Convincing your prospects to purchase from you is a hard job, but have you ever thought that you’re making the process twice as difficult for both parties if your prospects are convinced but don’t know how to buy from you? No matter how good you are at convincing your prospects, they won’t buy if they find the process cumbersome.

First, you want to make sure that people can find your order form easily and without hassle. You can write a clear, concise paragraph directing your prospects on your order form so that you can minimize the chances of them getting lost. You can also reduce the chances of losing prospects by placing a link to your page of every other page of your site.

Furthermore, does offer multiple payment options? Some people may feel comfortable paying through Paypal, some may only want to pay with their credit card and others might want to send a check. The greatest number of options offered, the better your chances of covering the prospects of their ‘desired payment method. After all, it makes no sense to sell a tough prospect only to find that they will not be able to pay when you want.

On the other hand, want to prove that you are a trader credible. Is your order form obtained using encryption technology? You want to look at SSL for that. You can also offer a money back guarantee so that people will feel confident about buying from you. What if after sales support? , Who contact when they have problems after purchase?

Alternatively, you can add customer testimonials, your contact information, address, and so on to boost your prospects’ confidence. Make them feel safe about buying something from you, a total stranger to them on the other end of the Internet.

In conclusion, it would be very regrettable if they sold a lot and are sold well in a perspective when something goes wrong and he or she is willing to pay. Remove any possibility that in order to maximize their profits!

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Web Design.
Comments: none

A huge business online is built from affiliate marketing. The definition of affiliate marketing varies, but it always means the same thing.

It’s a shared contracr between a merchant an an affiliate’s website. If you want to have low cost-efficient marketing techinques then affiliate marketing has proved to be a scalable means of delivering results.

People are always trying to make more money with affiliate marketing. It’s most commonly used for adding some extra or additional income from your website online.

The more common mistakes newbie affiliate marketers make is having trouble understanding the marketing techniques. Affiliate marketin is often misunderstood. One big misconception is the one called “selling”, even when selling is such a vital part of any business operation.

In addition to that, affiliate marketing can be associated with “advertising”.

While advertising a product is important when marketing, you don’t have to be advertising, it’s merely ONE of MANY funcions of marketing.

Affiliates are usually compensated for every visitors, subscriber or sale made by his referal link and efforts.

What you make is dependent on what the specific deal is and is usually based on the value of the visitors. The merchants deam affiliate marketing very interesting since they only pay where credit is due, meaning on completed task or proven results.

Affiliate marketing is most often run by so called affiliate networks, which job is to integrate affiliates with merchants. Each of the parties have different roles when it comes to affiliate marketing.

It’s easy to reckon that affiliate networks only works as middle men in order to integrate merchants with affiliates. They work with showing the merchants offers and websites to affiliates.

The affiliate network also collects commission fees from the merchant and then pays the affiliates which are part of the program.

The beneifts of being a merchant is many. They can give incentive based or performance based commissions for affiliates and get more exposure.

First, the merchant maintains and operates the affiliate program. If it would be extracted, the merchant needs to do their part by researching interested affiliate websites to ensure that they are a good fit for that particular website.

Finding a fit for their merchandise would be the key to more generated income. The merchant has access to markets and customers without him spending valuable time searching out.

A smart way is to use banner ads on affiliate sites, because it can easily attract an eye and generate interest in a product, which in turn drives the consumer to the merchants site.

Now it’s up to the merchant to decide how large the comission is for the product and how much he is willing to pay the affiliate for the sale.

Being an affiliate too has clear benefits, and affiliates are just website owners who promote one or more of a merchants products for profit.

Affiliate marketing can generate a full-time income for the affiliate. But this is not an easy task to accomplish. The affiliate needs to have a better understanding with the merchant what the commission will be, expected payment method and time involved in the contract.

The affiliate has also the responsibility to stand for the merchandise their user based would be most interested in. For example, if the site has a user base of mainly stay-at-home mothers, then on-line job openings such as surveys would be a good match for them.

The previous group would also like sites that relate to childrens products or information about that. Merchants usually have at least a couple best-seller items, and should have personal support for their affiliate. There is always a mutual benefit for affiliates and merchants in any sales promotion.

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Marketing.
Comments: none

Businesses that are lead generation oriented will need to get more sophisticated in technology to avoid fraudulent leads. Businesses looking for opportunitiesto market to other business, but needing help in finding their prospects and eventually closing the sale. Business networking should be the platform to create opportunities at a later stage, and this series of short articles will show you how. Businesses that Handle Low-Volume Sales InquiriesBusinesses without contact centers risk losing potential leads due to haphazard lead management.

Online marketing has become an important channel in today’s marketplace, not to mention a necessary and cost effective way to service your new and existing clients. Online lead generation is the use of online marketing tools to generate leads to new customers or contacts. Online lead generation is one innovative approach for using online channels to drive enrollment.

“If lead generation is like dating, and we’re all out there on the singles scene, most of our effort goes to landing first dates. Show NotesWhere podcasting fits in the multimodal lead generation portfolio How podcasting helps establish and reinforce thought leadershipWhere podcasts can help your lead generation ROI Why podcasts are perfect for lead nurturing (I was flattered to learn that Paul found inspiration in my book to develop his strategy.

Often lead generation is associated with marketing activity targeted at generating sales opportunities for a company’s sales force.Advertising is a classic example of broadcast marketing rendezvous. Advertising is perhaps the most obvious way to generate leads. Advertising has come a long way from the conventional methods of direct mail, newspapers and magazines.

Sales lead generation has never been this simple. Sales lead generation is implemented through three processes. Sales Leads Now is the initial purpose of search engine marketing.Online AdvertisingOnline advertising has significantly transformed since the eruption of Web 2. Online lead generation strategies enable education marketers to:Quickly build a high volume of targeted leads that have proactively expressed an interest in their programs.

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Marketing.
Comments: none

Taking Personal Responsibility - the Best Way to Ensure Your Rehab Real Estate Investing Success

There are a lot of factors that are involved in a successful rehab real estate investing transaction. You need a property, a reputable appraiser and contractor and a funding source to purchase the property. Depending on what you plan to do with the property, you may also need a good mortgage broker to refinance you, a motivated REALTOR to sell the property or a good property management company to locate and interview tenants and manage the property for you. This doesn’t include other possible service providers, such as a surveyor, landscaper or handyman..

A good real estate investor will make sure that they have all of these components line up. However, you can’t forget the most important part of the equation - YOU!

Isn’t this a No-Brainer?

You would think that it would be. Purchasing an investment property is serious business. However, many real estate investors actually abdicate responsibility to everyone else who is involved in the process. They assume that, because they are surrounded by professionals, that they do not have to concern themselves with the details. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As creators of the Ultimate TurnKey Real Estate Investing System, we know first hand the value of setting up a system. This is why we did it. If you have ever spoken with us in person, you will know that we created the system to make real estate investing an easier process for other real estate investors. We didn’t see any point in other real estate investors having to re-invent the wheel, and start from scratch. So, we put together a team to help ensure our clients’ success. Again, if you have spoken with us, you know the story.

The System was created as a support for real estate investors, not as a replacement for their active involvement in their own transactions. We have talked to other wholesalers who have experienced the same phenomena. The funny thing is, they do not even offer the support system that we do, but they have run into several clients who want to push responsibility back onto them.

Whose Responsibility is it Anyway?

Simply put, it is your responsibility. Probably 99% of investment properties are sold AS-IS and earnest money deposits are non-refundable. This means that, if something is wrong with the house, or needs fixing, it is the responsibility of you, the buyer, not the seller. This differs greatly from transactions where you are buying a house to live in yourself. Those types of homes are typically not fixer-uppers. If they are, they are probably sold as is, and you are going to get the house for a lot less than you would if it did not need fix up.

Of course, the fact that the property needs repairs is what makes it a good candidate in the first place. Remember, your best investment properties are ones that need repairs. So, you should go into the project with the mindset that you will be painting, replacing carpet, fixing drywall, and possibly even adding on bathrooms or replacing kitchens. The key here is to know all of this when you go into the purchase. This is your responsibility.

So, how can you do this? You might be a new investor who has no idea what repairs would even be involved. Or, maybe you don’t have time to get that involved. We would suggest that you take the time to find out, and you educate yourself where needed. This is not because anyone is going to try to take advantage of you, but because you need to have your knowledge base intact before going into your endeavor. If you still feel like you don’t know enough, or you are still too busy, you are probably correct.

However, if you are ready to get started, make sure that you have a quote on hand from a licensed contractor and see what repairs they are going to do. Make sure that you walk through the house or see interior photos. This way, you will know if there is something else that you think should be done or that you just want to do. This way, you can have the bid adjusted before you begin the process. If you wait, any increase in repair funds will have to come from your pocket, because they will not have been escrowed in the beginning.

What Else Do I Need to Know?

You really need to be involved in every aspect of your transaction. Of course, some things will have greater bearing on your success than others.

You definitely need to know how your up-front financing works. The vast majority of rehab real estate investors use private funds or hard money to purchase their property. But, depending on the lender, the programs vary. Make sure that you know your interest rate. What is the term of the loan? Are there any pre-payment penalties? Do you have to make mortgage payments during the life of the loan? If so, how much are they? These are questions that you need to know the answers to. A reputable lender will go over all of this information with you. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that they do. You also need to make sure that you remember what you agreed to. You shouldn’t allow yourself to be surprised later by something that was explained to you at the outset.

Something else that we recommend is that, if you plan to refinance your property, that you get qualified for your refinance at the same time that you get qualified for your purchase loan. Why? Because you want to make sure that you will be able to refinance and get out of your loan. Remember, if your goal is to do a cash-out, you need to make sure you will be able to do so.

You also need to make sure that you stay in touch with your mortgage broker throughout the process. This way, if anything changes, you will know about it right away. For example, you can make sure that you know what programs that your mortgage broker has, and what you qualify for. There may be a new program that comes out that is more advantageous for you, or the program that you may have thought you were using may no longer be available. Either way, you need to be informed of all of your options.

By the same token, if anything changes about your financial or employment situation, you need to let your mortgage broker know as soon as possible. The changes may not affect your ability to close on your refinance, but they may. You may have to pursue a different strategy, and it is good to know this in advance, rather than at the last minute.

This Actually Makes Sense.

Yes, it does make sense to be informed when you are purchasing an investment property (or any major purchase). But remember, you should be proactive, as well as informed. Legitimate businesspeople will not have a problem with you asking questions or being involved. In fact, we welcome this. It shows that you are concerned, involved and take responsibility.

While everyone involved in the process does what they can to ensure that everything runs smoothly, this is not guaranteed. But, if you remain involved, there are few surprises and you are well equipped to handle anything that does come up.

Because, at the end of the day, this is your property.

Overcoming F.E.A.R.

Most of us have heard what this acronym stands for:

F - False E - Evidence A- Appearing R - Real

A lot of us don’t realize how this can truly impact our life.

In real estate investing, as in any venture in your life, you will have to step out on faith. This simply means that you believe that something good will happen; that you will be able to make it work. Stepping out on faith means that you believe in yourself. This doesn’t mean that you go off half-cocked, but that you prepare yourself and know that you will be able to deal with the unknown.

This can be a scary thing. Stepping out on faith is not something that many of us are comfortable with. In fact, we often talk ourselves out of doing something, rather than into it. Then, there are all the well-intentioned naysayers in our lives. They take their fears and put them onto us. They mean well, but they can make you miss out on your dreams. They would never have the guts to go out and do something like this, and they can’t see you doing it either. They don’t see themselves as snatching your dream away. They probably think that they are protecting you. But many times, snatch away your dreams is exactly what they do.

It is okay to be afraid when you are starting something new. It is perfectly normal. The important thing to remember is that you can’t let that fear stop you. You can use it as a tool to make sure you are prepared. Fear will make you feel a little on edge. Use that extra energy to make sure that you have all of your decks in a row. Make sure that you are as prepared as you can be. Use the fear, don’t let it paralyze you.

Educate yourself. Get coaching. Find a mentor. Do what you can to prepare yourself. But remember, at some point, you will have to stop preparing and do something. You will have to step out on faith. That is a good thing. It allows you to test yourself and the courage of your convictions. Things probably won’t work out exactly liked you planned. And that is okay too. It is when we are dealing with challenges that we learn new ways of doing things. We see things in a different light. In fact, we see ourselves in a different light. You might not know how strong you really are until you put yourself out there. You won’t know what you can truly accomplish until you push yourself.

So remember, it is okay to be afraid. Fear can’t hurt you, unless you let it stop you; instead, step out on faith.

Remember, faith can move mountains. Marketing for Real Estate Investors: 4 Marketing Tips to Put Your Real Estate Business on Steroids Many real estate investors simply do not pay enough attention to their marketing. You don’t have to have a huge budget to start a marketing plan. But if you don’t market, it will definitely cost you money. Here Are My Top 4 Marketing Strategies to Create 6-Figure Income Real Estate Investing Businesses in 6 Months: 1. Direct mail campaign - A mail campaign is one of the best ways to market your real estate investing business. And, it’s very easy and cost effective. Besides the cost of acquiring the names, you will only have to pay for copies, envelopes and stamps. Here are a few things to remember when starting a mail campaign: When starting a mailing campaign, consistency is key. It takes several exposures (at least 3-5) before your prospects start feeling comfortable with the thought of doing business with you. This means that you cannot send out one mailing and expect to get a response. You will need to send out at least seven mailings, spaced seven to fourteen days apart. Send both postcards and letters as part of your mailing sequence. Envelopes should always be hand-addressed. Those that have pre-printed labels do not get opened as frequently. Always start your mailing off with a headline that benefits the customer. Let them know what you can do for them. For example: “End your house worries today.” or “Sell your home for Fast Cash.” 2. Newspaper Ads — This is a more costly way of marketing, but when done correctly and consistently, you can get you a lot of bang for your buck. Newspaper ads can give you a lot of exposure, whether you are using them to buy or sell. The larger the circulation, the higher the advertising cost; but more people will see your advertisement. Here are some things to remember when running ads: Don’t be too wordy. Typically, you will pay for your ad by the word or by the line. You do not need to write a novel to get your point across. Write succinctly and you will spend less money and get a better response to your ads. Don’t over-abbreviate. Some people try too hard to abbreviate the words in their ad that the reader almost needs a translator to read them. You want people to be able to read your ad quickly and understand what they have read. Weekends give you the biggest bang for your buck. Most newspapers offer advertising specials encompassing the weekends. And more people have weekend subscriptions than daily subscriptions. 3. Website - Your website is an awesome tool that will create an air of legitimacy and credibility for you right off the bat. Of course, your website should look professional and well-maintained. Here are some things to remember when marketing your real estate investing business with a website: You can use your website whether you are buying or selling. If you are doing both, I suggest having two separate websites. Present information clearly. Your site should be easy to read and should not have too much information on one page. This can get confusing. Remember with your website, less is more. If you are selling, put pictures of your houses. The more information that you provide for people to look at independently, the more sales you will make. Make it easy for your prospects to contact you. If people are visiting your website, they are interested in the services you offer. Because people tend to be impulsive, you want to make sure they have a way to contact you immediately. 4. E-mail Blasts — This technique is typically used when selling properties. It is very effective, whether you are selling to homeowners, investors or people looking to rent. Simply put, you gather their e-mail addresses and whenever you have a new property available, you send an e-mail to your list to let them know. Here are a few things to keep in minding when sending an e-mail blast: Don’t send unsolicited e-mails. If the person has not signed up for your e-mail list or asked you to e-mail them, don’t do it. This is called spamming and Internet service providers take it very seriously. When sending out a mass e-mail, put all e-mail addresses in the BCC field. Before sending a lot of e-mails, look into an e-mailing program. I recommend one that allows you to send both text and HTML e-mails. There are some now that also offer shopping carts and merchant accounts that will allow you to take deposits and earnest money online. It is important to include as much specific information about the property in the e-mail as possible. In fact, try to include a picture. This will allow your potential clients to view the house before they speak with you. In fact, by the time you speak to them, they may be ready to move forward. Of course, there are many more ways to market your real estate business. But, I suggest you start with these four methods first. See what works for you. The more methods you implement, the more successful you will be. Follow these high powered marketing tips and you will create a six-figure income real estate investing business in just six months. About the Author: Real Estate Investing Expert Charles Petty and his wife have been involved in over 700 real estate transactions in the last 9 years and are the creators of the Ultimate Turn Key Real Estate Investing Systems. For a FREE Special Report on how you too can make$10,000 in 30 days and Six Figures in Six Months buying and selling Properties across the USA & abroad go to www.RealEstateInvestingProfits.com Making Real Estate Investing Work - When You’re Married to Your Partner

Something that investing in real estate full-time gives you is flexibility. It gives you the flexibility to choose when to work, where to work, and who you want to work with. You can literally choose the people with whom you do business, the people with whom you will spend the majority of the time.

In fact, if conditions are right, you may even decide to work with your spouse.

In this article we will discuss working with the person who may you most important business partner, your spouse. We will focus on the following: 1. Deciding to work together 2. Setting ground rules and expectations 3. Pitfalls to avoid 4. Lessons Learned 5. Division of Labor 6. Pros and Cons 7. What about the children?

Deciding to Work Together

Deciding to go into business for yourself is never a decision that should be made lightly. Deciding to go into business with your spouse is one that should be considerable thought as well.

There are several reasons why we say this. Any new business ventures will be full of the unknown. You may be figuring things out as you go, or things may not be going the way that you had originally planned. When both you and your spouse are in the business together, any tension from the business may seep over into your married life as well. Because it is a very personal decision to go into business for yourself, you may take it personally if there are challenges. Too often, frustration can also be taken out on your spouse.

Of course, there are some very compelling reasons to go into real estate investing with your spouse. First, the reason that most people decide to get started investing in real estate is because they want to make a change in their lives. They may want more money, more free time, and/or to improve their quality of life. Those are very powerful reasons, and they create a very powerful image in the mind and heart. Imagine how powerful that vision is when it is shared by two people whose very futures are intertwined. Everything that they do will impact their future, their home and their family. They both see where they are going, and are willing to make the sacrifices to get there. Two people who share a common goal can make a lot happen. We know this from experience.

As you know, things will not always go as planned, but two working together can weather anything. This is not to say that real estate investors who have their own business cannot make it work. Rather, it is to say that, when spouses work together, they can help to lift each other up; to encourage each other not to give up the vision. There is a support structure built into the business.

Finally, it makes it a lot easier when both of you are on the same page. We have talked to countless people who are investing in real estate and want to get their spouse involved. Their spouse might not have any interest in real estate, they might have misconceptions about the market and what it takes, or they just might not be interested. To those people, we recommend that they help their spouse to get educated. Take them to a seminar or workshop, listen to CD’s together. Even late night infomercials are a great way to expose a spouse to what real estate investing.

Setting Ground Rules and Expectations

Once you and your spouse decide to work on and in your business together, it is very important that you sit down together to discuss your expectations, and lay down some ground rules. Whether you are doing the business full-time, part-time or a variation of the two, it is important that you treat your real estate investing as a business. This starts with the two of you sitting down and writing out your goals, expectations and ground rules.

In most cases, one of you guys will know more about real estate investing than the other. You will find yourself in a position of “authority,” simply because of your knowledge base. This was the case with us when we got started. Charles had begun researching real estate investing while still in law school and had begun to build an educational foundation. Kim, on the other hand, had no real knowledge of or interest in investing in real estate. It was up to Charles to convey the vision - all of the things that real estate investing had to offer, all of the life changing things in store.

Things would have gone a lot more smoothly for us if we had set our ground rules from the beginning. But, we didn’t. That is why we know it is so important to do. You need to have a plan of who will handle each part of the business. Think about the job that you may hold right now, or a job that you have left. In either case, you have known what was expected of you each day. You had measurements and goals, and you knew what you needed to do to be successful. Investing in real estate is no different. When spouses work together, this is even more important. We tend to have assumptions when it comes to our mates. We may think that we know what they can do, or what they want to do. But everything should be explicitly spelled out, by both of you. Try not to limit each other, or put yourselves in a box. You would be surprised at the ideas that you come up with when you give each other the freedom to grow, think of new ideas and try things out. In fact, we got involved in wholesaling because of a suggestion that Kim made. We decided to try it out, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lastly, you have problem heard the saying that you can’t have more than one boss. In answer to this, we would just like to say, that how you divide your labor is up to the two of you. One of you may feel more comfortable taking on the majority of the responsibility, and the other may want to give that responsibility away. Or, you may decide that one of you will be the boss. Or, you may even decide to divide your business in two parts, and each of you is the boss of that area. The key is to discuss it, write it down and make it happen.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Being aware of the following potential pitfalls will help make your real estate investing a lot more profitable and enjoyable.

Don’t give anyone the majority of the dirty work. In business, as in life, there will always be some things that are not pleasant to do. Be sure that these types of tasks are divided between the two of you. No one person should be stuck doing the junk. Of course, what is considered junk can vary by couple, so you need to decide this for yourselves. But remember, you should be having fun. As you change your life, you want to both be happy doing it. It doesn’t matter if one of you is working the business full-time, and the other is part-time, neither of you should have the majority of the undesirable work. Do your best to divide it as equally as possible.

Don’t let issues in the business affect your marriage. When you are working closely together day after day, this can be easier said than done. And, of course, when things are running smoothly, this is not an issue at all. But when things are a little bumpy, this can be a totally different story. You have heard the expression “Don’t bring your work home with you.” This is so true when you are working with your spouse, even if work is the office you created in the guest room.

Your marriage is a very sacred entity. You want to protect it at all costs. This does not mean that you will never argue or disagree. But, try not to do so about your real estate investing business. Not only will it make your off-work hours stressful, it will also make your working hours less enjoyable. You don’t want to get so upset with each other that you lose appreciation of the opportunity in front of you.

Lessons Learned

One of the biggest lessons that we learned is to give each other the freedom to make mistakes. Again, nothing happens perfectly. In fact, some things flop. But, we love each other, we know our commitment to each other and the business and we do our best to support each other at all time. Again, this freedom that we give each other allows us to try new things. Sometimes, we just brainstorm about new things that we could do, new ways we can help people, exciting ways to grow our business. We are able to do this in a non-judgmental atmosphere and we have seen some tremendous fruit because of it.

Of course, you have to have good communication. This is very important in your marriage anyway, and you definitely want to carry this over into your business relationship. Don’t come down hard on each other. Watch your tone of voice (or your tone of e-mail). This person is your spouse; they deserve the same amount of respect that you would give your co-worker or employee in any other situation.

You should also structure your business so that you are each utilizing your strengths. Whether or not the business consists of just the two of you, or if you decide to hire staff, you still need to play to your strengths. Each of you should do what you do best. If that happens to be the exact same thing, you probably want to look into hiring someone else to do the other stuff.

Division of Labor

We have touched on this briefly in the previous sections. In order to maintain a strong relationship and to have a fun, profitable business, you both need to enjoy what you are doing. The best way to do this is to decide what your strengths are and divide the jobs up within your company along those same lines.

For instance, Charles loves to look at houses. He can look at a “fixer upper” and see it as it will be after repairs. Kim, on the other hand, doesn’t particularly care for rehab houses. She sees them as they are, and smells them as they are too. So, it makes sense that Charles is the one who evaluates properties.

Kim is more of a detail person. Charles is the visionary, who looks at the big picture. Even though she doesn’t work in the main office, Kim oversees the employees, pay roll, book keeping and the nuts and bolts that keep the business running. We are both very creative, in different ways, and are involved in the marketing. Even here, we have different strengths and enjoy different things, and we divide our responsibilities accordingly.

Remember, we grew to this point. It wasn’t crystal clear to us the way it is today. That is one of the reasons that we wanted to bring you this message. If you are thinking about working with your spouse, or you have started it, and things are kind of bumpy, we want you to be able to use our experiences to make it work for you.

Pros and Cons

As you can see, there are pros and cons to working together. Some people cannot see how we can spend so much time together, every day. We know that this is a challenge for some people. We feel very blessed that this is not the case for us.

Some people would consider the fact that you are both doing the business full-time to be a con. You might not want to be together that much. At the same time, you could consider that fact that you can both take vacation together, without having to ask anyone’s permission to be a pro. Again, some of these things are going to depend on you, your relationship and your goals.

What about the children?

Whether you have children or are thinking about them, being in business for yourself provides you with a wonderful opportunity to open up new worlds. Charles’s parents own their own business. Even though he has both his JD and his MBA, he has always wanted to run his own business. He saw his parents doing it, and he wanted to do the same thing.

We have three young children (ages 2, 4 and 6) with a fourth on the way. Investing in real estate has given us the freedom not only to have these wonderful children, but to spend time with them. They have all been on airplanes and they have been places that we did not visit until we were much older. They see how much is out there in the world, and they know that it is theirs for the taking.

Family and church are very important to us. Investing in real estate, together, as partners has allowed us to nurture both of these. We can go on fieldtrips, attend Bible study and just spend time together, because we work together and we make our own rules. We set our goals and we are responsible for making things happen. We love each other and the challenges and rewards of working together. When Kim was pregnant with Hannah, our first child, we decided that she was not going to go back to corporate America. That same December, Charles decided that he no longer wanted to work in the law firm. He knew that, if we invested in real estate full time, we could make some significant changes in our life.

It was an exciting time. It was a fun time. It was a scary time. But every day, we are so glad that we did it, together. No matter what has happened, or what will come, we know that we are working our real estate business - together.

Charles and Kim Petty are a husband and wife real estate investing team in Metro Atlanta. They are the creators of the Ultimate TurnKey Real Estate Investing System. For further information on Real Estate Investing products and services offered by Kim and Charles Petty call 1-800-841-2579. Ensuring your success when working with Contractors!

Buy it, fix it, flip it! Buy, fix and sell! These are slogans that many investors live by. They describe the concept of finding a house that needs repair, fixing it up and then selling to an end buyer, usually a homeowner. However the key to buying, fixing and selling is the “Fixing”.

There are many courses and gurus that will tell you to rehab a property and you will make so much money you won’t be able to stand it. But the key is to find the right contractor. If you are to be successful in real estate investing or any endeavor at all, you must find the right people to do business with. You must find the right contractor to work with you to fix up your properties. The contractor that you work with must meet the following criteria:

The contractor that you choose to work with must be 1) reputable 2) dependable and 3) economical. Their reputation - when you decide to work with a contractor it is critical that you get references. When you get these references, make sure they are for people who the contractor has already done worked for. While a reference from a pastor or business associate is good, you need to know that they performed quality work and that the client was happy. It is also important that you call the reference. Too many people request references and are satisfied when they receive a list of them. But, you must call these people. See what they have to say. Make sure that the phone numbers work! Their dependability - simply put, your contractor should do what he says he’s going to do, when he says that he is going to do it. This is very important, because you do not want your rehab project to drag on needlessly or endlessly. A good contractor will have his workers on the site when he says that they will be there. The work will be done quickly and professionally. If your contractor is working more than one job at a time, your job should receive equal attention. Their economics - for as many properties as there are in the market, there are just as many contractors and their pricing runs the gamut! You will be surprised to see the wide range of pricing that you could be quoted on one specific job. Typically, contractors who advertise in the Yellow Pages have a higher overhead, and charge more money. Someone who is your friend’s cousin’s brother may have lower prices, but they also might be just starting out and not have the experience you desire. There are other things to be considered besides price. Here are some other items to consider: 1. You want to know if they need “up front” money to get started, or if they can bankroll themselves. Typically, the lower the price, the more money that will be needed up front. 2. Do they have a bank account? If you are dealing with someone without a bank account, you are in for a lot of headaches. Someone who hasn’t taken the time to open an account for their business is not someone that you want to deal with. 3. How many people are in their crew? 4. Do they have their own equipment? 5. Do they have a business license? 6. Are they insured? You can decide which of these items are most important to you. You do not have to compromise your value system. It is possible to find a good, reliable, dependable and economical contractor that you can work with. When you do, hold onto him! A good contractor can make you a lot of money. Find a good one and grow your relationship with them and you will be well on your way to building your real estate empire!

We wish you much success!

Kimberly and Charles Petty

In the last 7 years they have been involved in over 600 real estate transactions. And there is no reason you can’t experience the same success. For further information on Real Estate Investing products and services offered by Kim and Charles Petty call 1-800-559-9702 right away.

Ensuring your Success when Purchasing Rehab Properties

You have heard all of the hype surrounding real estate investing, and you’re ready to get started. You know that there is money to be made - you’ve seen the late night infomercials, and you even know some people who are investing in real estate successfully.

So, you ask yourself the following questions:

“How do I get started in real estate investing?”

“What kind of property should I buy?”

“I don’t know anything about working with contractors, should I do this?”

“How do I know that won’t get in over my head?”

We are going to discuss those questions, and give you some good, solid answers that will allow you to get started investing in real estate - on the right track.

Getting Started

The best way to get started investing in real estate is to educate yourself. This does not mean taking a course to become a licensed real estate agent, or reading countless books. You can educate yourself by taking advantage of the numerous resources that are available to you.

In most major cities, you will be able to find a Real Estate Investors Association (REIA). This is a group of people who are either investing in real estate or thinking about doing it. Almost all REIA’s have monthly meetings where you can network with other real estate investors, meet service providers, listen to speakers with expertise in varying areas, and even find properties to invest in.

Locating a REIA is a great way to get started. In the metro Atlanta area, there are two such organizations. One is the Georgia Real Estate Investors Association. They hold monthly meetings the 2nd Monday of the month. They also offer subgroups, to allow you to meet in a small group setting with experts in various areas. You can even stop by their office and take advantage of their many resources, including software, computers and more. Membership is required.

There is also a smaller, more intimate group in the metro Atlanta area. This group is simply called Real Estate Investors Association. They meet the 2nd Thursday of the month. Their meetings always have a speaker and there are service providers there for you to speak with as well. There is no membership cost, but there is an admission charge.

Another way to educate yourself is to attend a seminar. You need not spend a lot of money doing this. There are a few companies in the metro Atlanta area that offer seminars to help you get started in real estate investing. Some of these are free, while others charge a fee. The key here is to make sure that you get good, solid information that you can use. These seminars provide an excellent opportunity for you to meet key players in the investing business. You can ask questions in a smaller, intimate atmosphere. Again, you have the opportunity to network with other investors. Take advantage of it!

As you can see, there are many ways to get started. You are doing one of them right now! By reading Investor 2 Investor and publications like it, you are exposing yourself to an abundance of quality information. That is an excellent step.

The most important thing is to actually get started. Don’t educate yourself to the point of not doing anything. There is always more to learn each day. That will never change. But, in order to succeed, you have to start. And there is no better time than today!

Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. - Unknown

Your Investment Strategy

There are several types of property that you can invest in. There is commercial real estate - such as office buildings, apartment buildings, etc. and there residential real estate. Residential real estate can be either multi-family or single-family.

In today’s market, single family homes are your best investment vehicle. I say this because; it is the American Dream to own a home. Most people, who are for looking for a home, want their own house, not one that is attached to another.

Noted Real Estate Investor, John Adams* lists the following 9 reasons for investing in single family homes:

1. Bargains are readily available in single family homes. 2. Financing is easy to get for single family homes. 3. Single family homes are readily available in most communities. 4. Single family homes are easier to rent. 5. Single family homes are easier to sell. 6. The single family home market is extremely stable. 7. Single family homes are relatively easy to understand. 8. Single family homes offer excellent tax benefits. 9. Single family homes make great retirement plans.

Let’s take a minute and review these points in greater detail. First, it is true that you can get great deals on single family homes. Since most people who live in single family homes also own them, this means that, at any given time, there are a number of them available for purchase. People go through lots of life changes that require them to sell their home. They may be increasing the size of their family, moving into a smaller home because their children have moved out or they may have been downsized or have experienced any other circumstances which require them to sell their home. Lots of these people need to sell quickly and are able to be flexible on their asking price - and that means a bargain for you!

Financing is extremely easy to get for single family homes. In fact, there are a group of lenders who specialize in lending to investors who purchase and fix up single family homes. In most cases you can borrow the funds to purchase the property and complete the renovations. We will go into how this works in greater detail further along in the series.

Think about how many single family homes you see every day. They are everywhere. And because they are so readily available, they are very easy to rent and sell. Many people want to move up from an apartment and decide to rent a house. There are others who have gone through adverse conditions and although they may no longer own a house, they still want to live in one. They are very happy to rent. And for as many people looking to rent a house, you have people looking to buy them as well.

The single family home market is very stable, for all of these reasons. They are easy to manage. There are only so many things to take care of in a house, and with a good property management company, that task is made even easier.

There are great tax benefits that come from investing in single family homes. This is not the forum to go into all of them, but make sure you speak to a good accountant who can help you reap this additional benefit of your real estate investing.

Finally, it takes more than one house to build your empire, but with as few as ten of them, you can retire and live comfortably. You have many options available to you. You have your monthly rental income (less any property management costs), you can do a refinance and get tax-free cash based on the equity in the house, and lastly, you can sell whenever you would like. The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. - Benjamin Disraeli

Building your team

In order to make your real estate investing more successful and enjoyable, you need to surround yourself with a team of professionals who know the business and have your best interests at heart.

There are several ways to build this team. You can network at meetings, seminars and other events and collect business cards. You can speak with individuals to get a feel for them. Let them know what you are trying to do, and see if they can help you achieve your goals.

You can also look in the yellow pages and the newspaper for additional contacts. Just a note - Yellow Page advertisers may have higher prices than you would like to pay, simply because their advertising costs are built into their pricing.

It is a good idea to speak with people whom you know that are already investing, or simply know people who do the job that you are looking for. It is important to get references, and when you are getting quotes for work to be done, get two or three.

You can also hook up with a company that pulls everything together for you. This type of system is often called “TurnKey” or “Automatic.” This simply means that everything has been set up with you, and the service providers have been tried, tested and proven to be true. Many investors prefer this type of system, because it takes the guesswork out of their real estate investing. Here are some of the resources that you can expect to find in a TurnKey System:

 Investment Properties - these are typically single family homes, but can be any type of real estate that meets your investing criteria. They should be offered at a fair price, with plenty of equity for you.  Lenders - this includes purchase money lenders (often called hard money lenders) and mortgage/refinance specialists. Ideally, these individuals are accustomed to working with real estate investors and will have programs that are tailored to your unique needs. You will often find that serious service providers in this arena often specialize in working with investors.  Appraisers - a good appraiser is one of your best friends in this business. A good appraiser will be familiar with the market conditions and prices and ensure that the house is appraised with a realistic value. In the majority of cases, the appraiser must be approved by the lender. This should make you feel good because it means that the lender is comfortable with the appraisers work and is willing to lend based on it.  Contractors - there are a wide range of contractors out there. It is important to get a good, reliable contractor on your team. This will allow you to control your costs and your time. When you know that a job will be completed at a reasonable cost within a reasonable time period, you will be able to breathe a lot easier. Contractors who are recommended through a TurnKey System have been through a screening process. While there are no guarantees, this should make you feel better to know that their pricing, quality and timeliness are typically in-line, or they would not be recommended to you.  Property Management - a good property management can change your outlook on owning rental property. Many people are hesitant to get started investing, because they have heard horror stories from other investors about leaky toilets, midnight phone calls and more. Well, with a good property management company you do not have to worry about that. They will run your ads, interview your prospective tenants, collect the rent, handle maintenance and even send in your mortgage payment, if you would like. This will either be done for a flat fee based on the number of properties that you own, or a percentage of the monthly rent that you receive from the tenant.

Those are the major players that you will need on your team. Surround yourself with good, honest reliable people and you will have a successful real estate investing career.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are how we grow and learn. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes, so that you do not repeat them. More importantly, if you can, learn from the mistakes of others. Hook yourself up with someone who is honest, fair and knows what they are doing.

Congratulations on getting started! Your life is about to go in directions that you have only imagined. Don’t wait another day. The life that you keep dreaming about is really there for you! It is within your reach. Make it a reality by investing in rehab properties.

We wish you much success!

Kimberly and Charles Petty In the last 7 years they have been involved in over 600 real estate transactions. And there is no reason you can’t experience the same success. For further information on Real Estate Investing products and services offered by Kim and Charles Petty call 1-800-559-9702 right away. Ensuring your success when working with Real Estate Agents

You have heard all of the hype surrounding real estate investing, and you’re ready to get started. You know that there is money to be made - you’ve seen the late night infomercials, and you even know some people who are investing in real estate successfully.

But how do you find deals that will make you money? One of the best areas to make money in real estate is through fixer-upper or rehab properties. One of the best ways to find these types of deals is through a real estate agent. You know them. You have seen their billboards with their smiling faces and catchy slogans! But how do you find the right real estate agent?

First there are two types of real estate agents: Buyer’s agents and listing agents. The buyer’s agents are the ones that represent the buyer’s and make offers on listed properties. Listing agents are the agents that list properties and represent the seller of a property. The seller can be a private individual, a bank, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or any other person or entity that has decided to sell a property. Some agents represent both buyer’s and sellers, while some agents are only on one side of the business.

There are many courses and gurus that will tell you to find a real estate agent and you will make so much money you won’t be able to stand it. But the key is to find the right agent. If you are to be successful in real estate investing or any endeavor at all, you must find the right people to do business with. You must find the right buyer’s agent to work with you on finding properties. The buyer’s agent that you work with must meet the following criteria:

1. Experience with working with investors 2. Ability to think “outside of the box” 3. Friendly 4. Aggressive

Experience working with investors.

You wouldn’t go to Burger King and ask for a bucket of chicken, would you? Yet many investors will attempt to work with an agent that is used to working with first time home owners and expect to have success. You must have someone in your corner that knows the territory and knows what to expect. The market for real estate investors is very different than that of a homeowner looking for a house in which to live. The real estate agent must understand not only the value of comparable sales and how needed repairs affect a sales price, but a myriad of other real estate investing specific criteria. You also want an agent that is used to Bank Owned (REO) properties, Government owned properties (HUDs), etc.

Ability to think outside of the box

All profitable investors must be creative and go against conventional wisdom at times. You must have an agent that thinks like you and is not offended if you are making a creative offer or attempting to put together a creative transaction.

Friendly

This rule should apply to anyone you are going to do business with on a consistent basis. Real estate investing should lead to freedom and security and if you have to deal with someone who is not a joy to be around takes away from your freedom. Your agent should not only be friendly, but should genuinely appreciate your business. Friendly agents get better results; they develop a better rapport with sellers and seller’s agents which will result in more closings. This will result in more money in your pocket.

Aggressive

Many times your buyer’s agent must call the listing agent of a property several times in order to get a response. Your buyer’s agent may also have to make several offers before one gets accepted. Your agent must be able to press and not get frustrated.

Once you have found an agent that fits this criteria, you want to grow and develop a long term relationship with them. You want to do your best to close on time once you have a property under contract with them. Once you have closed several deals with them you also should send them birthday cards, Christmas cards, take them out to dinner etc. to show them that you value their business.

A good real estate agent can make you a lot of money. Find a good one and grow your relationship with them and you will be well on your way to building your real estate empire!

We wish you much success!

Kimberly and Charles Petty For further information on Real Estate Investing products and services offered by Kim and Charles Petty call 1-800-559-9702 right away.

Developing your winning team

As a real estate investor, it is very important that you surround your self with a good, strong team of trustworthy individuals. You will need to develop and maintain good working relationships with professionals for each stage of the process.

As we discuss developing your winning team, we will break it down by the process. The processes we will discuss are: 8. Finding the Property 9. Funding the Property 10. Closing on the Property 11. Fixing the Property 12. Selling the Property

Finding the Property

As we discussed earlier, there are several ways for you to locate your properties. Established relationships can make finding the right house easier for you, especially with motivated sellers.

Once you locate a wholesaler who specializes at finding good, quality houses in your target areas, you want to develop a good relationship. In some instances, you may be able to get on an “early notification” list, or after you have purchased a property or two, the wholesaler might even look for properties specifically for you. This will be an important relationship for both of you; you will have a steady source of quality properties and the wholesaler will gain a client who they know will do what they say that they are going to do.

Another member you want to have on your team is a strong Realtor. It is important that the Realtor be used to working with real estate investors or at least has a basic understanding of real estate investing. At the minimum, your Realtor must be open to learning and listening. You will be looking for atypical properties, and your Realtor will really need to be on board with what you want. It is important that you stay in the driver’s seat and only look at properties that fit your criteria and business plan. You may find that many Realtors want to show you the properties that they have listings for or what they think is a good investment. Remember everything that you have learned about what makes a good investment for your portfolio, and stick with it. The good thing is, there are a lot of Realtors out there, so you should be able to find one that you can work with.

Other people who have access to motivated sellers and/or distressed sellers are good to have on your team. Probate attorneys and divorce attorneys are just two such examples. If you can find someone who can give you the scoop or the inside track on available properties, cultivate that relationship.

Funding the Property

When you locate a great property, you will need to be able to move quickly to purchase it. This is especially important if the property is one that you are competing with other investors to purchase. You will want to show the seller that you can purchase the property, just like you said that you could. Unfortunately, many real estate investors put properties under contract and never close. If the seller is one who works with a lot of real estate investors, they may be gun shy. Even if the seller has no negative experience (or no experience) with real estate investors, it is a good idea to be able to show that you have the funds to close the deal.

In order to ensure that you can close on the deal when you say you can, you need to develop strong relationships with both hard money lenders and private lenders. You will find that the terms will differ between hard money lenders and private lenders, but each type of loan has its place in your real estate investing business.

Hard money lenders typically charge between 12% and 14% for their loan. They also charge points and some have pre-payment penalties. All of the loans are interest only, most with monthly interest payments. Many new investors are taken aback when they see what the terms are, but more seasoned investors know that the terms are definitely worth it. It is basically an opportunity cost. Banks are not going to loan the money for an investment property. Even those banks that offer “rehab loans” usually do not close in a timely manner and have all sort of specifications that you will not find in a hard money loan.

There are many other benefits of working with hard money lenders. Hard money lenders know the market and specialize on working with real estate investors. They are familiar with values, areas and appraisers. And most importantly, they have the money to lend. Because they are in the business of lending, most hard money lenders have several million dollars available to lend out. As long as you and the property meet their criteria, you can usually close in as little as seven to ten days. If you have developed a relationship with the hard money lender, and have already closed several deals with them, you can probably close even more quickly.

The terms for loans with private lenders vary on the lender, and often on you, the real estate investor. In many instances the private lender is new and you can determine the terms. You always want to be fair to the lender, and make sure that the loan is worth their time. However, you will most likely pay a lower percentage rate and few to zero points.

However, you may have to educate your private lender if they are new to lending. They will rely on you to provide them with good information and a good investment. This is a really amazing responsibility. You must make sure that you put checks and balances in place to protect your lender. You will also be responsible for finding good appraisers, surveyors and closing attorneys.

Closing on the Property

In order to close on your property, you are going to need three more strong players. They are your appraiser, your surveyor (if the lender requires it) and your closing attorney.

It is important to note that, if you are funding your deal with a hard money lender, all of these team members will actually be picked (or approved by) your hard money lender. Each of these members ensures that the investment is a good one, that the values are solid and that everything closes in order. These things make sure that the lender’s investment is as secure as possible.

However, just because these team members represent your lender, this does not mean that you cannot develop a relationship with them. Developing this relationship will allow you to check on the status, schedule closings to your convenience and just make sure that everything stays on track. Also, once you get your own private lenders, you can utilize these same people with whom you have already developed a relationship.

The appraiser will be responsible for providing the After Repair Value (ARV) appraisal. Again, the appraiser should be someone who is used to the real estate investing market. If you attempt to work with an appraiser who works primarily (or only) with homeowners, you are in for a lot of headaches. I fact, don’t even go there. Use the appraiser that your lender has approved, or talk to other real estate investors and find a good, reputable appraiser.

Now, not all lenders require a survey. However, if they do, they will already have a survey company that they use. Just go with them.

The closing attorney is another important member of your team. If they are not selected by your lender, they will have to be approved by them. The closing attorney is very important to your deal. Their office makes sure that all of the details are taking care of. They make sure that title is clear and title insurance is obtained. They prepare all closing documents and wire funds. In some parts of the country, a title company handles these same tasks.

Fixing the Property

The contractor that you choose to work on your rehab can make or break your project. This is a hard fact. It is hard because many real estate investors do not choose licensed contractors to work on their jobs. They often use their brother, their cousin, their uncle or their friend. These contractors might do an excellent job, but they also might lack the experience and the business acumen necessary to complete the project in a timely and professional manner.

Regardless of your level of expertise, you have to make sure that you have checks and balances in place to protect yourself. You should have agreements in place that specifically detail the items to be completed, the prices and the timeline for completion. Find out how many members are on the contractor’s crew. Does he have his own trucks? Does he have the money to begin a job, or does he need start up money?

Finding a good contractor can be a long process. Be sure to get referrals and before and after pictures of work that the contractor has completed. When you get the referrals, call them. Find out if the clients are satisfied and if they would use their services again.

When you locate a good contractor or two, and you will, hold onto him! A contractor who does quality work at a fair price in a timely manner is worth his weight in gold. Knowing that you have someone that you can count on to will give you the confidence to put properties under contract and market them and move them quickly.

Selling the Property

When you decide to sell your retail property, there are two key members on your team, your mortgage broker and your Realtor.

It is key that you locate a mortgage broker that will be able to finance your buyers. Your mortgage broker should have programs for all types of sellers, whether they are first time home buyers, have credit issues, or retired or any other “out of the ordinary” situation. It is crucial that your mortgage broker has experience closing loans.

You want to know that when you find a buyer with reasonable qualifications, your mortgage broker can get your buyer qualified and closed. You do not want someone who is trying out new programs or just getting started. You need to get your properties sold, and your mortgage broker can help you do this. Ideally, they will have a 100% financing program and you will be able to advertise it when you advertise your house.

The second member of your selling team is someone that we have already mentioned, your Realtor. You want someone who can find you a buyer, quickly. Again, your Realtor should be able to think outside of the box. There are so many financing options out there, you don’t want to look for only “traditional” buyers.

It will take a little time and effort to develop your winning team, but it is worth it. This is another reason why a turnkey system is so attractive to real estate investors. All of the keys are in place, and you can just plug in and take advantage of what is already in place.

No matter how you find your team members, putting together a strong team is crucial to your success.

Charles and Kim Petty are a husband and wife real estate investing team in Metro Atlanta. They are the creators of the Ultimate TurnKey Real Estate Investing System. For further information on Real Estate Investing products and services offered by Kim and Charles Petty call 1-800-841-2579.

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Advertising.
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There are many webmasters who wrote articles to find their site is very tedious. Many people who need to write articles procrastinate as much as they can to delay the amount of writing they need to do. Many people dread writing articles, as they are researching the topic and write original materials will be too taxing on them.

You need to have your creative juices flowing and simply downloading an article would be plagiarism or tantamount to stealing, not exactly. Have you ever heard about public domain? These are articles written down by many authors that have declared their works to be public domain, which means anybody can use it for whatever purpose they want.

While most authors would prefer to copyright their work for their rights, there are also a number who doesn’t mind sharing their work. Public domain articles are not owned by anybody and can be used and abused by anyone. The writers have waived their rights to their works and it is out there for the public to make use of. You can use public domain articles in helping you write your articles. With the public domain articles you can simply edit them to your own style and rewrite them as you please to make it suitable for your needs. All the ideas are there already and its just a matter of finding the write article with the topic or subject you need.

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Public domain articles are a virtual untapped resource that many people fail to realize the true value. The power of articles, keywords and keyword phrases have been deemed invaluable these past few years for many internet based businesses and sites that want to rank high in search engine results. The number of article and content writers have grown significantly due to the rise in the demand for articles. As newer and newer topics and subjects have arisen, there are many demands for new articles to be written. An industry has been formed and this is a worldwide demand.

Public domain articles have given a great alternative for those who are cash strapped as well as do not have the time nor the skills to do their articles for themselves. Searching for public domain articles is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3. You can search for them in search engines and do searches in many directories for the topic or subject that you need. Read them and simpy copy paste them to a word processing program and simply edit them to suit your needs.

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Marketing.
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Lead generation can take on various marketing methodologies:Broadcast AdvertisingDirect MailEvent or Trade Show marketingSeminar or TrainingPublicity and Public RelationsWhitepapers or Product LiteratureEmail marketingWeb marketing (Search Engine Optimization or other Internet Media buying)Telemarketing.

Online marketing has become an important channel in today’s marketplace, not to mention a necessary and cost effective way to service your new and existing customers. Online lead generation is one of the fastest growing areas of direct marketing, providing high quality, targeted sales leads for business-to-consumer sales organisations. Online lead generation is fundamentally different in that it’s a double opt-in process with full disclosure: Consumers are presented with an opt-in box for a particular offer.

Businesses that are lead generation oriented will need to get more sophisticated in technology to avoid fraudulent leads. Businesses looking for opportunitiesto market to other business, but needing help in finding their prospects and eventually closing the sale. Business networking should be the platform to create opportunities at a later stage, and this series of short articles will show you how. Businesses that Handle Low-Volume Sales InquiriesBusinesses without contact centers risk losing potential leads due to haphazard lead management.

Companies will become more select on who can market their clients to ensure that converting leads are gathered and sent on. Companies that can perform and provide quality leads to their clients will be sought out by previous clients of companies that couldn’t perform. Companies-usually relocation departments-receive lead information, which is then passed on to associates.

Lead generation, as well as lead qualification, requires unique skills. Lead Generation is often seen as hard work or the result of an expensive marketing campaign. Lead Generation does not automatically result from attendance at a business networking event. Lead Generation for your Business Lead generation is a marketing term that refers to the manufacture of connections between well-matched consumers and target corporate vendors. Lead Generation is frequently seen in the financial world.

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Marketing.
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There are 3 unconscious habits that block effective communication: Making moralistic judgements, Making Comparisons and Denying Personal Responsibility. In a previous article I gave examples of how these create Communication Frustration for everyone involved. In this article you’ll see other shapes those habits can take with those you love and work with.

1. Analyzing Others: We do this when we make interpretations of our opinions on what we think is taking place. Here’s an example from how this would work with my wife Kay and me. If Kay wanted to have more affection than I was giving I’d say she was “dependent or needy”. But if I wanted affection Kay wasn’t giving I’d say she was “being selfish and inconsiderate”. After learning compassionate communication we realized that neither of us were “to blame”. Our analyses were expressions of what we each of us really needed and wanted.

2. Confusing Morals and Values: Value judgements determine the qualities we value in life; for example we might value honesty, freedom, peace, or learning . These always reflect our beliefs of how life can best be served. Moralistic judgements are against people and behaviors that don’t support our value judgements, e.g. “Violence is bad, People who kill others are evil”. Learning to go from “Violence is bad” to “I’m fearful of the use of violence to solve conflicts; I value the resolution of human conflicts through other means” was tough for Kay and I. Because, for us, the confusion over morals and values was most predominant at church where we were active members.

3. Manipulation: Is when we are trying to make others unwillingly do what we want. Manipulation never works because counterproductive emotions like fear or anger are not expressed verbally but in how the person performs what is being demanded, if they perform at all. Things Kay and I discovered: Kay telling me how her best friend’s hubby is such a handy man never made me cut the grass when or how she wanted. Me telling my son Mitchell, with dyslexia, how his older gifted brother JD taught himself to read never got Mitchell to read faster. Even if you have good intentions (like we thought we did) manipulations are guaranteed to wound yourself and others deeply.

4. One-way Philosophy and Politics: Philosophy is your world view. Politics is your actions in it. It really shocked Kay and me to see how our Philosophy and Politics were starting unintentional conflicts. We missed out on learning new ideas, making deep friendships, and having bigger opportunities when our philosophies and politics were a one-way conversation. People create conflicts about Philosophy or Politics because they mistake their moral judgments as facts. We know we did.

5. Using Other’s Actions: Is when we shift our personal responsibility based on other’s behavior we make others responsible for us. Some examples from John and Kay: When I tell Kay I was yelling at the kids because of their bad table manners, this makes them responsible for my outburst. When I accept a golf invitation with my buddies after promising the kids I’d hang out, it makes my friends take responsibility for my commitments. Perhaps you’ll be familiar with these as well: “I lied because my boss told me too”, “I hate my job, but because I’m a wife and mother I go.”, “I work long hours because my boss says I have to”. People are always dangerous when they’re unaware of their responsibility for how they behave, think, and feel.

6. Policies and Rules: This is when we shift responsibility to those in authority and unexamined procedures. Examples you might encounter would be “I have to suspend your son because it’s the school policy”, “I’m not authorized to help you”, “The computer says”, “My boss would kill me”, “Our policy is not to make exceptions”, “My boss says”, “We’ve always done it that way”. Responsibility shifted to policies, rules, and management does not validate the behavior.

There’s a lot to consider here. While you consider what you’ve read have compassion with yourself and what you find. You’re not broken, in need of fixing, and there isn’t anything wrong with you. Place attention on where these habits are showing up and creating unintentional conflict for yourself and others. Just patiently observe how you interact with people. You can also share this article with your spouse or friends and ask which ones they think show up most.

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Communication.
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Kitchen is where the heart resides; all the culinary skills of a home owner or a chef come to a standstill without the right home appliances to aid him. The kitchen dcor and design have come a long way in comparison to the ones that we used some years ago. It is the hub for meeting, cooking for your family and entertaining guests. Every device has a rightful place in making lives of humans comfortable. The present generation is blessed to have this equipment which our forefathers did not have. By taking a look down the memory lane, we have noticed changes in the kitchen as a whole with a wide variety of kitchen designs and colors to choose from. The role that you want you’re cooking area to portray is all up to the person using it, make it a reflection of you and the persons who are going to use it. If you don’t feel like stepping in your kitchen and search for ways to avoid by having dinners outside it is time you change your living ways.

Once you have the high tech and innovative cooking appliances in your home, you will rebuild your passion for cooking the gourmet meal you always wanted. For fulfilling this purpose, you have a wide range of microwaves, ovens, fridges, and dishwashers at your rescue. Before you make any purchase, you have to streamline the needs of your family. An efficient buyer makes the right purchase and does not compromise on quality. It is a onetime investment and it should be functioning for a long time to come. You can make the right choice accordingly by the perfect appliances that portray the perfect reflection of you as a person. With the internet things have become so simpler and by just a click of the mouse button you can make a choice.

Once your search is complete and your budget is fixed, it’s time for you to step in and select from the wide range of kitchen appliances - firstly the Refrigerator, is your choice frost free, dual cool, or the higher end smart refrigerator. Secondly the Grillers : It looks like the microwave ovens are losing their edge in a price-sensitive market, as the phenomenal features of the oven-toaster-griller, better known as the OTG, get hot. The major features include less consumption of electricity, ensure that the food remains at the right temperature and retains the nutritional value. OTGs are extremely useful for housewives and even for working women to provide hygienic, customized and less expensive home made delicacies to family. Thirdly the Dishwashers: A clean and hygienic kitchen can be quite a blessing, especially when one doesn’t have to see mountains of dishes piling on the sink, waiting to be scrubbed and washed. A dishwasher can make this job so much simpler and less messy. The other amenities such as a hot water dispenser, garbage disposer, air purifiers can be added depending on your budget and needs of your family.

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Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Advertising.
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Conference calling used to be a costly prospect, costing some businesses and associations ten of thousands of dollars every year. This is no longer the case. Shrewd businesses are turning to free conferencing services for their collaborative communications and putting that extra to better use. With a line item of $0 in the communications budget, users are laughing all the way to the bank!

The pluses of Free Conference Calling go way beyond the “free” part. The service is fully digitized, built on voice routers. The sound is clear as a bell, as opposed to analog conference bridges, which are famous for unpleasant sounds. Users enjoy great connections consistently.

Free Conference Calling is reservationless and accessible 24/7. Lots of people can participate at the same time in as many calls as you need. Calls are limited to six hours at one time, but you can make a limitless number of calls. Many businesses schedule multiple calls per week for individual groups or different purposes, among them training, information distribution, and personnel assessment.

Besides free conferencing, free conference recording and playback are offered. With associates who who are occupied and cannot make a live conference, it is easy for them to download the conference to PC for playback in their free time. No one ever has to miss a call!

The service has the advantage of being very simple to use. It only takes a moment to open an account, which can be used at once. All you need to do is advise participants of the time and give them the dial up number and access code. Easy to follow prompts guide callers, and equally simple cues let call directors achieve a number of objectives, such as make a call “listen in” only or block additional callers from joining.

For these reasons, there are over 5 million monthly customers, among them over one hundred Fortune 500 companies. More and more businesses are discovering every day that “free” pays big dividends

Posted: April 3rd, 2008 under Communication.
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