Secretarial Services:Business card design tips

Advances in printing technology have created a cottage industry for online business card companies that offer full-color cards for extremely competitive prices. Enter �?obusiness cards�?� in any popular search engine, and you�?Tll find hundreds of companies boasting thousands of eclectic designs�?"from patriotic motifs to fields of morning glories.If you�?Tre tempted to upgrade your business card to a design featuring a gleaming racecar or pastoral scene, slam on the brakes! When choosing a design, less is more. If you wouldn�?Tt insert a photo of a cuddly kitten on your resume, what would possess you to place one on your business card�?"unless, perchance, you�?Tre a veterinarian?For most professionals, an uncomplicated, clean design works best. If you work in a creative field, where �?oedgy�?� is the buzzword, you can afford to experiment. Otherwise, follow these basic rules:Traditional black type on a white or cream card stock never goes out of style.Paper selection matters. Opt for 12 pt. card stock, which is the ideal paper weight.You may choose a matte (dull) or glossy finish. Gloss is often overkill, while matte remains classic. Use your judgment, based on your specific industry�?Ts norms.Business cards should be considered part of your marketing kit. Their design should tie in with your letterhead, envelopes and other communication tools. If you don�?Tt already have a logo, hire a designer who can create a corporate identity package that features a consistent look. A final reminder: Always carry your business cards with you, and replenish your supply long before you give away your last card. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Quick Conversation Starters

Ever wanted a simple way to start a conversation? Here’s Bruce Allen’s take on it… An age old dilemma when meeting new people at business networking events. What am I going to say?

You wonder how to start a conversation; worry that you'll sound silly commenting on weather for the billionth time. Read Bruce’s post to find out how to change that. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services: Turn a passion in to a business

Turning a passion into a business more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Planning for a Home-Based Business

I would like to start working out of my home in the next couple of years. What can I do now to prepare? You definitely want to have goals ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Should I Keep My Day Job While I Start My Business?

I’m thinking about leaving my job and starting my own home-based business. Should I try to keep my current job while I start up my business, or should I just go for it? It's a good idea to retain ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Tax Breaks for Home Businesses

I've heard that home-based businesses get tax breaks from the IRS. Is that true, and what kinds of tax breaks are we talking about? The most important tax break for home-based business owners is ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:60-Second Guide to Setting Up a Home Office

There’s no place like home, especially when you get to work there too. While others deal with frustrating commutes and noisy cubicles, you’re getting ahead and getting things done. Or ar ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Small Business Advertising Basics

In the broadest sense, anything that promotes your business might be considered advertising, whether it's a radio spot, a brochure or a trade show booth. But the term "advertising" usually refers to p ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Learn What Keeps Your Customers Up at Night

Sometimes there's just no substitute for good old-fashioned communication.Just ask Adrienne Lumpkin. She'll tell you customer relationships were key to the success of Alternate Access, the Raleigh, No ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:What Basic Information Goes in a Press Release?

In addition to the news itself, your press release should indicate where your company is headquartered and who to contact for more information ; or to set up an interview. Both of those things, along ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:It's a Great Time to Be an Entrepreneur!

It is a great time to be an entrepreneur. It's never been easier, faster or cheaper to get into business then it is now. I see the trend continuing with every year allowing businesses to be started with less and less money. Notice I didn't say personal effort or the ability to conquer your fears were getting easier, but the fact that the costs are driving down will allow people who have the guts and drive to start a business. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Cultivating Biz Whizzes

Steve Mariotti of NFTE wrote one of the first business books I ever read. It is still on my shelf. It is great to see that his company is still influencing America's young people. Please note that starting and running a business is a lot of hard work, but so is a job. I'd personally rather be running a business. Doug Kersten Cultivating Biz Whizzes "More teens are starting their own businesses, and groups like the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship are helping them do it. Many people who decide to become entrepreneurs do so because they aren't satisfied with more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:The Importance Of Subheads In Your Marketing

You need to seriously look at the layout of your marketing materials.  Look at your web pages, your brochures, your emails, your handouts, your sales letters - and all of your advertisements.Are you using subheads?You should be.It's easier on the eyes to have a scanning ability built in.  And subheads make it easy on the reader to quickly find the areas that are of interest.Chances are... they will not read your sales piece from start to finish.  They will skim and scan - looking for things that catch your eye.And the subheads job is to guide them (by scanning) to the order page without having read the entire thing.Good subheads can tell the story and get them to order.Good subheads are powerful headlines in themselves.For ex...3 Things You Must Do Today To Improve Your BusinessREVEALED! The secrets behind their success... and their fall to lose it all.When you are crafting subheads - put them in bold and centered. Even a font size bigger and a different font can help guide the eyes down the right path.The path that leads to a sale and another happy customer! more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:The most valuable business resource in the world - for FREE?

Every single month I realize that the MOST valuable business resource I have ever found was given to me for free.18 months ago I signed up for Dan Kennedy's Gold membership and newsletter. It was free for 3 months and at that time I could make the decision if it was worth the $39 per month they wanted. Kinda high for a newsletter - but if it was good - then worth it.Yup - it was good.Incredibly good. In fact the best business newsletter I had ever read.Full of real life advertising examples, success stories, failure stories, tools to use, ideas to steal, money making tips every month... tons of them.An absolute goldmine worth of information if you are a business owner, or want to be one.It's free for 3 months - I would sign up if I were you - http://www.dankennedy.comLet me clarify though - Dan's newsletter is absolutely invaluable... so are the tips you will find here (also for free). Make sure you check out all the channels on The Blog Channel - every day you can get new tips and advice to build your business and income - for free.The Blog Channel more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Making Your Marketing and Advertising Pay

Some simple techniques you should be using in your marketing and advertising to stand out from the crowd.- Tie in your sales copy/newsletters/marketing campaigns, etc. with newsworthy topics, holidays, events happening, local interests, and personal interests' stories.Eg - Michael Jacksons acquittal, Brad/Angelina/Jennifer, The Runaway Bride, Fathers Day, Summertime, NASCAR fascination, Sports comebacks, etc.- If your product is not sold in stores �?" tell them!  This gives it exclusivity and makes it more likely that they will want to order if they know they cannot get it anywhere else.If your special is only available for the month of June - tell them - and tell them why (one of the most powerful things you can ever do in your marketing is to tell them why you are launching new products, why you are packaging them this way, why you are giving a discount, etc.The reason why is THE MOST powerful thing you can ever use in your marketing and advertising)- If you can, delay their payments.  �?oPay nothing now�?� is a very powerful promise that has built many multi-million dollar businesses.  Or, if some money is required �?" offer them a payment plan over the next 6 or 12 months.  People may scoff at paying $1,200 out of their pocket today but those same people may be very willing to pay $150 per month for 12 months �?" even if it means they pay a much higher rate.- Get them involved in your letter or ad through questions, surveys, and check boxes �?" whatever you can do to keep them interested.  That is why Readers' Digest does so well!  Take this sticker and place it here. That gold sticker and place it here.  When you get them involved in your copy they are much more likely to stick with it until they have ordered.- Talk about some product negatives. GASP!  No product or service in the world is perfect �?" be honest with them about that and you will be the only honest person they have comeacross in business.  Tell them the limitations, or the catch, or the one thing that you can never use it for. Incredibly powerful when you are the one to bring this up �?" they are already thinking, �?owhat�?Ts the catch�?� so tell them what it is.- Make the offer very selective �?" and make sure they understand that they are part of an exclusive offering �?" and what that means to them. Make a special offer for your existing client ONLY (and make sure they know that only they can get this deal). Make a special time (after midnight sale) for exclusive pricing not available at any other time.Show them you do appreciate them and they will appreciate you even more.- Write the ad copy so that when they order, they can easily explain it to their spouse and friends why this is such an incredible deal that they would have been an idiot to ignore it.Take one of the above and test it out over the next week. See what happens with your response - you'll be pleasantly surprised.  Guaranteed. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Do you use Yellow Page advertising?

Effectively? Some of the most boring advertising can be found in the Yellow Pages!And yet, 40% of your clients buy based on the research they do in the Yellow Pages - 40%! Online yellow pages and offline print directories -... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Satisfied Customers and Loyalty

We always want more, it seems.  When you started your business, customers of any kind seemed good, didn't they?  Quickly, you learned they needed to be profitable customers.  Then you went for satisfied customers.  Before long your Internet surfing and... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:What Customers Really Want

Years of research and millions of dollars spent studying customers for every size business keeps coming back with the same answer: Customers want to be treated differently.  If this is so easy to understand, why is it so hard to... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Systematically Flood Your Leads With An Education

One of the tactics I love to employ in the landing of new clients is something I call an "Info Storm."Here's the basic idea. You meet a new prospect, go over the solutions you have for and then jointly decide on some next steps involved in them hiring you. Now, most people go away promising to send a proposal or follow-up in some manner. But, what also happens it that 3 other people slip in later that day and make a fine proposal for that same piece of business. So, what do you... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Just Say No Once In A While

Every once in a while you've got to decide that a new client or a new project just isn't a good fit. You know the ones I'm talking about. You can usually feel it in your gut at that first meeting. But, hey, they said that would pay you, (usually after some attempt to get you to lower your price) so you took the work.It can be frightening to do, but nothing will be better for you or the prospective client than your ability to size up a project and decline it if it doesn't fit.You... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:What Motivates Someone To Refer You?

I have studied the idea of referral marketing for years and, when designing a referral marketing system, it almost always comes down to answering this simple question.What would motivate someone to refer you?The good news is - the answer is always the same. The bad news - designing a system that gets at this answer can be tricky.So, the answer. People refer businesses, services, products, people, movies, barbers - you name it - if it makes them look and... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:OOKO Search

OOKO Search - Smart search for shareware and freeware. The best way to search for software for all your daily needs. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:BestSoft 1.07.05

The Reference book of software. The Descriptions more than 8000 programs, split on category. References are given On the most popular programs to home sites. Is it Also specified status (free and shareware programs). [New | License: Shareware $10 | Requires: Win 98/ME/NT/2000/XP | Size: 1243KB] more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Building a Table AutoFit

AutoFit is a very helpful feature when working with tables. AutoFit adapts the table column width to the current content.

TX Text Control's set of methods and properties provides you everything you need to create such a feature. I have finished a fully functional sample which shows you how to realize AutoFit with TX Text Control .NET.

Please have a look at the sample in our source code library:

Building a Table AutoFit feature

more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:XXLEdit Pro 1.96

presents free #1 thing for your word processing productivity [Update | License: Shareware $49.95 | Requires: Win 95/98/ME/NT/XP | Size: 1293KB] more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:3 Ways to Network

Networking is essential to building relationships and adding to your client list as a freelance writer. Check out how you can network for success!... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Creating a Business Plan for Your Writing Career

These following guidelines will help you get the wheels rolling on your freelance career. Once this foundation is set, you will go from dreaming about success as a freelance writer to living it.... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Freelance Writing Jobs

This is a good resource for freelance work, and permanent positions for the growing writer. You can also post your resume and apply for writing fellowships.... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Website Help :: Freelancer Design

Author: Web WorkSubject: Freelancer DesignPosted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:00 pm (GMT 0)Topic Replies: 0I have purchased a Template that must be customized and integrated into my smarterscripts freelance script. Above and beyond the normal images required for the script i need the following images: - "How it works" Flow chart - Submit a Document - Get Certified - Improve Score - Manual Here is the template: http://www.templatemonster.com/flash-templates/7842.html You must be familiar with the smartscripts freelance scripts.Read more... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Anchoring - Quick Access to Your Goal While You Work At Home

Universal Events, a company in the SouthernHemisphere, is running a series of weekend seminars designedto give us an important reminder to use the simple and effectivetechniques created through NLP: Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Do you remember - are you using - that little technique called 'anchoring' ?

This is where you remember an instance (and that isall you need) where you were successfully doing something thatepitomises your goal. You attach to your clear picture of that successful instance yourstrong, positive emotion related to it. Now you locate that image-emotion somewhere in your body, for example, your chest, your shoulder, yourleft palm.

Having done that, whenever you then want to have that strongvisual-emotional reminder to guide and promote your goal achievement,you just tap or hit its location on your body. A slap on the shoulder,bringing a fist to your chest, or clapping your right hand against your left.

This action is your instant prompt and recreation that takes you to thatplace of success.

Work with it. Take advantage of its simplicity, and its ability to instantlyrefocus your intent and desire on to your goal. Set it up and use itrepeatedly throughout the day for optimum effect.

And if you'd like to read more on NLP or see what seminars they are offering in Australia, go to: Universal Events. Here's to your Habitual Success Raven HPublisher Seismicfish.com

Get your free articles, Action! Tips and Learning Nuggets here. Copyright 2005 Seismicfish.com All rights reserved. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Keeping Your Email Box Organized & Ready for Business

Learning how to get the most organization from your email software is very likely the most important skill you can learn to conduct a successful online home business. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Children in the Home Business Environment

Operating a home business is seldom easy and interruptions come in all shapes, sizes and forms. Between the family, friends and neighbors who call or come by, and the telemarketers who insist on ringing your number off the hook, getting through the workday can be a real challenge. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Advertising Your Home Business on a Budget

When you are starting out in a new home business and no one knows who you are, one of the greatest challenges you will face is how to drum up new business. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Your Home Business: Turning Pennies into Dollars

Henry Ford taught us that to simplify the manufacture of automobiles, that the best way to do so was to install the assembly line. That one change revolutionized the auto manufacturing industry permitting the industry to build cars at a cost whereas the average person could afford to buy one. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:How to Stay Focused on Your Home Business Goals

When you are the owner of a home business, you will find hundreds of distractions that vie for your time, energy and focus. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Finding Your Home Business Niche

When some folks begin to think about a business of their own, they know in that very moment what kind they are going to start. Then, there are the rest of us... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Home Based Business and Promotion

Since we’ve been on the topic of advertising for small business this week let’s carry on the theme by talking about some promotion methods that work well for start up home businesses. If you’ve just started your home based business chances are that you don’t have the money to hire an advertising agency and even if [...] more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Working from Home - The Freelance Life

Freelance Article Writer Wanted. If you saw this opportunity, would you have what it takes? Writing veteran Barb Clews gives us an overview of the essentials. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:35 Tips on Starting and Naming a New Business

Here are 35 tips on starting and naming a new business. Learn more here. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:How To Ask Questions That Make You Money

Here are 4 of the really important questions that can make you money on the web. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Top Ten Reason To Market Your Business Online

The Internet. The great leveling medium that makes a small business nearly as accessible as TheBigCorporation.com. But many businesses throw up a site without much thought about the potential impact it can have their business. Why should you have a web site? Why should your business be online? These 10 reason will give you something to think ... more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Marketing Success Defined

How do you personally define success? High income? Substantial net worth? A fine home? Peer recognition? On a personal basis, there are likely almost as many definitions of success as there are people in the world. In marketing, though, there are just four measurable elements of success. Do you know which? more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Home Business Idea: A Little Secret About Public Domain Treasures

In this post about home business idea, you know:

A Little Secret About Public Domain Treasures



I bet this little secret is going to get YOU excited...just
like it did me. I just discovered public domain treasures and
it's a perfect business opportunity for many new internet
entrepreneurs.

Did you know there's a little known loophole in US law that
allows anyone to distribute, resell or give away expired
copyrighted content? Officially, its called public domain, and
savvy marketers "borrow" it to publish instant products.

Public domain refers to anything that is NOT protected under US
copyright law. This includes all works published before 1923 and
under certain conditions, works published up to 1978. A "work"
can be anything, a book, movies, plays, songs, photographs,
instruction manuals, posters, courses, reports, etc. You could
take these works, repackage them and sell them for a profit. By
tapping into public domain content, all the nitty gritty work
has been done for you.

There are almost an endless number of ways that you can make
money with public domain content. Let me suggest 10 different
models you can use to activate and tap the public domain
treasures.

Model 1: Resell It.
You can re-publish public domain content exactly as it is.
Whether it's a book, a movie or even music, you can take this
content and quickly turn it into a product. Just copy it as it
is and start selling it.

Model 2: Website Content
You can take the text of the public domain work which relates
to a product you are selling or an affiliate program that you
are promoting. You then create web pages and include links back
to your product page.

Model 3: Repackage
You can repackage a public domain work into a new product. You
can use the ideas and some of the content of public domain
works to create new and better products.
Eg. Walt Disney characters Snow White, the Little Mermaid were
all stories from the public domain.

Model 4: Multimedia
You can change the books in print into a CD or even a video
set. Add to the perceived value of the product by offering ways
to consume the information. What was once simply a "book" can
now be a complete home study course or training program.
Eg. The famous "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill has been
made into an audio CD which is a more convenient format.

Model 5: Reprint Rights
You could sell your version of the information product along
with marketing materials. People love reprint rights and it's a
quick and easy way to make tons of money immediately. You can
sell reprint rights only to a derivative product you have
created from the original public domain material.

Model 6: Upsell
You can use public domain works and use then as an "upsell" to
a regular version of your best selling product. You simply
present your buyer with an additional opportunity to "upgrade"
their order or add something to their order.

Model 7: Bonuses
Simply use the work as a bonus to your main offering. People
love bonuses and will buy a product just for the bonus, if its
unique and not something they've seen all over the net already.


Model 8: Viral E-books
You simply take parts of the book and turn it into a viral
e-book by allowing others to pass along or even sell this
e-book as their own. Once you trigger the "virus" its nearly
impossible to make it stop because people keep passing it on
and than these people keep passing it on etc, etc.
Eg. Rebecca fine from Seattle, WA used this exact technique to
accidentally launch her six figure business with an interesting
book, written in 1910 "The Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace
D.Wattles.
You can "super-size" this strategy by creating a viral e-book
with the material and then including affiliate links that pay
you commissions anytime someone buys from your recommended
resources.

Model 9: Google AdSense
You can use the material to create an information-rich website
and then place a tiny piece of code from Google to run their
AdSense program on your site. You'll essentially partner-up
with Google and get paid a percentage for everyone that simply
clicks on the ads Google places on your site.

Model 10: Articles/ Mini Courses
You could use little contents from public domain works and
create a mini-course that people would subscribe from your
site. You just load a series of 4 to 10 articles into your
auto-responders and it delivers it on a total auto-pilot.

You can also use the material into 500-800 word articles to
distribute for free publicity and traffic to your sites.
Editors of e-zines and owners of web sites are always looking
for hot fresh content and in exchange they'll send you over
targeted traffic.
Eg. Matt Furey discovered a little unknown book on "Catch
Wrestling" and turned it into a complete manual and video
e-course of 12 lessons for his market of fitness and wrestling
buffs. He had earned over $1million dollars in sales from this
one book.

Among the topics available in the public domain treasures are:
Health & Fitness
Fun & Games
Sports & Recreation
Hobbies & Crafts
Education & Self Improvement
Food & Cooking
Animal & Pets
Home Garden & much much more.

Public domain works provides a huge opportunity to newbies in
the internet world to tap these vast treasures. Simply put, you
can use these works to instantly create e-books, manuals,
articles, reports or any other type of information products in
a snap. GOOD LUCK!


About The Author: You'll find step-by-step advice on 19 killer
internet business and internet marketing models as marketed by
TOP internet Entrepreneurs at www.e-HomeBiz.net. It is one of
a kind mini-encyclopedia with Master Resell Rights.





Home Business Idea ** Resources for You **

Save Up to $290 While You Get My Special Software in a Moment!
Do You wanna great free solutions, business programs or more?...

Home Business Idea - Niche Products: YOU Save Your Money While You Make Profits, 100% Sure!

Home Business Idea - The Super Ebook Of Tinu

Home Business Idea - Are You Searching For a Winning Home Business Idea?

Home Business Idea - Open Your Free Franchise & Make $300 Profits Per Day!...No Stocks, No Resell, Guaranteed!

Home Business Idea - Get Your Full ClickBank Mall In 2 Minutes..Free! 5,200 Products Ready to Sell, Free!

Home Business Idea - Do You Really Desire To Work At Home?.. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Close More Sales with a Direct Approach

Close More Sales with a Direct Approach
by Chris Ellington

Pretty much anyone you ask rolls their eyes when talking about salespeople. "Windbag", "Schmoozer" and "Full of hot air" are the phrases that come to mind - well, those are the nice phrases.

Salespeople have bad reputations. Many times this reputation is well deserved, meaning that prospects have their BS-meter turned way up when you walk into the room. Yes it's true, you are instantly transformed from "small business owner" into "salesperson" and all of a sudden they don’t trust you.

You can close more sales than your competition by simply avoiding the alarms on that BS-meter. Don't flim-flam and don't dance around the issues. Be direct and straight-shooting. Life is too short to waste time trying to couch things inside hidden meanings. If it needs to be said, say it. If you shouldn't say it, shut up. Simple? Yes.

Effective? Very!

When you are calling on a prospect, don’t pretend you are his long lost brother. Start the presentation with an expectation of forming a business relationship. Make it clear that this business relationship benefits his company, his team and his own position.

Tell him exactly which of his problems you are there to solve. Let him know that the problems have solutions, and that you can deliver those solutions. But it isn’t just about you delivering solutions. You must deliver solutions within his particular constraints. He has price constraints, time constraints and political constraints. Make sure you address each of his needs and before you walk out of the room tell him whether or not you can deliver those solutions within his particular constraints.

You'll find that an opening like this shortens your sales cycles. You will be recognized as a "breath of fresh air". Prospects don't like BS. Give it to them straight.


Chris Ellington gives effective and easy to implement marketing strategies to small business owners and home business entrepreneurs. His Simplified Selling System has been a favorite of salespeople around the world. Get your free marketing strategies at www.simplifiedselling.com.

Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:How to Make Cold Calling Work for Your Business

An Article by Kevin M. Stirtz more...


Home Based Business Resources

more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Job Interview Answers

An Article by Sanjib Ahmad more...


Home Based Business Resources
Originally Posted on 7/1/2005 4:38:38 PM
Content source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=45293

more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Business Plans

An Article by Sanjib Ahmad more...


Home Based Business Resources
Originally Posted on 7/1/2005 2:11:35 PM
Content source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=45291

more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:The NEW online equivalent of an effective newspaper advertisement is FREE

Ask anybody who has been in business for a long enough and they will tell you how newspaper advertisements have for decades helped to build countless small businesses. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:How To Create A Brochure And Cover Letter Your Prospects Will Respond To...NOW!!!

Millions of dollars are spent annually on creating and sending brochures and cover letters. Most of these dollars are wasted, because these marketing materials don't do what they're supposed to do: get a prospect to act, either by requesting further information, picking up the phone and making an appointment, or actually buying something.

These are the sole purposes of marketing documents. If the brochure and cover letter you create don't do one of these three things, they have failed. Completely.

Which brings us to the first rule of this game: the brochure and cover letter you produce must have a purpose. And since the only real purpose of any marketing document is motivating immediate prospect action, the purpose of what you create can only be one of the three things above.

Your brochure and cover letter exist either to:
. get the prospect to request more information;
. call up and arrange an appointment, or
. buy something, by either filling in an order coupon, or walking into your establishment.

Prominently post the purpose you have selected before you write your brochure and cover letter. Everything you put into this brochure, this cover letter must work towards achieving this single objective. Nothing else must be allowed in.

The truth is, when most marketers create their brochures and cover letter they get off the track. They forget what they're doing... and why. Don't be one of them. There's a very easy trick to seeing if your brochure and cover letter are correct: after you write each sentence, ask yourself if it's helping achieve your overriding objective. If it isn't, it's wrong. And that's a fact.

Focus On The Prospect, Not Yourself

Everybody supposedly knows that all marketing documents ought to be about your prospect, not about you. Sadly, the vast majority of brochures and cover letters fail to achieve this objective. Take a brochure I received in today's mail: on the mailing panel it simply says, "Instrument Calibration and Repair. Calibration: Standardizing a measuring instrument." That's it.

Now, I ask you: are these words about the sender, or about the recipient? It's obvious, isn't it! Lines that are about the marketer rightly elicit this response: "So what!" "Instrument Calibration and Repair". So what! What does this have to do with me, your prospect?

Selling doesn't have to be hard. Simplified SellingLines that are about the prospect, the most important person in every brochure and cover letter, get this response: "Aha!"

The prospect is interested in knowing one thing and one thing only about you: "What can you do for me?" And when that question is answered, he's interested in these questions: "When can you do it?" And "How much will it cost me"?

When you're writing a brochure, do this simple test. Read each sentence and ask yourself if it's about you or your prospect. If it's about you the sentence will feel incomplete, because it won't have the persuasive information the prospect wants. No wonder! Your prospect is saying, "So what?" to it.

But if the sentence is focused on your prospect, offers him honest, believable benefits, and motivates him to take immediate action, it's finished. Doing Your Homework

The big reason most people's brochures and cover letters fail is because their creators don't do any homework before writing them. Most people hate writing; their objective is to get it out of the way as quickly as possible, right or wrong. But not your savvy marketer! He may hate writing as much as the next person, but he never loses sight of his objective: that each marketing piece will either make him a profit, or be a dead loss. And that if he's to achieve the former, he needs to get other people, his prospects, to act... NOW!

Homework helps achieve his objective. What You Have To Know Before You Write The first thing you've got to know before you can successfully create any brochure or cover letter is who you're talking to.

The best marketing documents, even if millions are sent out, are conversations between two people... you and just one prospect. You have to know who this prospect is and have to understand what he wants, when he wants it, why he might not take action to acquire it, and how much he can afford to pay for it. All these points must be dealt with in your marketing materials.

Without a doubt, one of the greatest single reasons why marketing communications fail to get people to take action is because those people don't feel that what they're being asked to consider has anything to do with them... it doesn't speak to them about what's important to them and, therefore, doesn't motivate them to take immediate action. In marketing, this is disastrous.

Hint: don't create brochures and cover letters for a mass. Create them for a single person, a person who represents your market. Make yourself focus on this single individual, perhaps someone you know; certainly someone you know about. This will help you create just the right tone and style. In writing to this individual, consider what he wishes to achieve, when, what specific benefits (in priority order) will motivate him to act, and what he has to do to get these benefits... NOW!

Fashion The Components Of Your Brochure And Cover Letter Creating a brochure and cover letter is rather like making a quilt. You need to fashion each individual square before you knit the whole together.

Start with the Anxiety Component.

Using Anxiety Information People act when action is less threatening and more desirable than non-action. Most of us are pretty lethargic; even when we have problems, our inclination is simply to hope they go away without us having to exert ourselves. This is one of the major problems each marketer must overcome.

Identifying and utilizing prospect anxiety helps us achieve this objective. What is happening to our prospects? What are they likely to lose if they don't take immediate action? How believable can we make this loss? Who is willing to testify that these things will happen? This is the kind of information you need to use in your Anxiety Component.

Remember: fear of loss is always a greater motivater than hope for gain. Your prospects know what they have now... and even if it isn't what they want, they are still afraid of losing it.

Be specific! Don't just vaguely intimate to your prospects that they will lose something by failing to act. Be specific. Tell them how much they'll lose, when they'll lose it, why they'll lose it. Use numbers... and the names of real authorities. In short, make the anxiety you use authoritative. Turn The Features Of What You Produce Into Benefits

If you want your brochures and cover letters to get fast prospect response, you've got to turn the features of what you produce into buyer benefits. Features are things that pertain to what you're selling... color, size, weight, payment terms, delivery information, etc.

But these things are only important insofar as they can be transformed into benefits that motivate immediate prospect response. In other words, the fact that your widget comes in blue is no necessary advantage; it's merely a feature whose significance you must establish and sell to the prospects.

Here's how to handle this problem: list all the facts (features) about what you're selling. Now transform them into buyer benefits by starting a sentence about each one beginning, "You get..." A feature is merely a feature until you turn it into a client-centered benefit using a "you get" sentence. When you're finished with this activity you should have dozens of "you get" sentences.

Now the trick is to prioritize them... which are the most important to your prospects and which most likely to motivate them to take immediate action. Remember: all benefits are not equal. Some are more important than others. And these are the ones you should lead with and emphasize in your brochure and cover letter.

Find And Use TestimonialsYour prospect is a skeptical creature. Take my word for it. He's been burned in the past... and knows his judgment is questionable. Because of this, his natural inclination is to do nothing... the very thing every marketer fears and is constantly working against. That's where testimonials come in.

Recognize that your prospects are skeptical and need to be convinced to act NOW! Believable -- specific -- benefits achieved by people just like them will help motivate them. The key words here are: "believable," "specific", and "people just like them."

Don't make your testimonials vague. Make them specific. Don't say more widgets were produced in an hour... say how many more... and how much money the satisfied customer made as a result. In short, quantify your testimonials... and give them teeth by making them specific and detailed. This is the way to overcome prospect inertia, because with these kinds of testimonials here's what you're saying: do you want an extra widget each hour (with corresponding profit)? Of course you do! And that's why you need our product. Take action now to get it... or keep losing an extra widget each hour of every day.

Turn Your Bio Into A Marketing Hook Most brochures are packed with biographical data about the sender, data that does nothing more than make the prospect scream, "Who cares?" Remember, what I said: EACH line of your brochure and cover letter either works to compel an immediate prospect response, or it shouldn't be there! Thus, every line of your bio must be turned into a reason for the prospect to act. Thus, don't be like this marketer whose brochure I'm looking at: "Mary Pretzer is a graphic design consultant with extensive experience in the use of desktop publishing software and hardware." So what!!!

What benefit does the prospect get from this... does her experience mean she can show you how to produce books faster and cheaper? How much faster? How much cheaper? Make the benefits believable and specific!

Keep in mind that biographical details are not there for your greater glorification (which most brochure creators seem to believe), but to motivate a prospect to take immediate action. Thus even the biographical features of your life must be transformed into benefits the prospect wishes to achieve and which he understands he can get only with your help. Make An Offer

Most brochures and cover letters fail because they leave it up to the prospect to decide when to respond. They say, essentially, "Respond whenever you want to. It doesn't matter to us." But we know in reality that it does matter to the marketer when the prospect responds. The marketer has invested time, treasure, trouble, and talent creating his brochure and cover letter... and the only justification for this is getting more treasure back as fast as possible. That's where the offer comes in.

The offer provides the prospect with the justification he needs for immediate action. It says, "It's not only okay to act NOW, but acting NOW is the only sensible thing to do." As a result, he does act. Offers come in many shapes and sizes... two for the price of one, getting something free (that costs others money), getting more for your money, you name it.

But a few things are common to all: they must offer perceived benefits to the prospect and they must be limited in some way, either in time, quantity, or otherwise. Thus, you should never offer a prospect something like a free audio cassette. That's a feature. And you know people act to achieve BENEFITS.

Thus, "Learn the 6 secrets of producing more widgets each hour... and pay nothing. This $14 audio cassette is yours absolutely free when you get (name of product)... but only if you act within the next thirty days! After that, you have to figure out these secrets yourself!" See the difference? Don't offer people a feature... offer them the benefit that that feature delivers.

Don't offer them anything free... offer them something that's free to them, but costs everybody else.

And never leave your offer open-ended. The whole purpose of an offer is to induce immediate action. And something open-ended torpedoes that objective.

Now Bring It All Together

At this point, it's a good idea to remind yourself what you really want to achieve with your brochure and cover letter. Whatever you've selected... getting your prospect to request more information, make an immediate phone call or buy something... involves action. And it is this action you must work to stimulate. Remember, this stimulation begins where the eye of your prospect first alights. Thus, don't build up to what you want the prospect to do... hit him with it right away... and pile on the reasons why it is to his benefit to do what you want him to do.

Too many brochures and cover letters fail because it takes the marketer too long to get to the point. Your point -- whatever your objective -- isn't something you build up to; it's something you begin with... and which everything in your marketing communication reinforces. Because this communication only has one point... the one you selected at the very beginning.

Now ask yourself: which of the necessary components of effective marketing communications will best help me realize my objective? Starting with a testimonial... prospect anxiety... an offer... a client-centered benefit? The answer depends on your market. But one thing is certain: whatever you select should be a deliberate decision solely determined by your desire to motivate the greatest number of your prospects fastest.

Dr. Jeffrey Lant Move into your professionally designed website within 24 hours http://www.trafficcenter.com/properties FREE website for life! FREE email for life! http://www.freeservicesnow.com more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:A Lesson in Entrepreneurship and other items you may have missed.

Business to Business Marketing Strategies for Business OwnersYou'll find a running theme..A Lesson In Entrepreneurship From J. Paul GettyLearn from the master himself. If you want to grow your business, who is a better role model?Tips to Grow Your Business Some great business tips that could make you a bundle.Energy Saving Strategies for Your OfficeWe are all watching the bottom line. These strategies could save you a bundle. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:The Small-business Owner's Secret Success Weapon - Part One

How can you do a better job of reaching your full potential as a business owner? How can you achieve more, do it faster, and make fewer mistakes? We're all looking for that edge, that competitive advantage that will equip you to take a leadership position in your chosen niche. As a [...] more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:Consumer Generated Media: What Small Business Owners Need to Learn From Big Corporations

Consumer generated media is fast becoming the most important factor in marketing effectiveness for many industries. And for those industries where it's not yet a major determinant of marketing success, it's just a matter of time.Consumer generated media (CGM) is the combination of comments, reviews, critiques, and complaints wielded by consumers and devoured by prospective [...] more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:What is carving a niche and how does it add value to yoru home business?

An Article by Purva Mewar more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:work at home medical transcription

Please use one of the above work at home medical transcription hyperlinks, or take a look at the website that might have popped up when you entered my, not yet so fantastic site, you'll see what I mean. These work at home medical transcription sites are so useful that they put my little effort to shame. Seeing I'm not exactly flowing with content yet, you may as well leave my little website now to visit one of the work at home medical transcription sites I've linked to. But before you do go I'd just like to say that I'm putting lots of work and effort into this work at home medical transcription place of mine and I'd be pleased if you'd remember it and come back again one day soon. So please bookmark this site and return soon. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:data entry job work at home

If you are really interested in the highest standard data entry job work at home then be sure you click the link above. We have researched the data entry job work at home subject vigorously and guarantee that these people have the best. The data entry job work at home links on the left hand side of the page will take you directly to the specific item you need so feel free to look around. We have made it easy for you and of course this company stands behind their data entry job work at home with 100% satisfaction guarantees. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:work at home typist

How can we be sure they're the best work at home typist websites available on the net today? Because we've spent months of time putting our sweet and blood into researching the subject. We've visited every site about work at home typist that we could find, and have studied them to sort the good from the bad. Look, we're good at getting ranked well in search engines. work at home typist may be our big interest, but we'll be the first to admit that out site doesn't come anywhere to the standards of the websites we're linking to. So we therefor suggest you follow one of the links. You won't be disappointed. Thanks for taking the time to visit our webpage, and please come back again one day. Next time you visit you may well find that we're the best work at home typist place available on the Internet. more...


Start a Secretarial Service

Secretarial Services:clerical work at home

We make clerical work at home searching and shopping much simpler. We've used our clerical work at home network to get you to be best sites fast and efficiently. As competition in the clerical work at home world wide marketplace drives the need for ever greater efficiency, the Internet will surely become a better place to do business. The win-win situation between clerical work at home operators and consumers is enormous. Enjoy your clerical work at home adventure by indulging in our discoveries. Step one is to click on the links provided in this page. more...


Start a Secretarial Service