What is the "Know, Like and Trust Factor" and how does it grow your business?

The Know, Like & Trust Factor is a proven marketing component focused on establishing long-term connections with prospects and clients. Customers make initial and ongoing purchasing decisions based on a strong relationship foundation of dependability, respect, mutual understanding and shared history.

The Know, Like & Trust Factor grows your business because once you have established a relationship, you have a champion for life. Not only are they direct beneficiaries of your offerings, as the Faberge shampoo commercial from the 70's says, "... they told two friends and so on, and so on, and so on...." People talk and it's to your advantage to have them saying that your products or services enrich their lives.

The Know, Like and Trust Factor

This relationship-building approach in business is growing exponentially because it works to consistently build loyalty, sales and a solid platform for all future product or service launches.

Customers or clients must have a connection to you on all three levels before they purchase from you and become long-term buyers. You can be in front of prospects for many months before they purchase from you. Experts say that seven or more impressions are required before people feel they know, like and trust you enough to give you their money.

Think about it; it makes sense. The evolution of any relationship takes time to establish and maintain. It may seem odd at first to transfer personal relationship concepts to business connections, but it's not. Genuine connection to each other is an essential component in any relationship. When we conduct business as an extension of our personal lives and philosophies, this is a no-brainer. It's simply good business to establish a method by which prospects can get to know, like and trust you as a proven, strategic method of achieving results.

Here's how to become known, liked and trusted to build long-term client relationships:

1. Know
   • Be as transparent as possible.
   • Share appropriate bits of your personal life.
   • Reveal yourself over time.
     
2. Like
   • Use humor in your communications when appropriate.
   • Be authentically YOU... always.
   • Use your own voice.
     
3. Trust
   • Consistently deliver on all promises.
   • Give content-rich information that is purely philanthropic.
   • Establish that you're an authority based on measurable results.

Why does this work? When clients know, like and trust you they:

• feel comfortable (know)
• want to support you by purchasing your products and services (like)
• feel confident in their decision to give you their money and refer you to their family, friends and colleagues (trust)

When prospects feel that you genuinely value the relationship with them--not just their potential purchasing power--they'll be devoted followers forever.

An inspiration from Buckminster Fuller and a message to every misfit on the planet

I had the privilege recently to attend an informal presentation by Jaime Snyder; grandson of Buckminster (Bucky) Fuller.

If you’re unfamiliar with Bucky Fuller, he was a true visionary: philosopher, designer, poet, architect, artist, engineer, entrepreneur, author, mathematician, teacher and inventor.

It was astounding to hear some of the more personal aspects of Bucky’s life and notice so many similarities to my own experience and those of my friends and colleagues; maybe even yours. Read on.

In his 30’s, already a proven “failure” at numerous pursuits (including flunking out of Harvard twice: first for spending all his money partying with a vaudeville troupe, and then, after having been readmitted, for his "irresponsibility and lack of interest"), bankrupt, jobless, living in public, low-income housing, and drinking frequently due to the death of his young daughter, he sat on the edge of Lake Michigan and seriously contemplated “ending it all.” He believed that his wife and second child would have better opportunities without him due to his failed attempts to succeed in life.

Then, he had another thought: If he did only things that truly inspired him instead of his former approach (which obviously wasn’t working), maybe the outcome would be different. At that moment he chose to embark on "an experiment, to find what a single individual [could] contribute to changing the world and benefiting all humanity."

Like many of us, Bucky was first driven by a focus on money. It’s a common experience based on systematic social conditioning. Inherently, there’s nothing wrong with that focus; it just wasn’t his priority. With the passage of time, however, in part, it led him to contemplate suicide.

He recognized that a focus on money—because it wasn’t a part of his personal agenda—and putting his attention on what others thought was important—instead of following his own bliss—wasn’t in alignment with making his greatest contribution. He could never achieve personal excellence within the confines of the existing model. As history eventually revealed, he would thrive outside convention. His lakeside inner guide was spot-on. (After all, life is a grand experiment; why not approach it as such?)

It doesn’t even occur to us to question the model. It doesn’t even occur to us that there are alternatives to conforming. It doesn’t even occur to us that to shine as brilliantly as possible, we might have to navigate our own way; meaning we follow no one and no thing. We might have to create a solitary path that paves the way for others.

By his own appraisal, Bucky was a “non-conforming misfit.” Does this sound familiar to you? If you’re an entrepreneur, it’s very likely you’re a non-conforming misfit, too.

So, what’s the point? What’s the big takeaway here?

1. Every misfit has been discouraged to the point of taking dramatic action.

Whether it’s suicide, or an abrupt or uncharacteristic decision about a move, a relationship, business, or your health, you know when you’ve had enough of what is. You simply cannot take any more. Your “sponge is full” and you cannot live one more minute within your current circumstances; you can’t, and you won’t.

Life has interesting ways of presenting enormous opportunity; it may even be packaged in despair. Quite effective, it finally gets our full attention, although there may have been signals of misalignment for years. When we’re done; fully saturated; fully convinced that we’ve tried everything; that’s the moment fresh possibilities surface to grab our focus and set us off in a new, inspired direction.

2. Every misfit has felt alone in defining and/or delivering her unique message.

You and life collaborated to create a moment of decision; this is one of your great life opportunities to shine. After the realization that there may be options you hadn’t previously explored, now what? As if you weren’t overwhelmed before! Hmph.

Now that you’ve determined your best options are based in following your own inner drummer, it’s likely you’ll spend your time discovering your passions (if you haven’t already), find more ways to nurture and be kind to yourself, send the inner critic on vacation, invest in some down-home soul searching, explore the many ways to enjoy what is, and simply be.

Inspirations come with allowing; not planning, strategizing and acting, as so many of us have been taught. When you’re wholly aligned with who you are and intimately knowledgeable of your unique gifts, the rest will naturally present itself in response to your alignment. The Way will be made known to you. It must; it’s a Universal Law.

3. Every misfit has felt overwhelmed at some point in figuring out the how of making his finest contribution to humanity.

When you follow no model, you are ever creating in-the-moment. You may have no idea if what you’re doing makes any sense. You may have no idea if your inspirations are a few or hundreds of years before their “time.” You may have no proven methods of implementation. Upon implementation, you may have no universally-agreed-on measure of “success.” At best, you may have no or few supporters. At worst, you could be persecuted or ostracized for acting on your convictions.

Every effort is based in inspiration. You may have no idea how—after the investment of precious resources of time, money, effort, passion, and drive—or if, all your efforts will eventually enrich humanity. After all, life’s a grand experiment!



In conclusion, misfit, this is my heartfelt message to you:

Misfit, you may never achieve personal excellence within the confines of the existing model. You probably weren’t meant to. Create your haven—and thrive—outside convention. Embark on an experiment to find out what a single individual (you!) can contribute to changing the world and benefiting all humanity. As a misfit, that’s most likely your calling.

Misfit, wear the term as a badge of honor, for it requires a tremendous amount of courage to be a leader; a visionary; a pioneer; a lightbearer; a path maker; an entrepreneur.

Misfit, regardless of how lost, lonely, or scared silly you might ever feel on this journey, you are never alone. There are misfits everywhere, lurking among the masses, trying to figure out their own ways to change the world and benefit humanity. Make it your mission to find them!

Hey, give me back my wrinkle!

These were my words to the photographer who touched-up my recent business headshots. She did a beautiful job editing out my wrinkle and had no idea that with a few strokes of her mouse, she was erasing something I value. Assuming I would want it removed, I was adamant about having her start over again, making any other changes she wanted, but leaving my adored wrinkle.

You see, that wrinkle represents something... something important: It represents the 45 years I have invested in understanding who I am and how to make a positive contribution to this planet, and leave her inhabitants better for my being here. I EARNED that wrinkle!

With so much emphasis in our society on youth and flawless, external beauty, I stand for something else: a more graceful, peaceful journey to embrace and adore the many indicators of aging. I may be bald, but I have gray hair. My skin is thinner. Hair is sprouting in the strangest places and is sparse in others. And what happened to my upper arms? My Pilates teacher says it's changing hormones. Whatever the explanation, it's kinda weird.

Committed to being an excellent steward of my precious life resources, it just makes sense to invest my time, money and effort in celebrating the work-in-progress that is I. Honestly, even the thought of how much energy it would require to struggle and fight the process of maturing leaves me yearning for a nap. Yes, there are changes and adjustments, but looking back, no stage of life was free of the necessity to be flexible, so why should this one be any different? Life is, after all, in perpetual motion. Change is inevitable and the more willingly I bask in the truth of what is, the more free I am to be the most glorious and free version of myself.

Besides, removing the inevitable indicators of our age with technology changes nothing. As time goes by, it only reflects our inability to embrace what's real and true, and prevents us from loving what is so lovely about ourselves when we love ourselves without condition. When you think about it, can you expect others to love you when you don't?

I am leaving a legacy and sometimes that is represented in the most peculiar ways. For me, it's reflected by my forehead wrinkle. So, lady, give me back my wrinkle!

(BTW, she did.)

Repurpose your content: a surefire way to make delivering fresh content more manageable and save your sanity in the process

You didn't go into business to lose your mind.

Developing and delivering regular content can be daunting simply because of the sheer volume required; original content for newsletters, updates, blogs, article marketing, FaceBook, Twitter.... On and on it goes, where it stops, nobody knows.

I learned a long time ago that if I was going to do a superior job as an online marketer, I had to implement a system. There was no way humanly possible that I could create original content for every application. So, I execute this strategy every week and it has worked beautifully for several years now. I share it with you in hopes it can lighten your load and free up some time and energy for other business-development tasks:

1. Write one or two original articles for the weekly newsletter.
2. Write one or two very short personal quotations, quicktips or life insights.
3. After the newsletter goes out on Mondays, all this content is repurposed.
4. Article(s) is/are submitted to my ezinearticles.com account (to feed my ongoing article marketing campaign).
5. Article(s) is/are queued to post on my blog approximately 2-3 days apart (this keeps the blog content fresh).
6. 5 or so segments of less than 140 characters are clipped from the articles and insights as stand-alone posts for social networking sites (Twitter+Facebook+Indie Beauty).
7. As I see posts, articles and rich content throughout the week from multiple outside sources, these inspire content ideas for the next newsletter.
8. The cycle begins again.

Work smarter. This is a business marketing machine that with minimal effort on your part, organically runs itself with a continuing influx and outflow of content, allowing you to actually enjoy the myriad benefits of creating materials once that have many applications.

Reader or scanners? You don't have to choose; write to both at the same time!

There are readers and there are scanners. Readers want to digest every word. Scanners want the gist and nothing more.

If you think you have to choose between writing to readers or scanners, the good news is: there's an easy to way reach both at the same time!

Go ahead and write your full content (your readers will LOVE this!). Then, to capture the attention of scanners, embolden prominent segments so they benefit from the value of your message but don't have to read every word.

Your content can then be enjoyed by everyone; readers and scanners.

Bridge the Copywriting Gap Between Hardsell Sales Techniques and Esoteric Language

Our minds are powerful. And the ability to influence others with strategic copy is something to take seriously. It's also a great responsibility.

As a conscious or spirit-based business owner, the impact on you of using manipulative language in your marketing copy can run the full spectrum from mildly uncomfortable to physically nauseating.

One of my clients recently shared a story: in an effort to write more effective marketing content, she immersed herself in the tips, tactics and techniques of the most acclaimed copywriters alive today. She said some of it literally upset her stomach. The recommended tactics for increasing sales didn't resonate with her and she knew they wouldn't resonate with her audience either.

She's wise; she recognizes there's something that won't work for her readers, but what does she do about it?

It's a very real circumstance; something to be reconciled. You cannot escape it. You must somehow bridge the gap between hardsell sales copy and light, fluffy, esoteric language. But what?

Ask any mainstream copywriter and they can tell you the 3 steps to writing copy that kills (aka converts to dramatic sales numbers and dollars), or the single-most read aspect of any sales letter, or how to inject subliminal messages into copy so readers do one thing: take action.

Ask them about esoteric sales language and they would probably say it has no place in the arsenal of strategies of the greatest online marketers or copywriters; that it is an embarrassment and worse, it is not even effective.

After years of exploration, making sweeping changes, trial testing, experimentation, starting from scratch on several occasions, and fine-tuning the techniques taught by my copywriting mentors,

the most powerful way
to write content that has maximum impact
is to infuse and energize words
with your genuine intent to be of service

The truth is: you can no longer manipulate the thinking or behavior of others. People are changing and our world is changing. Although it may not be the mainstream method yet, conscious businesses are now implementing energetic imprints; the sentiments cradling the words of your copy.

The vibration of the planet is rising exponentially. Consumers are becoming aware of even the most subtle sales influences. They can now discern the energetic difference of a marketing message meant solely to sell and one intended to serve. Guess which one gets their business?

With the sentiment of manipulation as a basis for your marketing content, I promise, your words simply won't resonate. No action will be taken by the reader and worse, you will have made your imprint on them, leaving them with something unsettling; something intangible and yet very real.

In the copywriting world, it's termed word exploitation; the use of words to control, dominate, or manipulate for a specific outcome. It's an outdated model that has no place in our future.

Fortunately, you are no longer limited to:

• hard-sell techniques
• underlying, hidden or mixed messages
• attempts to address lack, loss, heartache, damage or woundedness
• scheming subliminal messages, or
• "proven" formulas based on a crumbling marketing paradigm based in patriarchy

You have new, energetic options to powerfully portray your business.

Breathing vibrance into your words of a pure intent to serve, maintains the integrity of you, your inspired work, and your readers. The power behind words is actually more impactful than the specific words you choose. Of course the words matter to some degree--and they must be based on the fullness of life, instead of deficit, lack, frustration, etc.--but be assured: the sentiment of words carries a positive influence uniquely its own, based on your genuine desire to use your products and services to enrich the world.

With the shifting business paradigm to a collaborative, cooperative, everyone-wins approach, real-world results prove there's something tangible and applicable to the business world on the other side of this "woo-woo" stuff.

6 Success Tools To Accomplish Any Business Goal

As business owners we are inundated with "success tips." Some are highly overrated, while others are merely untested theoretical tidbits taken from other sources, and repurposed and marketed as the golden morsels to achieving.

These 6 Success Tools have been time-tested and proven effective in real-world applications to propel you toward your business or personal goals.

After implementing these discoveries, achievement is much more likely than jumping in impulsively and praying or hoping for success. As you well know, hope is not a plan! These tools were compiled to get you thinking--and planning--for your inevitable success in accomplishing your goals when you work with passion toward them.

6 Success Tools

1. Establish a succinct statement of your goal(s) and your motivation. Write this one-sentence statement on a notepad or 3x5 card as a reminder of why you're doing what you're doing. Place these in several prominent locations in your work environment as a frequent and powerful visual reminder (desk, restroom, purse, briefcase, car, on the back of a door/closet, etc.). You can always refer to this to determine if the items on your to-do list will/won't get you closer to your goal. Obviously, you must focus on the tasks that move you ever-closer to goal attainment. The rest may be "busy" work, delay tactics, or actions of self-sabotage.
   
   
2. Complete a target market analysis. It is CRUCIAL to know your target market. Without this information, you are writing the most generic, white-bread, bland, one-size-fits-all, boring, bedtime story content that will put your audience to sleep! You MUST know and speak the language of your unique target market. If not, opportunities to truly connect pass you by every day. Yeah, it's THAT important! How can knowing your target market help you accomplish any business goal? It brings a laser focus of the needs of that market to all your activities. The more you understand them, what motivates them, what drives them to actually purchase products or services, the more you can cater your offerings to them and capture their interest. Helping other people reach their own goals--by giving them what they want, like and need--pushes you closer to you reaching yours.
   
   
3. Assess your existing skill set to accomplish your current goal. Simply, there are tasks that you love to do, take very little time and refuel you in the process. Yes, complete these action items yourself. Everything else must be delegated to others. If you try to do everything yourself, you will be drained of your precious time and energetic resources. It's smart to delegate because it gets you in the habit of hiring others to do what they do best in assisting you to accomplish your goals. Collaboration is the most powerful and effective business model.
   
   
4. Honestly assess your support system, both personal and professional. The truth is, your spouse or friends may not be the best supporters for goal achievement. Don't take it personally! It's not about you. People cannot give you what they don't have the capacity to give. The reasons don't matter, so don't invest time trying to figure out why. It will never matter, and the exploration will most likely take you way off-course; a distraction from your vision. The most successful people attain their success by having and depending on a strong support system. If you don't already have one, you must create your own network-of-support. Create both personal and professional support networks so you get your business and emotional needs met as you delve into the process of bringing your next goal to fruition.
   
   
5. Get your head "in the game." A committed, whole-life effort is required to consistently accomplish your goals. Your mind and heart must be fully wrapped around your vision so nothing deters you from achievement. Getting your head in the game is initially about making a private, often silent, pact with yourself that nothing will take you off-course until you have realized your intended goal. We do this in different ways, but prayer, mantras, visioning, and exploring the spiritual aspects of the process can assist you in bringing your whole, full intention to the game of goal manifestation. And yes, it can be as fun as a game!
   
   
6. Develop a detailed mission statement. This is an extended version of tip #1. Writing a mission statement is a simple way of capturing the details of your goal. However, the idea is often overlooked as being too simple to be effective. If this is your sentiment, reconsider. Achieving even our wildest dreams doesn't have to be hard. We just have to understand that even the simplest efforts to identify what we really want to experience, putting it in writing, and working toward it is enough to bring manifestation into our physical reality. Detailed mission statements include:

Work schedule - What is the schedule you're committing to? 5 hours per week? 2 hours per day?

Time commitment - What are the time commitments you will adhere to that work best for you? Before the kids awake? From 10 AM - Noon Monday-Friday?

Work environment - Where will you complete the tasks required to meet this goal? Is it clean? Is it orderly? Does it facilitate maximum creativity?

Recovery plan - What is your plan should you begin to feel overwhelmed, frustrated or discouraged? What happens when you have lost your momentum? Is there a go-to person who can assist?

Built-in breaks - What is your specific plan for stepping away from tasking to give yourself the necessary mental breaks so when you work, it's the most efficient and effective? What is the most relaxing and enjoyable thing you do for yourself? Movement? Solitude? Being in nature?

Target deadline - What is a reasonable, yet challenging completion date? On what is this based, and how exactly is it both reasonable and challenging?

There's no easy path to accomplishment. No set of six tips will eliminate the necessity for inspired, focused effort. However, clear goals, reasons for attaining those goals and a few other simple techniques relating to pre-planning will certainly pave the way, making the journey easier.

Why Write an eBook vs. a Published Book?

This is a common question-and a necessary one-as you educate yourself on the merits of both.

For starters, neither is necessarily better than the other. There is no right option. Choosing one depends on what you're trying to accomplish by becoming published, your current skill set, and your allocated funds for this project. Inevitably, though, you must choose one for your first effort toward becoming a published author.

After careful analysis, only you can decide which option is best-suited for you, but I recommend eBooks for the following reasons:

• eBooks are ecologically-responsible
• eBooks are instantly accessible
• eBooks can be created, marketed and sold within a very short time period
• eBooks can be created, marketed and sold based on your own time table
• eBooks can be created, marketed and sold without extensive knowledge of the complex book publishing industry
• eBooks can be marketed in places where you wouldn't normally be able to market yourself, such as online bookstores
• eBooks easily and quickly establish you as an expert within your field
• eBooks allow you to more fully explore and share your passion for a subject than you can with articles or your Web site
• Short eBooks can be used for free giveaways, incentives or as bonus items (the most common way they are used is to build your subscriber list)

If you're uncertain about any aspect of the book-writing process, writing an eBook is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the practical aspects of developing a system that works for you. Start small with a special report or mini-eBook. Although this doesn't officially qualify as authorship, the exercise builds clarity and confidence.

With the ability to publish an eBook at zero monetary cost, it's an excellent way to launch your writing career.


For more information on Write Your eBook: Using a Trusted and Proven System While Maintaining Your Busy Life visit http://editcopyproof.blogspot.com/p/wip-ebook.html

Bargain vs. Value: Are You Sabotaging Your Business?

Honestly, who doesn't LOVE a bargain? 50% off tags make our eyes boggle and an arduous quest for the perfect _______ is forgotten when, at some unexpected moment, we find our treasure at a deep discount. Ah, in those moments, all seems right with the world.

The word "bargain" relates to the price of something; specifically a low price.

What about "value"? And what about a distinction between the two? Are these words significant in the application to business services we delegate to freelancers?

Bargain. Value. Hmmmm.

Lord Byron had a few thoughts on the subject of bargains:

"A bargain is in its very essence a hostile transaction. Do not all men try to
abate the price of all they buy? I contend that a bargain even between brethren is a
declaration of war."

It sounds like Lord Byron spoke from experience. Why else would he be so impassioned? "Hostile transaction. Declaration of war." Those are strong words.

When hiring pros to make their valuable contribution to the success of our businesses, rarely do we look for a bargain. We want many things, but a bargain is not one of them. We want quality, we want integrity, we want dependability and we want all that at a price that has value to us: the price is high enough so we know we're engaging the services of a skilled professional, but low enough so we can realistically work it into our business budget.

Getting a bargain may mean we compromise value and quality in the process of building our businesses. And how can that ever serve our vision and goals?

As business owners,

confine bargain hunting
to actual goods and
seek value
when hunting for services

It's a clean distinction and one that fits into big business plans for growth, efficiency, simplicity and continued forward momentum.

So, what's the most effective method to getting value when hiring freelancers?

1. Ask for referrals from your colleagues and friends.
2. Compare services offered AND pricing based on your needs.
3. Contact references.
4. Establish clear contractual parameters.
5. Start with a small project.
6. Remain actively involved with open and ongoing communication.
7. At the conclusion of the first job, conduct a brief assessment to determine if a second assignment is warranted.

For the most part, pros who are compensated fairly do work comparable to their compensation. A bargain price often means bargain deliverables resulting in lost time, effort and the need to start from "square one." After a bargain-based experience, many entrepreneurs start over with an important lesson learned and a keen eye for getting value, instead of a bargain.

Bargains will cost you in the long-run. Learn from others and shorten your learning curve in business. There are plenty of other lessons to learn on your own. This doesn't
have to be one of them.

Bargains are good. Services are valuable.

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THE Secret to Hiring a Professional Editor at a Fraction of Industry Rates

Delegating tasks to others is a key to your success in business. You cannot do everything, nor would you want to do everything. By hiring professionals to do what they do best, you focus on what you do best and grow your business at the same time.

As an established business owner, you probably already have existing marketing content: descriptive web copy, effective sales letters or 4-color brochures with matching pens to mail with your thank you notes and promotional campaigns. But there may be a few more pieces to add to your marketing puzzle including an article campaign, a press release to distribute news of your latest product launch, or an auto-responder series for your newsletter sign-ups.

Sticker-shock is common among the clients of copywriters and copyeditors. As word artisans there is a great deal of skill and time involved in creating captivating copy that both meets your expectations and delivers results. You want true professionals on your team and yet although the expense is an investment in your business, sheer economics may mean the difference between being able to hire them or not.

If you know you need the services of a competent editor, but struggle with the hows of paying for it, you are not alone. At the risk of singing the very tired "in these economic times..." song, it is important to find innovative ways to stretch every resource to its max.

This is one insight is the key to maximizing your editing dollars:

Hiring an editor
for the finishing touches
of any marketing piece
is the most cost-effective method
of securing their services

Essentially: give your editor a near-finished document.

So, what does this mean?

1. You (or someone competent and knowledgeable of your company and products or services) write the content.


2. At least two people with an intimate understanding of your business review the materials to ensure the message: 1) speaks directly to the target market, 2) is easy for anyone within that target market to understand, 3) communicates succinctly and effectively, and 4) flows naturally.


3. The document has been reviewed by at least two sets of eyeballs for grammatical, spelling and punctuation accuracy.


4. One final review by someone competent who hasn't seen the document before.

By the time you complete these four simple steps, your document is near-finished. Now it's time for an expert editor to step in and work their magic... at a fraction of the cost of a comprehensive editing job, which may even involve aspects of copywriting depending on the strength of the copy.

As you know, time is money. When you save your editor time (by doing the labor-intensive action steps of getting content into polished form), you save money. And yet you are still able to hire them for the best part of what they do so skillfully: to ensure your message is clear, direct and effective before it is mass-distributed.

Here are a few additional tips for maximizing the expertise of a seasoned editor:

1. Establish a budget based on a real-world assessment of your circumstances and give this figure to your editor. Ask what s/he can do for that amount. You'd be surprised at how much can be accomplished in a mere hour. Let your editor tell you what's possible based on their knowledge, not your assumption.


2. Ask about terms. You never know how flexible your editor might be unless you ask! As a consumer, there has never been a better time to negotiate all aspects of delegating work to other entrepreneurs. However, let fairness for all parties be your approach. What diminishes one, diminishes all, no matter how screaming the deal for the one.


3. Be creative! Black-and-white approaches to life are not only limiting, they're a pure bore! Make the art of delegating and negotiation fun. You'd be amazed to discover the multitude of ways to collaborate with other fabulous entrepreneurs by stepping out of the proverbial box to dance on the top of that box. It starts with the willingness to be creative and explore ALL the possibilities. If you want to work with someone, find a way to make it happen with ongoing, open dialogue until you reach an agreement that leaves everyone smiling.

As the old adage goes, where there's a will, there's a way. Will yourself to enjoy the services of true pros. Not only can it work into your budget, but it makes a colossal difference in the quality of your marketing copy, which is your representation in the world. And you want it to be the most effectual imprint possible.

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Article Marketing: Keyword QuickTip

Strategic placement of your keywords is an important component in your successful article marketing campaign. Keywords should be placed in the:

1. title
2. first sentence
3. last paragraph of the article
4. resource box whenever possible

Keyword phrases shouldn't be overused. This is called "keyword stuffing" and you can be penalized by search engines.

Saturation percentages (the number of times your keyword(s) show up in your article] recommended by industry experts range from 3% to 10%, although the higher the inclusion percentage, the harder it is to retain the interest of the reader. The reason is: keywords become repetitive and sound like advertising. The way around this is to maintain a 3-5% inclusion rate while focusing on writing interesting content.

The most effective articles are a delicate balance between:

• strategic keyword placement
• keyword repetition
• engaging, creative copy

Based on my personal experience, this is an art. It isn't easy; especially at first. Keyword article writing requires a switch-in-thinking. As with anything though, your efforts and skills improve with practice. Happy article writing!

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Which Takes Prominence - Service to Others Or Monetizing Business Activities?

Based on my observations, when business owners focus on making money first, service to others often suffers. However, when those same business owners shift their focus instead to "service first," the ideas and money seem to flow much easier.

Why?

I cannot say definitively because many factors are involved, but let's explore what's behind each approach.

Money first

Until we live in a society in which each person takes only what s/he needs and gives in equal measure based on individual abundance, choices, talents and strengths (this is the subject of a very different article!), we all agree cash money is the method of exchange for goods and services.

Okay. With that said, when we approach business with a "how can I monetize my _______________ (ideas, newsletter, information, Web site, expertise, etc.)" mindset, inherent is a myopic perspective. Our viewpoint is so narrow, we limit ourselves without even realizing it. A "Money first" mentality can only ever deliver money first... above everything else. Service takes its place as a second priority, if at all.

Service (and people) first

When we grow business based on how we can best serve others and that is the heart's true desire, a spiritual/magical element is introduced to facilitate our success. It not only allows us to achieve our money-based goals, but it does so in a much more creative and supported fashion. On some level it just "makes sense" and "feels better" based on recent energetic and cultural reprioritizations around money.

A "Service and People first" mentality delivers results and relationships. Money and deep fulfillment just seem to follow organically.

There's nothing wrong with money. Depending on your personal relationship with money, though, it can be hard to generate more by focusing exclusively on money first. What makes the process easier is opening up to greater possibility. It begins by asking yourself...

How can I best serve others with my efforts?

A simple shift in thinking is all that's required. The result is a beautiful fusion that meets both economic needs and philanthropic desires.

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How To Get The Best Testimonials

Using customer testimonials in your marketing materials (sales letters, brochures, Web site, advertisements, etc.), is one of the most powerful marketing and sales tools available.

Very similar to personal referrals, testimonials lend credibility to you and the products or services you offer.

Obtaining testimonials is as simple as asking; customers and clients are often agreeable to giving you an endorsement to use in your marketing efforts. However, all testimonials are not created equal. They must make the most impact and serve a specific purpose depending on your marketing goals, e.g. increasing sales, establishing you as an expert, providing reassurance to prospects, etc.

Effective Testimonials:

1. Showcase your business using the real-world
   experiences of your trusted customers
2. Address a specific issue and portray you as the solution

The Easiest Ways To Secure Effective Testimonials

Most people are inexperienced in providing testimonials, so it's your job to make the process as easy as possible. The more you do to facilitate it, the more likely they are to respond favorably. Here are a few ways to make capturing testimonials effortless:

1. Email a sample of an optimal testimonial. Or guide them to your existing testimonials page, if you have one. If not, quickly write a sample they can use as a starting point.


2. Write the testimonial for them. Although it sounds awkward, this is a common practice and makes writing less intimidating. They edit the content and send the final back to you.


3. Automate the testimonial process. Create a template at your Web site for clients and customers to easily submit answers to no more than 5 questions. Choose generic questions that are most fitting to your target audience. Then include a comments field for them to supplement or enhance their answers to the questions. What is submitted becomes your testimonial. Also provide the ability for them to upload a quality picture of them which you'll place with their testimonial.

Keep your eyes open throughout the everyday life of your business for 'testimonial-potential.' That's my term for any positive feedback you can use to build consumer confidence in you and your business. Even a few words in a random email can be used somewhere, somehow. If you want to rework them to better serve your purposes, simply ask the contributor if it's okay. Be sure to ask for permission to use any unsolicited testimonials whether you use them as-is or change them. And ask for a quality picture or pull one (with their permission) from their Web site. Pictures dramatically increase the effectiveness of testimonials.


Testimonial Signature Lines

The most effective testimonials include the person's full name, business name, title or city and state (depending on what's more relevant) and a quality photo. If they have a business name and the testimonial relates to their business success, include their web address and/or email, as well. Any web addresses should not be live links, e.g. www.GailsFloral.com vs. www.GailsFloral.com


As you can see, powerful testimonials that compel users to take action after visiting your Web site requires an initial investment of time. But those testimonials will work for you every hour of every day from that point forward, so it's well-worth the investment in yourself and the life of your business.

Life-enhancing Dynamics of a Tribe

Call it a clan. Call it a network.
Call it a tribe. Call it a family.
Whatever you call it, whoever you are,
you need one.

Jane Howard

I immensely enjoy the benefits of my connection with the women of my tribe. They inspire me. They motivate me. They support me. They help me bring my ideas to life by actively listening and providing objectivity. This experience has provided an opportunity to look at the value of these connections to offer you insight.

What are the essential components of being in a tribe and maximizing the benefits of such an experience?

Essential components

• Trustworthy colleagues who have something to offer you in business and in life
• Colleagues for whom you have something valuable to offer (complimentary talents)
• People with whom there's a good fit, e.g. similar work ethic, integrity, sense of humor, etc.

Obvious benefits

• Personal and professional comradery
• Support in forward thinking/trendsetting
• Rapid results for goal achievement
• Business propulsion
• Brainstorming opportunities
• Complementary, objective perspectives
• Exposure to an interesting variety of personalities, ideas, and energy

How to maximize benefits of a tribe

1. Think of giving first
2. Be respectful of the time of others -- limit email and telephone inquiries to those of the most important
3. When possible, make yourself immediately available when others need your help - this experience makes a lasting impression because people make the link to you helping when they need you most

As you can see, establishing and maintaining tribal relationships is personally and professionally advantageous.

Connections may last days, months or years based on what each person needs, but the longer these relationships are fostered, the stronger the dynamic because you create history -- and memories -- together.

I highly recommend getting a tribe of your own to serve and be served.

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FOR SERIOUS ENTREPRENEURS ONLY! Why You Need a Ghostwriter On Your Team

You may have never thought about it, but having a ghostwriter at your disposal is important to the life of your ongoing marketing efforts. Hiring someone whose expertise it is to write rich content propels you in business and FREES YOUR TIME to focus on management and long-term planning.

I write special reports, articles, and blog posts all under the names of my clients. I take no credit, but instead work quietly behind-the-scenes to feature your products and services so you shine among your existing clients and promising prospects.

So, let me get back to why you need a ghostwriter. You only need one if:

• You're serious about being smart with your time and money
• You're savvy to the point of understanding the fundamentals of wisely investing in your business and its future
• You insist on only knowledgeable, experienced and reliable talent to enhance your already savvy team
• You can no longer justify writing your own materials because it requires a colossal effort beyond your expertise
• You want to effectively market yourself with high-impact support services like ghostwriting (this is in incredibly simple and effective method of projecting professionalism - everyone knows none of us succeeds without the support of a professional team. If you use this information in your marketing content, you are even closer to the big money because people naturally want to align themselves with others they perceive to be professionals)
• You're ready to hand off tasks that zap your days of precious time and energy
• You want to convert prospects to long-term satisfied and devoted customers

Hiring a ghostwriter isn't right for every entrepreneur. It may not be your time. You may not have planned for an allocation of funds. You may not understand the ROI (return-on-investment) value.

However, if you do get it, and are ready to delegate your marketing writing to a pro who works silently to ensure your business growth and creatively showcases your unique offerings, email me. I'd love to hear your ideas and offer you an array of limitless possibilities.

Sometimes it's hard to know just how impactful, easy and freeing it can be to delegate writing, so how about a little taste? It really is as simple as providing project parameters. We do the rest. Can you even imagine handing off the assignment of a free special report, as only one example, and having it delivered to your inbox within a week? What would you do with the time? Put up your feet? Relax? Well, maybe not, but you could certainly focus your efforts on other more demanding items requiring your specific input.

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Gender-based Marketing Copy: Why This Trend Is Growing Exponentially and Why It's Crucial To Speak Directly To Women

Statistics show women make 85% of consumer buying decisions. Is it any wonder then that we need to write online and Web site content specifically to them? Using a new approach that literally speaks their language?

Instead of writing tired copy based on the old patriarchal paradigm, it's time to think differently about how we approach women to offer our products and services.

There's a completely new shift happening and with it comes many opportunities to market in ways never before imagined or attempted... which will actually use less language to sell and more language that connects. When women feel they're heard and understood, they will purchase from you. When they see a fresh coat of paint on an old marketing approach, they won't. All the rules have changed. Let's dig in.

Why is this trend growing so rapidly?

Simply put: Because it's time.

There is an energetic/spiritual reconciliation occurring on the planet and women (as well as those characteristics culturally related to being female) will become much more prominent... in business, in politics, in religion, in every leadership position. It is a result of things being so out of balance for so long. What is out of balance must right itself at some point in time. That time is now.

So, how does this relate to the language of online marketing? Because if what I'm saying is true (you must feel it for yourself and check it against what you see happening around you) there's a ton of opportunity about to explode... for all of us! Why not be ahead of the trend to make sure your business is in complete compliance and poised to maximize every possible angle?

(As a generality) women are innately nurturing nesters. There's no amount of denying this that changes it. There are inherent tendencies to women that no matter how much time passes or cultural changes occur, are prominent, prevalent and won't go away simply because they don't sound politically correct. Sure there are exceptions and nurturing nesters may never birth children, create comfortable homes or be gracious hosts, but nevertheless there are expressions of being uniquely female with variations of the same theme.

That's why it's important to write to these themes. To be effective, we must address the issues, cares, concerns, fears and frustrations of women.

Some people think targeted copy doesn't make any difference. You decide. Let me give you an example: To which gender is each of these ads meant to target?

1. "With all the demands at work, there's no time to waste. Our hard-hitting tactics guarantee results."

2. "With all the demands on your time -- at work and home, with family and friends -- it's vital to make wise decisions that ensure you have as much time as possible for everything and everyone you love."

As a female consumer, of course you are more motivated by the second ad. No doubt. It speaks to someone who understands you (you have limited time), supports you (in making wise decisions), and offers you a solution to resolve a frequent frustration (having time for everything and everyone in your life).

So, what works with women? Language that:

· elicits feelings of connection to others
· ties into/addresses personal aspects of life (home, balancing personal/business lives, integrating children, support networks, virtual and actual communities, etc.)
· ties into compassion, nurturing, connectivity
· is inclusive of more than just her... it speaks to all the women she knows

This trend is quickly gaining momentum. Not only do women make 85% of all buying decisions, they make up 40% as household heads, and run 40% of companies in the United States. Women went from being A segment of the market to being THE market!

Now's the time to invest in refining your marketing materials to address this key majority of the buying market--WOMEN. Clearly, accessing and addressing their specific needs delivers the kind of results not seen with conventional or one-gender-fits-all copywriting. Things have changed dramatically only to become a wave of the future. Be on the crest of the wave!

If you require a professional assessment of the "female-friendliness" of your marketing content, contact us.

We're female. Simply stated, "We get it!" and are driven to apply our expertise in online marketing to showcase your products and services in the burgeoning female market.

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Intuitive Business Decision-Making Made Easy

With intuition we engage the
instinctive and unconscious knowing
without deduction or reasoning

Intuition is receiving input and ideas without knowing exactly how and where you got them. You simply know they are not a result of your pool of accumulated life knowledge.

Like creativity, intuitive inspiration often happens when we are in heightened states of emotion, anticipation or peaceful bliss. Intuitive abilities can be honed and refined to richly enhance our lives. And they can easily be adapted for business use!

Most of us are familiar with making intuitive decisions in our daily lives, but not so familiar or comfortable using this approach for business. However, things are a-changin' and trends in business now include what were once unheard-of methods for managing very successful and lucrative empires.

Intuitive decision making is much more expansive than using common sense because it involves additional sensors to perceive and become aware of information from the outside. Sometimes it is referred to as gut feeling, sixth sense, inner sense, instinct, inner voice, spiritual guide, etc. It is related to developing a higher consciousness in order to train these sensors and to make the process of receiving information intuitively a more conscious one.

The question isn't whether rational reasoning or intuitive decision-making is better. Both are valuable tools in the toolkits of life. The question is rather how both approaches can be best combined for optimal results.

This is what some well-known people have to say about intuition:

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Albert Einstein
(Theoretical physicist who is widely considered one of the greatest physicists of all time. Best known for the theory of relativity, Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect and "for his services to Theoretical Physics.")

"The only real valuable thing is intuition."

"There is no logical way to the discovery of these elemental laws. There is only the way of intuition, which is helped by a feeling for the order lying behind the appearance."

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John Naisbitt
(Former executive of IBM and Eastman Kodak, American writer in the area of futures studies, author of several international best-sellers like "Megatrends" and "Re-inventing the Corporation.")

"Intuition becomes increasingly valuable in the new information society precisely because there is so much data."

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Alexis Carrel
(French surgeon, biologist and eugenicist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)

"All great men are gifted with intuition. They know without reasoning or analysis, what they need to know."

"Intuition comes very close to clairvoyance; it appears to be the extrasensory perception of reality."

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Henry Reed
(British poet)

"Intuition is the very force or activity of the soul in its experience through whatever has been the experience of the soul itself."

"It is as if the intuitive sense acting through the soul is what makes the raw events into food for the soul."

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Immanuel Kant
(German philosopher)

"Intuition and concepts constitute... the elements of all our knowledge, so that neither concepts without an intuition in some way corresponding to them, nor intuition without concepts, can yield knowledge."

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George Crumb
(American composer of modern and avant garde music)

"In general, I feel that the more rationalistic approaches to pitch-organization, including specifically serial technique, have given way, largely, to a more intuitive approach.

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Robert Graves
(English poet, scholar, and novelist)

"Intuition is the supra-logic that cuts out all the routine processes of thought and leaps straight from the problem to the answer."

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Lao Tzu
(ancient Chinese philosopher)

"The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from harm until the end of your days."

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Anne Wilson Schaef
(writer and lecturer)

"Trusting our intuition often saves us from disaster."

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This is no group of slackers. If they say there's something valuable about intuition, we should all pay attention!

So, how do we use intuition in business? The same way we use it in our personal lives. So, how do we do that? We:

1. ask our spiritual source for help.
2. invite in the best solutions for all parties.
3. release our attachment to a specific outcome.
4. know our request will be answered.
5. pay attention to what shows up in front of us.
6. express gratitude by thanking Angels, Source, God, The Universe, Mother Earth (whatever you call your Higher Power).
7. take immediate action.

Your response will most likely come as a "feeling." At first, this may be so subtle, it's hard to read. Don't sweat it. Just relax and pay attention. It gets easier the more you exercise this muscle and acknowledge the process with gratitude EVERY TIME you get a response... which will be after every request!

With the enormous growth and increasing awareness of conscious -- or spiritual -- entrepreneurship, this approach will become second-nature. Just like you cannot remove the eggs from a baked cake, you cannot separate out your spiritual life from your business life... nor would you want to. There's no reason for the separateness. It only serves to feed the old paradigm which is quickly crumbling into a mass of rubble.

We're moving into a new age, folks, and with new times come the necessity for new skills like intuitive business decision-making. No longer is intuition pushed aside as woo-woo hullabaloo. It is a proven method of manifesting real-world results with ease and joy.

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DIY (Do It Yourself) or Delegate? THAT Is The Question

It's hard to be objective when you're so close to your business. To save money, as entrepreneurs we often consider doing many things ourselves. There are smart reasons, though, to give this approach careful consideration before proceeding.

Economics are very real, but so are your efforts. To waste them wastes time that can be better spent focusing on doing what you do best to grow your business.

How do you determine whether the task in front of you is something you should do yourself or delegate to a pro?

Remember: There are no right or wrong choices when it comes to either option. There are simply decisions that must be made. With mindful consideration you'll know exactly which option is best in each situation.

1. Ask yourself these simple Do-It-Yourself questions:

• Do I possess innate talent for this task? When we perform based on our natural gifts, the results are highly productive and soul-fulfilling. It doesn't cost us much in time or effort to perform these tasks.
• Have I done it before? If you already perform the task and enjoy it, the best choice may be to DIY. If it's something that truly interests you, and you've never done it before, it may be a worthwhile task to perform to build your skill set.
• Do I have experience performing this task at/near expert level? Do you have a burning desire to learn accounting or set up a shopping cart? If you do, that's probably your business. If you don't, it may take more time becoming proficient enough to make it worth your time. Look at the long-term investment of the learning curve. If you invest the time now, will you want to continue this task when your business is in full bloom?
• Do I enjoy this task? When we love what we do, things just flow. They don't feel like work. Time passes quickly and we are done before we know it. With few exceptions, that's how the DIY approach should feel. If you dread the task in front of you, you gain nothing by doing it yourself. Delegate NOW!
• Can I complete this task without other projects falling behind? You might think you have more time than money, but what is your time worth? If you have one project that can be completed and turned into cash and it's something only you can do, that must be your priority! Doing everything yourself is impossible. If your to-do list is wildly out-of-control already, how can you feel good about doing yet another thing that can be delegated? There's enough to do.
• Can I complete this task in a reasonable amount of time? If it takes an expert two hours for a logo design and you pay her $295, and it takes you 10 hours because you have to learn a new program and create the design, have you saved anything? When you learn the program is your innate talent design composition? That 10 hours might be much better invested in development of an e-book, formulating a new product or ANYTHING that can generate many more times the cost of the logo.
• How will I feel about the time and energy invested if I do this myself? The feeling of wasting time or energy weighs heavy. How often have you completed something only to wish you could start all over and delegate it because the project became a monster? What about the results? Did they exceed your expectations? Maybe, maybe not. If you don't have full confidence in doing it yourself, delegate. The pro you hire must deliver goods that at least meet your expectations. If not, they have to do it again. This requires no further investment of time or money on your part because the liability is 100% with the expert you hired.

2. Ask yourself these simple Delegation-related questions:

• What is my budget for this project? Be specific and realistic. How much are you investing and what is the ROI (Return On Investment)?
• What do I get in addition to what I'm paying for? When you hire a pro, you're getting so much more than what you hired them for. You are buying time. As an example: 2 hours to learn more about search engine optimization, R&D on a new product, launch a new Blog, time to schedule a much-needed coaching session, hire a marketing business consultant, develop a plan for 2009, etc. By delegating, you give yourself a structured time slot that would have been spent performing the task, but instead you can use for something else that must be done... maybe something only you can do.
• If I delegate this, how will I use the time instead? Map it out and be specific. Set a goal for yourself. That way it feels like two things are being accomplished at the same time, which they are!
• Does this use of time make more sense than doing this myself? If you quietly ask yourself this question and listen, the answer will surface. It's your internal guidance system helping you make wise decisions based on much more than the logical considerations in front of you.

Based on the answers to these questions, you now have a clear sense of whether you should DIY or delegate.

Another Option

Instead of the common polar approach which is: "This or that; black or white, full or empty," think of ways you can maximize the services of a pro with each of you doing a portion. This gives you the benefits of both experiences; DIY and delegating.

As an example, one of my clients writes all her copy. She emails it to me for a complete edit. This saves her considerable money because she's completed the bulk of the work. On the average, this saves clients 3/5 of the cost of a full copywriting job because it doesn't involve the extensive background research required for me to deliver rich content. She saves money, but benefits from a second set of expert eyes on her marketing materials.

Now, that's a win-win situation!