Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Andrea Conway
Your customers want something from you. It's not your rock-bottom prices. Not your wacky publicity stunts. Not your mastery of Google ads, social networking sites, or brilliant podcasting techniques.
Sure, that stuff gets their attention. And I hope it goes without saying that you must offer a quality product with excellent customer service.
But beyond those givens, what customers really crave is ... you.
Your originality.
To keep customers, allow them to see into your heart and soul. They want that connection. We all do.
In this attraction-based universe, your perfect customers are drawn to your energy and you to theirs. But they can't be drawn if you're not beaming an original signal to attract them.
Back in the early 90s I did a lot of copywriting for huge corporations about "customer retention," "customer loyalty," and "customer satisfaction."
The VPs of marketing who hired me didn't want to hear about heart, soul and deep connections.
Fortunately, today is the era of the individual entrepreneur. Most creative people these days want to have their own businesses and control their own time and destiny.
It's finally OK to express our authentic selves in business! In fact, it's imperative that we do so.
Why imperative? Because the Internet has created one vast marketplace in which millions of individual entrepreneurs compete.
Stressing out about competition isn't necessary when you express who you really are. The Law of Attraction broadcasts your originality to everyone you can serve.
Take Dave, the enthusiastically original owner of the UPS store franchise where I receive my mail. His sincere interest in his business keeps me from switching to any of his rivals, though there are half a dozen mailbox store franchises within two miles of me.
Dave knows my name, greets me cheerfully, offers to take care of my copying jobs while I run other errands, and forwards my mail religiously when I'm in Arizona for the winter.
Two years ago, when Dave's youngest son died unexpectedly, he bravely expressed his grief and agony to his customers. That took guts.
People often ask me for "tips and techniques" they can use with the Law of Attraction to become more successful. Their requests come from an outdated business model based on manipulation.
Why struggle to manipulate? Relax, be your original self, and allow the Law of Attraction to bring your perfect customers to you.
About the Author:
Andrea Conway, M.Ed., C.C., is the law of attraction success mentor for solopreneurs and small business owners ready to make all the money they want at the business they love. Get an instant bonus e-report, "Fire Up Your Business Success Using the Law of Attraction," when you subscribe to her free e-zine at http://www.succcessfulselfemployment.com. You could qualify for a free 30-minute coaching session!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
How To Get And Keep More Loyal Ezine Subscribers
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Willie Crawford
When I noticed an automatically generated note from one of my email list hosting accounts at ProfitAutomation warning me that the account was approaching the 200,000 subscriber limit, and that I needed to increase its size, I realized that I finally had all of the subscribers that I really "needed." That account is one of five that I have with ProfitAutomation, and I also have one with Aweber.
So, while I still have a goal of building my database to over 1 million subscribers before the end of 2008, subconsciously I have to admit... that's somewhat for "bragging rights."
As I studied list building over the years, I eventually realized
that a more important question than how to grow your list is "How do you keep loyal subscribers."
Growing a large list is fairly simple... depending upon your definition of large.
It's as simple as:
Having a subscribe box on every page of your website
Having a subscribe box somewhere in the backend of each sales processes
Giving people a very specific reason for subscribing (telling them what benefit they'll gain from being on your list)
Using testimonials from happy subscribers to prove that other already enjoy your ezine
Focusing your ezine on a tightly niched topic that your audience has a real interest in
There are other things that you can do such as joint ventures, and finding ways to get in front of other publishers' audiences, but it all centers around answering the question of "What's in it for me?" that all of your potential subscribers have.
Once you get subscribers though, how do you keep them?
My friend Paul Myers, in his ebook, "The Amazing List Machine" taught me that you simply deliver to your subscribers what you promised them when they first joined your list.
If your ezine is on affiliate marketing, then your content teaches them affiliate marketing.
If your ezine is on website traffic generation then your content teaches them about website traffic generation.
If your ezine is on cooking (as one of mine is) then you teach them to cook.
Sounds fairly simple doesn't it?
If you give your subscribers what you promised them when you enticed them to join your list, they should stay on your list, and read your newsletters, provided their needs don't change.
For many ezine publishers, the tougher question becomes "How do I monetize my list without driving off subscribers." After all, isn't that why most of us started a newsletter?
Yes, it's fun writing something that people enjoy reading. It's nice getting emails telling you how long they've been a subscriber, and how much of a difference your lessons have made in their lives.
However, that won't put food on your table. So, how do you monetize your list?
The answer is that you offer them goods and services directly related to the topic of your list. If your list is on cooking, then you offer them cookbooks, and cooking gadgets, and perhaps cooking videos... or live workshops.
If you ezine is about list-building then you offer them supplemental courses on list-building. You offer them software that automates the process more. You offer them case-studies that show how others are building large, responsive lists.
The whole process is fairly simple when you step back and look at it. You entice subscribers to join your list by promising them exactly what they want (that you can deliver). You keep them by delivering what you promised. Finally, you monetize your list by selling them things that make it easier for them to get what they were looking for when they first joined your list.
Take a few minutes now and examine your process. Honestly look for weak points in your system... and then fix them. Then you too will one day realize the you no longer need to focus on growing your list. Then the challenge becomes deepening the relationship that you have with list members, although you should have been focused on that all along too :-)
About the Author:
Willie Crawford has been running an online business, largely driven by email marketing, since late-1996. He is the author of the popular ebook "How I Boosted My Ezine Sign-Up Rate By 5200 MORE Subscribers Per Month - Virtually Overnight - And You Can Too." Get your copy now at http://TheRealSecrets.com/5200/
Copyright © 2008 Willie Crawford
When I noticed an automatically generated note from one of my email list hosting accounts at ProfitAutomation warning me that the account was approaching the 200,000 subscriber limit, and that I needed to increase its size, I realized that I finally had all of the subscribers that I really "needed." That account is one of five that I have with ProfitAutomation, and I also have one with Aweber.
So, while I still have a goal of building my database to over 1 million subscribers before the end of 2008, subconsciously I have to admit... that's somewhat for "bragging rights."
As I studied list building over the years, I eventually realized
that a more important question than how to grow your list is "How do you keep loyal subscribers."
Growing a large list is fairly simple... depending upon your definition of large.
It's as simple as:
There are other things that you can do such as joint ventures, and finding ways to get in front of other publishers' audiences, but it all centers around answering the question of "What's in it for me?" that all of your potential subscribers have.
Once you get subscribers though, how do you keep them?
My friend Paul Myers, in his ebook, "The Amazing List Machine" taught me that you simply deliver to your subscribers what you promised them when they first joined your list.
If your ezine is on affiliate marketing, then your content teaches them affiliate marketing.
If your ezine is on website traffic generation then your content teaches them about website traffic generation.
If your ezine is on cooking (as one of mine is) then you teach them to cook.
Sounds fairly simple doesn't it?
If you give your subscribers what you promised them when you enticed them to join your list, they should stay on your list, and read your newsletters, provided their needs don't change.
For many ezine publishers, the tougher question becomes "How do I monetize my list without driving off subscribers." After all, isn't that why most of us started a newsletter?
Yes, it's fun writing something that people enjoy reading. It's nice getting emails telling you how long they've been a subscriber, and how much of a difference your lessons have made in their lives.
However, that won't put food on your table. So, how do you monetize your list?
The answer is that you offer them goods and services directly related to the topic of your list. If your list is on cooking, then you offer them cookbooks, and cooking gadgets, and perhaps cooking videos... or live workshops.
If you ezine is about list-building then you offer them supplemental courses on list-building. You offer them software that automates the process more. You offer them case-studies that show how others are building large, responsive lists.
The whole process is fairly simple when you step back and look at it. You entice subscribers to join your list by promising them exactly what they want (that you can deliver). You keep them by delivering what you promised. Finally, you monetize your list by selling them things that make it easier for them to get what they were looking for when they first joined your list.
Take a few minutes now and examine your process. Honestly look for weak points in your system... and then fix them. Then you too will one day realize the you no longer need to focus on growing your list. Then the challenge becomes deepening the relationship that you have with list members, although you should have been focused on that all along too :-)
About the Author:
Willie Crawford has been running an online business, largely driven by email marketing, since late-1996. He is the author of the popular ebook "How I Boosted My Ezine Sign-Up Rate By 5200 MORE Subscribers Per Month - Virtually Overnight - And You Can Too." Get your copy now at http://TheRealSecrets.com/5200/
Monday, May 12, 2008
How To Run A 50,000 Advertising Campaign On A 1,920 Budget
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Lei Wang
Has this ever happened to you? You have been chasing a prospect for the last few months, waiting and waiting to hear from them. Finally, you receive a long awaited email. Or, someone has finally returned your call after you left the twenty-seventh message on their phone?
You were over the moon! Jumping up and down...and ka-ching...ka-ching....
You can already hear the cash register ringing - you know it's time to get paid!
Then next thing you hear...
"I'll need sometime to think about it and will get back to you..."
"I'll need to discuss it with my wife..."
Have you ever asked yourself, "Why is it so damn hard to get people hand over their credit card details?"
And remember the first time you ever run an ad in the local newspaper, trade magazine, or purchased a spot on the local radio station?
You were so excited and nervous at the same time. You were holding your breath and praying for the phone to ring...
Then as the clock ticked and days slowly drifted by...finally the phone rings.
You rush to pick up and ahaaa...
Someone has answered your ad, expressed interest, and asked you a few questions...
Then, they disappear off the face of the earth and you never hear from them again...
Has it ever crossed your mind...?
Maybe it's easier to just give up...and find a job that offers some security. You can pay off your mortgage, work another thirty or forty years, and then retire comfortably.
Well...I don't blame you for thinking that way. We have all had days where nothing seems to work out.
If you are devoting a lot of time talking to skeptical or mildly interested prospects, and then wondering why they never call back...
You failed to address their biggest concern.
Most people are terrified of putting out money and getting no where. They have seen hundreds if not thousands of ads similar to yours and companies that come and go like a circuit. They have been burnt enough times by snake-oil salesmen selling get-rich-quick scheme, masterminded by some amateur running their business in a spare bedroom, hoping to make a few quick bucks.
It all comes down to one key element C credibility, and this is the first and foremost concern you need to address in your sales pitch.
For that exact reason, your competitors with deep pockets are willing to fork out millions upon millions of dollars on advertising and brand building.
They are happy to repeatedly run ads in magazines, newspapers, on TV, and on the radio. There may not be a single soul who picks up the phone to make an enquiry, but they keep the ad machine rolling. It doesn't hurt them one bit because they have plenty of money to show around, and it's a great a credibility booster.
Now...
If you are a hard-working small business owner struggling to make ends meet, or just starting out and barely affording an office and a desk....imagine trying to take business away from them. It's like competing with sharks in a small pond with no way out!
In your battle for survival, you might lower your prices or provide better service. Sometimes you might work sixteen hours a day., seven days a week. This might give you just enough to cover the overheads and pay the employees. You re-invest the little left over back into your business to keep it going...
Not a very bright picture, wouldn't you say?
But the good news is...
You are certainly not alone in this situation. Most businesses have a short life because of these two problems...
The primary reason for failure in the first year is a lack of funding. The primary reason for failure over the next five years is burn-out.
My client, Scott Bywater, transformed from being a struggling start-up to one of the highest paid copywriter in just a few years, because he knows how to make his money work harder instead of himself.
If you want to run a $50,000 advertising campaign on a $1,920 budget, you must be smart with your money...
Instead of paying a few thousands for a single media placement, why not use educational content in an editorial style?
For starters, you get equivalent ad placement for free. People read editorials with pen and paper in-hand to capture interesting tidbits of information. You won't see that with advertisement.
If you are a marketing executive and strapped for time, outsource the task by finding a writer for less than $0.20/word. You can have an 800 word article done for little over $160.
Just think how much you normally pay for an ad....
$3,000 - $5,000 for a single issue ad in any trade publications $60,000 and up in a major national publication
Doesn't that seem like a pretty darned good deal?
Take out your calculator and let's do the math...
At the rate of $4200/ad, within a single year you will be running $50,000 in debt. If you commission 12 editorial articles, all you will ever pay is $1920. That's less than 4% of the cost of the traditional ad.
if you are really strapped for cash, just recycle any existing files you have like brochures, sale letters, newsletters, ebooks, seminar handouts, or blog posts. You can have an article ready under 10 minutes.
I hope you walk away with something valuable from this - strategies you can immediately apply to boost your profit. And if you have any questions or a burning problem and you can't figure out, feel free to send me an email. I'm looking forward to helping you on your journey to success.
P.S. If you want to find out how Scott Bywater "banked in $1,500 within 48 hours with just a phone call", visit my website.
About the Author:
Lei Wang is a leading education marketer who focuses on reducing advertising expenses for business owners. Get instant access to her 17 page report "How to Advertise Without Spending $1 On Advertising and Reduce Your Ad Expenses By 80%" (Valued at $39.95 - Yours FREE). Visit http://www.paynoadvertising.com/report_pw.html
Copyright © 2008 Lei Wang
Has this ever happened to you? You have been chasing a prospect for the last few months, waiting and waiting to hear from them. Finally, you receive a long awaited email. Or, someone has finally returned your call after you left the twenty-seventh message on their phone?
You were over the moon! Jumping up and down...and ka-ching...ka-ching....
You can already hear the cash register ringing - you know it's time to get paid!
Then next thing you hear...
"I'll need sometime to think about it and will get back to you..."
"I'll need to discuss it with my wife..."
Have you ever asked yourself, "Why is it so damn hard to get people hand over their credit card details?"
And remember the first time you ever run an ad in the local newspaper, trade magazine, or purchased a spot on the local radio station?
You were so excited and nervous at the same time. You were holding your breath and praying for the phone to ring...
Then as the clock ticked and days slowly drifted by...finally the phone rings.
You rush to pick up and ahaaa...
Someone has answered your ad, expressed interest, and asked you a few questions...
Then, they disappear off the face of the earth and you never hear from them again...
Has it ever crossed your mind...?
Maybe it's easier to just give up...and find a job that offers some security. You can pay off your mortgage, work another thirty or forty years, and then retire comfortably.
Well...I don't blame you for thinking that way. We have all had days where nothing seems to work out.
If you are devoting a lot of time talking to skeptical or mildly interested prospects, and then wondering why they never call back...
You failed to address their biggest concern.
Most people are terrified of putting out money and getting no where. They have seen hundreds if not thousands of ads similar to yours and companies that come and go like a circuit. They have been burnt enough times by snake-oil salesmen selling get-rich-quick scheme, masterminded by some amateur running their business in a spare bedroom, hoping to make a few quick bucks.
It all comes down to one key element C credibility, and this is the first and foremost concern you need to address in your sales pitch.
For that exact reason, your competitors with deep pockets are willing to fork out millions upon millions of dollars on advertising and brand building.
They are happy to repeatedly run ads in magazines, newspapers, on TV, and on the radio. There may not be a single soul who picks up the phone to make an enquiry, but they keep the ad machine rolling. It doesn't hurt them one bit because they have plenty of money to show around, and it's a great a credibility booster.
Now...
If you are a hard-working small business owner struggling to make ends meet, or just starting out and barely affording an office and a desk....imagine trying to take business away from them. It's like competing with sharks in a small pond with no way out!
In your battle for survival, you might lower your prices or provide better service. Sometimes you might work sixteen hours a day., seven days a week. This might give you just enough to cover the overheads and pay the employees. You re-invest the little left over back into your business to keep it going...
Not a very bright picture, wouldn't you say?
But the good news is...
You are certainly not alone in this situation. Most businesses have a short life because of these two problems...
The primary reason for failure in the first year is a lack of funding. The primary reason for failure over the next five years is burn-out.
My client, Scott Bywater, transformed from being a struggling start-up to one of the highest paid copywriter in just a few years, because he knows how to make his money work harder instead of himself.
If you want to run a $50,000 advertising campaign on a $1,920 budget, you must be smart with your money...
Instead of paying a few thousands for a single media placement, why not use educational content in an editorial style?
For starters, you get equivalent ad placement for free. People read editorials with pen and paper in-hand to capture interesting tidbits of information. You won't see that with advertisement.
If you are a marketing executive and strapped for time, outsource the task by finding a writer for less than $0.20/word. You can have an 800 word article done for little over $160.
Just think how much you normally pay for an ad....
$3,000 - $5,000 for a single issue ad in any trade publications $60,000 and up in a major national publication
Doesn't that seem like a pretty darned good deal?
Take out your calculator and let's do the math...
At the rate of $4200/ad, within a single year you will be running $50,000 in debt. If you commission 12 editorial articles, all you will ever pay is $1920. That's less than 4% of the cost of the traditional ad.
if you are really strapped for cash, just recycle any existing files you have like brochures, sale letters, newsletters, ebooks, seminar handouts, or blog posts. You can have an article ready under 10 minutes.
I hope you walk away with something valuable from this - strategies you can immediately apply to boost your profit. And if you have any questions or a burning problem and you can't figure out, feel free to send me an email. I'm looking forward to helping you on your journey to success.
P.S. If you want to find out how Scott Bywater "banked in $1,500 within 48 hours with just a phone call", visit my website.
About the Author:
Lei Wang is a leading education marketer who focuses on reducing advertising expenses for business owners. Get instant access to her 17 page report "How to Advertise Without Spending $1 On Advertising and Reduce Your Ad Expenses By 80%" (Valued at $39.95 - Yours FREE). Visit http://www.paynoadvertising.com/report_pw.html
Saturday, May 10, 2008
5 Simple Steps to Selling Online - How to Convert Visitors Into Buyers
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 Sophie Baxter
Step 1 - First impressions DO Count! First impressions are fundamental to building trust online - even more so if you have an e-commerce site. Your site needs to look professional and inspire trust: the slightest doubt and the customer will leave your site for a competitor's.
So make sure that your graphic and pictures are good quality and your text is clear and informative.
Remember that you are asking people to leave their credit card details and trust you with their money!
Step 2 - Write good content and products descriptions You need to provide visitors with enough information about your product to allow them to make an informed buying decision.
Try not only be descriptive but also appeal to the customer's feelings. Would you widget make him feel amazingly confident, look good dinner parties, allow them to do their work quicker and spend more time with their family?
The text needs to be conversational, punchy easy to read and interesting.
You will find yourself spending a considerable amount of time writing - but the benefits - higher conversion rates and better search engines results, should be worth it.
Step 3 - KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid!) Don't assume that everyone knows everything. Make it clear where they need to go to find what. Label the navigation titles clearly and make it clear how to buy.
Amazingly "add to basket" or "buy now" signs on some sites are almost impossible to find... and guess what? People shop elsewhere. Keep the layout clear and simple and make sure navigation is obvious to all users (not just to you) by testing your website on friends and family - watch how they use it, you could be amazed at what you learn!
Step 4 - Forget Flash (and large images, Splash pages or other gimmicks) Lots of graphics and moving images might look impressive but they can take too long to load and annoy you visitors. All customers are interested in is accessing relevant information as quickly and easily as possible so that they can see what you have to offer. What's more they look like at adverts and at best customer ignore them.
Too many companies are tempted to go for a 'wow' effect website with lots of graphics that take a lifetime - or at least longer than the average browser is prepared to wait - to load and don't bring any "value" to the site.
Remember, the web is an information-based medium and wouldn't you prefer your site to be remembered for its great products and services rather than its design?
We're not saying that design is irrelevant - just try to keep things simple. This leads us nicely to our next step.
Step 5 - Make your promises clear... and keep them. All return and guarantees policies should be stated clearly on the site. You need to maintain trust and continue to build relationships with your clients even after you've made the sale. Answer all queries and emails personally. Automated answers are likely to make customers feel like 'just another number'. A prompt and warm personal answer, however, will make them feel valued.
Keep them informed of the delivery status, especially if delivery is delayed. They might not be happy but they'll be even more upset if they feel you've let them down. Similarly, if you've made a mistake admit it, apologise and fix it - as quickly as possible!
REMEMBER - unhappy people tell two or three times more people than happy ones do! The old saying that new customers are much harder (and much more expensive) to sell to than new ones is true and customer retention will be key in the long term success of your business.
About the Author:
Sophie Baxter is the Managing Director of http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk a company devoted to selling balloons, teddy bears, chocolates and cheerful gifts with the 'wow-factor'. On the birth of her baby, Sophie was given an helium filled balloon in a gift box, that made her go 'WOW' and kept both baby and Dad entertained. A few months later, she organised a helium balloon delivery for a friend's 50th birthday which went down so well that Sophie realised that she had stumbled across an idea that made giving and receiving gifts easy, enjoyable and great fun.
Copyright © 2008 Sophie Baxter
Step 1 - First impressions DO Count! First impressions are fundamental to building trust online - even more so if you have an e-commerce site. Your site needs to look professional and inspire trust: the slightest doubt and the customer will leave your site for a competitor's.
So make sure that your graphic and pictures are good quality and your text is clear and informative.
Remember that you are asking people to leave their credit card details and trust you with their money!
Step 2 - Write good content and products descriptions You need to provide visitors with enough information about your product to allow them to make an informed buying decision.
Try not only be descriptive but also appeal to the customer's feelings. Would you widget make him feel amazingly confident, look good dinner parties, allow them to do their work quicker and spend more time with their family?
The text needs to be conversational, punchy easy to read and interesting.
You will find yourself spending a considerable amount of time writing - but the benefits - higher conversion rates and better search engines results, should be worth it.
Step 3 - KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid!) Don't assume that everyone knows everything. Make it clear where they need to go to find what. Label the navigation titles clearly and make it clear how to buy.
Amazingly "add to basket" or "buy now" signs on some sites are almost impossible to find... and guess what? People shop elsewhere. Keep the layout clear and simple and make sure navigation is obvious to all users (not just to you) by testing your website on friends and family - watch how they use it, you could be amazed at what you learn!
Step 4 - Forget Flash (and large images, Splash pages or other gimmicks) Lots of graphics and moving images might look impressive but they can take too long to load and annoy you visitors. All customers are interested in is accessing relevant information as quickly and easily as possible so that they can see what you have to offer. What's more they look like at adverts and at best customer ignore them.
Too many companies are tempted to go for a 'wow' effect website with lots of graphics that take a lifetime - or at least longer than the average browser is prepared to wait - to load and don't bring any "value" to the site.
Remember, the web is an information-based medium and wouldn't you prefer your site to be remembered for its great products and services rather than its design?
We're not saying that design is irrelevant - just try to keep things simple. This leads us nicely to our next step.
Step 5 - Make your promises clear... and keep them. All return and guarantees policies should be stated clearly on the site. You need to maintain trust and continue to build relationships with your clients even after you've made the sale. Answer all queries and emails personally. Automated answers are likely to make customers feel like 'just another number'. A prompt and warm personal answer, however, will make them feel valued.
Keep them informed of the delivery status, especially if delivery is delayed. They might not be happy but they'll be even more upset if they feel you've let them down. Similarly, if you've made a mistake admit it, apologise and fix it - as quickly as possible!
REMEMBER - unhappy people tell two or three times more people than happy ones do! The old saying that new customers are much harder (and much more expensive) to sell to than new ones is true and customer retention will be key in the long term success of your business.
About the Author:
Sophie Baxter is the Managing Director of http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk a company devoted to selling balloons, teddy bears, chocolates and cheerful gifts with the 'wow-factor'. On the birth of her baby, Sophie was given an helium filled balloon in a gift box, that made her go 'WOW' and kept both baby and Dad entertained. A few months later, she organised a helium balloon delivery for a friend's 50th birthday which went down so well that Sophie realised that she had stumbled across an idea that made giving and receiving gifts easy, enjoyable and great fun.
Surviving Expired Domain Name Industry
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2008 John Khu
As a newbie and fresher to the expired domain industry, you may commit plenty of mistakes and blunders until you read, learn and understand the basic aspects and principles of expired domain industry.
The first mistake that every one of us invariably make is to buy expired domain names that are useless and devoid of any real quality. Rarely will you be able to buy a great-expired domain for a very low price and later sell it at an exorbitant cost; in fact, you may even loose your hard-earned money by buying inconsequential expired domains and subsequently sell them at very low selling prices. There are many instances, when you will buy a series of domains expired, which others are not even ready to touch with a bargepole.
These are all quite common mistakes and blunders that a new and fresh expired domains dealer will unknowingly do and commit. It is quite common too! As an expired domain name trader, your sole aim must focus at buying great domains at reasonable prices and later use the purchased domains to make money and a residual stream of passive income.
Here are some ideas and practical suggestions that will help you buy good expired domains:
Get out of comfort zone and start working: Most of us always believe in only good things and we never try to look at the bad part them. More often, we also like to remain in our comfort zone, by believing that expired domain name can provide us an unlimited income. Get out of that ugly comfort zone and try to understand what an expired domain industry really is. Neglect and ignore all those myths that surround the expired domain name industry. Instead, focus on the possible disadvantages and negativities of the industry. Go to an internet forum on expired domain names and start learning more about expired domain names. When you learn more about expired domain name industry, you will be saving both time and money.
What do I want to do with the expired domain names? What exactly do you need from this challenging industry? Are you just looking for a good domain and sell it for a small profit? Are you searching to find a great domain with plenty of traffic and inbound links? These are some of the simple questions and queries that will help you establish your presence in the industry.
Am I ready to spend some money appraising expired domain names? Appraisal is one of the most critical aspects of expired domain industry. A good appraisal report will inform whether the expired domain name that you wish to buy is really good or not. An appraisal report is an invaluable document that gives a series of very vital and sensitive data about a particular expired domain name.
Expired domain name industry can provide you an excellent opportunity to earn some decent income. However, you will need to know the industry inside-out, so that you will not waste your time and money by committing avoidable blunders and mistakes. The most favorable approach to pursue this business is to empower yourself with the latest knowledge and skills of the industry.
About the Author:
John Khu is an author and also a seasoned professional with vast experience in expired domain name business. He is the owner of the path breaking web site called http://www.expireddomainsecret.com which provides complete and up-to-date information on expired domains and their eternal secrets.
Copyright © 2008 John Khu
As a newbie and fresher to the expired domain industry, you may commit plenty of mistakes and blunders until you read, learn and understand the basic aspects and principles of expired domain industry.
The first mistake that every one of us invariably make is to buy expired domain names that are useless and devoid of any real quality. Rarely will you be able to buy a great-expired domain for a very low price and later sell it at an exorbitant cost; in fact, you may even loose your hard-earned money by buying inconsequential expired domains and subsequently sell them at very low selling prices. There are many instances, when you will buy a series of domains expired, which others are not even ready to touch with a bargepole.
These are all quite common mistakes and blunders that a new and fresh expired domains dealer will unknowingly do and commit. It is quite common too! As an expired domain name trader, your sole aim must focus at buying great domains at reasonable prices and later use the purchased domains to make money and a residual stream of passive income.
Here are some ideas and practical suggestions that will help you buy good expired domains:
Get out of comfort zone and start working: Most of us always believe in only good things and we never try to look at the bad part them. More often, we also like to remain in our comfort zone, by believing that expired domain name can provide us an unlimited income. Get out of that ugly comfort zone and try to understand what an expired domain industry really is. Neglect and ignore all those myths that surround the expired domain name industry. Instead, focus on the possible disadvantages and negativities of the industry. Go to an internet forum on expired domain names and start learning more about expired domain names. When you learn more about expired domain name industry, you will be saving both time and money.
What do I want to do with the expired domain names? What exactly do you need from this challenging industry? Are you just looking for a good domain and sell it for a small profit? Are you searching to find a great domain with plenty of traffic and inbound links? These are some of the simple questions and queries that will help you establish your presence in the industry.
Am I ready to spend some money appraising expired domain names? Appraisal is one of the most critical aspects of expired domain industry. A good appraisal report will inform whether the expired domain name that you wish to buy is really good or not. An appraisal report is an invaluable document that gives a series of very vital and sensitive data about a particular expired domain name.
Expired domain name industry can provide you an excellent opportunity to earn some decent income. However, you will need to know the industry inside-out, so that you will not waste your time and money by committing avoidable blunders and mistakes. The most favorable approach to pursue this business is to empower yourself with the latest knowledge and skills of the industry.
About the Author:
John Khu is an author and also a seasoned professional with vast experience in expired domain name business. He is the owner of the path breaking web site called http://www.expireddomainsecret.com which provides complete and up-to-date information on expired domains and their eternal secrets.
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Clash Of Titans: Article Directory Owners Vs. Automated Article Submission Services
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2007-2008 Bill Platt
Article marketing has been considered a useful method of promotion on the Internet, since the very early days of the Internet. By writing an informative article, writers have been able to get their sales message read by millions of online consumers, through their resource box that follows their articles. Until 2005, the whole point of article marketing was for the purpose of attracting huge numbers of readers as a result of the articles being published in ezines that had a large reader base.
A New Kind Of Article Marketing For Link Popularity
In 2005, Jason Bradley, owner of Article Dashboard, released his free article directory software. Websites that use his software are commonly referred to as AD sites.
During the same time frame, people began turning to article marketing in droves, based on its promise for building link popularity with Yahoo, MSN, and primarily Google. Most people who jumped on the bandwagon in 2005 to endorse article marketing for link popularity purposes promoted a very limited view of this promotional technique.
Their thoughts went along the lines of "the only purpose for article marketing is link popularity." There was no other role for article marketing, they said. And since one only needed to type enough words to get a link into an article directory, the most common recommendation was that articles should only be 300-400 words in length.
It was also commonly recommended that most article directory owners do not review the content submitted to them, so it was not important that the article made sense or pleased the article's readers. After all, the recommendation being made was not for the possibility of generating traffic from articles; it was only for the purposes of influencing the search engine algorithms, which are not capable of actually reading articles for grammar or understanding.
People flocked to this new kind of article marketing, and they were more concerned with "quantity than quality" – quantity of links that is.
Software Developers Rallied
With the mass deployment of websites under the Article Dashboard software, and others since, programmers jumped through hoops and developed new article distribution systems that relied on computers instead of people for the distribution process.
Soon, these programmers had systems in place to mass submit articles to the new breed of article directories. They told the new article directory owners that if they would add a simple script to their website, then the submission service would populate their directories with article content.
Hundreds of directory owners flocked to this new kind of article distribution system.
Early on, people who used article marketing to promote their businesses were elated. They were getting links all over the place.
The Realities Of Article Directory Management Sank In
In September of 2005, one company bought nearly 200 domains and installed the AD software on all of them. By May of 2006, their operation had never actually gained a foothold in the profit sector of the Internet, so they sold their domains to another company. In early 2006, I had documented a list of 180 websites owned by this operation. On a recent review, I was unable to locate a single one of these 180 AD sites still running the AD script, and most were offline completely.
In order to fully understand the job of the article directory manager, the manager must manually approve or reject every article submitted to an AD site. Many AD directory owners realized that the approval process was a long and tedious affair, especially when they were receiving hundreds of articles per day from these automated distribution systems. For testing purposes, I had set up my own AD site and subscribed to receive articles from these automated systems. I let go the approval process for one week and returned to find 800 articles waiting for approval. It does not take long to get overloaded with articles that require manual approval.
After only a few months of operation, many Dashboard sites stop approving articles for one of two reasons: 1) it took too much time to manage their article directory website, or 2) the amount of income generated from the process did not match the time requirements of the directory.
The Clash Of Titans
Things really began to change in the AD directory ownership game a few months into the project. Directory owners began to realize that in order for them to profit from their article directories, they must do something that brings readers to their websites and encourages loyalty from their site's visitors.
Since most article directories rely on advertising to drive their revenue stream, the directory owners had to do something that the other directory owners were not doing. They had to distinguish themselves from the masses.
The AD owners who have survived the early explosion of AD sites have generally taken the attitude that they should focus on "quality over quantity".
This one step has set the goals of the software developers' article distribution systems and their customers (quantity over quality) in conflict with the best interests of the article directory owners (quality over quantity).
Directory Managers Began To Implement New Submission Rules
Early on, many of those article directory owners who were intent on survival took actions to reduce the garbage flowing into their directories. Directory managers noticed trends in the articles that consistently failed to measure up to their new standards.
The owner of Invisible MBA, an educational article directory, told me that he had to review ten articles to find one he wanted to use. He also regularly complained about people who did not follow even the simplest instructions about appropriate content on his website. He eventually resorted to banning 70% of the people submitting articles to his website, including the automated article submission services, because they simply could not follow his category guidelines for submission.
His whole issue is a common complaint among the article directory managers. They insist that writers should take the time to appropriately categorize the articles they submit. Since it takes so long to approve articles manually and to select the correct category, directory managers have resorted to deleting articles instead of categorizing those articles for the writer.
Article Dashboard, Article Garden and many others have taken the step to prohibit the submission of articles that only point to affiliate websites. Article Express had gone one step further to prohibit affiliate links, even if the affiliate programs are advertised from the writer's domain.
Across the board, directory owners have stomped on Private Label Rights (PLR) articles. When article directory managers began to realize that their websites housed dozens of copies of a single article, each of which had been signed by different people as the stated author, they realized that they had a serious quality problem. They instinctively knew that those PLR articles created a trust problem with their readers. When one article has been claimed to have been written by twenty people, it makes one wonder how the website owner can claim to have a quality website. And if the trust factor has already been raised as an issue, why would the reader want to trust anything else on that website?
Lee Asher who owns Articles-Galore and a couple of other AD sites was one of the first to come down hard on software submissions to his website. His guidelines state in no uncertain terms that if someone uses software to send articles to his websites, the person will have all of their articles removed from his website.
Some AD site owners have implemented minimum word count guidelines as a measure to break some of the junk article peddlers. After all, the people focused on writing articles for link popularity are driven by the concept of 300-400 word articles. I have seen word count restrictions that include the minimum of 500, 600 and 700 words. 80% of what is submitted to my AD site does not even have the number of words I require.
Proper Category Placements Is A Consistent Issue For Article Directory Managers
Article directory owners want to impress their readers and the search engines. But, they need the properly categorize articles primarily for their human readers, who are looking for specific information on their website.
In order to help their website visitors, the directory managers frequently update their category arrangements. For example, on my AD site, I provide several well-defined subcategories for the health category. In the cancer subcategory, there is a wide range of cancers that needed their own child categories. Since the AD software only shows 30 articles per listing page, and since there is one writer who has written more than 400 articles just on the topic of mesothelioma, it made sense to subdivide my cancer category so that it was not an advertisement for only one writer.
One of the main problems with the auto-submission software is that the software does not accurately address the up-to-date category hierarchy for each article directory. This creates a real quality issue for the directory owner and managers. In order for the directory manager to stay true to the formatting of his or her directory, he or she must either complete the category selections for the auto-submitters or delete the articles submitted through them. Manual deletions take as much time as manual approvals, unless the manager has to choose the category for the article, then it takes longer.
Article Marketing Still Works For Those Who Care About Quality Over Quantity
If you still like article marketing for its ability to get your business seen by ezine readers, then it is as effective as it has always been. If you only like article marketing for its ability to influence your link popularity, it can still be effective, if you do it right.
It is true that those automated article distribution services can get your article to a lot of websites, but on a percentage basis, how many of those submissions are getting approved?
For my own use, I use my own article distribution service to reach ezine publishers. And for mass directory submission, I prefer to submit articles to the directories by hand, because hand submission permits me to get the category right every time, which in turn permits my articles to get approved more often.
In the end, it is a karma thing – if I treat the directory managers right, they will treat me right by approving more of my articles. Since it is not uncommon for me to spend six to seven hours to write an article like this one, it makes a lot more sense for me to spend the extra time to get a wider reach for my articles, by honoring the desires of the more substantial article directories.
About the Author:
Bill Platt is the owner of thePhantomWriters article distribution and ghost writing services. In business since 2001. http://thePhantomWriters.com
Copyright © 2007-2008 Bill Platt
Article marketing has been considered a useful method of promotion on the Internet, since the very early days of the Internet. By writing an informative article, writers have been able to get their sales message read by millions of online consumers, through their resource box that follows their articles. Until 2005, the whole point of article marketing was for the purpose of attracting huge numbers of readers as a result of the articles being published in ezines that had a large reader base.
A New Kind Of Article Marketing For Link Popularity
In 2005, Jason Bradley, owner of Article Dashboard, released his free article directory software. Websites that use his software are commonly referred to as AD sites.
During the same time frame, people began turning to article marketing in droves, based on its promise for building link popularity with Yahoo, MSN, and primarily Google. Most people who jumped on the bandwagon in 2005 to endorse article marketing for link popularity purposes promoted a very limited view of this promotional technique.
Their thoughts went along the lines of "the only purpose for article marketing is link popularity." There was no other role for article marketing, they said. And since one only needed to type enough words to get a link into an article directory, the most common recommendation was that articles should only be 300-400 words in length.
It was also commonly recommended that most article directory owners do not review the content submitted to them, so it was not important that the article made sense or pleased the article's readers. After all, the recommendation being made was not for the possibility of generating traffic from articles; it was only for the purposes of influencing the search engine algorithms, which are not capable of actually reading articles for grammar or understanding.
People flocked to this new kind of article marketing, and they were more concerned with "quantity than quality" – quantity of links that is.
Software Developers Rallied
With the mass deployment of websites under the Article Dashboard software, and others since, programmers jumped through hoops and developed new article distribution systems that relied on computers instead of people for the distribution process.
Soon, these programmers had systems in place to mass submit articles to the new breed of article directories. They told the new article directory owners that if they would add a simple script to their website, then the submission service would populate their directories with article content.
Hundreds of directory owners flocked to this new kind of article distribution system.
Early on, people who used article marketing to promote their businesses were elated. They were getting links all over the place.
The Realities Of Article Directory Management Sank In
In September of 2005, one company bought nearly 200 domains and installed the AD software on all of them. By May of 2006, their operation had never actually gained a foothold in the profit sector of the Internet, so they sold their domains to another company. In early 2006, I had documented a list of 180 websites owned by this operation. On a recent review, I was unable to locate a single one of these 180 AD sites still running the AD script, and most were offline completely.
In order to fully understand the job of the article directory manager, the manager must manually approve or reject every article submitted to an AD site. Many AD directory owners realized that the approval process was a long and tedious affair, especially when they were receiving hundreds of articles per day from these automated distribution systems. For testing purposes, I had set up my own AD site and subscribed to receive articles from these automated systems. I let go the approval process for one week and returned to find 800 articles waiting for approval. It does not take long to get overloaded with articles that require manual approval.
After only a few months of operation, many Dashboard sites stop approving articles for one of two reasons: 1) it took too much time to manage their article directory website, or 2) the amount of income generated from the process did not match the time requirements of the directory.
The Clash Of Titans
Things really began to change in the AD directory ownership game a few months into the project. Directory owners began to realize that in order for them to profit from their article directories, they must do something that brings readers to their websites and encourages loyalty from their site's visitors.
Since most article directories rely on advertising to drive their revenue stream, the directory owners had to do something that the other directory owners were not doing. They had to distinguish themselves from the masses.
The AD owners who have survived the early explosion of AD sites have generally taken the attitude that they should focus on "quality over quantity".
This one step has set the goals of the software developers' article distribution systems and their customers (quantity over quality) in conflict with the best interests of the article directory owners (quality over quantity).
Directory Managers Began To Implement New Submission Rules
Early on, many of those article directory owners who were intent on survival took actions to reduce the garbage flowing into their directories. Directory managers noticed trends in the articles that consistently failed to measure up to their new standards.
The owner of Invisible MBA, an educational article directory, told me that he had to review ten articles to find one he wanted to use. He also regularly complained about people who did not follow even the simplest instructions about appropriate content on his website. He eventually resorted to banning 70% of the people submitting articles to his website, including the automated article submission services, because they simply could not follow his category guidelines for submission.
His whole issue is a common complaint among the article directory managers. They insist that writers should take the time to appropriately categorize the articles they submit. Since it takes so long to approve articles manually and to select the correct category, directory managers have resorted to deleting articles instead of categorizing those articles for the writer.
Article Dashboard, Article Garden and many others have taken the step to prohibit the submission of articles that only point to affiliate websites. Article Express had gone one step further to prohibit affiliate links, even if the affiliate programs are advertised from the writer's domain.
Across the board, directory owners have stomped on Private Label Rights (PLR) articles. When article directory managers began to realize that their websites housed dozens of copies of a single article, each of which had been signed by different people as the stated author, they realized that they had a serious quality problem. They instinctively knew that those PLR articles created a trust problem with their readers. When one article has been claimed to have been written by twenty people, it makes one wonder how the website owner can claim to have a quality website. And if the trust factor has already been raised as an issue, why would the reader want to trust anything else on that website?
Lee Asher who owns Articles-Galore and a couple of other AD sites was one of the first to come down hard on software submissions to his website. His guidelines state in no uncertain terms that if someone uses software to send articles to his websites, the person will have all of their articles removed from his website.
Some AD site owners have implemented minimum word count guidelines as a measure to break some of the junk article peddlers. After all, the people focused on writing articles for link popularity are driven by the concept of 300-400 word articles. I have seen word count restrictions that include the minimum of 500, 600 and 700 words. 80% of what is submitted to my AD site does not even have the number of words I require.
Proper Category Placements Is A Consistent Issue For Article Directory Managers
Article directory owners want to impress their readers and the search engines. But, they need the properly categorize articles primarily for their human readers, who are looking for specific information on their website.
In order to help their website visitors, the directory managers frequently update their category arrangements. For example, on my AD site, I provide several well-defined subcategories for the health category. In the cancer subcategory, there is a wide range of cancers that needed their own child categories. Since the AD software only shows 30 articles per listing page, and since there is one writer who has written more than 400 articles just on the topic of mesothelioma, it made sense to subdivide my cancer category so that it was not an advertisement for only one writer.
One of the main problems with the auto-submission software is that the software does not accurately address the up-to-date category hierarchy for each article directory. This creates a real quality issue for the directory owner and managers. In order for the directory manager to stay true to the formatting of his or her directory, he or she must either complete the category selections for the auto-submitters or delete the articles submitted through them. Manual deletions take as much time as manual approvals, unless the manager has to choose the category for the article, then it takes longer.
Article Marketing Still Works For Those Who Care About Quality Over Quantity
If you still like article marketing for its ability to get your business seen by ezine readers, then it is as effective as it has always been. If you only like article marketing for its ability to influence your link popularity, it can still be effective, if you do it right.
It is true that those automated article distribution services can get your article to a lot of websites, but on a percentage basis, how many of those submissions are getting approved?
For my own use, I use my own article distribution service to reach ezine publishers. And for mass directory submission, I prefer to submit articles to the directories by hand, because hand submission permits me to get the category right every time, which in turn permits my articles to get approved more often.
In the end, it is a karma thing – if I treat the directory managers right, they will treat me right by approving more of my articles. Since it is not uncommon for me to spend six to seven hours to write an article like this one, it makes a lot more sense for me to spend the extra time to get a wider reach for my articles, by honoring the desires of the more substantial article directories.
About the Author:
Bill Platt is the owner of thePhantomWriters article distribution and ghost writing services. In business since 2001. http://thePhantomWriters.com
Grief - Your Surprising Tool For Business Momentum
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2006-2008 Mark Silver
Business momentum is when a series of "events" build upon each other, and multiply their efforts. It's when your business starts to have some steam of its own, and you get carried along for the ride. For instance, we had some February sunshine here in Portland, and I went bicycling. Each time I pedalled was an "event."
But, that pedaling only creates momentum that carries me forward when I'm not peddling IF...
IF I don't stop after every time I pedal. IF I choose a destination and move towards it. Every time I stop, or make a sharp turn, I lose the momentum I've been building.
To build momentum in your business you need: 1) a direction and destination, 2) a vehicle, and 3) a continuous series of "events" - similar to pedaling.
Okay, got it. What's grief got to do with it?
To work towards momentum requires you to make what is often a very difficult choice -- to say "Yes" to one thing, and to say "No" to something else, usually several somethings.
No matter how great the "Yes" is, the "No" still registers in your heart as a loss. As much as you might want to only focus on how good the "Yes" feels, the grief of the "No" is there, whether you acknowledge it or not. Collect enough unacknowledged "No"s, and your decisions become harder and harder, as you are trying to move forward through more and more grief-sludge.
Because the feeling of loss can be uncomfortable, it's easy for it to go underground, and may be part of why you are finding it difficult to do the things you know you need to do to create business momentum. Look for grief in these two areas:
First Grief: Time lost
Like me, you've no doubt imagined that you would be living a life that looks a little different than the one you have. You thought your business would be further along, your love life settled, your bank account bigger, your novel published. Whatever it is, you cherish hopes and dreams, and they haven't all come through yet.
The illusion that you should already already be there, gets in the way of actually accomplishing those dreams. It will be far easier to move forward if you grieve how it feels to have spent so much time and still not have your dreams, than to continue carrying the burden of your illusion. Once grieved, the path to your dreams will be a lot easier to walk.
Second Grief: Choices Lost
If you live to be 80 years old, you'll have lived 960 months. At age forty, you've got 480 left. It's a sobering truth that you can't do everything you want. You probably can't even do half of all your dreams. But, you can accomplish some of them IF you choose.
The Ocean or The Mountain?
In my bicycling adventure, I can't ride out to both Astoria on the Oregon coast and inland to Mount Hood on the same day. Because those rides are each a day or more, I need to choose. If on Saturday I'm attached to both Astoria and Mount Hood, tough luck. I need to choose one, grieve the other, or be left with not deciding at all, and not getting to either of them.
It's the same in your business. You may have two different directions you can go in: trying to sell your product to big companies, or to small business owners. Take it from me: you can't do both at the same time. Once you build one up successfully, you can switch to the other. But the marketing message and methods are going to be different for each. You need to choose one, and grieve the other. If you try to do both, you won't get anywhere.
Grief Equals Freedom.
Grieving in a healthy way is actually incredibly freeing. And that freedom is what you need in order to start working towards momentum.
How does grief work in these situations? How do you keep from getting caught in the undertow?
Keys to Momentum-Building Grief
The first step is identifying the decision you've been avoiding.
Is it target market? Is it business structure? Is it your website? It can seem challenging to make a decision when you aren't sure what's right. I recommend making the best decision your heart can show you, and then noticing what happens. When you make a clear choice to let something go, even if it's sad, it feels clean. But avoiding that choice can leave you feeling 'tangled' and dead.
Anger is a natural part of grief. Retribution isn't.
It's definitely normal to feel angry when things aren't the way we thought they would be. The best thing to do is use the anger to help you find the real sense of loss, and let the sadness and grief come out.
You know you are avoiding the sadness and grief if you start running continual stories of blame and/or fantasies of retribution. While addictive, these stories aren't satisyfing, and they don't change the situation. Every time you feel anger, question yourself: "Is there a loss of some sort that I don't want to face?"
Grief is messy. It's okay to be messy.
If you really are grieving something, you'll go through cycles of blame, anger, denial, bargaining, and sadness. And, you may feel great one day, down the next, great the day after. It probably won't be nearly as big as if someone you love has died, but don't underestimate the impact of grieving your dreams.
If you really let yourself go through this process, you'll get to find some clarity, and you may be surprised to find your business moving into momentum, and living your dream!
Once you've let go of the "No"s and followed the "Yes" all the way through to your dream, you get a second chance. You can either go back and pick up one of your earlier dreams that you let go. Or, more likely, move forward into your next dream which you couldn't have even imagined before.
My very best to you and your business,
Mark Silver
About the Author:
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line. He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the globe succeed in business without losing their hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online: http://www.heartofbusiness.com
Copyright © 2006-2008 Mark Silver
Business momentum is when a series of "events" build upon each other, and multiply their efforts. It's when your business starts to have some steam of its own, and you get carried along for the ride. For instance, we had some February sunshine here in Portland, and I went bicycling. Each time I pedalled was an "event."
But, that pedaling only creates momentum that carries me forward when I'm not peddling IF...
IF I don't stop after every time I pedal. IF I choose a destination and move towards it. Every time I stop, or make a sharp turn, I lose the momentum I've been building.
To build momentum in your business you need: 1) a direction and destination, 2) a vehicle, and 3) a continuous series of "events" - similar to pedaling.
Okay, got it. What's grief got to do with it?
To work towards momentum requires you to make what is often a very difficult choice -- to say "Yes" to one thing, and to say "No" to something else, usually several somethings.
No matter how great the "Yes" is, the "No" still registers in your heart as a loss. As much as you might want to only focus on how good the "Yes" feels, the grief of the "No" is there, whether you acknowledge it or not. Collect enough unacknowledged "No"s, and your decisions become harder and harder, as you are trying to move forward through more and more grief-sludge.
Because the feeling of loss can be uncomfortable, it's easy for it to go underground, and may be part of why you are finding it difficult to do the things you know you need to do to create business momentum. Look for grief in these two areas:
First Grief: Time lost
Like me, you've no doubt imagined that you would be living a life that looks a little different than the one you have. You thought your business would be further along, your love life settled, your bank account bigger, your novel published. Whatever it is, you cherish hopes and dreams, and they haven't all come through yet.
The illusion that you should already already be there, gets in the way of actually accomplishing those dreams. It will be far easier to move forward if you grieve how it feels to have spent so much time and still not have your dreams, than to continue carrying the burden of your illusion. Once grieved, the path to your dreams will be a lot easier to walk.
Second Grief: Choices Lost
If you live to be 80 years old, you'll have lived 960 months. At age forty, you've got 480 left. It's a sobering truth that you can't do everything you want. You probably can't even do half of all your dreams. But, you can accomplish some of them IF you choose.
The Ocean or The Mountain?
In my bicycling adventure, I can't ride out to both Astoria on the Oregon coast and inland to Mount Hood on the same day. Because those rides are each a day or more, I need to choose. If on Saturday I'm attached to both Astoria and Mount Hood, tough luck. I need to choose one, grieve the other, or be left with not deciding at all, and not getting to either of them.
It's the same in your business. You may have two different directions you can go in: trying to sell your product to big companies, or to small business owners. Take it from me: you can't do both at the same time. Once you build one up successfully, you can switch to the other. But the marketing message and methods are going to be different for each. You need to choose one, and grieve the other. If you try to do both, you won't get anywhere.
Grief Equals Freedom.
Grieving in a healthy way is actually incredibly freeing. And that freedom is what you need in order to start working towards momentum.
How does grief work in these situations? How do you keep from getting caught in the undertow?
Keys to Momentum-Building Grief
Is it target market? Is it business structure? Is it your website? It can seem challenging to make a decision when you aren't sure what's right. I recommend making the best decision your heart can show you, and then noticing what happens. When you make a clear choice to let something go, even if it's sad, it feels clean. But avoiding that choice can leave you feeling 'tangled' and dead.
It's definitely normal to feel angry when things aren't the way we thought they would be. The best thing to do is use the anger to help you find the real sense of loss, and let the sadness and grief come out.
You know you are avoiding the sadness and grief if you start running continual stories of blame and/or fantasies of retribution. While addictive, these stories aren't satisyfing, and they don't change the situation. Every time you feel anger, question yourself: "Is there a loss of some sort that I don't want to face?"
If you really are grieving something, you'll go through cycles of blame, anger, denial, bargaining, and sadness. And, you may feel great one day, down the next, great the day after. It probably won't be nearly as big as if someone you love has died, but don't underestimate the impact of grieving your dreams.
If you really let yourself go through this process, you'll get to find some clarity, and you may be surprised to find your business moving into momentum, and living your dream!
Once you've let go of the "No"s and followed the "Yes" all the way through to your dream, you get a second chance. You can either go back and pick up one of your earlier dreams that you let go. Or, more likely, move forward into your next dream which you couldn't have even imagined before.
My very best to you and your business,
Mark Silver
About the Author:
Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line. He has helped hundreds of small business owners around the globe succeed in business without losing their hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online: http://www.heartofbusiness.com
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