Redefining Distance to Market your Company

The recent terrorist attacks here in the US have caused many companies and individuals to rethink how they want to market to and work with others. As a result, web-enabled presentations and or collaborations are finally coming of age ? the technology works with a minimum of hassle, it's an efficient way to give marketing presentations, hold meetings, provide training and do product demonstrations. The cost savings can be significant, especially when contrasted with all of the burdened costs of holding conventional meetings; i.e. travel, hotel, transportation, facilities and "time out of the office issues." Here is a quick primer on some baseline issues to consider when weighing the effectiveness of virtual marketing presentations and meetings.

1. There are a broad number of vendors, although the "virtual presentation and meeting" market segment has undergone consolidation in the last few years. I'd recommend assessing these four market leaders: www.webex.com (well established with diversified terms of services), www.placeware.com (corporate focused), www.centra.com (provides a good client plug in that enables Voice over IP ("VOIP") communications, www.raindance.com (emphasizes teleconferencing).

2. PC configuration, Internet access and firewall issues all need to be considered when your assessing the effectiveness of this process and technology. Port settings need to be "tuned" or optimized, the PC must have multimedia capabilities if your using VOIP, just about any speed of internet connection will work, but the experience for the attendee can vary depending on the connection speeds and how "heavy" your presentation is with graphics.

3. Web presentations offer a lower cost model versus traditional presentations or meetings, but there are burdened costs for web-enabled marketing ? phone conferencing can be anywhere from $.15-35 per minute per user, presentation uploads for a standard power point presentation (which is the defacto app for virtual presentations), can cost $10-30. per presentation, costs per attendee can vary tremendously but average $50-500. per session, depending upon the number of users.

4. One of the most expensive parts of virtual meetings is always the teleconferencing component. All of the market leaders have some VOIP component (voice over IP) but most are not publicizing this technology or service, as they don't want to cannibalize a significant contribution to their revenue streams. One exception is Centra ? they are offering VOIP integrated services with their standard web presentations or meetings. The audio quality is good, analogous to voice quality of a standard cell phone call ? but there is a client download (small under 250K) to deal with and you must have a multi-media enabled PC.

5. Some web-enabled presentation challenges include the need to keep people involved ? you can do this easily by leveraging the chat capabilities, dynamic polling, and standard Q&A components built into the application. The higher their interest level (as in real world meetings) the better your meeting or presentation will be.

6. Marketing presentations can be easily archived and made available to others on a 24/7 basis ? this archiving can include the standard presentation, enhanced with video or audio components, depending on the sophistication of your presentation. Be prepared to pay an extra charge for this ? but the marketing ROI can be significant, especially when you factor in how little most companies charge for an archiving service versus your front end costs.

7. Virtual marketing enables a whole set of web-enabled processes ? you will have the ability to easily capture your prospect/customer's e-mail address and standard contact points via a registration process, involve them and capture preferences via polling in your presentations and "push" follow up communications during your presentation/meeting or later. But, it's very important to include standard "privacy" statements in your materials and adhere to them as you move forward through your business processes.

8. How does video conferencing impact your assessments of web-enabled presentations or collaborations? This depends on your budget, number of people attending the presentation, presenter and attendee locations and other intangible that are specific to your business. In general, video conferencing works better for very small (under five people) presentations or meetings, due to some of the inherent challenges of this medium.

About The Author

Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.intelective.com, a results-driven marketing services company providing proprietary services to clients encompassing startups to public companies. Lee@intelective.com

Lee@intelective.com

Spiritual Inspiration Music and The New Age

Spiritual Inspiration Music is about Love, Growth, Spiritual and Personal Development and our relationship to the Divine. It's about opening up, being your Self, expressing that Self by allowing the Great Creator to move through you.

The songs come from the Great Beyond where Spiritual Inspiration Music dwells, from where God teaches us how to express ourselves through our creativity in order to bring more Truth and Beauty to the World.

Spiritual Inspiration Music and Psychological Development go hand in hand. They rely on each other to teach us new things about ourselves. They involve us through the vibrations we feel at a cellular level. These vibrations open us up to ourselves, and let us feel ourselves at a deeper level. They help us identify what is ours to bear and to express.

Growth is all there is you see, and Spiritual Inspiration Music allows you to grow to your fullest potential. Nothing excites us more than music, and music is a symbol to the Soul. A symbol of Love and Gratitude, of Expansion and Growth, of Daring and Persuasion. It presents the opportunity of advancing ourselves through our causes and delights.

When we speak of Bliss, we speak of music's power to open us up. When we seek out such music, we do so to align ourselves with those higher vibrations. These then turn us around to allow us to view ourselves from a whole different angle. This view can be awesome, stupendous, outrageous even. For in this viewing do we see ourselves soar, beyond limits imposed by others and our society.

We see ourselves "In Flight," conquering the greatest mountains, astounding our predecessors who were so scared to open themselves up. That's what this New Age is about - Opening Ourselves up to the Great Beyond, to "All-That-Is," to the One Who Animates All Life, including Ours of course.

And that's what Spiritual Inspiration Music does - it helps us to Open Up! Why? So we can Grow of course. What else is there to do here on this splendid planet?

Maurice Turmel holds a PHD in Counseling Psychology and was a practicing therapist for nearly 25 years. Dr. Turmel likes to use Parable Stories, Poetry and Songwriting to illustrate important points regarding Personal and Spiritual Growth. He has authored The Parables series of books and a Spiritual Sci-Fi novel "The Voice." He is also a performing songwriter with 4 CD compilations of Rockin Blues Inspirational music to his credit. He can be reached through his Website at: http://www.mauriceturmel.com

Know What You Are Selling As If You Were Buying It

Recently I wanted a new lawn mower as we have an acre of land and we have to keep it mowed pretty regular in the spring and summer and the riding lawn mower from Wally World had fallen apart and had to have something repaired every year for the short four years we limped it through. I called my Dad and asked him what he thought was the best lawnmower for the money as you lay out a hefty amount for almost any riding lawn mower these days with very little guarantee of longevity.

Hustler was the name he gave me. Just like the magazine that used to be hidden in the bottom drawer of quite a few men's dressers and different places, still is from what I understand, but this was the name of the lawn mower my Dad said would be a wise investment and how we remember the name. Nice sales gimmick too.

While I trust my Dad, I also like to know how deep a hole is before I step into it. So I went looking and found a wonderful site with tons of information about this potential buy and was quite pleased with what I was reading as my old lawn mower had a great engine but the frame and the deck were completely beaten up. This hustler frame carries a life time warranty and has a three year bumper to bumper coverage much like that of a new car. Plus the engines are to die for. Now you must think I am trying to sell you a lawn mower but this is not the case. I want you to understand how much information there is out there for consumers to find. I also would like to give you an example of poor salesmanship while a sale was still made.

I not only was able to look up all the information concerning the different models but was also able to obtain credit long before I presented anything to my husband or showed up at the store for the salesman to sell us our lawnmower. I know more about the hustler line than the sales man did or it at least felt that way and I do not sell lawnmowers. We are not rich folks so for us to spend a few thousand dollars on anything is something we really think about before we do it. When I asked a few questions of the sales man I was not impressed that he was unable to answer my questions correctly but tried to BS his way through it. It was almost comical when I went and pulled a flyer off the wall which I had also gotten off the internet and there at the very top was the answer to my question. And I was the one who looked around at the models on the floor and found one in the price range I felt was reasonable. And while I knew the differences in the models it would have been nice to hear it from someone who supposedly dealt with them on a daily basis and should have been more knowledgeable about them.

I also took my husband to the side and reminded him that just because someone gives you credit does not mean you need to use it. The sales man did not try to sell me the better mower nor did he try to upgrade the engine. He also did not really explain the differences in the price other than the deck on one was larger though I knew why the prices were different and was surprised he did not attempt to explain it any further. He could have made a larger sale but he chose not to.

He was a nice enough man but if I had just walked in off the street I doubt I would of bought a mower from him. It was really nice when the lawnmower was delivered and the delivery guy was nice enough to explain a few things to me which I would have found out from reading but will save me a lot of grief in the long run. I received better service from him in my opinion than the sales man.

I used to sell tires and auto services. I did not know everything nor do I now. I do know in order to sell someone something you need to make that person comfortable with what you are selling and with yourself. Ultimately you are selling yourself before the product as most of the products really sell themselves. You should never sell anything you do not use yourself, are willing to use, or at the very least have read the company pamphlets your customers can read. If you are asked a question and you do not know the answer, tell your customer you don't know. When you try to fly by the seat of your pants you may find yourself not only without a sale but also without much of job. Honesty is the best policy.

I sold my husband the lawnmower and the sales man just happened to be the one to make the sale. My father sold me the idea of this lawnmower first and after further investigation I agreed with him that it was the best deal. And as you attempt to sell your product be ready to offer real stories about your product and be able to explain why you recommend a certain item. Do not let the internet or a pamphlet be the deciding factor for your customer as was the case of my hustler.

Consider this as you attempt to make a sale today, what questions will your customers ask you? Will you know the answers? If you don't, will you have the gumption to find the answers for them? They may already know the answer and just want to know what type of person you really are or they may really need your help in making a good decision which is more likely the case.

Either way you may never know but I can assure you the bottom line will tell.

A Renee Grover

Semi-Retired Manager of Goodyear Tires, Painter, Poet, Collector, Photographer, Mother, Wife, Gardner, Traveler, Cook, Singer, Comedian, Small business owner, Student, Actress, Writer Mrs Grover has traveled the streets of the United States. She currently resides in Tennessee after meeting her husband and moving from Virginia Beach in 1998.

She graduated in 1983 from North East High in North Little Rock Arkansas, but claims North Pulaski as her true High School. She was a member of TAG for a brief period and also won various awards. After traveling the east coast and living in New York where Mrs Grover tried to pursue a singing career at the speakeasy on west fourth street while working at David's' Cookies, She went to school to cut hair before going into the Navy where she was asked to leave nicely in 1985 due to her inability to conform. She spent the next few years conforming so to speak and living with her Grandparents until moving to Virginia where she went to school to become a service writer and became the first female manager for Mr Kramer.

Can Small PR Firms Deliver Huge Results?

They can when they invest in the basics. The best of them obviously rely on some form of public relations fundamental premise to produce winners across business environments from rockets and orange juice to product recalls and indicted CEOs.

But, chances are the top producers among small PR firms have built their businesses on a premise like this one:

People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Public relations firms who do not base their work on a premise like this one are well-advised to consider doing so.

The reason? Their clients are subject to the same realities as the rest of us, realities that never change. People usually behave based on their perception of the facts. And clients usually demand certain behaviors from those "publics" whose behaviors have the most impact on their businesses.

Even more to the point, when client managers start looking for a return on their public relations investment, they want to see the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving their objectives.

Which is why, especially for the small PR firm anxious to meet client needs, there is no better performance measure at which to aim.

However, for those small PR firms not yet guided by any kind of public relations fundamental premise, here is a suggestion.

Consider the premise outlined above, then take a shot at convin- cing a new or current client to let you produce a broader, more productive public relations effort for his or her company. And remember, the fundamental premise of public relations outlined above is a great equalizer placing all public relations firms on a level playing field when it comes to the effectiveness of the process. It especially targets those firms with a client who expects the best value from PR dollars spent, not simply a limited and mechanical publicity placement effort.

In other words, consider using the premise as a means for going after higher quality new business, or upgrading an account and broadening the work performed for a savvy client who wishes to squeeze every benefit out of the money they spend on public relations.

Start by listing a client's most important outside audiences in priority order ? audiences whose behaviors directly and visibly affect client success or failure. At the top of such a list are usually prospects and customers. But it could well include community residents, business and political leaders, suppliers, minorities, fraternal groups, nearby military personnel and union leaders. The target list might even include "clients of your client" where such activity is a high priority for that client.

The test for listing an audience is this: does its behaviors affect my client's business in any way? If they do, they belong on the list.

Obviously, you must now determine what members of that key external public think about your client and his or her business, in order to build and implement a successful public relations effort. And that means interacting with members of that audience and asking a lot of questions. What do they think about your client company and its products and services? Are there signs of negativity? Misconceptions? Inaccuracies? Rumors?

The answers to these questions allow you to establish the corrective public relations goal, i.e., a specific perception and, thus, behavior change. For example, clear up that misconception, correct that inaccuracy, or knock down that rumor as soon as possible.

How do you achieve that goal? Right! You select a strategy that will get you from here to there. And there are just three strategies to deal with a perception challenge: create perception (opinion) where there may be none, change existing perception, or reinforce it. Your choice will be dictated by your new public relations goal.

Clearly the most challenging step in this sequence is preparing the right message for delivery to the target audience. It must make a compelling case, so think about it carefully. It must state clearly that the offending misconception, inaccuracy or rumor is not the truth. Instead, layout that truth in a credible manner. The hallmarks of such a message are clarity, persuasiveness, credibility, believability and a compelling presentation.

Now it's time for the "beasts of burden," the communications tactics which will carry your carefully-scripted message to the eyes and ears of that target audience. Happily, there are a ton of such tactics at your disposal. Of course, you will want to double check the ability of each to zero in on your specific audience. As most PR firms are aware, they range from news- letters, press releases and radio and newspaper interviews to newsworthy surveys, sports sponsorships, op-eds and many, many more.

In short order, clients will be interested in evidence that the public relations effort is achieving results. The best way to demonstrate progress is by reporting on the results of a new round of perception monitoring among members of that target audience. You're looking for signs that their percep- tions now reflect the corrective elements of your message

Your clients are subject to the same realities as the rest of us, realities that never change. As noted, people usually behave based on their perception of the facts. And clients usually demand certain behaviors from those "publics" whose behaviors have the most impact on their businesses.

Small (and large) PR firms have little choice but to go after those perceptions with a vengeance.

That is how that small PR firm can deliver huge results.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2003.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com.

The Giving Jar

Giving with a happy heart. If you teach a child to give with a happy heart you will raise a child who will never hesitate to lend a helping hand. Children enjoy helping others, especially if they see their parents doing the same. When a child's basic physical and emotional needs are met, they are willing to share almost anything they have with someone in need.

My daughter wanted to help others from the time she was old enough to understand what it was she was doing. Before she was old enough for an allowance she helped me go through her outgrown clothes and toys to give away to charities. At Christmastime we would shop together for needy families (she looked forward to this as much as picking out her own gifts). And this doesn't mean we weren't needy ourselves. When my daughter was young I was a single mom working and going to college, and I was barely able to make ends meet. What little we had left over, however, we used to help others. I am convinced that this act of helping others took my daughter's focus off of our own circumstances and created a passion in her for helping others. She always had food to eat and clothes to wear--she did not sense a lack in her life and so was willing to freely give anything she had.

As my daughter got older and started getting an allowance, she started spending her own money. She spent her allowance on family Christmas and birthday presents (however small), started tithing, and started contributing to charities of her choice. My daughter's allowance is relatively small, compared to some of her friends, but that doesn't keep her from making contributions, no matter how small, to people and organizations she wants to help. Now that she's old enough to babysit, she has even more money to decide what to do with. She decides what to spend on herself, what to save, and what to give to others.

Our family recently came up with an idea of how we could work together to save up some money to help others. I am forever picking up loose change around the house, on the floor, in the car, and in the bottom of my purse. We decided to start a "Giving Jar" where we could deposit our spare change, and then as the occasion arose, we would use it to help others. We all pooled together our spare change and we already had more than $15. I placed the jar on the kitchen counter and put a big label on it that says "Giving Jar." It has motivated us all to save more and is also a great conversational piece!

Don't think you have to have a lot of money to give others a helping hand. Any amount, no matter how small, develops in your child the gift of a giving heart.

About The Author

Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For more inspirational articles and tips for everyday living, visit her web sites at http://www.creativehomemaking.com and http://www.christian-parent.com

Helping You Choose From Cell or Land Line

Most of us have two phones, our cell and our land line (house phone). Realistically many people are paying two bills when one is sufficient. The cell phone is still more expensive than the house phone but with the massive increase of people signing up in the mobile world prices continue to fall. If you are working during the day the chances are you are only using your house phone in the evening.

What should I do?

The evening tends to be the cheapest rate for using your cell phone so you need to average out both bills. There are a number of different aspects to consider when deciding on moving to cell phone only. If you live in a large city the chances are your cell phone reception is as good as your land line but if you live in a more remote region the reception may not be all that clear or consistent.

Look into the different types of cell plans available to maximise the amount of free text and talk time minutes. Check the different cell phone carriers and see what options they are offering. Too many people in this country do not look around for better value. Not all cell carriers are offering the same deals. It has never been easier to change from one carrier to another without changing your cell number.

A survey completed recently by a major telemarketing company in Ireland has shown that over 68% of cell phone users make calls on their cells at home although they have a land line available to them.

Two monthly line rentals to pay:

No matter what way you look at free minutes and text etc you are paying two monthly rentals, one from your cell phone and the other from your land line. If you intend calling people in different states your cell phone roaming charges can be expensive unless you are on a high service plan. If you look around you will find cell carriers offering plans without roaming charges.

Reliability

Cell phones services are ever improving. At the moment land line is still a more steady reliable service but this gap is closing fast. People living in major cities will find little to choose from the two services provided from land and cell and the move to cell phone only in made a little easier. For people in more rural areas the decision tends to be more difficult to choose as cell phone coverage may not be as reliable as land line coverage so people have both phones.

Cell phone advantage:

SMS Text is a great way to minimise your spending. If you call a friend or family member on the land line it can be difficult to make the call a quick call without sounding rude. Cell SMS text is ideal fast and a cheap way to arrange a meeting place or pass a brief note and is widely used by most cell phone users.

Land line advantage

Currently the land line phone is cheaper than the cell phone when making calls. The coverage is generally excellent and land line telecom companies are fighting hard by reducing pricing to keep the cell phone companies at bay.

Overview

I myself use a cell phone for all my calls. I have the advantage of living in a large city where coverage is equal to that of a land line. I have a maximum cell plan with free talk time minutes and text. You do need to do some research and compare the two bills and see if changing your cell phone plan will make eliminating your land line any easier. With the coverage increasing all the time soon cell phones will far outstrip the land line telephone. Generally speaking if you live in an area of good cell phone coverage you should be able to eliminate your land line and save money.

About the Author
Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Cell phone plans which includes Cell prepaid plans, Carriers, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information for all of your phone interests and needs.

A Payday Loan Or Cash Advance Can Be A Life Saver

A payday loan or cash advance can be a life saver in a financial emergency. Whether it is an unexpectedly high utility bill, or an unplanned medical bill, payday loans can provide you with the quick cash needed to help maintain your good credit.

Let's face it, if you don't pay your bills on time your credit score will suffer. Sometimes it is very hard to make ends meet with all the different challenges in life without some extra cash. Payday loans and cash advances are sometimes the answer.

When Are Payday Loans Or Cash Advances Appropriate?

The interest rates charged by payday loan companies are very high when compared to just about every other source of funding. So it can be better for the consumer to attempt to secure the needed cash through other sources first: friends, family, banks, credit unions, credit cards, etc.

If you are unable to secure funds from all other sources, then payday loans or cash advances may be the appropriate solution. Payday loans are great short-term loans, but should only be used in financial emergencies ? payday loans and cash advances are quite costly in terms of the annual percentage rate (APR) and fees.

Online Payday Loan Or Cash Advance Companies

Unlike the payday loan stores in a neighborhood, online payday loan companies can process your application anytime of the day or night. They are generally the best way to go as it is easy to comparison shop and this saves you the time of running all over town to compare rates and terms.

When comparison shopping, make sure to compare several online payday loan companies - pay particular attention to the duration of the loan and the fees charged. If there is an APR posted, this is an easiest way to compare two loans without doing any math.

How Payday Loans Or Cash Advances Work

With online payday loan companies, your application is processed over the internet and the cash is usually deposited into your checking account within 24 hours. Generally, you do not have to fax any information to them and loan approval with most companies happens in a matter of minutes.

Plan To Repay The Payday Loan Or Cash Advance ASAP

Make sure to plan ahead how you are going to repay you payday loan ? make a schedule of payments and stick to it. Also, now that you have some financial breathing room, revisit the other sources of funding mentioned above ? you may be able to repay the payday loan company sooner.

Robert J. Stone is a consumer advocate and educator who operates an informational website with articles and information about various types of loans, with special emphasis on the payday loan and cash advance.