The Market Outfit

I used to be one of those people who kept everything in their
head. I prided myself on my ability to memorize phone numbers
and birthdays, and knew my schedule without writing anything in
a calendar.

Then I became a mom.

I am now one of the most forgetful people on the planet. I don’t
know if it’s due to the fact that I am no longer responsible for
just myself (keeping track of my schedule, my daughter’s
schedule, the school’s schedule, the play dates, the after
school lessons and more)… or if I lost brain cells during
pregnancy … but my short term memory has turned to mush. These
days, I need to write everything down… more than ever, now
that I have a business of my own.

I made but one resolution last year: To do a better job of
tracking my family’s schedule and recording my business
expenses. I started out great - I bought a spanking new
organizer with custom pages and pouches for receipts, stamps and
business cards. I kept a schedule for me and my family, wrote
down all my mileage (a must for tax purposes!) and tracked my
biz expenses…

…for about two months. The book was too big to fit in my bag,
it was heavy to carry - and I began leaving it at home more
often than not, which kind of defeated the purpose of having an
organizer at all. Then, I lost it and all the information it
contained.

So I bought another one. This time, I decided to go the deluxe
route. I headed to my local Franklin Covey store and purchased a
beautiful butternut leather book and pretty organizer pages,
which included Stephen Covey’s system on becoming more
effective. The whole package cost me about $100 - I figured if I
invested this much into it, I would be less apt to lose it.

I started writing down goals and tracking all of my business
tasks, and was feeling quite on top of things…

…for about two months. Once again, the biggest obstacle to
using the system was that it was too bulky and heavy to carry
with me everywhere. I looked with envy at friends who had
invested in electronic PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
organizers - small, light-weight devices that sync up with your
computer and fit easily into a purse. That, I thought, would be
a solution - if only they were not so expensive.

Well, PDA’s are not so expensive any longer. With the
entry-level Palm model retailing at just $99, and Handspring
Visors available at similar cost, almost everyone can afford to
carry one now.

What to Look for in a PDA

There is a dizzying array of PDA models with various features,
so deciding which one you buy can be a confusing process. Since
a PDA is really just a small, hand-held computer, your buying
decision should be based on some of the same considerations you
make when purchasing a desktop system:

1. RAM 2. Speed 3. Expandability 4. Price

There are two major competing operating systems in the PDA
world. The most popular uses the system developed by Palm -
these include the Handspring Visor, the Sony Clie and of course,
the Palm Pilot. The other major OS is called PocketPC - this is
a Windows-based environment developed by Microsoft to compete
with Palm. It is somewhat easier to exchange information between
PocketPC handhelds and Windows based software - but at a price.
PocketPC requires more system resources - the popular Compaq
iPaq H3650 features a minimum of 32 MB of RAM, which makes these
devices slightly heavier and more expensive than the ones that
run the Palm OS.

The folks at ZDNet have created a guide to help you decide which
PDA models are best for you. While you’re there, you can view a
list of the most popular models and user reviews and even shop
online for the best prices:

http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2581305,00.h
tml

Using Your New PDA

All PDA models come bundled with the two most important
organizing functions: Address book and Calendar. If you use
Microsoft Outlook on your desktop computer, you can import all
of your current entries with ease via your new handheld’s
syncing function.

Creating new entries is also a cinch. You have the option of
tapping an on-screen keyboard with your stylus or “writing” the
text using your device’s built-in handwriting function (called
“Graffiti” on Palm based systems). Graffiti takes a little bit
of getting used to, but it’s pretty easy to master. Most users
tend to fluctuate between the two entry systems.

There are thousands of third-party software programs that you
can download into your new PDA - many of them are free. My
personal favorite is AvantGo, which allows me to carry the movie
listings from every theater in my local area. These update
automatically whenever I sync my handheld to my desktop.

Each of the major PDA manufacturers carries software links.
You’ll also find much to choose from at these sites:

http://www.palmgear.com http://www.handango.com/
http://www.pilotzone.com/ http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/
http://www.memoware.com/

Bear in mind that you are limited by the amount of RAM included
in your device. If you find yourself running out, you should
look into adding a new memory module.

Technology writer Mark Kellner offers the following advice on
getting along with your new PDA:

1. Synchronize and backup at least once per day. 2. Watch your
batteries. The more inexpensive models tend to use AAA-sized
batteries - make sure you have a steady supply. 3. Protect your
device with a case. Chances are, your new PDA came with a
catalog of third party vendors offering a wide variety of
products. Check them out. 4. Get a screen protector. These are
thin sheets of plastic that use static to adhere to the screen.

I received my new Handspring Visor as a Christmas gift and I
love it. Because it fits right into my handbag without adding
much weight, it is as constant a companion as my wallet and
cellular phone. I’m trying out some expense tracking and vehicle
expense software, as well as a diet and exercise log and feel
good about my prospects of meeting this year’s resolutions…
I’ll let you know in a couple of months!

Printing jobs if done correctly can be very rewarding but can entail a great deal of working hours and a great deal of knowledge and skill. Commercial printing is the industry that produces hundred of billions of print materials that are integral and important part of the daily activities of a business. When you need high quantity and quality color printing, perhaps turning to commercial printing is a good idea. With the continuous demands of printers for high quality, distinctive outputs, not to mention the never ending rise of color printing technologies, commercial color printing has become a flourishing business today.

Some say that commercial printing has put the fun back in their businesses. It allows for endless possibilities when it comes to design, product and printing processes. Nevertheless, commercial printing has brought a lot of challenges. But these challenges can be easily avoided with proper knowledge and information about commercial printing.

As a printer, avoiding these problems can be done by considering the following tips. First off, know what your customers really want. Make sure that you understand what they expect from their materials. Keep in mind that oftentimes customers have unrealistic expectations for their commercial printing projects. Ensure that the quality that they want matches the amount they are willing to pay. Question your customers about their expectations before the project begins to prevent unnecessary hitch.

Second, have proofreaders available always. Printers say that mistakes on commercial printing jobs often happen because customers don’t check their materials carefully before signing them off. When you have proofreaders at hand, you can prevent these problems and win the confidence of your customers.

Lastly, discrepancies in file formats often happen when customers supply text and graphics on disk. To avoid this problem you can create information sheets for your customers to fill out before submitting the disk for printing.

On the other hand, if you are a customer make sure that before you submit your material for printing that you have talked with the commercial printing company and have come with an agreement with them. Make sure that they understand what you want and constantly talk with them throughout the course of the print job.

The online marketplace is a good place to search for commercial printing companies. Make sure though that you familiarize yourself with the services they offer as well as their prices before you avail of any service. When you have done this you will feel more confident in the company that you choose.

For comments and suggestions kindly visit Commercial Printing Company

German is one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide. It
is the official language of several countries including Germany,
Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium. After the English language,
it is the most commonly known language in the European Union, of
which it is one of the official languages. The German language
is the third most taught foreign language in the United States,
behind Spanish and French, and there are many Americans that can
trace their ethnic heritage back to German roots. There are many
reasons to learn the German language, such as potential career
prospects, current career enrichment, and for enhanced traveling
experiences.

If you are interested in learning the German language for
professional reasons, you have several options from which to
choose. You can attend a college or University and earn your
degree in German. Earning a degree in German will provide you
with a solid foundation of the German language, both written and
conversationally. With a degree in German, you will have a
surprising number of career opportunities. If you are bilingual,
you can be certified as a foreign language translator for
example. This is a stimulating career opportunity that offers
you many options. You can work full-time for a foreign language
translation firm, translating important business documents or
web pages for global corporations. Or you can be a freelance
foreign language translator, setting your own work schedule and
workload. Another career opportunity is to teach English to
students in one of the German speaking countries. By knowing
both English and German, you will able to enjoy a lifestyle in a
German speaking country where you can have a fulfilling career,
and experience the life and culture of another nation.

You might be established in a career, and be required to learn
the German language in order to either communicate with overseas
business associates, or to relocate. You can enroll in an
accelerated German language program online, which is a fast,
convenient, and easy way to learn the language. The online
course will give you the skills to read, write, and communicate
with others. There are several online programs available for
enrollment that provide accelerated programs in German, as well
as many other languages. You will find that if you need to
relocate to a German-speaking country for your job, having a
grasp of the language ahead of time will help to make your
relocation and transition less stressful.

If you want to learn a little German in order to travel, you
might consider combining your learning experience and vacation
by participating in an immersion program. Learning the language
in this way, you will not only learn how to communicate in
German, but you will also experience the vibrant German culture.
By traveling to Germany, where the language has its origins, you
will become a part of the life and culture, and you will learn
the language quickly and with surprising ease. You will learn
the conversational and idiomatic styles of the language. You
will be interacting daily with native German people who won’t
necessarily be willing or able to communicate with you in
English. Therefore, you will need to try to communicate with
them in the German language. You will become engrossed into the
everyday life of Germany. You will learn to appreciate the
German culture: the history, the architecture, the food (and
beer!), and the people. As part of the immersion program, you
will also attend courses in which you will learn how to read and
write in German as well. There is no better way to learn the
German language and experience Germany.

Whether you are interested in learning the German language for
academic reasons or professional reasons, or you are interested
in learning how to speak German for a vacation, knowing another
language is an intellectually and personally stimulating
achievement that will open your eyes to a new culture.

Countdown to Armageddon - at least you’d think so judging from some of the garish copy and blaring headlines screaming at you from so many websites.

At the opposite extreme though, you’ve some sites which don’t even have a single decent headline anywhere that captures visitors attention, let alone leads them into captivating copywriting that’ll get them a sale.

Although it’s true to say human emotion hasn’t changed in the last 10 years online, the consumer and buyer reactions have undoubtedly become far more sophisticated over the past decade. Further, with something like 43% of all web shopping carts being abandoned at the point of sale it’s crucial we understand and react proactively to this new buyer sophistication.

In short, todays online buyers are both pretty wired and wised up. Unless you understand this and adjust your offering accordingly your headlines are very likely to drive prospective clients away rather than entice them into your copy for a second look if they’ve even a sniff of hype about them or just plain bore them silly.

Either of the above extremes is obviously counter-productive but rather than opting for a bland ‘middle way’ approach to your copywriting or headlines, here’s a sure fire way to generate intensely gripping copy that rivets even ultra sophisticated buyers to every word you publish. It keeps them spellbound all the way down your pages until they’ve executed your desired marketing action - either opting in, clicking through to a new page or making a purchase without dumping the cart.

If you want these type of results then use “The Psyschology Of Scarcity” and you’ll soon have these new ’sophisticats’ under your marketing spell and more importantly, get them buying what you sell. Here’s exactly how it works…

The basic underlying principle is widely known of course, and springs from the proven psychological response people give when they’re denied or given limited access to something they intensely desire. Basically, when people are told they can’t have something they want it all the more. As a result incredibly powerful emotions are released which go on to drive actions often deemed irrational under normal circumstances. As marketers we can take advantage of this almost primitive reaction (ethically of course) to bypass even sophisticated buyers resistance and go on to make the sale.

Here’s a further demonstration to show powerful this is…

Imagine for a moment tonights TV news announces a grave national emergency and petrol (gas) is to be be strictly rationed to one just full tank for your car for an entire month… but this rationing won’t start until one weeks time. However, you are not allowed to stockpile petrol because that’s bad. Now I don’t know about you honourable folks but almost instantly a picture of my storeroom stacked to the ceiling with Jerry cans full of petrol popped into my mind!

I’m not saying I’d do that if this was a true scenario but I’d probably have a couple of cans laid aside, just for emergencies of course. At the pumps and service stations there would be a stampede, because the psychology of scarcity would release these deep emotional responses. This actually happened here in UK two years ago and there was mayhem.

Now let’s see if we can insert a mechanism deep into our headlines and online copy that’ll immediately invoke exactly the same kind of emotional responses within those who visit our sites. If we can then all the sophistication in the world won’t stop our visitors from reaching for their credit cards to buy what we sell.We’re looking for the response that comes directly from the gut - that’s not filtered out by the sophisticated mind. That’s where we aim our copy at, the heart not the head.

The type of mechanisms we’ve found work best in invoking these emotion driven responses are as follows…

1) Strictly limit the amount of product you are selling in each promotion, put it right up front in the headline or first sentence where everyone can see it and strictly adhere to your statement. If you say you’ve only got 100 widgets to sell, then pull the promo when you reach that point or people will see the whole thing as a facade. Here in the UK the richest sofa and 3 piece suite supplier uses this technique very well, although now after 2 years we’re all beginning to see through these ‘promo weekend specials’, so be wise when you use it.

Make your product scarce… because then you make it valuable and desired in others eyes.

2) Set time sensitive deadlines that really do expire - Set a deadline for the promo to finish and give a special discount on the product if purchased before that time. When you reach that day pull the promo headlines, ad, the lot. People will heed what you say and buy far quicker next time you set a deadline. I’ve done it myself, got to a site with expired deadline and missed out, next time I payed far more attention to their pitch and the website gained credibility in my eyes.

3) Use number limits for recruiting headlines - when recruiting people for sales teams, affiliates etc use figures that limit the amount of people you ‘appear’ to wish to recruit. For example use a headline portion including “We urgently require 5 key individuals for our new IT project…”. At the same time as limiting the opportunity here you also give each individual a glimmer of hope that they’ll be among the ‘chosen few’ to land the rare but rather plum project.

4) Bundle extra products, services, customer support along with your product they’d not normally get, especially from your competition. This is also a good way to get affiliate sales. Your visitors realise they can’t get the ‘extra’s from other affiliate sites so they buy from your affiliate link. Your product becomes ‘value enhanced’ and in the marketplace where there are thousands doing the same thing, yours is perceived as valuable because of the rare extras bundled with it.
Think of it - you’re giving chips (fries) along with the main event for free, your competitors aren’t, who will buyers go with?

5) Give special ‘insider access’ passes or memberships to the first 20 respondents etc or if your visitors order before a deadline. You increase value and evoke quick response by limiting the number of memberships available. Tell folks at the same time - “… in a few days our national advertising campaign will be rolled out and these 20 memberships are likely to be snapped up within minutes, order now to secure yours.” etc.

6) Give forward dated ‘Future Proofed’ Discount Vouchers for future product releases - for example, “Buy a X widget right now at £199.00 and you’ll get our brand new Y software at £99.00 when we release it next month. That’s a whole £100.00 off the Y software retail price of £199.00. Lock this discount in today by buying your X widget NOW and save yourself a whole £100.00.”

Then make this offer even more powerful by number limiting this ‘future’ offer too. Say something like “Obviously we can’t make this offer available to everyone or our profits on next months new release would be affected but we would like to say a special ‘thank you’ to you as a valued client if you’ve bought an X widget. As a result we’re willing to give you a very special £100.00 discount on the new Y software, but sadly we can only offer this to the first 50 respondents for the reason I mentioned earlier. Please act now and purchase your X widget and I’ll be happy to lock in your special £100.00 Y software discount right now.

7) Show dramatic visual countdowns to increase the sense of scarcity - when running a promo that limits purchasers to say 50 copies of a book or manual, special health clinics etc then countdown the progress of the sales before your prospects eyes. On Monday at the start of the promo you only had 47 left, a week later 24, then 12, 7, 3 etc. This is very gripping and effective in any industry.

When you make your product so scarce it literally disappears before visitors eyes they want it all the more. Nowadays you can get little javascript codes to insert into your pages, or pop ups to make this ‘live’ countdown seem very real indeed and it’s extremely effective.

Add value to your product by tying a celebrity name to it - for example “Aretha Franklin swears by our nutritional vitamin syrup because she says it makes her feel like she’s seventeen again and protects her vulnerable vocal chords so she can sing like an angel…” Other nutritional syrups are basically the same but yours would be the only one used and endorsed by a famous celebrity. It may not be possible to get Aretha Franklin but with a little imagination you’re likely to be surprised at the folks you could team up with like this. Their end of the deal is they get extra exposure, or even a share in the sales from the promo you run.

9) Tie up with other related business owners and run a dual promo offering a unique ‘Double Whammy’ product - As an example a specialist seat cover maker could do something along the lines of…

“Order One Set Of Super Soft Custom Leather Car Seat Covers and our friends at Alloy Wheel Kings will give you a full set of alloy wheels at 50% discount. Obviously this is such an incredible deal we can only afford to let the first 25 respondents participate in this promotion which we expect to be sold out by next wednesday. Please book your covers now - click here”

NB: You really need to give such a humdinger of a deal to make this kind of offer fly off the page - 15% off the alloys example above wouldn’t be enough. If the owner of ‘Alloy Wheel Kings’ feels there’s not enough profit in the deal by giving away 50% on the alloys then you’d offer to enhance his profit by building in some extra ‘fat’ in the price of your ‘Super Soft Custom Leather Car Covers’.

You get the picture, but remember the better the offer the faster it flies. The best part about this type of special ‘dual deal’ is you create a very scarce and unique product in your market which your competition don’t have. Sure there may be thousands of car seat cover manufacturers but none that also bundle in superb alloys with their deals. That’d make you stand out in a crowded marketplace wouldn’t it?

Okay that’s enough for now, I’m sure you get the idea.

Hopefully this sprinkling of ’scarcity’ mechanisms will inspire you to employ them in your own headlines and throughout your web copywriting. You don’t need to be garish or loud or use screaming titles etc to get your message across and get serious buyers reading.

If you state simply and clearly, a genuinely scarce commodity is available to a hungry targeted market who you know beforehand want what you have, and you strive as your copy reads on to make it almost literally ‘disappear before their eyes’, folks won’t stop reading, and if you’ve done it correctly they’ll order at the end… sophisticat or not.

Remember, you’ve got to get them ‘in the gut’ bypassing the intricate sales filters of your prospects minds, and this is one of the very best ways to do it - try it and enjoy watching what happens.

Dave Alston is the Author of ‘Revealed: The Hidden Truth About Web Design’ and owner of http://www.aceofwebs.co.uk - small business web success driven by crystal clear copywriting. Subscribe to his ‘Ace Tips’ SME Marketing RSS feed by copying and pasting http://www.aceofwebs.co.uk/rss/wp-rss2.php into your RSS Reader.

When most analysts, financial planners, fund specialists and investors try to decide whether to buy a particular stock they immediately go to the financial statements to determine the growth potential of the company. Numbers and more numbers. Then management analysis and industry speculation. Unless you are an experienced financial analyst (and there are not very many good ones) the numbers in the reported statements can be very misleading - just as the company Controller wants them to be.

Let’s not consider fraud as there has been plenty of that both here and abroad. They are all honest (I hope). Most corporate executives want to remain within the law so they report statements that are true to the FASB - Financial Accounting Standards Board.

As the old saying goes, “Numbers don’t lie, but liars can figure”. If you are good with accounting techniques you can make a bankrupt company look good - on paper. On CNBC-TV many folks watch the CEOs telling a great story about their company. You sure don’t expect them to tell you the whole truth and nothing but the truth, do you? That is why I always hit the mute button. And many times when you look to see what the insiders are doing in this wonderful (?) company this executive and his buddies are selling out.

Then there is Morningstar that gives us those twinkling heavenly bodies. Nothing like a 5-star mutual fund - that has lost money for the past 4 years. So much of their information is old and if they know it you can be sure that has already been factored into the current price. How about those peer groups? Suppose this particular peer group is ranked 99th out of 100 or even 15th or lower. One question: why do you still own it?

Why are you putting your money in the stock market at all? The idea was to make more money. Right? Yet the majority of little investors will hold a stock or mutual fund while it goes down and down. Wouldn’t it make more sense to sell out once it loses a certain percentage from its highest price after you buy it? If you bought it at $20 and it is now $40 is it now time to sell? I don’t know so why not let the price action tell you. If you only wanted to risk 10% when you bought your stop-loss would have been $27. It now should still be 10%, so you will be out at $36 if it starts down. Suppose you tracked that stop all the way up to $80? This is why I have always preached that stops make you money.

The best (?) analysts know very little more than you. They just have a bigger vocabulary about the market. You and your dart board can do as well. All any truly smart investor needs is common sense and the ability NOT to fall in love with any position. Know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.

Al Thomas’ book, “If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy
It!” has helped thousands of people make money
and keep their profits with his simple 2-step
method. Read the first chapter at
http://www.mutualfundmagic.com
and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street
does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005