Are Your Prospecting Results Disappointing?

Are you struggling with prospecting? My last post, "Stop Selling and Start Succeeding" was about relationship selling for sustainable, profitable sales results. Building quality relationships is a step-by-step process. The first step is prospecting, and getting it right is critical.

When I first began selling, I was not achieving my sales goals. My prospecting results were dismal. And if you can't get to first base, bringing the sale home is impossible. Prospecting is one of the most challenging stages of the sale. Laborious hours of cold calling, emails, and handshaking at events that result in many no's and few yeses is frustrating.

Acting on the belief that prospecting is a numbers game, I relentlessly pushed the stone uphill. I was convinced that my optimism, enthusiasm, confidence, determination, and persistence were the keys to my success. While a great attitude is necessary to become a top sales producer, more is needed.

My pitch and presentations were about my products and services, our impeccable values, and promises of successful outcomes. This me-centric sales practice was common. Our manager preached it, and we followed the plan, but I was not getting the desired results. Back then, there was less sales material available than what is currently published on a daily basis. I was in the dark searching for a solution.

Bill, a retired entrepreneur who led me to my career in sales, gave me the answer to my prospecting problems. He went back to the first time we met and showed me how my curiosity, fascination, and sincere interest in his colorful sales stories, inspired him to share with me. Bill explained, "This is acustomer-centric approach. And this is why I was motivated to encourage you to become a sales professional."

Bill showed me how the company I was working for used a sales-centric approach and he helped me understand the difference between the two. Focusing on client's stories, needs, wants, and problems, the customer-centric method; improved my prospecting dramatically. And my sales skyrocketed. Instead of feeling like a prisoner on a chain gang breaking rocks, prospecting became fun!

Sales-centric selling is a problem that persists today. Just this past month, I have been discussing this issue with a group of top sales and marketing consultants. We all agree that the vast majority of prospecting calls and emails we all receive are sales-centric messages and pitches filled with "me" statements, "my products, our services, our existing clients... " you get the picture.

An author recently sent me a short announcement for a book launch that concisely illustrates the sales-centric approach. To use it as an example, the title has been changed and body modified to protect the author:

"How to Prospect Successfully" - Book Sale by John Doe

My book is available!!! I'm so excited. I hope everyone will support me and enjoy their own copy of my book. Please share with friends and family. I am so passionate about prospecting and I am thrilled to be able to reach out to so many with my book. Proceeds from this month's sale of the book will support the "Alzheimer's Foundation of America." Please help support this worthy cause!! Use this link to order yourcopy today!!

Stats for this Sales-Centric Message:

• 8 "Me" words - sales-centric
• 1 "You" word - customer-centric
• 5 of the first 21 words are "Me" words
• Nearly 10% of the entire text is "Me" words

This is my rewrite:

"How to Prospect Successfully" - New Book by John Doe

Are you looking for a prospecting method to help you and your sales team achieve and surpass your revenue targets? Early in my career, prospecting was a struggle for me too. Forty years of my prospecting success is now available in this new book, written, just for you.

Proceeds from your purchases this month will support the "Alzheimer's Foundation of America." Please help support this worthy cause and improve your prospecting skills with a purchase at the link below.

Stats for this Customer-Centric Message: 

• 7 "You" words
• 3 "Me" words
• 4 of the first 20 words are "You" words
• Nearly 10% of the entire text is "You" words

How do you change from sales-centric to customer-centric prospecting?

If your prospecting messages are sales-centric, you're not alone. But now you know a major road block to prospecting success that is easy to fix.

To create powerful, customer-centric calls and emails you must "Know thy Client." Learn about their industry, who the decision makers are: their needs, wants, goals, and pains. This is the knowledge you need to create customer-centric messages that will attract your clients to want to do business with you.

"Me" messages say to your client, "You're not important, I just want the sale."

"You" messages say to your client, "You're important to me, and I'd like to do business with you."

Which type of message do you think will lead to greater sales success?

HTC One - Is It Really the "One"?

HTC One is a name which seems to be hanging on the tip of every smartphone lover's tongue these days, and rightly so, as this Android phone single-handedly managed to not only slow down HTC's downfall as a smartphone manufacturer, but also to revive a bit of their old glamour, by showing a reasonable profit. This requires some further explanation, and we'll be more than willing to oblige; Most of the users must be aware of HTC's resources dwindling during the last couple of years. Though the Taiwanese firm managed to launch quite a few handsets in the past couple of years, none of them showed the leadership quality which would make them being termed as the "Hot-Favorites" of the season. To add to this blow, a couple of HTC's high-ranking officials left their jobs earlier this year, stating they didn't see any future in the company.
When it seemed that all was lost, and the hour of the "Armageddon" was just a stone's throw away, the company launched the HTC One. When this device was first introduced to the market, it had to face an enormous amount of competition in the form of iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4, but still it managed to sail through and create a fan base, in fact this underdog even managed to outshine the above mentioned handsets in many countries. Though the heroic tales of this handsome piece of machinery are never-ending, this is not the reason why one opts for this device, the real reason why this head-turner is held in such high regard is because it looks awesome, and works even more efficiently.
When it comes to smart features in an Android phone, this device just falls short of slaying a dragon by converting into a Jedi sword or something, it supports BlinkFeed which makes you be a part of Social Networks or news and feeds, you want constant updates about, by placing them conveniently on your Home screen; the other important features included are Zoe which makes your very own live breathing gallery, which though seems freaky, is actually really awesome, it also features BoomSound, interactive TV guide, and Sense Voice which ensures call clarity, even when a "flash-mob" is performing right next to you.
The outer frame of the handset is pure aluminium, which makes it tough as well as gives it a really rich feel, something which was found lacking in the Samsung S4. The front of the frame has two stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers fitted right-above and just-below a massive 4.7 inch Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen, which feels ultra-responsive to use. This screen offers 469 pixel density and has been protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 2 while it is powered by HTC Sense UI v5. The front of this LTE supporting handset also offers a 2.1 MP secondary camera, which besides being brilliant for video chatting, also supports HDR, although the whole phone has proven to be something refreshingly new, the main innovation by HTC has been in the form of a rear 4 MP autofocus camera with LED flash, which comes installed with something called the Ultra-pixels, though many users argue that this sounds a lot like Nokia's PureView technology, which was introduced more than a year back, let us assure you it isn't! The ultra-pixels just fill in extra pixels wherever the camera couldn't manage to place them, making the picture a lot more lifelike by adding a whole new dimension of colors.
At the time of its launch this handset came running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS, which can now be upgraded to the latest version of Android which is being called the 4.2.2 Jelly Bean from your app store. Whether you want to juggle your way through screens, or load heavy websites, or open and use huge apps, you can do all this within a blink of an eyelid, as it is powered by a massive 1.7 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Krait 300 Snapdragon 600 processor with 2 GB of RAM and Adreno 320 GPU.
If you are planning to go in for this device, then you will be able to own it in either of the two 32GB or 64GB variants whose memories cannot be expanded, and in three colors which reportedly are Black, Silver and Red (which is a new addition). Using this phone even for a small duration is enough to make you realize that it is the 'One' you won't mind if not your entire life then at least the next couple of years with.

Avoid Mistakes, Confront Your Game Plan and Strategy

People are attempting to better their lives and circumstances by trying to make money online and ninety-eight percent are failing miserably. The only way to lower the odds against your success is by avoiding the twelve most commonly made mistakes that will lead to failure. Right now, it's time to confront your game plan and business strategy and get you on the right path! The third most common mistake I see is poor or non-existent game plan and strategy. Right now, it's time to confront your game plan and business strategy and get you on the right path! The third most common mistake I see is poor or non-existent game plan and strategy.

Take football and basketball for example. In them you see the chalk board filled with the team's game plan for the players to follow so they will succeed in their efforts of winning the game. Sounds easy enough but, what most don't realize is that plan on the board, consists of researched, studied and practiced strategies that have shown themselves proven to work. Even though there are many differences between sports and business, this concept is a necessity for both. Your business is no different!

I've noticed three different mistakes quite often made in this area of business. This first one, I find very irritating. The people that jump online one day and just decide they want to make money online. They have no proven strategy and no game plan. They expect to "fly by the seat of their pants" and get rich quick. Then there are people who have the game plan but don't have a proven strategy to base their plan on. Granted, this doesn't mean they are doomed for failure. It does mean that they will be more stressed and it will undoubtedly take longer for them to reach their goal. Finally, there are those who have a proven strategy but don't make a game plan with it. Taking action here, taking action there. Throw in some sporadic "BIG" actions and you'll have a great recipe for a big mess.

Having a proven strategy for success and a game plan to put that proven strategy in motion are two of the essential components to a business's foundation. These work as a guide, helping to keep actions consistent and on track. With-out these established in your business's foundation, your efforts will be scattered and inevitably leading your business to a path of disaster.

Your efforts don't have to be big or grand to help and make a difference in your business. They only have to be consistent. If you want to lower the odds against your success, you need to find your proven strategy and establish a game plan that is filled with actions you're able to do consistently. If you already have these, confront your game plan and find areas that can be improved.

Remember, you don't have to be a failure, when you can enable yourself for success!

Practice Your Communication Skills On Strangers

One of the best ways to improve your communication skills is to engage in conversation with complete strangers. Everything starts from scratch and it's easy to practice being curious, which is one of the best communication skills to master.

As an entrepreneur you should always be looking for opportunities to build your network and reach out to potential clients. And when you're clear on all of the aspects of your business, you can have an effortless conversation with anyone about what you do, who you work best with and the results clients get from working with you. If you have your 60-second commercial practiced and ready to use at all times, it's becomes natural. And you never know who might discover that your business is the answer to their need.

Consider this story. While sitting on the airplane on my way home from NYC I started a casual conversation with the person sitting next to me. I considered reading my book for a while and then working on my laptop, but I decided to engage in some friendly conversation with my seat mate to help pass the time. We talked about how great it is to have a direct flight, how long we have each lived in Hawaii, the people that we know, and he ended up asking me what I did for work. I described who my clients are, how I help them and the results that they get; he immediately identified himself as a potential client of mine. My intention was not to have a "sales" conversation at all. I just wanted to break up the time with some friendly casual conversation for a little while.

I'm innately a friendly and personable person, I don't shy away from talking to people and I'm genuinely interested in people's story. So when I have the opportunity to get to know someone, whether I will ever see them again or not, I take it.

Being open, courageous, and curious is something that I highly recommend that every entrepreneur be in the habit of. Talking with someone for the first time is a great way to practice all three! Even if the conversation doesn't offer an opening for you to share about your business, it's still a great opportunity to practice being curious and being interested.

Many people don't strike up conversations with strangers because they are shy and it's out of their comfort zone, or they are preoccupied doing something else at that moment. But we really do become best at the things we make a point to practice and if you try to engage in a conversation with a stranger, you'll be surprised at how easy it becomes.

Not just as an entrepreneur, but as a person conversing with another person, you want to focus on really listening first to what they are saying before you respond in any way. Your goal should be focused on making them feel important by asking questions that allow them to share something they are passionate about and, if appropriate, create a call to action such as meeting again sometime for coffee, a phone conversation or email follow up.

As you practice being more bold and courageous by taking the initiative to start a conversation, this will also boost your confidence. And you never know, you could discover a new business contact or potential client out of a casual friendly conversation.

Most Popular Websites Developed In Joomla

Are you a new Joomla developer? In that case, you must be knowing that Joomla is among the most popular CMSs preferred by developers across the world. If you do not believe that, then just read the following article. It features some of the most popular websites aropund the world, that have been developed in Joomla.

Linux

Linux is a popular example of high traffic Joomla based websites. This site is the central source to get any type information related to Linux. It has a simple, light and neatly designed interface interface with minimal menus, a pleasant slider showcasing images, another slider displaying articles, latest stories, latest questions, tutorials and other multiple modules, videos, social media integration and much more. Community Answer feature helps the Linux users to quickly find answers to their questions in different categories from visitors and other users.

The Hill

This one is a reputed electronic news website in Washington, D.C with 11 blogs dedicated to specific political and policy issues. This website has around 1 million unique visitors and over 5.6 million page views per month. It is loaded with lots of articles along with featured images, videos and social media integration, multiple modules, blogs and much more. It sets a perfect example to show that how easy it is to work with Joomla to execute loads of content in a much organized and efficient way. Each section is listed in the drop-down menus at the top left of the page. The site has a 'Disqus Comment' tool that enables the readers to comment on their page.

Harvard University

Harvard University is the oldest institute for higher learning in the US. Gsas.hardvard.edu (a sub-website of Harvard.edu) is the website for Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website. From here, the user can access directions, parking information, facts about the University, listings of events and exhibitions and much more. It has K2 extension installed for creating website content for news and information, images of university etc.

Joomla!

The official website of Joomla! itself is also built on the Joomla CMS. It is one of the most popular websites among the Joomla community. It has an average of 2.6 million monthly unique visitors and 61 million monthly page views. Any person who is a Joomla user, must certainly have visited this site many times. The site is loaded with numerous extensions like Phoca Documentation, K2 and many others.

These were just a few examples, numerous other popular sites have also been developed on this CMS. So now, you must be proud that you are into Joomla development services, which is considered as the best option when it comes to CMS based web development.

Search Engine Marketing: Exploit SEO Paid Search to Boost Your Profits Today

Paid search marketing (SEM) should be an integral part of every marketing campaign. It attracts prospects faster, achieves high ROI, and enables testing.

You may have heard about or read the many discussions of SEM vs. SEO. That's a misleading topic. SEO paid search and search engine optimization (aka organic search) offer pros and cons and complement each other.

Search engine marketing differs from or organic search in that it's paid advertising. Organic search generates lots of traffic, but it's not all encompassing. That's where SEO paid search or pay per click (PPC) advertising comes into play.

Let's look at the pros and the cons of employing search engine marketing.

Advantages of Search Engine Marketing

· Attracts Prospects Faster - Paid search marketing is as fast as search. Its immediate. In addition, it doesn't take long to create and optimize PPC campaigns. Whether your goal is to generate quick traffic to boost your website's popularity, broadcast a newly published white paper, or announce your company's participation in a trade show, SEO paid search gets the job done - fast.

· Achieves a High ROI - Your boss will love this one. Because it doesn't take more than one person to write pay per click banners, SEO paid search is inexpensive to implement. Besides this, PPC banners produce a high-level of clicks. According to research by Wordstream, SEO paid search generates 89% of traffic outside of organic reach.

· Targets Prospects Efficiently - With proper paid search management, you can target customers by geography (local, regional, national), by time (week days, weekends), and by platform (PC, laptops, tablets, mobile). Google provides these features in a recent upgrade to AdWords called Enhanced Campaigns. These changes allow marketers to adjust their settings to maximize the effect of all their pay per click banners.

· Enables Measurement to Improve Effectiveness - As pay per click banners grow excessively, standing out becomes more difficult. However, Google's Enhanced Campaigns offers improved measurement and reporting. It introduces more granular detail, down to the keyword level by device. Also, you can optimize PPC ad groups at the extension level: Sitelink, Call, App, and Offer. Previously, changing one extension reset your entire ad group data.

Disadvantages of Search Engine Marketing

· Difficult to Master - Writing pay per click banners appears deceptively simple. In reality, they're difficult to master. You must optimize PPC banner ads as well as write persuasive ads.

· Mitigation: Essentially, practice makes perfect. Including keyword-rich text, writing attention-grabbing headlines and testing often helps ease this task. Testing allows you to tweak and further optimize your PPC ads, selecting those with the highest click-throughs. Direct marketing techniques, supported by careful testing outperform. Don't try to be creative.

· Limits Textual Description - You're probably already aware PPC banners have limited space for your advertising copy. Specifically you have 135 characters to grab a prospect's attention and produce the desired response. You have 2 characters of text for your headline; 35 characters for your 2nd and 3rd lines each; and the rest for your URL.

· Mitigation: Being pithy is a must. Practice writing succinctly and persuasively. By that I mean writing both for the right brain as well as the left brain. Address emotions first and then logic. Howie Jacobsen recommends practicing by writing Haikus.

· Highlight Website Weaknesses - Once someone clicks on an optimized PPC ad, it should take your prospect to a landing page. Landing pages pay per click banners should look and feel alike. Unfamiliar looking landing pages make a prospect may feel lost resulting in a lost sale. Similarly, a weak call to action will cost you a converted prospect.

· Mitigation: You must write compelling, engaging and actionable copy.

All in all, search engine marketing extends your reach and compounds your results when combined with organic search. Clearly, SEO paid search has pros and cons. However, you can amply mitigate the disadvantages through careful paid search management.

Effective paid search marketing works quickly targets your prospects like a laser beam and does so affordably, even on a lean budget.

Work SEO paid search into your marketing mix, and you'll achieve measurable results that help you boost you're your profits sooner rather than later.

5 Most Important Marketing Pieces For Your Small Business

Business Cards
The humble business card is often considered the cornerstone of any marketing strategy. A business card serves many different purposes. It tells people who you are, what you can do for them and it gives them something to remember you by. It's best to have a powerful design so that the card can stand out among all of the others that the person has.

While the design should be powerful, the text should be simple. Just tell people what your name is, your occupation and how they can reach you.

Postcards
Direct mail advertising is still alive and well. Many businesses have exponentially increased their sales with a good direct mail campaign. While you can send letters, it's in your best interest to send a postcard. This allows the person to quickly read your message and see your design. Much like business cards, a good design will ensure that people notice your postcards.

You need a strong message and discount on your postcard. This will ensure that people read the message and buy whatever you are selling. Just adding a coupon code for 10 to 20 percent off will work wonders for your campaign.

Banners
Most small business owners don't understand just how powerful the large banner can be. It can easily attract someone's attention and it's much more noticeable than a small business card or postcard. The problem is that the banner is wasted if you don't use it properly.

If you have a physical store, then you should add signage around the store to make people buy certain items. If you are at a tradeshow or expo, then you'll need a banner to tell people who you are. Most people will only glance at the tables. Having a good banner can turn this glance into a new client.

Flyers
Flyers are similar to postcards because they need a strong message and a coupon to make people quickly buy your product or service. The only difference between them is that the flyer is bigger. This gives you more room to talk about your business, but you should still be brief. It also allows you to use a larger design, which can be beneficial.

These are used to make people buy now. They can also be used to tell people about an event that you are hosting.

Brochures
Many people don't understand the difference between brochures and flyers because they are similar. Everyone knows that brochures are folded and flyers aren't, but that's not their major difference. The brochure is used to educate the prospect. Instead of making him or her buy right now, this is for people that are unsure about your business.

You can use these to show prospects why you're the best choice. Coupon codes are a good idea, but they aren't essential. Brochures give you the opportunity to write a long message that people will read from beginning to end.

Conclusion
If you want the best marketing campaigns, then you need these five printed marketing materials. Not only have they proven their usefulness throughout the years, but they continue to help business owners make more sales. While there are many other useful marketing materials, these five are essential if you want new customers.

Tips to Get Guaranteed Quick Cash for Cars

Automobile owners may find themselves saddled with cars that they may have been planning to sell but were unable to find ways to get rid of them at the right price. In this article you can find out how to go about getting quick cash for cars based on the condition that they have been maintained.

Car owners are unaware that they can sell their automobiles quickly. They generally take the cash that is offered at the first opportunity. They do not try to find out if they can get more for their car when they wish to dispose of the same.

One of the first things to do is to get in touch with a removal service dealing in junk cars. These companies purchase old and used cars from owners without checking out the condition, manufacturer, model or make of the same. These types of services have been in operation for a long time but many people have learned how to make use of these services only recently.

Read the reviews to learn how satisfied clients praise these businesses and are happy with the prices offered by them for their services. You will be amazed to get quick cash for cars that are guaranteed. The added advantage is that you get returns within two to three days of disposing off the car! These service companies will take full responsibility of picking up the car from your residence and will also tow it away without charging you any fees.

If you research, you will find these service companies near your residence. Make sure that they are reputable and operate nationwide. You may be able to get rid of cars that have no titles provided you have the purchase deed and your name printed on it. You can negotiate and get a little more than you bargained.

The other option is contacting an organization that accepts donations. They are specially set up to purchase used items from people and use them for genuine causes. You can look up the internet and approach such an organization. It is important to note that they are recognized and reputed as there are many that carry out fraudulent practices. You may not get a fancy price but you can easily dispose of your car without any delay.

There may be a delay in getting rid of cars that are extensively damaged or wrecked. It may take more than 24 hours to get some company that can accept such cars. Approach these services to get their expertise and guidance on the subject of quick disposal. These types of consulting agencies will give you an indication of the price to expect and the methods to go about the purchase.

It may be necessary at times to take a risk when trying to sell your vehicles and get quick cash for cars. You can use the money earned to select another vehicle of your choice. Try to shop around for the best deal when you sell your car.

A Good Car Dealer

A car dealership has to make money in order to stay open. Obviously, customers bring in that money. So, if you want to keep your dealership running you have to care about your customers wants and needs. This goes all the way from the janitors to the CEO's. People want to feel like you WANT and NEED their business. As a woman whose husband, father, and grandfather are mechanics nothing irritates me more than sales people treating me like I know nothing about vehicles because I'm a woman. More and more woman are buying on their own. More and more woman are also learning how to care for their own vehicles. So, as a sales rep never assume a persons gender matters.

Not Every Customer Is Ready To Buy The First Time They Come In The Door

The next thing that I think more dealerships should be concerned about is when I go to look at vehicles sometimes I just want to browse for a little bit. When I am ready to get into one I will find a sales person. Having fifteen sales people flock to you and try to talk to you while you are looking isn't helpful it's over whelming. I also know that if I have a question about anything, I will either look it up online or I will find someone and ask.

Things I do like when I show up to a dealership is smiling and maybe an offer of a beverage depending on the time of year. An organized and well kept dealership and personnel is a huge plus to me too. When your employees and office clean and professional looking it makes me feel like you know what you are doing and talking about. That makes me more comfortable to hand over thousands of dollars.

Integrity Is Everything To Potential Customers

Nothing is more frustrating when a sales person tells you one thing, because they want to sound like they know their stuff and then managers telling you something totally different. Just be upfront and honest. This is part of why I like to go to smaller dealerships, because there is less 'cycling' of employees. I'm not sure what takes so long in the financing area, but I do not understand why it takes three or more hours to get financing done and paperwork signed. I've financed three vehicles and none of them took more than an hour to get done and me driving my new car.

I have had family members, however who have been at dealerships all day just to get everything done so they could take their vehicle home that day. I know that gets tiring for customers. I also think it would be great if more dealerships would introduce clients to the mechanics who will be working on their vehicles in the future. All vehicles are going to need work done even if it's just maintenance.

Keys To Sell A High Value Car

Most people have to deal with selling older cars that have quite a few miles on them and that maybe aren't worth all that much money anymore. But what if you have the opposite problem? What if the car you want to sell is a luxury model that's still worth over $100,000? That can be just as hard, if not harder, to sell.

For starters, finding a buyer with that kind of cash on hand is definitely difficult. You need to know where to advertise and how to promote the vehicle. You also need to be prepared to wait a bit longer to find the right buyer, since there will be fewer people around with that much money to spend on a used car.

Before you attempt to sell an exotic car, make sure you prepare everything beforehand. This means having all of the paperwork in one convenient location. You should also have a detailed listing of any extras or bonuses that will be sold with the car like a cover or toolkit. Extras like this are important on vehicles that are known for their brand identity as a luxury item and buyers will be keener to snatch up your car if everything is included.

You also need to determine how much you're going to charge for the car. This can be difficult since exotic cars are so expensive. You need to first look up the current value of the car on a site like Edmunds or Kelley Blue Book. This will tell you what the car is worth. Now, it's likely that you'll need to price the car a bit below this number depending on the number of miles it has and any other wear and tear.

You may need to look into specialty listings that display pricing for sports cars, since luxury cars aren't a commodity that's moved around as much as the standard vehicle. When setting the price, set it high enough so that you have room to be "talked down" a bit. Most buyers will want to negotiate, so make sure you'll make enough regardless to justify the sale.

When interested buyers call, be sure to provide them with all the information you can up front. This will save you all hassle later on. Be prepared to deal with very discerning buyers. This is a lot of money to spend on a single purchase! Finally, be patient. It may take a while to find the right buyer, but with time, you should fine someone that's a perfect fit.

How Can We Do Better ?

The World, Planet Earth is, or so it seems to me, beautiful. Actually beautiful, full of beauty only describes in part, the World that we have each been born into. There is a delicate and interconnected balance upon our planet that is actually beyond beautiful. Perhaps we have other more suitable adjectives to describe what we have been given? We can try incredible, awe-inspiring, breath taking, inspirational, but do these words fully describe the gift we have each been given?

So what exactly is the problem? May I suggest us; we seem incapable of fairly sharing, respecting what we have. Why should this be and where does the problem, the blame lie? Mankind's World has effectively been built upon four pillars, Christianity, Islam, Capitalism and Communism. So are these four fundamental foundations of civilisation at fault? In truth each of these core foundations could be perfect, but are they?

Here we come to the crux of mankind's dilemma in the 21st century, us, each and every one of us. Just how important are we as individuals? I believe incredibly so and we now number eight billion. Some examples of our collective importance, will the fly that impacts a train head on slow the train? Imperceptively, microscopically, yes it will. Can the wings of the Butterfly affect wind movement in China? Again, yes. Will the ripples of the tiny pebble thrown into the lake reach the shore? Again yes. Now, if we time's by eight billion these minor events, what would be the outcome? The accumulative effect would be dramatic, derailed trains, hurricanes in China and tidal waves within that lake.

So back to the core issue, can we do better? None of the four pillars of civilisation are at fault, we are. Was communism doomed to fail? No if applied in the spirit in which it was intended, it could have been perhaps the fairest system of caring and sharing on Earth. The two major religions could and should be an inspiration to us all. The two masters upon whom these religions were founded preached self fulfilment, enlightenment and inner peace. Should that not be and aspiration worth striving for?

So where does the problem lie if not within the opposing systems and religions, within us, each and every one of us. Whilst individually our foot print is as the Amazonian Butterfly, we are many. This World that we have each been born into is so delicately perfect, so beautifully inter dependent, yet we seem unable to grasp that reality and that is our tragedy.

Why do we stampede through this Garden of Eden like frightened Elephants? Simply because we have allowed ourselves to become disconnected from the whole of creation of which we are only part.

Can we do better, well we cannot do much worse can we? Somehow we each need to find an inner contentment, a peace and font of happiness. Perhaps, just perhaps as more and more people realise that contentment comes from what we are, rather than what we have, life on Earth will improve.

If and when that happens, our beautiful World will begin to heal. Luckily for us, nature has remarkable powers of regeneration; so far, we do not push it to the point of extinction.

Lonely Heart

A lonely heart, filled with sadness, once was so full of life. Two hearts were beating as one for such a long time. Time was their friend, adventure was their middle name.

Sitting curled up in each other's arms they've watched many sunsets. The seagulls flying overhead made them smile as they watched them fly off in the distance. The sounds of the waves coming into shore took away all thoughts, leaving them feeling peaceful.

This was only one day of a life that was so full of wonderful memories. This is not a sad story, but one of lessons. You see, there are people in the world who have never loved, they are afraid of love. Either they loved and lost, or didn't know where or how to start.

Life goes on; some days are easier than others. If you have experienced the loss of a mate, you can carry on. One way to show your respect is to carry one of their good qualities or traits with you. If a person's passion is gardening, learn something from them and carry it forth, either for yourself or for someone else to learn.
You can never regret love. Your heart and soul needed to know what it felt like when in love, and your heart and soul needed to know what loss felt like. I often wonder why people are so lonely. Did they give up after a few bad relationships? Did they think that life only held one soulmate for them?

To me life holds many soulmates, each one comes in at different times in your life. You grow, your opinions change and your likes and dislikes change. So, unless your partner grows with you, it would seem that the commonalities are no longer there.

The best way to truly honor someone that is no longer in your life is to take the best part of them with you. By this I mean, if the person had a very loving trait, or was charming, or was an awesome cook, take the best part of the person and bring it with you.

If you are lonely, make sure that you want to change. Deep down you might not be over someone and you aren't ready to move forward. What are you afraid of? Fear is crippling in itself, rejection comes and goes, build up your confidence and get out more.

When you say a person's name constantly, you are not moving forward. It is when you stop mentioning their name or title, my ex, and then you are ready to move on. And do you know what? Other people will notice that you stopped talking about this person and they will know that you are ready to move on. Have you ever been around someone who is constantly talking about their ex-girlfriend, ex-boyfriend, ex-wife, or ex-husband? That is ALL they talk about, they can tell you every move that they make, or are going to make! This is the person that is still attached, and can't move on. Other people see it too.

3 Tips to Write Super Sales Copy

Recently I have been meditating on something that I never thought of before. The connection between my brain and copywriting. And so, I am developing these 3 tips to write a super sales copy.

You might wonder what copywriting has to do with the brain? Each one of us obviously has a brain. Well, really we have two brains, the right brain and the left brain. They are not one and the same. Each one fulfills a very specific function and works completely independent of the other.

Let's talk about the left brain as a way to explore those 3 tips to write a super sales copy. The left brain is what most of us, especially in the west, use. It handles the logical, rational functions. Throughout our school years we learned to develop that brain. Learning and remembering facts. In a test, we are given a question, and we spit out the answer that has been given to us before.

The world makes sense. It is logical, scientific. This happens because of this and that. There has to be an explanation for everything that happens. When we write our sales copy, we bring the function of the left brain into our writing. It is logical. It makes sense. We proceed in the form of cause and effect.

But guess what? No one wants to read our fantastic sales copy. People skim it. You know why? Because it is a real chore to read it. It is dull, boring. Bottom line? Your sales copy is not successful. So what do you need to do?

You need to use your other brain, your right brain. Your right brain fulfills a totally different function. Yet that brain has been totally neglected, especially by those of the Western culture. The right brain has the creative function. It is from there that we get our intuitions.

Our right brain is responsible for imagination. How about putting some imagination in our sales copy? The artists, the singers, the painters use the right brain. It is the emotional, passionate part of ourselves. Left brain people or those from an Anglo culture tend to be afraid of emotions. But it's okay to have emotions, to have passion. These are attributes that will bring excitement in your sales copy and bring successful response.

There are many ways you can turn on your right brain. You don't need to practice yoga or TM or some esoteric disciplines. There are many simple techniques you can use to get in touch with your right brain. The result will be an interesting, unique sales copy that will emotionally hook your prospect and motivate him to push the buy button.

A Quick and Easy Guide For Writers

Words I often hear from clients are these: "I'm slow at writing and frequently get stuck. I wish I had a magic want to enable me to concentrate on writing and improving and work faster!"

This is an incredibly common problem - slow writing and getting stuck - even for experienced authors. This is because self-doubt creeps in for so many writers and they start wondering if they are writing a 'good enough' book.

The trick is to set aside thinking time and to plan out your book out before you start writing. I strongly recommend you do this for any type of book. This is because it's so much easier to alter a one-page outline than a 300-page book if you suddenly decide your hero should be a heroine or that your book should be written in first person rather than third person!

Jeffrey Archer, for example, lays down on his bed for a while before starting his writing each day. This helps separate from his daily life and allows him to submerge in his fictional world.

It might feel slightly uncomfortable setting aside 'thinking time' as you may feel like you're doing 'nothing' or may be keen to get cracking with writing your book. But it really is worth setting aside time for planning before you get started and even when your book is underway.

You can plan out your book in a simple way using post-it notes and a series of bullet points. Or you can do it more comprehensively. Barbara Taylor Bradford wrote a 100-page outline before she event started 'A Woman of Substance' for example. John Gray (author of 'Men are From Mars, Women Are From Venus), on the other hand, always tries out his ideas for at least a year on his clients before putting them in his books.

Conflict is the motor that drives any plot. So, if at any point, you are wondering why your story has ground to a halt, just think of a fresh challenge for your characters to get the story rolling again. This can be a small internal challenge, such as conflict in a character's mind, or it can be a much more dramatic external conflict.

The same applies to non-fiction books. If your plot grinds to a standstill, ask yourself if there are enough challenges, problems or conflicts to be overcome.

Also try to set yourself a writing target each day if you can - such as 1000 words or 3000 words. A standard book is approximately 70,000 words in length. So by setting yourself a target of say, 1500 words, you will reach your goal in under 28 days. This will give you a solid first draft that you can then edit and re-edit to your satisfaction.

I have a number of clients who have written their entire books in two to five days using this approach. However, one of the wonderful things about breaking down a book into a 28-day writing plan is that the 'impossible' suddenly seems much more achievable. You're not trying to tackle the mountain in one go which would be exhausting. You have a clear strategy - with achievable daily goals - that will get you to where you want to be.

Is IOS 7 the Best OS Platform That Apple Has Created?

The recent updates by Apple have created a lot of hype in the technology market. The announcement of iOS 7 has created frenzy amongst technology users world over. Google too has announced updates related to its operating system. However, there are a lot of things that one requires considering if they are to purchase the latest Smartphone. It is not only about the latest technology but also about the best platform that any device has to offer.

Let us try to understand these two OSs and find out which one is better:

User interface

Apple has announced a total rehash to its old look replacing it with a new-look in its iOS 7. The Control Center for instance appears translucent and it enables easy navigation and swipe through the bottom of an iDevice. You can easily access various features, functions, media controls and screen settings. You can even access various apps on your lock screen. However when we compare it with the Android platform it seems to be quite similar in functionality with respect to tweets, e-mail messages, sports scores and a lot more.

It seems that Apple has created more of a neat look with everything stacked well including notifications and home screen menu. But Android is more complicated.

Multitasking capability

Apple introduced the ability of mobile multitasking recently but it also seems to successfully run multiple apps without consuming too much battery power. Your iPhone can easily recognize how an app will affect the battery and adapts to it accordingly. It analyzes how it can allocate battery power according to apps. The Android OS keeps any app running at the background of your device thus consuming RAM. Unless you have quit an app, it will keep running even if it is for a long time. This indicates that the Android has yet to develop a smart system for battery conservation.

Mapping functionality

When it comes to Maps and Mapping, Apple has received quite a lot of negative feedback from its users. Still Apple has not released any latest maps or talked about improving it. The 3D maps and search function for its OS X Mavericks is all what we know about. Nonetheless, the multi device approach with maps is something to appreciate. You can search for a location, save it and access it from across all your iDevices.

Google has taken Maps to the next level giving users an easy technology platform to operate and get along with. The best part of Google Maps is its accuracy of geographic locations in accordance to navigation. This is essential when a user needs to turn-by-turn directions in any given area. Android is commendable in this respect.

Browser Features

The recent developments in the Safari browser give you a fascinating full-screen view. This again seems to be an inspiration from Google Chrome that has been long ago incorporated by Google. In Android OS the search bar is hidden, it can be revealed with a swipe. The tab view too is adopted by Apple. Here again it seems that Android is a winner as Apple seems to have merely copied it.

Voice Assistance

Siri by Apple is the most talked about voice assistant. A voice assistant seems to be a necessity these days in Smartphones. Siri helps you toggle controls related to Bluetooth and other settings. Its integration with social media like Twitter, Bing and Wikipedia is appreciable. The introduction of 'in-car' system is yet another interesting addition that will help a driver to stay eyes free from the device. Apart from the 'in-car' software Android has it all. In this category it seems both are equal. Right from getting baseball scores, to movie schedules and travel times, you have it all on voice command.

Streaming music

The streaming music service provided by both is slightly different. The iTunes Radio is quite similar to Pandora; whereas Google gives you All Access with services similar to Spotify. However with Google's All Access, you have the freedom to create stations based on the choice of your songs or artist. This way you can tune into your favorite song and album with ease. This function is not present in iTunes as you can only tap to purchase the music.

Again it seems that Android wins this category as everyone enjoys customized music libraries and music streaming.

Conclusion

While there are still talks about the latest updates from Google but if sources are to be believed there are more to come. Additional features and user-friendly functions are some of the additions that Google is about to introduce. However, it is your decision whether you want to select iOS or Android because each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

As a senior tech support engineer at Qresolve.com Brandon Malcolm Smith has been offering online tech support to global customers for issues related to laptops, desktops, Mac and devices including iPods, tablets, iPhones and more. Moreover he is an avid writer of articles and blogs that are aimed to help Internet users. His areas of interests include computer support, tech support, emerging technologies and awareness on tech support scams.

iPhone 5 Review

Aside from the genius Steve Jobs' marketing, Apple has a multitude of benefits with its products and is able to satisfy even the most exquisite requests. iPhone 5 doesn't make such a technological outbreak as the one in 2008, it is just a worthy successor to the iPhone 4s.

Following the traditions of Apple quality and functionality, iPhone 5 is a sophisticated tool, which is not only used for calls and texting. It is your mobile assistant, scheduler, high speed Wi-Fi Internet access tool, camera and music player, TV and radio.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

iPhone 5 mostly looks like its predecessor, long and thin with a large touchscreen. The default colors of the case are black and white, but there are also custom cases with original and exquisite painting available from many manufacturers. The screen is about 5 inches in diagonal, which allows to have an additional row of icons visible onscreen. The case is made of aluminum and is very smooth and convenient.

Stylish and convenient, the new iPhone 5 is perfectly shaped for one-hand writing; it doesn't feel bulky and you don't have to operate it with 2 hands. All the functions work rocket-fast, allowing you to fully enjoy the performance and superior quality of the Apple product. Browsing the internet, listening to music, keeping in touch with your friends online via Facebook or Twitter, performing any kind of entertainment is swift and easy.

The 8 megapixel front and back cameras allow taking photos and shooting films of unrivaled quality. Sound from the speaker is loud and clear both during the calls and when listening to music or radio. Ear buds may look small; however they fit into your ears nicely and provide good sounding during long subway rides, etc. The ear bud cable is rather thin and the connector is rather short, so be careful when dealing with them as you normally would with such precious little masterpiece of high technology.

As there is nothing perfect in this world, there is one rather small flaw - the Google maps. They work, but the results they provide are somewhat awkward and inaccurate and it would not be honest from our side not to mention this, as many customers complain about this feature. It is recommended to not use this app until official Apple update on the matter.

iPhone 5 is truly a masterpiece, reliable and convenient, stylishly designed and masterfully produced. Choose it as your new mobile device and you will not be disappointed!

Tricks of the iPhone Trade

The world of Smartphone has initiated a great change in the lives of the people. Today, owning a Smartphone has become the latest trend and fashion among the generation. It clearly follows the message; 'have it, flaunt it'. From Apple, Blackberry, Samsung, HTC to Nokia, every manufacturer in the world is joining the league of introducing the latest models in the market in quick succession. The phone that you desired and coveted until few days ago seems to get completely out of fashion within months of buying.

Now, when it comes to coveting the Smartphone of dreams, the Apple iPhone undeniably stands a clear winner. Today, 6 out of 10 gadget lovers in the world want being noticed carrying the latest model in hands. It might sound astounding, but let us face the truth. The increasing sensation in the world of mobile has left everyone craving for a new buy. What tends to be more surprising is the trend of selling the old and existing iPhone for buying the latest model in the market.

The choice of handing over the old phone to a friend or someone from the family surely does exist, but isn't the idea of generating cash through it emerges to be much better? So, how to sell iPhone? In today's age when selling off the old model has evolved as a habit among people, the quest seems to be quite common. Well, in simple words, all you need to do is have patience and rely upon few clicks.

Tips to Follow

1. Sell as soon as possible: If you really need to sell and is determined, then do the needful as soon as possible. Holding onto your phone without any reason will hugely affect the amount of cash that you are likely to get otherwise. Since, maximum people want to upgrade to the latest model, the old ones lose value drastically. Therefore, the faster you get it off the hook, the better benefits you receive. It is this simple.

2. Do your homework well: Selling off the old model in no time surely does not imply doing so in a hurry. You must remember to do your research well. The best idea always tends to stick with shopping around a bit. After all, you need to know the best price of your phone and get the best deal possible.

3. Erase your phone completely: Always remember you are about to hand over to your phone to a stranger. Therefore, erasing all personal data from your handset including photos, music collection, videos, contacts, and messages is must. You would definitely want to avoid being a victim of circumstances. Additionally, jailbreaking your phone also helps increasing the value of the same.

Sell your Old Model to a Company

Well, the choice might seem new to you, but selling your old model to a company surely stands a prospective alternative. You will find a number of companies offering the service of buying your old and used handset for better cash. This would definitely save all the hassles and pain that you otherwise have to undertake while dealing with classified websites. All you need to do is submit all the necessary information regarding the iPhone, prior to receiving the quote. Once, the deal is set, you can go ahead, ship your phone, and wait for the payment to be credited in your account. This complete guide of how to sell iPhone is sure to help you take a calculated approach towards a new buy.

Protect Your Retirement Account

Protecting your retirement account while still allowing it to grow is easier than you think. Safe investing for your future can be accomplished if you take a few critical precautions.

These precautions do require you to exercise some control over your retirement account. This doesn't mean you have to devote all your time and energy to it, but at least 20 minutes a week or an hour once a month will be enough to protect your account and sleep soundly knowing you are following a path of safe investing.

The critical steps or rules are:

• Diversification
• Stop Losses
• Choose

Diversification

Putting all your eggs in one basket, everyone knows, is never a good idea.

This is no different than investing in just bonds, or like my mother-in-law, putting all her money in one stock. AT&T was a great investment until it was broken up into separate companies. Likewise, furniture companies might have been great until the last recession came along.

Whether you invest with mutual funds, ETFs or individual stocks your retirement account has a better chance of growing without major losses if it consists of a variety of positions. These holdings should be different, not necessarily different mutual fund companies, but of different industries or businesses.

Five to eight investment positions will give a good level of diversification. And the diversification should include positions that will include growth potential along with those providing stability.

Stop Losses

Profitable investing requires selling.

Let me repeat that: profitable investing requires selling. Unless you sell a fund or ETF, profit is never realized. Yes, on paper it may be worth more than it was when you bought it, but until you actually sell it, there is no real profit.

Since almost every stock or fund goes down at some time, it is essential that when you buy a fund, for example, you also realize you are going to sell it.

A principle of safe investing is to set "stops". This means that somehow with your online broker, over-the-phone broker or via investment software, you are going to say, "when this ETF drops X% it should be sold."

By setting stops you protect your retirement account from dramatic losses and ensure you will make a profit when a position, even your favorite stock, starts to go down. Without "stops" you can suffer dramatic losses - like many did during the 2007-2008 recession.

Choose

The choice of how you protect your retirement account is yours. Just like picking which streets to drive on, or which busses to take, the route for protecting your retirement account is yours to choose.

Whether you decide to use investment software or an investment advisor or your broker, the choice is yours.

In any case to secure your financial future you need to be sure your money is protected.

• If you choose an investment advisor - does she put 'stops' on each investment position? And do you agree with these stops or his 'stop' philosophy? How will she diversify your account?
• If you choose to allow your broker or an account administrator to manage your future, the same questions apply: will there be 'stops' and diversification that is agreeable to you?
• If you choose investment software so you can pick the route your financial future follows, will the investment program allow you to set 'stops' on your holdings? Can you diversify with multiple positions or strategies? Will it, perhaps, even give you a market exit signal for when the market is in a broad decline and you need to move your money elsewhere?

By choosing a route to protect your retirement account your will be less likely to suffer major losses in the future and more likely to reap strong profits and meet your retirement goals.