The Law of Fence-Jumping

In a face-to-face sales presentation, prospects inevitably have certain objections or fears about buying a particular product or service, AND/OR about selecting the most qualified supplier.

A skilled salesperson is a master at overcoming these objections. The challenge is, when you write copy you don't have the luxury of knowing how people are feeling about your sales message. With that, it's important to overcome any objections in your copy, in advance, before they get to the end.

You see, as soon as someone starts reading your communications material that little voice inside their head becomes skeptical - skeptical of things like:

* the results promised

* not having enough equipment or tools to help them achieve their needs

* getting the order wrong

* always run out of stock

* no follow up service

* staff don't know what they are talking about

* always miss appointments

* late delivery

* product doesn't work

* poor quality finish

* never return phone calls

* always leave a mess behind

* make costly mistakes that cost clients money or inconvenience them

* suck in customers with false promises

* hide terms and conditions

* staff talk on the phone while you're waiting to be served

* make hollow promises

* over promise and under deliver

* charge too much

* don't have convenient payment terms

* no parking

* treat them like a number

* don't understand their needs

* do a poor quality job

* never arrive on time

* product too hard to operate

* service is unreliable ... and the list goes on.

There are a variety of ways you can overcome objections ... the right solution depends on the type of copy you're writing.

For instance, in a proposal document or an online sales letter you might have a "Frequently Asked Questions" section to address objections. In a proposal document you might also have a section entitled ...

"xx Challenges Companies Face When Choosing a [service/product] Supplier"

OR

"xx Factors that Will Affect Your Results"

Then, next to each frustration or potential challenge explain what the potential impact is and then how your company ensures that won't happen to them.

Here's an example of how to wipe out a quality objection in a sales letter.

By now you may be thinking to yourself, 'how can they offer such great quality for the price'?

Quite simple really ...

Or, let's say they are looking for a plumber and their perception is that plumbers are unreliable.

On-time ... No waiting.

There's nothing worse than taking half a day off work to wait for a tradie and they just don't show up. Here at Perfect Plumbers we always give you an exact appointment time and if we ever run late we always call to let you know ... always.

For dozens more marketing tips and a free copy of Scientific Advetising by Claude Hopkins simply go to http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au

Let the Litigation Begin

Any time a news bulletin begins by quoting lawyers, you know it cannot be good news.

Hence the most predictable event of 2007 began with Microsoft shysters rattling their Monte Blanc sabers with naked threats of suing Open Source vendors for usurping Microsoft patents. Horatio Gutierrez, Microsoft's vice-president of intellectual property and licensing initiated legal blackmail by opining "The alternatives to licensing are alternatives that aren't very attractive for anyone."

That was as subtle as a Russian invasion.

Microsoft contends that various Open Source solutions employ 235 of their patents. No Open Source Sacred Cows are omitted, with Microsoft citing Linux, Open Office, and various email programs as illegal interlopers. Microsoft even claims the Linux "user interface" has improperly leveraged Microsoft IP (Now, but "user interface" do they mean Gnome or KDE? They can't possibly mean X-Windows that proceeded MS Windows by a considerable period of time.)

A recurring theme in Microsoft's veiled threats is eerily similar to the now near defunct SCO -- bombastic claims are not being public vetted. Microsoft is very closed lip about what specific patents are allegedly being violated and how. SCO tried this tactic against IBM and is facing delisting, bankruptcy, and a permanent mention in the Software Scoundrel's Hall of Fame, just below Microsoft current position therein.

Larry Augustin, a former Silicon Strategies Marketing client via his VA Software days, doesn't buy the threat either. He recently blogged "If Microsoft believes that free and open-source software violates any of their patents, let them put those patents forward now, in the light of day." Fat chance Larry.

And herein lies the backbone of Microsoft's move and recent Novell bed matting: There is good chance that Microsoft's claims would be difficult to prosecute, and in doing so would give the Open Source community the information they need to fix any alleged violations. SCO faced the same conundrum. The difference is that SCO was tiny and poor compared to IBM, the giant whose shins they chose to kick. Microsoft is huge compared to Linux market share leader Red Hat. IBM stood firm, Red Hat likely would not. Thus bluffing and blackmail are more tenable tactics for Microsoft than actual litigation and revealing their hand to those who could remove the source of the threat by changing the code in Linux and Open Office.

If that was not enough chess for you, take into account that blackmail and litigation may be the only tools available to Microsoft. No vendor of GPL-based Open Source can pay royalties to Microsoft for the patents. GPL is fairly explicit about this saying that payment of royalties of verboten, with the only recourse being that you must stop distributing Open Source at all ("If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute the Program at all." ). Imaging Red Hat losing in court, and having to get our of the Linux distro biz.

This puts Microsoft in a tough spot. Drive Open Source vendors into court and they may well drive them out of business without killing Open Source itself. The revenue stream goes away but the market share threat remains. Linux would not die, but the means of distribution and support would change. It would be like nailing Jell-O to the wall, and very unprofitable. Thus Microsoft seeks to tap into Open Source revenues by making their enemies their partners.

There is a useful old adage that says "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Microsoft is in effect trying to make their competitors their partners, and extract money from them at the same time. If this sounds a bit like a neighborhood mob protection racket, then you are not alone.

The troubling part is not that Microsoft is acting like a schoolyard bully and rifling for other vendor's milk money. It is that they are executing their eternal "embrace and extend" process through forced and polygamous marriages. Since Open Source vendors cannot pay royalties, they must enter into partnerships to avoid litigation and being forced by GPL to exit the distribution business. Terms of these partnerships are set to ensure Microsoft's place in the data center, and to allow Microsoft to influence new features in vendor distributions. Since the main distributors also are the primary maintainers of Open Source stacks, there will be considerable pressure to include impure elements into future releases, and possibly make Open Source even more vulnerable.

The Open Source community was already taking action, with changes to the still-born GPL3 license. Fearful of the Microsoft/Novell pact, they sought to make life even harder on Open Source distributors with tweaks that would prevent such partnerships in the future, by enforcing a "blanket indemnity" for all users and partners. This in effect would force make Microsoft offer open-ended indemnity to their customers who used partnered Open Source products. Slick move guys!

The business lesson herein is that force works, but only if the target is direct (such as the when Verizon went directly after Vonage's jugular) and your foe cannot easily change the either the rules of the game (GPL3) or the source of conflict (Open Source code). Microsoft will bluster, bully, and maybe even send one of it's stockpiled attorneys for a little face time with Red Hat. But in the long run (and it is the long run that counts) they will be out maneuvered. Marketing requires building on something real, and thus far there is little real behind Microsoft's meanness.

Grow Your Subordinate's Competence by Being Less Tolerant

When does your consideration for a subordinate's or colleague's feelings, as a trade-off for being honest about their poor performance or behaviour become counter productive?

When does tolerance for small performance shortfalls as a trade-off against a positive attitude, become a liability?

The simple answer to these questions is, 'Most of the time", if not, "Always".

The useful answer is more complex.

Most people take some comfort from having known work boundaries. People appreciate knowing what constitutes "good" performance and behaviour.

Work boundaries are set one of two ways.

One is by means of written standards, the "what" of the boundary. The standards are sometimes accompanied by a work instruction, the "how" of the boundary.

The other is by means of formal or informal on-the-job training and some additional "policy" documents, "values" statements and checklists.

When supervisors set the boundaries of performance and behaviour but do not enforce them they set off a number of unintended consequences. These consequences make life more difficult for individuals and less productive for the organisation.

A significant assumption is made when supervisors trade-off their consideration for people's feelings over the breaching of performance or behaviour boundaries. Supervisors assume they know how people will feel about bringing the crossing of a boundary to their attention.

Consequently, supervisors choose to deal with what they think will happen rather than what has happened. Their behaviour smacks of ignorance and arrogance at the same time. Ignorant because they do not know what may have happened. Arrogant because they assume the individual will not be professional in their response.

Further, the individual will be led to believe that the boundary is not really important. They will continue to breach it until the supervisor advises them differently, perhaps in exasperation. The individual concerned is then likely to question the legitimacy of other boundaries too.

Others watching the interaction may well be convinced that either the boundaries are unimportant or applied within a framework of individual favour or mood.

Most organisations have countless examples of boundaries which are set but not enforced. Examples include late arrival at work, late completion of performance appraisals, lack of attention to quality or safety standards and lack of compliance within budget limitations.

When supervisors tolerate breaching of boundaries which have been set for the good of the organisation and individuals they also set in train unintended consequences for people in their growth as a person. An example is being able to take accountability for their actions.

When we are called to account for breaching boundaries we have two options. One is to use our own skills and knowledge to determine how to comply with the set boundaries. The other is to ignore the call to account.

The vast majority of people choose the former. Those who choose the latter deserve counselling, not excessive tolerance and consideration.

Worse than not calling people to account, many supervisors take on the responsibility of fixing the error themselves. In doing so, they rob themselves of time to do their own job. It is not uncommon to find supervisors who repeatedly tolerate poor performance and behaviour regarding themselves as poor time managers.

Often supervisors' tolerance for not sticking to standards is related to their desire to be liked. In a business it is not the role of the supervisor to be liked. It is their role to lead and to be fair, empathetic and professional. In doing so, they usually find that they are not only liked but respected.

By letting go of perceived reactions to being called to account over the breaching of set boundaries of performance and behaviour, supervisors will free up time, create a more productive workforce and grow their people's competence.

Career Authenticity - Step 4 - What Needs to Happen to Feel Authentic at Work

Step 4 – What would have to happen for you to be able to fully express your authentic self at work? What do you feel is getting in your way?

It is easy to focus on what is not working but it takes a bit more energy to step up and identify what is getting in the way of it not working. Some of my clients take this step and then realize they are getting in their own way. Maybe it is their attitude, inertia, laziness, or because it is simply easier to pass the buck than to take action. So, in this step I encourage you to evaluate your situation closely and review the exercises you completed in steps 1-3. Then, complete these sentences:

If only _____________________, I would feel much more authentic at work.

If only ________________________________, I would feel better about my job.

I would be satisfied if I spent ________ amount of time doing ________.

I would be so excited to do _______________.

I know that my ______________________ is getting in the way of me finding happiness/success/satisfaction at work.

I know that it is time for me to move on but _________________ seems to keep getting in the way of my ability to make a move.

When I think about making a change at work or changing jobs/careers altogether, these are the phrases I hear in my head __________________________________________.

My body feels ____________________________ when my mind thinks about making a change.

My body feels _____________________________ when I resign myself to staying in the same place.

It is difficult to take responsibility when something is not going right. We have to own our situation before we can ever change it. There may be some external factors getting in your way, but often it is what is in our heads that is equally as powerful.

Take some time to answer these questions in preparation for Step 5.

In Network Marketing, You Succeed By Helping Others Succeed

It's been said that nothing succeeds like success.

In network marketing, you succeed by helping the people in your organization succeed. The key to this success is the proper training of your downline.

Training is critical to helping your downline develop and stay motivated. Training is an ongoing process that involves constant effort on your part to make the basics of this business second nature to your people. Consider the professional football team. These people are experts, they've played football their entire lives. But what do they do five and sometimes six days a week? Train.

As your organization grows you need to make regular training sessions in your living room a habit. Invite everybody in your organization, and cover the basics of the business over and over:

a. Focus on the big picture

One of the most important things you can do for the members of your downline is to keep them motivated.

To do this, remind them why they joined. Rekindle the fire of their dreams and aspirations, and be an example to them that is worthy of emulation. Have a dream session at the beginning of each meeting. Ask each of the attendees in turn, "Why did you join this company? What can I or any of the other associates do to help you succeed?"

b. Goal setting

At this point the people in your downline should know how to set goals. During the meeting ask people to share their goals with the group and then lead the group in a discussion of how that person can best achieve that goal. Remember, keep the goals focused on those areas where results can be seen and measured, preferably within the month.

c. Working the Action Plan

The same applies to the action plan as to the goals in item (b) above. Openly discuss each individual's action plans, and help him or her, as a group, to fine-tune them. Throughout the training session, reinforce the idea that your organization is a team, and should work together and openly, to help one another achieve his or her individual goals.

d. Demonstrating the product

The importance of sells is discussed in the next section. In your training session it is important that you not only remind members of your downline of the importance of sales volume, but also give them some ideas on how to do it. Don't be like the proverbial boss who assigns a task to some hapless laborer, then walks away without providing the tools or training to accomplish it. If you are serious about sells, then train your people how to conduct sells. If you don't know yourself--learn; or ask someone from your upline to come in and help.

e. Recruiting

The issue of recruiting should be discussed in every training session, and individuals should be allowed to share with the group their successes and failures in this area. One of your distributors may be on the edge of dropping out, fearing that his recruiting failures are unique and incurable. However, fifteen minutes of group discussion may show him that he is not alone. A few more minutes of group brainstorming may find a solution to the problem.

A group of people, working towards a common goal, has access to an enormously powerful tool called synergism. Synergy is where the culmination of the mental resources within a group is greater than simply adding up the number of people in attendance. Synergy lets you share ideas, enlarge upon another person's thoughts, correct somebody's misperceptions, and feel the joy of teamwork. In your training sessions, don't waste this valuable resource by not engaging everybody in the training process.

f. Managing the business and your image

Finally, remind people of the criticality of presenting themselves and representing the sponsoring company in a professional matter. Be a good example here. Your downline will follow your lead in this area quicker than any other.

Effective Decision Making

We all need to make decisions. While we all know that this is part of life, we can often find it difficult. It might be that:

• We are afraid of getting it wrong

• We procrastinate

• We get lost in the detail and lose sight of the bigger picture

• We worry about how others will react

• We don't know what outcome we want to achieve

Given these potential hazards, what are my 10 key tips for more effective decision making?

1. Recognise that very few decisions are a matter of life or death. Most decisions, even if they don't work out quite as you expected are irrecoverable. Give your self permission to make mistakes and learn from them.

2. Avoid putting things off. If you know a decision needs to be made, find a way of forcing yourself to move toward it. One way might be to set a deadline.

3. Keep your focus on the bigger picture and make sure you do not get lost in the detail. Keep asking what is important about this decision?

4. Whenever you have to take a decision, remember that not everyone is going to agree with it. As a leader or manager you are paid to take decisions and sometimes they will be unpopular.

5. Get clear about the outcome (result) you want before taking a decision so that all discussion, debate, etc is linked back to the result.

6. Make sure that you have the right information available to take the decision and if not go and find it.

7. Trust your intuition. Sometimes you will just have a hunch about something. Our natural reaction is to dismiss it. Instead try using it. For example, imagine you are part of a Senior Management Team discussing a new investment. You have a hunch that it is good long term even though the numbers might indicate otherwise. Throw it out you might just spark others to look at different perspectives.

8. Look at the options and weigh up the pro's and cons.

9. Consider talking through the decision with a more experienced and trusted colleague to broaden your perspective.

10. Remind yourself that we are all human and mistakes will be made. The key thing is to keep learning.

Employee Recognition and Service Awards - Showing Appreciation to a Company's Best Asset

Employee recognition and service awards can take shape in several forms. Historically, service awards have been synonymous with employee recognition. Service awards are a way of recognizing employees for length of time with the company and their service to the organization. On milestone anniversaries businesses will offer gifts to commemorate the occasion, usually giving the employee a selection of gifts to choose from.

This type of recognition has changed a little in the past years as companies have downsized and baby boomers have retired from the work force earlier. Companies are now also recognizing special efforts by employees. For example, a company might give a recognition award or gift to a top salesperson, or a customer service representative who goes above and beyond. These types of recognition awards should not be confused with incentives, which are more of a motivational tool to reach a specific goal.

Although with these changes in the larger corporate arena, there appears to be an increase in small corporations and businesses offering tenure awards to their employees. The methods of offering this recognition have also changed in the last couple of years.

Methods of Recognition - The traditional method of recognition was for a corporation to offer gifts to their employees by means of selection out of a printed catalog. Today more and more companies are offering gifts to their employees via company branded websites.

Many corporate gift companies and recognition/incentive organizations will enter into a relationship with a corporation and will setup a website with the corporate identity of the client; featuring a selection of gifts for each year of recognition. These will not have dollar figures so the employee will be unable to know the exact dollar value of their reward, but they can easily select exactly what they want. The corporate gift company will then fulfill the individual order requests.

Setting up a branded website with gift items is an economical way to show employees they are truly appreciated. It gives the feeling that they are appreciated enough for the business to have a place for them to select gifts that are meaningful to them. It is much more effective than just handing them a clock for 5 years, or a watch for 10 years of service.

Types of Service Awards - Many companies such as large pharmaceuticals and banks will present their employees with items that have their logo included. Other companies will offer gifts such as appliances, personal use products, jewelry or functional office gifts. Some will even offer a combination of logo items and non logo items. The gift selection depends entirely on the philosophy of the employer.

An investment in your most important asset, your employees, will prove to have a great return on your investment. If they are happy you will be happy. Employee recognition and service awards are just one way to show your appreciation.

UK firms lead the way in smart textiles and wearable electronics for use with iPods and mobile phone

There are several UK-based companies which have successfully integrated their smart technical textile technology into clothing and other consumer softgoods -- including bags and backpacks.

The most prominent companies in this field are Auxetix, d3o lab, Eleksen, Engineered Fibre Structures, EXO2, Fibretronic and Peratech. Many of these are small and were formed through close alliances with academic institutions. Products made by three of these companies are being designed to interface with software from Microsoft and iPod music players from Apple.

The companies' products are being sold under well known names with wide consumer appeal. Brands such as Berghaus, Burton, Ermenegildo Zegna, Kjus, Levi's, Nike, O'Neill, Quiksilver, Reusch, Ribcap, Rohan, Schoeffel, Spyder, The North Face and Tommy Hilfiger are all using smart fabrics and interactive textiles from UK firms.

Smart textiles cover a wide range of technologies. Individual categories include wearable electronics, heat conductive textiles, textile switches and shock absorbing fabrics.

Eleksen is one of the most commercially advanced UK-based companies in its field, and its impressive financial performance over the last 24 months reflects its success. In the first half of 2006 its sales were up by 622% compared with the corresponding period of 2005. Furthermore, it has been forecast that Eleksen's sales will increase by as much as 168% in 2007, while the capital employed to support this growth will rise by 165%.

Eleksen has been highly active in managing its patent portfolio to protect its intellectual property. To date, the company has been granted 30 patents, including 12 in the USA, which cover its core technology and applications. Moreover, it has a further 38 patent applications pending, covering developments in soft switching and sensing technology.

Eleksen's components are used in a variety of segments, including consumer, industrial and military applications. The components are already employed in a wide range of end use products, such as interactive apparel, bags, backpacks and cases for entertainment and communications controls. The technology has also been incorporated into computer keyboards made from smart fabrics which can be rolled up and put in the inside pocket of a jacket.

Smart fabrics and interactive textiles are being used in a wide range of end uses, and the number of applications is growing rapidly.

* Textiles are being made from intelligent molecules to protect against injury in sports. During natural body movement, the molecules flow past each other at low rates of cohesion. But in the event of a sudden impact, the molecules instantaneously lock together to provide a protective barrier.

* Clothing is being designed with built-in switches or joysticks to control equipment for electronic entertainment, particularly iPods. The key components are smart textiles which are sensitive to pressure, and which can be stitched, stapled or glued.

* Researchers have developed a special conductive yarn which can be woven into a textile to produce gloves for controlling computers, games consoles, machines and other electronic devices remotely.

* A manufacturer in Scotland has developed a conductive polymeric yarn which can be knitted into a clothing fabric to keep the wearer warm. The yarn heats up when a power source is applied, either from a battery or mains power.

* One company has developed textiles which can change colour under tension. The materials are "auxetic" -- which means they become fatter when stretched, unlike conventional flexible materials.

* Smart fabrics are also being designed to protect against terrorist bomb attacks by absorbing energy.

The most common application of smart fabrics made in the UK has been in wearable electronic control systems. Success stems largely from strong growth in the market for iPods and other portable electronic devices.

Intelligent fabrics are also being used in high performance sportswear. d3o lab's shock absorbing fabrics have been launched via alliances with a number of sportswear manufacturers for use in a range of applications -- including protective skiwear with integrated protective fabric at key contact areas (knees and elbows), motorcycle gloves, football gloves and shin pads, and protective headgear.

One challenge being faced by some of the more successful players is the rate at which they are able to raise additional capital in order to expand their production capacity and meet rapidly rising demand.

However, demand for smart textiles has grown so rapidly that a number of manufacturers have secured additional funding from private investors in 2006 and 2007 to expand their production capacities and further develop their technologies.

3 Simple Rules For Marketing Yourself

So you've decided to hang out your shingle as a solo-professional. You've decided to leave behind the safety and security of a steady paycheck in exchange for the thrill and excitement of entrepreneurship.

As you may have already figured out, opening up for business involves more than just being good at offering your services.

You also now bear the responsibilities of managing that business and all that entails, from accounting to marketing and everything in between.

There is certainly a lot you need to know to be successful in business. But when it comes to marketing, there are some basics that can help you get started on the right foot.

Here are the 3 most important things you need to know when marketing yourself as a solo-professional.

1) Make sure you project a professional image

These days it's so easy and cheap to open up your own business. While this is good because the barrier to entry is low, it also has its downside.

Too many people don't project a professional image because they are using free email services, they don't have a professional-looking logo, and they are cutting corners by printing their own business cards and brochures on their inkjet printer.

There are certainly many ways to market yourself for little to no money, but it is important to invest in the basics. Just because it's just you working out of your home, doesn't mean your business should look like a hobby. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to look like a serious business.

2) You must establish yourself as an expert

If you are a solo-professional offering services, one of the best ways to market yourself is to take steps to establish yourself as an expert. That means writing articles, getting yourself quoted in the media, doing speaking engagements, and using other marketing activities that shine the spotlight on you as an expert in your field.

This will help distinguish you from all the other solo-professionals in your field. When given the choice, who do you think people want to hire? A nobody, or someone who has established themselves as an expert in their field?

3) You must target target target!

One of the biggest marketing mistakes I see solo-professionals make is that they try to be everything to everyone. They haven't clearly identified who their ideal clients are and they are spreading their marketing all over the place. Not only does this waste valuable time and money, it won't get you the results you want.

You need to be very clear about WHO you are trying to reach, WHERE they can be found and WHAT you are going to say to them to convince them to buy. And, if you're working on a shoestring budget, it becomes even MORE important.

Your Marketing Step

Take a look at how you are currently marketing yourself. Are you following these 3 simple rules?

Or...

Have you tried to cut corners and sadly your image reflects that?

Are you trying to market quietly instead of putting yourself out there boldly as an expert?

Does your marketing lack focus...are you just throwing it all over the place in the hope something will stick?

Take steps to put these 3 important rules into place for your business. And, it won't be long before you start reaping the results.

Build It And They Will NOT Come

It is a very risky business person who believes that the product will create the need. We may argue that IBM and Microsoft with the desktop PC and DOS and then Windows is the exception and, the internet is certainly in many cases creating a need. However, it could be argued that the need was waiting patiently dormant for the innovators to play catch up. In other words, Sci-fiction movies from the 50's through the 60's and TV shows like Star Trek had already created the need for high tech tools and toys. In my mind, only a fool would risk everything on passion alone. Any amount of marketing intelligence, no matter how little, is better than no marketing intelligence at all.

When I first entered into the world of Custom Home Building I took a course which started in the States which upon completion provided me with more letters after my name. CSP, Certified New Home Sales Professional. One of the trainers, a large home development builder in Dallas, Texas, left me with the best advice; don't build the home you want to live in, build the home your market will buy.

From that point on I tried as often as possible to get some information, any information, that would protect my investment. I have found over the years that informal and formal surveys work very well. The informal survey is when you are asking the same questions to your customers and prospects over their desk, over coffee, over lunch or over dinner. I would ask questions that try and get a sense of where their future needs may be coming from and would also be a mix of finding out what problems they are experiencing and "what do you think of this idea that I'm kicking around in my head?" The informal survey takes longer so it is generally used for long term plans.

The formal survey is when you actually create specific questions to identify if a need exists in a target market you are considering entering into or to identify how to improve sales by identifying the needs of the prospects which in turn will be used later for marketing by addressing their needs with the benefits of the product or, of course, the services offered. There are many online survey tools you can use which are very user friendly and inexpensive. For larger ventures you may want to consider using a Third Party company which can also provide great analytics with the reports. The internet of course, with a properly built web solution, can be a great resource for ongoing analytics. Any way you do it, just do it.

Build it and they will come is in most cases...build it and they will NOT come.

Affiliate Marketing is Today's Top Internet Business Tool

You may have all heard of affiliate selling as a good way to make money online. But how is it supposed to work and how effective is it as an internet marketing tool? Before we talk about that, you need to ask yourself a simple question: in your day by day life, haven't you sometimes recommended a product to someone? Something like, "I got that blender and it's working very well. And the price is good too." Not necessarily because you wanted to make publicity to the blender, but because you honestly believed it was a good deal and you wanted your friend to know about it.

Now image the whole internet surfers as potential "friends" to whom you recommend a product or another. What's the best part, if you manage to convince them to buy, you get a commission for every product they purchase. You don't need to have a product of your own. This is called affiliate marketing, and it can be a very successful internet marketing business.

If I were to give a definition, it would sound something like this: affiliate marketing is the action of referring your site's visitors to a merchant's site. Usually, if they make a purchase at the respective merchant's site, you get a commission, which is a percentage out of the amount of money your visitor spent on your partner's products.

Can this really be a home based internet marketing business? The answer is a resounding yes. Not only that, but it can bring you incomes which a typical job wouldn't. Still, you have to bear in mind that although it can go on auto-pilot, you really have to put a lot of effort into this business and treat it like any other. It won't make you an overnight millionaire, but it can certainly support you financially.

Now let's talk about your line of business. What do you specifically want to do? What do you want to market? Remember one thing: there is a lot of competition in the internet world today, but a problem can't exist without its solution, right? The answer to all the fierce competition as an easy one: specialization. I want to stretch out the importance of this term because it can be your key to success.

You need to find a niche market and then promote it. You will need a website for that, because that's what internet is all about right? You must look at your site as an advertising tool, which will work for the merchants whom you are trying to represent. Still, you need to use this tool cautiously, as you don't want your customers to flee once they see your website.

You don't want to aggressively promote other merchants' products, you need to pre-sell. To do that, you need to look like an expert in the eyes of your visitors, and they must see your affiliate links as simple recommendations from an expert, and they will much easily click it. They won't be forced to do it, they will be RECOMMENDED to do it. That is a big difference, a difference that could change the course of your online business.

Good International Corporate Governance

IOD in London consulting on good corporate governance

It was announced recently that the Institute of Directors is to train Russian and Chinese businesses in good corporate governance. London is considered the centre of the trading world in financial terms and investors can invest in emerging and growing economies as well as the traditional markets.

China is establishing its corporate governance structures by following the Anglo-American model. However, the country does not yet have the necessary formal and informal institutions, or the financial infrastructure to make these structures work effectively. A culture of secrecy and sheer exploitation, that has existed for many years, has to turn into the openness and disclosure of everything to all comers who wish to invest, that is largely the trademark of US and the UK. It took the UK a few hundred years from the adventurers like Sir Walter Raleigh to John Castaing in 1698 in his Coffee House to 1801, when the first regulated exchange came into existence. The US managed it relatively quickly, simply because they had to, if they did not want their baby economy disintegrating into mush, as it did - almost-in the 1920's Depression.

With globalisation comes a whole new set of issues and problems apart from finding multilingual employees to fill all the new language jobs that will arise. We cannot change cultures and ways of working overnight- the Chinese civilisation is far older than ours. However many of these emerging markets want to 'join in' and benefit from the wealth of the global economy, so undoubtedly they will have some sort of baptism of fire and will quickly adopt many of the standards and ethics of those institutions like the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street. They have worked pretty well over the years and can limit any damage that can potentially arise with new markets.

Rather than employ a big stick to get everyone in line, a carrot in the form of education and persuasion will work better - hence the involvement of the IOD in the process. The IOD is an old and revered institution, a non party political organisation and no doubt will be able to provide an smooth passage to worldwide trading.

Defining Organizational Culture

There are many different factors that help to define organizational culture. If someone wanted to make a full laundry list and get really specific, it wouldn't be surprising if over one hundred different things were listed: but most can be broke down into specific categories or factors that cover many of the smaller details of corporate culture. Here are a few of the factors that have a major hand in defining organizational culture in general.

Conflict resolution. How much does the company encourage, or discourage, its employees to openly discuss any complaints. Do superiors listen to different opinions or just ignore them?

Culture management. This factor is a measurement of how much the corporation is trying to actively be a part of an organization's culture and shaping it's direction, or if this is a non-factor which they just ignore. Companies with a strong cultural management tend to be on the same page as their employees and are more efficient. The company is seen as an identity that workers can be proud to be associated with.

Feelings towards change. Are employees open towards change, or heavily resistant to it? Or just indifferent altogether. The answer to this question can tell you a lot about a company's culture and how efficient the workers and supervisors are going to be working together, especially during challenging times. Are employees in all parts of the organization encouraged to experiment and to take reasonable risks? Are mistakes viewed as a learning process, or punished and discouraged at all costs?

Active employee participation. Do workers feel like they are part of the company and have some say in their work, or are they just cubicle fodder?

Clear and distinct goals. Either a company's goals are very clear and known to the employees, or they are not. Even the lowest level employee in a healthy organizational culture should know what the larger goals and purpose of a company are. This will allow them to participate far more, and is much more likely to get actively involved.

Free or strictly defined? This is an authority question. Is authority located mostly at very top of the company, or is it more even spread out among the common employees? Is authority "centralized," or "decentralized?" How much authority do individual employees have to make their own decisions? A lot? None at all?

Management style. This one is pretty self explanatory. The biggest key here is whether or not employees have respect for the management or not. Do they trust their bosses to have their best interests at heart, or do they not believe that at all?

Performance focus. This is the level at which evidence is put on individuals for clearly defined results and excellent work. Every healthy organizational culture has clear goals and performance standards. Is there a reward for good work, or not?

These are several of the most important factors that can be looked at, analyzed, and studied in order to define organizational culture, and whether a particular company's model is successful or not.

The Counteroffer Strikes Back

So you are thinking about accepting the counteroffer even though I said it was bad? You ask what could be so bad about getting an increase in salary or a big new promotion with your present employer versus making a change to leave them and go with a competitor? It does sound tempting, but life is perfect only in hindsight and on The Girls Next Door if you happen to be Hugh Hefner.

First off, no matter what is said over the bargaining table, if you accept a counteroffer that is the end of your career with that company. You will never be seen again in the same light and likely will always be considered a risk to company assets. When it comes to a very crucial assignment in the future, you will be labeled as that person who isn't a 100% onboard. Senior management may be uncomfortable coming to you because they don't know or understand your true motives and aren't going to take a risk exposing their plans to you. What effects do you think that will have on your career?

Second, is the fact that the real reasons you wanted to leave in the first place have not changed and they rarely ever do. These conditions have been made more pleasing to you in the short term because of the current promotion, your new raise, or the false promises made to keep you in your place. If you agree to the counteroffer like a deer in headlights and it convinces you to stay on board, the very same factors that caused you to want to leave will have the same effect again in the near future. Understand this, nothing changes in the workplace. Poor upper management will always be poor and your career is going to be incarcerated until you break free from their shackles.

Lastly, once your upper management has solved the concerning and immediate problem of your resignation, trust me they will begin arming themselves with a contingency plan for your replacement on their own timeframe this time. Yes, you did get what you wanted in the near term short picture (a nice raise or promotion) and you did seemingly prevailed, but you will find yourself someday soon suddenly removed or terminated from this position for causes resulting from your actions. Now you've got no job and you're unemployed with no opportunities in sight, because you played their gamble like a fool. You were no longer looking and now being unemployed many potential companies wont consider you for employment. You are now in a very different situation and you begin to doubt yourself. Earlier you were praising yourself on how you got your money or promotion and outsmarted everyone, but now you are left wondering where your next paycheck will come from and most importantly when?

So do yourself a favor and steer clear of these career cancers like counteroffers.

Believe me and understand this: the job will always suck, but you will be making more money, the majority of people who accept counteroffers are fired within a few months for countless and unsubstantiated reasons, you will be tarnishing your record in your employers eyes with your strategy, your loyalty and security will be thrown out the window, you will be passed over for any future opportunities, you saved the company money in the short term and they will jettison you the first chance they get and you have told your employer that it is all about you getting yours and nothing else.

Do yourself a favor and follow your instincts. You thought the job was bad enough that you went looking and you are probably making the correct decision for your future. Don't sacrifice your happiness and career growth by letting your current employer toy with your mind and emotions. Ignore the counteroffer and get yourself to where you need to be and where you belong.

The only regret you will have is if you accept the counteroffer, lie to yourself and swallow their poison, which is exactly what they want you to do in the first place.

Real Estate Marketing - Use The Internet To Reach New Clients, Search Engine Spiders, And The Press

By using the Internet you can reach out to your three audiences. These audiences are:

• New customers – these are the people who do not know you yet. They are your ideal clients and in your market area, but you just haven't met them yet. That will all change with marketing through the Internet.
• The search engine spiders – more powerful than termites, search engine spiders work 24 hours a day to find information that is relevant to the searches that are submitted through Google, Yahoo, and many other search engines.
• The press – Publicity of the right kind can make your business boom. Through proper use of the Internet and all of the ways that you will learn to present yourself you will come face to face with media from around the world. The press will find you instead of you trying to convince them to write something about you and your business that will help you to reach more potential clients.

By leveraging the power of internet marketing to increase your real estate business you will become a storyteller. Potential clients want to know more about the person who will be listing their home or finding them a new home. During the time you work with clients you spend quite a bit of time with them. They will be revealing many personal facts about their finances, their relationships, and the way they live. They will be much more open to sharing this information with you if they are already familiar with your story. By becoming a storyteller you share your experiences as they relate to the business of real estate. Your new clients will know how you feel about things specific to the neighborhood such as the local schools, the traffic situation, and the commercial center that is being planned down the street. You will be sharing your opinions on these matters in a clear, open way so that your readers will feel like they already know you before you have even met.

You will want to think about which words accurately describe who you are and what you do. These are called keywords and are the words that people type into Google or Yahoo when they are searching for information. You will want to make a list of these keywords and add to the list whenever you think of another word or phrase that describes you and your services. Maybe you are also a Notary and provide this service to others in their real estate transactions. If you live in a neighborhood called Wooded Glen you may write down Wooded Glen notary as a keyword phrase that you will want to use. That is just one example of how you should begin to think about your real estate business in terms of keywords.

Publicity of the right kind can make your business explode. But just how do you get your name out there and make the press want to tell the world about you and your business? By using the Internet the press will be able to find out what you are doing that could be of interest to their readers and viewers. They will contact you when they find something of interest. All you will need to do is to show them that what you do on a daily basis is newsworthy. That is easier to do than you might think.

Trade Show Giveaways - Tips for Your Promotional Products

Of course, giving away promotional items is a must at any trade show booth. Giving away and receiving cool products are part of the experience of attending and participating in the event. You're there to network and build contacts by interacting with your prospective customers. Giving them useful, valuable, and interesting items helps them to remember your business.

Beyond this simple reason, there are countless others that promotionals help you with as well. Products generate traffic toward your booth. People look for the most interesting gifts. They notice the items that other attendees carry. When you offer something unique, people will flock to your space to receive what you are donating. This equals opportunities for introduction, explanation of your company, and the beginning of new client relationships. These products also assist in the establishment of customer goodwill and loyalty regarding your company. Some gifts are appreciated more than others, and putting a little extra thought and care into one can create a connection between your potential clients and you.

Yes, it's true. Some items work better than others do. However, the approach does not have to entail lots of expense. Staying with a general theme or tying into your business' message or slogan can be done easily by selecting a simple gift but planning the packaging, colors, or text effectively. There is no one perfect item to hand out.

Tap into your creativity. You will want to select some product that invites discussion or curiosity, but again relates back to what it is you actually do. A health and fitness center may donate sport water bottles. And, a home building company may give out yard sticks or screwdrivers.

One of the easiest, safest, most timeless items for giveaways at tradeshows is a pen. First of all, they are inexpensive. Moreover, they tend to acquire a lot of miles. One person almost never holds onto one for its entire life. They are passed along, left at random places, and used by people several times removed from the original situation. They assist in the development of a brand and help to increase its recognition.

Nevertheless, if your budget allows for a more in a promotional giveaway, by all means do so. While the size and value of the gift are generally unimportant compared to the thought and creativity behind it, there are guidelines for spending at trade shows. Know that the general rule is to spend between $1 and $5 per person. And, though you may not wish to adopt this technique, some people do come prepared with two sets of offerings. One is to be given away to all passers-by at the trade show. The other is for serious inquiries that seem to be true prospects.

To put it another way, anyone who stops by your booth to receive the gift or pick up a brochure should be considered a lead. It is wise to strive to create an impression. Offer your business card, introduce yourself, and encourage them to look around. The free product will help them to remember you, and customers will able to receive something of quality in the amount of $1 to $5 per person. While you won't make a sale from every single individual, some of these people will definitely be back for further discussion and to do business. You will reach a portion of them.

On the other hand, you will be faced with more serious leads. You can distinguish these characters by their expression of the need for your products or services. In addition, they will also have the resources to make a sale or the power to influence those that make the decisions. In this situation, some opt for offering an upgraded product that is the range of between $7 and $10 per person. Here, it is generally commonplace to let the recipient know that they are being given something special, something that not everyone else is. You can tell the person that you give an additional product to those that you really hope to be working with in the future. Express your gratitude of their interest and let the gift be a further incentive for them to return. They will surely get the idea that you have enjoyed meeting them and value any prospective business that has been inspired. In the end, you will probably be very glad that you invested the $10, and most likely you will experience the benefits.

These trade show tips will hopefully be of assistance to you in the future. Keep them in mind as you plan your next successful promotional venture.

A 2000 Page Marketing Lesson - Part 1

I am just sitting here tonight, getting ready to "close up shop."

BLAM! I had an idea for another post...

A marketing lesson that few mention, tell anybody about, or probably even use for that matter. Guess what? There is a 2,000 page marketing lesson right in your house. It sits there every day, just waiting for someone to unlock the information within. What I am speaking of?

The Yellow Pages in the phone book! I know, I know... huh? Do this for me tonight...it won't take but 10 minutes of your time. 1) Pull out the phone book. 2) Open it, and skim the yellow pages...notice I said skim. I don't want you to read every ad... But pay careful attention to the ones that do get your attention.

Ask yourself this important question:

Why did that Yellow Pages ad get my attention?

Well...why did it? That is the marketing lesson for tonight...why do certain ads grab your attention?

What style are they written in? What about them gets you to read and possibly take action? What separates them from the crowd of other businesses that are waiting for their responses?

Does yours do the same thing in your section of the Yellow Pages?

Stay tuned tomorrow...and I will tell you how to make it stand out in part 2. :)

For now...just skim those ads, and feel free to leave comments on this article as to what your finding when you compare those ads. Don't leave anything out, everyone has an opportunity to learn here.

Namibia: Tourism Too Pricey for Locals

Wezi TjarondaWindhoek

Perceptions that tourism services and accommodation are too expensive for potential domestic travellers have now been validated.

And if this situation does not change, the domestic market may cease all together, warns a report aimed at providing the Namibia Tourism Board with information that will help the industry improve domestic tourism.

The report: "Improving Domestic Tourism in Namibia", has revealed that travellers find the services in the industry out of reach for anyone willing to travel, and from the interviews, observations and questionnaires conducted by the survey, 60 percent of the respondents said they perceived prices to be too expensive while 71 percent said the high prices deterred them from travelling.

Namibians that travel locally say tourism in the country is primarily focused on the international market, causing its prices to increase beyond the affordability of many and deterring local potential tourists from travelling.

Namibia's apartheid legacy, which saw the country divided along economic, racial and economic lines, can also be seen in the tourism industry.

"Many companies are white or foreign-owned and the majority of foreign travellers are upper-class Namibians or internationals," said the report, adding that as a result, many Namibians feel resentment towards the industry and feel they are not treated with the same respect as foreign travellers.

The consultants that carried out the survey said unless the NTB and service providers fix the problem, domestic tourism would diminish. The respondents are also of the view that the industry does not cater for Namibians and thus focuses on international tourists, which creates disparities in pricing and the quality of services offered.

Namibia's Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) released last year also found that Namibians were prevented from being tourists in their own country because of high accommodation prices and entrance fees, yet the world's most successful tourism economies are those that have a strong component of domestic tourism.

The report says developing leisure travel will be important for Namibia because it has the potential to contribute money to the economy and create employment opportunities.

But annual levy return forms sent to the NTB also indicate that the majority of guests received at tourism establishments are Europeans, with only 31% being Namibians, a percentage that the report found unsatisfactory.

Tourism statistics that are released in a given year also lack information on domestic tourists travelling around the country. An official at NTB said yesterday the local market was all along ignored, adding that the TSA recommendations about making efforts to increase domestic travellers was a wake-up call.

Although the domestic tourism industry does not contribute much to the Namibian economy, statistics indicate that Namibians spend money on travel although the amount of money spent and the amount they are willing to spend differ greatly.

Digu Naobeb, NTB's acting Chief Executive Officer said when he released the findings of the survey last week that Namibia is duty bound to promote the domestic tourism market because in cases of other happenings the country would need the market to fall back on.

Although some groups have started offering discounts for domestic tourists, //Naobeb said the board wants more concentrated efforts from all tourism businesses.

Namibia Wildlife Resorts is among the few establishments offering discounted prices of 25 percent for Namibians and permanent residents and 35 percent for pensioners, since the 2000-2001 tourism season.

Since then, says NWR Manager: Strategic Marketing and Communications, Sebulon Chicalu, the company has seen a steady increase in domestic travellers, which has resulted in 22 percent of the tourism market coming from Namibia. This translates into around 100 000 local tourists per year, he said.

Chicalu said the NWR looked at who was giving them a market, noting that the Namibian market is not one that the company wanted to lose.






Relevant Links

Namibian tourists usually travel over weekends, school holidays and on public holidays with Etosha, Waterberg, Daan Viljeon, Gross Barmen and Swakopmund being their favourite destinations.

The top 10 destinations for foreign tourists, according to the TSA, are Waterberg, Spitzkoppe, Lüderitz, Damaraland, Fish River Canyon, Sossusvlei, Etosha, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Windhoek.

In March this year, the Gondwana Desert Collection, which has lodges in the south of the country, launched the Go 4 Deserts initiative to enable Namibians to witness the scenic beauty and wildlife plenitude that those areas are endowed with.




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Friends Can Be Your Best Resource

Have you ever had the experience of looking for some information and casually saying to a friend of yours how hard it is to find it? You have asked every sales person you can find, looked in every book and searched the Internet but still cannot find the crucial piece of information. You did all this only to have your friend know it off the top of their head?

It is amazing what our friends know. That is why if you are looking for a job you ask everyone in your sphere of contact. That is the people you would stop and say hi to if you saw them in a mall. It also includes the people you would have over for dinner.

Basically if you can remember their name or they remember yours ask them to help you find a job. Insider information on the search for a job can be very helpful. I have a true personal story for you.

I was at a friend's home, Jon, in a different city, having a quick visit and noticed the logo on a business card. It was a company a good friend of mine works in. I asked Jon what the card was about and it was about a job interview. I got on the phone and called my friend that works in the company and presto Jon became the frontrunner for that job.

What are the chances one of your friends can have the same kind of inside contact that could really help you? Actually really good, I have read books on statistics and there are high probabilities your friends are all the job search you need. Remember in this article friends mean any one you would say hi to in the mall. It is a much larger pool of people than just your close friends.

Some of you will have to get over your resistance of asking about jobs with people you know. Remember this people love to help people, it makes them feel powerful. Give them that chance to feel powerful by helping you.

Smart bombs for lymphoma underused

Friday, May 04, 2007

WASHINGTON — Only a fraction of patients with hard-to-treat lymphoma ever try two breakthrough “smart-bomb” drugs that bring radiation straight to cancerous cells — with just two shots a week apart, not the usual months of care.The marketing failure has a manufacturer trying to sell off one of the drugs, and increasingly frustrated specialists worry it will jeopardize attempts to expand this promising new field to fight other cancers, too.It’s called radioimmunotherapy, harnessing homing device-like immune cells — antibodies — with a radioactive drug. The antibodies zero in on cancer and drop their payload, without as much damage to surrounding healthy tissue as chemotherapy can cause.Only two such drugs are sold today, the lymphoma fighters Zevalin and Bexxar. But more than half a dozen early stage studies of others — against some particularly deadly malignancies, including pancreatic cancer, brain cancers, and advanced prostate cancer — are under way.

The issue: Despite research showing they work well, fewer than 10 percent of lymphoma patients who are candidates for Zevalin and Bexxar ever use them, says Dr. Mark Kaminski of the University of Michigan, a hematologist who co-invented Bexxar.Why? Specialists cite a complex list of reasons, including that most oncologists aren’t licensed to administer the radioactive infusion and must send their patients to a nuclear-medicine doctor. There’s also confusion about the risks of radiation, which studies suggest are minimal, and when the drugs work best — early, not as a last-ditch therapy.“There’s lots of reasons to use them, and seems to be an inertia against them,” says Dr. Mitchell Smith, lymphoma chief at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “I do see it as unfortunate.”Indeed, sales are so weak that Zevalin maker Biogen Idec announced in December it was hunting a buyer to take over the drug. While the company insists Zevalin won’t come off the market, the move is prompting fear on cancer blogs and from patients considering radioimmunotherapy that the option may disappear.“Basically, they hit a home run” scientifically, says Kaminski. “The shock wave that goes through here is that if you can’t get this to work in the marketplace, what’s the sense of developing anything else along this line?”Kaminski laments that about once a month, a patient seeks him after other doctors discouraged the therapy or advised it only after exhausting other options, including a rigorous bone marrow transplant.Adds Dr. Bruce Cheson, hematology chief at Georgetown University Hospital: “When patients are presented this option, they say it’s too good to be true: ’It’s only a week, and I have a 70 percent chance of responding to it.”’At issue are so-called low-grade forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that strike thousands of Americans each year. They’re incurable, but patients typically live a long time, beating back increasingly hard-to-treat recurrences every few years.The leading treatment is Genentech and Biogen Idec’s blockbuster seller Rituxan, a stand-alone antibody — no drug attached — that by itself kills cancer cells, and often is used together with chemotherapy to prolong a first remission. Rituxan is considered to have revolutionized lymphoma care.But patients will relapse. When that happens, Zevalin and Bexxar are government-approved options. They use the same antibody target but with different radioactive drugs attached to give lymphoma a one-two punch. Studies suggest they fight the cancer’s return at least as well as months of standard chemo.More intriguing, about 20 percent of those patients have extremely long remissions, five to eight years. That’s more likely when the drugs are used for a first relapse, not later when repeated chemo has ravaged the immune system, says Fox Chase’s Smith.Also, there’s mounting evidence from small studies that even more patients have long-term remission if they use radioimmunotherapy first, instead of waiting to relapse. A closely watched government trial is trying to prove that, by comparing Bexxar plus standard chemotherapy to Rituxan plus chemo in about 500 newly diagnosed patients. Results are due in two years.If that study pans out, “it’ll have a huge impact on practice,” predicted Dr. James Armitage of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who tries to calm worried patients that the option won’t disappear before that question is settled.With radioimmunotherapy at a crossroads awaiting that science, proponents are talking up the drugs, to medical journals and patient advocacy groups. A petition pending before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeks to allow more oncologists to administer the shots. And Biogen Idec spokeswoman Naomi Aoki says her company is working to get more community oncologists licensed to use the drug, and plans to sell it to a company “also committed to making sure it’s available.”———EDITOR’S NOTE — Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.
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Tech Investors Cull Start-Ups for Pentagon

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6 — The nation’s military, in its search for the next surveillance system, bioterror vaccine or robot warrior, has decided to take a peek into the garage.

Through a program that recently emerged from an experimental phase, the Defense Department is using some of the nation’s top technology investors to help it find innovations from tiny start-up companies, which have not traditionally been a part of the military’s vast supply chain.

The program provides a regular exchange of ideas and periodic meetings between a select group of venture capitalists and dozens of strategists and buyers from the major military and intelligence branches. Government officials talk about their needs, and the investors suggest solutions culled from technology start-ups across the country.

It is in some ways an odd coupling of the historically slow-moving federal agencies and fast-moving investors, who deal in technologies that are no sooner developed than they are threatened with obsolescence.

But the participants argue that the project, called DeVenCI for Defense Initiative, brings together two groups that have much to gain from each other and that have had trouble finding easy, efficient ways to work together. Those on the military side of things have adopted the Silicon Valley vernacular to explain the idea of systematically consulting investors to find new technology.

“We’re a search engine,” said Bob Pohanka, director of DeVenCI, noting that the program is a chance for military procurement officials to have more intimate contact with investors who make a living scouring laboratories and universities for the latest innovations.

Venture capitalists “have knowledge of emerging technology that may be developed by companies as small as two guys in a garage,” Mr. Pohanka said. “These are companies that are not involved in the D.O.D. supply chain.”

For the investors, it is a chance to get closer to a branch of government with vast spending power that is a potential customer for the start-ups they have backed. That can be particularly valuable because the venture capital industry, far from enjoying the success of the dot-com boom, has languished in recent years and is looking for new markets and sales opportunities.

The military is “like a Fortune No. 1 company,” said E. Rogers Novak Jr., managing director of the venture capital firm Novak Biddle Venture Partners, and one of the investors who consults with the government. “We may get a customer and the D.O.D. gets something that helps them.”

The project is in its early stages, having convened three meetings since October. And there are questions about whether a bureaucratic and careful system built around long-term relationships between the military branches and their contractors can be compatible with the quicker culture of Silicon Valley.

“Everybody is feeling their way through this relationship,” Mr. Novak said. “The potential is there. The devil is in the details.”

There is nothing fundamentally new about the military trying to gain access to cutting-edge technology. For much of the 20th century, it financed and led that development. But that has changed in the last several decades as innovation has started to move at light speed in the private sector.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the military has reached out more to the private sector, trying to make use of a range of technologies in pursuing security and fighting wars. Some venture capitalists have catered to those demands, creating firms aimed at military and security needs.

On the public sector side, the in 1999 started In-Q-Tel, a venture that identifies and invests in start-ups and technologies whose products could be used in intelligence. And the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency backs new technology and has helped create many important advances, including the Internet.

What makes DeVenCI unusual, its participants say, is that by bringing together military procurement agents and technology investors it is creating a kind of brokerage for ideas. But it had humbler beginnings, starting out on more of a special case basis not long after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

One of the early participants was Ted Schlein, a partner at the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Mr. Schlein said he and a handful of other venture capitalists met with military officials to hear about their needs and then looked for useful technologies. The relationship bore fruit, Mr. Schlein said. He cited a meeting he had several years ago with then-Defense Secretary , who was carrying a confidential file.

“Rumsfeld said, ‘I can’t show you what’s in this folder, but you solved some problems for us,’ ” Mr. Schlein recalled. 1

Selecting the Best - Giving Gifts with Thought and Creativity

Successful businesses may not place their promotional product policy at the top of their priority list. However, emphasizing the importance of customized giveaways helps solidify an organization's relationship to affiliates, patrons, and future clients.

From logoed pens and tote bags, from employee appreciation awards to trade show giveaways, from web site offers to free bonus gifts; promotional items demonstrate professionalism and a commitment to others. Studies show that quality products can increase direct mail response rates, the likelihood that first time customers will return, and trade show traffic. Experts have proven that recipients who were given a gift both before and during a show were way more inclined to visit the trade show space, and they were more likely to report associations of customer goodwill with the company.

Yet, the key is to carefully plan giveaway memorabilia. A business should not merely imprint a random item to donate. The creativity, planning, and marketing are crucial to ensuring that the item you select has an impact. The promotional item should symbolize the thought and care you put into the effort.

Importantly, you don't have to break the bank to impress your constituents. A promotional product can be effective without being overly expensive. When a team channels their creativity and concentrates on the intended outcome of a message and significance of an product's overall meaning, sometimes the most simple of merchandise can fulfill the role.

Of course, merely choosing any old product because of cost will most likely flop. Know that it is better for your company's image and reputation to opt for not giving a gift at all rather than giving an item that has had little care or thought put into it. A company that focuses on cutting expenses by handing out a poorly planned product with no thematic purpose or meaning will send a negative message to the pubic that may remembered for some time.

On the other hand, selecting just the right item isn't always enough. For example, during trade show events, consider incorporating the before and after effects into a product.
Use your chosen products to help you promote. Send invitees a gift beforehand, along with an invitation, and let them know why they should plan on visiting you during the show. Chances are that if you give them a reason, they will show up. Time sensitive offers, additional free products, and prize drawings are all ways in which to attract visitors.

You can choose to be flashy or high end, if that's the route that compliments your marketing best. You could give technology, like jump drives, or laptop carrying cases or even top quality golf balls. On the flip side, with the right message, even a simple item like a water bottle or travel mug can present the same effect.

For conferences and workshop events, take advantage of every avenue to customize needed materials and supplies. Items like lanyards, tote bags, writing padfolios, pens, and highlighters are all products that can be imprinted with an association's name. Let attendees know that these items are intended for their use and to keep. Their experience at the meeting will feel a little more appreciated or welcoming, and they will surely utilize the free gifts. And, taking them home means that the logoed supplies will travel back to their original homes, offices, and other meetings. These promotional giveaways do not cost the sponsor much at all, and yet they continue to market and work for the company long after the workshop has been completed.

Another idea consists of ordering quality thank-you gifts for the presenters and speakers of a conference. The host of the event has the opportunity to show appreciation and the integrity of his or her organization. Impress your key contributors and give them something that has been personalized for their use. You can really wow a recipient by learning a little bit about them. Contact their assistant, their staff, or their association, to make the gift one that surprises them and that they appreciate.

There may exist some situations inevitably with businesses that are in the market of choosing gifts in which one gift must fit a range of speakers. This allows little room for personalization and uniqueness. In this situation the experts say that it is best to either choose something with an element of humor or lightheartedness.

Finally, take care in selecting your promotional products. Make an impression, show your creative side, and let people see the thought and effort you put into even the smallest of ideas.

Avoid Paid Surveys Scams Online

Online paid surveys are being overestimated and they sound too promising at times to be believed. It is never a facile task and not always a means of earning easy money as the ads might have convinced you. You might get loads of offers that promise you to make you rich instantly. The safe way to make money completing surveys online is to select them after a thorough initial screening. For a foolproof paid survey experience, you have to rely on the testimonials, documented proofs and the guarantees to get refunded if you are not satisfied. Since you are on the trip to make money completing surveys online you will have to take the risk of trusting somebody to enable you to get rich.

There are actually a few trustworthy sites to help you make money completing surveys online. This will help you to realize your small dreams with the token money that you start receiving out of completing the surveys. You just need to be a little cautious when you choose your survey site to register your name to make money completing surveys online. Be aware of the latest technologies and its uses to counterfeit any document and represent it authentically. Do not believe sites that guarantee you huge amounts of money for little time and effort. Be realistic when you choose the paid survey site. Read their FAQs about their payment and registration policies. If not satisfied, mail them at the customer service mail id and get their numbers contact them directly if you are interested. Read the site information very carefully before you register. Look for the clauses that might not be favorable to you or are disputed. Do not let the cash offers overwhelm you to an extent that you take a plunge into it without realizing the after effects. It is obvious that you want to make money completing surveys online and they want you to make money completing surveys online.

Check before submitting your personal information to any paid surveys site. Each such site should have a clear privacy policy assuring their customers full protection against misuse of information, information leakage or any other similar fraudulent activities. In the spree to make money completing surveys online do not forget to go through their privacy policy meticulously before you sign up. Read carefully the terms, conditions, disclaimers, and any other fine print. Do not continue with sites that do not respond to your queries on do not address the issues that you bring to their notice via emails. Check in every possible way about the legitimacy of the sites and ensure that you get paid for the work you do. You can perform whois look ups to find out if paid sites are registered by proxy. Whois lookups will also tell you about the owner of the service and when they were launched on the net. You can browse scam forums to find out whether your paid survey online has ever been reported as scam by other users. For better information on scam and abuse check BBB and FTC consumer advice sections. Proper information from such forums can help you choose the proper sites to make money completing surveys online.

The Perfect Weath Formula - Learn How to Effectively Market Any Business Online

The Perfect Wealth Formula is a special opportunity for those who are striving for financial independence through a home based business. Not only does the program itself have true value, which can be applied to any business opportunity, but it offers a fantastic compensation package all its own for referrals.

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MasterCard Net Rises to Record as Card Use Increases (Update1)

MasterCard Inc., the second-biggest
U.S. credit-card company, said profit climbed 70 percent to a
record as consumers charged more purchases.

First-quarter net income rose to $214.9 million, or $1.57 a
share, from $126.7 million, or 94 cents, a year earlier, the
Purchase, New York-based company said today in a statement.
MasterCard was expected to earn $1.16 a share, based on the
average estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

Transactions jumped 19 percent during the quarter as
consumers continued to switch from cash and checks to credit and
debit cards. MasterCard shares have almost tripled since Chief
Executive Officer Robert Selander took the company public a year
ago. Visa International Inc., the world's biggest credit-card
company, also plans an initial public offering.

``This was a very strong quarter,'' analyst Craig Maurer at
Calyon Securities, the investment-banking arm of Credit Agricole
SA, said in an interview. ``They had great revenue, great
transaction growth, great expense control.''

Revenue rose 24 percent to $915.1 million, while expenses
climbed 8.2 percent to $601.2 million on costs to hire more
workers and defend against lawsuits.

Shares of the company advanced to $122.25 in early trading,
from $114.85 at the close yesterday on the New York Stock
Exchange. They were offered at $39 apiece in the May 2006 IPO.

`Bullish' on Prospects

MasterCard credit- and debit-card spending increased 16
percent to $509 billion on a local-currency basis, and
transactions jumped to 4.2 billion, the company said.

Cash and checks fell from 77 percent of U.S. consumer
payments in 1995 to 50 percent in 2005, while cards rose from
around 21 percent to 40 percent during that period, analyst
Timothy Willi of A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. wrote in a note to
clients this week, citing data from the Nilson Report in Oxnard,
California.

Nilson estimates that by 2010, card-based payments will
account for about 56 percent of consumer payments, while cash and
checks will be down to 29 percent.

``We are bullish on the long-term prospects for
MasterCard,'' Willi wrote. ``Consumers, businesses and government
are making cards their preferred method of payment.''

Advertising and market development expenses dropped to
$178.5 million from $182.7 million a year earlier. Maurer at
Calyon said American Express Co., which reported earnings April
19, has also cut back on marketing.

``The card companies see limited opportunities to drive any
incremental business in the current market,'' Maurer said.

Profit Margin

Shares of MasterCard slid 9.7 percent on Feb. 9, the biggest
drop since the IPO, after Selander declined on a conference call
with analysts to forecast continued growth in profit margins.

A lawsuit accusing MasterCard of anticompetitive behavior,
brought by rival card networks American Express and Discover
Financial Services, ``could put downward pressure on shares,'' as
could the expected initial public stock offering of Visa
International, according to analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The lawsuit is scheduled for trial in federal court next
year.

MasterCard in April 2006 began charging card issuers for all
foreign transactions using U.S.-issued cards. It used to assess a
fee only if it converted the related currency to U.S. dollars.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Joseph N. DiStefano in New York at
.

The Difference Between a Leader and a Manager

Make no mistake, to maximize your own effectiveness you have to be able to function both as a leader and as a manager. The trick is to know precisely when to go into the manager mode and when to become that servant type leader. I once read a quote on the difference between a manager and a leader that stated:

"A Manager "does the thing right" and a Leader "does the right thing."

How Do You Become a Who?

I don't know who said that but it is quite a simplification. First of all, a manager doesn't always do the thing right and conversely leaders don't always do the right thing.
Oh sure, most leaders do the right thing most of the time, but what the "right thing is can cause quite a debate and who gets to decide what the right thing really is?

And who decides who and what is actually right. How does one get to become a who?

Doing the Right Thing

Doing the right thing doesn't sound very complex for a person of character and integrity but think about this for a second. During my ten years as a turn-a-round specialists there were several occasions when I had to sacrifice the jobs of many to save a company and the jobs of others. Was that the right thing to do in the eyes of those that lost their job, their income, their security? If you were the wife, the husband or the child of one of those employees that were sacrificed for the sake of survival of the company would you think that it was "the right" thing to do? We are not talking about malcontents, under performers and employees with issues. We're talking about pure innocent sacrifice here.

All of a sudden, "the right thing" gets a little more complicated. That's why I quit being a Turn-A-Round specialist after ten years. I got tired of being the "Darth Vadar of Distribution".

Leaders Inspire Others to Greatness

True leaders inspire others to greatness. In spite of what may seem the contrary, being a true leader in times of sacrifice and turbulence is even more important than in normal times? However, it's equally important to adapt to the role of manager as well when sacrifice is necessary. I often talk about compassion as both a strength and a weakness when it comes to individual leadership models. I have met numerous CEOs that boast of long tenure employees. However, there are some that earn that tenure simply due to the compassion of ownership. Certainly compassion for people is a strength but it can become a weakness if it stands in the way of accountability and maximizing the effectiveness of the organization.

The Balance of Compassion and Performance

So how does an effective leader balance compassion with performance and accountability? A leader must demonstrate the need for maximizing performance to the team. This is communicated more by action than words. Tolerance for the lack of excellence or sub par performance sends a distinct message. The wrong message.

A leader must lead by example whereas a manager uses direction and enforcement of policy and procedure to accomplish specific tasks. Of course, a manager must also be able to lead as well.

Sound confusing? It is……… There is a fine line between leadership and management. A line that is often shifting according to circumstance. If you are going to maximize growth and profitability in your organization that means that every manager must become an effective leader. A leader encourages, leads by example, cares about the team and gives regular feedback. People need to be recognized and praised. A leader influences and inspires others to believe in themselves and to follow a vision for the future.

Communication is essential, knowing when to go into the manager mode and become less a servant is also necessary. This mode should be the exception but it does exist for even the greatest leaders and it is necessary at times. In fact, a true test of an effective leader is knowing when to go into the manager mode. Effective communication can stir emotions and emotions can become a powerful motivator.

Confidence, Self Esteem or Ego?

We all have egos but effective leaders control their own egos and understand how to utilize their understanding of people to inspire peak performance. They are confident and have high self esteem without demonstrating arrogance. Leadership can not be ego driven but good leaders command a presence when they walk into the room. They are not only compassionate but they are passionate about success and they make every effort to coach and mentor their team. However, a leader can't afford to waste too much time in the minutiae of the team. In fact a functioning team will solve many of its own problems and they are expected to. This happens when the right people are on the team.

Leaders lead by example, they delegate and empower people. They also seem to have a keen sense about selecting and developing the right people. That in itself is a key difference in transcending from being just a manager to becoming an effective leader. Selecting the right people with potential to excel and then developing those people through the coaching and mentoring process to achieve greatness is a primary responsibility of leadership. Effective leaders know precisely when to coach, when to mentor and when to manage.

So what's the Difference?

In reality if you are going to be responsible for the actions and results of others it just isn't good enough to be only a manager. Effectively, managing is about leadership. Personally, I believe to be really effective, there is no difference. An effective leader must be a good manager and a good manager effectively must be a good leader.

The results will speak for themselves in the long run...