Yesterday I received a phone call from an acquaintance that I’ve met once or twice but haven’t seen in over a year. She wanted to let me know that she was referring me to a client of hers who needed help with his Web site copy. Although I hadn’t thought about her in months, she mentioned that she’d received a postcard from me for the past two quarters and that’s why she instantly thought of my services when her client voiced his need. Although it wasn’t really magic, it sure felt like it. That’s the magic of keep-in-touch marketing people remember you and feel like they know you, and eventually, they often give you business or refer others to you.
Want to develop some “keep-in-touch magic” of your own? It’s easy. You’ve probably got a number of names in your contact database, but when was the last time they heard from you? If you’re like many business owners or marketers, you spend more time looking for new business than keeping in touch with your current and former clients. But nurturing the relationships you already have is crucial to growing a successful business. And finding a way to keep in touch with those contacts on a regular basis is integral for keeping yourself and your business on their minds.
Many of the best methods of “keep-in-touch marketing” involve writing and that may be why lots of businesspeople don’t do it! But writing doesn’t have to be a chore; just keep in mind that the point is simply to keep in touch, not necessarily to make an immediate sale. If you approach keep-in-touch marketing as just that, a method of staying in contact with friends and associates, you’ll take the pressure off yourself to craft the perfect sales pitch. And there are a number of methods for keeping in touch, so you can choose the ones that work best for you and your business. Here are a few to think about:
Postcards. As in the example mentioned above, simple postcards can do the trick without investing much time or money. Use them to communicate upcoming sales, new products, or simply to remind people of your services and the value you can offer.
Thank-you notes. More personal and less regular than other forms of keep-in-touch marketing, the old-fashioned thank-you note can work wonders for your business. I once heard the owner of a successful travel agency say she writes at least one thank-you note every day, and people always remember, often saving her notes for years. Send personal thank-you notes when someone takes you to lunch, gives you a referral, or provides a service that helps you do your job better. Be creative there are numerous reasons to thank people. You can do the same with congratulations notes.
Newsletters. Electronic newsletters or print newsletters are perfect vehicles for keeping in touch with your clients and prospects. You can use them to provide useful information, industry news and tips, and build an ongoing rapport with your readers at the same time.
Miscellaneous Mailers. Mailers can include anything from an announcement of an upcoming sale to a holiday greeting. A local company that designs diamond link bracelets sends reminders just before Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and other special occasions to those who have bought starter bracelets from them. The clients are reminded of a great gift for the upcoming occasion, and the jewelry company usually gets a lot of business.
Whatever method you use for keeping in touch, keep in mind that your main idea is just to remind people that you’re still around and that you have value to offer. Of course, it’s always important to write correctly and creatively, and to provide your contacts with useful information, but for these projects your main purpose is simply to keep in touch.
Get started, and experience some “magic” of your own!
Nancy Jackson creates powerful marketing communications for companies of all sizes. For tips on better writing and communications, subscribe to her FREE newsletter, “Marketing Tips from The WriteShop,” at: http://www.writeshoponline.com.
Q: Why are hotel shower heads SO low? I mean, I pretty much have to squat the entire time I am in there.
A: Funny you ask that, I was staying at the Radisson Gateway in Seattle one time, a great hotel by the way, however the shower was basically spraying me in the stomach even at its highest setting. I am not sure why I was complaining so much because my roommate who was 6′5 probably had a worse time than I did. I bet even if he sat cross legged in the bathtub his eyes would still be parallel to the shower head.
In order to fully get the shampoo out of our hair we had to pull “rock star” type poses where our one foot was way in front of the other and our head was tilted so far back that we could see the wall behind us.
I have heard there is a hotel shower head installation committee which provides the standards for installing shower heads and it’s based on their design that the shower heads are placed where they are. An interesting tidbit of information that you may want to know is that the average height of this committee is 5′2.
Check out Manoj’s personal website and Blog: http://www.manojknows.com/questions.asp and http://relationshipsbymanoj.blogspot.com
One morning a friend of mine was running late for class at school. His wife was
throwing together some kind of breakfast while he gathered his laptop, notebook,
and picked out the books he was going to need for school that day. He zipped up
his pack and ran outside to warm the car up. Except, there was no car. It had been
stolen. My friend ran into one disappointment after another that week as he first
found the insurance company wouldn’t pay for a rental, then that the damage the
thief did to the car would only be covered up to the deductible and that somehow
he was going to have to come up with the 500 dollars before the car could be fixed.
He had supposed he had done due diligence by going to one of those car insurance quotes sites and finding
the lowest priced quote. He had thought by getting cheap car insurance he had beat
the system somehow. In reality, his cheap car insurance turned out to be crappy car
insurance. His problem stemmed from a lack of information about his car insurance.
Before you buy your next auto insurance policy be sure you know all of the facts
about the company’s service policies. Cheap car insurance is only cheap if the
product is as good as the more expensive car insurance. A good place to start is
with a free car insurance quote, however obtaining an auto insurance quote is not
going to be enough unless you know what kind of service you expect and whether
or not the company quoted will provide it. The two A’s will keep you straight. They
are, Assets and Assistance.
Assets
You want to make certain that your car insurance quote includes every asset you
could want or need in an emergency. When you are high and dry without a car, will
your insurance cover your transportation needs? Check to make certain that the
company you are buying car insurance from will provide you with an auto rental if
something goes wrong. If your car is stolen–as my friend’s was– undrivable, or in
the car repair shop for a few days you want to make certain that a car will be
available to you. If not, you will be forced to call your in-laws and give them one
more reason why you aren’t good enough for their daughter. Check that you have
road-side assistance, some variation on lock-out service, and towing service
provided by some insurance company. Remember the car insurance quote is only
low if the car insurance product is good.
Assistance
Find out what the auto insurance company’s customer service is like before you buy
from them. How do you find out something like that? First, there is no way to know
for certain what type of people you will end up dealing with, but there are ways to
know the probability of having a good experience. First, there is the low tech way of
asking your family and friends what their experiences have been. The lemon auto
insurance companies will immediately pop up in a network search of that kind, but
let’s say that you are a hermit and have no family or friends, or like one friend of
mine, your family is all from the catskill mountains without cars or running water. If
that is the case then you will need to try the high tech method: use the internet. One
way is to make use of the Better Business Bureau’s search engine. At www.betterbusinessbureau.org you can find if
any complaints have been registered against the auto insurance company in
question and whether or not the company has resolved those complaints. I have
checked the auto insurance companies that have treated my family poorly and they
all seem to have a complaint–not made by me–against their name.
Another way to check the customer service of a company is to find a claims
telephone number on their website and call it up. If their claims people are nice to
you, the likelihood of the customer service being a positive team has just raised.
After you have assessed the courtesy level of the auto insurance company’s service
department, then politely thank them for their time and hang up. No explanation
necessary, they will just move on to their next call without giving you another
thought. This technique is based on the theory that there are two kinds of
companies: the ones who stock their sales teams with friendly people and put all the
low-paid mean folks in their claims departments and the ones who stock both with
friendly, professionals. Usually, this simple test will tell you the type of company
with which you are dealing.
If the quoted auto insurance policy has both the assets you desire and a high quality
of customer service, then the quote is a true quote. Remember if you think you
might end up actually using the car insurance–which we should all assume we
will–then check these two things before running after the apparently low
premiums.
Kinney Dancair is a writer with interests in finance, real estate, and business. Find
free quotes at: http://www.1carinsurance.org
Marital aids are terrific; sexual toys are one thing that will not ever have a an issue spending minutes with yourself until it gets you off. Toys have been all over the place for years, from the carrot in the olden days through to the incredible and high tech sex toys available online today.
If you yourself think that your sex life is in need of quite a bit of urgent attention then vibrators are brilliant to add that extra sex spice you yourself are looking for. You might use sex toys with your sex friend or on your own and the orgasms is endless, just use your naughty imagination. Never spend the night alone with Sex Dolls available from Sex Bomb.
At times it might seem that sensual toys are only designed for females, well if you have ever been to an enormous sex store you would happen upon loads of dildos for men. They stock everything from masturbators to penis vacuums. lads sometimes feel embarrassed about buying x rated toys for themselves, nevertheless with the www now readily around to everyone you could save any embarrassment and purchase online and get a penis sleeve delivered in plain packaging. If you don?t know which sex toy to order first you can constantly speak or write to the customer service women for their sex toy advice.
Well there sure is a whole lot of discussion these days with regards to sex abuse in the world. We have Catholic Priests molesting children, child sex slaves in many countries and abductions all over the place. It is hard to say if there is more of this lately or if indeed the media realizes that people are very upset with it all?
Recently in an online forum think tank a gentleman got a little carried away with all this and discussed that all this sex abuse in the world is not directly related to the Clinton-Lewinsky situation, but the Abu Grave scandal. In fact he stated:
“Sex Abuse and Mind Control Starts at the Top” and “If you take the time to verify (do your own searches) you will agree that Monica was a PG scandal, whereas, this is XXXXXXXXXXXX+”
Of course after stating this he tried to re-direct everyone to his Blog where he really got into some real conspiracy type stuff, way over the top. So another member of the online group challenged him on his claims and how he tied all this in with the Abu Grave Scandal. The other think tanker asked:
“Are you implying that the Monica Lewinsky, was peanuts compared to the Abu Grave Prison events? If so, why do you say that? The Abu Grave thing appeared to be an issue of psychological warfare on those imprisoned to break down their self esteem and build them back up in order to entice them to give us information, as perhaps an interrogation process. That backfired due to the media and was probably a less than tactful event, similar perhaps to the Monica Lewinsky event, also far less than tactful and quite frankly none of my business. May I ask what your point is here? There is a section on this website which discusses prison abuse. Yet you are making statements in anonymity and these statements of yours are somewhat attacking. Not so sure this is a viable way to approach topics on a think tank, are you? Why are you doing this? Are you a staunch Democrat and wish to slander the current leadership or The United States of America? Why? I do not believe anyone condones the public sexual humiliation of those Muslim Abu Grave prisoners caught on film in sex acts of their own free will. Those pictures should never have been made public.”
You can imagine how the debate continued to get rather aggressive and how both sides quickly came to an impasse. Needless to say the poster of the original comment was asked to back up his story and verify his facts. But he could not. Do you have a more viable explanation for all the sex abuse issues on the news and in our society and around the world? If so, let’s hear them. Think on this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
It is a transfer of an interest in land, from the owner to the mortgage lender, on the condition that this interest will be returned to the owner of the real estate when the terms of the mortgage have been satisfied or performed.
Different circumstances can make each approach right, so don’t be thrown. Some will quote you precise, competitive rates 7 percent. So how do you find a lender or broker you can trust? A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a lender as a security for a mortgage loan for 6 percent. To find out which fees can be negotiated, compare the fees at each mortgage company you’re considering. Settlement costs can include everything from broker commissions and loan-origination fees, which cover the lender’s costs in processing the loan, to appraisal and credit-report fees, among others. Although most mortgage experts say that rates 3 percent are pretty much the same wherever you go, give or take this tiny 5 percentage. And of course, each loan and each borrower are different. In most jurisdictions mortgages are strongly associated with loans 4 percent secured on real estate rather than other property and in some cases only land may be mortgaged. See which lenders are charging fees 8 percent and for how much. Many of these fees are fixed but some can be negotiated.
While a mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is evidence of a debt of 8 percent. Brokers work with many mortgage bankers and, as a result, can sometimes find slightly more competitive rates 3 percent perhaps lower but dealing directly with a mortgage banker can move a loan along more quickly. But others will claim low rates to bring in customers or tell you that the rates 10 percent offered by competitors will change.
Buy new real estate with geldlening met bkr registratie, 438069 euro is not an issue.
Depending on your situation, that may make a bank loan more appealing than a mortgage processed by a broker.
Arranging a mortgage is seen as the standard method by which individuals and businesses can purchase residential and commercial real estate without the need to pay the full value immediately. Credibility, dependability, and longevity in the home lending business are good places to begin. Start with credibility. It’s not easy to know if the prices quoted by lenders are reliable. Different lenders charge different fees. In other words, the mortgage is a security for the loan that the lender makes to the borrower. Both banks and brokers have their strengths and weaknesses. See mortgage loan for residential mortgage lending, and commercial mortgage for lending against commercial property.
Cheap payday loans can help you get through until payday without adding
to your credit card debt. For a short term fix, unsecured cash advances
have reasonable finance fees with a quick application process. In a
matter of a few minutes, you can receive your loan approval online with
funds wired directly to your checking account.
When Personal Loans Can Get You Out Of A Jam
Unsecured personal loans can get money in your hands faster than any
other type of credit. In less than an hour, you can complete your loan
application and receive an approval notice. Most companies can process
applications anytime - day or night.
Money is then wired directly into your checking account, so you don’t
have to worry about delays from cashing a check. Depending on the cash
advance company, your money could arrive in hours or by the next
business day.
Finance fees on average are about 15% of the loan amount. So borrowing
$100 will cost you $15, much less than NSF or late fees. Additional
fees are charged for delays in payment.
Cash advances also have flexible payments plans. Most loans are
designed to be repaid on your next payday through an automatic debit. But you
can delay your payment up to three times with an additional finance
fee.
Easy Application Process
Payday loans don’t require a credit check or cash assets. You just need
to provide basic contact information, checking account info, and
identify a regular source of income. The application is completed online to
speed the process.
With a faxless loan application, you don’t even have to send in copies
of your paperwork. All information is verified through secured
databases.
Easy Comparison Of Payday Loan Companies
With most payday loan companies online, you can quickly size up lenders
to find the best ones. Many cash advance companies post basic
information on their website. You can also ask additional questions through
email or phone.
When looking at lenders, start with recommended names. Make sure you
know all the loan terms, such as fees and payment date, before completing
an application. You have the right to this information under Federal
law.
View our recommended lenders for
Payday Loans Online.
Carrie Reeder owns ABC Loan Guide, an online resource with information about Bad Credit Mortgage lenders and Mortgage Brokers Online.
Bond together both of man’s first pursuits and what you’ll discover is a craze we term a web based sportsbook. Can you imagine anything that could be more resourceful? Envision a crowd of sports addicts rooting for a preferred sports heroes, and regularly antes will be announced along with the turmoil. So keen to get their piece of the exhilaration, on-lookers often try to infer who will prevail the forthcoming struggle. All this boils down to a cute little struggle called web based sportsbook.
Play your favorite aces sports bet games online, 24 hours a day!
Agreed it may easily sound overpowering but, instead, sports wagering is actually purely diverting and to relate with one’s fellow sports buddies. You’ll be able to bet a a slight sum of pesos and still enjoy an ultra cool time. Furthermore, here are many basic pointers to help you get started sports wagering.
In order to place any bet, you’ll likely want to visit a web based sportsbook, i.e. a setup that proffers web based sportsbook. In the United States, there’s a total of no less than four states where to go for sports wagering legitimately, but inofficially you may try it wherever provided you can hunt out a bookie and if you’re legally an adult. The sports events you’ll have a choice of risking some money on are pro and, even better, college basketball and football, professional baseball, professional hockey, and, even better, bets on both dog and horse racing. Punters can bet money on the whole results of a contest, when exactly any given competitor will be vanquished, and even if a given coin toss in a contest will come down heads or tails.
The bookies firm depend on statistical methods to help you arrive at a conclusion which sports heroes you may suppose will prevail. To start with, we have the spread, i.e. points lead tallied to a losing competitor that is presumed to fail by x number points. Plainly, this constitutes the bookie’s style of making evenhanded lays possible for a Sportsbook. To take a practical example we will have a choice of risking some money on a lineup that is presumed to fail and and still win the bet provided the competitor goes under by x number of points.
You’ll find many different classes of wagers- straight, teaser antes,parlay lays including, too, over/unders, i.e. bets on the total points notched up in the match by the two competitors, the straight being the most common in sports wagering.
So why don’t you just go for it and enjoy the amusement all at once? Simply make certain that you won’t get overpowered and drain your total retirement fund on a boutade! If not, you will be sure to find yourself unhappy about it till the end of your life!
Did you ever run into that person that just nags and picks and scares you into submission? How about that person that appears to turn your world upside-down? What about that person that literally sucks the energy right out of your soul? Believe it or not, these people do exist and they can affect you in ways you never thought possible.
— Crazymakers —
A Crazymaker is someone who feeds on negative energies and tends to pull everyone around them into major melodramas. They are the type of people who have to either be the savior, the “I told you so”, or the center of a situation. They will do anything to take a calm and easy situation and turn it into a disaster to place them in the middle. They will then come in and act as though it was your fault just to feed off of your negative vibes and become the hero. Then, when you confront them about their ways, they feel as though you’re projecting your own weaknesses onto them and they suddenly begin to behave like a psychologist. Or, they will turn from their brutal ways into a simple victim and wonder why the world hates them so much.
I have known several Crazymakers in my life and, sadly, in my early years, I fell for their behaviors simply because I was not wise enough to know what they were doing. They worked hard to gain my trust and then turned around and created so much turmoil that it was as though I was caught in a tornado. I turned from a confident individual to a half-witted cow caught in the updraft of the spiraling winds!
There are several ways to deal with a Crazymaker, but the best way is to simply let them roam in their self-loathing world — you need to simply stay away. But, you have to be quick enough to identify these types of people because, amazingly enough, they strike fast and hard and the minute you falter, they jump in like vultures on a dead carcass.
— Intimidators —
While Crazymakers go out of their way to achieve power through chaos and negative energies, Intimidators go out of their way to achieve power from fear. These types of people are calm and cool on the outside and mean-spirited on the inside. They tend to work against you to instill self-doubt and act as though “they have you pegged.” They do this using pre-determined scripts into which they try to place you so that they can control your moods and direction. In the end, as you become frustrated and fall into their scripts that define whom “they think you should be,” they too increase their levels of angst to keep you down and under their spell.
The best way to deal with such a person is to simply let them run through their scripts and avoid falling prey to their imposed directions. They are not easy to spot as they tend to become your best friend and then, they slowly turn the situation to their personal benefit. You never know what hit you because the transition occurred at a slow pace and you begin to think it’s your own fault for the failure of the situation.
— What’s next? —
Crazymakers and Intimidators enjoy their task because it gives them satisfaction in knowing that they have taken control over a situation. They are interested in predetermined responses to their actions. This is important to them because, generally, they don’t have control over anything else in their lives. Additionally, by making you look less than desirable allows them to feel as though they are better than you and those around them. In the end, it is easier for them to live off of the negative energies that they create. They cannot live in a world of positive energies and “equals” because they feel inferior to other human beings.
Crazymakers and Intimidators are smart in that they know how to manipulate people and situations in what they think of as a “test of survival.” However, they don’t know how to react when their ploys don’t work. Your best bet is to notice these types of personalities and put them on the back burner. Any type of response in their favor pushes the ball further into their court.
Over the years I have generalized some signs that come in handy for determining if either of these personalities is near. If someone comes to you and purposefully says something that goes completely “against your grain,” then they are an Intimidator. If someone dramatizes a situation or somehow works to play one side against another simply to become the savior, they’re a Crazymaker. However, over time, if you observe others, you will be able to recognize these types of people and identify your own “tell-tale” indicators.
About The Author
Edward B. Toupin is an author, life-strategy coach, counselor, Reiki Master, technical writer, and PhD Candidate living in Las Vegas, NV. Among other things, he authors books, articles, and screenplays on topics ranging from career success through life organization and fulfillment. Check out some of his recent print and electronic books as well as his articles covering various life-changing topics!
For more information, e-mail Edward at etoupin@toupin.com or visit his site at http://www.make-life-great.com or http://www.toupin.com!
Copyright (c) 2004 Edward B. Toupin
There are thousands of different fire pit kits on the market today. It is very difficult to make a decision on which one to purchase. With like anything that you decide to purchase your best bet is to start your efforts with research. You can obtain lots of information, a wide variety of businesses that see fire pit kits, different styles and sizes, and a price range that will fit your budget. Your decision will be first based on how much money you can budget for the fire pit. After making that decision start with that research and find the perfect fire pit kit that will suit your needs.
You definitely want to ensure yourself of the longevity of a fire pit. You want to make sure it is weather resistant, because were will your fire pit be? Of course outside probably in your back yard, near the pool or deck, in your garden, or maybe along side the structure of your home. Also it is very important to make sure that every item that is made of some sort of metal is rustproof. You fire pit burner should be rustproof to ensure the longevity of the product. They are kind of expensive so I don’t think you would want to replace one year after year.
