Networking During the Holidays and Special Events: Part 1

Word-of-mouth advertising as you know this is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of marketing for the value you receive back from the time invested into it. During the holiday season and special events you should make sure your follow the following four suggestions to be an effective networker so future customers can learn about your business.

1. Always have your networking tools with you. Most people who are great networkers always have their networking supplies with them. Those supplies include an information name badge, plenty of business cards, brochures about your business, a pocket sized business card holder of business professionals you refer to, and a small bottle of germ killer.
2. Make sure you have a professionally made name tag since they look much better than a stick on name tag. It should include your name and your business name or profession whichever one you would prefer. You should never run out of business cards while at these events.
3. Set a goal for the number of new people you want to meet at the events. Some people go to these events with only one goal in mind- what time they want to leave? Your goal should be set for the number of contacts you make or the number of business cards you receive. Don't leave the event until you meet your goal.
4. You need to be realistic. If you are having a bad day set a lower goal than you have on the days when you are having a great day. With either case, set a reachable goal based on the attendance and the type of group you are attending.
5. Act like a host and not a guest of the event. You should pretend it is your party you are attending. You should stand near the main door to meet the people and then introduce them around the event. If you can volunteer to be an ambassador or greater at the events you attend or are a member. This will help you gain more valuable networking skills and get great exposure at the same time.
6. Networking can be a 24/7 activity if done correctly. Don't limit your to networking just at receptions you attend. You can network anywhere.
7. Listen then ask the 5 W questions- Who, What, When, Where, & Why. A great networker has two ears and one mouth and they use them proportionally. You should show a genuine interest in the other persons business or products. You should find out as much as you can about their business by asking the 5 W questions. He answers they give you will give you a better grasp on their business and how you can work with them in the future. This also gives you a better definition on what other networking events you can invite them to in the future and how to refer them to other businesses.

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Networking: Powerful or Petrifying?

At the beginning of the year many business owners start to consider ways to increase sales. One way is to attend networking events such as the local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, or WOAMTEC (of which I am the local DeBary chapter director!**)
But what if you are petrified of networking? How can you turn networking into a powerful, positive experience?
Following is content I recently presented to our local chapter members to help them become more effective in their networking.
1. The most important question
"What is your goal for attending the meeting?"
Really, why do you attend? What do you want? Is it to let others know about a special you are offering? Is it to meet some new people? Is it to connect with someone whose services you need? You should set a clear intention/goal for every meeting you attend.
2. Presenting your 60 second introduction
a. Act and speak naturally. If you suffer from PSF (Public Speaking Fear) then pick one person in the room you already know and imagine that is who you are speaking to.
b. Make eye contact.
c. Consider the take away---what do you want the listener to take away from what you have said?
d. Make it memorable by either, what you wear, a prop, text and tone, and/or a fantastic offer.
e. Have different versions of your introduction for different settings or for variations in meetings you attend frequently.
3. Questions to create different versions of your 60 second introduction
a. What is a tip you can offer?
b. What is a special you are offering?
c. What sets you apart from your competitor?
d. Who do you love to work with?
e. What problem do you solve?
f. What is the key benefit of your product or service?
g. What is a recent example of a positive customer experience?
h. What props could you use?
4. Networking relationships take time
Don't expect to walk out of a networking event with 5 new customers. Most likely that won't happen. Like all lasting relationships it takes time to build rapport and develop trust. When you show up and act naturally (not petrified) and share valuable information you will eventually reap the powerful rewards of networking!
5. Power of networking
The average person knows 250 people. If there are 15 people in a meeting that know you, then you can potentially increase your network by 3750 people.
It's not what you know, or who you know, it's who knows you!

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Networking Isn't New

A number of recent publications have heralded networking as the new wonder drug that will enable you to thrive in either a slumping or a booming economy. They give the impression that simply by following a few relatively easy steps, presto chango, you can propel the smallest, most obscure business straight to the top of the Fortune Five Hundred list. Or you could meet the perfect partner, get the ideal job or otherwise strike the mother lode.
First, lets clarify that networking isn't new; it's been around as long as our species. Until recently networking was referred to as being "well connected," having "contacts" or a great Rolodex. It's something we've heard about all of our lives, but with different names. It's an age-old process of exchanging leads, referrals, tips and recommendations; it's mutual support alliances. Whenever someone recommends
a restaurant, a travel agent or a book, that's networking. Networking isn't new and it isn't some miraculous potion that you can gulp down at night before bed that will cure whatever ails you by the next morning.
Undeniably, networking is a valuable tool. Reports claim that over 80 percent of all jobs are obtained through networking. Clearly, networking can boost sales and increase profits. It can help you find a wonderful place to live, a great caterer and an endless stream of supportive services that will lighten your load. However, these benefits are little more than byproducts that emanate from something substantially larger and vastly more important.
The essence of networking is surrounding yourself with outstanding, caring and helpful people. It's building mutually supportive relationships with those who will happily help you, it's the process of making and spending time with close friends. Networking is more than a career, marketing or social tactic, it's a way of life. And it doesn't occur overnight! New York attorney Richard Solomon put it best when he said,
"The object in life is to be rich in the resource of people." And we agree! Nothing is more important or will enrich your life as greatly as forging close personal relationships, which is what networking provides.
January 11th, 2011

About Rick Frishman - Rick Frishman, the founder of Planned Television Arts, has been one of the leading book publicists in America for over 30 years. Rick has worked with many of the top book editors, literary agents and publishers in America, including Simon and Schuster, Random House, Wiley, Harper Collins, Pocket Books, Penguin Putnam, and Hyperion Books, he has worked with best-selling authors including Mitch Albom, Bill Moyers, Stephen King, Caroline Kennedy, Howard Stern, President Jimmy Carter, Mark Victor Hansen, Nelson DeMille, John Grisham, Hugh Downs, Henry Kissinger, Jack Canfield, Alan Dershowitz, Arnold Palmer, and Harvey Mackay. Rick and his wife Robbi live in Long Island with their three children, Adam, Rachel and Stephanie, and two Havanese puppies named Cody and Cooper.

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Understanding the Importance of Your 60 Second Presentation

I am often asked the question; "How important is a good 60 second presentation?" People sometimes gasp at my answer. They look at me as if I am a little crazy because my answer is simple and very straightforward. The value of a good 60-second presentation is only as high as the importance you place on it. However this does not show you're the importance of this marketing tool.
I go on to say that, if people place little value on creating a good introduction for themselves, they will usually wing their 60-second presentations. By always winging their presentations, they lose their perspective. They will never know the value of a good 60-second presentation, and they will not reap the rewards associated with delivering them. The way I see it, three things create value in your 60-second presentations. Your efforts, (time spent on it), the feedback you receive from your trusted peers and the measured results.
To start with, good presentations are created, (i.e. thought out and written down), practiced and then refined. It does not matter if you are great at winging it, you will always present better if you have a focused clear message that is tested and practiced. A little hard work on your part will add value to your message by clarifying and focusing it.
Another way is to ask for feedback. Ask someone you trust to summarize what you said. This person should be skilled at doing 60 second commercials, (at least better than you do). Ask them for constructive criticism. If they can't tell you what you said in two or three sentences you know message is not clear and it's defiantly not focused.
The best way to see the value of a good 60-second presentation is to track the results. What should you track you ask? Well here is what I track; I always track the name of 60-second presentations, (yes you should give your 60 second commercials names), I always track the venue I attend, the venues date, the people I talk to, whether a person showed interest in my product/service and who I closed business with. Tracking your results is the only objective way of knowing whether your efforts are bearing fruit. What's amazing about this is that most people never track their results.
Take the time to write out and practice your 60-second presentations. Ask trusted associates for feedback and finally track your results. Doing these three things will get you more referrals and make you more money. The value of a good 60-second presentation will become clear as fine crystal once you see the money coming in.
That's my opinion, whats yours.

Hector Cisneros is a 17 year veteran of BNI, Was BNI Director for over 6 years, he is an entrepreneur and Businessman with over 25 years experience. Currently he manages 3 businesses and coaches business people in the fine art of Word of Mouth marketing. He has several internationally published articles covering word of mouth marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and more money through word of mouth marketing. If you would like to get a FREE PREVIEW of his book, 60 SECONDS TO SUCCESS",

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International Speakers Conference - Swimming in Dubai

I went to Dubai with three objectives - to make connections, to build relationships and to learn. Gaining some business would be a bonus. The good and the great travelled to the desert in the UAE, with a goal to learn and understand how to build and do business in one of the world's most exciting developing regions.
Witnessing established professional motivational speakers at work was inspiring. At the time I had just two years in the speaking industry and was still building my business model, so to learn from those globally known and experienced was a huge eye opener. No, I don't have a university or college in Singapore (Ron Kaufman). Yes, I do return phone calls and emails (Stef Du Plessis). No, my product is not protected to the standards necessary (Janelle Barlow), nor am I a serial entrepreneur (Reg Athwal).
I am constantly gathering new and improved ways to cut my craft. I don't follow the crowd, but then, how many of us do? Styles and nuances vary from one motivationalspeaker to another, from Ali Alsaloom to Ed Rigsbee, or Graham Davies to Raleigh Pinskey. It is proof that there is space for us all, be that based in the UK, USA, UAE or in a check in lounge across the globe.
What happened as a result of attending? Some key people became friends, some became JV's or partners from time to time, others are now distant memories, and there will be those that I hope to bump into again. 90% of all promises made during the conference were broken before I had even boarded the plane home! Sad but true. The intention by many to follow up, lost its potency, and became an idle threat to act. I knew who made up the other 10% and made contact. I know that I am not lost - I have been exploring. Thanks, Jana Stanfeld.
To conclude, I have a story. Had I not been in Dubai, I would not have been in the swimming pool at the Marriott before breakfast. I would not have met a fellow swimmer, who stopped to chat about our businesses and wanted to stay in touch. As a result, I left a package including a DVD at the front desk for him to pick up later that day. I went to the final day of the conference thinking no further of the meeting, other than to challenge others for not being in the pool.
Upon my return to the hotel that evening, I was given a medium sized box, beautifully wrapped, with a business card from my swimming connection. In complete surprise I opened the gift and saw fit to ring him immediately to thank him for his generosity. His exact words were, "I enjoyed your DVD and I want you to work with me on my global expansion!" Needless to say I organised another swimming pool meeting followed by breakfast the next day and attended the gala dinner feeling 10 feet tall - which for those that know me personally, is very large!
The second swimming session and breakfast was very sociable. My contact brought his son to swim as well; we had breakfast quietly and discussed business, circumstances and further opportunities in Chennai.
At the time I did not know where this might lead. I had a proposal to put together and due diligence and background research to carry out. What I know is that had I not been in Dubai I couldn't have learnt all that I did, or walked away with a proposal to follow up on. Amazing. By the way, if you wish to know what the gift was, you will have to email me!
On the plane back to the UK, I sat next to someone who happened to work within the British High Commission in Chennai! Small world. Coincidence or fate? And yes, before you ask, the proposal did turn into a consultancy assignment back in Dubai. Well worth the effort in the pool.
My mission is to "Make Busyness Simple". That trip made making connections and opportunities simple.

Mike Pagan is a highly sought after motivational speaker, business speaker, and business coach. He is vice president of the Professional Speakers Association"My passion is productivity, one of my greatest frustrations in life is seeing talent and opportunities go to waste because of faffing about."

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How to Network When You Have Just Started Working As a Financial Planner or Life Insurance Agent

There is a companion article to this one titled "How Not to Network When You've Just Started Working as a Financial Planner or Insurance Agent." It is vital that as a new financial planner or insurance agent that you not sell, don't talk about products and absolutely don't try to gather personal information about people you just met. Networking is a process where you get to know, like and trust people then eventually they will want to do business with you. If their first experience with you is the typical sales pitch or the "let's get together and discuss your needs" meeting, they will definitely know plenty about you, but they aren't going to like it.
So how do you network when you are a brand new financial planner? First, make sure that you have a very good marketing or advertising plan so that you'll have enough business coming in to survive on while you are building your network. Don't even count on networking for bringing you any business for at least six months to a year. Sure, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, but consider those pieces of business that fall into your lap to be unexpected bonuses. Above all else do not sell while networking.
If you can't sell, what is the whole point of networking? It is a process of building mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with people through the exchange of ideas, information and resources.
Start networking by making yourself useful, helpful and even indispensable to people, groups, events and associations. You're going to have a big trust barrier to over come and if you work hard to show them yourself as a person and not a salesperson, you will have much more success in the long run.
You'll find that some people are going to be very skeptical. You'll need to focus on service to the community or to other people to overcome this. You want to be seen as a person first and a financial planner or insurance agent second. Focus on teaching people more about your hobbies, interests and passions that on your products and services and they will come to you.
Would it be nice to feel comfortable and welcomed at networking events? Focus on building relationships and proving your value and trustworthiness to the community and your business peers before you ever ask for the business. If you do this well, you might not even have to ask.
Want to really succeed in networking? Try the advanced (but easy) technique in the companion article to this series called "How to Network: An Advanced Networking Technique for New Financial Planners Who Want to Survive in the Business."

Beth Bridges has attended over 2,000 networking events in the last 7 years as the Membership Director and Chief Networking Officer of a large west coast chamber of commerce. She wants to see more financial planners succeed the right way.

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How to Network: An Advanced Networking Technique for New Financial Planners Who Want to Survive

As a brand new financial planner or life insurance agent, you might be surprised when you start networking (the company will insist). You'll meet people, they'll smile, you ask what they do, they'll ask what you do, and then you tell them. They'll stop smiling. They'll drop your hand and they might even take a step or two back.
See, they've met a lot of financial planners who haven't taken the time to read or learn anything about networking. Those other guys think that business networking events are a place to meet prospects, hand out their card and get appointments to "get to know each other" which really means that they want to start filling in the blanks in the prospect form that the company provides.
No one likes this. And since networking is actually a process that is not selling, but instead a way to get to know, like and trust other people who you might do business with someday, their blunders are working against you.
How do you start networking with people who are way ahead of you, who have met plenty of your colleagues who have almost ruined the process for you? Surprise them - in a good way. Don't try to find out what life insurance they have, or if they have a 401k or even if they have money at all (well, hopefully they have a little bit but don't ask!).
Here's an idea that will really blow their mind and will possibly make you a friend for life. Tell them that you promise to not ask them for their business for a year. Write it down on your card: I promise to not promote anything that I sell until X date. You can tell them that you will provide them with ideas and suggestions but onlyif they ask you first!
This will help them feel incredibly safe. And they'll be open to a real relationship. Make it a joke. Laugh about it, then suddenly get all serious and tell them, "No really, it is vitally important to me to build relationships first. If you decide at some point that you very much want to do business with me, I would be honored. But until then, I pledge to never bring it up."
P.S. This requires that you have other means of bringing in business, such as advertising, seminars, articles and other marketing strategies so that you don't starve in the meantime.

Beth Bridges has attended over 2,000 networking events in the last 7 years as the Membership Director and Chief Networking Officer of a large west coast chamber of commerce. She has successfully used variations on this technique over the years (even though people always love a Membership Director).

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How Not to Network When You've Just Started Working As a Financial Planner or Insurance Agent

There's a quote from the movie "Heist" where the character played by Danny Devito says "Everybody needs money. That's why they call it money!" You would think that being in a business where you help people get more money would be extremely popular. It is, but oddly enough not with the people who would use the service.
I see a lot of people joining financial planning companies, struggling with it for about six months and then quitting. The turnover rate is incredible because in part, these new insurance agents and financial planners are told to "go network" in order to sell their services. Then they get frustrated because "it doesn't work" and no one wants to talk to them anymore.
If you're in this position - new to your financial planning business - and wondering how to get out there and network so you can sell your services, here's how to do it:
Don't.
Don't go to networking events, hand your card out and tell people you want to help them with their money. Don't ask anyone about their savings, 401k or life insurance the first time you meet them. And don't talk about their family just long enough to invite them to a coffee meeting where you start asking for their financial information so you can start filling in the profile sheet the company gives you.
Nobody will like you. We hardly talk about life insurance and savings with our own family, much less in front of our friends with a complete stranger at a business networking event. People do business with people they know, like and trust. They don't know you and they are going to not like you if you try to talk to them about personal issues before they have a chance to trust you.
If you don't have a pipeline of sales already coming to you from other marketing or advertising efforts, then stay in the office and make cold calls. Otherwise your desperation will drive other networkers away twice as fast.
For new financial planners, networking is definitely a long-term strategy. You'll need to invest months of effort before expecting or looking for any payoff from networking. Otherwise, you will be frustrated, unhappy and friendless.
For the flip side, the positive side of this coin, look for the companion article to this one called "How to Network When You've Just Started Working as a Financial Planner or Insurance Agent."

Beth Bridges has attended over 2,000 networking events in the last 7 years as the Membership Director and Chief Networking Officer of a large west coast chamber of commerce. She has lost track of how many financial planners she has seen come and go. Please share her information with anyone you love who is starting this kind of business.

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Christian Business Men's Connection

The Christian Business Men's Connection, also known as CBMC, has been around for decades and is a well known organization. It is a men's ministry that has been operating with the mission of presenting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of professional and businessmen around the world and for helping businessmen carry out their Great Commission. At one point of time, everyone realizes that there is much more to life than what we realize. Though things may seem to be perfect we may wonder if there is anything else to living. CBMC believes that there is a perfect solution for this discontent and that is by connecting with fellow Christians and God for enjoy the satisfaction that follows after filling our lives with real meaning.
How Did It Start?
The Christian Business Men's Connection first started in the year 1930 in the US when a few Christian businessmen started a series of rallies before Easter. The Great Depression had been in its full force at the time and these members felt that there was a need in Chicago for a spiritual revival. As a result they started an evangelic crusade at Garrick Theater for six weeks in downtown Chicago. The meetings received overwhelming response right from the beginning. The theater was always packed out with people for every meeting. Very soon, the meetings that had been initially scheduled for weekdays and noon for six weeks had been extended for six months and then later for a year. Eventually, the meetings continued for 26 years without any interruption till the year 1956.
CBMC Today
The Christian Business Men's Connection recruited full time members and staff during the 70s and 80s in several cities across the US. Today, the organization has grown drastically all over the world. There are 700 teams and more than 18,000 members in the US alone. The organization is active in more than 70 countries and has more than 50,000 members today. The methods used by the organization have evolved over the years to fit the modern circumstances and needs but the basic purpose are still the same- to disciple and evangelize professional and businessmen for the Christ.
In this organization, the businessmen connect with other believers and to Jesus Christ. This is a great venue for them to get acquainted with businessmen from all over the world and from other walks of life. Though the members are diverse there is a common desire to get connected with God on a deeper level. The members help others find answers to their questions and about their own experiences with belief and faith. The Christian Business Men's Connection is definitely a valuable organization that is quite helpful to Christian men around the world.

Learn more about Thomas Freers is Christian and has been serving the body of Christ for over two decades. He teaches Biblical Principles on a balance life and is an Online Marketing Coach for what is arguably the World's Largest Internet Marketing School available today. He specializes in Article Marketing, Social Media networking and various other marketing strategies and works with small and large companies to help them customize their marketing campaigns. With over 50 different marketing strategies available today you must learn which one suits your personality. To learn more about Thomas Freers and to see more effective principles to explode your Internet business to create big profits and get results go to

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That Networking Social Is Coming Up, Are You Ready?

Here are some tips to get the most out of your next networking event using proven techniques that will bring home results.
Always go to any networking event with a plan. Ask yourself these questions. Who am I looking to be introduced to? What new businesses have I been working this month? What professions often send me referrals? Also are you there to get referrals just for yourself or for other. I will often bring 3 business cards from one of my referral partners and work to specially get them referrals that day. Use the above questions to help you create your list of 6 to 12 categories/people you're looking to meet.
Furthermore, remember that networking events are great places to invite potential guest for that organization. It is easy to invite people to a social, it is also a great way to introduce them to the power of networking, and more importantly, it will build your credibility with the host organization.
Your plan also has to take into account how long the meeting is. For every 10 minutes of meeting time, you can effectively talk to at least 1 person. In 1 hour time, that's 6 people, in two hours time, you could have at least 12 names. It is possible to talk to a lot more especially if you are talking to small groups of people at a time.
Make sure you bring plenty of business cards, at least 50 for big events. Also bring a pen and a pocket note pad. These are all important business tools. If you have a business card file with your referral partners' cards in it, bring that too. This could be a great opportunity to find referrals for them.
When speaking with attendees ask who they are looking for. See if you can make a connection for them. It will make a big impression on them and build your credibility. After they tell you about themselves, ask them to introduce you to the people on your list. By helping them find their connections, you have empowered them to help you.
Once you have your list, decide what you want to say as your 60-second presentation. Don't ask for too many categories or people. Ask for no more than three at a time. If you get to meet your first three prospects, you can start on another three. In my 60-second presentation, I usually say something like; "tell me about your business (or who are you looking to be introduce to) and then listen. When it is my turn, I say something like I'm on a mission to be meet these three people, (or introduced my partners). After that most people will try to introduce you if they can.
If you're looking to get referrals for someone else, remember my three card trick. Select a referral partner you have decided to help. Ask everyone you meet this. I have a friend who has helped me out a lot this month, and I want to repay their kindness. Who do you know here who is _____ and fill in the blank with the people your referral partner is looking to be introduce to! Obviously, you have to know who they need. Use this technique at every networking event you attend, and you will always have referrals for your strategic partners.
Now when attending the event, focus on your list, don't be distracted, stay on task... Don't drink or eat too much. You're there to market your business, (or get referrals for others) and meet very specific categories' of people.
With your list of who you want to meet, start working the room from right to left and go through each section of the room until the entire room has been covered, then start over again. In two hours, you should be able to go through the room twice.
Make sure every person you talk to knows who you're looking to be introduced to. Furthermore, let them know that you would appreciate that they mention it to their referral partners as well.
At the end of this event you should have about 12 names to followup on. This is not the best place to sell somebody your product or service, especially if they don't know you. Take the time to get to know them and build trust through face-to-face meetings.
Use these tips at your next networking event and get more business. If you have any suggestions, different ideas or comments, they are welcome. Click on the link below and let us know what you think.

Hector Cisneros is a 17-year veteran of BNI, Was BNI Director for over 6 years; he is an entrepreneur and Businessman with over 25 years experience. Currently he manages three businesses and coach's business people in the fine art of Word of Mouth marketing. He has several internationally published articles covering word of mouth marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and more money through word of mouth marketing.

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Finding Support Systems at Work

While it should be a time for celebration, she instead finds herself frustrated and unfulfilled. In spite of the great strides she has made at work, each day she faces a male-dominated company, complete with a masculine value system which leaves her feeling alone and unsupported. On top of this, most of her female coworkers have left to raise families, leaving her with even fewer confidants. It's lonely at the top.
As a result of these feelings of alienation, she is now considering quitting to do something else with her career, but is concerned that she may regret it. What should she do? Where will she find counsel to make such a big decision? How can she continue to use her wealth of talent in this job or the next while finding more satisfaction in her work life?
I was impressed with this reader's awareness and her desire to seek help when she noticed the waves of dissatisfaction starting to lick at her feet - it's so important to notice these little waves before they get big enough to knock you over! So many of us ignore the signs, telling ourselves to "quit being so silly" as we continue to march forward, putting our happiness and eventually our health at risk. Women are relationship-oriented creatures and we need group acceptance to feel safe (a tendency that probably has its origins in our status as the physically weaker sex). There are a few relationships that can make all the difference to our success and satisfaction. Here's what I recommended to my reader:
1. Find a mentor. This can be a formal or informal association, but it should be with someone you trust and who has been through what you're now experiencing. They can provide advice regarding the "lay of the land" or what could be "over the horizon" based on their own experience. A mentor is like a sage: someone more senior than you to whom you turn for feedback. Just having someone to bounce ideas off of can increase our feelings of connectedness, as well as supply additional knowledge to specific situations when your base is insufficient. We have to solve our own problems, but with the benefit of a mentor's expertise, we'll be encouraged to take more risks and be better positioned for greater rewards.
2. Engage a coach. I belong to a few groups of executive women, many of whom are not only coaches themselves, but also have their own coaches. This outside perspective helps them walk the narrow minefield of expectations that women face: we are supposed to be strong, tough, and unemotional to be considered good leaders, yet society doesn't like women with these characteristics. It's no wonder we need some guidance! A coach can help us strategize about our future and play devil's advocate regarding our plans. They can also be a cheerleader when we need some encouragement (they don't need pom-poms, just enthusiasm for our cause!). I remember the first session I had with a coach, and what a great relief it was to hear someone say, "I remember going through that myself."
3. Establish a personal board. This functions much like a business board in that it's meant as a check on performance. The members may be consulted individually or as a group, and are often valuable networking tools. Executive coach Patty Beach often recommends her clients build a personal board of 4-5 people to reach out to for advice, as well as to answer questions about important life steps or help move them through difficult situations. Women are often reluctant to seek help (we're so much better at giving it), but Patty says that being asked to be on such a board can be a big honor. It's kind of like being asked to be a Godfather or a maid of honor - these positions of service are rewarding! If you believe that being asked to be on such a board is an honor, then it isn't so scary to ask the people you admire to be on your board. I have a couple of people I turn to regularly, but in drafting this newsletter I realize that I need to expand my board.
In a world where we are becoming increasingly isolated, it's imperative that we consider finding mentors, coaches, and personal boards. It's the third Stilletto Step of Self-Assurance, which is an external validation of our internal compass. We all need positive mirrors to enhance our energy. It may feel risky to open ourselves up to others, but you'll find them anxious to help - after all, the only thing better than getting encouragement is giving encouragement. None of us were meant to travel this journey alone, so start today by reaching out. It will change your life for the better!

After a highly successful career in business, including 26 years with PotashCorp where she was Senior Vice-President, Betty-Ann retired in 2007, the same year that she was named to Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame™. She now works as a speaker, author and mentor and is committed to using her personal and professional experiences to inspire and empower other women. A firm believer in the value women bring to organizations, Betty-Ann explores changing perceptions of male and female roles including candid observations about what she calls "Good Gender Physics" on her blog

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Give Yourself a Performance Review - How Well Are You Networking in Your Job Search?

Ahhh...the performance review...
Raise your hand if you just had that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach just because I mentioned it?
Yeah...me too...but they do serve a useful purpose.
When performance reviews are done correctly, they can provide useful insight into what you've done correctly over the year, and what you could do better.
So let's apply that concept to your job search.
A job search can be broken down to 4 basic components: Networking, Looking for Jobs, Resumes and Interviewing. Really, that's about it.
What I'm doing over the next few weeks is presenting tips on how to break down each step of the process and identify what you've been doing well, and where you can close some gaps to improve your performance.
Let's start with Networking. What have you been doing to get out and meet more people, either in person or online?
Yes, I know you're shy and you don't like to meet new people, and you've always been that way, but...
Your friends like you, your co-workers liked you, so why wouldn't new people like you? Don't think of it like networking, just think of it like making new friends.
Are you getting out of the house enough? Start by putting yourself in situations where people are open to meeting, so association meetings, Chamber of Commerce, Toastmaster's Club (a great place to improve your public speaking). It's best to look for things where hiring managers, HR people or recruiters are expected to be, but how about a free class at a local craft store or attending a lecture at the library? Even check out the opportunities on Meetup.com-I attended a group for people who like to play board games a few days ago. This was a completely different group of people than I had ever met before, and it didn't cost me anything.
You don't have to tell everyone your life's story, I think attending consistently and connecting with a few people are key. But be open and friendly. Don't like talking to strangers? Ask them questions: what they liked about their last job, if they read any good books lately or saw a movie? Get them talking, and the chances are great that they'll then start to ask you questions and be genuinely interested in your answers (because you took the time to care about them).
Are you meeting people outside of the networking event for lunch or a cup of coffee? Just because everyone stands around and chit-chats doesn't mean that they're instantly going to turn to you and think of someone they know at your dream company who can land you a job.
You have to build relationships, you have to be friends first, and the other person has to understand what you're looking to do next. That's a process.
Are you clearly describing what you did in your last job and how someone can help you? Some jobs are pretty esoteric, so describing it in the framework of "I'm the person who.." or "Did you know that there are people who do X,Y, Z behind the scenes?" gives people some idea of how you fit into the bigger scheme of the working world. If they don't understand what you do or how they can help-they won't, because they can't. It's as simple as that. It's up to you to make sure that your experience is really resonating with people from all different walks of life.
Are you really using LinkedIn to the best of your advantage? Recruiters, hiring managers and HR professionals will search the site to find qualified candidates versus placing an ad because it's more efficient than sorting through a ton of resumes. Jennifer Scott of HireEffect conducts webinars to teach you how to use it from a recruiter's perspective, and Donna Sweidan from CareerFolk will work with you to rewrite your profile and highlight your best attributes.
So look at each component of your networking to pinpoint things you could be doing better, and then work on that over the next week to get your job search in shape.
And let's put you in line to get something better than a raise in the next quarter-a new job!

Melanie Szlucha has been a hiring manager for over 15 years and a career coach for over 4 through her company Red Inc. She writes resumes, coaches clients for job interviews, and works with them to strategize networking opportunities and job search tactics.

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Escape From The Hell That Will Befall Those Who Failed To Start An EBook Business

You only get one chance to live your life and to have fun. While it's true that we all need to do some work to earn money to be able to afford a lifestyle that we can be happy with, far too many people are living on borrowed time. In other words, these are people who are simply not making enough money at work and toward supplementing their income with credit cards and other forms of borrowing. Let's face it, nobody really likes the idea of having to work -- so it is far easier to make up the difference by just using credit cards to buy things.
There is an incredible amount of pain and suffering -- a true hell -- that will befall people who are doing nothing but using borrowing and credit cards to make ends meet. Listen, at some point, it will become harder and harder to pay off the debt because it keeps growing given the fact that credit card companies charge outrageously high interest rates. Imagine if you lost your job, suddenly, all that debt and interest would just skyrocket because you wouldn't be able to make the minimum monthly payments.
This is why you need to wake up and start an ebook business today. Not only can you earn extra money that will help you pay down all your credit card debt, but if you stick with it, you can eventually earn 3 to 5 times more money than you currently are making with your full-time job. Best of all, you can do it without having to kill yourself going to work every single day. Look, I don't know you -- so I can't guarantee that these are the results you'll get. However, a lot of people are making some very good money with ebooks. You can escape the hell that will befall those who failed to start an ebook business by getting started today.

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Quickie: Foreign Language Ebooks

I had written this article a while back for my 'other' Internet Marketing blog, but feel it's an even better Quickie now then it was, and an easy way to making residual money online. This one can give you an extra few hundred dollars each month, and once it's set up, runs entirely on 'auto-pilot'...
Repeat Revenues From Foreign Language Ebooks
Step 1 - Go through your 'Freebies' folder and open up each ebook or pdf, and read through the licensing rights.
* (If you don't already have one, you should create a "Freebies" folder on your desktop. Keep all the Private Label Rights (PLR) and Resale Rights bonuses and give-aways you get - use them for your own bonuses or opt-in give-aways)
Step 2 - Set aside every one that grants you full PLR rights. Do this step carefully, and DO NOT use any that don't explicitly give you the rights to modify and re-sell the ebook!
Step 3 - Post an ad on Craigslist under "gigs / writing" section: "Need Spanish language translation for a manuscript..." (Of course, "Spanish" can be any language).
Step 4 - Translate the ebook(s). While you can also go through Rentacoder or Elance, you will probably pay more than Craigslist. Of course you need to carefully 'screen' your translator, and insure they read the ebook and will understand it well enough to do an effective translation. The general 'going rate' for translation on a site like Elance is $.05/word, which can be expensive, though for a 25-50 page ebook you should negotiate for half that. However, if you go through Craigslist, you should be able to find someone to translate the ebook for $50-$150.
Have your translator also translate your landing page from Step 5, and a "Thank You" page.
Step 5 - Create a landing page. You can so this however you like, but an easy, quick, and cheap (and perfectly effective) means would be to create a free Blogger or WordPress blog.
Step 6 - Create a 'Publisher' account on Clickbank. This will cost you $50. Submit your new ebook. It can take a few days until it is approved.
Step 7 - Do some research and create a campaign around your ebook. You should be able to get very low CPCs and fine uncrowded opportunities.
Step 8 - Post to some IM forums mentioning that you have Spanish-language ebooks on Clickbank. You will find Internet Marketers who are fluent or native in Spanish but don't have, or haven't considered promoting Spanish language products.
Step 9 - Lather. Rinse. Repeat...
Easy. Powerful. Can be applied to many different ebooks, and different languages. If you create a few, you can now set up a mini-site for Spanish language ebooks as well. Oh, and make sure you have an opt-in set up on your page to capture email addresses! This is something that lends itself particularly well to Public Domain material; there are literally thousands upon thousands of excellent books, in every conceivable niche and topic, that you can use.

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How Much Money Can Someone Who Is Broke And Desperate Make With EBooks?

If you find yourself feeling as though you are broke and desperate, the good news is that you probably are in better shape than you think. However, that is not to suggest that your financial situation isn't in critical condition. The truth is, you will be financially destitute and literally on the streets unless you get your act together and start making some good money running an e-book publishing business. Yeah, go ahead and laugh -- accuse me of being sensationalistic. What you need to understand is that I'm trying to help you.
One of the reasons why the e-book publishing business is so incredibly lucrative is because the profit margins are astronomically high. In addition, you don't have to kill yourself running around sending people's things by mail. Whenever a customer buys an electronic book from you, they download it directly after they make their purchase. This is great news if you happen to be someone who already has a full-time job and doesn't know if you'd be able to run this kind of business at the same time.
Something else you need to understand is that things are only to get worse. Believe it or not, a lot of my customers are not even American. In other words, my niche e-book publishing business sells a majority of electronic books to people who don't even live in the United States. Remember, other parts of the world -- especially Asia -- are doing incredibly well.
Listen, if you are broke and desperate you have a very reasonable opportunity to make life-changing sums of money with e-books. But you need to get serious and get off your lazy butt and start doing something about it.

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Four Barriers To Create A Kindle Book - And How To Overcome Them And Get Your eBook Out For Sale

Maybe you want to create a Kindle book, but something is stopping you. After you've read this article, you'll know some of the most common barriers that will keep people away from creating a Kindle eBook, and how to overcome them.
First barrier: It's only for well-established authors.
If you believe that creating a Kindle book is only for established authors, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Everybody can do it. It just takes a customer account with Amazon, and you can start publishing your own eBook.
Second barrier: It's next to impossible to create the right format for the Kindle reader.
Amazon uses their own format for their Kindle books. However, this doesn't mean that you need special software to create this format.
Good news! You can use a normal word processing programme to write your book with, and then save as HTML, when you're done. If you use illustrations in your book, remember to save those pictures in a folder, and zip both folder and files, before you upload them to Amazon.
Or you could do something really smart like creating your HTML file right away with a programme like KompoZer, which is free to use. It's just as easy to write your text directly in KompoZer as it would be to use a word processor.
Third barrier: I don't have a Kindle.
Don't let not having a Kindle of your own be a stumbling block. You don't need one to create a Kindle book.
Interestingly, your readers don't even need one to read your book.
You can download a Kindle reader to a Windows PC, a Mac, or even to some mobile phones, and iPads.
However, when you upload your files to Amazon, you get the chance to watch a Kindle preview. Check, how your formatting looks, and make the necessary changes, if any.
Fourth barrier: I don't know where to sign up to create a Kindle ebook.
Before you sign up, you should have an Amazon customer account. Login with it, and go to  Give them your name and address, and then start your first project.
To create a Kindle book, you only need to follow the guide, and upload a cover picture and the files containing your book.
You can choose between two royalty percentages: 70% and 35%. To be able to receive 70% royalty, you have to price your book between $2.99 and $9.99.

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Make Money With Ebooks - 5 Foolproof Steps For Making Money With Your Own Ebook

Starting your own ebook publishing business is really something that anybody can do if they are equipped with the right tools to make it happen. The steps needed to become successful are quite simple, and as long as you put them into action and maintain consistent effort there is no reason why you won't become successful.
Here are five steps to making money with ebooks online:
Step 1 - Short is good
The biggest and most important thing that you should know about writing and selling ebooks is that you don't need 200 page ebooks to make money, in fact, people want short and helpful as opposed to long and helpful simply because they usually aren't buying ebooks for entertainment.
Step 2 - Provide outside content for potential buyers
You need to provide free content before people are going to buy your ebook, they aren't going to buy it simply because it is for sale. So many people are trying to make money online that you have to standout in order to succeed, and by giving away valuable content that demonstrates your expertise you'll become successful and make lots of money.
Step 3 - Set up a website
Setting up a website is easy and quickly achievable with all the free help available today. I recommend a blogging type website because people will be able to read your information and test you out before buying.
Step 4 - Create a short teaser version of your ebook
Creating a short 5-10 page version of your full ebook and giving it away will help you build a list of leads and ultimately make more money.
Step 5 - Capture the names and email addresses of interested people
You can do this by incorporating what I mentioned in Step 4, whereby giving away a free version of your ebook in exchange for someone's name and email addresses can help you build a large list of leads. Doing this on a regular basis will help you gain a wider audience and ultimately sell more books through an email marketing campaign.

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Save Yourself And Your Family From Financial Ruin With An EBook Publishing Business

You can literally save yourself and your family from financial ruin with an ebook publishing business. Most people do not understand that it is incredibly difficult to get out of debt when you don't earn any more money than what you collect every two weeks from your job. The reason why is because the credit card debt and loans that you already have keep getting bigger because of interest payments. Therefore, the debt actually grows even though your salary stays the same. What's the solution to this problem?
Without a doubt, you need to find a secondary source of income which can not only help you make ends meet, but I can help you pay down the mountain of credit card debt you have accumulated. Don't make the mistake of assuming that you will be able to avoid financial ruin in complete and total devastation by simply continuing to do the same things you've been doing up until now. It just won't work -- you are fighting a losing battle.
Starting an ebook business is only difficult if you don't have any kind of roadmap or blueprint to follow. Therefore, it makes sense to invest in a step-by-step guidebook that can show you everything you need to know so that you can eliminate a lot of costly trial and error and start seeing results quickly. Listen, things are only going to get worse for you unless you are able to develop a second source of income. Because it's almost impossible to work two jobs at the same time, you need to start an ebook publishing business which can bring you money on autopilot once you have everything setup correctly.

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People Who Are Suffering From Severe Financial Anxiety Can Find A Cure With An eBook Business

Do you sometimes find yourself awake at night wondering how things got so bad? Maybe you remember back to when things were better and you were able to go out on vacations and to spend more time doing the things you enjoyed with the people who meant the most to you. Now it just seems like everything revolves around making it from one week to the next. You feel scared, and extremely anxious. What's the solution?
Listen, things are going to only get worse for a while. You're just not making enough money. All of these problems and all of these anxieties will go away immediately if your boss would tell you that you'd start earning triple the amount of money that you're currently are making. But we both know that's not have happened -- if anything, your boss is more likely to call you over and tell you that you are fired.
Anybody who is suffering from severe financial anxiety can find a cure with an e-book publishing business. Not only is it very inexpensive to get started in this business, but it can literally make you a millionaire. No, this is not going to happen overnight, but the potential for it to happen is very real -- trust me. So what you need to do right now is make a decision that you are sick and tired of being paralyzed by fear. You need to take action to create a secondary source of income that you can fall back on. Starting an e-book publishing business is one of the very best decisions you can make and it is truly a cure for the financial anxiety you may be experiencing.

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Catastrophic Financial Consequences Await Those Who Are Too Lazy To Make Money With EBooks

The simple fact of the matter is that you are not making enough money with your regular job -- assuming you still have one. It's so incredibly unfair, and you know that things used to be a lot better. The good news is that things can go back to being the way they were before. However, it's not going to happen because you get a raise at work or because your boss gives you some kind of promotion. In fact, your boss is more likely to call you over and tell you that you're fired. Things are really bad, and only getting worse.
Catastrophic financial consequences await those who are too lazy to make money with ebooks. Even if you are somebody who doesn't really understand much about business are about computers, you have what it takes to create a secondary source of income with ebooks. Listen, people still have sex even though the economy is bad -- right? Well, people still buy information when the economy is bad too. In fact, my experience has been that people are more prone to purchasing information that provides them with advice and guidance in the form of an ebook than they are to seek out the professional services of somebody who understands the topic well.
Here's my point -- you need to understand that ebooks are a viable way to make honest money. Best of all, there is no limit to how much money you can make. So if you are serious about avoiding the financial problems that so many people are going to be facing in the months and years ahead, you need to figure out how to create a secondary source of income for yourself. My advice is that you start an ebook publishing business today.

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Piano Lesson Books - A Top List

Piano lesson books have been around for awhile and new books are being released. Which ones will suit your needs? Let us check out a few of the piano books that make my list.
The Piano Handbook: A complete Guide for Mastering Piano by Carl Humphries. This covers just about everything you need to know about the piano. Fairly solid overall, but there is one drawback. The information is packed, so the pace is somewhat fast. With a somewhat basic grasp on the piano this could be valuable. For complete beginners however it may not be the best choice.
How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons: The Fastest, Easiest Way to Learn to Play from Sheet Music or by Ear by Norman Monath. This is fairly good for a beginner. It avoids the trap of being overly complicated. It covers the important areas including creating chords, melody, harmony, and a handful of other elements. This operates at a moderate pace, but does not get too detailed about the advanced areas of musical theory.
How to Play Piano: Everything You Need to Know to Play the Piano by Roger Evans. Playing the piano with both hands happens fairly fast in this book. This could make it a little difficult initially, but it can also work to your advantage to learn to use both hands early on. It focuses more on playing the piano itself, so some other critical areas are left out such as reading music. This may not be the best choice unless you have prior knowledge and the ability to read music. Other than that, the rest of the content is good basic stuff.
Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises: Complete by C.L. Hanon. This can be used in conjunction with other books. It is a little different from the others, but worth being on the list here. The highlight of this book is within the exercises. The exercises can help to strengthen the fingers that need it, get comfortable with the piano, and improve your overall ability playing the piano.
These books may be able to offer you a good start in regards to learning how to play the piano. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, and the last book mentioned makes for a good companion due to the exercises and benefits gained from them. Adequate practice and action is also necessary of course. Keep up with the necessary practice, and the results will begin to show and improve over time.

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Arnel Pineda - One Mans "Journey"

One of the benefits of growing up in the 80's was listening to legendary bands like Journey in their rise to the top.
I have to say that I was truly inspired last night watching Oprah of all shows. All I have to say is WOW!
I am going to reveal to you a story of struggle and victory here.
Rock Bottom
Coming from a family of four siblings and a sick mother who passed away during their younger years, Arnel was separated from his family who was dispersed to different relatives after his mothers death. Hospital and funeral bills bankrupted the family and they were left to fend for themselves. Arnel fended off hunger with odd jobs, sharing the little he had with his siblings. He was destined to do something and kept on moving toward his dream of becoming a great singer.
The Big Break For Arnel Pineda
Arnel had the gift singing and assumed the role of music journeymen hitting stages in Olongapo, Makati, Singapore and Hong Kong. This took him out of poverty, allowed him to rent a warehouse in which his brother moved in with him. While it was still a far cry from Hollywood, it was a step up from living on the streets.
Personal Challenges
After breaking away from his traveling band, he had a child at the age of 20 but did not marry till later on. He had 2 failed relationships during that time. Though disappointing, Arnel pushed on compiling numerous original material. He started covering great artists like James Brown, Robert Plant and Journey. Foreigners took a liking to his new found talent.
It turns out that through the magic of the Internet a lone fan uploaded his live video performances on YouTube and the posting came at a right time. A legendary rock band was in search of a singer and spent two days scouring Youtube for their future talent.
Journey Guitarist Neal Schon came across Arnel Pineda's performance of a Journey Hit on YouTube and "POOF", history was in the making. After exchanging numerous emails with Arnel, they flew him to San Fransisco and the rest is history.
The "NEW" Journey
Arnel Pineda is now touring the world with the legendary rock band Journey and his dreams have come true. After watching his performance on the Oprah show, I was touched, inspired and moved by this mans uncanny willingness to do whatever it took to rise out of the situation he was in and follow his God given destiny to greatness.
I hope this inspires you to never give up, always move past the obstacles in your life that you run into and rise to the top of your game. For Arnel, this is only the beginning. His new record with Journey went Platinum within three months of being released, he was able to provide a home for his family and his financial woes are gone, FOREVER!
Are you going to turn your excuses into reasons? Don't Stop Believing...
Josh Boxer

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Three Music Theory Books For Guitarists

Sooner or later any serious guitarist comes to realize that a solid theoretical background is the only way forward. Your ear can only take you so far, that's when your musical theory can kick in and remove any musical obstacles in your way to fully expressing yourself.
Seems pretty straight forward... just go to the music shop and pick up a theory book and away we go; away we go alright... pick up the wrong book and you'll end up more confused than you ever were before.
Musical fact of life # 1: Not all theory books are created equal.
I remember when I started my first job, it was at a music store teaching music; I had a bit of a reputation as a player in the local area playing in dance bands etc., and since I had already sold quite a bit of musical equipment for the music store based on my track record they thought I would be the obvious choice; if
the store had a potential guitar or amp customer they would leave a message with my mum, then after school I would go down to the store and demonstrate the gear.
Everything started out fine, I stumbled and fumbled my way through the guitar lessons, I'm not sure who learnt the most me or my students I know I learnt heaps everyday mostly about how not to teach.
Anyway, very early in the piece the store manager informed me that if I was going to continue teaching for the store I would need to be "qualified"; I didn't know exactly what that entailed but it did sound scary
As it turned out what he meant was I needed to be formally qualified... just being able to play the guitar was not good enough if I was going to teach guitar for them.
The good news was they were going to pay for my lessons so that was neat... there was even more good news I could go to the theory lessons instead of having to work at the shop.
So I began my theory lessons and very soon became frustrated, confused and perplexed... things I knew worked on the bandstand the night before didn't match up with the theory lesson the next day.
The more confused I became the more determined I was about finding the "truth"; so I started studying with other teachers to augment my "paid" lessons from the music store... boy, did that make matters worst; it seemed as if each theory teacher had their own slant on things many basic concepts did not match up.
Long story short... after a lot of playing, thinking and research I discovered....
Musical fact of life # 2: there are different types of theory... in fact there are three distinct types of theory: classical, jazz and rock/blues!
These are very broad categories they are all important and the complete musician needs to be aware of their similarities and differences.
They world is full of traditional classical theory books so I won't discuss them here. Modern theory as applied to improvisation and the music of our time is what I'm about... it's great to know what happened 400 years ago but it's unlikely to help you secure that rock gig next Friday night,
Here's my top three modern theory books for guitarists
Title: Modern Method For Guitar - By William Leavitt (Berklee Press)
Available from: Berklee.com
Overview: if you want to get in on the ground floor and study guitar and theory as applied to the guitar fretboard, this is the place to start!
Available in three volumes; the first sixty pages of volume one covers the basics of reading music in the first position of the guitar.
Part two of Berklee volume one introduces the five standard fingering patterns for reading music over the fretboard.
Title: Jazz Studies - by Bruce Clarke (ed clinch v.i.s.e text)
Available from: BillyHydemusic.com.au
Overview:A fantastic book that takes off were the Berklee book volume one finishes; the Jazz Studies book is ideal to use in conjunction with Berklee Volume two.
Fantastic explanations of how modes, cycle 5 and cycle 7 concepts work Jazz studies is a great introduction into the world of improvisation, if you have studied traditional theory this book will "blow the lid off" how you look at theory. Step by step instruction, very easy to understand. Highly recommended.
Title: "See It - Hear It / Hear It - Play It" - by Dick Grove
Available from: DickGrove.com
Overview:A complete course with DVD/text instruction from the man himself Dick Grove, you could easily pay $100,000 in college instruction and never get this type of tuition.
Everyone learns differently the DVD's bring the written text to life helping to maintain the student's motivation and enthusiasm. Any one of these individual courses or combination of all three theory texts will clear the way for you to express yourself on the guitar.

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Lady Gaga Videos Rocks the Pop World

If you're looking for someone who is redefining music videos as we know them, look no further than Lady G. This up and coming singer has already put her mark on the industry because of her unique approaches to pop, fashion, and stardom at large. It is the Lady Gaga videos though that really make this woman stand out in the crowd. Featuring story lines fit for feature films, Lady G's music videos take audiences on a journey through the song, rather than just a display of the lyrics. Here we will look at some of the fan favorites that have shown up over the years.
One of the Lady Gaga videos that really made it big was "Bad Romance". Filmed in a Russian bath house, this video showcases some of the craziest costumes we've ever seen from Gaga, including a full white PVC cat suit and matching mask. There is also a part of the video where Lady G walks around in a fully beaded green couture dress that had matching 8 inch heels. In this video, Lady G ends up burning a man alive who had seemingly been keeping her a slave in the bath house. The last scene is nothing more than Lady G lying on a burnt bed with a skeleton by her side.
Another story telling video from Lady Gaga was made for the song "Paparazzi". In this one, Lady Gaga is a star that ends up killed by a man she was having a relationship with. It turns out that she wasn't dead though and she ends up poisoning that man later on in the video. This one of the Lady Gaga videos is more French than anything, but she does speak Swedish in the beginning. The outfits in this one include a figure fitting Mickey Mouse yellow suit with matching black lipstick.
The most controversial of all Lady Gaga videos though just recently came out. Made for the song "Telephone", this video tells a Thelma and Louise type story with Lady Gaga and Beyonce. The song itself is about not answering a phone at a club, but the video brings it to a whole new level. Featuring everything from the singer clad in nothing but caution tape to a dance number for thong wearing inmates, this video literally dropped some jaws when it came out. You can't even watch it on basic MTV because of the risqué quality of parts of it. This is just another way that Lady Gaga continues to shock us all.

Chloe Torre Has been involved in fashion since she left school originally as a shop assistant in a clothes shop in the the west end of London. It wasn't long before she started to design her own bespoke clothes for family and friends since then she has moved into fashion accessories and has a large collection of fashion and practical glasses based on famous people including along with other's like Elton John.

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Custom Web Design - What's the First Thing You Need to Know

Web design offers its own challenge. There are various ways for people to have websites. Not all websites are the same. There is a range of sophistication in the structure of websites. It all depends on the purpose of your website. Is it a personal site or is it an informational site or is it a commercial site? The question is, what are you trying to get out of this website.
If you want to talk about yourself, your family, many people find that a blog would do the job well. If you want to give information on something, like on gardening or headaches or on some music you like. Either a blog or a website would work. If you are a town or a church or a restaurant and you want to give information on who you are and your location, designing a website would be appropriate.
You can design your own website or blog. Or you can have a professional design it for you. You are free to choose that option. There are some places that will help you to create by yourself a custom website. Some of them are free. But you have very limited choices. They are easy to use once you understand how to use it.
You can always buy a few books, learn how to design a website, and then do your own. There is a steep learning curve. It takes time and frustration before you achieve a level of competency. But then you can always hire a web designer/developer to do your site for you.
Generally, web developers or designers are people who have learned various computer languages and technologies. Certainly a manager or end-user would find that some learning of these language would be beneficial. The most important language in the web is called HTML. All websites are written in HTML.
HTML is the fundamental code that allows your browsers to produce your website. Of course, everybody knows that the abbreviation www means World Wide Web. But many people confuse the web with the Internet. There is a distinction. The Internet was first created to be a link or connections. The language of this technology is HTML.
The Web on the other hand, was created later, in the early 90's. A web has an address called a URL. That is why every website begins with "Http://www". And end up with.com or.org or.net, etc. When we talk about the web, it is simply short for World Wide Web. We mentioned that in the address, it starts with http. What that means is Hypertext Transfer Protocol. This is a fancy terminology, which means that it is a technology developed by the CERN to transfer data to a network of computers. Those computers are called servers and they respond to requests from browsers. Browsers are programs like Internet Explorers, Mozilla Firefox.
So consider, what are you trying to get out of your website in order to know what type of web presence you should design or have someone, design for you.
Copyright © 2010

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Keys To a Successful Website

We meet a lot of people everyday who want to get more out of their websites. More traffic, more business, more online sales, or more phone calls.
Whatever the case may be, there are six fundamental keys to every website if you want to ensure your success. There may be more, but we've determined these are the basic things you must do.
Know Your Target Audience
An unknown author once said, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time."
The same is true of your website! You must know who your audience is. It is not as important how many website visitors you have, it's how many of the right visitors do you have?
If you have never considered who you are trying to reach, now is a good time to do so.
* Who are your best customers?
* Who are your regulars?
* Who is loyal and refers your company?
* What is unique about your company, products, and services?
Find out who these folks are and ask them why they are raving fans of your company. When you learn why, you'll have a better understanding of how to write to reach your targeted audience online.
Make Your Website Compelling
How many websites have you come across that are boring, dull, and don't say anything that really appeals to you whatsoever?
Your site must be creatively you, thoughtful, and intentional. Have you ever considered what you're asking them to do. Most websites have no call to action whatsoever, and yet site owners wonder why no one comes to them through the website.
You must ask open ended questions that will get them thinking about what their needs are.
Relevant Message
Recently, a website I came across was for a printing company. But most of their site was dedicated to web design. So, I called the store and learned that it was not really an emphasis at all, but just a means to get people to their website to purchase something for a printing need.
Can you imagine someone coming to you thinking you did one thing, and then found out they did another?
Frustrating isn't it?
Don't waste their time!
Keep your website relevant to your target audience and what you are asking them to do. Don't market yourself as doing something you don't really do in hopes of earning a customer through a bait and switch. It just makes people upset and frustrated, and in the end hurts your branding and image.
Keep your website focused on what is important to your site visitors and their needs, not misleading marketing efforts just to get someone to your website. Those days are long over.
Create Trust
Your website many times is the first introduction to your company. Knowing that, you have 1/20th of a second to make an impression. You have to make it count! And most importantly, you have to do it truthfully.
How can you do that?
Your website to tell your story. Give some product examples. Or, take the time to write about an experience to a case study if it's relevant.
Some of the best ways to create trust are through testimonials. These should be in both text and video formats. Video is great because you can see, hear, and experience someone who has had a great experience with your company.
People Want to Do Business With Those They Like and Trust
If you know your website did all the above, you are on your way to starting the relationship off right with your website visitors. You have to give them a reason to like you.
Do you give your money to people you don't like? Of course not! You go to the next business who you do like and buy from them.
Allow the site visitor to get what they want easily, and practice online manners. You'll be on your way to building a lasting relationship.
Give Them Value
Finally, give your website visitors lots of value. I don't mean sales, discounts, and giveaways. Those all nice things, and many times helpful.
But the kind of value I'm talking about is your knowledge. The knowledge of your industry, your particular skill, or about a particular service or product.
For example, one car repairman I know began putting step-by-step videos of how to replace breaks on a popular type of car. His business increased two fold in the following month. Guess what they were at his shop for?
Many people are afraid to give this kind of value because they feel the potential customer will just do it themselves.
I've got news for you. They were anyway. I bet they make up less than 5% of the people out there looking for your product or service.
Give it away, and it will come back. I've seen the testimonials time and again.
Conclusion

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How Can Web Design Services Help You?

Whether you have a small or a large business, your website is the key to your success online. You need to make sure that you are giving your customers the best service possible so that they will want to buy your product. After one person sees your website, it can make you or break you. If this person did not enjoy what they saw then they will give your website as well as your business a bed rating to other people.
Your business website is your lifeline in the wide world of the internet. Online presence has to incorporate your website to get any results. This is why it may be worth it if you get some help from web design services. There are many of these services that have helped many businesses get where they needed to be.
Many people wonder why pay money for web design services instead of doing it on their own. Well the main thing is knowledge. These services will give you everything you need to have a world winning website. This will help you make money as well as build your customer line. There are many things that go into website designing. It is not just color pictures and animation.
Web design services cost money, but in the long run it is going to make you more money. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. It is better to have the help then to make mistakes by doing it all by yourself. Especially when it was because, you were trying to save a few dollars. So if you are trying to get your business a great start then this happens with the website for the business. Making sure that it is perfect is going to allow you to do so much with your business. Advertisement is a major issue with any business.  If you do not advertise then how do you expect people to know who you are and what you are offering?

My name is Yip Bop and I write blogs about our World with stories and insights that may not be written in your daily newspaper.

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Your Website Must Pop

Businesses come up with many different ways to promote themselves. In fact, over the years, business owners and market specialists alike have become pretty creative and are becoming more and more imaginative as the years pass by. They seize every opportunity possible and since the advent of technology and the internet, these too have become quite an advantage for many of them who found the internet to be a very powerful tool in achieving success.
The internet has paved the way for more than just opportunities. It has opened a new ground for business. It does not only make things easier - it makes a lot of what has been the impossible, possible. With the internet, business owners are now able to reach millions and millions of people. Those who have secured to themselves and to their businesses a proper and working website have also pulled an edge away from their competitors. The bottom line is the internet has changed the way we see business. It has also, in a great way, changed the dynamics of how businesses compete with one another.
It is no longer enough that you have a business of your own. It is also very important for you to also have is a good business website. That is where web design comes into the picture. Just about anyone can design and develop their own website. There are many hosting sites available on the internet. A number of them even offer free website making services. Website templates are also widely available and are easily accessible.
While it is very easy to create a website of your own, it surely is an entirely different story when it comes to making your site better than the rest. Since many of the templates are available for anyone to access and use, your business competitors may also be using exactly the same template. How do you push your boundaries to have a website which stands apart?
One of the best ways is to locate a professional. They know what to do, where to do it and how to do it. Booking a professional will help you when it comes to developing your website. You can just tell them what you want and how you want it and they will take care of everything for you. Having a professional with you will let you enjoy the benefits of a top notch website without having to do all the work.
Having a professionally designed and developed website is one of the best ways to end up with a website which stands above the crowd. Look at samples of the work done by potential developers. Make sure the timeline for delivery is clear. Then reap the benefits of a top quality website!

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Is Outsourcing Your Website Development Needs a Good Idea?

Many companies are beginning to outsource their website development projects rather than going with an in-house team of specialists. While this may seem like a good idea, it is important for you to consider the many different ramifications that can arise from this decision. Here is some information that you may want to consider before you decide whether or not you want to outsource your next website development project.
Why outsourcing makes sense
There are many reasons why outsourcing can make sense for some companies. If you operate a small or medium sized business, you may not be able to afford support services such as website development or design. By outsourcing you will get rid of the need to have a full time website developer on staff. Many website development companies will also be able to help you with routine maintenance so that when your site needs updating or even an overhaul, they will be able to help you out. Because you are only paying them for the time they are actually putting into your project you will save money in the long run.
If you have decided that you do not want to have a website developer on staff you will need to begin to find one that can help you with your website development project. Here are some tips that you can use to tell whether a particular website development or design company will be able to give you the site you are looking for.
How easy will it be for you to communicate with them effectively?
It is important for you to be able to communicate effectively with your website development company. You need to be able to tell them what you are looking for, what aspects or features you need most and what you like, or do not like, about a design that you have been presented with. You want to make sure you are dealing with a company that is willing and able to communicate with you on a continuing basis, throughout the design, coding and launch phases of your website.
If you want to speak with people directly it can be helpful for you to find a company that is either in the same time zone as yourself or which has representatives that can be reached on a twenty-four hour a day basis. Otherwise you may find that you will need to communicate using email or by leaving voice mail messages. This does not mean that you will have communication problems but it may mean that the design and development process is slowed down somewhat.
It is always a good idea for you to not only look at a company's portfolio but also to speak with or communicate in some way with past clients in order to find out whether a company really is too good to be true.
By carefully considering each website development company and what they can offer you it will be much easier for you to find the outsourcer who will give you the site you have been hoping for. It will also help you avoid companies that may not be able to deliver on what they have said they will be able to do for your company.

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Google Analytics Setup for Firms That Do Web Design

As an internet marketing company we find we have to work with firms that do web design in Philadelphia often, and many times we have to request information and data contained in Google Analytics. Sometimes firms are unable to share this data with us because they have not correctly set up analytics data on their client's sites. This article will explain the best practice for web design firms in Philadelphia to use when setting up Google Analytics in order to avoid this situation.
There are only a few necessary steps to set up a basic Google Analytics account on a new web property. The steps are simply:

1. create a Google account
2. install the tracking code
3. set up a profile
4. set up goals
5. exclude IP addresses or traffic from domains via filters

Creating the Google Account
You must have a Google Account email address and password in order to use Google Analytics. You can sign up for a free Google account at Google.com/accounts/NewAccount. After you register your account, you also have to register for Google Analytics at Google.com/analytics/sign_up.html.
One Google Analytics account can track one or many web properties. A user of an analytics account does not need to sign in separately to each account. All accounts will show up in a drop-down menu once the user is signed into Google Analytics.
It is very straight forward if you are going to be tracking a single website. You just have one analytics account for your website. It gets a little bit more complicated if you are going to be tracking many different websites (for your clients).
There is a limit of 50 profiles that you can set up in any Analytics account, however a user can see more than 50 profiles if they have been invited to join accounts. When a web design firm sets up accounts, they need to keep in mind that administrators of the account can see and modify all profile data for websites being tracked in the account. In addition, analytics data cannot be moved from one account to another. To avoid sharing data between companies, a best practice would be to set up a separate Analytics account for the websites owned by each company.
Installing the Tracking Code
Once you have signed into Google Analytics, you will be asked to generate the tracking code for the web property you wish to track. The screen asks the following questions:
What do you want to track?
You can specify:

• A single domain
• One domain with multiple subdomains
• Multiple top-level domains
• A site built for a mobile phone
• The tracking code generator will also ask you if you want to
• Track AdWords campaigns
• Track ad campaigns from other providers
• Dynamic content
• PHP pages
• Use existing Urchin code in addition to Analytics

The tracking code can then be placed into the Head section of every web page that you want to track. It usually takes around 24 hours for the code to begin working.
Setting up Profiles
Google recommends setting up a new profile before filtering out any data or defining goals so that you can be sure you are getting all the available data stored somewhere. You can create several profiles for a website in order to provide different report views of the data. For instance you may want to restrict different users from seeing data about certain parts of the site or certain types of traffic. You can set up a profile to do this. When setting up tracking in an Analytics account, it is a best practice to make the first profile for a property a master profile so that you will have a profile that contains all historical data since tracking began. To add a new profile, simply edit the analytics settings and select "Add New Profile".
Setting up Goals
The next step in a basic analytics set up is to establish at least one goal. This can be when a user gets to a thank-you page for signing up, a thank-you page for purchasing, or stays on the site for a certain amount of time. There are several types of goals you can set up in analytics.
First identify the thank-you page you want to track. Then edit the profile settings in analytics and scroll down to the goals. Edit the goal settings. In the case of a thank-you page goal set the match type to "exact match" because you are going to exactly match the thank-you page URL. Give the goal a name such as "Orders" or "Newsletter signups" and if you like you can also set up a goal funnel where you indicate the pages you think most visitors will take when they are getting to the goal.
Exclude Internal Traffic
Next you will want to exclude internal traffic (and possibly your own web developers) by setting up filters on a profile. You can either filter out a specific IP address or a range of IP addresses, or you can filter out an entire domain. You can even use cookies to filter out visits from particular users. Google gives a really great explanation for how to do this at this link: Google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55481
This is all you have to do for a basic analytics installation, unless you are tracking an ecommerce site. In that case, you should set up the ecommerce tracking code. Again, there is a very good Google help document to assist you with this step, located here: Code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/gaTrackingEcommerce
By following these simple steps, you can easily install Google Analytics free tracking code and avoid a lot of confusion later.

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5 Ways Suppliers Can Build Better Partnerships With Association Planners

Suppliers as partners? How can this be? The new mantra in 2011 is to build valuable and sustainable relationships in the association community. In order to do this, suppliers in the event meeting services industry need to develop a keen understanding of how associations work and the type of association events they host.
An association is any group of people who have joined together for a particular purpose, ranging from social to business. It can be formal, with rules and/or by-laws, and membership requirements. An association is not a legally-established corporation or a partnership. Most associations have some paid staff and a large group of volunteers that help plan their various events. They are usually non-profit based and most of the budget for the event is based on registration fees.
How can suppliers establish contacts within various associations?
1. Network, network, network --Association managers and volunteers are people and prefer doing business with people they know and like. These employees belong to trade associations and attend meetings, such as PCMA, ASAE, and MPI. Many times suppliers often do not join these associations or attend these type of events because they view it as sacrificing valuable sales time or they don't want to travel great distances or pay attendance and membership fees. However, suppliers who regularly attend these type of meetings stand out and are remembered. Look at it as a room full of prospects just waiting to be befriended and educated.
2. Be visuable within the professional association -- Attend all meetings. Join committees and consider being on the Board of Directors. Write an article for the newsletter. Sponsor the meeting or advertise in the directory. All of these behaviors will offer great visablitiy and often will give you a natural reason to speak to an event services company in order to build a relationship with them.
3. Help education your prospects -- Each supplier has a depth of knowledge event meeting services planners would love to learn about. Companies who specialize in interactive technology tool rentals are welcome at most events as long as they are not trying to sell their services. Providing knowledge and value will allow you to gain credibility with your prospects.
4. Consider collaborative marketing strategies -- Attend and participate in tradeshows, advertise in newsletters, do some co-marketing and cross-marketing.
5. Be Accessible -- When prospects call or email you, return the phone call or respond to the email promptly even if you let them know that you are out of the office and will call them back at a certain time.

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Powerful Thank You Note Strategy

Send daily thank you notes
I came across this tip a few years ago and have found it useful. It's very simple. You make it a practice to send out 1 thank you note every weekday.
You select a new person each day and send a personalized thank you card to them. Yes, you actually send them a physical card via snail mail. Using the postal system is best The standard reaction from people when I suggest this is a response like, "but it's much easier to send emails." Of course it is, but that's the whole point. Emails are fast, easy, and require little thought. Nobody cares about thank you emails. If you 're anything like me, you read the email and delete it two seconds later. Handwritten cards sent through the mail last much longer. Make it a daily habit Paper based cards are really simple to use. Try to find cards that are blank inside, so that everything is handwritten. Just buy cards in bulk and have a roll of stamps. Each day you sit down for two minutes and write out a card. Then you drop it in the mail. It is simple to do, but I can't tell you how many people tell me that this is impossible.
I recommend making this a daily habit, because taking the time to appreciate those who help you is good for your soul. A daily two-minute writing makes the recipient feel good, and it puts you in a good frame of mind for working. People remember cards Think back to the last time you received a card (birthday, thank you, etc.) from a friend or a business acquaintance. You probably took some time to look it over and read the personalized note (hopefully there was one).
Most people then take the card and and put it on a shelf where they forget about it for a few months. The next time your contact needs someone in your line of work they will be more likely to call you.
This is one of those tips that only 1 in 1000 people will follow up on. It's too bad because this seriously works. 5 reasons why you should write thank you cards 1. Nobody takes the time to write hand written notes anymore. By personalizing the message, you will stand out from everyone else. It WILL be read.
2. People are too lazy these days to send out notes in the mail. Sending cards proves you are action-oriented.
3. Notes are cheap. Some people say letters are too expensive to mail. Of course, those are the same people who don't mind spending $5.00 at Starbucks every morning.
4. Your letter will endure. Hopefully your letter will sit on their desk or bookcase for a couple of months. Then, they will think of you at the right time.
5. Follow Up. I found I usually get a phone call from the person to thank me for sending the thank you card. :)
P.S. when they call don't say, "it was nothing." Say, "Hey, I just really appreciated your help."
Plan B: If you don't want to send paper thank you notes, try using email or phone calls. It's not as good in my opinion, but better than nothing.

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