Your lousy communication skills are hurting yourself and others. Here's what you need to do at once.

Your lousy communication skills are hurting yourself and others. Here's what you need to do at once.

by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

It's time to call a spade a spade. We are members of the most communications savvy and personally wired generation ever. Even the tiniest mite has her cell phone with camera. Yet the truth is, the explosion of communications tools has produced less real communication than ever; you and your poor communications skills are one of the culprits. Listen up! After all, it's time your communication skills improved to the level of your communications tools.

The quality of communications is not strained...

You, being an educated soul, are no doubt familiar with Portia's famous speech:

The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

(The Merchant of Venice. Act 4, scene 1.)

Bold and even impious, I now advise you (while great Shakespeare rolls in his grave) to change the word "mercy" to "communications," thus:

The quality of communications is not strain'd... it is twice blessed..."

And so it is. Good communications are good for the recipient and for the sender too.

You know this... but you do not act accordingly. Which is why this (shall we say) motivating article is so necessary and why you should take every single word to heart and make radical adjustments in your lamentable behavior.

Poor communicators (with the probability strong that you are one of them) exhibit these traits:

Arrogance. The human animal is a selfish animal, conceived in selfishness and nurtured in the belief that the Great Me, the universe-centered I Am is the most important animal anywhere at any time. As a result, this animal well and truly believes that she is so important that others must feel grateful, even when the communication is not returned. Oh, my!

People (like you?) who do not communicate effectively are people who are telling others, clear as crystal, that they are superior to you; that their time is more valuable than yours... and that these lesser folk need wait (and happily so) and wait and wait some more until you condescend to respond.

Such people by their behavior and non responsiveness clearly indicate that you and your concerns are, by definition, of infinitely less consideration than theirs. And that you'd best be glad for the little you get, for it is infinitely more than you deserve.

Poor communicators are slothful.

Good communicators, effective communicators realize that the business of communicating is like a tennis match. The ball must always be in motion between the communicator and those he wishes to communicate with. When the ball stops moving, the communication stops with it. The person who has stopped the communicating process is , by definition, the lazy, inhibiting one.

All too often the communication stops and is not extended because of unadulterated sloth. It takes work to communicate... it takes work to conceive a message and deliver that message. It takes work to be prepared and move matters to their next stage. However the slothful communicator can and does think of a myriad of "reasons" why he can obliterate the communications process without remorse. Thus he goes blithely on with his affairs while others, fuming, apply language which is ever more blue as time passes and their legitimate reasons for communicating go without any response whatsoever. Oh, my!

A special cycle of hell

For the intractable, for the miscreants arrogant and slothful who will not change, an idea: for them: a special cycle of hell wherein they are asked such questions as "are you hungry?" or "are you feeling hot and uncomfortable?" These hungry and uncomfortable miscreants answer and answer and answer. But response comes there none, ever. Delicious.

Help for the socially challenged and shy johns and janes everywhere.

Yet is the world of the non communicators made up solely and exclusively of the arrogant and slothful? Certainly not. It is also, and in significant numbers, the preserve of the shy, the timid, the socially malaprop, and untutored.

For them a single word: study.

There is one thing and only one thing which sets us apart and elevated from animals of every kind and place... and that one thing is communicating. So, if you truly wish to learn, improve and foster rather than retard communications, here is what you must learn and do.

1) Learn empathy, that crucial ability to enter into the minds and hearts of the people you are to communicate with. What is it they are expecting from you? Deliver that, to the furthest extent possible, and you have the essential element of success.

2) Be prompt about responding. In an age of instant communications, there can be absolutely no reason for delayed or no response at all except your own failure to provide it. The means are at hand; use them "as quick as boiled asparagus." And that's very fast!

3) Be clear on where you can be reached. Assume the person you are communicating with does not have this vital intelligence. State it clearly, thoroughly... and reiterate to avoid any confusion whatsoever.

4) Be willing to try again if the person you are trying to reach (even if that person initiated the communication) fails to respond. Remember, empathy is the basis for successful communications.

5) Above all else, never stop improving your knowledge of communication and its techniques. In this golden age of communications, the overwhelming majority of loaves and fishes will go to the communicating elite... those who make it a point to master communications and steadily enhance their knowledge and expertise. Make that person you!

Give this article to the communicating challenged. They need it so.

Your last task for today is to give a copy of this article to every substandard and inadequate communicator you can. The task at hand, training communicators and enhancing their skills, is a lifetime affair. Start it now. There is so very much to do and so many who need the help.

About The Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit online. Attend Dr. Lant's live webcast TODAY and receive 50,000 free guaranteed visitors to the website of your choice! Dr. Jeffrey Lant is the author of 18 best-selling business books, as well as being an internationally recognized marketer. Republished with author's permission by Vaurn James http://SuccessRoute.biz. 

How To Generate Traffic Using LinkedIn

How To Generate Traffic Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great social networking site that if used properly, can help increase your website traffic. Not only do you have to create a LinkedIn profile, you also have to submit the name and the link of your business website to the Website Section of LinkedIn so that people visiting your profile can visit your site too. Keeping the LinkedIn status message constantly updated with a few words about the things you work on or the product or services you offer helps generate website traffic. Make sure you add the blog link widget to your LinkedIn profile so that it automatically informs your profile visitors about the latest blog and Twitter updates you make. Just becoming a member of LinkedIn will not help generate website traffic; you have to be active with regular visits to the site and constant update of your profile. By joining various groups related to your field of work, you increase your website visibility and also draw in more traffic to your site. You have to apply to a group in LinkedIn before you can become a member of it; so make sure you select only groups with many members in it so that your site gets maximum exposure and visibility. Answering some of the questions posted in the LinkedIn website helps draw traffic to your site. Start group discussions by posting interesting questions to the group or by offering helpful information that is perhaps located in your site, and use this as a means of gaining exposure for your business. You have to increase the number of LinkedIn contacts you have by asking other members of LinkedIn to become your contacts. Once you develop the number of LinkedIn contacts you have, you have to send them messages to try and understand their needs and if you have something they may be interested in, you could slowly offer them a solution to their problem. These tips will help you dramatically increase your website traffic just by becoming a part of the social networking site, LinkedIn. INSERT CALL TO ACTION HERE

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Republished with author's permission.http://SuccessRoute.biz.

Are You Ready To Become Self-Employed

Are You Ready To Become Self-Employed

If you are interested in starting a business, or taking over one, you face a daunting task that carries a level of risk and excitement not possible in the 'employee' world.

If the financial independence of self-employment appeals to you - no boss, no income limits as to time and wage, and the ability to let your personal drive determine your compensation - then you will no doubt be eagerly going over the many options available to release you from your current job.

However, the rush of financial excitement must be tempered by the necessary cost of time, money and effort in properly setting yourself up independently.

Despite income claims made by business opportunity companies, or competing businesses, you must be ready to accept the reality of not seeing personal income for several months - or even years.

Starting a self-employed business on the side, while keeping regular employment as your financial security, is a wise method of ensuring your income.

Another option is to have substantial savings that permit you the freedom to pursue your dreams unencumbered with other employment. However, the savings must also be capable of carrying the costs of developing a business along with providing for your material needs.

Do you also recognize the time that is required in starting your own business? In some ways it is almost unnecessary to bring up the point since your passion will likely drive you to spend many hours in your pursuits. If you have other obligations; family, job, social etc. then you will have to consider if you CAN devote the time needed to get your business off the ground.

Having discussed both money and time, you must recognize that there is much more effort extended BEFORE a business is profitable than at any other time in your business. Yes, once you are getting work and are satisfied with the income level you may be very busy indeed but you will then be compensated for it. When you are still cultivating your business - marketing, doing free jobs, searching for clients and customers - you may not be seeing any income, or a very meager one, which makes your EFFORTS seem immense.

Do not falter! If you come to the point when you are working your hardest and doing everything your business requires but still not seeing monetary results, you may hit a psychological wall. This is where truly entrepreneurial individuals see an obstacle to overcome as opposed to a dead-end to their hard work. Passion for their work and the strong desire to work for themselves overcomes any perceived barriers and moves them to keep going and ultimately becoming very successful.

By persevering you will certainly see the fine fruits of your labors and prove to yourself and others that the benefits of self-employment far outweigh the mediocre status quo of the typical worker's daily grind.

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.

How to get thousands and thousands of responses to yourblog... and what to do when you get 'em.

How to get thousands and thousands of responses to yourblog... and what to do when you get 'em.

by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Of course you already have a blog, right? You are, I mean, on the cutting edge of the Internet, yes?

Well, if you are still blog-less today is indeed your lucky day, because I am going to show you right here, right now how to use your blog to get not a few but a positive avalanche of the best prospect leads on earth. And the great thing is, you can start today, this very minute.

Now affirm and reaffirm this: when you're in business, running a business blog, the objective is and always will be to generate terrific prospect leads... and follow them up to make money.

It's easy to forget the objective when you're publishing a blog which can all too easily be seized by the shear joy and vanity of seeing your name in print. Folks, if you need lovin' and crave adulation get a dog. They give unqualified affection. But don't subvert the purpose of your blog.

Nothing sells itself, absolutely nothing.

I have amongst my marketing students some of the very brightest people around... and when they make a mistake, I know the pedestrian run of mankind and marketers are making it, too, in spades.

One of the most rooted errors of these folks is the pernicious, invidious notion that their blog and its contents will sell themselves; that what they are promoting and selling in their blogs needs no introduction, nor powerful words of recommendation; it's good enough on its lonesome.

In a word: rubbish! In two words: complete rubbish!

Dear friend, there is nothing in this world, not the policies and messages of presidents, popes, and sovereign kings; not the very finest example of the most potent of salubrious medications; not the safest swiftest modes of transportation.... absolutely nothing sells itself.

Once you have realized this essential truth of business, you enter a new, higher level of commerce and marketing... for you are now a puffer in the Great Age of Puffery.... and your daily objective is clear: to puff better, more artfully, more carefully, more successfully than any other puffers on this planet. He (or she) who puffs the most, the best, reaps the most.

Thus, say you intend tomorrow to publish a jim dandy article on some subject of note and significance. The duffer puffer, the one on the bottom of the marketing heap, merely publishes the article, with this unvoiced sentiment: "Here's the article. Make of it what you will. I can't be bothered to tell you why you should read it... perhaps I don't even know."

And some dare call this marketing.

Now, try this instead...

(puff the day before you publish the article.)

Tomorrow, you readers have an incredible gift coming. I persuaded internationally known author and commentator Dr. Jeffrey Lant to let me have, in advance of publication, his latest article. It details the truth about the relationship of Snow White with those with-it guys, the 7 Dwarfs. You won't believe what one of the most perceptive commentators around has discovered about Snow... and those Dwarfs. Can you say 'Happy.' You certainly will tomorrow...."

With these fast-moving words, you are keeping your audience, your present and future customers all, on the very edge of their seats. You want them in a pother of anticipation and excitement about What Happens Next. You, cleverkins, are ascending in the crucial business of puffery; selling the sizzle, not the steak. And you're frolicking all the way to the bank.

Remember, puffing is not something occasional or episodic. It is not merely one essential thing in marketing; it is the essential thing and it must be regarded accordingly... from this moment on. Let me make this point absolutely, crystal clear:

If you want to sell a product, you must puff it.

If you want to sell your service, you must puff it.

If you want a person to read your blog, you must puff it.

If you want that same person to read an article in that blog, you must puff it.

Get the picture?

A few more hints

Your puffs must appear prominently in your blog, at least 1 at the top of the first page.

They must be short, enticing, action oriented. They must radiate a single imperative message: Look at all you get, look how delicious it is, grab it, grab it now...'

Here's another example.

"Wow! I'm ecstatic to tell you that I've snagged another one of Dr. Lant's superb articles. Yesterday nearly 400 of you smarties emailed me with your thanks, congratulations, and sincere appreciation for his last insightful article. Now I've got another for you. Stay tuned... you'll have it in just HOURS. Make sure to email me at once with your reactions and compliments... it's another winner!!! You can reach me by email (email address here); cell phone (number here)... or land line (number here.) And I want to hear from each and EVERY one of you!"

You must get on with the essential business of puffing each and every day, without exception, that you want money.

And, I guarantee you, that as you improve in your puffery, you will improve your prospect responses, dramatically.

And your bottom line? Why that will improve, too, and dramatically so if and only if you follow up each and every response, as quickly as possible, with a special offer. In other words, thank the respondents, thank them as soon as possible... and always give them a thing (or two) which makes you money. Thus are you benefited as you benefit your fast-responding prospects.

There are many things, of course, which factor into consummate blog success. They include

* having good content, interesting, practical, timely;

* publishing according to a schedule, never missing a deadline;

* writing directly to your readers, always using "you";

* keeping every word of text short, peppy, upbeat,

* and, always and forever, every single day, puffing.

Because if you don't puff, if you do not encourage, recommend, admonish, excite, and motivate you are leaving the crucial act of marketing in the hands of those least able to discern for themselves what to do. That decision must be yours. You and only you must advance the necessary reasons for acting as you want them to act. That crucial aspect of marketing belongs to you... and you must do this every time you want results. Like today.

About The Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit online. Dr. Lant is also the author of 18 best-selling business books.

Republished with author's permission by Vaurn James http://SuccessRoute.biz.

Things To Consider When Starting A Home Business

Things To Consider When Starting A Home Business

Home businesses are a perfect example of the entrepreneurial spirit. Home businesses let ordinary citizens create their own company. They can be their own bosses, set their own hours, and create their own pay scales. If having a home business sounds interesting to you, then pay close attention to the tips in this article.

Before starting a home business, be sure to research your market fully. If your product is something that your target market doesn't want or need, you won't get many sales. Rather than spending all your energy trying to force the market to buy your product, spend that energy designing and promoting a product the market wants.

Find inexpensive ways to advertise your home business. If you are a pet-sitter, drop some business cards off at local veterinarian offices. Stores, post offices, even community centers often have bulletin boards you can advertise on. Be creative and you will enjoy a larger demand for your services!

Use an online credit card acceptance company while you are getting your business off the ground. Propay allows you $1,000 per month of credit card transactions for a low per-transaction price and minimal setup. Paypal and 2Checkout both allow you to accept credit cards on your website with no setup or monthly fees. As your business grows, you can move to a bank-provided merchant account if necessary.

When starting a home-based business it is of the utmost importance that you have the support of your family and loved ones. Establishing a home business can be extremely time consuming, and often comes with a great deal of stress. Without the support of your family members, your home business is very unlikely to succeed.

Participate in trade shows that focus on your particular product or service. Trade shows provide a great way to network with others in your industry. It is also an effective way to promote your business to many potential customers by providing you with a setting to demonstrate your product or service.

Make sure you keep your messages to your clients at a reasonable level so that you give them the information they need to know but do not overload them. Feature options such as newsletters or optional e-mail alerts, if your business is content rich or you offer frequent discounts or specials. While it's great to give out information, you should always take care not to send out too much.

Think about how you are going to handle your business and if you can. When you first start out it's easier and less expensive to run it yourself. You should ask yourself if you can handle all the responsibilities on your own before diving into starting your own business.

Furthermore, home businesses are perfect for entrepreneurs. They let regular people create their own company where they are in charge and control everything from pay to hours. The tips that were provided in this article should allow you to easily become an entrepreneur by creating a home business. Try any or all that fit your circumstances and we will see you at the top!

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.  

Hints And Helpful Ideas For The Home Business Owner

Hints And Helpful Ideas For The Home Business Owner

Running a home business is an exciting venture. It can be a little scary, too. There are so many things to learn and to coordinate. You have to figure out a daily routine, keep improving your skills, and take care of lots of paperwork. The helpful tips in this article can make these tasks and many others a lot easier for you.

You should be able to talk about your business plan and goals in a few sentences. If you're able to tell others what your business is about in a couple of sentences, you can impress people when you're speaking with them. Cover the areas that your business can improve to build credibility with customers.

If you are running a home based business, you need to have a domain name and a website. Even the best websites will still look unprofessional if they are hosted on a free web-building site. Domain names are relatively cheap. Pick one that's related to your business and you will undoubtedly see an increase in sales.

Running a home business can be a difficult task if you do not take it seriously. In order to succeed at working from home you should dress the part, have a space dedicated for work and work only, and have a set schedule. This ensures that business actually takes place when you are at home.

Use an online service or software to design a matching set of postcards, fliers and brochures to send out to customers and prospects. Look online for printer suppliers that offer an interface that allows you to add text to one of their existing designs, or upload your own. Choose a design as your "brand," the look and feel you want people to identify with your business.

All young businesses take quite a bit of time to really get up and running. Because of this you should ensure that you have a secondary source of income until the home business is able to sustain itself as well as your household. This can come from a spouse, savings, or a part-time job.

Make sure you have a safe workplace. This includes having a smoke detector and fire extinguisher in your work area. You should also find an efficient solution to backup all your data. The right type of fire protection helps you lower your business insurance costs, and an ergonomic keyboard helps protect your hands.

Examine all of the ways your home business appears in the marketplace and be sure you have a consistent message and presentation. Whether it is your business cards, web site or social media business page, keeping your messaging professional and synchronized helps you promote your business appropriately and clearly across multiple channels.

It will always be challenging trying to run your business from your home. However, many people do it and make a success of it every day. You can make a go of it, too, if you learn the tricks that help things run more smoothly. Start applying the pointers provided in this article today, and make your home business experience an enjoyable one.

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.  

Basics Of The Stock Market

Basics Of The Stock Market

Many new investors jump into the stock market based on hearing the hype of how it?s possible to make great money investing this way. They may have heard of a friend who made a bundle with day trading or a colleague who has a hot stock tip and so they figure they?ll jump into the market too.

Before you begin investing, it?s important that you understand at least the basics of the stock market.

While investing in stocks can help you to build a great investment portfolio, if you?re not careful about your strategies, you could also find it can be a great way to lose a lot of money too.

There are two sections to the stock market. The primary market is where shares are created by companies and generally offered to the public via an IPO (Initial Public Offering). The secondary market is where established stocks are exchanged and traded among investors without the involvement of the company issuing the stocks.

When people think about investing on the stock market, they tend to be talking about the secondary market.

Basics of Stock Market Shares

Shares, or stocks, are individual pieces of ownership of much larger companies. When companies need to raise capital, then sell off little portions of the company so that investors may become partial owners of that company. Each time you buy a stock, it represents a share of ownership in a publicly listed company. You become a shareholder. As you increase the number of stocks you have in one particular company, you increase the percentage of ownership you have.

As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the company?s earnings. These are usually paid as dividends, although not all companies offer dividend payments. You?re also entitled to exercise any of the voting rights that might be attached to that stock, however you don?t have a say in the daily operational running of that business.

Basics of Stock Market Pricing

There are several factors that can affect the price of stocks and you might notice that the price of stocks changes every day. While the price can be partially dictated by supply and demand, there are also other factors that can affect the overall price too. Economic changes, unemployment or bad management in the company are all individual factors that can also affect the pricing.

The price you see listed on any particular stock is based on the perceived profitability of the company and not the value of the company. This means the stock can often be priced based on what investors believe the stocks are worth. The value of the company is called the market capitalization.

When you see on the news that the market rose or fell by a number of points, it?s important to understand that not every single stock listed on the exchange followed the same movements. The index you see reported is a representation of a number of stocks and presented as a single figure to give a general idea of the market movements as a whole.

However, there will always be individual companies that move contrarily to the main market sentiment. It?s this contrary movement that day traders watch for, trying to find the next stock pick that will rise in value and gain profits for them.

Basics of Stock Market Investing

There are several types of stock market investment strategies. Day trading is growing in popularity as a way to smaller investors to begin building capital. The basis behind day trading is to buy a stock in the early part of the trading day and hopefully sell it again at a profit before trading closes.

Long term investors tend to purchase many different stocks in a diversified range of companies in various sectors to spread their risk. These investors tend to hold stocks for longer periods of time, allowing the value of their stocks to appreciate. They also receive dividend payments, either in the form of a check or as a dividend reinvestment plan, where the company issues stocks to the value of the dividend payments to the shareholder to add to his portfolio.

Vaurn James is the Owner of http://SuccessRoute.biz. Check us out anytime for marketing tips and a free subscription to our cutting edge newsletter.