves financially (instead of relying on an employer), and they may learn practical skills especially if Mom lets them help out or even pays them to help. Current tax laws even allow young children to be paid (and this is a tax deductible expense) for their services…check with your accountant.

Young girls will also learn that it IS possible to have the best of both worlds…a woman can stay home to raise her children and still earn income.

4) Having a Home Based Business improves relationships

Most women I have spoken with about the subject agree that it isn’t good for their self esteem to have to ask their husbands for money. What’s bad for a woman’s self esteem is bad for the marriage! Women feel better about themselves when they are at least somewhat independent financially. They also have something besides “what little Johnny did today” to talk about at the dinner table. It keeps the relationship fresh and lively when a couple can discuss their challenges and triumphs in their business and work lives. Anytime you see someone do something they’re good at, it causes you to see them in a new light and have newfound appreciation for them. This is always a good thing in marriage!

Work from home Moms also tend to stay more connected with their peers, via networking with other business moms, prospecting for new customers and business partners, and the like. There is a tendency for new Moms to stay in the nest a little too much at first, and this can lead to depression. A business Mom, on the other hand, is almost forced to talk to people! She has a reason to get up, get dressed in something other than sweats, and go out and meet people. Little Johnny doesn’t care if you put on shoes and makeup, but doing so does wonders for your energy and mood.

5) Having a Home Based Business gives a Mom “something else”

While most women adore being Mothers and wouldn’t trade their husbands in anytime soon either, we all want “something more”. Something for ourselves, something to call our own, that isn’t a title or duty like Wife, Mother…something that isn’t undone 5 minutes after we do it. Something we can put our name on and be proud of.

Mothering is the most honorable profession in the world, but it isn’t always recognized as such…and it’s nice to be recognized once in a while.

My Mother once told me that the main reason she always had such success in Direct Sales was because she loved the recognition…and the women on her team would often work like madwomen to get some little trinket. Sometimes it wasn’t the cash…it was the pat on the back, the feeling of accomplishment that comes from meeting a goal.

That “something else” also makes the transition to empty-nest hood easier. So many women fall into deep depression when their youngest child leaves home. If more Moms had a Home Based Business, instead of having their self worth completely tied to Motherhood, maybe this wouldn’t happen so much.

There are more reasons to start a Home Based Business, (such as the tax advantages) but I hope I’ve given you some food for thought.

I wish you the best in your journey towards the ideal Home Business for you.

About The Author

Carrie Lauth publishes a “no fluff” newsletter for work at home Moms. Get your free subscriber goodies at: http://www.business-moms-expo.com

You may use this article without permission if the bio at the end is included. Please drop me an email if you decide to use it. Thank you!

Bark Collars

Many pet owners become lost as to what to do when their dog is barking and nothing seems to stop him. Maybe it doesn’t even bother the pet owner himself, but the neighbors are complaining. What can be done? A bark collar is one method to help control a dog’s barking. Bark collars are used to stop a dog from barking, but should be used as a last resort.

While it may be inconvenient to the dog’s owner, bark is part of owning a dog. It comes with the territory, so to speak. Understanding why your dog barks may help you realize what needs to be done. Often, the only thing that can be done is to use a bark collar. Here’s how they work.

Suppose that while a dog owner is away from home, neighbors complain that the barking is unbearable. Perhaps a dog barks quite a bit at night and this leads neighbors to report the owner. Using a bark collar can help eliminate this. The collar is placed on the dog either all the time or during certain times that the pet owner wishes to stop the dog’s barking. When the dog barks, a very small amount of electric stimulation which is similar to static shock is sent through the bark collar to the dog. While it is uncomfortable, it is not harmful. The dog barks again, and again, the collar sends the stimulation. The dog starts to relate the stimulation to the bark and will eventually stop barking.

A bark collar is a bark collar. It will do its job and eliminate or lessen the amount of barking a dog does. Deciding when to use a bark collar is the decision only the pet owner can make. A recommendation to use a bark collar is not bad, but it may be necessary. Should the dog keep barking and causing the pet owner’s neighbors to report it, can lead the animal to being removed. If a bark collar can stop this, it may be necessary. But, before resorting to this level, a pet owner should try to find out why his dog is barking. Using a bark collar sparingly or only during specific times may also lessen the effects on the dog. While a great tool, the decision to use a bark collar should be thought about first.

http://www.dogtrainingcollars.net

Byron Pappageorge

15 Tips to Drive Traffic to Your Blog

There are many factors that make blogs much better than normal
WebPages including the speed at which blogs are indexed, ability
to submit to blog directories & normal directories, pings and
track backs. All these little things can help drive more traffic
to blogs. Here are 15 popular techniques you can use:

1.) Create at least four keyword posts per day. Most of the top
blogs such as Boing Boing, Daily Kos, and Instapundit (with
literally tens of thousands of visitors per day) publish an
average of 30 small 100-150 word posts per day according to
“Secrets of the A-list Bloggers: Lots of Short Posts” by TNL.net

2.) Submit to My Yahoo! When you submit your own RSS to My Yahoo
it is indexed by Yahoo.

3.) Submit to Google’s Reader. When you submit your own blog RSS
to Google’s Reader the Google Blog Search will index your site.

4.) Add a relevant link directory to your blog and trade links
like a demon possessed! Although it may take more time than
simply submitting to a search engine one time, this method is
perhaps the best way to drive traffic to your site. Use software
such as Zeus to speed up the link trading process.

5.) Use ping sites like ping-o-matic. Ping your site every time
you add a new post.

6.) Submit your blog to traditional search engines such as
AltaVista, and MSN.

7.) Submit your blog to traditional directories such as DMOZ.
Directories (particularly DMOZ) increase relevance with Google.
DMOZ is very picky, but what do you have to lose by trying?

8.) Submit to as many RSS Directories and Search Engines as
possible. This is a simple but repetitive process that can be
done with software such as RSS SUBMIT.

9.) Comment on other blogs. Do not just leave short, lazy
comments like “I agree.” Leave well thought out replies that
will force readers to wonder “who wrote this?”

10.) Use track backs. If there is a blog that you refer to or
quote and it is highly relevant to your subject, leave a track
back. It increases your link popularity and may even score a few
interested readers from the linked site.

11.) Go offline. Use newspaper ads, public bulletin boards,
business cards, even stickers to let as many people as possible
know your blog exists.

12.) Ad a link to your blog in your e-mail signature block.

13.) Use Groups (Usenet). Find a relevant group on Google
groups, Yahoo groups, MSN groups or any of the thousands of
other FREE group services and find like minded people and talk
with them. Make sure your use your blog URL like it is your
name.

14.) Use Forums. Forums are one of the best places to go for
advice. Go to forums and find problems to solve. Make sure you
leave your blog name, but be tactful about it; some forums get
annoyed with those who selfishly drop a few links to their own
site and leave.

15.) Tag your website. Tagging is a new idea that has erupted
across the web. Sites like Del.icio.us, Technorati and many
others have a social feature that allows you to place your
article under keywords or “tags” that everyone interested in
that tag can see.

Although these are some of the most popular ways to drive
traffic to your blog, do not limit your self to tips and lists.
Use your imagination and you will come up with thousands of ways
to drive traffic to your blog!

What’s the one thing starting now that you could start doing,
stop doing, or change that would have a dramatic impact on your
client relationships? It’s an excellent question and I hope you’ll take a
moment to consider your response. It sometimes takes a great deal of effort and an extraordinary amount of energy to close “a big deal.”

Never forget, it may take even more effort and energy, to keep the business after you win it. It takes courage to get the business and creativity and imagination to keep it. Consider the word VERY GOOD and all that means. To be very good is to be grand, impressive, outstanding, excellent, and even remarkable.

Many salespersons don’t think in terms of being VERY GOOD. They walk around doing a great imitation of benign mediocrity. It doesn’t take much to leap from the ordinary to the extraordinary, but it does
take effort. It’s all about leaving a great first impression, not merely a
good one. It’s about delighting your clients, not just satisfying them.

It’s about rising above the crowd, not being lost in it. Here are some
ideas for you on how to be VERY GOOD for your clients.

A - Ask good client questions.

There are two types of questions and you know salespersons consider them to be open and closed questions. Let’s raise the bar on that kind of thinking. While questions can be open and closed, they can also be wide and deep. The wide questions are surface questions i.e. “How’s it going, how’s business,” and “Any other any problems I can help you with today?” A deep question always leaves its mark i.e. “What would have to happen for you to consider us as your best supplier?” Another really inspired question is, “How do you measure success when working with your current supplier?” David Frost, the famous interviewer, once said “you can tell the quality of a question by the quality of the response.” Are you asking quality questions?
If not, why not?

W - Work your priorities and prioritize your work.

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

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

E - Energize yourself every day with a positive attitude.

People with positive attitudes live longer, enjoy life more, and tend to be more likable, from their clients perspective. I learned a long time ago, we choose to affect or infect the people we meet every day.

Don’t bring your personal problems to work because they never add value to your clients. If life has dealt you a difficult set of cards right now, deal with them privately and put your troubles on a trouble tree when you leave for your first sales call. Remember, your clients have their own problems, so there’s no need to burden them with yours. People with positive attitudes are enthusiastic, animated, excited, smiling, and always expect the best things to happen. “Your face is your own fault after age 40,” according to Cicero, so check it often with a mirror. How you handle your problems says a lot about you.

S - Style is important.

If you agree, you must feel like a chameleon. Many strained interpersonal relationships are created by different styles. There is the “Driver” who is very assertive, demanding and autocratic. There is also the “Expressive” who is extremely sociable, loves to talk, and lousy with details. Then there is the “Analytical” who is very precise, organized, and extremely neat. Finally, there is the “Amiable” who is generally low-key, trusting, and very innovative. One of the biggest keys to selling success is the art of adapting your selling style to your clients’ buying style. This is easy to say and hard to do. To learn more about behavioral styles, read articles, buy books and listen to audiocassette training tapes on the subject. This is one subject where ignorance is definitely not bliss.

O - Others focused.

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

M - Master the business basics.

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

E - Enthusiasm and passion are powerful attributes for professional salespersons to cultivate.

Too many people are dying on the job today and still working. Some people walk into a room and breathe life into it. Other people walk into the same room and do
their best to vent all the oxygen. Get excited about your work. If you don’t like it, change it. Your life is too important and too short, to waste it doing something you hate doing. Be yourself and avoid trying to imitate somebody else. Have an attitude of gratitude. Say “thank you” often. That kind gesture will make someone’s day a better one.

Enthusiasm is contagious and so is the negative stuff. Enthusiasm is an acquired quality and it’s FREE! Go out and get some, if you’re running low. If you want to take, your sales career to the next level learn do the unthinkable. Quit saying “I’ve always done it this way.” Quit following the crowd. Take a new path to solve old client problems. The old way may not be the better way.

If you’re too comfortable, it’s time to change. Always aim higher and
you’ll be rewarded handsomely. Being VERY GOOD is no small task, especially when the client is doing the evaluation. If you dare to be different, strive to be effective, and are attentive to your clients’ needs, you too can be VERY GOOD.

VM Dedhia is a professional executive and marketing man. He has almost 10 years of experience in marketing.

Contrary to the term life insurance that covers only a segment of the insurer’s life, whole life insurance offers coverage the individual’s entire life. Though the death benefit and premium remains the same in both the cases, with whole life insurance cash value is built as a return on a part of your insurance premiums that the insurance company invests. Your cash value is tax-deferred till withdrawal and you can even use it for borrowing.

The other difference between the two policies is that in whole life insurance a part of insurance premium money is allotted to your cash value, which could be used to pay off your entire insurance policy in few years. Even then till the time you decide to alter your insurance premium, it continues to be the same. Along with tax savings the whole life insurance also offers a significantly less rate of return.

Whole life insurance serves you with several options. The traditional or conventional whole life insurance provides you a guarantee of minimum rate of return on your cash value part. While the interest sensitive whole lie insurance offers better death benefit without any change in your insurance premiums.

For people with large sums of money and willing to buy an insurance policy upfront, single premium whole life insurance is a perfect choice. Akin to the other types of whole life insurance the single whole life insurance option too gathers cash value with same tax cover on returns.

Whole life insurance has an edge over other types of insurance in several ways. Whole life insurance offers a guaranteed coverage to the extent of the necessary premiums being paid. The whole life insurance lasts long till the retirement or death of the policyholder. Thus this insurance is also the first choice of all those who wish to cover long term needs such as pensions and final expenses or for protecting financial assets. It also provides the opportunity of building up cash value and to take loan from your insurance company on your insurance policy if you desire. Generally death benefit from insurance is devoid of any tax.

All in all the whole life insurance is a protection cover for your dependents while building cash value account. In case whole life insurance the insurance company manages policies of various accounts. The company pays a death benefit to your designated beneficiary with a low risk cash value account and tax-deferred cash accumulation. The premium of the insurance is fixed once and for all unless you do not quit paying the decided sum of money. You have the choice of receiving dividends of your insurance policy or use that amount to reduce your payments. The option to withdraw from the policy during your lifetime is also at your discretion.

Mansi aggarwal recommends that you visit Whole Life Insurance for more information.