It has been said that a perfume is like gathering an armful of luscious rose pedals at the height of their bloom. The lovely scent, the heavenly fragrance and sensation you feel when surrounded by a quality perfume, fragrance or scent cannot be overstated. There can be a wide variety of ingredients in putting together a fragrance that is both appealing and attracting. Historically these ingredients have been divided between natural and synthetic; that is, between a man made or natural botanical substance. Perfume is meant to reflect and enhance the natural environment around us, which is why many people enjoy the thought of using only "Natural" fragrances and scents.
The best Perfume and fragrances will make your enticing.
In ancient civilizations materials and ingredients were added to oils used to perfume the skin. Today science is able to isolate and remove a pure single aroma from natural materials. As a general rule, the purer and more distilled the material, the more it costs. However, there are many wonderful fragrances you can buy that are both inexpensive and of a high quality.
About the Author
Friday, November 28, 2008
Perfumes and the Women Who Love Them
If it is Valentine's Day, then many men resort to flowers or candy to show the women in their lives just how much they really care. For the bigger holidays such as birthdays or Christmas, men typically reach a bit deeper into their pockets for the larger ticket items such as jewelry or perfume. But the reason why so much perfume is sold in any given year has far more to do with hormones and the feelings created by certain scents than by the gift-giving rationale of men.
Perfumes, colognes, and scented oils have been part of human civilization since the time of the ancient Egyptians and beyond. Jars and vases filled with exotic fragrances have also been found in ancient Chinese burial sites. In fact, the use of perfumes has no exact starting date as its exact history is unknown. All that is truly known is that women and men have been using cologne and perfume to enhance their own scent for thousands of years will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
In any given year, 66% of men and 75% of women find themselves buying cologne or perfume during the course of a year. Researchers believe that part of the reason why women love receiving perfume (and also when men love giving perfume as a gift) is due to pheromones. Pheromones are hormones thought to stimulate sexual appetite or interest and they are triggered by scent.
So do women love perfume because it makes them want to have sex? No, actually the scent has a more dramatic effect upon men. While the effect is less pronounced in women, certain colognes worn by men have been known to produce a similar desire in women. Although a link between the scent of perfume and increased sexual desire has been found, researchers do not believe that it explains the desire to wear perfume on a daily basis.
In fact, most scientists believe that human pheromones and their impact upon our behavior has decreased over the years as we have become more advanced and civilized. While most scientists conclude that scent once played a rather large part in human mating habits, they believe that it has relatively little to do with sexual attraction in this day and age.
So then.why do women love perfume so much and why is it such a popular gift during the holidays? It actually seems to be due to the simple feeling created by wearing any fragrance that one finds appealing. In fact, the feeling created by a woman wearing perfume is similar to that made by a candle used for aromatherapy. It is soothing, subtle, and slightly romantic but not really sexual in nature.
Of course, it does not really matter why precisely a woman loves wearing perfume. All that is truly important is that she does love to smell great and the attention she receives when wearing her favorite perfume. In time, the perfume and the scent of her own body will combine into a singular aroma that will literally become her own scent.
As the sense of smell can recall the most vivid of memories, it is this unique scent of a woman combined with her perfume that people tend to remember most when thinking of that person. Men will often buy the same perfume for a woman even years after she has ceased using it because it is the scent they have come to identify with that woman.
And yet, women do move on to new perfumes and always seem to be on the search for a new scent to adorn their bodies. Of course, it is not surprising for some higher end perfumes to cost $100's of dollars per bottle which is why a large number of women and men find themselves shopping for their favorite brands online. The Internet can also be a great place to find deals on new perfumes and fragrances as most websites generally offer a much greater selection than traditional stores.
The love of perfume by both men and women may be completely instinctual and somehow related to sexuality. However, the fact is that perfume just plain smells great and therefore puts us in a good mood. Who doesn't like something that smells good-be it a pot roast or a garden lily? Of course, pot roast has a tendency to make us hungry.so what does the smell of fine perfume make us? There has to be a really good reason why perfume is so popular, now doesn't there??
Perfumes, colognes, and scented oils have been part of human civilization since the time of the ancient Egyptians and beyond. Jars and vases filled with exotic fragrances have also been found in ancient Chinese burial sites. In fact, the use of perfumes has no exact starting date as its exact history is unknown. All that is truly known is that women and men have been using cologne and perfume to enhance their own scent for thousands of years will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
In any given year, 66% of men and 75% of women find themselves buying cologne or perfume during the course of a year. Researchers believe that part of the reason why women love receiving perfume (and also when men love giving perfume as a gift) is due to pheromones. Pheromones are hormones thought to stimulate sexual appetite or interest and they are triggered by scent.
So do women love perfume because it makes them want to have sex? No, actually the scent has a more dramatic effect upon men. While the effect is less pronounced in women, certain colognes worn by men have been known to produce a similar desire in women. Although a link between the scent of perfume and increased sexual desire has been found, researchers do not believe that it explains the desire to wear perfume on a daily basis.
In fact, most scientists believe that human pheromones and their impact upon our behavior has decreased over the years as we have become more advanced and civilized. While most scientists conclude that scent once played a rather large part in human mating habits, they believe that it has relatively little to do with sexual attraction in this day and age.
So then.why do women love perfume so much and why is it such a popular gift during the holidays? It actually seems to be due to the simple feeling created by wearing any fragrance that one finds appealing. In fact, the feeling created by a woman wearing perfume is similar to that made by a candle used for aromatherapy. It is soothing, subtle, and slightly romantic but not really sexual in nature.
Of course, it does not really matter why precisely a woman loves wearing perfume. All that is truly important is that she does love to smell great and the attention she receives when wearing her favorite perfume. In time, the perfume and the scent of her own body will combine into a singular aroma that will literally become her own scent.
As the sense of smell can recall the most vivid of memories, it is this unique scent of a woman combined with her perfume that people tend to remember most when thinking of that person. Men will often buy the same perfume for a woman even years after she has ceased using it because it is the scent they have come to identify with that woman.
And yet, women do move on to new perfumes and always seem to be on the search for a new scent to adorn their bodies. Of course, it is not surprising for some higher end perfumes to cost $100's of dollars per bottle which is why a large number of women and men find themselves shopping for their favorite brands online. The Internet can also be a great place to find deals on new perfumes and fragrances as most websites generally offer a much greater selection than traditional stores.
The love of perfume by both men and women may be completely instinctual and somehow related to sexuality. However, the fact is that perfume just plain smells great and therefore puts us in a good mood. Who doesn't like something that smells good-be it a pot roast or a garden lily? Of course, pot roast has a tendency to make us hungry.so what does the smell of fine perfume make us? There has to be a really good reason why perfume is so popular, now doesn't there??
The Shadowy World of International Finance
Strange, penumbral, characters roam the boardrooms of banks in the countries in transition. Some of them pop apparently from nowhere, others are very well connected and equipped with the most excellent introductions. They all peddle financial transactions which are too good to be true and often are. In the unctuously perfumed propinquity of their Mercedesed, Rolex waving entourage - the polydipsic natives dissolve in their irresistible charm and the temptations of the cash: mountainous returns on capital, effulgent profits, no collaterals, track record, or business plan required. Total security is cloyingly assured.These Fausts roughly belong to four tribes:The ShoppersThese are the shabby operators of the marginal shadows of the world of finance. They broker financial deals with meretricious sweat only to be rewarded their meagre, humiliated fees. Most of their deals do not materialize. The principle is very simple:They approach a bank, a financial institution, or a borrower and say: "We are connected to banks or financial institutions in the West. We can bring you money in the form of credits. But to do that - you must first express interest in getting this money. You must furnish us with a bank guarantee / promissory note / letter of intent that indicates that you desire the credit and that you are willing to provide a liquid financial instrument to back it up.". Having obtained such instruments, the shoppers begin to "shop around". They approach banks and financial institutions (usually, in the West). This time, they reverse their text: "We have an excellent client, a good borrower. Are you willing to lend to it?" An informal process of tendering ensues. Sometimes it ends in a transaction and the shopper collects a small commission (between one quarter of a percentage point and two percentage points - depending on the amount). Mostly it doesn't -and the Flying Dutchman resumes his wanderings looking for more venal gulosity and less legal probity.
The Con-MenThese are crooks who set up elaborate schemes ("sting operations") to extract money from unsuspecting people and financial institutions. They establish "front" or "phantom" firms and offices throughout the world. They tempt the gullible by offering them enormous, immediate, tax-free, effort-free, profits. They let the victims profit in the first round or two of the scam. Then, they sting: the victims invest money and it evaporates together with the dishonest operators. The "offices" are deserted, the fake identities, the forged bank references, the falsified guarantees are all exposed (often with the help of an inside informant).Probably the most famous and enduring scam is the "Nigerian-type Connection". Letters - allegedly composed by very influential and highly placed officials - are sent out to unsuspecting businessmen. The latter are asked to make their bank accounts available to the former, who profess to need the third party bank accounts through which to funnel the sweet fruits of corruption. The account owners are promised huge financial rewards if they collaborate and if they bear some minor-by-comparison upfront costs. The con-men pocket these "expenses" and vanish. Sometimes, they even empty the accounts of their entire balance as they evaporate.The LaunderersA lot of cash goes undeclared to tax authorities in countries in transition. The informal economy (the daughter of both criminal and legitimate parents) comprises between 15% (Slovenia) and 50% (Russia, Macedonia) of the official one. Some say these figures are a deliberate and ferocious understatement. These are mind boggling amounts, which circulate between financial centres and off shore havens in the world: Cyprus, the Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein (Vaduz), Panama and dozens of aspiring laundrettes.The money thus smuggled is kept in low-yielding cash deposits. To escape the cruel fate of inflationary corrosion, it has to be reinvested. It is stealthily re-introduced to the very economy that it so sought to evade, in the form of investment capital or other financial assets (loans and credits). Its anxious owners are preoccupied with legitimising their stillborn cash through the conduit of tax-fearing enterprises, or with lending it to same. The emphasis is on the word: "legitimate". The money surges in through mysterious and anonymous foreign corporations, via off-shore banking centres, even through respectable financial institutions (the Bank of New York we mentioned?). It is easy to recognize a laundering operation. Its hallmark is a pronounced lack of selectivity. The money is invested in anything and everything, as long as it appears legitimate. Diversification is not sought by these nouveau tycoons and they have no core investment strategy. They spread their illicit funds among dozens of disparate economic activities and show not the slightest interest in the putative yields on their investments, the maturity of their assets, the quality of their newly acquired businesses, their history, or real value. Never the sedulous, they pay exorbitantly for all manner of prestidigital endeavours. The future prospects and other normal investment criteria are beyond them. All they are after is a mirage of lapidarity.The InvestorsThis is the most intriguing group. Normative, law abiding, businessmen, who stumbled across methods to secure excessive yields on their capital and are looking to borrow their way into increasing it. By cleverly participating in bond tenders, by devising ingenious option strategies, or by arbitraging - yields of up to 300% can be collected in the immature markets of transition without the normally associated risks. This sub-species can be found mainly in Russia and in the Balkans.Its members often buy sovereign bonds and notes at discounts of up to 80% of their face value. Russian obligations could be had for less in August 1998 and Macedonian ones during the Kosovo crisis. In cahoots with the issuing country's central bank, they then convert the obligations to local currency at par (=for 100% of their face value). The difference makes, needless to add, for an immediate and hefty profit, yet it is in (often worthless and vicissitudinal) local currency. The latter is then hurriedly disposed of (at a discount) and sold to multinationals with operations in the country of issue, which are in need of local tender. This fast becomes an almost addictive avocation.Intoxicated by this pecuniary nectar, the fortunate, those privy to the secret, try to raise more capital by hunting for financial instruments they can convert to cash in Western banks. A bank guarantee, a promissory note, a confirmed letter of credit, a note or a bond guaranteed by the Central Bank - all will do as deposited collateral against which a credit line is established and cash is drawn. The cash is then invested in a new cycle of inebriation to yield fantastic profits.
It is easy to identify these "investors". They eagerly seek financial instruments from almost any local bank, no matter how suspect. They offer to pay for these coveted documents (bank guarantees, bankers' acceptances, letters of credit) either in cash or by lending to the bank's clients and this within a month or more from the date of their issuance. They agree to "cancel" the locally issued financial instruments by offering a "counter-financial-instrument" (safe keeping receipt, contra-guarantee, counter promissory note, etc.). This "counter-instrument" is issued by the very Prime World or European Bank in which the locally issued financial instruments are deposited as collateral.The Investors invariably confidently claim that the financial instrument issued by the local bank will never be presented or used (which is true) and that this is a risk free transaction (which is not entirely so). If they are forced to lend to the bank's clients, they often ignore the quality of the credit takers, the yields, the maturities and other considerations which normally tend to interest lenders very much.Whether a financial instrument cancelled by another is still valid, presentable and should be honoured by its issuer is still debated. In some cases it is clearly so. If something goes horribly (and rarely, admittedly) wrong with these transactions - the local bank stands to suffer, too.It all boils down to a terrible hunger, the kind of thirst that can be quelled only by the denominated liquidity of lucre. In the post nuclear landscape of this part of the world, a fantasy is shared by both predators and prey. Circling each other in marble temples, they switch their roles in dizzying progression. Tycoons and politicians, industrialists and bureaucrats all vie for the attention of Mammon. The shifting coalitions of well groomed man in back stabbed suits, an hallucinatory carousel of avarice and guile. But every circus folds and every luna park is destined to shut down. The dying music, the frozen accounts of the deceived, the bankrupt banks, the Jurassic Park of skeletal industrial beasts - a muted testimony to a wild age of mutual assured destruction and self deceit. The future of Eastern and South Europe. The present of Russia, Albania and Yugoslavia.
The Con-MenThese are crooks who set up elaborate schemes ("sting operations") to extract money from unsuspecting people and financial institutions. They establish "front" or "phantom" firms and offices throughout the world. They tempt the gullible by offering them enormous, immediate, tax-free, effort-free, profits. They let the victims profit in the first round or two of the scam. Then, they sting: the victims invest money and it evaporates together with the dishonest operators. The "offices" are deserted, the fake identities, the forged bank references, the falsified guarantees are all exposed (often with the help of an inside informant).Probably the most famous and enduring scam is the "Nigerian-type Connection". Letters - allegedly composed by very influential and highly placed officials - are sent out to unsuspecting businessmen. The latter are asked to make their bank accounts available to the former, who profess to need the third party bank accounts through which to funnel the sweet fruits of corruption. The account owners are promised huge financial rewards if they collaborate and if they bear some minor-by-comparison upfront costs. The con-men pocket these "expenses" and vanish. Sometimes, they even empty the accounts of their entire balance as they evaporate.The LaunderersA lot of cash goes undeclared to tax authorities in countries in transition. The informal economy (the daughter of both criminal and legitimate parents) comprises between 15% (Slovenia) and 50% (Russia, Macedonia) of the official one. Some say these figures are a deliberate and ferocious understatement. These are mind boggling amounts, which circulate between financial centres and off shore havens in the world: Cyprus, the Cayman Islands, Liechtenstein (Vaduz), Panama and dozens of aspiring laundrettes.The money thus smuggled is kept in low-yielding cash deposits. To escape the cruel fate of inflationary corrosion, it has to be reinvested. It is stealthily re-introduced to the very economy that it so sought to evade, in the form of investment capital or other financial assets (loans and credits). Its anxious owners are preoccupied with legitimising their stillborn cash through the conduit of tax-fearing enterprises, or with lending it to same. The emphasis is on the word: "legitimate". The money surges in through mysterious and anonymous foreign corporations, via off-shore banking centres, even through respectable financial institutions (the Bank of New York we mentioned?). It is easy to recognize a laundering operation. Its hallmark is a pronounced lack of selectivity. The money is invested in anything and everything, as long as it appears legitimate. Diversification is not sought by these nouveau tycoons and they have no core investment strategy. They spread their illicit funds among dozens of disparate economic activities and show not the slightest interest in the putative yields on their investments, the maturity of their assets, the quality of their newly acquired businesses, their history, or real value. Never the sedulous, they pay exorbitantly for all manner of prestidigital endeavours. The future prospects and other normal investment criteria are beyond them. All they are after is a mirage of lapidarity.The InvestorsThis is the most intriguing group. Normative, law abiding, businessmen, who stumbled across methods to secure excessive yields on their capital and are looking to borrow their way into increasing it. By cleverly participating in bond tenders, by devising ingenious option strategies, or by arbitraging - yields of up to 300% can be collected in the immature markets of transition without the normally associated risks. This sub-species can be found mainly in Russia and in the Balkans.Its members often buy sovereign bonds and notes at discounts of up to 80% of their face value. Russian obligations could be had for less in August 1998 and Macedonian ones during the Kosovo crisis. In cahoots with the issuing country's central bank, they then convert the obligations to local currency at par (=for 100% of their face value). The difference makes, needless to add, for an immediate and hefty profit, yet it is in (often worthless and vicissitudinal) local currency. The latter is then hurriedly disposed of (at a discount) and sold to multinationals with operations in the country of issue, which are in need of local tender. This fast becomes an almost addictive avocation.Intoxicated by this pecuniary nectar, the fortunate, those privy to the secret, try to raise more capital by hunting for financial instruments they can convert to cash in Western banks. A bank guarantee, a promissory note, a confirmed letter of credit, a note or a bond guaranteed by the Central Bank - all will do as deposited collateral against which a credit line is established and cash is drawn. The cash is then invested in a new cycle of inebriation to yield fantastic profits.
It is easy to identify these "investors". They eagerly seek financial instruments from almost any local bank, no matter how suspect. They offer to pay for these coveted documents (bank guarantees, bankers' acceptances, letters of credit) either in cash or by lending to the bank's clients and this within a month or more from the date of their issuance. They agree to "cancel" the locally issued financial instruments by offering a "counter-financial-instrument" (safe keeping receipt, contra-guarantee, counter promissory note, etc.). This "counter-instrument" is issued by the very Prime World or European Bank in which the locally issued financial instruments are deposited as collateral.The Investors invariably confidently claim that the financial instrument issued by the local bank will never be presented or used (which is true) and that this is a risk free transaction (which is not entirely so). If they are forced to lend to the bank's clients, they often ignore the quality of the credit takers, the yields, the maturities and other considerations which normally tend to interest lenders very much.Whether a financial instrument cancelled by another is still valid, presentable and should be honoured by its issuer is still debated. In some cases it is clearly so. If something goes horribly (and rarely, admittedly) wrong with these transactions - the local bank stands to suffer, too.It all boils down to a terrible hunger, the kind of thirst that can be quelled only by the denominated liquidity of lucre. In the post nuclear landscape of this part of the world, a fantasy is shared by both predators and prey. Circling each other in marble temples, they switch their roles in dizzying progression. Tycoons and politicians, industrialists and bureaucrats all vie for the attention of Mammon. The shifting coalitions of well groomed man in back stabbed suits, an hallucinatory carousel of avarice and guile. But every circus folds and every luna park is destined to shut down. The dying music, the frozen accounts of the deceived, the bankrupt banks, the Jurassic Park of skeletal industrial beasts - a muted testimony to a wild age of mutual assured destruction and self deceit. The future of Eastern and South Europe. The present of Russia, Albania and Yugoslavia.
The Secret Science Of Online Shopping
In theory you could create a retail web site with a limitless selection; an online store where every kind of merchandise known to man could be sold. Would people be interested in buying from such a huge enterprise?
Why do people buy online?
Location: You can shop online from almost anywhere as long as you have access to a power supply and a telephone connection. You can shop in the comfort of your own home or you can shop in your office. You can even shop while on the move, if you have a laptop connected to a mobile telephone.
Convenience: You can visit a web site almost whenever you want, you can browse through it at your own pace and you can make a purchase at any time of day or night. The internet makes it possible to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Information: The internet makes limitless amounts of product information available to the online shopper. You can access product specifications, brochures, product comparisons and all manner of other information with just a few clicks. You no longer have to wait for a brochure or a catalogue to come to you.
How do people shop online?
What are the factors that determine the buying decision?
Just like in the real world where shops are built of bricks and mortar, the online store needs to welcome the shopper and make them feel comfortable and safe.
Once a shopper arrives at your web site they need a little time and space to familiarise themselves before being bombarded with information or choices. If you put too much information on your home page then the average shopper will miss a large proportion of your content. Likewise, if you present too many choices you will overwhelm the shopper and it is very likely that they will leave straight away.
The purpose of your home page should be to simply tell the shopper where they are and to ensure that the general layout of your online store is easy to understand. Your customers need to know if they are in a vast warehouse or a small boutique! They need to know where the entrances to each department or section are located; their question is often quite simple how do I find what I’m looking for?
Your web site should be attractively designed, with enough white space to make your content readable. You should choose a web friendly font in a size that is large enough to be read on an average monitor.
Navigation is critical. Your web site’s navigation should be obvious; it should be laid out in a simple and logical way. Your customer should be able to navigate within your web site by using the navigation buttons and links that you provide without having to use the browser back button. Shoppers should be able to navigate inside your web site without leaving.
Consider how you could make the online shopping experience fun and interesting. The technology is now available to provide live customer support; you can now guide and advice shoppers as they browse your online store. You can add sound to welcome people to your store or to add an audio description to your products. You can demonstrate your products in action using video technology.
It never ceases to amaze me just how many web sites simply don’t work. Broken links, missing images, badly installed scripts. Payment processing that is incorrectly configured; too many clicks to get from the product to the checkout; forms that require too much mandatory information. The list of problems is endless.
Here is a simple checklist for a successful web site:
Make it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for with a minimum number of clicks.
Provide accurate and full product descriptions. Ensure that your images are of good quality and that they show your product in the best possible light.
Make sure that your products are competitively priced and that you clearly state the total cost of purchase including taxes and shipping costs where appropriate.
Make it easy for your customer to complete their order and to process their payment. Provide payment options where possible. Ensure that your payment process is secure.
Be responsive with your support. Shoppers are looking for a speedy answer. If you don’t provide it, then your competitors will. Provide online help or an Autoresponder. Keep your promises.
Deliver your product on time and meet, or exceed, your customer’s expectations. If you demonstrate a reliable and quality product delivery you will get repeat business.
Follow up. If there is going to be a delay, let your customer know. Don’t just make the sale and then ignore your customer, keep in touch with a polite follow up message or special offer.
There are a number of very important factors missing from the online shopping experience. People can’t smell the freshness or the perfume of your product. People can’t touch your product and they can’t feel the quality or the texture. You must compensate for these gaps by making the online shopping experience for your customers the best it can be.
It is vital that you test and track your visitors’ behaviour and try to improve the experience through careful analysis of your testing and tracking results. You have visitors arriving. Now is the time to take action!
Why do people buy online?
Location: You can shop online from almost anywhere as long as you have access to a power supply and a telephone connection. You can shop in the comfort of your own home or you can shop in your office. You can even shop while on the move, if you have a laptop connected to a mobile telephone.
Convenience: You can visit a web site almost whenever you want, you can browse through it at your own pace and you can make a purchase at any time of day or night. The internet makes it possible to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Information: The internet makes limitless amounts of product information available to the online shopper. You can access product specifications, brochures, product comparisons and all manner of other information with just a few clicks. You no longer have to wait for a brochure or a catalogue to come to you.
How do people shop online?
What are the factors that determine the buying decision?
Just like in the real world where shops are built of bricks and mortar, the online store needs to welcome the shopper and make them feel comfortable and safe.
Once a shopper arrives at your web site they need a little time and space to familiarise themselves before being bombarded with information or choices. If you put too much information on your home page then the average shopper will miss a large proportion of your content. Likewise, if you present too many choices you will overwhelm the shopper and it is very likely that they will leave straight away.
The purpose of your home page should be to simply tell the shopper where they are and to ensure that the general layout of your online store is easy to understand. Your customers need to know if they are in a vast warehouse or a small boutique! They need to know where the entrances to each department or section are located; their question is often quite simple how do I find what I’m looking for?
Your web site should be attractively designed, with enough white space to make your content readable. You should choose a web friendly font in a size that is large enough to be read on an average monitor.
Navigation is critical. Your web site’s navigation should be obvious; it should be laid out in a simple and logical way. Your customer should be able to navigate within your web site by using the navigation buttons and links that you provide without having to use the browser back button. Shoppers should be able to navigate inside your web site without leaving.
Consider how you could make the online shopping experience fun and interesting. The technology is now available to provide live customer support; you can now guide and advice shoppers as they browse your online store. You can add sound to welcome people to your store or to add an audio description to your products. You can demonstrate your products in action using video technology.
It never ceases to amaze me just how many web sites simply don’t work. Broken links, missing images, badly installed scripts. Payment processing that is incorrectly configured; too many clicks to get from the product to the checkout; forms that require too much mandatory information. The list of problems is endless.
Here is a simple checklist for a successful web site:
Make it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for with a minimum number of clicks.
Provide accurate and full product descriptions. Ensure that your images are of good quality and that they show your product in the best possible light.
Make sure that your products are competitively priced and that you clearly state the total cost of purchase including taxes and shipping costs where appropriate.
Make it easy for your customer to complete their order and to process their payment. Provide payment options where possible. Ensure that your payment process is secure.
Be responsive with your support. Shoppers are looking for a speedy answer. If you don’t provide it, then your competitors will. Provide online help or an Autoresponder. Keep your promises.
Deliver your product on time and meet, or exceed, your customer’s expectations. If you demonstrate a reliable and quality product delivery you will get repeat business.
Follow up. If there is going to be a delay, let your customer know. Don’t just make the sale and then ignore your customer, keep in touch with a polite follow up message or special offer.
There are a number of very important factors missing from the online shopping experience. People can’t smell the freshness or the perfume of your product. People can’t touch your product and they can’t feel the quality or the texture. You must compensate for these gaps by making the online shopping experience for your customers the best it can be.
It is vital that you test and track your visitors’ behaviour and try to improve the experience through careful analysis of your testing and tracking results. You have visitors arriving. Now is the time to take action!
When Showing Your Home
Here below are some of the reasons why buyers may be put off when visiting your home.1. Welcoming Entrance - First Impression MattersAs has often been said, the first impression is the most lasting. It is as important, if not more, for your house to look good from the outside as it is to look from the inside. A prospective buyer wouldn’t be too impressed with an unkempt yard, unpainted exteriors or a chipped off front door. Get everything in order and in a position to show before putting your house on the market.2. OdorsCigarettes, pets and whatever else that may have your home smell in an unpleasant manner should be, at best, avoided. Although, it doesn’t mean that you spray perfume all over. A clean and fresh atmosphere is what is required.3. PetsSome buyers may not appreciate seeing pets at home. Some may be frightened or some may be irritated. You wouldn’t want your pets to be the cause of their distraction. Get your pets away while the buyers are there and let them see your house with nothing coming in the way.4. Dirty BathroomsThe heading says it all. You should know what needs to be done.5. Dark RoomsDark homes are a turnoff to most home buyers. Install additional light fixtures, if required. Draw open the drapes when the buyers come over. And do whatever it takes, to make your home seem more bright and welcoming.6. Damp BasementsDampness or damp smells in the basement may cause your buyer to think that the basement leaks even if it doesn't truly leak. Fix any leaks, if at all and ensure that whatever the source of the dampness, it be dealt with. It may be caused by rainwater or the underground drains being blocked. Have it checked.7. Don’t Hang Around for ShowingsLeave the house during showings or stay away from the buyers while they go through your home. They may feel awkward about opening closet doors and taking a really good look at the house if you move around with them all over the house.
Aromatherapy Candles
Nothing turns a commonplace, ho-hum room into a radiant, inviting setting faster than the flicker of a few ordinary candles scattered strategically throughout the room. Add scented candles and you can quickly evoke childhood memories, transport your imagination to a tropical island, or infuse the room with the crisp scent of a pine forest. Aromatherapy candles add yet another dimension to the equation. Aromatherapy candles release a small, but continuous stream of herbal and floral essential oils into the air as they burn. The chemicals in the essential oils enter your body as you breathe, and travel throughout the body, including the brain, through the bloodstream. You receive subtle benefits as the chemicals interact with your body. Don't expect to receive full healing benefits by lighting a candle, but aromatherapy candles provide the same dual benefits inherent in conventional aromatherapy in less concentrated doses: smell therapy and chemical reactions to the essential oils. Burn aromatherapy candles to alter, enhance, and improve your state of mind while adding a touch of nature's pure perfume to your surroundings. What a pleasant, powerful quick fix to an otherwise rotten day, not to mention a less destructive alternative to downing a pint of ice cream or a pound of chocolate to chase away the blahs. Let aromatherapy candles help set the right mood for others with whom you spend time. Your guests will only know that you have that "special something," that magical touch when it comes to hospitality. Tips for Using Aromatherapy Candles:Make sure that you purchase aromatherapy candles, not just scented candles. Look for labels that include "pure essential oils."Select the right candle for the situation. The best way to ensure that you have selected the best candle to achieve your goal is to purchase a candle with labeling that reflects your desired effect. Invigorate - Perhaps you arrive home lethargic and drained after a grueling day at work, and like so many other busy parents, your workday at home is just beginning—with no time for an intervening catnap. Treat yourself to a short break, and light an energizing aromatherapy candle. Invigorating candles typically contain some mixture of oils from the mint and citrus families. The mint essential oils—peppermint, spearmint, basil, and eucalyptus—provide quick stimulation, revitalization, and an extra dose of energy. Other invigorating essential oils include cedar, rosemary, cinnamon, geranium, cassia, and vanilla. Relax – Sometimes a sense of accomplishment or closure leaves you wired. You know that feeling. You've finished a big project, and you're bursting at the seams with energy when you really want to kick back, relax and enjoy some quiet time. Light a stress-releasing aromatherapy candle, take a few deep breaths, and allow your mind to clear. Stress-releasing essential oils include lavender, chamomile, patchouli, geranium and rose. Concentrate - Use aromatherapy candles to improve concentration when you need to tap into your creative powers. Nothing sparks creativity like the ability to concentrate and block mental and environmental distractions. Citrus essential oils help you to concentrate: lemon, orange, grapefruit, lemongrass, and bergamot. Add atmosphere – You've planned a quiet evening at home with that special someone, and you've made every effort to impress. You've cooked a dinner right out of a Parisian bistro, fresh flowers grace your home, the table is set with china and linen napkins, the wine is chilling, and you've never looked better. Add the final touch with an aromatherapy candle containing some of the sensual essential oils: Ylang ylang, vanilla, neroli, rose, clary sage, sandalwood. When using candles to add atmosphere, grouping candles together is fine, but less can be more. You're striving for natural and nonchalant: think elegant understatement, not sacrificial altar.When you light more than one aromatherapy candle, burn candles with complementary, not competing essential oils. You don't want to burn candles with invigorating oils along with candles that contain a relaxing mixture of oils. Your body will receive mixed signals.Why reserve your aromatherapy candles for special occasions or for company? Add an elegant touch and a little mood to your everyday life. What else can add so much pleasure with so little effort? Include aromatherapy candles in your repertoire to turn the mere ordinary into the extraordinary.
Home Staging Tips
Home staging is a technique used to dress or stage a home so that buyers can really see it at its best. In essence what you must do is make your home appeal to the broadest range of people.
Decide on the best features of your property and work to highlight these.
- Clear out your valuables, as you are likely to get numerous visits.- Polish door knobs, handles.- Prune plants that take up space. Make your home more visible.
Clean the property so it is spotless. This is important and only takes a bit of effort so don’t neglect this.
- Open up windows, curtains and let in air and light. - Clear and the bathroom of any items such as toothpaste, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.- Clean all sinks, baths, toilets floors so it is sparkling.- Hang up some nice towels and try and co-ordinate this with the rest of the room.- Use an air freshener in the bathroom and keep it fresh.
If your room has too much furniture, remove some and only keep the necessities and some set pieces. Arrange the furniture and display the best features of the room. Make sure the layout is easily accessible and spacious.
- Have some nice music playing in the background. - Hang up some nice pictures or decorative pieces.- Put on the air condition or heater so the home is comfortable, even if the home is vacant.- In the kitchen clear out any dishes.- Clean work tops and remove appliances. Place as much away or in storage.- Have a bowl of fresh fruit or freshly baked bread to give that homely feeling.- Clear out any leaves, sticks garbage and clutter around the exterior.- Sweep patios, decking, pathways etc.- Remove traces of pets such as hair, droppings & smells.
Use this checklist so you are always ready to implement these points for your property. You should be able to get your home ready for inspection within the hour should someone want to visit.
You are granted permission to reprint/republish this article on your own Web Site, in your own ezine, autoresponder series, product, bonus items, or any other format as long as it is not altered in any way.
Decide on the best features of your property and work to highlight these.
- Clear out your valuables, as you are likely to get numerous visits.- Polish door knobs, handles.- Prune plants that take up space. Make your home more visible.
Clean the property so it is spotless. This is important and only takes a bit of effort so don’t neglect this.
- Open up windows, curtains and let in air and light. - Clear and the bathroom of any items such as toothpaste, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.- Clean all sinks, baths, toilets floors so it is sparkling.- Hang up some nice towels and try and co-ordinate this with the rest of the room.- Use an air freshener in the bathroom and keep it fresh.
If your room has too much furniture, remove some and only keep the necessities and some set pieces. Arrange the furniture and display the best features of the room. Make sure the layout is easily accessible and spacious.
- Have some nice music playing in the background. - Hang up some nice pictures or decorative pieces.- Put on the air condition or heater so the home is comfortable, even if the home is vacant.- In the kitchen clear out any dishes.- Clean work tops and remove appliances. Place as much away or in storage.- Have a bowl of fresh fruit or freshly baked bread to give that homely feeling.- Clear out any leaves, sticks garbage and clutter around the exterior.- Sweep patios, decking, pathways etc.- Remove traces of pets such as hair, droppings & smells.
Use this checklist so you are always ready to implement these points for your property. You should be able to get your home ready for inspection within the hour should someone want to visit.
You are granted permission to reprint/republish this article on your own Web Site, in your own ezine, autoresponder series, product, bonus items, or any other format as long as it is not altered in any way.
How To Find Free Stuff Online
you are anything like the average person, you love free stuff. You have an overwhelming hunger to surf the Net to satisfy your freebie appetite. This will turn to frustration if you do not know the best places to check-out. And of course you will spend precious wasted time surfing without catching a freebie.Well, on the Internet, you will find tons of freebies if you knowthe right web-site, and when to click on over. Catching a goodfreebie really depends on the timing. More on that later.What freebies treasures have I gathered in my hunt?Anything from junk to real nifty finds. I've discovered dozensof calendars, coffee mugs, music CD's, mouse pads, games, software, tons of ebooks,office supply samples, perfume samples, vitamins, makeup, shampoo, hair conditioners,calling cards, tee shirt's, food samples, razors, shaving creme,cologne, and.. well just about anything you can imagine!Are you ready to satisfy your freebie appetite? Great!Check out these popular freebie sites.Refund sweepersDon't let the misleading name fool you. I've ordereda dozen freebies from this site. Most recent wasa aspirin sample, denture powder, razor sample. They list the link to samples in alphabetical order to the leftof the website page. Look through the list and order what's interesting or everything. They also have a coupon board, arefunding board, bargain board. http://www.refundsweepers.comFree2tryThis sites been around for awhile. Packed with free and trial products.http://www.free2try.comCoolFreebies They claim to serve up 130 pages of the week's best free stuff.Download clip art, fonts, games, midi files. Favoriteproducts are free phone cards, coupons.http://www.coolfreebies.comTotally Free StuffLoaded with free stuff. Everything from mouse pads totravel brochures.http://www.totallyfreestuff.comTeenFreewayThis is a great site a young friend gave me the scoop on.They have a teenage " funky fresh flavor" to their freebies.Plenty of free posters from the latest movies, rock stars,or television shows. Free magazine subscriptions to teen magazines, Free makeup, free music CD's. Everythingthe average teen would love.http://www.teenfreeway.comFreebies For WomenMost of their freebies are geared to women. Check out thissite ladies. Print out free note pads, free calendars, games.http://www.freebiesforwomen.comAlso, many of these sites produce a daily, or weekly freebiesnewsletter. If you join their list you will get the inside trackon the latest freebies added to the website before non-subscribers.And of course, you will beat the mad rush for the latest freebies.Remember, it's all in the timing!Many of these sites offer coupons that you can instantlyprint out or download. Take the coupons to your local storesfor huge discounts on your favorite products.Also, set up a free email account at Yahoo, Lycos, Hotmail,to handle all your subscriptions to freebie newsletters and toreceive the acknowledgement responses you will get from your freebieorders. You certainly don't want the freebies goodies to mixwith more serious regular email.
Putting Your Business Scents to Work
You see it often in large shopping complexes. Customers seem to be flocking to a certain stall in large droves. There is a special attraction that cannot be explained. Isn't it great to see your own customers flocking to you in droves, like bees to honey? Could you do with some extraattraction to your business?In most of our marketing efforts, the sense of sight reignssupreme. Banners and billboards catch customer's eyes atevery corner of the street. These visual statements can be very effective if used correctly. The message they convey can be bold or or even subtle.However, there is another way to attract people. It's a subtle approach that is often overlooked.It's by using the sense of smell. Have you ever tried to use the sense of smell to bring in business? Could it be the break that you are looking for?Shopping mall owners know how to use it to their advantage. People tend to feel happy or relaxed when there is a pleasant smell around them. Aromatic perfumes are sprayed at regular intervals to make people feel happy and in the mood to buy. Smells do have a way of influencing our behavior!Chemicals called pheromones have a way of influencinganimals especially during mating time. Researchers have uncovered more and more of the secrets of smells in theirstudy of attraction. Mammals and insects are known to be attracted totheir mates even from far away places. It's almost like magic! And it's a natural phenomenon.Now come the million dollar question. Can you make use ofpheromone chemicals to help in your business? If people are somehow attracted to you, will you have a better chance topresent your sales pitch more effectively, and more frequently? How about the response from your audience? Will they bemore receptive to someone they like? If your customer comes with a relaxed frame of mind, do youthink you have a better chance to close a sale? Everybody has a better opinion of a salesperson who smellsgood. Your sales pitch could somehow become more inviting.And they may not even realize why! They might not even know what attracts them to the product you are selling!You may want to try out this form of marketing for yourself.Perhaps it might work for you. Check it out at
Packaging Maketh the Person
==========================================================Packaging Maketh the PersonThe multi million pound cosmetics industry is acutely awareof the value of packaging. You'll know this if you've everbought anything from those glamorous ladies whose countersare always just inside the front door of Department stores. However, from time to time we're presented with surveysabout the creams we rub on our bodies which take years offour age and make our skin as soft as a baby's bottie. Thesurveys tell us "Buy the cheap stuff or the own label onefrom the supermarket, 'cause they're all the same." But do we? Of course we don't. Human beings are driven byemotions not logic and never more so when spending theirmoney. People buy with their eyes, we love packaging. Themarketing and merchandising experts have it down to a fineart and know the colours and shapes that we're most likelyto buy. They then design their packaging accordingly andmake sure it grabs our attention.The product in the packaging has to do what it says it'lldo, however if it looks like it can do the business, thenwe're more likely to believe it can. It's just the same with people. Whether we like it or not,people are likely to make judgements about us by the waywe're packaged. They'll then decide whether they like us,whether they'll give us a job or even just believe what wesay. This seems to be so obvious. Yet I've seen professionalspeakers with scuffed shoes, business leaders with outdatedsuits and politicians wearing clothes that don't fit them orsuit their shape.A few months ago I attended a function where an accountantwas invited to speak about his business. He told theassembled audience how efficient his business was and abouttheir attention to detail. However his tie was undone andhis shirt looked like he was breaking it in for a smallerfriend. His suit, though probably expensive, wasn't theright colour for him and merely drew attention to the factthat its wearer liked his grub. All of the things he was saying were totally contradicted byhow he was packaged.Lawyers, accountants, plumbers or software engineers; itdoesn't matter what you do, other people are very liable tomake a judgement about your abilities by how you'repackaged. Your colleagues and your boss will all makedecisions about the quality of your work and your promotionprospects by your dress and image.There's the famous story about the 1960's pre-electiontelevision debates between John F. Kennedy and RichardNixon. These debates were also heard on radio, which wasmuch more popular at the time. After the debates a poll wastaken of how TV and radio audiences had reacted to the twoparticipants. The radio audience voted for Nixon, howeverthe TV audience voted overwhelmingly for Kennedy. The TVaudience liked the look of Kennedy better than Nixon - theyliked the packaging.We also tend to make decisions very quickly about people wecome into contact with. Psychologists have established thatwe subconsciously make around eleven decisions about otherpeople within the first six seconds of meeting them.Personnel managers have admitted in surveys to making adecision about a job applicant within the first thirtyseconds of an interview, these decisions being madeprimarily on how the people looked and carried themselves. How we look will confirm or contradict what we say. Imaginesomeone in a policeman's uniform at your door telling youhe's come to read the gas meter, I doubt if you'd believehim. First impressions are also lasting impressions andtake a lot of changing.Okay, so we can't all have the perfect looks or the perfectbody, what ever that is. It doesn't matter what shape youare but it does matter how you package that shape, if youwant to make an impact on other people. How you package yourself can also make a huge difference toyour self-confidence. Have you ever noticed how confidentand self-assured you feel when you dress in something youfeel good in? Particularly when someone genuinelycompliments you. How you dress can have a huge impact on howyou carry yourself and project to other people. The problem is that many of us don't have a clue as to whatreally suits us and compliments our shape. This is why somany business people are turning to an image consultant toimprove their personal impact. This may seem like a costlyluxury however consider the cost of restricting your careeror possibly not winning a new account.Dress down Friday is a particular challenge for men. Thetemptation for many guys is to pull on an old pair of chinosand a worn out polo shirt and hope for the best. The onlything is you end up looking scruffy and certainly don'timpress anyone. So what do you do? Well you could ask your nearest anddearest to be honest with you and tell you what they reallythink about what you wear. The thing is, you really need tolisten and take heed of what they say. Buy some of the fashion magazines and keep up to date on thelatest fashion. It can also help to find a good clothesstore where the sales assistants will give unbiased advice.It's also important to look after the details. Do yourspectacles suit your face? Are you in need of a more modernhaircut? What does that cheap plastic watch say about you?Men need to be careful about novelty ties and fancy sockswith a business suit. Women need to take care with make-up,colours and perfume.You may have a lot more to offer than a jar of anti wrinklecream or a packet of cornflakes; however no one is going topick you off the shelf if they don't like your packaging.===========================================================
Nothing is left to Chance
You are going to meet a very important client for lunch. What do you do? If you are anything like Anna the first job is to ensure the outside you is perfect, well dressed, matching clothes, clean shoes, washed in your favourite soaps, perfume. Check yourself many, many times in the mirror, Ask your partner (numerous times),” Do I look right”? “Is everything OK”? Basically, nothing is left to chance. The inside you has been studying the information you feel is important. You feel on top of your subject but slightly nervous. You pull out all the stops to ensure that the person you are meeting will get full benefit of your total attention, love and generosity. Again, nothing is left to chance.To be more successful, to be outstanding in a world of successful people you need to think, feel and be professional. Anna always ensures she is more informed, more prepared than anyone in the office. To her losing is not an option. She has to win. She remembers the time, five years ago, when she was not in the top 50 of the top salespersons in her organisation and did not go on the annual, all expenses paid, trip to Bermuda. Instead she got a bottle of champagne, special delivery, from a colleague with a note, ‘Sorry you didn’t make it’. She was seething and vowed never not to make it again. So she sat down, thought and thought and discovered the secrets of winning. The secrets of success.I’m sure you already know the secrets. Confidence and Preparation and Knowledge. Anna started to prepare like she has never prepared before. Not only did she know all about her products. She started to know all there was to know about her established clients, potential clients and what made them buy the product and what made them buy from her, the competition, etc etc etc.. Everything she did had been done before except:- She learned that the only way to be a very successful person ---to constantly win--- is to conquer your waste thoughts. Anna realised that the what stopped her performing was not the knowledge or the confidence or the preparation. It was failing to applying the knowledge she had. Allowing her wasteful, negative views of herself to dominate.Anna had to learn to change her thoughts. Stop the waste and negativity. Take responsibility for her life. Most self help books and articles she read told her to: “STOP your waste thoughts or STOP self defeating behaviour… be focussed on your aim and objective………..eradicate waste and negative thoughts that stop you from achieving……..”The problem is that she found it difficult to STOP her waste thoughts. In fact the more she tried to STOP thinking negatively the more she thought negatively .Anna did more research and found another way. Instead of STOPPING waste thoughts success lay in changing her thoughts.So now all Anna had to do was change her thoughts. But How do you do that?Anna started each day with the following five minute meditation where she reinforced her talent by focussing on giving herself: Total attention, love and generosity. Sit quietly, relaxed (put on some relaxing music if you wish):Just sit with yourself, quietly, relaxed. Be generous to yourself, give yourself total attention and love. Become aware of your thoughts. Letting the thoughts of what you: ‘ should’, ‘ought’ and/or ‘must’ do, fade away. Don’t be drawn in to acting or listening. Gradually you will reach a place of calm. Stay in that place. Don’t hurry away. Let yourself be taken on a journey. Enjoy the peace and calm that is beginning to waft over your body and mind. Concentrate on the good periods of your life. What you did right. The successful periods. The times when everything worked for you. What were your thoughts then?Relax. If you fall asleep it doesn’t matter. You need it. Just give yourself time.Anna focussed on the good and positive things in her life. Gradually she noticed that her thoughts and behaviour had changed. It didn’t happen all at once. It came erratically……in spurts. But it happened.Try it for just three or four days. Focus on giving yourself: Total attention, love and generosity. Like Anna, we are sure, you will experience so much benefit. In fact you will even start to see changes in your behaviour. Try it!What we are saying is the opposite to general convention. You don’t start by making effort to stop your negative and wasteful thoughts. You start by behaving in a generous, open, loving way to yourself and then your behaviour changes. Don't shut yourself away in a box. Open yourself up and allow everything to flow in. Give yourself total attention, See yourself with love, be generous with the time you give to yourself and you will feel the change in you. It works. Changing your thoughts will give you the edge you desire. It will give you the competitive edge over competitors. All you have to do is put it into practice. Remember: Nothing is left to chance.
Alone This Valentine's Day? First Of All, No, You A
Valentine's Day can range from annoying to dreadful when you aren't paired, so let's put a new spin on this!You probably feel sorry for yourself because you're the Only One who's alone, but if you're alone you're NOT alone. According to the American Association for Single people, 82 million men and women in the United States are unmarried. If you define adults as those over 18, 44% of US adults are single. By 2010, it should be 47.2%. That's getting very close to half. What will we do then? Rename the holiday? Abolish it? Or will those of us who are single rise up and demand our OWN holiday? An UNValentine's Day?? Holidays DO disappear, you know. When I was young, we celebrated May Day. Honestly, you bought Hallmark paper basket kits, you assembled them, you filled them with fresh flowers and placed them on your neighbors' doorsteps. I am not making this up.But I am digressing.Back to my point. A LOT of us are single, so you AREN'T alone if you're alone on Valentine 's Day. If that doesn't make you feel better, try these things, which will be just a little tongue in cheek, because I want to ramp you out of your position of feeling sorry for yourself. I've tried most of these, BTW, having been single longer than some of you have been alive, and they work! This is the old - if you can't change IT, change your FEELINGS toward it. FREUD!!!How could we not mention F-R-E-U-D on the national ^romantic^ holiday? Remember Freud's "defense mechanisms"? A common misconception is that they're all "bad," but actually we need our defense mechanisms. They're helpful! We need our defense mechanisms to:1. Minimize anxiety2. Protect the ego3. Maintain repressiona.It prevents discomfortb.It leads to some economy of time and effortI'm sure you're with me now that if you plan to, um, GET THROUGH VALENTINE'S DAY AS A SINGLE, a defense mechanism or 10 might come in handy.
So here we go.DEFENSE, DEFINITION & APPLICATION1. Affiliation: Dealing with emotional conflict and stressors (hereinafter referred to as "it") by turning to others for help or support. Valentine Application (VA): This is a great defense! Call your coach! Commiserate with friends. Talk to your sweet Mom.2. Aim Inhibition: Limiting ^instinctual demands^, accepting partial fulfillment. VA: Invite a platonic boyfriend out for Valentine's Day and pretend it's all you really wanted. Who needs mad, passionate sex when you can talk about QuikBooks for three hours at Chili's, right?3. Altruism: Deal with it by meeting the needs of others. VA: Do as I've done. Choose someone to shower with your affection - a grand-daughter works! Go out and buy all the things you'd want yourself - perfume, flowers, fluffy pink sweater, do it up big! Wrap 'em up, carry them over there, take her out and wine and dine her and savor! Feels great!4. Anticipation: Deal with it by experiencing emotional reactions in advance of possible future events and considering realistic alternative responses or solutions. VA: Well, that's what we're doing here. We're circumventing a lousy Valentine's Day, and making our plans otherwise. How cool is that?5. Avoidance: Deal with it by refusal to encounter situations because they represent ^unconscious sexual or aggressive impulses^. VA: Well, that would be Valentine's Day. You could cancel your own personal one. 6. Compensation: Encountering failure in one sphere of activity (like love life?), you over-emphasize another. VA: Let's do a clean-the-house marathon, or workout for 5 hours after work Friday.7. Self-assertion: Expressing feelings and thoughts directly, non-manipulatively. VA: Go for it! Ask that cute new HR director out.8. Sublimation: Attenuating the force of an ^instinctual drive^ by using the energy in other, constructive activities. VA: So, we work late Valentine's Day, finishing up a primo project, or go home and write poetry or paint. Good idea?9. Intellectualization: Deal with it by excessive use of abstract thinking or making generalizations to minimize disturbing feelings. VA: We could talk about how nearly half the other adults in the US are also single, and it ain't so bad. Anyway it's not bothering ME. How about that?LET'S AVOID THESE ONES: 1. Conversion: Turn it into a physical symptom "involving portions of the body innervated by sensory or motor nerves." VA: No getting of paralyzed arms because you'd really like to sock your ex.2. Deflection: Redirecting attention to someone else. VA: Don't need to talk about "Loser-boy Tom." We can deal with our own stuff!3. Identification: Unconscious modeling of one's self upon another person. VA: Sandra's got a great husband and she's going to Quebec for Valentine's weekend, but that doesn't mean we have to dress and talk like her all week without ^being aware of it^.4. Displacement: Change in the object by which the ^instinctual drive^ is to be satisfied. VA: Having been abandoned by your boyfriend, resist all urges to vent your anger on your room-mate! Keep your people and your emotions straight, ok? (EQ course available--www.susandunn.cc/courses.htm.)5. Help-Rejecting Complaining: Requesting help and then rejecting it. VA: (I think that's whining, and playing the victim, don't you?)6. Acting Out: Dealing with it by actions rather than reflections of feelings. VA: Don't get crabby and kick the dog, or go out and get drunk.7. Projection: Attributing one's thoughts or impulses to another person. VA: No, your mother isn't mad at YOU, YOU'RE mad at your GIRLFRIEND. Keeping people and feelings straight again.8. Regression: Suffering the loss of some of the development already attained and reverting to lower level of adaptation and expression. VA: None of that! 9. Autistic Fantasy: Deal with it by excessive daydreaming as a substitute for human relationships, more effective action, or problem solving. VA: This is why we all hate Freud!!P.S. Work in an office? Send yourself flowers. Like half those other girls aren't doing that?
So here we go.DEFENSE, DEFINITION & APPLICATION1. Affiliation: Dealing with emotional conflict and stressors (hereinafter referred to as "it") by turning to others for help or support. Valentine Application (VA): This is a great defense! Call your coach! Commiserate with friends. Talk to your sweet Mom.2. Aim Inhibition: Limiting ^instinctual demands^, accepting partial fulfillment. VA: Invite a platonic boyfriend out for Valentine's Day and pretend it's all you really wanted. Who needs mad, passionate sex when you can talk about QuikBooks for three hours at Chili's, right?3. Altruism: Deal with it by meeting the needs of others. VA: Do as I've done. Choose someone to shower with your affection - a grand-daughter works! Go out and buy all the things you'd want yourself - perfume, flowers, fluffy pink sweater, do it up big! Wrap 'em up, carry them over there, take her out and wine and dine her and savor! Feels great!4. Anticipation: Deal with it by experiencing emotional reactions in advance of possible future events and considering realistic alternative responses or solutions. VA: Well, that's what we're doing here. We're circumventing a lousy Valentine's Day, and making our plans otherwise. How cool is that?5. Avoidance: Deal with it by refusal to encounter situations because they represent ^unconscious sexual or aggressive impulses^. VA: Well, that would be Valentine's Day. You could cancel your own personal one. 6. Compensation: Encountering failure in one sphere of activity (like love life?), you over-emphasize another. VA: Let's do a clean-the-house marathon, or workout for 5 hours after work Friday.7. Self-assertion: Expressing feelings and thoughts directly, non-manipulatively. VA: Go for it! Ask that cute new HR director out.8. Sublimation: Attenuating the force of an ^instinctual drive^ by using the energy in other, constructive activities. VA: So, we work late Valentine's Day, finishing up a primo project, or go home and write poetry or paint. Good idea?9. Intellectualization: Deal with it by excessive use of abstract thinking or making generalizations to minimize disturbing feelings. VA: We could talk about how nearly half the other adults in the US are also single, and it ain't so bad. Anyway it's not bothering ME. How about that?LET'S AVOID THESE ONES: 1. Conversion: Turn it into a physical symptom "involving portions of the body innervated by sensory or motor nerves." VA: No getting of paralyzed arms because you'd really like to sock your ex.2. Deflection: Redirecting attention to someone else. VA: Don't need to talk about "Loser-boy Tom." We can deal with our own stuff!3. Identification: Unconscious modeling of one's self upon another person. VA: Sandra's got a great husband and she's going to Quebec for Valentine's weekend, but that doesn't mean we have to dress and talk like her all week without ^being aware of it^.4. Displacement: Change in the object by which the ^instinctual drive^ is to be satisfied. VA: Having been abandoned by your boyfriend, resist all urges to vent your anger on your room-mate! Keep your people and your emotions straight, ok? (EQ course available--www.susandunn.cc/courses.htm.)5. Help-Rejecting Complaining: Requesting help and then rejecting it. VA: (I think that's whining, and playing the victim, don't you?)6. Acting Out: Dealing with it by actions rather than reflections of feelings. VA: Don't get crabby and kick the dog, or go out and get drunk.7. Projection: Attributing one's thoughts or impulses to another person. VA: No, your mother isn't mad at YOU, YOU'RE mad at your GIRLFRIEND. Keeping people and feelings straight again.8. Regression: Suffering the loss of some of the development already attained and reverting to lower level of adaptation and expression. VA: None of that! 9. Autistic Fantasy: Deal with it by excessive daydreaming as a substitute for human relationships, more effective action, or problem solving. VA: This is why we all hate Freud!!P.S. Work in an office? Send yourself flowers. Like half those other girls aren't doing that?
Lottery Winners Lose All
Lottery Winners Lose it AllYou have heard it time and again. Lottery Winnerslose it all and trust fund babies waste theirparent's hard earned cash. In fact, up to 80% ofthe lottery winners in this country filebankruptcy within five years. Most of us say,"That would never happen to me. You would have tobe really dumb to lose all that money." Yet thevery reason that these individuals let theirmoney run through their fingers is the veryreason that most of us are still working paycheck to paycheck. It is a lacking mindset that is responsible forour financial difficulties. They believe: 1) Idon't deserve this 2) I feel guilty because ithappened to me and not ___________ 3) This can'tbe real 4) etc... Those with money that work their way up from thebottom or build the wealth they have easily, havethe one thing that most of us lack - a milliondollar mind set. All wealth begins with it andall wealth is maintained by cultivating thisfeeling of prosperity. Their beliefs are: 1) I am wealthy. 2) If I lostit all tommorow, I could make it back easily. 3)I deserve to be wealthy I would bet that most of us could compile a listof hundreds of things that we "want." That senseof wanting means that we feel that we do not havethese things. When we replace this wantingfeeling with the sense of already having wealth,amazing things start to occur within our brains.We begin to come up with ways of having wealthinstead of merely wishing and wanting it. How do we create this million dollar mindset? 1) Think about being wealthy and write down anythoughts that come up. Write down the objections that already play inyour mind. Write down the excuses like" It takesmoney to make money." And write down all thethings that you wish you could have if only... 2) Release on those thoughts. Let them go andkeep letting them go until the negative emotionsgo away with them. 3) Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. 4) Fill your mind with the images of what youwant and picture yourself already having them. 5) See yourself as you will be. Feel what youwill feel. Add audio and even the things that youwill smell when you reach that state. ex. thetype of perfume you might wear, the sound ofbankers begging to give you loans, the feel ofsilk upon your skin, etc... 6) Keep releasing your negative emotions andthoughts until you have what you have beenwanting all these years. 7) Act upon the incredible ideas that yoursubconscious shares with you fearlessly
10 ideas for a perfect wedding gifts
Wedding ceremonies are the stuff fairy tales are made of. Marriages are made in heaven, it is said. Keeping this age-old adage in mind, a heavenly atmosphere is created at the wedding venue. Aromatic smells fill the air. Guests decked in their Sunday best walk the red carpet with wedding gifts in tow. Giving gifts on the wedding day is part of the ceremony. A gift symbolizes the good will guests have for the newly married. Through these gifts, guests wish the couple a long and happy married life. Naturally, when wedding gifts are purchased the most important thing that one keeps in mind is their durability. It is usually felt that a wedding gifts should make a lasting impression. Everyone wants to make a lasting impression. Here is how:# FOR THE BRIDE: Jewelry is on the top of the list for wedding gifts for the bride. Simple yet elegant pieces will ensure surprise and fascination when your gift is opened. You can select from pendants, chains, necklaces, bracelets, brooch pins, hairpins and earrings. # Gift accessories include exquisite evening bags, tote bags, handbags and clutch bags. Evening gowns and formal dresses are ideal clothing items. # Jewelry boxes, perfumes, make-up kits and bags are among other gift articles.# Diamonds are considered to be the ideal gift grooms can give their respective brides. Otherwise any of the above mentioned items would be considered worthy enough.# FOR THE GROOM: Formal gifts include ties, tiepins, cufflinks (gold, silver or diamond studded ones), wristwatch and pocket watch among others. Suits and shirts are formal wear that can be given as gifts.
Informal gifts include golf club sets, baseball sets or musical instruments like guitar.# FOR BOTH BRIDE AND GROOM: Gift articles for both the bride and groom can include funny and naughty items. However, such gifts can be given only by those who know both of bride and groom from close quarters. Otherwise such gifts can be deemed impolite. The list includes ‘just married’ goggles, T-shirts, hats, caps, flip-flops and toilet paper (!). Naughty gifts can include wedding night kits, honeymoon kits, marriage certificates, towels and robes.# DECORATIVE PIECES: Such gifts help the couple beautify their homes. Paintings, wall hangings and show pieces come under this category.# PERSONILIZED GIFTS: Names or even photographs of the bride and groom can be embossed on a variety of items like pillow cases, pillows, albums, wedding plates, photo frames etc. to give a personal touch to the gifts. # FRESH FLOWERS: Sweet smelling flowers are a natural choice for any occasion. Flowers impart joy to both the sender and receiver. To enhance the impact of the wedding gift you have selected, send some fresh flowers along with it. They are bound to catch the eye of the couple.
Informal gifts include golf club sets, baseball sets or musical instruments like guitar.# FOR BOTH BRIDE AND GROOM: Gift articles for both the bride and groom can include funny and naughty items. However, such gifts can be given only by those who know both of bride and groom from close quarters. Otherwise such gifts can be deemed impolite. The list includes ‘just married’ goggles, T-shirts, hats, caps, flip-flops and toilet paper (!). Naughty gifts can include wedding night kits, honeymoon kits, marriage certificates, towels and robes.# DECORATIVE PIECES: Such gifts help the couple beautify their homes. Paintings, wall hangings and show pieces come under this category.# PERSONILIZED GIFTS: Names or even photographs of the bride and groom can be embossed on a variety of items like pillow cases, pillows, albums, wedding plates, photo frames etc. to give a personal touch to the gifts. # FRESH FLOWERS: Sweet smelling flowers are a natural choice for any occasion. Flowers impart joy to both the sender and receiver. To enhance the impact of the wedding gift you have selected, send some fresh flowers along with it. They are bound to catch the eye of the couple.
How To Sell Anything To Your Prospect List On The Internet
Do you like fishing?
I'm going to tell you a fisherman's secret.
Every time a fisherman went to a secluded river or uncharted sea, he knew what kind of bait to throw in. If he wasn't familiar with the hunting ground, he always did scuba diving first. He also used underwater camera to survey the deep waters. The objective was to find out which bait the fish bite.
As a result, he got the specific fish that he wanted. There was rarely crab, shellfish, squid or other species in the net. This helped to keep the balance of Mother Nature.
My friend, this is the jealously guarded secret of the wealthiest fishermen. They don't throw in dragnet carelessly. They obey the law of fishery industry by catching the right ones.
What is the moral of story?
Sending sales letters to your prospects aimlessly is virtually the same as giving unsolicited junk mails! No doubt it is legally moral. But, most prospects hate these.
What should you do?
You must obey the law of proper direct mailing. Don't play the number game. Never waste your resource in this myth. A huge database of prospects doesn't mean you get lots of sales.
Some businesspeople may disagree to this. They argue that prospects are given a chance to remove their names from the mailing list.
But, why waste your time and money? Don't throw these leads away. Instead, you should sort out your prospects according to their needs.
There's a surefire way to do it. And, it won't cost you extra dime. However, it is hard work. You must spend most of your time sorting and splitting your list.
There's no trick in it. You just need to squeeze every single dime out from your prospects.
How?
You should conduct frequent survey to your prospects. I don't mean simple survey with multiple choice answers. Such survey rarely gets honest replies from your prospects unless you've very close relationship with them. That doesn't happen in real life.
Your goal is to find the specific prospects who will buy one specific product from you.
The only way is by using hidden survey technique.
Let me give you an example.
Imagine you've a list of car owners.
As we know, there're many different needs of car owners. Some have engine problems, bad tires, steering problem etc. Inexperience drivers may even want to know how to prevent or handle road accident.
Their problems are your opportunities to sell them the solutions. The business potential is unlimited.
Let say you spot one problem car owners may encounter.
Next, prepare a series of articles in auto responder for each problem.
In these articles, write up solution to the problem. Don't just write a sales message. You should provide good content that makes you look like a savior to your prospects' problem. Give them exactly what they need. Then, they will give you what you need in exchange.
At the end of the series of articles, provide a recommendation to products that solve their problem. That will be your goldmine.
When you've done with all articles, load up into your auto responder.
Now, you're ready to get into the most important part.
Your most important goal here is to ask them to get solution for their problem through auto responder.
Don't show the benefits of your solution. Instead, tell them a story showing the frustration of having this problem. If prospect genuinely has the need for a solution, she'll unknowingly get trap into auto responder deeper and deeper.
Does it work? Yes!
Remember a time when you read an article that made you say this "Ah Ha! That's how you do that". How would you feel towards the author?
Did you even end up buying something from that author?
know your answer is yes.
Can you see now?
The article hides your intention to close sales. When a prospect wants more information in the auto responder, you hook her in the mood to buy from you. She'll follow your lead consistently in order to know how to solve her specific problem. She'll listen to your suggestion to buy.
This is the vital use of auto responder as hidden survey. It seems that many people don't realize this technique.
The fun part is that your auto responder system does all the sorting and splitting of your main list without lifting your fingers. Imagine you've 10 solutions to 10 problems. You'll have 10 tireless machines promoting 10 products and closing sales for you even on Sunday.
Another advantage is that you could even test out whether your prospects want to buy unrelated products.
For examples,
Some car owners may have bad smell on the seats. Can you sell expensive perfume to them?
Would car owners have mood to decorate their cars for festive seasons?
How do you know people will buy?
Throw in some surveys. Create the fear of loss mentality to your prospects. If the need hits straight into their heads, they'll follow your cloaked sales messages in your auto responder. You'll have no problem selling to them.
By now you should be able to see the benefits of using this technique.
This is how you sell anything to your prospects. No more wild goose chase. No more pushing your sales pitch wildly.
I'm going to tell you a fisherman's secret.
Every time a fisherman went to a secluded river or uncharted sea, he knew what kind of bait to throw in. If he wasn't familiar with the hunting ground, he always did scuba diving first. He also used underwater camera to survey the deep waters. The objective was to find out which bait the fish bite.
As a result, he got the specific fish that he wanted. There was rarely crab, shellfish, squid or other species in the net. This helped to keep the balance of Mother Nature.
My friend, this is the jealously guarded secret of the wealthiest fishermen. They don't throw in dragnet carelessly. They obey the law of fishery industry by catching the right ones.
What is the moral of story?
Sending sales letters to your prospects aimlessly is virtually the same as giving unsolicited junk mails! No doubt it is legally moral. But, most prospects hate these.
What should you do?
You must obey the law of proper direct mailing. Don't play the number game. Never waste your resource in this myth. A huge database of prospects doesn't mean you get lots of sales.
Some businesspeople may disagree to this. They argue that prospects are given a chance to remove their names from the mailing list.
But, why waste your time and money? Don't throw these leads away. Instead, you should sort out your prospects according to their needs.
There's a surefire way to do it. And, it won't cost you extra dime. However, it is hard work. You must spend most of your time sorting and splitting your list.
There's no trick in it. You just need to squeeze every single dime out from your prospects.
How?
You should conduct frequent survey to your prospects. I don't mean simple survey with multiple choice answers. Such survey rarely gets honest replies from your prospects unless you've very close relationship with them. That doesn't happen in real life.
Your goal is to find the specific prospects who will buy one specific product from you.
The only way is by using hidden survey technique.
Let me give you an example.
Imagine you've a list of car owners.
As we know, there're many different needs of car owners. Some have engine problems, bad tires, steering problem etc. Inexperience drivers may even want to know how to prevent or handle road accident.
Their problems are your opportunities to sell them the solutions. The business potential is unlimited.
Let say you spot one problem car owners may encounter.
Next, prepare a series of articles in auto responder for each problem.
In these articles, write up solution to the problem. Don't just write a sales message. You should provide good content that makes you look like a savior to your prospects' problem. Give them exactly what they need. Then, they will give you what you need in exchange.
At the end of the series of articles, provide a recommendation to products that solve their problem. That will be your goldmine.
When you've done with all articles, load up into your auto responder.
Now, you're ready to get into the most important part.
Your most important goal here is to ask them to get solution for their problem through auto responder.
Don't show the benefits of your solution. Instead, tell them a story showing the frustration of having this problem. If prospect genuinely has the need for a solution, she'll unknowingly get trap into auto responder deeper and deeper.
Does it work? Yes!
Remember a time when you read an article that made you say this "Ah Ha! That's how you do that". How would you feel towards the author?
Did you even end up buying something from that author?
know your answer is yes.
Can you see now?
The article hides your intention to close sales. When a prospect wants more information in the auto responder, you hook her in the mood to buy from you. She'll follow your lead consistently in order to know how to solve her specific problem. She'll listen to your suggestion to buy.
This is the vital use of auto responder as hidden survey. It seems that many people don't realize this technique.
The fun part is that your auto responder system does all the sorting and splitting of your main list without lifting your fingers. Imagine you've 10 solutions to 10 problems. You'll have 10 tireless machines promoting 10 products and closing sales for you even on Sunday.
Another advantage is that you could even test out whether your prospects want to buy unrelated products.
For examples,
Some car owners may have bad smell on the seats. Can you sell expensive perfume to them?
Would car owners have mood to decorate their cars for festive seasons?
How do you know people will buy?
Throw in some surveys. Create the fear of loss mentality to your prospects. If the need hits straight into their heads, they'll follow your cloaked sales messages in your auto responder. You'll have no problem selling to them.
By now you should be able to see the benefits of using this technique.
This is how you sell anything to your prospects. No more wild goose chase. No more pushing your sales pitch wildly.
How A Tree Can Help You Grow Your Business
A tree is a natural example of a perfect business. It energises us with fresh oxygen while recycling our waste air. It absorbs energy directly from the sun while we still have to digest food. It aligns with the forces of nature. Imagine your business is like a tree. Is your business growing each year and producing ripe results? Or is it stunted and withering.
Here are some ways that you can regenerate your life and business using the wisdom of a seed, a tree and a forest.
1. The Seed That Grows A Forest.
Look at a seed. Perhaps an apple seed. It has an entire apple tree enfolded within it. This one seed can start a tree. Perhaps a whole forest. Now apply the same thinking to your business. What seed vision animates your business? Where is the heart in your business? What makes it breath and live? The answer is YOU. Your business vision must support your life vision. What is my life vision, you ask. Hmmm.
Think like a seed again. Design a lifestyle that you desire. Envision your life in all its many colours, shapes and stages of growth. Create wonderful possibilities. Charge this vision with good feelings. What you feel becomes real. Sow this seed vision within your heart. It will soon grow upwards into your head and outwards beyond your body.
2. The Roots Produce The Fruits.
Whatever you sow, it will grow. A seed grows a complete root system before it breaks through the soil surface. Now if you planted cabbage seeds when you really wanted apples then you will experience a very different result. The results in your life and business are like fruits. They can be traced back to your original seed thoughts. These original seed thoughts grew deep roots. They formed your beliefs about life and business. Your beliefs branched into behaviours. Your behaviours formed habits. Your habits created results. Your results created your life. If you have a major problem area in your life then this is just a result. It could be the result of a limiting memory planted many years ago. For example, a barking dog can still cause anxiety in an adult who remembers being bitten as a child. Certain words capture the power of our beliefs. For example, say the word, STOP, 10 times with feeling. Note the physical sensations in your body. Now say the word, GO, 10 times with !
feeling. Note the physical difference between these two words. The lesson here is to choose words that cause a positive vibration in your body. Changing your vibrations can help to eliminate old root beliefs by shaking them loose from the soil of your mind.
3. Turn Weeds and Toxic Thoughts Into Fertiliser.
The success of your business depends on increasing energy levels and removing blockages. So start to clear out any weeds. I call WEEDS – Wasted Effort Energy Drains. Find all the weeds in your life and business. Simply make a list of the 10 most terrible negatives in your life. On a separate paper, write the complete opposite of these negatives. Find their positive equivalents. Like turning your weeds into flowers. Now tear up your negative list and ceremonially burn it. Like burning old weeds in the garden. Now focus on your positive list. Use this list as seeds for positive growth. It is important that you raise your life-force, your energy levels. Weeds, pests and toxic thoughts drain your energy and stunt your growth.
4. Money Is Just A Fruit Full of Energy.
Money is just another form of energy. It is like a ripe fruit. We desire the juicy taste and sweet joy of the fruit. Rather than just the fruit itself. Similarly with money. We want the freedom and joy that money brings. Rather than just lots of money. So focus on all the good things money can create. Imagine you have sufficient money or fruit to feed yourself and a 1000 other hungry mouths. You help them grow their fruit trees so that they can feed others. It is no point in having basket-loads of money yet you are still poor in heart and mind. It is like the greedy king who kept all his ripe, golden fruit in his kingdom for himself. His joy was short-lived when his fruit all started to rot. So the lesson is to be wealthy in mind, heart and bank account.
5. Marketing Lessons of A Tree.
What value does your business provide to the market? Who is your market? Think like a native tree in a forest. How does it attract birds, bees and other animals? Does it use nuts to attract squirrels or shiny red berries for the birds? Does it have bright flowers with a beautiful fragrance to attract bees? The marketing lessons of tree are about sending out good vibrations that attract your preferred customers. Using light, sound, touch, smell, taste and feeling to form a connection. What subconscious messages are you sending out about your business? Your customer’s subconscious antennae are picking up signals all the time. Make sure you are releasing a positive message like a flower releasing a beautiful perfume.
So look to nature when seeking new inspiration and ideas. There are many business masters within the classrooms of a forest. So start with the teachings of a tree. In fact, grow one. Grow several. It all starts with a single seed.
Here are some ways that you can regenerate your life and business using the wisdom of a seed, a tree and a forest.
1. The Seed That Grows A Forest.
Look at a seed. Perhaps an apple seed. It has an entire apple tree enfolded within it. This one seed can start a tree. Perhaps a whole forest. Now apply the same thinking to your business. What seed vision animates your business? Where is the heart in your business? What makes it breath and live? The answer is YOU. Your business vision must support your life vision. What is my life vision, you ask. Hmmm.
Think like a seed again. Design a lifestyle that you desire. Envision your life in all its many colours, shapes and stages of growth. Create wonderful possibilities. Charge this vision with good feelings. What you feel becomes real. Sow this seed vision within your heart. It will soon grow upwards into your head and outwards beyond your body.
2. The Roots Produce The Fruits.
Whatever you sow, it will grow. A seed grows a complete root system before it breaks through the soil surface. Now if you planted cabbage seeds when you really wanted apples then you will experience a very different result. The results in your life and business are like fruits. They can be traced back to your original seed thoughts. These original seed thoughts grew deep roots. They formed your beliefs about life and business. Your beliefs branched into behaviours. Your behaviours formed habits. Your habits created results. Your results created your life. If you have a major problem area in your life then this is just a result. It could be the result of a limiting memory planted many years ago. For example, a barking dog can still cause anxiety in an adult who remembers being bitten as a child. Certain words capture the power of our beliefs. For example, say the word, STOP, 10 times with feeling. Note the physical sensations in your body. Now say the word, GO, 10 times with !
feeling. Note the physical difference between these two words. The lesson here is to choose words that cause a positive vibration in your body. Changing your vibrations can help to eliminate old root beliefs by shaking them loose from the soil of your mind.
3. Turn Weeds and Toxic Thoughts Into Fertiliser.
The success of your business depends on increasing energy levels and removing blockages. So start to clear out any weeds. I call WEEDS – Wasted Effort Energy Drains. Find all the weeds in your life and business. Simply make a list of the 10 most terrible negatives in your life. On a separate paper, write the complete opposite of these negatives. Find their positive equivalents. Like turning your weeds into flowers. Now tear up your negative list and ceremonially burn it. Like burning old weeds in the garden. Now focus on your positive list. Use this list as seeds for positive growth. It is important that you raise your life-force, your energy levels. Weeds, pests and toxic thoughts drain your energy and stunt your growth.
4. Money Is Just A Fruit Full of Energy.
Money is just another form of energy. It is like a ripe fruit. We desire the juicy taste and sweet joy of the fruit. Rather than just the fruit itself. Similarly with money. We want the freedom and joy that money brings. Rather than just lots of money. So focus on all the good things money can create. Imagine you have sufficient money or fruit to feed yourself and a 1000 other hungry mouths. You help them grow their fruit trees so that they can feed others. It is no point in having basket-loads of money yet you are still poor in heart and mind. It is like the greedy king who kept all his ripe, golden fruit in his kingdom for himself. His joy was short-lived when his fruit all started to rot. So the lesson is to be wealthy in mind, heart and bank account.
5. Marketing Lessons of A Tree.
What value does your business provide to the market? Who is your market? Think like a native tree in a forest. How does it attract birds, bees and other animals? Does it use nuts to attract squirrels or shiny red berries for the birds? Does it have bright flowers with a beautiful fragrance to attract bees? The marketing lessons of tree are about sending out good vibrations that attract your preferred customers. Using light, sound, touch, smell, taste and feeling to form a connection. What subconscious messages are you sending out about your business? Your customer’s subconscious antennae are picking up signals all the time. Make sure you are releasing a positive message like a flower releasing a beautiful perfume.
So look to nature when seeking new inspiration and ideas. There are many business masters within the classrooms of a forest. So start with the teachings of a tree. In fact, grow one. Grow several. It all starts with a single seed.
How A Tree Can Help You Grow Your Business
A tree is a natural example of a perfect business. It energises us with fresh oxygen while recycling our waste air. It absorbs energy directly from the sun while we still have to digest food. It aligns with the forces of nature. Imagine your business is like a tree. Is your business growing each year and producing ripe results? Or is it stunted and withering.
Here are some ways that you can regenerate your life and business using the wisdom of a seed, a tree and a forest.
1. The Seed That Grows A Forest.
Look at a seed. Perhaps an apple seed. It has an entire apple tree enfolded within it. This one seed can start a tree. Perhaps a whole forest. Now apply the same thinking to your business. What seed vision animates your business? Where is the heart in your business? What makes it breath and live? The answer is YOU. Your business vision must support your life vision. What is my life vision, you ask. Hmmm.
Think like a seed again. Design a lifestyle that you desire. Envision your life in all its many colours, shapes and stages of growth. Create wonderful possibilities. Charge this vision with good feelings. What you feel becomes real. Sow this seed vision within your heart. It will soon grow upwards into your head and outwards beyond your body.
2. The Roots Produce The Fruits.
Whatever you sow, it will grow. A seed grows a complete root system before it breaks through the soil surface. Now if you planted cabbage seeds when you really wanted apples then you will experience a very different result. The results in your life and business are like fruits. They can be traced back to your original seed thoughts. These original seed thoughts grew deep roots. They formed your beliefs about life and business. Your beliefs branched into behaviours. Your behaviours formed habits. Your habits created results. Your results created your life. If you have a major problem area in your life then this is just a result. It could be the result of a limiting memory planted many years ago. For example, a barking dog can still cause anxiety in an adult who remembers being bitten as a child. Certain words capture the power of our beliefs. For example, say the word, STOP, 10 times with feeling. Note the physical sensations in your body. Now say the word, GO, 10 times with !
feeling. Note the physical difference between these two words. The lesson here is to choose words that cause a positive vibration in your body. Changing your vibrations can help to eliminate old root beliefs by shaking them loose from the soil of your mind.
3. Turn Weeds and Toxic Thoughts Into Fertiliser.
The success of your business depends on increasing energy levels and removing blockages. So start to clear out any weeds. I call WEEDS – Wasted Effort Energy Drains. Find all the weeds in your life and business. Simply make a list of the 10 most terrible negatives in your life. On a separate paper, write the complete opposite of these negatives. Find their positive equivalents. Like turning your weeds into flowers. Now tear up your negative list and ceremonially burn it. Like burning old weeds in the garden. Now focus on your positive list. Use this list as seeds for positive growth. It is important that you raise your life-force, your energy levels. Weeds, pests and toxic thoughts drain your energy and stunt your growth.
4. Money Is Just A Fruit Full of Energy.
Money is just another form of energy. It is like a ripe fruit. We desire the juicy taste and sweet joy of the fruit. Rather than just the fruit itself. Similarly with money. We want the freedom and joy that money brings. Rather than just lots of money. So focus on all the good things money can create. Imagine you have sufficient money or fruit to feed yourself and a 1000 other hungry mouths. You help them grow their fruit trees so that they can feed others. It is no point in having basket-loads of money yet you are still poor in heart and mind. It is like the greedy king who kept all his ripe, golden fruit in his kingdom for himself. His joy was short-lived when his fruit all started to rot. So the lesson is to be wealthy in mind, heart and bank account.
5. Marketing Lessons of A Tree.
What value does your business provide to the market? Who is your market? Think like a native tree in a forest. How does it attract birds, bees and other animals? Does it use nuts to attract squirrels or shiny red berries for the birds? Does it have bright flowers with a beautiful fragrance to attract bees? The marketing lessons of tree are about sending out good vibrations that attract your preferred customers. Using light, sound, touch, smell, taste and feeling to form a connection. What subconscious messages are you sending out about your business? Your customer’s subconscious antennae are picking up signals all the time. Make sure you are releasing a positive message like a flower releasing a beautiful perfume.
So look to nature when seeking new inspiration and ideas. There are many business masters within the classrooms of a forest. So start with the teachings of a tree. In fact, grow one. Grow several. It all starts with a single seed.
Here are some ways that you can regenerate your life and business using the wisdom of a seed, a tree and a forest.
1. The Seed That Grows A Forest.
Look at a seed. Perhaps an apple seed. It has an entire apple tree enfolded within it. This one seed can start a tree. Perhaps a whole forest. Now apply the same thinking to your business. What seed vision animates your business? Where is the heart in your business? What makes it breath and live? The answer is YOU. Your business vision must support your life vision. What is my life vision, you ask. Hmmm.
Think like a seed again. Design a lifestyle that you desire. Envision your life in all its many colours, shapes and stages of growth. Create wonderful possibilities. Charge this vision with good feelings. What you feel becomes real. Sow this seed vision within your heart. It will soon grow upwards into your head and outwards beyond your body.
2. The Roots Produce The Fruits.
Whatever you sow, it will grow. A seed grows a complete root system before it breaks through the soil surface. Now if you planted cabbage seeds when you really wanted apples then you will experience a very different result. The results in your life and business are like fruits. They can be traced back to your original seed thoughts. These original seed thoughts grew deep roots. They formed your beliefs about life and business. Your beliefs branched into behaviours. Your behaviours formed habits. Your habits created results. Your results created your life. If you have a major problem area in your life then this is just a result. It could be the result of a limiting memory planted many years ago. For example, a barking dog can still cause anxiety in an adult who remembers being bitten as a child. Certain words capture the power of our beliefs. For example, say the word, STOP, 10 times with feeling. Note the physical sensations in your body. Now say the word, GO, 10 times with !
feeling. Note the physical difference between these two words. The lesson here is to choose words that cause a positive vibration in your body. Changing your vibrations can help to eliminate old root beliefs by shaking them loose from the soil of your mind.
3. Turn Weeds and Toxic Thoughts Into Fertiliser.
The success of your business depends on increasing energy levels and removing blockages. So start to clear out any weeds. I call WEEDS – Wasted Effort Energy Drains. Find all the weeds in your life and business. Simply make a list of the 10 most terrible negatives in your life. On a separate paper, write the complete opposite of these negatives. Find their positive equivalents. Like turning your weeds into flowers. Now tear up your negative list and ceremonially burn it. Like burning old weeds in the garden. Now focus on your positive list. Use this list as seeds for positive growth. It is important that you raise your life-force, your energy levels. Weeds, pests and toxic thoughts drain your energy and stunt your growth.
4. Money Is Just A Fruit Full of Energy.
Money is just another form of energy. It is like a ripe fruit. We desire the juicy taste and sweet joy of the fruit. Rather than just the fruit itself. Similarly with money. We want the freedom and joy that money brings. Rather than just lots of money. So focus on all the good things money can create. Imagine you have sufficient money or fruit to feed yourself and a 1000 other hungry mouths. You help them grow their fruit trees so that they can feed others. It is no point in having basket-loads of money yet you are still poor in heart and mind. It is like the greedy king who kept all his ripe, golden fruit in his kingdom for himself. His joy was short-lived when his fruit all started to rot. So the lesson is to be wealthy in mind, heart and bank account.
5. Marketing Lessons of A Tree.
What value does your business provide to the market? Who is your market? Think like a native tree in a forest. How does it attract birds, bees and other animals? Does it use nuts to attract squirrels or shiny red berries for the birds? Does it have bright flowers with a beautiful fragrance to attract bees? The marketing lessons of tree are about sending out good vibrations that attract your preferred customers. Using light, sound, touch, smell, taste and feeling to form a connection. What subconscious messages are you sending out about your business? Your customer’s subconscious antennae are picking up signals all the time. Make sure you are releasing a positive message like a flower releasing a beautiful perfume.
So look to nature when seeking new inspiration and ideas. There are many business masters within the classrooms of a forest. So start with the teachings of a tree. In fact, grow one. Grow several. It all starts with a single seed.
Dressing Tips for Interview Success
Dressing appropriately for job interviews is one of those areas that puzzles some people.
Should you dress conservatively or wear casual attire?
What colors work best?
What types of shoes should you wear?
As a rule, you should dress conservatively for most job interviews. Remember, you only get one shot at making a good first impression.
Here are some basic dress for success tips:
Research how people in a particular field/organization dress and then dress accordingly. If you’re not sure what the dress code is, dress conservatively.
Conservative formal dress consists of a suit (gray, navy, or black) with a nice dress shirt/blouse. Shoes should be dark and well-shined. Women can also wear a tailored dress with or without a jacket. Pumps with low to medium heels are best.
Business casual is a more relaxed look for both men and women. Casual interview wear can consist of a sports coat or jacket with pants or a skirt in an attractive contrasting color. Think: Navy blazer with khaki pants, etc. Add a casual shirt or turtleneck to complete the look.
Hair and nails should be clean and well-groomed.
Skip the perfume and aftershave. You don’t want to turn an interviewer off by overpowering their sense of smell.
Avoid wearing noisy, dangling earrings and bracelets – these can look inappropriate and be distracting. Hide or remove body piercings and tattoos.
Learning how to dress smart for your interviews will create a great impression and also give your self-confidence a real boost.
Should you dress conservatively or wear casual attire?
What colors work best?
What types of shoes should you wear?
As a rule, you should dress conservatively for most job interviews. Remember, you only get one shot at making a good first impression.
Here are some basic dress for success tips:
Research how people in a particular field/organization dress and then dress accordingly. If you’re not sure what the dress code is, dress conservatively.
Conservative formal dress consists of a suit (gray, navy, or black) with a nice dress shirt/blouse. Shoes should be dark and well-shined. Women can also wear a tailored dress with or without a jacket. Pumps with low to medium heels are best.
Business casual is a more relaxed look for both men and women. Casual interview wear can consist of a sports coat or jacket with pants or a skirt in an attractive contrasting color. Think: Navy blazer with khaki pants, etc. Add a casual shirt or turtleneck to complete the look.
Hair and nails should be clean and well-groomed.
Skip the perfume and aftershave. You don’t want to turn an interviewer off by overpowering their sense of smell.
Avoid wearing noisy, dangling earrings and bracelets – these can look inappropriate and be distracting. Hide or remove body piercings and tattoos.
Learning how to dress smart for your interviews will create a great impression and also give your self-confidence a real boost.
Distribute The Wealth With Business Cards
For only pennies per card, you have in your hands one of the most powerful and versatile tools to promote your business. Color Your Business CardThe first thing most people notice about your business card will be the color – or lack of it. Is it a ho-hum, unexciting card that looks like thousands of others? Regardless of whether you have your card professionally designed, or you create it on your home or business computer and printer, color makes your card stand out. You can purchase prescored or perforated sheets of heavy paper or cardstock in a variety of colors and/or designs and patterns. Many word processing programs have a business card template, as will graphic design programs, and you can customize your business card in a matter of minutes. However, some occupations aren’t known for garish color schemes, such as a funeral director who would probably go for a somber color. Conversely, those involved in the field of childcare might opt for neons and vivid hues. Go with what works for your company’s image.Homemade or ProfessionalIf cost is an issue, then you need to consider your designing skills. Sometimes a plain white or beige card with a simple font will be all you need. Other times, you might want a heavy matte cardstock with a four-color photo on your cards. When inquiring about prices from your local printer, make several calls. Also, if you’re concerned about the quality of your business cards, it would be to your advantage to visit the printer and ask to see samples of their work.While there are many online-based companies who do excellent jobs, you are again advised to contact them and discuss your needs about the size of the font, color, type of cardstock, cost of finished product, money back guarantees, and if they will snail mail sample[s] to you. Ask for their opinion, as they are the experts. They should be happy to consult with you. A reliable printer is just that – someone who is proud of the quality of his or her work and will be able to prove it to you be it on or off-line.Magnetized Business CardsMake your card a part of any metal surface with a magnetic business card. Magnets aren’t just for refrigerators, as many offices have cabinets, credenzas and filing cabinets with surfaces just asking for magnets! Your Winning Business Card This method will expose your business and you might also win a prize! Many restaurants and retail establishments have free drawings if you include your business card in their ballot boxes. Your card might translate into sales if you have products they want.Creative Business Card DistributionThis is a cost-effective way to drive sales to your door or traffic to your web site. In your local bookstore you will find dozens of appropriate categories pertaining to your market. For example, if your business involves lawn and garden care, insert your business cards into books pertaining to gardening, plants, flowers, botany, home repair, and other categories loosely or closely related to your business. That person who finds your card and is thinking of doing a project him or herself might decide to let you have the business! Or they may know of someone who would be interested in utilizing your company’s services. Not every business card you distribute will have results, maybe you only provide a free bookmark, but it’s a free promotion method.Scent Your Business CardNot only will your business card reflect your business visually, you can have an added dimension that is guaranteed to make an impact on someone’s nose. The first time I tried this I got a sale because my Angel Type soap, which was pictured on the business card, had a dab of the pleasant and sweet fragrance on the card. This method works well for those of you who sell gift baskets, baked goods, flowers, or perfume. Perhaps your name, or company’s name, is Rose, Rosemary, Jasmine, etc. or that is your logo—so a matching aroma would be beneficial to helping people remember your company. Scented cards won’t be appropriate for many people or businesses, but if yours does fall into a scented niche, it might mean quicker sales, and hopefully more of them! Remember that some people can be allergic to various odors, but most will respond positively if your card is not too harshly scented.
Presenting Your Business CardHere is an area where many people need to be prepared. After all, how many times have you been in a situation where you wish you had a business card to give to someone? Perhaps you were in line at a store, or in a waiting room, and you end up chatting with someone and your business comes up. This person [or maybe more than one!] will exhibit interest in your business and ask for a card. But you don’t have a single one with you! The solution is a simple and cost-effective one – always carry enough business cards with you! Make sure that your planner, binder, wallet, portfolio, or business card container is full each day. Carry your cards in such a way so that they’re always in the same place and you don’t have to fumble around hunting for them. This is an uncomfortable situation for both you and your prospective customer. So remedy the situation by having enough business cards and knowing where you keep them!Remember, each card you distribute is a potential passport to wealth!
Presenting Your Business CardHere is an area where many people need to be prepared. After all, how many times have you been in a situation where you wish you had a business card to give to someone? Perhaps you were in line at a store, or in a waiting room, and you end up chatting with someone and your business comes up. This person [or maybe more than one!] will exhibit interest in your business and ask for a card. But you don’t have a single one with you! The solution is a simple and cost-effective one – always carry enough business cards with you! Make sure that your planner, binder, wallet, portfolio, or business card container is full each day. Carry your cards in such a way so that they’re always in the same place and you don’t have to fumble around hunting for them. This is an uncomfortable situation for both you and your prospective customer. So remedy the situation by having enough business cards and knowing where you keep them!Remember, each card you distribute is a potential passport to wealth!
Délices de France, a delicious way of cooking, a culinary ar
Would you like to taste authentic French specialties gourmet food and recipes? Well, this is what Délices de France can do for you. Délices de France was founded in January of 2004 by Anne Garrett. I know all the fine dining of her country. Ingredients from the best French tables, used with a blend of spices, mushrooms, mustards and different ingredients, will please your delicate palate. Do you ever wanted to taste a real cheese fondue, a gourmet potato casserole or a roasted chicken au Reblochon? Yummm, it sounds delicious. Well it is. Add a different touch to your cooking by trying the French way of life, recipes from the best restaurants in France, recipes that she has made in her own kitchen with ingredients you cannot find anywhere else but over in France. Spices and scents that will embalm your kitchen and leave a delicious perfume of Provence. Discover this beautiful region, located in the South of France. The architecture and decors use a lot of colors, purple or yellow houses where you can smell the fresh morning due. For miles, fields of lavender that will give to your soul a piece of quiet and “fraîcheur”.So, let’s travel, visit Délices de France, you will find a lot of treasures, by adding a little French touch to your cooking and your house.
Conservative Investment Management Pays for This Firm
It is genrally not a good idea for an independent financial adviser to endorse specific companies or products by name and this article is not intentionally written as an endorsement. But when another industry magazine printed an article sub-titled “American Skandia’s Stroke of Genius” for viewing by financial professionals only, it seems apparent that the outstanding actions of this company deserve further comment in public media.In short, variable annuities are insured stock accounts where a private insurance company guarantees that investors will not lose money. That guarantee can be expensive to insurance companies, especially when the stock market perfumes poorly as is has in the past few years.Some variable annuity companies are facing significant losses from these guarantees, to the point of threatening the financial stability of some very popular names in the financial services industry. But one of the largest issuer’s of variable annuities, American Skandia, has been able to avoid this financial risk through the use of unique but fundamentally sound investment management and accounting. In other words, by setting up automated systems to automatically manage money more conservatively during periods of declining stock prices, American Skandia has significantly outmaneuvered the market and avoided risk for its investors.American Skandia is one of the few investment companies that offers a no-load account without investment commissions through independent investment advisers. It own distribution costs are minimal because the company does not maintain an internal sales force, but relies instead on the recommendations of independent financial advisers.
Choosing your flowers
Flowers have been used for centuries to decorate and perfume houses.Bringing fresh cut flowers into your home adds colour and scent it istrue, but the flowers add an extra dimension that cannot be created with soft furnishings and accessories – they bring with them a senseof life and growth, making a room come alive. Think how welcomingFlowers are when you find an elegant arrangement in a hotel lobby or a simple posy on a restaurant table. Having fresh flowers in your home,even if only at weekends or during holidays, will instantly cheer you, your family and friends and make your home much more welcoming.Each season brings a fresh range of flowers and foliage to used around the house, and weather you wish to create a formal arrangement for a celebration or simply add some fresh flowers to a room, there is always something new to try. You can make the most of special features in any room with a carefully chosen and arranged selection of flowers, emptyfireplaces, table tops bedside cabinets, vanity shelves in bathroom andkitchen tables are all ideal places to feature an arrangement of colorefulflowers.
There is a lot of mystique surrounding the skill of flower arranging, but with practice, you will find that your eye soon develops so that you create increasingly effective arrangements. Once you have chosen a group of flowers and foliage that you think will go well together, consider wherethe arrangement will be place and which container you plan to use. It is then a matter of creating a shape that suits all three and that shows off the flowers and foliage to their best advantage. Some people find this a very simple process; others have to take their time and make whatthey believe to be mistakes along the way.Keep a record of arrangements that catch your eye and try to think why they attract you, is it the choice of colours? The container? Or the particularflowers that have been used? Dramatic arrangements in hotel lobbies, for example are great inspiration for smaller scale arrangements in your own home.Used books, magazines, fabrics, and gardens to give you ideas of colours and shapes, too, but don’t be afraid to experiment, you will soon get to know what works and what does not.
There is a lot of mystique surrounding the skill of flower arranging, but with practice, you will find that your eye soon develops so that you create increasingly effective arrangements. Once you have chosen a group of flowers and foliage that you think will go well together, consider wherethe arrangement will be place and which container you plan to use. It is then a matter of creating a shape that suits all three and that shows off the flowers and foliage to their best advantage. Some people find this a very simple process; others have to take their time and make whatthey believe to be mistakes along the way.Keep a record of arrangements that catch your eye and try to think why they attract you, is it the choice of colours? The container? Or the particularflowers that have been used? Dramatic arrangements in hotel lobbies, for example are great inspiration for smaller scale arrangements in your own home.Used books, magazines, fabrics, and gardens to give you ideas of colours and shapes, too, but don’t be afraid to experiment, you will soon get to know what works and what does not.
Be a Realtor with Curb Appeal
Are you a realtor with curb appeal or are you more of a fixer-upper needful of updating?
How you present yourself to colleagues, buyers and sellers, from the very first moment, will influence your sales records as well as the confidence and satisfaction your new clients feel. Even if you’re a Realtor in demand, with more listings than hours in a week, you may well find areas that you can polish. Read on to make doubly sure you are a realtor with curb appeal and then watch your business grow!
Image is Everything
Like it or not your competence on the job will be judged by the first impression you give your new or prospective customers. Make sure they leave every meeting with you feeling confident, informed and satisfied with your ability to give them the service they want.
In order to leave a polished, professional impression you must excel in several key areas. Let’s take a closer look at these.
Courtesy Lives
Ask anyone what trait they most appreciate in a sales person and they will tell you it’s courtesy. Winning sales people understand that impeccable manners and unfaltering courtesy will lead to loyal clients who will not only speak well of their experiences but will recommend you to all their friends, relatives, acquaintances and even the check out clerk at the supermarket.
The positive publicity that comes from word of mouth is priceless, long lasting and your best sales tool. It can’t be purchased but once earned, it will repay you in promotional dividends for years.
Humor is Everything
Have you ever met a person with no sense of humor? Did you find their company enjoyable or did you spend your time looking for the exit sign? Life is difficult on its best days and we all get tired, frustrated and angry but your clients should never sense these things in you. Never – ever – offer complaints to your clients. If a difficult situation arises, solve it as quickly as possible. If you keep your patience and sense of humor you will keep your clients too.
Dress for Success
Successful people dress for success. It is easy to have confidence in a salesperson who looks confident and professional. Each property showing is a new job interview so dress for it, right down to your shoes.
If you’re inclined to wear a personal scent, be it perfume or men’s cologne, remember the three-foot rule. No one outside of three feet from your person should be able to tell you’re wearing fragrance. I’m sure you want to be remembered for your client-centered professionalism and not your unbridled use of the cologne bottle.
Perfectly Polished Space
From your office space to your car’s floor mats you want to project yourself as a sales person with an eye for detail and quality.
Scent is one of those things that people hold in memory the longest. Your car shouldn’t reek of cigarette smoke and your office trash shouldn’t hold the remnants of the raw onion sandwich you had for lunch. Don’t rely on an air freshener. Empty your trash can and ashtray. Make sure everything has a sparkling clean look, smell and feel.
By offering your clients a clean, relaxing atmosphere, they will feel encouraged to stay longer, look harder and ask the questions they need answered to feel most comfortable with buying or listing their property with you.
Winning Copy – Wins!
Do you make up your business cards, sales flyers, brochures and announcements on your office computer? You shouldn’t – unless they are professional grade.
Unless you are a superb desk top publisher, have a great eye for design and are an excellent writer, you should never attempt to produce your professional copy yourself. Handmade and homemade have no place in the advertisement arsenal of a realtor with curb appeal.
Hiring a professional copy writer is one of the smartest investments you can make. Perfectly polished ads with crisp informative copy, well done business cards and sizzling brochures make for inexpensive advertising. Poorly done items give the impression of a low budget business and the feel of a business that’s here today but may not be tomorrow.
Organizational Style
“We love it –we’ll take it,” the client says.
“I’ll write that up for you now,” the realtor responds and a few minutes later emerges from the back seat of his car with a crumpled offer form stained with ketchup and a dirty shoe print.
Lack of organizational skills shows the unpolished view of a realtor more than any other issue. Do what ever it takes to get organized and constantly be on the prowl for additional tricks to improve your “system.”
Last, Never Least
The last tip here is an important one. Remember the client after the sale – and they will remember you to their friends, relatives and neighbors for years to come. Have your copywriter prepare informational postcards, thank-you cards and 1st cards. Small, after the sale, house-warming baskets with fruit or condiments is a memorable gift as are coupons to local restaurants and family attractions. Few businesses have the keen competition that is ever present in the real estate market. It really doesn’t matter if sales are booming or depressed, a realtor must be on top of his or her game at all times. The first, and last, impression you leave will be lasting -make sure you are spit shined, polished and ready to sell. If growing your business is important to you - make sure you are a realtor with curb appeal.
How you present yourself to colleagues, buyers and sellers, from the very first moment, will influence your sales records as well as the confidence and satisfaction your new clients feel. Even if you’re a Realtor in demand, with more listings than hours in a week, you may well find areas that you can polish. Read on to make doubly sure you are a realtor with curb appeal and then watch your business grow!
Image is Everything
Like it or not your competence on the job will be judged by the first impression you give your new or prospective customers. Make sure they leave every meeting with you feeling confident, informed and satisfied with your ability to give them the service they want.
In order to leave a polished, professional impression you must excel in several key areas. Let’s take a closer look at these.
Courtesy Lives
Ask anyone what trait they most appreciate in a sales person and they will tell you it’s courtesy. Winning sales people understand that impeccable manners and unfaltering courtesy will lead to loyal clients who will not only speak well of their experiences but will recommend you to all their friends, relatives, acquaintances and even the check out clerk at the supermarket.
The positive publicity that comes from word of mouth is priceless, long lasting and your best sales tool. It can’t be purchased but once earned, it will repay you in promotional dividends for years.
Humor is Everything
Have you ever met a person with no sense of humor? Did you find their company enjoyable or did you spend your time looking for the exit sign? Life is difficult on its best days and we all get tired, frustrated and angry but your clients should never sense these things in you. Never – ever – offer complaints to your clients. If a difficult situation arises, solve it as quickly as possible. If you keep your patience and sense of humor you will keep your clients too.
Dress for Success
Successful people dress for success. It is easy to have confidence in a salesperson who looks confident and professional. Each property showing is a new job interview so dress for it, right down to your shoes.
If you’re inclined to wear a personal scent, be it perfume or men’s cologne, remember the three-foot rule. No one outside of three feet from your person should be able to tell you’re wearing fragrance. I’m sure you want to be remembered for your client-centered professionalism and not your unbridled use of the cologne bottle.
Perfectly Polished Space
From your office space to your car’s floor mats you want to project yourself as a sales person with an eye for detail and quality.
Scent is one of those things that people hold in memory the longest. Your car shouldn’t reek of cigarette smoke and your office trash shouldn’t hold the remnants of the raw onion sandwich you had for lunch. Don’t rely on an air freshener. Empty your trash can and ashtray. Make sure everything has a sparkling clean look, smell and feel.
By offering your clients a clean, relaxing atmosphere, they will feel encouraged to stay longer, look harder and ask the questions they need answered to feel most comfortable with buying or listing their property with you.
Winning Copy – Wins!
Do you make up your business cards, sales flyers, brochures and announcements on your office computer? You shouldn’t – unless they are professional grade.
Unless you are a superb desk top publisher, have a great eye for design and are an excellent writer, you should never attempt to produce your professional copy yourself. Handmade and homemade have no place in the advertisement arsenal of a realtor with curb appeal.
Hiring a professional copy writer is one of the smartest investments you can make. Perfectly polished ads with crisp informative copy, well done business cards and sizzling brochures make for inexpensive advertising. Poorly done items give the impression of a low budget business and the feel of a business that’s here today but may not be tomorrow.
Organizational Style
“We love it –we’ll take it,” the client says.
“I’ll write that up for you now,” the realtor responds and a few minutes later emerges from the back seat of his car with a crumpled offer form stained with ketchup and a dirty shoe print.
Lack of organizational skills shows the unpolished view of a realtor more than any other issue. Do what ever it takes to get organized and constantly be on the prowl for additional tricks to improve your “system.”
Last, Never Least
The last tip here is an important one. Remember the client after the sale – and they will remember you to their friends, relatives and neighbors for years to come. Have your copywriter prepare informational postcards, thank-you cards and 1st cards. Small, after the sale, house-warming baskets with fruit or condiments is a memorable gift as are coupons to local restaurants and family attractions. Few businesses have the keen competition that is ever present in the real estate market. It really doesn’t matter if sales are booming or depressed, a realtor must be on top of his or her game at all times. The first, and last, impression you leave will be lasting -make sure you are spit shined, polished and ready to sell. If growing your business is important to you - make sure you are a realtor with curb appeal.
Attract Media Coverage Without Spending Advertising $$
Advertising is expensive. PR is often low cost or free.Try these ten tips for attracting free PR to your business. But here is a word of caution. When sending press releases to the media, remember that less is more. The journalist who encounters a press release from your company every week learn to ignore anything with your name on it.1. Capitalize on an AnniversaryIs your business having a significant anniversary? Tenth year in business? Ten thousandth customer served? Five thousand books sold? Arrange some sort of celebration, draft a press release and contact your local media. You can never tell. You must might coverage from the local newspaper, radio or television station.2. Donate SomethingDoes your networking group have draws for door prizes? Offer to donate the prize, then give something that's heavily branded with your businesses name and contact information. Similarly, find out if local charities are engaged in fund raising opportunities. Offer one of your products or services as a prize or to be auctioned.3. Host a Special EventHave a Singles Night, a Kid's Night, or a Senior Citizen's Night. Send a press release to your local media. A supermarket did a smashing business following a well publicized Singles Night complete with dancing in the aisles, games and contests.4. Sponsor SomethingProvide sponsorship at a trade show, a convention, a sporting event, or an arts festival. Sponsor a local kid to attend an event in another city. Sponsor a kid's sports team. Offer a scholarship to help a young person attend university. Remember to send the press release.5. Decorate CreativelyPut up a stunning decoration or window display for the Holidays, or for spring, or fall, or in recognition of some particular event in your city. Then invite the media to take a look. The key is to have something unique or original that'll warrant pictures and video taping.6. Write ArticlesIf you're in business, you're an expert on some topic. Write articles on your area of expertise. Submit them to local or national media, magazines, web sites, trade journals or other pertinent publications. Your article should not be a promotion of your business, but should inform readers about a topic of interest. Accountants might write articles on tax tips, for example, or florists could write about plant care.
7. Let Them Know You're an ExpertWhen newsworthy stories become available, media often look for a local expert for quotes and comments. Contact your local or national media, and let them know you are available to comment on topics within your area of expertise. Suppose your expertise is ecommerce, for example. Next time your local paper has an ecommerce-related story, they just might contact you for a comment. You (and your business) will get some excellent and cost-free publicity.8. Get T-shirts and Go PublicDecorate t-shirts with your company's logo. Sign up your staff to participate in charity walks and other community events. Ensure that everyone wears the t-shirts.9. Donate Something to a Local CharityDonate books, used computers, products or services to a school or charity. In one community, local businesses attracted enormous publicity by organizing an event in which they outfitted adolescent youth from low-income families for the spring prom. Participating clothing shops, beauticians, florists, even taxi companies got in on the act and attracted enormous publicity while doing good works.10. Publicize a New Product, Service or Research FindingHave something new to offer? If it's at all unique in your area, write your press release and send it to media and trade journals. Even if you get mentioned in the gossip column of a trade journal, it's still good publicity!11. Offer Something UniqueLocal shops in one community worked together to hold a Men's Night and shortly before the Holidays. Males received assistance in purchasing lingerie, perfumes, jewelry and accessories for the woman in their lives. It was a new concept in the area and a big success. The media loved it.================================================
7. Let Them Know You're an ExpertWhen newsworthy stories become available, media often look for a local expert for quotes and comments. Contact your local or national media, and let them know you are available to comment on topics within your area of expertise. Suppose your expertise is ecommerce, for example. Next time your local paper has an ecommerce-related story, they just might contact you for a comment. You (and your business) will get some excellent and cost-free publicity.8. Get T-shirts and Go PublicDecorate t-shirts with your company's logo. Sign up your staff to participate in charity walks and other community events. Ensure that everyone wears the t-shirts.9. Donate Something to a Local CharityDonate books, used computers, products or services to a school or charity. In one community, local businesses attracted enormous publicity by organizing an event in which they outfitted adolescent youth from low-income families for the spring prom. Participating clothing shops, beauticians, florists, even taxi companies got in on the act and attracted enormous publicity while doing good works.10. Publicize a New Product, Service or Research FindingHave something new to offer? If it's at all unique in your area, write your press release and send it to media and trade journals. Even if you get mentioned in the gossip column of a trade journal, it's still good publicity!11. Offer Something UniqueLocal shops in one community worked together to hold a Men's Night and shortly before the Holidays. Males received assistance in purchasing lingerie, perfumes, jewelry and accessories for the woman in their lives. It was a new concept in the area and a big success. The media loved it.================================================
Can You Criticize And Still Be Nice?
Have you ever encountered an experience when someone told you how fat you've become? Maybe your boss have commented on how bad your work turned out to be. Maybe you've heard from other folks how people view you as cold and unapproachable.Hurts, doesn't it?Believe it or not, some people can be so tactless that they are not even aware when they've hurt anyone's feelings. The receiving parties, especially the sensitive ones, would be offended by their remarks. This would result in conflicts and arguments.You know you're doing them a big favor by saving them from shame or disappointment, but would they realize your good intentions instead of feeling hurt by your brutally frank comments or advices?They might probably think you're too rude or impolite. But what can you do if you really need to assert an honest criticism, but you're afraid of hurting others' feelings?Want to know the secret?All you have to do is sandwich your negative comment between two positive remarks.For example, your best friend Paul is going on his very first date. He's all excited and raring to go. Now Paul doesn't have any fashion sense. He's wearing a bland shirt and old jeans. You know all along how he hates to admit that he's wrong. So what will you do to save Paul from an embarassing first date? Would you say to him that the outfit he's wearing is repulsive? That would hurt his ego. Well, you can first point out the things that you like in his overall appearance. Comment on his well-groomed hair. Tell him he looks cool when wearing his sunglasses. Ask him where he bought his perfume because it can certainly attract women like bees to honey. Be sincere and honest. Then, insert in a nice and suave manner your point of view and advice. You can tell him something like:"Your shirt seems to be very comfortable to wear, Paul. Since this is your very first date, I think Sandra (his date) will be much more impressed if you would wear something like the outfit that you wore on my birthday. You look smashing when you put on clothes like that."Afterwards, make another positive statement. You could say something like:"You would definitely make a big impact on Sandra. She would fall heads over heels over your gorgeous appearance and cheerful personality. Have a great time on your date, Paul."Do you think Paul would be offended by such pleasant comments? Not a chance. You have wittingly inserted a slightly negative feedback into a plethora of acceptable and ego-boosting remarks.People love compliments. They believe they got the qualities. They want other people to intensify the great abilities that they believe to possess. People wanted to hear their greatness purported from someone else's mouth, and they would be very glad if other individuals would know about it.So if you want to criticize anybody, remember to praise him first. It will leave a positive impression that you're a nice guy. Then say what you have to say, but in a smooth and non-offensive manner. Finalize with another positive reinforcement to establish a foundation of goodwill.
A Guide to Choosing The Perfect Color(s) For Your Company Lo
A good logo design is very important for any company wishing to build their brand.Once you have a good logo, the next step is choosing the right color(s) for your company logo.Why?Because we see the world in colors, and we associate colors with certain characteristics. So, in order to communicate more efficiently what your business 'character' is and also to have a more effective logo, you have to choose your colors wisely.Colors also affect people differently, based on their age, culture, sex and upbringing. Therefore choosing a color that appeals to your target customer the most is very important!That is what we hope this article will achieve, guiding you to pick the right colors.We'll start with the favorite 'corporate' color....BLUEBlue is the favorite corporate color. And it is a favorite for a reason. The characteristics most commonly associated with blue are authority, security, intelligence, coolness and reliability. As you can see, that is why it is a popular color. The reason is blue is the color of the sky and sea. It generates feelings of peace, calmness and tranquility, the same feeling that you'll experience being at a beautiful beach.If you choose deep blue (colors of the ocean), other qualities associated with it are serious, naval, academic and analytical.If you want a cool, soothing color, you would do well to choose light blue. It gives a feeling of freshness, clean and calmness.The best companies to use blue are airlines, airport, air conditioners, breath freshener, mineral water, cruises and seaports.Blue is also a favorite color among males, and is regarded as a 'masculine' color.It works well with a lot of pastel colors, and with careful skill can be used to calm a bright red scheme. Always leave it to the expert however if you plan to use red and blue. Just a little mistake can cause people to runaway... don't say we didn't warn you! :)Successful red and blue combinations are the American flag and Superman.... If you look carefully there's always a third color around to 'bridge' these two opposite colors effectively. Neutral colors work best here (white and yellow).GREENGreen is associated with money, environmental, wealth, nature, health, freshness and loyalty.Green is very relaxing to the eye and is the color of nature. It is also the color of peace and harmony. Dark green is very popular with financial and banking companies. Light, olive green can be used to promote products based on nature and healing qualities.REDRed is a very intense and hot color. It is often used to represent heat, passion, excitement, speed and strength.Red literally 'shouts'. Use it to attract attention and importance. It also signifies courage, bravery, danger, war and energy.Therefore use red to promote energy drinks, cars (Ferrari red), lipsticks, passionate love (Cupid), and dangerous or extreme sports. Red is also considered lucky for the Chinese and is a color of celebration and prosperity.YELLOWYellow is the color of happiness, excitement, energy and cheerfulness.Yellow is another attention grabbing color. Use it with red and you have a powerful head-turning color scheme (like Shell).Deep, bright yellow is the color of royalty, honor and loyalty.Yellow also attracts children and is the color often used for toys, and kindergarten buildings.It is also the color use for emergency and hazard situation; used in radioactive materials, fire trucks, rescue vehicles (AA), tow trucks, tractors, and bulldozers.ORANGEOrange is a warm, citrus color, and represents health, vibrancy, sunshine and the tropics.Orange creates a stimulating, vibrant, fun and exciting environment. It is the combination of red and yellow.It is an effective color to promote healthy food, drinks, toys and youth products.PINK & LAVENDERPink and lavender often brings to mind femininity, innocence, romance and health.It is very effective to promote products or services to women, such as exclusive spa for women, beauty products, lingerie, and perfume.WHITEImagine snow, angels, and brides. What does these things invoke in you?Exactly. White represents innocence, virtue, purity, cleanliness, coolness, safety, health, medicine and virginity, It is best use to promote wedding shops, charities, medical products, low-fat foods and dairy products.BLACKMystery, formality, seriousness, power, elegant, authority and evil are some of the attributes associated with black.Black is best use as a background to other bright or pastel colors. Using black as your logo typeface will suggest authority, classical, elegance, stability and power.Using black as your main color however will usually be related to mystery, stability, strength, death, and evil. Examples include banks, mystery, thriller or scary movies, rock bands and funeral companies.GRAY OR SILVERGray evokes conservative, depressing and moody feelings.Silver however represents technology, cutting edge, machines, and richness and elegance.Therefore, it is not surprising to see most high-tech companies uses a combination of silver and blue.BROWN OR CREAM Brown is also another color that represents nature, as it is the color of land and trees. As such it invokes a comfort, homeliness feeling
It is best used for restaurants, natural or antique furniture companies, and outdoor activities products.Light brown or cream is suitable for food products as it is the color of wheat, flour, spaghetti and potatoes.Combined with green, then it can effectively promote a recycling or earth-friendly organizations / products. ----------------------------------------
It is best used for restaurants, natural or antique furniture companies, and outdoor activities products.Light brown or cream is suitable for food products as it is the color of wheat, flour, spaghetti and potatoes.Combined with green, then it can effectively promote a recycling or earth-friendly organizations / products. ----------------------------------------
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