January 18, 2009
Five points to consider when you want to fit fitness into a hectic life
When I tell people what I do for a living, many will tell me they wish they had the time to exercise, but just can’t seem to fit it in. This is one of the biggest excuses people give for not making exercise a part of their life. However, we all have time for the things we feel are important enough. Many people actually have more time than they think. Research now supports breaking increased activity into 10-minute blocks, which anyone can do without even thinking about it.
Do any of these scenarios sound like you?
• I am too tired to do anything after work so I drop down in front of the TV
• With the kids and husband, there is just no time for me
• I work too many hours and have too many responsibilities to get away from the office
• First thing in the morning I always spend an hour drinking my coffee and reading the paper
• I really need to relax in the middle of the day, so I read fiction books at lunchtime
• I’d love to exercise but there’s no place for me to do it
• I’m too tired at night and I hate to get up early in the morning
Although exercise is a normal part of my own life, I also try to include a 90-120 minute walk into town several times a week. As I was taking that walk the other day, I realized that there are things in my own life that I perceive I have no time for. This thought gave me a laugh, because here I was, spending 2 hours doing something that other people perceive they have no time for!
In this article, I will give you five helpful tips on how to fit regular fitness into your hectic lifestyle. Then, if you are able to find the time, lack of time will no longer be a valid excuse. My question to you will then be this: Do you continue to not exercise because you don’t have the time or don’t have the will? That is a subject for a different article.
1. Determine when you could realistically spend time exercising
When starting a new activity, you have to first realistically determine when you can DO that activity. If you are busy driving home from work or cooking dinner at 5pm each night that will not be the time of day to try to exercise. So, pull out your calendar and put some serious thought into when, every day, you could do some type of exercise. Don’t worry about what that exercise is, just determine the time and how much time it would be.
Example: You really would like to go to bed earlier each night. This may be the motivator you’ve been looking for, because if you went to bed earlier, you could get up earlier, and then exercise.
Example: You really could use a break from work in the middle of the day. You often take a couple hours for lunch just to escape work, so this could be shortened to also include some type of activity. There is a racquetball court not far from work and you have some old college buddies who might be interested in a lunchtime game or two.
Example: If you exercised first thing in the morning, before other activities, it would be done each day without guilt. You really do have the time if you do it first thing but you just let yourself sleep in each morning.
Example: There is just no place on your schedule that you can find a continuous 60 minutes you are willing to commit to exercise. However, you could do 20 minutes in the morning, 15-20 minutes at lunch, and 20 minutes in the evening.
2. Investigate what activities you would like to do
Again, it has to be something you’re going to enjoy, or it won’t matter that you found the time! So, consider all options that are realistic. Do you have a pool that you would enjoy using? Look into group exercise classes at clubs near you, or perhaps the local “Y”. Some people do better if they are committed to show up somewhere, others prefer to do it at home and not have to dress to come and go.
Sit down and make a list of all possibilities as well as all locations you would like to look into. Consider finding an exercise partner. Maybe you would enjoy taking a walk with a neighbor, family member or friend.
Example: Several friends have invited you to join their basketball game once a week after work. You have thought about it but never follow through.
Example: You see two neighbors out walking each morning. You know them both but have put off contacting them to see if they would mind a third person.
Example: A workmate has been taking a Yoga class at lunchtime each week. She has invited you several times but you have always found some excuse to avoid it.
Example: You have a treadmill at home that stores blankets. You can clean them off and use it in the morning and night, and at lunch you can go for a walk with workmates who take a 15 minute walk each day.
3. Put it on your calendar
Especially when you first start a new activity, if you don’t write it down, you may forget about it. This may not be because you are trying to avoid it, but seriously because it’s not a habit, yet. Also, the busier you are, the more important it is that you include it on your calendar. For some people, if it’s on their calendar, they take the activity more seriously.
For example, I recently started taking Pilates classes, but they have to be entered into my calendar because it’s between clients in the course of my day. If I did not have it on my calendar, I may forget and schedule clients in that time.
4. Prepare ahead for the activity
The more prepared you are, the more likely it is you will do it. If you exercise first thing in the morning, have your workout clothes out and ready to put on. If you walk during lunchtime at work, make sure you pack a bag that has your shoes and any change of clothes for the walk.
Another example of preparing would be if there is a class you’d like to take but you have scheduled another appointment for that time. If it’s an appointment that can be moved, move that so that you can create a habit with your new exercise class.
5. Share your intentions with others
The more people you tell, the more likely you are going to do it. Sometimes just the thought of not doing something you told others you were doing is enough to keep
you going. Maybe it’s a challenge to yourself to keep your word, out of integrity.
The more people you share this with, the more people who will be asking you how things are going. If you are skipping your workouts, soon people are going to ask if you really are doing them.
If just telling people about your intentions to exercise is not enough, perhaps telling the instructor of a class you’ve started to take would help. Or, talking to classmates and making the statement that you will see them in the next class could be enough.
For some people, just telling yourself your intentions would work. You could make a commitment to yourself and come up with a reward if you meet your commitment. One example of a reward might be buying yourself a new item of clothing or something else you would enjoy.
We’ve just looked at 5 strategies to overcome the excuse of not enough time to exercise. Research has shown that it’s necessary to get 60 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week for people who wish to lose weight. If this is a goal you have, use the strategies above to overcome the perception of lack of time. For many people, simple strategies such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, using a pedometer to strive for 10,000 steps per day, or parking at the far end of the parking lot into various buildings can actually be included in increasing exercise to meet the 60 minute goal.
If you have been considering how to include exercise into your daily life, sit down and make a plan on how you are going to make it happen. Use the strategies above and perhaps one day you will be out taking a walk, thinking of all the other things you don’t have time for.
Marjorie Geiser helps people overcome their confusion and distress they may feel when trying to add healthy eating and fitness into their busy lives. She offers a free, monthly newsletter on various topics of health. She is a Registered Dietitian, Personal Trainer and Life Coach. To learn more about her services, go to her website at http://www.megfit.com or email her at margie@megfit.com.
Posted by Administrator under Shopping Management | Comments Off
January 18, 2009
Your Homework
- Create an updated carefully typed curriculum vitae customised to the position to leave with the panel member.
- Have a colleague with a critical eye proofread the resume.
- Prepare interview answers to classic interview questions about yourself (review your strengths and weaknesses).
- Obtain permission beforehand from people you intend to utilise as reference.
- Show an interest about the geographical area in which the business is located.
- Show an interest about the employer, what they do, their challenges and future plans (annual reports, organizational charts, policies and procedures, staff manual, and position description of the company being interviewed for).
Preparing a Good curriculum vitae
A curriculum vitae is your sales pitch to the job sieving out committee, and it must make a statement that shows you and the strengths of your candidacy. Since there is no standard way to prepare a curriculum vitae, your curriculum vitae must be able to indicate what you can do for the business and show your overall planning for the business. A CV should contain the following information but it doesn’t have to be in the order shown:
- Your name, address, and telephone number(s).
- Your employment objective objective. Signal the category of job you are looking for. The objective should be pertinent to the post you are seeking.
- Education: school name and location, graduation date or dates of attendance, degree obtained or highest grade completed.
- Experience: indicate post title, name and address of business, dates of employment, and description of post duties.
- Special skills possessed: computer skills, languages, laurels received, any accomplishment that is worth mentioning etc.
- Indicate availability of references (usually upon request).
Prepare yourself for the Day of the Interview
- Dress for the placement.
- Be conservative but not prudish.
- Be neat. Look for missing buttons, dragging hems, soiled clothes, etc.
- Avoid jingling jewelry or “avant-garde” fashion.
- Come along looking clean and rested, engaged and vigilant.
- Arrive on time for your appointment.
- Take with you your ID (social security card, drivers license).
Your Demeanour During the Interview or the Selling Game
- Be positive about your qualifications.
- Fend Off judgmental remarks about past posts or bosses.
- Discover the names of the interview panel and their places in the organisation.
- Suggest areas of the job to which you can apply past experience and training.
- Be creative in describing your skills and relating them to a new position.
Note that the business requires responses to the following textbook interview questions:
- Why are you here?
- What can you do for the employer (special skills, background)?
- How much will it cost to employ you?
The Curtain Call or Closing the Deal
Send Off a follow-up letter giving thanks to the interviewers for their time and interest in you. And Restate your desire for the business and the establishment.
For more information about ST interviews
go to the website
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January 16, 2009
Transitional fossils, or the supposed lack thereof, has been used for many years by anti-evolutionists to argue against evolution. Here, I will explain what a transitional fossil is, and why it is not valid as an argument against evolution.
A transitional fossil shows the evolutionary development from one species to another. For example, if organism 1 existed 70 million years ago, and organism 2 shows up in the fossil record 5 million years later, then theoretically there should be intermediate species in this 5 million year gap, which shows gradual progression from one species to another. The lack of these “transitional” fossils is proof to young earth creationists that evolution is false.
Evolutionists have shown that indeed there are transitional fossils, and there are plenty of examples of them. For instance, see this article.1 Here is the key point…even if young earth creationists accept these examples of transitional fossils, they will still claim that there are no transitional fossils! These fossils will be called either unique species, or they will come up with some reason (disease, birth defect, etc) that accounts for the apparent transition feature.
Naturally, they will say, “Where are the transitional fossils between these transitional fossils?” If we had a clear fossil record, showing progression every 10,000 years for millions of years, they will not believe it, and will want the “transitional” fossils for the missing 10,000 year period. No amount of evidence will convict them that their belief is wrong.
The same thing could be said of progressive creationists as well. Progressive creationists believe in an old earth, but that God created each species a unique creation, and not evolved from an earlier species. I happen to be one of these myself. However, we must be careful not so say our view is the only one that is valid. Dr. Hugh Ross of the old earth ministry Reasons to Believe, has put forth many arguments against evolution. However, when you consider the possibility that within Theistic Evolution, you have God guiding the evolutionary process, then all bets are off. Yes, evolution by itself could not have happened…as Dr. Ross explains, 13.7 billion years is not nearly enough time, statistically speaking, for evolution to occur. However, with God’s supernatural intervention and guidance, it could have easily happened.
I’m not saying that evolution is right, but what I am saying is that with God, all things are possible, including evolution. We should not be so quick, as progressive creationists, to condemn evolution.
Conclusion
The fact that young earth creationists will not be convinced, no matter how much evidence is presented, makes this a weak argument. The argument is not based on science, but on assumptions based on a young earth interpretation of creation.
Greg Neyman is the founder of the website ministry Answers In Creation. The original location of this article is here.
Posted by Administrator under Universe Of Religion | Comments Off
January 16, 2009
Superultramodern Religion ( SR ) is a component of Superultramodern Science (SS). In particular, it is an application of SS [mainly the NSTP (Non -Spatial Thinking Process) theory] to religious viewpoints.
SR states that the religious viewpoints (say, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) are flawed on their physical (or, so called, metaphysical) side. The prophets (say Jesus Christ, Mohammad) could be superhuman, in the sense of being able to modulate the spatial illusion, but their theories / advocacies on the nature or physics of reality were quite probably wrong / false (as many flaws could be demonstrated, e.g. eternal creating something, immovable and flat earth theories, etc.). The true structure and mechanism of the universe is in accordance with the NSTP theory which produces states of consciousness or feelings as if Jesus, for example, controlling winds, curing diseases, etc., to people, including Jesus (assuming others are conscious like me : where all conscious entities / beings are mere groups of feelings or states of consciousness).
This could be simplified with an analogy. Suppose in 2005 A.D. we cannot drive cars. However, our science is so developed that we can easily invent an appropriate theory on the internal mechanism of the car. Now we find a car used in 0 B.C. and a book, say Bible, describing a person very skillful in driving cars, with a theory on the internal mechanism of the car. We do not at all agree with the theory invented in 0 B.C. as it has many simple logical / conceptual problems. So we infer that the person, very skillful in driving the car, was (probably) wrong on how the car actually works (i.e. its internal mechanism) , whereas we are (probably) right on its mechanism but are not skillful enough to drive the car.
Kedar Joshi BSc MA MRI Cambridge, UK.
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January 15, 2009
What are the key headline qualities that work every time?
Why do some headlines produce extraordinary results?
Truth is… winning headlines all share the ability to cut through the clutter of competing messages to deliver a hard-hitting, unmistakable message to a specific group of prospects.
Great headlines are those that not only get noticed, but also draw the reader inside with a magic-like spell. Whenever you find yourself reading deep inside the body copy of a message, chances are you were pulled inside by the magnetic appeal of a carefully constructed and targeted headline.
The most successful headlines contain at least one (and many times, several) of the key headline qualities listed below. When writing your own headlines, review this list and make sure you’re on target.
Key Headline Qualities — #1: Great Headlines Are Arresting. Job one for any headline — whether it’s a display ad, brochure, or sales letter — is to arrest attention. Without first capturing the eyes of your prospects, your message doesn’t stand much of a chance. Without a powerful, concise message, prospects will be gone elsewhere, in the blink of an eye.
Living in the midst of the information age, each of us is inundated with a huge, continuous explosion of messages from all directions and an unlimited number of sources. It can be overwhelming at times — even futile — when we realize how impossible it would be to pay attention to it all, even with 48 hours to a day!
With this in mind, your headline has to make the reader stop dead in her tracks to ponder your idea, concept, startling statement, or intriguing question. Your headline’s mission is to consume your reader’s focus, capture her imagination and momentarily mesmerize with your captivating collection of words.
Key Headline Qualities — #2: Great Headlines Are Interruptive. Customers and prospects are mentally pre-occupied with various thoughts of their own. Every prospect is busy living her life. An interruptive headline has the ability to shift the reader’s attention and focus from their current thoughts, towards your message. It’s a break, a temporary thought suspension that you want to create with your headline.
Being interruptive means being able to get the prospect to shift her concentration with something that is new, timely, or important to her life — something that is sure to get attention. To pull this off successfully requires a good understanding of your target market and a powerful headline that addresses a deeply held desire or solution to a problem.
Key Headline Qualities — #3: Great Headlines Are Provocative. The provocative headline is one that instigates a reaction in the reader. It delivers a mental nudge, designed to involve the prospect in some way. A provocative headline is difficult to ignore — particularly when it’s narrowly focused on a specific audience — because it tempts, teases, or tantalizes the reader.
Provocative headlines command the attention of those they address by asking questions, delivering surprising or shocking statements, and by establishing a connection to a news story or event.
Key Headline Qualities — #4: Great Headlines Are Compelling. A compelling headline draws like a magnet because it hits at the heart of the reader’s deep desire. These headlines pull the reader inside. They fuel an existing desire for more by offering a huge promise omething the prospect wants, and wants badly.
The secret to a compelling headline is the suggestion of a payoff of some kind. The closer the match between promised payoff and deeply rooted desire, the more effective the headline will be.
The compelling headline places a powerful thought in the mind of the prospect something she cannot easily forget. It stays with her until the desire has been satisfied, (often by placing an order) or, until she loses interest. The anticipation and desire builds so the prospect is literally compelled to stay with the message to satisfy a nagging hunger.
Key Headline Qualities — #5: Great Headlines Arouse Curiosity. Prospects are pulled inside to the heart of a message by their desire to find out more. Often it’s the result of a surprising statement, shocking news, a new discovery, or a new way to solve an age-old problem. The best curiosity-arousing headlines combine curiosity with a major benefit of interest to the prospect.
Once the reader’s curiosity has been piqued, her interest naturally intensifies. The more thought she gives to the subject, the stronger the curiosity grows — as well as the desire to satisfy it. What it all boils down to is greater exposure to your entire message over a longer period of time.
Key Headline Qualities — #6: Great Headlines Deliver Big Benefits. It’s these major advantages or benefits that all buyer want. Benefits represent the true payoff. Benefits answer the “What’s in it for me?” question. Every prospect has their built-in radar set to a “benefits-only” frequency. It’s the benefits you offer that win the attention and interest of your audience.
What is it your prospects would like to have or achieve? What problem would your prospect most like to solve? Headlines that present strong benefits are headlines that capture attention and interest. When you speak in terms of benefits, you’re speaking your prospect’s language.
Implement these key headline qualities in your ad copy and you’ll attract a larger, more interested audience.
Robert Boduch is an author of dozens of best-selling books, reports and articles on the art and science of selling. A free newsletter targeted at anyone interested in selling more of anything is available at http://www.makeyoursalessoar.com
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January 14, 2009
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on why it will help your profits and brand your business? Need to know each step so you can delegate it to an assistant or do it yourself in just an hour a day for less than a month?
Each chapter within my eBook “Write Your Print or Other Short Book-Fast!” can help fiction and non-fiction authors.
Ch. 1. Why Write a Book?
The best way to brand your business is to author a book. It’s cheaper, faster, and better received than CD’s or audios. Attract clients and customers, be known as the savvy expert, make consistent income for life, and share your useful how-tos with your audience. Discover how to choose a subject that sells, test your book’s significance, and how it will outsell others. See your sales explode and hear your toll-free book order number ring like a stuck slot machine.
Ch. 2. Write your Chapters in Half the Time with Fewer Edits
People are more likely to recommend books they’ve read cover-to-cover. Your readers will keep turning pages and love your chapter’s step-by-step guidance. Catapult fiction or non-fiction book sales on the back end with. Judy’s “Fast-Forward Writing Technique.” and slash editing time in half while writing easy to read copy. Consider your satisfied readers as your 24/7 sales team to put the power of “word of mouth” promotion to work for you!
Ch. 3. Market While you Write with the “Essential Nine-Hot-Selling Points”
The #1 goal of effective book marketing is to pre-sell your book. Design every part of your book as a sales tool before you write a single chapter. Know the “Nine Hot-Selling Points” to guide your writing to solve your reader’s problem or challenge. Cut writing time and produce a superior book with this success blueprint.
Ch. 4. Which Way to Publish is Best for You?
Publish the best way to make you, the author, the most money. Discover the myths of traditional publishing and the solutions, and how Print on Demand can be an author’s friend. Forget the long, slow, less money, hard road of traditional publishing path.
Speed up your book’s finish line with self-publishing–both with your print or eBook.
Ch. 5. Organize your Book Before you Write it
If it takes more than a minute to find any book file or folder, you’re losing time, money and opportunities. Successful authors organize their book project files because it eliminates needless procrastination and frustration. Learn Judy’s “Think Tupperware” method. Everything important is kept handy, fresh and easy to use.
Ch. 6. eBook Opportunities
Ebooks are cheap to produce, and offer higher net income per sale with considerably less risk than print.” Make 100% of your book’s profits, publish easily and instantly without the long, hard traditional road. Judy shares choices that suit your budget and time frame. Thousands of targeted Online potential buyers want and need your information! Sell your eBook on the Internet for highest profits.
Ch. 7. How to Choose your Book’s Format
Choose your book’s best format to suit the right style to publish and promote it. Write an eBook and a print book at the same time. Choose your format from Judy’s “Four Format Options.” Compare prices to save you money and fit your book’s purpose.
Don’t get discouraged by reading about high self-publishing costs. Your book can bypass roadblocks when you open your mind to a tried and true way to share your important message.
Judy Cullins ©2005 All Rights Reserved.
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, “The BookCoach Says…,” “Business Tip of the Month,” blog Q & A at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 170 free articles.
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Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com.
Phone: 619/466-0622 — Orders: 866/200-9743
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January 14, 2009
In business, your number one priority is to make that sale.
Every operation of your business should be supporting you making that sale.
Yes, to be sure, marketing, accounting, product support, service support, customer service, shipping, and whatever process you have in place, are all important.
But without that sale… You flat-out don’t have a business.
If you’re running a small business, a Home Grown Internet Biz, for example, Making that sale is ABSOLUTE KING.
Though I will focus on your sole proprietorship, Home Grown small business, the basics discussed here are true with bigger operations. In fact, a Home Grown Internet Biz has a huge advantage over all other business models when it comes to change & growth.
The advantage? We Home Grown Internet Biz Owners are able to respond quickly to good advice and new information.
We can immediately send emails to test our new information. All it costs us is our time. With each testing we can fine tune and improve on our conversion rate. Then test again.
We can then implement and test our findings to our websites and into our advertising campaigns. That’s a powerful advantage.
How important are your sales to your Home Grown Internet Biz? That’s your call, not mine. But, here’s one example of how important sales are to my Home Grown Biz…
My monthly ISP cable access is $40.44. If I don’t want to run my biz on the public library’s computer, I have no choice but pay that each month.
Hence, making $40.44 each month is my first order of business.
How do I pay it? I make sales. Or better, I make one sale that pays that entire amount. Then I concentrate on making the next sale to pay for the next fixed overhead item, etc.
My Home Grown Internet Biz sells a number of products and services. Many of them are supplied by affiliate programs.
I chose affiliate programs because most of the work, with the exception of making the actual sale, is done by the affiliate programs I sell. That free’s up my time to carry on with the most important task of any business…
Making that sale.
You and I know that nearly every Tom, Dick and Mary Jane on the internet are also selling affiliate programs. In fact, there’s plenty of competition for any affiliate program you pick.
Personally, I don’t think you should view it as competition. That type of thinking is self-limiting. There’s more than enough business for each of us.
Instead of thinking of the other affiliates as competition, think of them as part of your marketing team. Watch their marketing tactics and strategies.
Then You Improve on their tactics. You Fine tune their strategies. In other words, begin looking at your competition for immediate sales help.
Go one step further. Transform your competition into your mentors. Regard them as your teachers. And yes, let them become your sales trainers.
Here’s how you do that. Don’t do business like they do. Be different. Set yourself apart from the other affiliates.
How do you do that? Most simple operation in the world…
Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to let YOU out. YOU can’t be copied. Use YOU as your marketing edge.
Word of Caution.
I’m not suggesting you steal from other affiliates. Nope, I’m suggesting that you learn from their style. Then… Improve. Test. Enhance, i.e. Add value. By using your unique self to your advantage.
Make sure you give thanks for their help for your improved sales stats. Always maintain a grateful attitude toward them and their unknowing help.
By the way, this tactic of using YOU as your marketing edge is an example of Branding. I have an affiliate program that is all about Branding. If you’re interested let me know.
Meanwhile, back on the internet farm…
Dear Reader, This method will work for you. It Will help you make more sales.
So git on out there. Ain’t no room for no wallflowers. Jump in the mix and dance.
Be yourself. There’s no one like you. And YOU DO DESERVE IT ALL!
Go – Go – Go – Go Make that sale. Your Home Grown Biz depends on it…
Peace, Helping YOU make More Sales!
Posted by Administrator under Sales Management | Comments Off
January 11, 2009
That we live in a time of relentless and pervasive change is no longer news to anyone. There is one important implication of this situation that continues to be a challenge. That is that our employees need to continually change their behavior to adapt to the world around them.
My work of helping companies develop more effective sales organizations always involves making changes in the company. And sooner or later, that means that some of the employees must make significant changes in the ways that they think about, and do, their jobs.
This is particularly true of the sales people, who must decide to change their behavior and to implement the best practices that I teach. Beyond that, ultimately, helping people change is the work of every executive, manager, consultant and trainer.
Which brings us to the heart of this article. What is it that empowers some people to change smoothly and effortlessly, while getting others to modify their behavior seems like moving a mountain? What is the fundamental building block for individuals that, more than anything else, equips them to successfully implement change?
It is something that is becoming increasingly rare — a motivating sense of personal responsibility. That is, a deep and imbiding belief that one is responsible for one’s own behavior as well as the consequences of that behavior.
That seems so basic and common sense, yet I am constantly amazed by how few people actually exhibit it. Over and over in my work in developing sales people and their managers, I’m struck by how many people fail to accept responsibility for their own success or lack of it.
It’s far more popular to be a victim. We have all shook our heads sadly over some newspaper account of someone who commits some act of irresponsibility, and then successfully sues someone else. In our litigious world, being a victim often pays. That is an unfortunate consequence of an unhealthy belief.
As long as we view ourselves as victims, we’re unable to change ourselves or our circumstances and achieve better results. It is not our fault that we’re not doing better, we tell ourselves. Someone else caused it. And because it’s someone else’s doing, the power to fix it and make it better is with some one else. We’re powerless to fix it.
While few people admit it, or even realize it consciously, this “victim attitude,” the direct opposite of personal responsibility, is very common, and embraced to some degree by most of us. This is especially true of sales people, who could always do better if only something were different – something that someone else controls. If only… we had lower prices …our quality was better …the boss was more understanding …customer service was more responsive …you know the litany because you’ve chanted it.
My wife is a crises counselor. One of the biggest eye-openers for her occurred when she realized that she was counseling the same people over and over again. You’d think, as she did, that a crisis would be an isolated event. Not so. Many of her clients find themselves lurching from one crisis to another. Why? Because they don’t make the changes in their behavior and character that got them into the crises in the first place. At some deep level, they see themselves as victims, not personally responsible for their own character, their own behavior, and the consequences that behavior brings. Where there is no sense of personal responsibility, there is little hope for positive change.
I had a personal experience that brought this lesson home to me in a way that I will never forget.
I had been the number one salesperson in the nation for a company – my first full time professional sales job. I had it made: adequate salary, good benefits, company car, bonus potential, and the respect of my employer and colleagues. But the long term opportunities were limited, and I decided to move onto a job that was 180 degrees different. I took a position selling surgical staplers to hospitals. It was a leap from the secure job I had to one that paid straight commission, required you to buy your own samples and literature from the company, and provided only six months of a draw to begin.
But I was cocky, filled with the success of my previous job, and sure that I could make this work also. It wasn’t hasty. I looked at the amount of existing business in the territory I was slated to get, and determined that if I could double the business with in six monthsa doable task, I was assured – I’d be back making about what I was used to. Then, as I increased the business, my income and life style would evidence the difference
It all sounded good, and I left my old job, and arrived in New York City for six weeks of intensive training on the new one. During the time that I was there, my district manager moved on, and was replaced. When I arrived home after the training, he was anxious to meet with me. In our first meeting, before I had a chance to begin working, he informed me that he had revised the sales territories. The territory that I thought I had — the one I was hired for – was not the one I was going to get. Instead, I was going to receive just a fraction of that.
The new territory only contained about 1/3 of the existing business of the previous one. This change meant my plans for making a living were shot. It now became an impossible task.
I was upset and angry. How could they do that to me? I immediately began to look for another job. Determined to quickly leave this unethical, uncaring company.
Things got worse. As I interviewed several companies, I discovered that they saw me as the problem. Instead of understanding what the company had done to me, they thought I was an opportunist who was looking for an easy way out. It became clear that no one else was going to hire me!
I grew more and more angry and bitter. In addition, I had little success selling the staplers. After six months, my temporary draw came to an end. I owed the company $10,000, was making almost nothing, and had no prospects for another job. I felt squeezed between the proverbial rock and hard place. I was a victim of a dirty deal.
Then, out of the blue one day, I had an inspiration. It was me! The problem was me! Yes, the company had treated me poorly. Yes, they had been unethical and uncaring. But, the product was still exciting, and the opportunity still great. The real problem was my attitude – my bitterness and anger were getting in the way of everything.
I was responsible for my own behavior, my own thoughts, and my own attitude. When I had the realization that it was me, I felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. If the problem was me, then I could change! If the problem was somebody else, then I was a victim, and powerless to do anything about it. What a motivational and exhilarating realization. I began to work on my attitude. I began to take control of my thoughts. I looked up Bible verses that were very inspiriting. Versus like, “If God is for you, who can be against you?” “If you have faith like a mustard seed…” I wrote them down on 3X5 cards. Then, as I drove into my territory every day along I-96 in Detroit, I held them in my hand on the steering wheel, and read them over and over to myself. Slowly I began to do away with my bitter attitude, and replace it with hope and expectation.
My results began to change also. Things began to go better. Six months later, I had paid off the debt to the company, and was making more money then I thought possible. The job became more fun, more financially rewarding and more fulfilling then anything I ever expected.
The turning point for me occurred at the moment I accepted personal responsibility for my circumstances.
Once again, the lesson is clear: When there is no acceptance of personal responsibility, there is little hope for positive change. Where there is a personal responsibility the future holds unlimited potential.
Your struggle to bring about significant change in your organization will depend on the depth to which your employees embrace their responsibility to make personal changes. Your efforts to improve the productivity of your sales force will ultimately depend on the degree to which your sales force accepts personal responsibility to make the changes in behavior that will improve their results.
Can you instill a sense of personal responsibility if it is lacking?
This is one of those aspects of character that is always easier to hire then to instill. In other words, if you hire people who already have a sense of personal responsibility, your job will be much easier.
However, if some of your current employees lack this characteristic in sufficient quantity, it is not hopeless. By understanding the importance of this quality of character, and regularly making it a part of your conversations, you can raise the awareness of this fundamental building block for implementing change. Talk about it, write about it, and preach it in company meetings in the hope that many of your employees will see the light, in the same way that I did.
About Dave Kahle, The Growth Coach®:
Dave Kahle is a consultant and trainer who helps his clients increase their sales and improve their sales productivity. Dave has trained thousands of salespeople to be more successful in the Information Age economy. He’s the author of over 500 articles and five books. His latest is 10 Secrets of Time Management for Salespeople. His “Thinking About Sales” Ezine features content-filled motivating articles, practical tips for immediate improvements, useful resources and helpful tips to help increase sales. Join for NOTHING on-line at http://www.davekahle.com/mailinglist.htm.
You can reach Dave at:
The DaCo Corporation
3736 West River Drive
Comstock Park, MI 49321
Phone: 800-331-1287 / 616-451-9377
Fax: 616-451-9412
info@davekahle.com
http://www.davekahle.com
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January 10, 2009
Writers write just like painters, paint on canvas. This is one of the reasons why it is important that you launch your writing career by getting some freelance writing work that you can get paid for doing.
It does not matter how small the job is or how little the money is that you get paid for it, the important thing is to “draw blood” and get paid for your writing. Everything else you do towards being a $100,000 writer will have to start from there.
You cannot do any serious online writing without coming across the phrase “keyword rich articles”.
What are keyword articles? Keyword articles are articles that repeat a certain key word or key words. Keywords have the valuable power of attracting search engines. This is a complex subject but simply put, keywords are selected carefully in an effort to attract as much search engine traffic as possible to a site.
With the growing popularity of Google Adsense pay per click ads widely posted at web sites and blogs, keywords also have the important function of attracting the right Google ads to a site or blog that will earn the publisher the highest amount of cash when visitors to the site click on them.
You must begin by aggressively looking for freelance writing assignments for keywords. In the second part of this article we will suggest a few buyers of keyword articles that you can start off with. But they will only purchase quality articles that you have simply not copied or lifted from somewhere else. So it is very important that before you seek keyword articles, that you actually write a couple first and post them at leading article directories and article announcement sites. Visit sites to see how keyword articles are written and also visit my blog and read this article that uses the keywords (debt consolidation). Here is the link to the article.
http://big-online-story.blogspot.com/2005/05/debt-consolidation-c omes-before.html
or this one
http://marketingurhomebiz.blogspot.com/2005/05/before-you-can-eff ectively-market-your.html
Observe firstly how the article on a totally different subject from what the blogs are covering is made relevant to the blogs. Then take a close look at how the keywords are repeatedly used.
So now you are ready to write your first keyword article.
I can hear you ask the question.
“What on earth am I going to write about?”
Why not write about your keywords article business. You intend to supply keyword rich articles don’t you?
Read the articles at my other blog (http://big-online-story.blogspot.com) carefully. Are there any of the articles that you can re-write in your own words without telling any lies about your past achievements as a writer so far? Please do not copy whole paragraphs from my blog. I have not given you permission to reproduce my articles. I have simply asked you to do what you can do with any site or blog online. Read and digest the central ideas and then write an article using the ideas as if there were your own. Select any simple keyword that you want to use that will be the central or key point in your article. (We will deal about the subject of selecting keywords for your articles later on in this blog).
Remember that you will really have to be convincing so select topics that you care about enough and believe in from my blog, to be convincing. A writer who is not convincing in their writing will never be successful at any type of writing, so this is a very critical skill you will need to acquire if you are to succeed.
Next you will have to compile your resource box. This is a skill on it’s own and I have an extremely useful article on the subject at my blog http://marketingurhomebiz.blogspot.com It is titled “Your article resource box will kill or lift your internet marketing.”
Read it and carefully use the valuable points gained from years of experience and trial and error to create your best resource box to launch off your career as a writer.
Posted by Administrator under The Publishers Way | Comments Off
January 10, 2009
If you are an online article writer and you want to see more cash in your wallet then you must be careful when writing articles to properly title them and also make sure your key words and content all match to attract the readers you want. It is also important to realize that as an online or Ezine article writer that you must make sure to keep your article view counters clicking away. After all it is a numbers game in the end, either you attract people to your site or you do not. The more people you bring in the better your chances of turning them into sales.
To calculate your article view average take the number of articles you have written and divide that by your total article views. My average article viewing is 234.6 up from 177.71 most of this however is from recent “in the news” Articles, but these events and people in the news will no longer be in the news in the next four weeks and even if extended by two-weeks this means my article view average will not go up significantly.
Most authors and myself included would like to see this at 1000 average not 234 and yes you must also realize it is a time factor as many have said. Sometimes you will notice that your old articles are not moving at all not even by 1-2 views due to being no longer in season or in the news or even on the minds of your potential readers in various times of the year.
To counter this you need to be very cognizant of your titles, content and key wording and be smart about you article submissions, think on this.
“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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