Weight Loss Program: Do Your Expectations Sabotage Your Success?

May 4th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Marsha J. Hudnall When women talk about their biggest obstacles to successful weight and health management, we often hear about hurdles like not enough time or knowledge to prepare healthy meals. Or frequent social occasions that involve food. Or hectic schedules, or stress in their lives, or transitions theyre currently going through. The list goes on. But if youre like many of us, its really none of these. Instead, our biggest obstacle is unrealistic expectations. All the menu planning, exercising, and positive behavior change in the world will not help the woman who has set goals that are impossible to achieve. Unfortunately, too many of us are that woman driven, all-or-nothing, compulsive perfectionists. Because of feelings of insecurity or inferiority, we idealize our standards of success and try to mold ourselves into perfect people. The irony is that the worse we feel about ourselves, the more perfectionistic we become and thus set ourselves up for failure. Its easy to understand intellectually that healthy eating, physical activity and a balanced lifestyle are key to getting and staying fit. The hard part is doing it– dealing emotionally with the slow, ordinary, day-to-day process called moderation. Unrealistic expectations dont blend well with everyday life. As such, everyday life becomes a failure; each failure undermines confidence in our ability to succeed and creates feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. After a while, its easy to stop trying. Often, we identify family and friends as saboteurs to our efforts to take care of ourselves. Were angry when we realize that, rightly so. But how often do we fail to identify the biggest saboteur of all: ourselves. We set the unrealistic expectations that cause failure. On the other hand, realistic expectations promote success. Success builds confidence. Confidence creates a feeling of self-efficacy that we can do it. That makes it easier to maintain a high level of commitment and to accept that changing behaviors takes time and is a less than perfect process. Resolve to start supporting yourself by being moderate. Learn to live, breathe, dream moderation because moderation helps you keep your life in balance which ultimately leads to success. Know that change is a back-and-forth process that is only perfect in its erratic course. Look at mistakes as learning opportunities. Be kind and gentle to yourself. 2004 Green Mountain at Fox Run, Ludlow, Vermont. Marsha J. Hudnall, MS, RD, CD is director of health communications and senior nutritionist at Green Mountain at Fox Run, an all-womens weight loss program. For over 32 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has developed and refined a life-changing Weight Loss Spa through lifestyle change, exclusively for women. To learn more about Green Mountain at Fox Run, visit us at: http://www.fitwoman.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marsha_J._Hudnall http://EzineArticles.com/?Weight-Loss-Program:-Do-Your-Expectations-Sabotage-Your-Success?&id=6454 no credit check computers boat no credit check austin texas commercial property loan no money down nigeria money lenders

Sony Ericsson K610i: Cybershot Digital Camera Mobile Phone

April 28th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alice_Erin]Alice Erin Enjoy the wide variety of features packed into the incredibly slim 3G Sony Ericsson K610i mobile phone. The handset features a 1.9 262K-colour TFT screen for an optimal messaging and Web browsing experience. The 2-megapixel digital camera takes pictures to be proud of so that you can share your life in pictures with friends. The Sony Ericsson K610i increases your effectiveness and personal productivity at work. It supports standard push email and has a high-speed modem to connect your PC to the internet while on the move. The key features include two way video calling, 2 megapixel camera plus digital zoom, large colour display, capacity to store full length music videos and download new songs to your phone, built in email client, Enhanced GPRS, 176×220 pixel display in 262,000 colours, a secondary camera for video calling, expandable memory using Sony Memory Stick Micro cards, a multimedia player (plus the same Disc2Phone software found in the Walkman series of handsets), web browser and all the usual features you’d expect to find in this type of device. On the physical front, the handset measures 102×45x17mm, weighs 92 grams and has up to 7 hours talktime on GSM, 2.5 hours on 3G. There are two colour combinations Urban Silver and Evening Red. The classic Sony Ericsson has a pretty minimal layout on the front and a nicely designed back. The phone shares some advanced features with the K8100i such as music capabilities. The display is a 62K TFD that measures 176×220 pixels with auto focus, Memory Stick PRO Duo memory expansion and bright 176×220 pixel. In all Sony Ericsson610i brings together a sophisticated feature packed [http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/]Best mobile phone plus digital camera. [http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/dealset.asp?act=mobset&id=317]Sony Ericsson K610i Buy [http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/]Sony Ericsson K610i on 3, Orange Mobile Network Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alice_Erin http://EzineArticles.com/?Sony-Ericsson-K610i:-Cybershot-Digital-Camera-Mobile-Phone&id=261310 where can i go to get a bad credit mortgage online loans bad credit flat broke bad credit loans mortgages with bad credit

Trade Show Video Displays

April 26th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Peter Emerson The best way to build traffic at your display and to generate interest for it would be to get creative. You can hit upon a creative display by opting for a video trade show display. High technology video trade show displays are a dramatic and catchy way to put up your display. Extremely eye catching attention garnering trade show video displays are those are generally hung high for maximum visibility. Gobo lights that travel across the span of a tension fabric can work as remarkable video displays. They can also beam company logos and can even be made to change colors in coordination with the company colors. It can generate instant recognition and have higher recall value. Modern technologies can provide high drama to your exhibition booth such as even three dimensional video displays. Lasers are other ways of creating enthralling trade show video displays. Three dimensional video displays are increasingly popular as they can help you make your display more interactive. You can even put up your interactive website on a large screen display. You can choose from a multitude of displays that use holographics, water screen projection and even robotics. You can take help from your own trade show exhibit supplier who will have expertise on graphics and other issues like portability and costing. It is common to find elaborate video displays at technology related company booths. For example companies like Sony or Samsung always have extremely techno savvy video displays that garner a lot of attention. If you are looking for an inexpensive or more cost efficient way of managing a video display for your exhibition you could opt for a laptop display. You could load your video on your laptop and could run it directly from it or with a projector for larger visibility and hence better reach. Trade show video displays are fast gaining major popularity and seem to be the next best way of trade show display. Trade Show Displays provides detailed information on Cheap Trade Show Displays, Custom Trade Show Displays, Portable Trade Show Displays, Trade Show Display Booths and more. Trade Show Displays is affiliated with Trade Show Booth Design. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Emerson http://EzineArticles.com/?Trade-Show-Video-Displays&id=407940 bad credit motorcyle loan in nj houston car loan bad credit history free credit report revbiews creating a credit score model

Six (6) Warning Signs That Can Help You Avoid Wasting Time Marketing To The Wrong Prospects

April 24th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Tayo Solagbade Preamble When I started out in business, I had some difficulty deciding just how much marketing would be enough or too much. The thing is you can never really be certain up front about who will respond positively to your marketing and who will not. However, you can at least develop ways by which you can avoid wasting too much time, effort or expense on any prospects who are not likely to buy. You will then be able to divert those resources towards nurturing relationships with those who show signs that they will. In this article I describe specific signs that I personally use to decide just how far I will go, at any point in time, in my marketing efforts with each prospective client or customer. In many cases, even when I do not make a sale, I have found that I am able to save considerable expense by not wasting time following up with people who are not ready at that point in time(they could become ready at a later date) to make a purchase. In the next section, I explain the thinking behind the approach I use. The Need To Be Effective And Efficient In Order To Be Profitable Three keywords guide me in thinking about any aspect of my business performance measurement. They are: Effectiveness, Efficiency and Profitability. a. Effectiveness. To me, being effective means doing what REALLY NEEDS to be done and NOT what you THINK needs to be done, or worse what you just WANT to do. I believe it is important for every business - micro or multinational - to carefully and accurately identify the specific business marketing TASKS that NEED to be executed, and develop reliable steps to be followed in carrying them out, so that the same DESIRED business goals(e.g. increased SALES) are achieved EVERY TIME. That way, there will be consistency and predictability in the business’ processes and operations. b. Efficiency. In my opinion, being efficient means being able to get MORE of the results I desire(e.g. good quality pre-qualified prospects through my business marketing) while using the same or LESS of time, effort, money etc that I have. A possible measure for how well a business is doing in this regard, has been suggested as “Cost Of Customers Sold(COCS)” i.e. how much it costs to acquire - on the average - each new client or customer. A business can work towards being more profitable by measuring this parameter and modifying her marketing strategies/techniques to reduce its COCS over time. c. Profitability. Having MORE of the income or turnover from doing business left over after ALL necessary expenses and tax obligations have been taken care of is the ultimate proof of good business performance. By working hard to be Effective and Efficient in all aspects of its operations - including marketing - a one-man business or a multinational corporation can progressively GROW its profits. Generally, even if sales are not increasing, so long as your spending does not outstrip your sales/income, you still stand a chance - at the least - of breaking even by the end of the year. So what can make YOUR spending outstrip your income? Poorly planned/implemented business marketing is one possible area. Minimise Chances Of Wasting Your Marketing Time, Effort And Money The question to ask yourself, in my experience, is whether what you are doing - or about to do - will help you achieve your business marketing goals(and HOW it will do so) in a way that makes you more effective and efficient so that you can be Profitable. Below I outline six(6) warning signs - off the top of my head - that I look for in deciding whether or not to continue pursuing a sales lead with a prospect. Depending on how I read the situation, I may decide to discontinue marketing to a particular prospect if I see one or more of these signs TOO frequently. 1. S/he Fails To Return Calls/Commit To A Formal Appointment. If I meet a prospect and possibly exchange contact information after discussions, I normally make a habit of calling him/her on phone within a week to see if I can get an appointment to further explore the areas discussed in which s/he was considering my service(s). Sometimes s/he’ll say, “I’ll call you back at xyz date/time”. If I do not hear from him/her, I let a few days or a week go by, and then call again making reference to the fact that his/her call never came. At this point, I now try to see if I can get the prospect to commit to a formal appointment. Generally, I have found that just by gently pressing for a formal appointment this way usually helps to gauge the level of interest and readiness of the person. 2. S/he Fails To Keep Appointments. Some prospects will give you a date/time to meet with them and even challenge you to be on time. A number even give the impression they want it to happen urgently. Then the d-day comes and you arrive at the venue only to be told s/he is yet to arrive. You make more enquiries and are told some last minute changes occurred that kept him/her from coming in as planned that morning. Every time this happened to me, I always felt like kicking myself for not calling him/her to CONFIRM the appointment at least ONE HOUR before it was due to hold and before I was due to take off for the agreed meeting venue. My Solution: I ALWAYS make sure I have the direct telephone/mobile phone number of the person I am to meet with, so as to confirm a meeting/appointment before committing my time and resources to keeping it. 3. S/he Does Not See It As A Pressing Need. I have had prospects hold two to three meetings with me in say January(requesting that it all happen within days), going through all the stages needed for them to decide if they wanted to progress with a project, only to then tell me “We should be able to decide whether or not to go ahead with this by June or July”. My Solution: I tactfully ask “What time frame do you have in mind for this project to start, if you decide you want it?”. I also ask “How much do you anticipate you will be prepared to commit to this project?” That way, they are(usually) forced to give me an estimate. If they give a projected start date/time that’s “far away”, I will at least know how much of a priority to give whatever requests they make - no matter how urgent they make them sound. 4. Lack Right Resources/Appropriately Motivated Personnel. I have had some amusing encounters with representative personnel of some organisations. In one case, I met with an “IT manager” who said he was asked - by his boss, who’d called me in - to have comprehensive discussions with me about my Custom Excel Solutions Development services to see how I could help them. By the time we separated, I had been unable to show him any of the many demos I carried on my flash drive, because the two PCs he provided were terribly slow, ran on obsolete software, aside from other “problems” they had. The irony was that he kept telling me how he had setup up the comperisation for the hotel and all the records were being updated etc! In my mind I already saw a BIG problem: A prospective client company that had a internal operative, who felt he knew it all, and was intent on defending his ineptitude at setting up basic PC systems for the organisation, would likely pose a potential hindrance to successful execution of the project. The paradox was that he was the one with whom I would likely have to work in order to successfully deploy whatever solutions I developed. I did not fancy my chances of pulling that off, so I walked away. “Better get out now”, I told myself, “than be forced to leave behind an “uncompleted” or sabotaged project that could give others reason to question my competence”. 5. S/he Acts Reluctant/Mischievious. I once followed up(what I thought was) a lead with the owner of a books wholesale outfit over a 4 week period. He had given me his card on the first meeting in his office when I made a cold call, asking me to return a week later. A week later, we met and spent about 45 minutes looking at one of my applications, which he “felt” could be customised for his secretary’s use. Two weeks later, following a rather high number of re-schedulings I was back in his office. After we greeted, he called out for the secretary and asked that I wait in the outer office. The secretary returned to say he asked her to meet me so I could (to use her exact words) explain “why you are here”! I was flabbergasted. A bit irritated, I asked her if s/he had been told anything by him about my visit. S/he said NO. “Did you know he wanted to have a custom application built for you to use in your work?”. Again s/he said NO. I asked her ONE more question: “Can you take a buying decision and pay me without his checking and approving it?”. Once again, she said NO! At this point I told her to inform him it would not be possible for me to discuss with her without wasting my time by repeating what had already been discussed, because s/he had not been briefed. S/he was away for about three minutes and returned saying he had given her some background, and said he wanted her to see the program sample I had shown him so she could get an idea of what we had discussed. About 5 minutes later we were done, and waiting for him to join us, so a decision could be reached. Some more time passed and then this UN-gentleman walked up to where I sat, and said “Please give me 2 minutes. I’ll be right back”. I nodded in understanding(STUPIDLY, as I was to later realise), and he went out the door. Five minutes later, a newspaper vendor came in and before he could say a word, the secretary told him to come back later, as her boss had gone out for lunch. On hearing her say that, I asked if indeed he had gone for lunch. She quickly responded that she had only said that to get rid of the vendor who had come to ask for the money owed him for papers delivered previously!(A voice in my head told me THAT was a bad sign). Speaking out loud, I said “It would be quite sad if I find out that he kept me waiting here and went off to have lunch!” She assured me that was not the case, but I ignored her, picked up my mobile phone and called him. He answered it after five or more rings and said “I’m on my way back”. Another ten minutes passed before he arrived. And when he did, he had a toothpick hanging from between his lips! I’ll leave you to make what you will of THAT… BUT It Could Have Been Partly My Fault: Looking back later on, I recalled that the number of times we had to re-schedule our agreed meeting dates - ALWAYS at his instance - was rather high. That should have alerted me earlier to the possibility that he was not interested in going any further. Sometimes, in a bid to make a sale one can become blinded to obvious signs that would normally provide timely warning to avert an eventual unpleasant experience. :-) 6. S/he’s Talking About Setting A Take-Off Date BUT Has Not Asked YOU How Much! No matter how ready a prospect appears to be, if s/he is not ASKING you about your fees and terms of payment etc, then s/he is still NOT ready! I had one not-too-pleasant experience early on in my business career because I did not take this aspect seriously. As a result, I ended up giving talks to employees of an educational organisation in six different branches located VERY far from each other, over a 6 week period, only to be asked to pick up a cheque for an amount that did not even cover the cost of fuel I had put in my car during that time! How could this happen? My inexcusable naivety as reflected in an unpardonable failure to discuss and agree in advance, fine details of my remuneration with the Executive Director(who as the cheque payment showed, was quite happy to have me work that way!), was the cause. I have learnt a lot since that incident that occurred back in 2002. TIP: Some Questions You Can Use To Quickly Assess Prospects’ Readiness Ask Questions That Extract The Truth. Some prospects are people who are never comfortable telling another person a direct NO. They are so concerned about not upsetting you, and try so hard to let you down gently by asking you to come or call back at an ever changing later date. This is why you need to ask questions that help you UNCOVER their real “feelings” as it were. I now outline a list of questions - in no particular order - that I routinely use, as the need arises, to quickly pre-qualify my prospects or gauge their readiness to buy. 1. “Just so I don’t take any more of your time in future than I need to. From what I’ve told you so far, is this a product or service you believe has potential benefits you would like to have in your organisation?” If s/he says NO, I thank her politely, give her a copy of my card, with an invitation to let me know if in future they find a need for my services and leave. 2. “Would you/your company be ready to put money into acquiring this product or service within the next 2 weeks to a month?” If s/he says NO, I do same as above or ask what timescale they have in mind, with a view to re-scheduling another visit or appointment, If S/he says YES, I go to the next appropriate question. 3. “Would you like to know how much it costs, and the options available, so you can make a choice?” 4. “When is the earliest time you would like to have this project completed ?” 5. “Are you speaking on a personal level about your needs, or referring to the company’s interest in this offer?” 6. “How do you want us to progress on this? Is there a specific date you want me to come in to pick up the payment?” 7. “If for instance you want me to start tomorrow morning, the agreed payment would need to have been prior to that time, to enable me commence preparatory activities. Would that be okay?” But Don’t Throw The Baby Away With The Bath-Water!(A True Story) I must point out here that the fact you decide to discontinue pursuing a sales lead with a particular prospect today, does not mean you should not try to reach him/her again in another three months or even earlier. People’s perception of their business/personal needs change over time. As a result, the guy who feels he does not need you to build a website for him today, may start looking for your business card in a bid to reach you two years from now - when he discovers for instance, two foreign clients he landed found him through his company’s address listing on the website of a product manufacturer he represents! If you fail to periodically run through your list of old/new prospects, and call or visit them, you could lose excellent sales opportunities. Actually, it was by doing what I just mentioned above - i.e. visiting an OLD prospect who I had not seen or spoken to in three years - that I recently landed a totally unplanned web design project(And to show how ready he was, he paid my FULL fee 100% in advance as I requested)! We already knew each other, and he recalled my two visits and the comprehensive outline of benefits I had told him he could look forward to getting from having an online presence. Most importantly, since the time he realised he needed the website, he had had cause to try engaging someone else to do the job, but - according to him - the person had not demonstrated as much interest as I had, in learning about the prospect’s business to show how the website could add value to it etc. The foregoing statement provides a clue to winning the prospect over: Make absolutely sure - through the things you say/do during your interactions - that s/he sees that you are truly PASSIONATE about adding VALUE to him/her in delivering your product or service. It will make a lasting impression that’s likely to work in your favour when s/he decides to make a choice. Other Strategies You Can Adopt 1. Use The Telephone To Get Appointments To Meet The Right Person: Get the person’s or company’s phone number(s) and call. You will use the telephone to test initial reception of your prospective client to your proposed offering. Your initial background research (maybe through websites, brochures etc) should yield useful names and possibly direct phone numbers. 2. Make Sure The Person Negotiating Your Fees With You/Giving You The Go-Ahead Is The Final Decision Maker. The right person would be one who is in a position to make legitimate recommendations for purchase or who can actually authorise/approve a purchase. Ask anyone who does not fit this profile to refer you to one who does. I have tried in the past to work with persons who did not fit the profile, just to see, and in EVERY single instance it turned out to be a waste of time. Final Words The above is not an exhaustive listing by any means, as I’m sure you know. Also, as with every other thing in life, the ideas offered here do not have universal applicability. Sometimes they will be relevant, other times they won’t. But very often just having to consciously apply them can be a useful process to go through as it helps to clear one’s thinking so as to be able to work smarter. YOU will naturally have had(and will still have) your own unique encounters. Reflect on those experiences and try to identify useful learning points. Add them to those you found in this article to be relevant to your needs - and hopefully, they will help you go about your business marketing more successfully. ———————————————————– Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist Tayo Solagbade - devotes his time to exploring new frontiers of Self-Development Education, especially as it relates to showing people what they can do by themselves, for themselves to achieve their set goals - DESPITE the limitations of their circumstances or environment. Work Smarter! Download your FREE copy of Tayo’s Excel-VB driven Customisable Personal/Business Contacts Manager by visiting http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tayo_Solagbade http://EzineArticles.com/?Six-(6)-Warning-Signs-That-Can-Help-You-Avoid-Wasting-Time-Marketing-To-The-Wrong-Prospects&id=380361 bad debts to credit bureaus high credit limit card for bad credit bad credit car loan butte with a low credit score where can i get a bank loan

Moderate Cold Hardy Traits In Date Palms And Fan Palms

April 22nd, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Patrick Malcolm The Canary Island Date palm, Phoenix canariensis, is one of the most sought after and spectacular palm trees seen in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Lower Texas, and coastal South Carolina. This large, formal palm tree, looks great when grown next to Mediterranean architectural structures at resorts and hotels, such as the Cloister Hotel, at Sea Island, Georgia, where the large Canary Island Date palms are planted and grown at the entrances to the hotels, and stretching up the boulevards as a street tree along Sea Island Drive. These Canary Island Date palms produce dates, but barely palatable; are very slow growing, and the unique triangular leaf scars are very ornamental. You can buy Canary Island Date palms in large specimen sizes that are extremely expensive, but small trees are reasonably priced at most nurseries. Other Phoenix Date Palm trees that show moderate cold hardy traits are the standard Biblical Date palms, Phoenix dactylifera; the celebrated plant of the Scriptures of the Hebrew Bible, documented thousands of years ago in Deuteronomy 8:8, “A land (Israel) of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of olive oil, and dates (palms).” A huge grove of these large date palms grow outside Yuma, Az, where the date products are harvested seasonally from the trees with tall ladders, as they have been for decades past. The Wild Date palm, Phoenix sylvestris, called the Sylvester palm, is not a fast growing date palm tree, but the blue-green foliage forms a large canopy of leaves that persists for years. The wild, large date palm tree, Phoenix sylvestris, can grow to 40 feet, but the trunk is slender, and this wild date palm will readily hybridize with other date palms growing nearby. You can buy large specimens of wild, date palm trees that are very expensive, but smaller trees can be purchased at reasonable prices. This palm tree has also been called a Toddy palm, because the sweet dates are harvested and fermented into an alcoholic drink, a Toddy. The Chinese Fan Palm, Livistona chinensis, is a well adapted tree to large areas of the South. The huge leaves are fan shaped (palmate), and not fast growing, but the large heavy leaves give a weeping appearance. You can buy these Chinese fan trees cheap, but almost any nursery sells them, and they can survive cold hardy temperatures, around 20 F. Mexican Fan Palm Tree, Washingtonia robusta, is also called the Washington Palm Tree, and grows faster than most other cold hardy Palm Trees. The fan shaped, bright green leaves are large, growing 6 feet long. Mature Washington Palm trees can grow 100 feet tall, and small Washington Palm Trees are so fast growing and inexpensive to buy, many people are planting them. Large Washington palm trees planted in front of motels at Waycross, Georgia, have survived extreme cold winters, and even when leaf canopies were frozen and black, the new shoots grew back in the Spring to renew their beauty. The European Fan Palm, Chamaerops humilis, also called the Mediterranean Fan Palm, is a beautiful cluster palm; a favorite palm tree planted abundantly at the Cloister Hotel, at Sea Island, Georgia. The European Palm Tree forms multiple, daughter, closely connected, palm trees that were planted and grown as circular groups, although if the daughter palm trees are removed after the trunks grow to 3 4 feet, single trunked specimens can be grown in the landscape. The leaves are very variable in color, from green to silver. This very delicately leaved plant is controlled by a graceful, slender trunk, that is embedded with long brown fibers. In Mediterranean areas, the European Palm tree is often grown as a street tree, planted in large containers. Its slow growing character makes the European palm tree well adapted for planting in pots. Learn more about various plants, or purchase ones mentioned in this article by visiting the author’s website: TyTy Nursery Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Malcolm http://EzineArticles.com/?Moderate-Cold-Hardy-Traits-In-Date-Palms-And-Fan-Palms&id=483114 what is credit report monthly credit card expense report sample credit cards for credit score around 500 illegally clear your credit score

Sales-Based Marketing in Coaching: A Risky Approach

April 20th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Simon Clarke The marketing paradigm that can literally make or break your coaching business… What’s the single most important process determining whether or not your coaching business is successful? The correct answer to this question can completely change your coaching business forever. It can change your perception of your business. It can change your focus in your business. It can change how you go about operating your business. And most importantly, it can determine the success or otherwise of your business. We asked dozens of coaches this question and got a broad array of responses. But only 4% of them were even close to the mark! Most coaches answered: quality service; number of clients; pricing; branding; advertising copy. …And whilst all these issues are critical, the single most important process is your marketing methodology. Whilst you must have all the other elements as well, it’s your marketing methodology that ultimately determines the success or otherwise of your business. Let us explain. Nearly all coaches use a marketing methodology that’s a sales-based marketing methodology. This is understandable as most traditional marketing methods teach sales-based marketing methods. We’re all impacted by sales-based marketing at every turn - on TV, newspapers, magazines, billboards, radio - everywhere. And when coaches research marketing methods, they are most likely to learn about traditional sales-based marketing methodologies - print ads (in newspapers, yellow pages, journals, magazines etc), direct telephone calls, radio, flyers, direct mail letters, etc. But there are several extremely powerful forces at play against coaches employing a sales-based marketing methodology. - Most coaches invariably feel uncomfortable delivering a ’sales pitch.’ Coaches generally have better technical skills than marketing skills. They’re therefore uncomfortable talking about themselves and endorsing the quality of their product. This means they don’t close, and comes across to prospects as a general lack of confidence in themselves, and their product and service. - Sales marketing is extremely expensive - narrowing your net margin on your service. The more you spend to get a client the less net profit you’ll retain at the end. - Generally people are very sceptical and defensive against sales approaches. This exponentially increases the barrier of making a sale. When you employ a sales-based marketing method, most prospects have already closed themselves off to learning about your services due to their natural tendency to put up a defence against sales-based marketing. - There is no trust and rapport built through a sales-based marketing approach. For a prospect to buy from you, there needs to be an element of trust. Your prospect needs to trust that you can deliver on your promises and that they’ll gain a positive return on their investment. This level of trust is extremely difficult to build through a sales-based marketing approach. - You build no reciprocal obligation on the prospect to investigate your offer or purchase from you. It’s a natural human tendency to reciprocate in kind what’s been given to you. You can not build reciprocal obligation through sales-based marketing. - You attract price sensitive shoppers and ‘tyre kickers’ that take up a lot of your time and result in extremely low conversion. - It’s difficult to maintain contact with prospects for long enough to build rapport and trust - it generally takes 4 to 6 contacts before a prospect will buy from you. So, we can hear you shouting “If sales-based marketing is not going to be effective, what’s my alternative to get clients?” The answer will be in the following articlestay close. Life Coaching Institute (Aust). If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article. For more information about the Institute please visit www.lcia.com.au/lz. Simon Clarke has over 15 years of experience as a writer, entrepreneur and business specialist. He is also the founder and Director of the Life Coaching Institute and the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors: both industry leading training providers in Australia and overseas. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Clarke http://EzineArticles.com/?Sales-Based-Marketing-in-Coaching:-A-Risky-Approach&id=290501 cbi credit report bad credit home finance fast student loans for bad credit what are the credit score ranges

The Top 10 Ways to Help the Downsized

April 19th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Martin Sawdon 1. Stay in touch and be there for them quietly. Because you hear nothing from them, it does not mean that they are OK.Because they have come through one bout of unhappiness successfully it doesnot mean that it will be the last. Call weekly. 2. Do they know how best you can support them? Some of us were brought up according to the independence model and haveto be introduced gently to the idea of support of any kind beingacceptable. Encourage those of this school to reflect on what would be mosthelpful and communicate it………And if nothing comes to their mindsimmediately, do not stop asking. 3. Never allow them to complain for more than 2 minutes before turning tosolutions. How many times have you felt positively revived, invigorated andinspired by complaining? Righteous, perhaps; justified definitely; butinspired? Positive energy comes from positive behaviours, so encouragefocusing on solutions and opportunities and do not allow them to focus onmisery for long. 4. Endorse their previous achievements and share your expectations of theireven greater future. Yesterday’s victories are sometimes drowned by the discomforts oftoday. Remind them of their previous achievements, not just at work but insuccessful relationships, in volunteering, health and fitness and otherareas of their lives. 5. Ask about their strategy and its implementation. How fulfilling was their previous work? What do they really want to beand do and is this not the perfect opportunity? What are the next steps andwhat is their timetable for taking them? 6. Are they familiar with the notions of Needs and Values? Unless our unique needs are met we cannot function well. Values are thestandards and principles towards which we are naturally attracted. How manyof us organize our lives (i) so that our Needs are met and (ii) to beoriented around our Values at work, at home and at play? Being downsized maybe the key to a new and more fulfilling life. 7. Offer to be someone to whom to report. Dealing with being downsized can lead to motivational paralysis orfrenzy. For some it is the opportunity of a lifetime, for others somethingfeared only slightly less than death. Help the paralyzed to overcome theirfear and procrastination by gently questioning them about their new journey;help the frenzied to direct their energy into a series of steps which leadin the same direction. 8. Know and share the value of humour. Humour is one of the great antidotes for stress. It’s hard to beanxious about the seriousness of life when one’s belly is aching fromlaughter. Be warned! Continuous belly laughing, apart from probably beingharmful, is difficult to sustain, but we can all achieve the same resultthrough laughter, smiles and chuckles. What makes the downsized in your lifelaugh? Help them find it daily and laugh with them. 9. Do they know about tests helpful for transitioning into new careers? Myers Briggs Personality Typing and the Strong Interest Inventory withits Interpretive Report are two tests useful to transitioners. They providevaluable suggestions and clues about career fields which may lead topersonal fulfillment. Are there other tests which YOU can recommend and canyou assist the downsized in the design of a process for ranking the resultsand validating what appears the most appropriate? 10. Teach them how to network and offer mock interviews. We hear that an amazingly high percentage of jobs are filled vianetworking rather than an advertised hiring competition. Help them listpeople with whom to network, research the companies concerned, prepare fortheir telephone conversations, deal with protective secretaries, preparetheir question list, develop strategy for calls and meetings. Ensure, too,that when they go into an interview it is not the first for 5 years. Whatquestions need they be ready for, what questions to ask and who is tocontrol the interview - again, what is their strategy? Copyright CoachVille ABOUT THE AUTHOR Martin Sawdon of Coaching-Works! has a passion for the creation of super-successful organizations - Sustainable Workplaces. As a coach he has been described as a velvet-gloved bulldozer and as a speaker, powerful, engaging, outstanding. To learn more about Martin and Sustainable Workplaces, Sustainable Relationships, and the Sustainable You, visit his website ==>http://www.coachingworks.ca Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Sawdon http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Top-10-Ways-to-Help-the-Downsized&id=115924 buy phentermine online overnight global pharmacy phentermine phentermine no prescription no doctor cheap phentermine no perscription

If your Wedding Day is in Winter

April 16th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Evie Lampard Some time ago, a young lady was complaining that the wedding day is near the corner and she has problems in winter with her over-dried skin. Many people, including me, have terrible skin problems during this season. Why? Because the over-dried skin generates more oil to make a balance, and that’s the component that clogs the pores. So it isn’t a good idea to over-wash or to be too eager to splatter around astringent containing alcohol. My advice is, if you’ve never used moisturizer, try it now! If you’re in the same situation and you decided to do your own make-up for your wedding, then go to a make-up counter on a very bad skin day and choose a foundation presenting a full coverage. The key is to use a foundation that is targeted to cover yuckies, an oil-free foundation that hides everything. So that you can put it on a nice light layer, rather than adding more of a translucent foundation. If the breakouts are mainly on your forehead, then the right hairstyle can cover them. But take care, this is a solution just for one day. Wearing permanent your hair that way, you will encourage the development of breakouts, but just in one single day nothing very important will happened. When you go to make-up counter, do not forget to buy a lipstick to add more color to your cheeks. But take care not to choose a pinky-red one as your blemishes, because a wrong lipstick use can make a blemish look five times worse than it is in reality. Evie Lampard is a freelance writer interested in sedu hairstyles and cosmetic tips. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Evie_Lampard http://EzineArticles.com/?If-your-Wedding-Day-is-in-Winter&id=242538 phentermine no prescription needed phentermine usa pharmacy tree top pharmacy phentermine phentermine diet pills without a prescription

Teacher Loan: A Loan Meant Only For Teachers

April 11th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steve_C_Clark]Steve C Clark In order to reach all the segments of citizens, lending companies devise different strategies to target different segments of clients. Teacher loan is one such strategy in which lending companies devise some special schemes of loan which can only be taken by teachers. This way it becomes easy for lenders to reach teacher groups at the same time, for borrowers who are also teachers it becomes easy to borrow. In most of the cases, teacher loans are unsecured loans. In case of unsecured loan, lenders do not ask for your home or vehicle to keep as collateral for the loan. It becomes easy to avail such loans for the borrower who does not own a house or has nothing to offer as collateral for loans. This is a major advantage of a teacher loan-that is even if a teacher does not own a property or he is a council tenant or a private renter, he has no problem in borrowing money. In addition, teacher loan can also be borrowed if the borrower/teacher had bad credit history. Eligibility for availing Teacher Loan: Must be a UK Citizen Must be working as a full-time teacher(few lenders ask for a certain minimum years of work experience, most common of which is-atleast a year old in current organization) Must have requisite educational qualification Must have a savings bank account Teacher Loan: Loan amount and Cost As a teacher loan is an unsecured loan, loan amount depends upon borrowers profile, which means loan amount varies from borrower to borrower. While deciding the loan amount, various factors are taken into account, which includes total work experience, salary, number of years in the current job, any prior record of successful payment, CCJ etc. However, the loan amount varies in between 1000 and 12,000. similarly, interest rate to be charged by the lenders depends upon the profile of borrower, income level and risk associated. A teacher loan is to be repaid over a period between 1 and 7 years. It all depends how much you borrow and how much you can afford to pay each month. A teacher loan can be used for any purpose, whatever, the borrower decides. He can use to buy a car, or to go for a holiday or to enroll for a professional development course, it can be used for any purpose. Steve Clark can tell you how to look better, live better and breathe better by giving you tips to improve your finances. He writes on loans. His ideas can help you rejuvenate your money. To find Personal loan UK, secured loans, unsecured loans visit http://www.ezpersonalloansuk.co.uk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_C_Clark http://EzineArticles.com/?Teacher-Loan:-A-Loan-Meant-Only-For-Teachers&id=306580 phentermine free online consultation buy phentermine yellow phentermine no prescription us pharmacy cheapest phentermine no prescription

Wedding - The Grandest Day in a Couple’s Life

April 10th, 2008 by delfinbaer

By Jennifer Daluro There are so many occasions that we celebrate, and for all of these moments, good preparation usually ensures perfection. This is very much true in wedding preparations, and these preparations do take a much longer time than the wedding day itself. However, for all the preparation weddings take, there are some things that are usually forgotten. Her Gift, His Gift When I say wedding gift, I do not mean the wedding gifts that the couple receive from their guests. I mean the wedding gifts that are given by the couple to each other. I do not mean giving themselves to each other as the wedding gift itself; they can also give a little something to each other to remember the day by. A perfect wedding gift for the bride usually is jewelry. Yes, she will have the wedding ring, but he can also give her a necklace to complement the ring or a simple bracelet with their names engraved. Likewise, the bride can give the groom a wonderful pair of cufflinks to go with his tuxedo during their wedding day. If they want to save some money, it can be a simple note that says massage, and he or she can claim it not during the wedding night itself but on a day when he or she really wants or needs it. It can even be a note that says romantic dinner for two. Do Not Forget the Shoes This is the one thing that is usually chosen at the last minute. When choosing the wedding gown or tuxedo, always think of the perfect wedding shoes that will complement it. For the bride, she can have it custom-made to fit her wedding gown, perhaps using some of the materials used in the gown instead of looking in countless shoe stores and malls, or she can even have it done with the same pattern of embroidery found in her wedding gown. However, if you are a practical kind of bride, go for those shoes that you can reuse later on. Just remember, choose the pair of shoes that you will be comfortable wearing since it is a long and special occasion. You will be on your feet and dancing a good part of the night, and you would definitely not want sore feet during that event to take away some of the fun. This also goes for the grooms wedding shoes. So Many Flowers to Choose From Yesthere are a lot of flowers to choose from, and it can be very daunting to go into a florist shop with no idea of what kind of flower you want during your wedding. The vast choices of flowers can also give you a headache. Thus, before you go into a florist shop, you can use the Internet to browse through different kinds of bridal bouquets and floral arrangements. You can even print them out and show them to your florist. If choosing the flower is really difficult for you, listen to your florist as they know what they are talking about but do voice out what you want to make the floral arrangements and bouquets more personal. Jennifer Jayne Daluro is a team member of Online Creative Solutions, an online company dedicated to providing article/content/copy writing, rewriting, editing, and proofreading services to webmasters and other publishers. Please visit http://onlinecreativesolutions.110mb.com/ocs.htm for Team OCS information, more content and contact details. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Daluro http://EzineArticles.com/?Wedding—The-Grandest-Day-in-a-Couples-Life&id=498717 phentermine pharmacy biz cheap phentermine free shipping buy phentermine mastercard cheap phentermine on line