Astonish Your Customers With These Customer Service Tips

by: Catherine Franz

Customer service today is getting worse. Win customers over and you build your business for life. Proven by the leader in the industry -- Nordstrom's. Nordstrom's customer service keeps improving and they continue to drive others out of business because of it. Here are six ways you can thrill customers and snatch a larger market share from your competitors.

...Offer to do an extraordinary favor

Here's an example of what I mean: A customer of a moving firm wanted to ship a kitchen table and chairs set to his son in a city 300 miles away. But the moving firm had a hefty weight requirement and a high minimum fee. The firm's manager said he made regular trips to that city. So he offered--at no cost--to load the set in his station wagon and deliver it on his next trip.

...Under promise, over deliver

A well-known air freight company promises to deliver a package by 10 am the next morning--but often delivers by 9 or 9:30 am. A local printing company always finishes the job before the due date. These are companies customers can count on.

...Give them a benefit they don't know exists

If your business offers coupons for certain items, discount those items for those purchases even if customers don't have the coupons.

...Put concern above profit

Only offer customers items they can use. Don't sell them higher-priced products just to make a big sale. You'll win the loyalty of customers if you look out for their best interest.

...Follow up after the sale

The most successful salespeople follow up regularly at scheduled times--not when they have a spare moment. Help yourself follow up by keeping a log of commitments made and when you promised to keep them.

...Comfort customers in time of need

Let's discuss this with an example. If a customer's air conditioning unit blinked out on the hottest Saturday of the year. Have a backup plan for these type of emergencies. People never forget it when you ease their comfort and will become your biggest raving fan. Return their call no matter how busy you are or have a plan on how to handle these calls. Work later than normal or have someone part-time and on-call. Talk with them on how you can ease their comfort until you can make it there. Ask if they would like to go to the mall or a movie where it is air conditioned and you will call them when you arrive. It doesn't matter if you are in the air conditioning and heating business or you're a consultant, think of ways you can ease customer's comfort. And don't forget to advertise that as well.

About the Author:
Catherine Franz is a Life and Business Coach and Master
Practitioner in the Laws of Attraction. Catherine guides
others in finding the light of their own existence and walking
an attractive truth in their own lives.
http://www.abundancecenter.com
http://abundance.blogs.com

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by: John Alexander

Unfortunately, what you do with your hands can be one of the quickest non-verbal ways to destroy the attraction that a woman feels for you, because the wrong hand movements can communicate that you are a low-status, beta male.

To make matters worse, your hands can be particularly tough to manage because, let's face it, when you feel nervous, the hardest thing in the world is figuring out what to do with your hands!

For success with your dating and seduction of women, make sure you don't make the following body language mistakes with your hands.

MISTAKE ONE. Displaying your anxiety with your hands.

You do this when you:

1) Shred napkins.
2) Make your hands into fists.
3) Sit on your hands.
4) Hold something and play with it.
5) Twiddle your fingers or thumbs.
6) Hold your hands unnaturally still.
7) Sit on your hands to avoid having the woman see them tremble.

Although you might be feeling nervous, the last thing you want to do is to let the woman detect you feel that way.

Instead you want to convey that you're calm and in control. Nothing attracts a woman more than a man who's laid back and confident.

MISTAKE TWO. Putting your fingers into your mouth.

When you bite your nails or otherwise chew on your fingers, you are, according to psychologists, doing the same thing that infants are doing when they suck their mother's breast.

For a baby, breast feeding provides comfort. When we became toddlers, our thumbs replaced our mom's nipple.

And then as adults, biting our thumbnail does the same thing. Ever noticed that when you're out in public, you mainly bite your nails when you're under pressure?

THE SOLUTION. Just hold your hands relaxed on the table.

Rest your forearms on the table, keeping your arms open and letting them drop forward.

Keep your hands and arms open and relaxed. Most of the time this means having them about 18 inches or half a meter apart, your palms facing each other, with fingers curved slightly upward.

As your palms face each other, they should also face the woman. Open palms convey honesty and being completely comfortable with yourself. Having the back of your hands facing her can often convey that you're hiding something.

Demonstrating your confidence can be as easy as that! Stop twiddling your thumbs and watch the women flock to you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
John Alexander is author of How to Become an Alpha Male, a dating and seduction success guide for men which will improve your body language and confidence.

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by: Jo Ball

Let’s get this straight at the outset…

Leadership skills can be found in their droves on an Internet search. Lists… dozen of them; and if you want to define yourself and tick the box by a pre-set, ready made standard based on what ‘experts’ in business and the church think, then go right ahead and look because I am not going to reproduce it here and encourage you to pigeon-hole yourself.

Face facts: the guy in the pin-stripe suit and the one with the dog collar are not the only leaders. What’s more their ways, their definitions and their lists are not the only way to lead.

In your lifetime you’ve been exposed to all kinds of ‘leaders in their day’. Take your teachers; yes, the ones who made you tuck your shirt in, do your tie up, remove your make up, ear rings and often your smile…

Take your parents – doing their best as the leaders of your home and your childhood – using what they had and what they knew to bring you up with good morals and good values so you would become an acceptable member of society who could get a good job and find a good spouse and go on to be a good reflection of them. Maybe they were kind and nurturing, maybe they were overbearing torturers and heavy-handed disciplinarians….

Then take your peers: the leaders, the tall kids in the playground who developed first and got all the attraction from the opposite sex. The first couple to make out, the first guy to have a car, the first one to leave and get a job and reach the heady-height of leader for five minutes…

And I guess what sends us on those searches to pigeonhole ourselves is the hope that we are as good or better than that standard. Maybe it will help us if we can be recognised as someone or something by a business leader’s standard or a spiritual leader’s values.

And this is okay, but remember that the standard of the wealthy and the clean have often been brought into question. Perhaps the standard of the person who walks their dog, chatting to the mums and the kids on their way to the school bus, or the parent who can ignore the tantrum of their child or the lady who helps you settle into a new community by throwing a party for you, are the type of leaders we might want to consider being.

Real leadership is not about striving to meet an external standard so that tick can be put in boxes under your name. Real leadership is about living with purpose – finding, defining and using your birth given gifts and bringing them to the foreground in a distinctive way that changes, enhances and glorifies the greater good.

Now that’s real leadership!

Good luck on your journey

Jo Ball

Coach & Founder, Unstoppable Life

About the Author:
At Unstoppable Life, Jo Ball (LCA, Dip, NLP) is developing the next generation of leaders who have been in the chrysalis. These people are discovering and defining their life purpose. Join Jo’s Fr>ee newsletter now at Unstoppable Life’s home page to discover a mass of information other leaders in chrysalis are acting upon. www.unstoppablelife.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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A Vision of a New Morality

by: Punkerslut

Dedicated to Skittles, and my short-lived affection with her...
If only she ran a little faster, she may have evaded the police...
Whatever sky she sleeps under tonight,
I only hope that she dreams of good memories...

When looking at society, and seeing the constant hypocrisies, the inconsistencies, the lies, a person can be inclined only towards two mindsets. They will go along with what they see, they will believe what they are told, they will find it awkward that anyone could challenge things the way they are. Or, they will see the outrightly absurd nature of things, they will see the lies, they will see the propaganda, they will see the inconsistency, and they will refuse to believe it. They will cry out for anything but this society -- they will seek out reason, logic, truth. Anything that is well-reasoned will sooth their heart, anything that is logically demonstrated will be at peace with their mind. Their life will be transformed into a journey, ceaselessly looking for the truth, wherever it is, whatever it tells us, no matter what must be sacrificed to discover it. In our society, we find that there are two people. Those who will accept what they are told, will obey authority, will exist in the way that television and radio has commanded them to exist. And there are those who will condemn the way things are, will resist authority, will point out all the inconsistencies and lies given to us. In generations to come, they will be called heroes. In our own time, they will be called instigators. Historians will regard them as the cause to a change in society. Rationalists will treat them as the finest examples of intelligent people. But what is it that they can truly be called? Searching through the expanse of human language, what name can rightly apply to someone who uses their mind? A person without shackles on their mind, without a blindfold on their eyes, without bondage on their heart, without lies in their mind... may be called a Freethinker.

The theory which may be questioned most by any Freethinker, is the theory of the modern morality. By this, I mean the theory of monogamy, that a person ought to only have one sexual partner at one time. But this theory is more than just that. Not only is it a one-sexual-partner ideal, but it covers other ideas. Those who are promiscuous with their bodies are treated as heartless and brutal. A modern moralist will paint a picture of a slut, and every vice will be given to them. They will say that promiscuous lovers are cruel, are merciless, are vicious, will do anything to get sex, they have no values, they cannot understand love, they are beyond the scope of sympathy... A modern moralist will speak such great lies about the promiscuous lover. Yet, they are wrong. I contend that there is no such thing as a human being who is beyond the scope of sympathy, who cannot understand love. Sympathy and love: these are but the most simple, most basic, most true of all principles to any mammal. I have never known a human being who didn't know the meaning behind tears; I never knew a lover who didn't know the warm touch of affection; even to those who have betrayed me or otherwise believe me to be a vicious mongrel, I know that they too are capable of knowing the truth of love. To say that a promiscuous lover breaks this very basic, scientific rule -- the rule that states that all can know love and sympathy -- is to debauch the face of truth.

The modern moralist will commit more crimes against truth. It is believed that the person who is willing to be physical soonest is of the lowest character, and it is believed that the person holding out the longest is the greatest. A person willing to give a kiss on the face to a person who has been disappointed by life, a person willing to share intimacy and kindness through the physical act of love, a person who knows that being a lover means loving -- this person will be called a "slut" or a "whore." But then, there is another type of person... There will be a man or a woman, who will refuse to touch another from the opposite sex, who will look the other way when someone is attracted to them, who will resist any form of affection. This person, who has been taught to be revolted at the thought of sex or physical kindness, will be upheld as a saint, as a "true person of goodness." These lies that we are told, they sicken me. There was once a time when, with a lover, my fingers caressed the smoothness of her palm, and she kissed my neck. A philosopher who believes in the sanctity of monogamy will look at this, and he will call her a tramp, a slut, a whore. But when I was in the peace of those most cherished moments, I see her angelic face, I feel her soft skin, and in my mind, every trouble is a thousand miles away. For those few brief moments with this lover (who I had known less than an hour), I discovered peace and love. A person who believes in monogamy can speak all they want, they can exhaust the human language as much as they can. But what they say, will never take away the sincerity my lover's affection, will never remove these memories that I tend to revisit when I loss the peace I once had.

What arguments can I offer? What reasoning can I barter with? When I feel the warmth of another's body close to mine, when I know the tender caress on my face... what can I say to defend this lifestyle? Call it "promiscuity" or "whoredom," call it what you like. All the slanders and libels in the world will not detract from the pleasure of it, will not destroy the intimacy of it. When I am looking into the eyes of a lover, I will not be thinking of what they say about me. They will condemn me to hell, but I am deaf to their damnations. They will say I have no virtue, but still, I cannot hear them. So long as my lover is running her fingers through my hair, as my fingertips run down her back, they can say all they want about me, because I am not hearing it. I remember once, as a child, seeing a statue of a man and a woman. The woman was laying back onto the chest of the man, while their hands were met together. It was made by the Etruscan culture. Looking at this statue then, I saw intimacy and kindness. I saw "I feel I can tell you anything." I saw "When I hear you breath, it makes me live." I saw the gentle emotions of a lover not wishing to cause any distress... In this small Etruscan statue, I found respect, kindness, and truth. It was only several pounds of clay, but it may have contained the secrets of the Universe.

If there is any argument that can be offered on behalf of Free Love, or Polyamory, or whatever name one desires to give the belief that we should not have one sexual partner -- if there is any argument, it is the naturality of sex. Any person who confesses they do not have lust is a liar. And any person who wishes to convince others that their natural lust is immoral, this person is a vagrant. When the passions that exist between the sexes are natural, when they are a normal part of our minds, when they the act of love is simply a bodily function, on what grounds can it be condemned? By playing a sport, or by conversating with a friend, or by putting your sincere thoughts on to paper, a person is using the parts of their body. There is nothing wrong with it. There is no crime in it. No one is hurt. But, when a person all of a sudden decides to use their sexual organs, to please their natural desires, to express affection, to know the depths of intimacy, our moralists will call it a crime! By using our body, as we please, for the ends that we desire, and by hurting no one, they call this a crime! But the search for our soul's content, the endless journey of spirituality -- whether it manifests itself in the arms of your lover, or in the books of the ancients -- it has always been condemned by those who were too blind, too ignorant, too set in their ways, to see more than five feet ahead of themselves. The search to know what it means to feel gentle intimacy and friendly kindness, when this search becomes sexual and a person express their desires, the slanders I described above will be put against them.

A man who loves sex will be called a pervert and a woman who hates it will be called a prude. A woman who loves sex will be called a slut and a man who hates it will be called a misguided fool. We are told these lies, over and over, by a society too foolish to think for itself. It has been said by every liberal that freedom means, doing what you will, as long as you do not infringe upon the rights of others. If this is true, if liberty is not a guide but a path to happiness, then by what right can we condemn those who wish to be free form sexual dogma? Why, in fact, deny the natural instincts of one's own sexuality? When we refuse what our heart seeks out, when we turn away from our desires, when the aching to know the truth that is inside all of us, when it is treated with an anesthetic -- at this point, our soul begins to whither, and our spirit becomes something foreign from when we were first born. If all men are born free, then it is by rejecting our true selves that we become slaves to misery and vice. I do not believe, however, that all men and women seek out sex as the greatest good, nor do I believe they should. I believe that a person should look into their hearts, and see for themselves what they want. They should not be afraid of what society calls them. They should not be afraid of how their friends react. They should not be afraid of what may happen by discovering their heart's desire. Upon discovering what sex means to them -- whether it is a great means of pleasure, whether it is the most perfect way of expressing one's affections, whether it is a combination of these and other ideas -- once a person discovers what sex means to them, they should live a lifestyle accordingly.

Just take some hypothetical scenarios... If you were alone with a friend whom you cared about deeply, and you knew there was an attraction between you -- and you felt that sex was the greatest way to express your soul -- then what would be so wrong about making such a proposition? Feeling the gentle touch of a lover over your body, there is little more that can be seen as perfect security, as perfect tranquility. What then, would you have gained from such an encounter? Memories that will serve you in your darkest times, memories of kindness, peace, and intimiacy; physical pleasure; and knowledge. What would be the benefits of refusing such an encounter, when you know that you longed for it in your heart? I can see little. Peace and truth are the greatest ends of every humane person. There should never be a reason for avoiding the path that leads to these humble desires. I had once heard that a person was imprisoned by the government for oral sex, what the law had regarded as a "Crime Against Nature." I contend that the greatest crime against nature is refusing what your heart tells you to do, allowing your soul to grow bitter and disenchanted with life.

By this new morality, this idea that it is no crime to rub your face in the neck of your love, to let your fingers speak for your soul... By this new morality, I propose that there should never again be a girl full of tears, because she is lonely but feels sex is immoral. I propose that there should never again be a man frustrated with sex, because his hormones are building up but he feels sex is a crime. I propose that men and women everywhere should throw off the chains of an antiquated morality, of a slavery that kept their heart in bondage. There should never again be a person who compromised the desires of their heart with a vicious society, there should never again be a person who is content with the daemons of loneliness, there should never again be a person who knows the stinging pain of being alone, there should never again be a person doomed to pain -- never again should we allow these tears to amonut to nothing, never again should we allow these cries to go unheard -- I propose that every man and woman should not be afraid of sex, that they ought to do as their heart tells them, as long as they make no one suffer... I propose that our culture adheres closer to the sentiments of kindness and charity, and closer to the principles of truth and reason.

www.punkerslut.com

For Life,

Punkerslut

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and poetry on social issues which have caught his attention for several years. His website www.punkerslut.com provides a complete list of all of these writings. His life experience includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from college for "subversive activities," and a myriad of other revolutionary actions.

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A Strategy for Attracting Higher Paying Client

by: Catherine Franz

Some people have little difficulty attracting and
maintaining higher paying clients. Others can't get to
first base. Higher paying clients consume less time,
exchange energy instead of zapping yours, have higher
regards for your relationship, give more referrals, pay on
time, and this in turn allows you to make higher profits.

When asked how I recommend raising client’s fees, I answer
honestly, "It’s very difficult." Why? Let me share this
story, one I'm sure you can relate to. You go to the store
to buy more of something you like but you don't have to
have. Before you paid $10 and now its $15. You play with
the package and stand there rethinking your need, it’s value
and also wondering if can find it cheaper elsewhere. You
leave empty-handed or buy something else. If your price is
higher, their reaction gets magnified.

Another angle is to increase their deal, add something to
the pot, something of perceived value. It can work if
handled correctly. A value added item could be a client-
only monthly teleclass or access to a membership-only
website. An infopreneur can add client-only informational
products.

To collect higher fees, you will most likely need to change
demographics, your mindset, internal and external language,
marketing strategy and materials.

Here is a list of ten barriers that might be interfering
with attracting higher paying clients:

1. Equal stature. People take the time to listen to people
who are as or more important than they are. Are you at
their listening level? Do you dress and act the way they
do? Phone interactions require mirroring their language and
thinking. Can you speak their language? Or do you need to
learn. Talk as equals. Learn their mindset and shift
yours. If your values are too different, then find another
market. If stature doesn't match, they will smell it like
cabbage cooking in a kitchen. Show a similar state of
authority, confidence, and posture. Walk, talk, and sit the
way they do. If their mannerisms are too assertive for you,
either raise yours up or find another market.

2. Thoroughly know each of their challenges and what
solutions you provide that answer each challenge. What
problems are they experiencing? How can you make their life
or business easier? People take the path of least
resistance. Be that path. Higher paying people are proud
of their world and their decisions. They feel they deserve
it, they took the risk that the average person doesn't take,
and you need to give them that respect but also have your
own.

3. Be friendly with them but don't allow them to manipulate
your time or energy. Normally, higher paying professionals
know how to delegate and leverage and they will use this
technique to test you. Be friendly with their
administrative assistants, receptionist, or other
gatekeepers but don't bribe them with flowers or something
to get in the door. That worked years ago but the trend now
is tacky. And, yes, they will always report your language
and behavior back to their paycheck controller.

4. The higher their status, the more likely they will be
visionary people. Learn how visionary people think, their
viewpoints, and language. Visionaries surround themselves
with people who believe in their visions. Listen to their
visions and respect them. They have the wherefore to make
them happen. Support their visions in any way you can.
Provide something that answers a step to their vision, even
if it something outside the scope of your service or
product. Do they need a referral or can't find something,
do the research for them.

5. The higher you go, the more they expect from your
service. They expect special care and outstanding service.
They know their money can buy it and they demand it. Don't
deliver anything less. They know what you provide and what
your competitors provide; you must know this as well.

6. Integrity is usually one of their top five values.
Always keep your promises and they will keep the
relationship. Even if they break theirs, you will need to
keep yours. The higher you go, the less you ever want to
break a promise. You probably will not get a second chance.
It’s like sitting in Donald Trump’s boardroom and he says,
"You're fired."

7. Don't brown nose. It’s a cabbage thing. If they smell
it, they will either quick answering your calls or play you
for entertainment and then toss you away. If you get this
label, just move on.

8. People that earn more money substitute the word "mistake"
for "learning lesson." If you don't share this philosophy,
change it. It’s a good one to change any way. They
experience life and don't worry about the valleys. The
mistake belief holds an underlying fear. Fear is energy and
has a smell, and they sense it, easily.

9. Their first response to your proposal will always be "how
can they do it with their own resources." Expect this to be
their first immediate thought. Prepare to be able to
demonstrate what you offer is what they can't find within
their own resources -- they can't match it without more
effort or a different focus. This will earn you brownie
points towards a sale.

10. The higher the stature, the higher leveraging skills
they learned. Leveraging also includes negotiating. The
number one skill I recommend people getting in business is
to learn how and when to negotiate and how people think when
they are in negotiation mode. The game changes with
decisions need to be made and the cards are on the table.
Higher paying clients don't connect business and pleasure.
You will want to learn how to do the same. They may win in
business and have drink with your afterwards. Learn to let
go quickly.

11. The first "no" is always a test. Don't take it
personally or as the final answer but make sure you have the
right match. Listen if they say no and give three reasons
why not. This is a firmer no and they are telling you what
they need (the reasons). It’s your turn to tell them if you
can answer those reasons. If not, you loose, negotiation
over.

12. When you are looking for higher paying clients, look for
people who see your product or service as not only valuable,
but also essential to their goals or objectives.

13. Know what your service or product is worth and stand by
that value. Discount isn't in your vocabulary or theres.
Don't make it yours and speak of it first or even second.
Only speak of it if they are willing to show you the money
now and it leads to a higher value for something.

14. Remove the "under earner" mindset behind. If you have
more money then they do because of what you do, don't talk
down to them, or make them feel inferior in any way.

15. Make it easy for them to work with you. Remove any
hoops or extra steps that take up their time. They are very
time sensitive. If it takes chasing you down by phone, they
will not bother. If you don't answer their emails within a
comfortable time for them, they will move on and accomplish
whatever was on their agenda without you. When they do
contact you, rest assured, it’s important. They don't waste
their time.

16. Decide in advance, how you are going to hand any
rejections or protests. What, when, where and how will you
follow-up? What back doors can you come in from -- with
integrity, of course?

17. High presentation quality required. If they feel
comfortable seeing a slide presentation, don't use a hand-
drawn flip chart. If you don't know, ask a few of their
current suppliers and a staff member.

18. Set up a sophisticated referral-marketing program. It
really is who you know in their circle. Find their circle
and consistently show up. Not to market but to build
relationships and make connections. When they like you,
you're in.

19. Be confident about your attraction. Feel the energy of
the universe, sense it’s attraction, remove any doubt and
believe in it 100%. Know that it will occur and allow
attraction to enter and be a total part of your life and
business.

Are you ready for this step up? Attracting higher paying
clients when you previously didn't, takes commitment,
planning, and changing. Jump in without the all the
answers, and tweak. It’s guaranteed to work, that’s the way
the Law of Attraction works.

About the Author:
Catherine Franz, a eight-year Certified Professional Coach,
Graduate of Coach University, Mastery University, editor of
three ezines, columnist, author of thousands of articles
website: http://www.abundancecenter.com
blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

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A New Look For Business In The Future

by: Paul Marsland

Multilevel Marketing, commonly called MLM, Network Marketing or direct sales is one of the highest potential income sources anywhere, but particularly on the Internet. It has been claimed that in the last 10 years more people have become millionaires through MLM's than in any other business or profession.

I don't know how true that is, but I do know a lot of people have made a lot of money through MLM's.

Multilevel Marketing is also known as Pyramid Schemes and a number of other less-than-complimentary names. This is unfortunate because MLM's have a lot of potential.

There are some things you need to know about an MLM before you join one though:

_ You need to be selling something. It can be selling a product or a service, but it must be selling. If all the MLM does is recruit new members, then it is what is called a "Ponzi Scheme" and it's illegal.

_ They have to have a good product. You can send all the traffic in the world to an MLM website, but if the product they are offering has no appeal, it won't sell no matter what you do. If it doesn't sell, you won't make any money. Simple as that.

_ They have to have "staying power.” That is, they have to be good enough to last for a long time. Many MLM's are gone in a year or two and no matter how well they were paying you, once they've folded, you won't get any more money.

_ Plan on working at it for a long time to realize any significant income. MLM's don't usually build quickly, so you have to be very persistent. Once they do start to build though the growth is exponential and the income unlimited.

You have probably heard of some MLM companies, and maybe you've even been a member of one or more of them. Odds are, if you were a member, you dropped out after a while because it was just too hard to promote these systems successfully.

One of the worst parts of promoting MLM's is the rejection you will face. Try to think of this differently. I like to think of myself as the miner prospecting for gold during the gold rush. I sift through tonnes of dirt to find my one or two pieces of gold. All I am doing is prospecting, the more 'dirt' I can sift through the closer I am to finding my 'gold'.

If you have done the research on your MLM company then you will have chosen one with a product that has an attraction to a mass market so you are not limited to one demographic of the community. Look at the economic environment, what are the trends or 'boom' industries?

Research has shown that health, weight management and anti-ageing are some of the fastest growing industries worldwide. - A huge market is starting to unfold as the 'baby boomer' generation ages and increasingly becomes more concerned with staying healthy and youthful.

If nothing else, being involved with an MLM company can teach you business and personal skills that can be used in any walk of life. Most MLM companies are very proactive in the area of personal development and from my experience it is this that is the key to a persons success with an MLM business - and maybe in life generally. Taking a close look at ourselves is one of the hardest things to do. We can blame multilevel marketing, the company, the products or even the weather for our demise but lack of personal development would definitely be one of the main causes.

Are MLMs Ethical?

Many people question the ethics of MLM. They claim that the people on the top get all the benefit from the people working below them while the people below don't get much if anything at all. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Think about where you work. Isn't it true that the boss is getting paid out of the money YOU are making for the company? And what about the Chairman of the Board? What is he producing that makes him so valuable to the company? Did he make any sales? Did he build any of the products? No, YOU did, but he's raking in the big bucks for it.

With an honest MLM, you can easily make more than the boss if you put the effort into it. He gets a little bit from your sales, but you get the lion's share - not like a conventional job where you sweat on the assembly line while the CEO sits in an air-conditioned office getting million-dollar bonuses!

But isn't this just a big "pyramid scheme"? Yes and no. Anyone who works a conventional job is in a pyramid scheme. Every company, army, and government in the world is built on the pyramid concept. However, with multilevel marketing, you aren't held back by the people above you like you are in a conventional job.

With an MLM, you can build your business as large and as profitable as you want it to be.

For more information please go to: http://livin-the-good-life.biz/?refid=artcit-567883264

Paul Marsland is an independent distributor for a network marketing company trading in 59 countries and 25 years of experience behind them. Along with his wife Annette they run their MLM business, full time from home.

For more information please go to: http://livin-the-good-life.biz/?refid=artcit-567883264

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A Fast Way to Find Clients

by: Suzanne Falter-Barns

So you’ve gotten the training certification, made up your business cards, and started your web site. You’ve discovered your niche, and you have been marketing – aggressively even!

But still, no one’s exactly beating a path to your door. Kind of make you wonder what you’re doing wrong.

Chances are you’re doing everything right. The only thing that may be missing is a broader chance for the public to really get a taste of which you are. You need to build relationships with these folks. Yet, how can you do that without actually coaching them first?

Enter the big solution: workshops.

Holding workshops targeted to your niche is an excellent way to give your larger audience a real taste of what you do. The full 3-hour, or full-day format of a workshop gives your audience a chance to sit back and observe you at work. Not only that, if you’ve shaped your workshop to fit your niche, you’ll find yourself with an excellent database of interested potential clients. You’ll also be able to test the drawing power of your niche quite graphically, and learn the most effective ways to reach these folks. One psychotherapist I know In New York City built a thriving practice simply by leading three workshops about Jung and dream analysis.

An added perk: when you lead workshops, you get all kinds of terrific stories you can use in future articles, books, and speaking gigs. Three best-selling self-help authors I know actually lead workshops for this reason alone.

That said, there are a few key things that must be in place to turn your workshop the client magnet that it can be.

1. Give yourself and your workshop a brand name. Some of the most successful I know of are “The Ezine Queen”, “The Comfort Queen”, “Marketing Shaper”, “The Publicity Hound”, “Authentic Promotion”, and “The Grok”. These are ownable, distinctive names that let people know exactly who you are … (well, maybe not The Grok.) One thing’s for sure… these folks, especially the Grok, are not easily forgotten.

2. Teach with your heart on the line. The teacher who cares the most wins … so come prepared, give it your all, and don’t say good-bye until literally everyone in the group has had some kind of breakthrough.

3. Hand out plenty of handouts. Class notes, additional resources, your own articles, forms, great quotations, etc., are essential marketing tools. Every one of them should have all of your contact information on them, including your brand name, email, website, all phone numbers, and fax. Put them in a snappy folder with a sticker on the cover that bears, yes… your brand name … and website. Then staple your business card to the inside of the folder. And be sure to include a well done one-sheet or brochure about your coaching services.

4. Give away a free coaching session during the break. Simply pass around a hat or jar to collect business cards as folks come in (they can also substitute name and email on paper.) Then draw your winner just before the break, which gives you the opportunity to give your coaching a discreet plug. This technique is especially helpful if you’re doing your workshop in a venue where you have not done registered the class, and you lack contact info for the group. That nice jar of business cards gives you fodder for your database.

5. Don’t oversell your coaching. Just mention it a few times lightly, and let the truly interested approach you. Better yet, instead of selling it, tell some stories (protecting confidentiality, of course) from your practice that demonstrate what you do. That gives you the power of attraction, as opposed to the stink of the hard sell. If you do your job effectively, they will come.

6. Stress the importance of getting support at some point in your presentation. Support is one thing that most people really deny themselves, yet that is so critical to success. And what better support is there than coaching? Seed it lightly but firmly in your talk.

7. Continue to do your workshop in any appropriate market. Nothing builds a base of clients like consistently getting out there. Your name gets heard, and your brand registers each time it does. You can travel locally or globally with this. But make a point of researching different markets to find your perfect group. I do this by seeing where other comparable workshop leaders are doing their thing, and I observe how they market themselves to these groups. Then I set up comparable tours.

For more information about how to create, book, fill and lead your own workshops, go to http://www.howmuchjoy.com/tangfacil.html

Copyright 2004 Suzanne Falter-Barns

Suzanne Falter-Barns free ezine, The Joy Letter, brings you a crisp, fresh burst of inspiration for your dream every week or two. Sign up at http://www.howmuchjoy.com/joyletter.html

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10 Tips for Hiring Help for Small Business Owners

by: Peggie Arvidson-Dailey

As a successful small business owner,you're accustomed to long hours; non-existent holidays and weekends spent working.

When was the last time you went to your dentist? When was the last time you had an uninterrupted night out with your partner?

Whether your goal for 2005 is to find more time for family or personal enrichment --like attending classes and conferences -- you'll want to consider bringing on some help.

The following tips can help you get started whether you want to bring on a team of 10 or an occasional backup!

Don't expect to hire a replica of you! Each person you meet and interview will be a living, breathing human, with their own habits, mannerisms and even ideas! This is fine - -as long as their ideas and habits are not philosophically opposed to yours. My first hire, Jen, was pursuing a graduate degree, had just moved to the area and is nearly 20 years younger than I am! She's detail-oriented and relies on schedules to get things done. I'm a bit more 'seat of my pants' type of operator. She's a perfect fit because she complements my way of working! Over time she's grown into managing portions of my business that I neglected - like maintaining scheduling and billing.

Know exactly what you expect from your new hire. Before you advertise for help, sit down and write a job description. List your goals for the new hire - do you want someone who can fill in on short notice when you need to take a day off, or do you want someone who can work a regular schedule? Do you want someone who can meet with clients, set their own schedules and attend meetings and events on your behalf or do you simply need someone who can pick up your overflow? By spending time working through your thoughts on hired help you are setting yourself up for a great working relationship. If you can clearly articulate the job to all applicants, they will have the opportunity to determine if this is a mutually agreeable fit. Be sure to concentrate on specific job-related descriptions, and not subjective information.

Determine what type of manager you are! It's imperative that you’re honest about your workstyle. After all, if you say you want an independent thinker, but really do a lot of 'checking-in' you may end up with an unhappy helper. On the other hand, if you hire someone who needs lots of feedback, you need to be sure that you are cut-out for the 'people part' of the management process.

Set aside time. If you expect to hire someone by the 15th of next month you may be setting yourself up for failure. Just as you can't expect to find a perfect replica of you - you can't always put a deadline on your hiring process. In other words, plan to advertise, interview and train until you find the RIGHT person. (SECRET TIP: If you find the right person - Hire them right away and then find work for them! Never pass up a great hire!)

Ask your insurance carrier about your responsibility for insuring your team members. Whether you hire Independent Consultant's or Employees is a topic for another article, however, you need to make certain that your company is covered.

Determine your time-off policy. Just like you, your team members will need time off - whether to recover from the flu or just to re- charge. How will you handle these absences?

Create a disciplinary and review process. Whether you need to tackle issues of poor performance, or chronic absenteeism -- have a policy in place before you bring on your first team member. Questions to address in this process include: How many emergency absences are acceptable in a given time period? How will you deal with customer complaints and concerns? How will you reward outstanding performance? What format will you use to communicate with your team?

Find a reputable company for conducting background checks. If your company’s product or service requires your employees to access clients’ homes, children or possessions do not overlook the importance of conducting a background check. You can search on the web, ask your insurance provider, or talk to your local police authorities for recommendations on companies to conduct this check for you. In each instance, you will need the applicant's signature and understanding that you will have a third party conduct a background check as a condition of employment.

Create a Fact Sheet for Applicants that you can provide along with an application to interested candidates. This sheet should cover your basic job description, expectations and hiring process.

Create your training program. Whether a detailed manual or one-on-one training for a specified period of time - make sure you have a written outline. Your training program should include all aspects of the job you expect your new hire to complete. Many misunderstandings and frustrations occur simply because a new hire didn't understand the expectations of the boss.

By following these tips, you are well on your way to a happy and productive working relationship with all your new help!

About The Author:
Small Business Success Coach, Peggie Arvidson-Dailey, is the author of “How to be a Client Attraction Guru” and the creator of the Pet-Care Business Success System™. To learn more about this step-by-step program for making your pet-care business stand out from the crowd, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and FREE teleclasses, visit http://www.peggiespets.com

peggie@peggiespets.com

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10 seconds is all it takes - How to grab the attention of you

by: Granny's Mettle

FACT: 30 to 60% of visitors tend to drop off and click to another site when they are forced to click their mouse more often than necessary.

FACT: People who use the internet are usually those who are always on-the-go and don’t want to spend time figuring out how to navigate any web site.

FACT: It takes all of ten seconds for most first-time visitors to spend time on any web site before deciding if it's worth any attention.

Yes, it only takes ten seconds for viewers to get interested and stay a little longer to know more about your site and get the information they're looking for.

This is the main reason why the first page is the most important in any web site. Rule of thumb is to have a page that is direct to the point, doesn't waste time, and doesn't waste bandwidth. It's necessary that you get to the crux of your message and do it quick. Or else your audiences are outta here.

Studies prove that human nature cause to lose focus on whatever it is that we are paying attention to after the initial ten seconds. The mind seem to think that after ten seconds, either the object of attention gets better and interesting, or the attraction just fades because of too many things.

And ten seconds is important in any web designer's job. A designer has to remember that in ten seconds, the web page should be able to deliver something useful, if not everything.

One designer relates that ten seconds is enough for an average person to read a length of 40 words. And 40 words can mean a great deal of a good opening paragraph. The opening paragraph according to the designer is your "contract" with your reader. With your "contract", you promise to deliver what your viewer needs, in every page of your web site.

And in ten seconds, you should be able load your page and everything in it if possible. In addition, you should also take advantage of the text and its worth for your web site. Text is the first element that gets delivered upon connection. So make reading your text worthwhile. Deliver your promise, and deliver them good.

This is the essence of usability in the wide world of the web. Utilizing those precious ten seconds to deliver what you promise, and provide what your viewer needs. Use those ten seconds wisely. Plan, design and execute in ten seconds.

People go to your web site because of what they can get from it. Ten seconds is all it takes for viewers to know if you have what they need. So make your ten seconds count.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.losangelesprintingservice.com

About the Author:
Granny's Mettle is a 30-something, professional web content writer. She has created various web content on a diverse range of topics, which includes digital printing topics, medical news, as well as legal issues. Her articles are composed of reviews, suggestions, tips and more for the printing and designing industry.

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10 Magical Steps to Fulfilling Your Prosperity Dream

by: Melissa Zollo

So you want to be successful, healthy, happily married, and rich? Do you feel like a successful, healthy, happily married, accepted, rich person? Or do feelings of resistance, frustration, anxiety, insecurities and deceit shadow you? Are you still feeling needy, lost, rejected and deprived? Do you "see" wealthy people as scavengers ready to gobble up the goods? Are you envious of what another has? Do you feel guilty and identify with poverty and failure? Are you surrounded by people who don't believe in you?If you feel negative about money, success and yourself, you are not resonating from the fulfillment of your prosperity dream. You are still being defined by lack.

If so, your desire for success will remain just that -a desire. If you continually feel depressed, annoyed, upset, and irritated with yourself or the outside world, you are generating negative vibrations. If you are someone who is used to suffering and not getting what you want from life, you are still living in a poverty/ failure vibrational frequency.If your old mental and emotional habits don't feel right anymore, stop wearing them, the way you would stop wearing a pair of shoes that don't fit. It is up to you to create an alternate future and set forces to work for you rather then against you.

Habits are like clothes, you wear them. They fit your personality and self-image. Some clothes make you feel like a million dollars while others make you feel fat. So often, we wear the same old clothes just because we are use to them.The same can be said for mental habits and feelings. Over 90% of your thoughts and reactions were learned. Whenever a situation arises that reminds you of the past you tend to interpret it through old emotional responses. If for example, you were whipped a lot, you have to help yourself move through your fearful feelings every time you see a whip. When you free this blocked emotion, whips are just whips. When you deal with your feelings using the Principle of Imaging you will heal your past memory and move into the present moment. Instead of being reactive you become proactive!

Here are 10 steps to Feeling Prosperous and Fulfilled:

1.Listen to your inner conversations. What are your mental habits telling you? A poverty mindset knows why things can't work out. A successful mindset always steps up to the plate and looks for a way to work through a crisis. Start having discussions with yourself the moment you feel a hysterical reaction coming on. If you get in the habit of intervening on your own behalf you will proceed to hold a correct attitude and change your emotional reactions.

2.Meet the Challenge. If you have a melt down and lose your focus, freak out, and go into an emotional tail spin, once it's over go back to your image and refocus. You don't have to beat yourself up because you lost it. A fall out doesn't have to become a major set back. You are learning to identify when you are vibrating from an error pattern. Things may still scare and upset you for awhile .You are in the process of building self- trust and self-confidence. You will be able to meet an obstacle every step of the way once you develop a good relationship with your deeper Self.

3.Congratulate yourself.Give yourself credit when you react to a negative situation as an opportunity rather then a setback. Get in the habit of comforting and nourishing yourself when things don't go right and you will not succumb to destructive emotions. Each time you do this you will make a deposit into your emotional security bank. And feeling safe and secure is the vibration that attracts prosperity. Keep investing in yourself and you will resonate with abundance and optimism. Before you know it, you will start feeling entitled to having good relationships and success!

4.Throw off the old you like a snake shedding its skin. If something happens that threatens your peace of mind reassure yourself that all is well. How? Direct all of your attention to that which is good. Focus is the winner's companion. In time you will learn how to keep your cool when the boogie monster shows up.

5.Treat yourself well.You don't need to prove that you are a failure anymore. You need to treat yourself like someone you love and care about. Once you get in the habit of feeling lovable and acceptable you will repel abusive people.

6.Let go.It is time to clean house and surrender your concepts of lack. Why allow negative people to scramble your brain? Why keep reminding yourself of painful uncomfortable times? Let go and let the Power work for you. Let go means let go! Make room for the money, success, healing, and fulfilling relationships you desire to be drawn to you. You deserve to feel like you are # 1. If you need to have a good cry, have it. Once your eyes have dried persist to let the "old you" go. Do this and you will invite (vibrate with) the fulfillment of your dream into your life.

7.Accept Responsibility.Make changes gradually and you will start feeling better about yourself. Just image. How many times should you do an image? Do it and do it and do it until you change your emotional point of attraction.

8.Commit to new results.Keep your partnership between your conscious and subconscious mind strong and success will be your closest companion.

9.Feel like a million bucks.Feel good. The Power to Create is anchored in the present moment. If you want to realize your dream for success start feeling grateful about your success. Accentuate the positive and you'll build up your vibrational frequency.

10.Don't look back!Once you have consciously imaged a new result don't turn your attention back to your former concept of yourself. If you do, you will re impress yourself with what you don't want and go back to a lower emotional frequency. Success, health, happiness and wealth don't just pop in. Most visionaries who are wealthy, successful, healthy, and happy have certain things in common. These people have a certain mindset that include big dreams, good habits, imagination, strong positive beliefs, unshakable inner confidence and a connection to The Source of All That Is. They don't just "talk the talk, they walk the walk".Someone who uses Spiritual Principles to attract positive outcomes simply focuses his or her conscious mind and absorbs new ideas until he or she feels entitled to the gift of a new experience. This type of person loves and enjoys the adventure of life. They attract money, opportunities, good people, and harmonious situations that reflect their mindset. They are passionate about feeling their joy the way some people are passionate about their golf game.People who know how to vibrate from higher emotions do not attract negative people who cling to them like lead weights. They attract people who believe in them and are in harmony with similar creative results.

Once they know how to apply the Principle of Imaging, it wouldn't matter if the money went away. Their awareness of how the Universe operates and their confidence would simply get them to start imaging all over again. Knowing that the Law of Identical Harvest is always at work, they would simply step up to the plate and hit a home run.The only thing standing between you and the fulfillment of your dream is an opposing belief and feeling not bad luck or a past life.If you truly want to bring the object of your thought into manifestation you have to make a decision to get in the habit of feeling prosperous, happy, grateful, accepted, healthy, loved and successful here and now.

Remember, there is no one to change but yourself!© 2002, Melissa Zollohttp://www.presentmemory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melissa Zollo is a leading edge thinker and voice in holistic consciousness on inspiring topics that teach people how to access the Power Within and demonstrate healing principles in their daily lives. She teaches the Power of Imagination and the Art of Intentional Creation, the Law of Consciousness, and the Law of Identical Harvest. Her empowering ideas create a unique synergy that assists serious seekers to become conscious co- creators.

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