The Silver Bot

It’s 10 am. Your morning is getting away from you. You’ve got to get on the phone and start prospecting. You know this…yet you’ve been busy all morning emptying the trash, washing dishes, tidying up around the house…you know…the important things. With each chore, the battle between you and the 1000 lb phone wages in your head. You know you need to…you know you want to…but you just don’t pick up that phone. Why?

It’s fear, plain and simple. It’s the fear of being rejected and of ultimately failing. This fear is not based in reality. These fears are embedded in our brains from influences stemming back into our childhood. We didn’t put them there, but we did internalize them and at some point come to believe them. These fears not only prevent us from moving forward, they rob us of our peace of mind and may even cause physical deterioration. It’s imperative that we get these feelings in check.

You can banish this fear of prospecting by taking steps to move yourself forward. Each time you do this, the fear will be replaced by success, and will eventually be totally eliminated because you will be building upon new feelings of pride and perseverance. You will create a new reality for yourself. Here are a few things that you can do to mentally and physically motivate yourself to move forward an conquer your fear of picking up that phone.

Take care of all distractions before you sit down. Make sure that the kids are happy and the dog has been let out. Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee. Don’t make excuses about all of the things you need to do, just do what absolutely has to be finished before you can begin calling. The laundry can wait. The dishes can wait. Checking your email can wait.

Visualize success on the phone. See yourself as confident, a leader in your field who is infusing every call with integrity. Imagine yourself in a flowing conversation, involved in a friendly rapport with your prospect. Hear the conversation exactly as you would want it to go.

What’s the worst that could happen, really? They don’t like your business opportunity or product. Okay. They hang up midway through your presentation. No problem. How many ways can a person blow you off? How many ways can they decline your offer? Imagine a few of them…the hang up, the hesitant lead, the downright rude person who you wouldn’t want to join your organization anyway. Imagine yourself moving on with grace and tolerance, letting those people who snub you have their opinions without it reflecting on you or your attitude in any way whatsoever. If you believe in your business, these scenarios mean nothing to you. If someone is not ready for what you have to offer, let them go. You are looking for Aces, not Jokers.

No amount of mental preparation will move you forward if it is not immediately followed by action. The single most important step you can take is just picking up the phone and dialing the number. Conquer your fear. Take action immediately with no hesitation. You’ll find that after you have called a few people, you begin to relax and even make a game out of it. It’s like working out. Once you get to the gym, it’s easy and relatively fun. It’s getting in your car and driving there that’s the hard part. Same thing here. Once you get going, your fine. But first you have to lift that 1000 lb telephone as if it weighs an ounce. Reach for that receiver with a smile on your face and a song in your voice.

And finally, be sure to mentally congratulate yourself after each number that you dial, at least in the beginning. Remember that no matter how a call turns out, whether or not it results in a sale, each and every call is a success. It is a success because with every number that you dial…with every person you speak to, you are moving closer and closer to your goal. Each ‘no’ gets you closer to the next ‘yes’. Come from a place of integrity and pick up that phone.

Copyright 2006 Angie Hewerdine

Angie Hewerdine is a successful writer, home business owner and Wealth Creation Advisor with a driving passion for helping others change their lives. She has assisted many people in realizing and attaining their personal and financial objectives with a simple 3 step system. To learn more call 1-800-491-4758 or visit her website at
http://www.TheTimeForChange.com.

The need for laptop computers is shooting up in this point in time. In fact demand is so enormous that taiwanese manufactures are expecting part shortages already. Laptops have been an evolving business year on year for a number of years now and it look set to be that way. It’s an industry which is also hard to keep up with it respect of of technology because its shifting all the time.

More manufacturers are appreciating that gaming notebooks is becoming big enough niche to chase. If you’re a gaming enthusiast with a tiny budget the good thing is that you can get a gaming laptop a lot less expensive now because the expected life is coming down. In my opinion notebooks are fairly good for gaming. Power is much better than before. Past obstactles with bulky, over heating notebooks for gaming are vanishing and new slimmer, slicker products are being launched. Despite that power has greatly increased and the designs are thin, honestly power will and should forever lag behind desktop computers. Could gaming notebooks ever get extremely slim? I think this is a segment to observe.

Numerous small companies offer custom built laptops to specialist segments. Commonly well known parts go into these laptops. Defining what you want simply is the major benefit. Those laptop computers found in shops are for normal tasks. Mass customisation of notebook compputers has got by this issue. Just like premade notebooks there are plenty of resellers providing custom notebooks all with a significant benefit or increase customer support. This would be a large enticer to some niche markets.

I can hardly wait to see what notebook computers are introduced next. Apart from what has already been said UMPC’s are another big thing witnessing an increase this year. I was not expecting a large number of consumers to like the concept. I want to see a bigger edition of these budget ultraportables. I think it would be a great success. Manufacturers must be engaged on a solution to this as we speak. Market trends signal that gaming notebooks will become more portable in the next couple of years. I really can’t guess what to expect apart from those concepts spoken about. Some company creating a gadget to be different in a saturated market.

If you want to buy laptops check a a couple of these out.

Bond together both of people’s supreme quests and what you’ll get is a trend we call a sportsbook gambling web location. Can you think of anything that could be more resourceful… Imagine a mix of sports devotees clapping for a chosen favorite club, and almost all the time stakes are advertised adding to the uproar. Wishing to catch a bit of the pleasure, bystanders will frequently try to anticipate who is the likeliest to prevail the coming race. This all boils down to a matey little race termed sportsbook gambling web location.

Learn all the hot tips for the best betting feed gamble online sports games today.

Yes, it might appear to be dependency forming though actually wagering sportsbooks is essentially just entertaining and to relate with your buddies. You can wager a a skimpy budget of filthy lucre and nonetheless enjoy a amazing time. Here’s some basic suggestions to get started wagering sportsbooks.

In order to place a bet, you’ll likely want to search out a sportsbook gambling web location, i.e. a place which proffers sportsbook gambling web location. In the United States, there’s currently a total of no less than four states to do wagering sportsbooks in a lawful manner, but beyond legality you may do it practically anywhere as long as you can pinpoint a bookie and you’re of age. Included among the sports activities you’ll be able to wager on are professional plus, likewise, college league basketball + football, professional baseball, professional hockey, plus, likewise, bets on both horse and dog racing. Punters may bet money on the comprehensive results of a competition, when a given contester will go under, and even whether a coin toss in a competition will land heads or tails.

The bookies depend on statistical methods to help you choose which club you feel is the likeliest to prevail. First off, there’s the spread, which is a advantage given to a a inferior lineup that is anticipated to lose by a given number points. This is the sportsbook company’s manner of offering disinterested antes for a Sports Book. For a practical example you may bet on a competitor that is anticipated to lose and and nonetheless profit from the bet as long as the lineup takes a licking by a given number of points.

Why don’t you run a test or two and enjoy the excitement as well… But see to it that you won’t get too enthusiastic and kill your entire retirement pension capriciously… After all, you’ll likely end up bemoaning it till the end of your life…

Wouldn’t it be great to get some good, affordable, reliable help, even though you work out of your home? But finding workers and figuring out where to meet or when to bring them into your home office can pose some difficult juggling, personal and security issues.

A popular solution is outsourcing. When you outsource, you can hire experienced people and let them use their creative talents while you focus on other tasks. Another benefit is that the workers you hire may be more up to date on the latest information and technology in their specific fields and can be assets to your clients, as well, offering improved quality service.

OUTSOURCE

Here are the basics to outsourcing:

Focus:

Focus on outsourcing some of the major tasks of your workload. First, sit down for a breather and look around your ‘To Do’ lists and office area. What CAN you outsource? Which work seems to pile up the most?

For example, maybe you can’t seem to find time to update your website each month. Maybe your newsletter is STILL not getting out regularly. Or perhaps your direct mail campaign is not quite as direct as it should be; i.e. it is sitting directly in the same pile it was three months ago.

Then write out one-page project description for these major tasks. Focus on WHAT exactly you’d want done, WHEN and HOW the end product should turned in to you.

Take Action:

Then look for service providers. For example, with the sample tasks above, find people who can help with Internet websites, newsletter creation and sending out direct mail campaigns. Call round and surf the Internet and ask other home based business operators which companies they recommend. Check forum posts; inquire for advice and suggestions. Shop around for comparisons.

Then set up trial periods and test a couple. Remember, no one is perfect. See who you can communicate with pretty easily and who’s flexible to work as a team player. Check out the quality (and quantity) of their work. Then choose a candidate. Remember, this decision is not carved in stone. And you can always hire the other person as a back up or second helper down the road. So be kind to all who test, make decisions and keep your business moving forward.

ROI:

Make the most out of your investment and get a great return by investing in your time wisely, too. Outsourcing will hopefully free up more time for you to focus on the work you like and allow more time for marketing and advertising, to increase sales and projects. Don’t forget to brush up on your skills and keep up with the industry now, too. Read the latest ezines in your field and take a brush up course or workshop to improve your skills.

Network and seek out joint venture opportunities.

Outsourcing is a great way to help small businesses grow larger while still remaining at home. So reach out and give it a try!

Hans Hasselfors is a successful home business entrepreneur and internet marketing consultant. Get the net working for you. Join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and make your living online. Become a member of The Online Home Business Team: http://www.online-home-business-team.com

If you have trouble with the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), or your local state’s tax department, attempting to settle the matter without the assistance of a tax attorney may prove unfavorable. Tax regulations are exceptionally complicated. Those unfamiliar with the various tax laws should rely on a skilled tax attorney to resolve their situation.

Who are Tax Attorneys?

Tax attorneys are committed to helping taxpayers, like you, resolve tax problems that occur. Tax attorneys act for individual taxpayers and businesses. During an audit, tax attorneys have precise approaches for legally getting fines and liens dropped. Employers of the U.S. tax departments are notorious for their tax audit interrogations. However, taxpayers are not obligated to provide answers to selected questions. Tax attorneys usually attend audits, and inform taxpayers of their rights.

Finding a Good Tax Attorney

When a tax issue arises, it is necessary to choose an accomplished attorney to reconcile tax issues. Many taxpayers panic and immediately open the phone book when notified of a forthcoming tax audit. Instead of hiring the first tax attorney you contact, taxpayers will benefit by choosing an attorney based on specific credentials. Preferably, network to find a good tax attorney. For example, contact friends and family and ask if they know a veteran tax attorney. Furthermore, your personal attorney may be able to recommend a good attorney that specializes in tax laws.

Do not rely entirely on the recommendations offered by friends, family, or acquaintances. There are specific factors that must be considered when selecting a tax attorney. The goal is to get your tax issue resolved fast, and with minimum fines and legal fees. Hence, you should look for a tax attorney with extensive experience in dealing with the Internal Revenue Service, and who has successfully resolved taxpayer tax issues. While a new tax attorney may be highly capable, an audit is not the time to help a rookie attorney gain experience.

Furthermore, taxpayers should look for an affordable attorney. A tax attorney’s fee is costly. Nonetheless, consulting an attorney is advisable. Because attorneys are able to negotiate reduced fines and waived penalty fees, taxpayers will in effect save money by hiring an attorney to handle their IRS dilemma.

Visit this page for a Recommended Tax Attorney in Your Area.

Many students often worry or complain about their inability to produce spoken (and sometimes written) language. They have studied a language for 6 months or even longer and they can produce just a few words and phrases. Usually, even teachers feel their students are not making as much progress as they should. After all, they say, they have been practicing patterns, drills, even some conversations in class but nevertheless, although their students can understand many things, when it comes to producing them on their own, they are at a loss.

The good news is, this is not bad or undesirable at all! It is part of a four-step language acquisition process that could be broken into:

1) The Silent Period: in this stage, most students understand more than they can produce. They can understand when someone talks to them but they cannot express their ideas in the same way. They can answer “yes” or “no.”

2) Early Production: learners can answer some “yes” or “no” questions,they use repetitive language patterns to express ideas and they try to express concepts by using one or two words only. They cannot find the words to make complete sentences.
It is important to bear in mind that comprehension precedes production. This is especially true in Second Language Acquisition. You can always understand more of a language then you can produce.

3) Speech emergence: in this stage, learners can communicate with simple phrases and sentences. They will ask simple questions that may or may not be grammatically correct. It is common to see thay they will start some short conversations.

4) Intermediate Fluency: at this stage, learners are using more complex sentences when speaking and writing. They can express opinions and share their thoughts. They also have the ability to formulate questions in order to ask for clarification.

5)Advanced Fluency: a student at this stage will be near-native in their ability to perform in the second language, although there may be some gaps specially when it comes to idiomatic uses of the language.

It goes without saying that this article is not exhaustive and actually whole books could be written on each of these stages and that my intention while writing this article was to present the lay reader with a glimpse of the different stages of this captivating topic.

By being aware of these stages, you can feel confident about your learning process and you can lower your anxiety levels if you feel you cannot express exactly what you have in mind. Time is your ally here!

If you need more info on the topic, just google the following keywords “stages of second language acquisition.” You are way on your way to learning about your own learning!

Julio Foppoli is a teacher of English as a Second Language, teacher of Spanish as a Second Language. He is also the creator and owner of http://www.esaudio.net/Spanish, an online educational website with a technological edge, specialized in the teaching of Spanish as second language via audio-conference to native speakers of English from all over the world.

The website offers free listening comprehension activities with Spanish from all of the Spanish speaking world.

With the recent explosion of interest in poker, it is easy to forget that poker is a social game. We see the high stakes World Series of Poker episodes replayed over and over on ESPN. The Travel Channel features regular showings of The World Poker Tour. The shows are filled with sunglasses and stone cold stare downs. Watching pros such as Doyle Brunson and Howard Lederer make studied moves on the felt is great fun. We secretly dream of bluffing Johnny Chan out of a huge pot.

The good news is, there’s a place that we can try such feats of derring do. That place is right here-the internet. There are online game rooms of every shape and size. It’s no problem finding a game.

The bad news for many of us is, this quest is taking much of the fun out of playing poker. Sure, it’s easy to find a game online. Trouble is there’s just not much interaction with the other players at a typical online table. The other players are anonymous. This can lead to a silent table at best and a downright obnoxious table at worst.

For most of us playing poker is meant to be a relaxing pastime. You know, a Friday night with friends after the work week. A number of websites are trying to put this social aspect back into online poker. For instance, Home Run Poker, is a site where fans of baseball that like to play poker can meet and arrange private games at set times. This way you get to meet and become friends with people from all over the world that share a common interest with you.

If making poker fun again sounds good to you there are a number of actions you can take. Find a community, such as Home Run Poker, where others that share your interest gather. A great place to find such sites is in the blogging community. If you can not find such a group, you might want to start participating with a group whose interests are somewhat similiar to yours. For example, any sports site would be a good match if you are a sports fan. You would probably soon find folks that enjoy your favorite sport, too.

If all else fails, start up your own community. It’s easy to do with a little time and research. You’ll be rewarded with many new friends and you’ll always have a fun game of poker to look forward too. Let’s make online poker fun again.

Chip Westley is the Web Administrator of Home Run Poker, http://www.homerunpoker.blogspot.com. Home Run Poker is a leader in making online poker fun again.

For those of us who love cars an auto detailing business seems to be a good choice for a business to get into. You get paid to hang around and make the most exotic and pristine cars look even better. There is a sense of accomplishment when you are done too as you see that mirror shine.

Starting an auto detailing shop can be expensive of course, however if you start a mobile detailing company, well that does not cost a lot and all you need is some business cards, equipment and a good head for marketing and customer service. Well, you also need to know something about cars and work your way into the tougher jobs of buffing and using buffers without damaging paint later.

You can get started with a complete auto detailing rig and all the equipment you need for about $3,000 and you can do this by putting together all the components yourself or buying a package that is available, for perhaps a little more money. Sometimes that makes sense, as it would come with manuals and other important things that you might need if you had no experience at all or were a little unsure of yourself.

There are several companies, which put together these packages across the nation and surely one within driving distance of you. Some actually have training days, which also makes a lot of sense if you are still new at it. Something to think about? Consider 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/

If an alien civilization from Mars was planning a friendly takeover of our planet they would seek to make sure they understood our way of life and our way of thought.

The only way they could accomplish their objective would be by asking questions which they could genuinely understand and then plan a strategy accordingly. Although this idea may seem outlandish in my humble opinion it is also what separates the great companies on our planet from the Wannabe’s.

The greatest RISK in marketing lies in dealing with OPINION instead of fact. Stated another way, risk and the threat of loss is rooted in the idea that you think you already know the answer.

In my 25+ years in sales and marketing I have learned one very powerful truth that distinguishes the superstars from the amateurs. The great salespeople and marketers understand the power that lays within questions. The amateurs think they know all of the answers. Show me a great salesperson and I will show you an individual who knows and understand the power of questions. Show me a poor salesperson and I will show you an individual who has yet to understand that fact. Show me a great company and I will hypothesize that they have an incredible dialogue established with their customers.

How about you? Do you feel you know the answers to your customers most pressing problems, or are you genuinely in communication with them and listening to what they say?

I have seen salespeople blossom into superstars when they learned to ask questions. Likewise, I have seen companies turn from run of the mill endeavors to powerful marketing machines when they too learned to harvest the information from the questions which they ask. Questions are the only tools that permit us to genuinely understand problems our customers have. Questions are also the vehicles we use to establish our focus to resolve those problems. Stated another way, questions are a goldmine of valuable market information. The answers to the questions within surveys provide a roadmap for fulfilling our customers most pressing needs and desires.

We have a huge investment in what we have come to know. However, what we have come to know often has nothing to do with what we need to know to be successful.
This is one of the key reasons why surveying of our customers is so important. A good survey will eliminate opinion and establish some factual evidence. Also, we are often so indoctrinated with what we think we know that we cannot see what “is” occurring. This is the main reason we survey.

There have been thousands and thousands of books written on the importance of surveying. I will attempt to summarize the best ones here with a one simple acronym which I created.

S - Successfully
U - Understanding
R - Relevant
V - Values
E - Enhances
Y - Yield

A survey gives us the opportunity to understand and take that understanding and apply it to creating a higher return on our investment. When we successfully understand our customers relevant values we can then create the solutions that will permit us to enhance our yield. A good survey allows us to be in communication with our marketplace.

The great companies have learned that customers will not tell you how you are doing unless you ask them. Asking your customers about what they like and want offers the best information to learn from mistakes and cultivate unique opportunities.

Great companies survey. Wannabes think they already know.
Want to succeed in a big way, all you have to do is ASK…
then shut up long enough to recognize that the answer that is coming at you has “GOLDMINE” written all over it!

Be careful what you agree with!

Harald Anderson is the co-founder of Artinspires.com a leading online gallery of
Motivational Posters and Inspirational Posters.”When Art Inspires, Dreams Become Realities. His goal in life is to become the kind of person that his dog already thinks he is. http://www.artinspires.com.

Zambia is a brilliant experience, the open spaces buzzing with tigers and one of the smallest population densities in the universe. Zambia has some of the finest natural surroundings in Southern Africa, the charming blend of unmarked fields, surroundings and swamps makes the complete place come to life. Not only might you be marvelled at the forests, you yourself will also be graced at the lovely lakes and waterfalls. A real heaven on earth.

In Southern Africa you will be able to investigate the very best waterfall of all, the Victoria Falls. This cheerful waterfall has been a location for innumerable elephants with tons of big cats & elephants coming to bathe in the clear waters that run here. Additionally make sure you yourself view the snakes & hippos on the Zambezi River, and don’t forget to book a safari guide as the river might well be a tiny bit unpredictable. one may of course wish to purchase a photography safari in South Luangwa National Park and be near with the varieties of wildlife. On a photography tour one will see giraffes and extraordinarily rare wild dogs. If one are lucky enough you will see a heard of giraffes with their young. The facility to be so close with all of these fabulous animals is amazing. Go on an African safaris with Kaingo.

Accommodation in South Africa should range from five star hotels right through to huts without any showers. Whichever accommodation type you select you can be sure of a fantastic time.