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Extinction of Bad Health Habits

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Extinction of Bad Health Habits

By Doug Setter

We joke, grin, gripe and cry about the slave-making vices that drag us into misery. It is habits, repeated over time, that result in illnesses like: diabetes, gout, constipation, obesity, unhealed injuries, stomach problems and even poverty. With exceptions like: genetics, disease and accidents, most people decline into poor health through a series of bad choices rather than a significant event. As the saying goes: "A fall starts with a slip, not a dive."

So, to get out of being "sick and tired of being sick and tired," you need to remove or reduce the unhealthy activities. To do this, you have to stop rewarding yourself for doing self-destructive things. Now, that may sound strange, but think about it:

• Smoking and drinking gives most people a temporary lift and often adds to a social setting;
• Pop, pastries and candy often immediately taste good;
• Over-eating can make you feel groggy and comfortable;
• Lying around is (to some people) more comfortable than running;
• Staying indoors feels safer than activity outdoors;
• Lack of sleep has its own kind of mellow high; and
• Extreme emotions also have their own kind of excitement.

We all tend to get some kind of reward from our habits, good or bad. In this article, we are going to use psychological extinction to remove the unhealthy activity. We do this by reducing the reinforcement (reward) of a bad health habit. With something like eating junk food, we can reduce the immediate reward a number of ways.

1. Reduce the sweet taste by using an alternative. Something with a different flavor, like peppermint. Try fruit instead of a cup cake. Try a bagel instead of a butter horn.

2. Delay the sweet taste. Move the candies, pastries, pop, etc. away from your work or home environment. If it is not there, then it is harder to eat.

3. Set up rules regarding when and where the junk food can be eaten, such as: no snacking before supper or no snacking after 7 p.m.

Let's look at a typical junk food snacking behavior. An office worker puts a large bowl of leftover Hallowe'en candy on her desk. Throughout the day, her and her co-workers steadily take treats from the bowl. The sugar-laden candy gives a pleasant break from a sometimes monotonous work load. The worker can go through a steady sugar buzz all day.

Now, let's try to replace the candy habit with alternatives like water or tea breaks. Without the constant sugar buzz, a mild withdrawal sets in and our office worker starts craving the taste of candy. Providing an alternative, like mints or gum, will still give the snacking worker that quick reward, but with only a fraction of the calories or harmful substances. Even trips to the water cooler work as an alternative to junk food. A friend of mine broke his coffee habit by just drinking water. He started drinking water in the morning and afternoon with a couple of coffee breaks in between. Eventually, he drank more water and less coffee until he was drinking only water throughout the shift. I followed his example and lost the coffee craving as well.

The next extinction tactic is to place the junk food farther away. When most people get hungry and swing into the nearest fast food joint or dig into a chocolate bar, they get an immediate gratification. The plan here, then, is to separate the reward from the undesired action. A walk to a locker, the coat closet or even the parking lot can dissuade most people from making the effort. This delayed "sugar buzz" can feel like the reward is being delayed. It is kind of like receiving a late pay check. It is not nearly as appealing as a regular wage.

The next method of diminishing the junk food habit is to set up hard rules such as:

• Eating it only at a certain time (eg. 3 p.m.);
• Eating it only on certain occasions (eg. Holidays);
• No eating junk food after a certain time (eg. 7 p.m.);
• Only eating it after a proper meal; and
• Only eating it one day a week.

In his book, Body for Life, Bill Phillips talks about allowing one "cheat day" per week. This is good strategy as it enables a person to know that they can eventually have their snack. It is one of the benefits of the extinction principle.

One of the set backs of the extinction principle is a tendency to replace the former vice with another one. (Like former smokers, who eat more after they quit smoking?) Better to fill that gap with something beneficial, like good food. Another way to replace the good feeling from the junk food is to give oneself a mental pat on the back. After all, you want to reward yourself for a job well done.

Stay tuned for more proven psychological methods of improving your health and fitness.

Doug Setter

Author of Stomach Flattening

www.2ndwindbodyscience.com

Doug Setter holds a Bachelor's Degree in Foods and Nutrition. He instructs fitness, weight-loss, stomach flattening and kick-boxing. He has trained over 700 people in fitness and military skills.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doug_Setter
http://EzineArticles.com/?Extinction-of-Bad-Health-Habits&id=1001496

AchievementRadio.com's

Extinction of Bad Health Habits
By Doug Setter

We joke, grin, gripe and cry about the slave-making vices that drag us into misery. It is habits, repeated over time, that result in illnesses like: diabetes, gout, constipation, obesity, unhealed injuries, stomach problems and even poverty. With exceptions like: genetics, disease and accidents, most people decline into poor health through a series of bad choices rather than a significant event. As the saying goes: "A fall starts with a slip, not a dive."

So, to get out of being "sick and tired of being sick and tired," you need to remove or reduce the unhealthy activities. To do this, you have to stop rewarding yourself for doing self-destructive things. Now, that may sound strange, but think about it:

• Smoking and drinking gives most people a temporary lift and often adds to a social setting;
• Pop, pastries and candy often immediately taste good;
• Over-eating can make you feel groggy and comfortable;
• Lying around is (to some people) more comfortable than running;
• Staying indoors feels safer than activity outdoors;
• Lack of sleep has its own kind of mellow high; and
• Extreme emotions also have their own kind of excitement.

We all tend to get some kind of reward from our habits, good or bad. In this article, we are going to use psychological extinction to remove the unhealthy activity. We do this by reducing the reinforcement (reward) of a bad health habit. With something like eating junk food, we can reduce the immediate reward a number of ways.

1. Reduce the sweet taste by using an alternative. Something with a different flavor, like peppermint. Try fruit instead of a cup cake. Try a bagel instead of a butter horn.

2. Delay the sweet taste. Move the candies, pastries, pop, etc. away from your work or home environment. If it is not there, then it is harder to eat.

3. Set up rules regarding when and where the junk food can be eaten, such as: no snacking before supper or no snacking after 7 p.m.

Let's look at a typical junk food snacking behavior. An office worker puts a large bowl of leftover Hallowe'en candy on her desk. Throughout the day, her and her co-workers steadily take treats from the bowl. The sugar-laden candy gives a pleasant break from a sometimes monotonous work load. The worker can go through a steady sugar buzz all day.

Now, let's try to replace the candy habit with alternatives like water or tea breaks. Without the constant sugar buzz, a mild withdrawal sets in and our office worker starts craving the taste of candy. Providing an alternative, like mints or gum, will still give the snacking worker that quick reward, but with only a fraction of the calories or harmful substances. Even trips to the water cooler work as an alternative to junk food. A friend of mine broke his coffee habit by just drinking water. He started drinking water in the morning and afternoon with a couple of coffee breaks in between. Eventually, he drank more water and less coffee until he was drinking only water throughout the shift. I followed his example and lost the coffee craving as well.

The next extinction tactic is to place the junk food farther away. When most people get hungry and swing into the nearest fast food joint or dig into a chocolate bar, they get an immediate gratification. The plan here, then, is to separate the reward from the undesired action. A walk to a locker, the coat closet or even the parking lot can dissuade most people from making the effort. This delayed "sugar buzz" can feel like the reward is being delayed. It is kind of like receiving a late pay check. It is not nearly as appealing as a regular wage.

The next method of diminishing the junk food habit is to set up hard rules such as:

• Eating it only at a certain time (eg. 3 p.m.);
• Eating it only on certain occasions (eg. Holidays);
• No eating junk food after a certain time (eg. 7 p.m.);
• Only eating it after a proper meal; and
• Only eating it one day a week.

In his book, Body for Life, Bill Phillips talks about allowing one "cheat day" per week. This is good strategy as it enables a person to know that they can eventually have their snack. It is one of the benefits of the extinction principle.

One of the set backs of the extinction principle is a tendency to replace the former vice with another one. (Like former smokers, who eat more after they quit smoking?) Better to fill that gap with something beneficial, like good food. Another way to replace the good feeling from the junk food is to give oneself a mental pat on the back. After all, you want to reward yourself for a job well done.

Stay tuned for more proven psychological methods of improving your health and fitness.

Doug Setter

Author of Stomach Flattening

www.2ndwindbodyscience.com

Doug Setter holds a Bachelor's Degree in Foods and Nutrition. He instructs fitness, weight-loss, stomach flattening and kick-boxing. He has trained over 700 people in fitness and military skills.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doug_Setter
http://EzineArticles.com/?Extinction-of-Bad-Health-Habits&id=1001496

Smart Marketing For Not-So-Big Businesses

AchievementRadio.com's

Smart Marketing For Not-So-Big Businesses
By Lynne A Saarte

Every business owner has a dream of making their business grow and become household names in their chosen field. In fact, all would daresay that they would put everything they have to make their business successful. And that includes money earned from the blood and sweat of these guys.

And for small businesses, marketing is such a tremendous task to undertake precisely because advertising your products and services needs money. In fact, a lot of money. And if you are a small business owner, this is something you don't have. With a limited budget, you're probably wondering how you can effectively promote your business to your target audience.

Let's face it, small businesses have a limited budget, if any at all. Nevertheless, you have to keep in mind that this weak point doesn't have to be an obstacle in your marketing efforts. Sure, you won't be able to market just like a big business enterprise. But it's not an issue that you can't get around it.

You can absolutely market even with a limited budget. You just have to be more creative in going about your marketing efforts. Actually, having a limited budget helps you to become more resourceful in cooking up original marketing collaterals such as your marketing brochures and flyers. As a matter of fact, a limited budget helps in developing your imagination which helps in creating unique and innovative marketing tools.

The most creative way to go about creating your brochure printing pieces for example, is to have a carefully thought of plan that is well rounded and flexible. And in your case, you need to have your marketing efforts include both your sales activities and marketing strategies.

This is basically the premise: you need to sell your products and services while marketing. With this combination, you are able to lessen the money you put in your marketing expense while increasing your value to your potential customers because you are able to interact more often. This is basically priceless when marketing efforts are concerned. The more you interact, the better you understand your prospective clients.

And here's the thing. You need to have a target market that you could focus on - the better to market with. This is very important to understand especially for small businesses as you have to always think of your limited budget, particularly when you develop your brochure printing pieces.

When it comes to your customers, a targeted market keeps you in focus. It helps you to put all your efforts and energy in pitching your sales message to the right niche market. This can help you provide custom brochures that are specifically tailor made to the needs of your niche. In fact, with marketing brochures that answer a particular target's issues and problems, you are able to put value in your products and services from your target audience's viewpoint.

So the next time you're planning on doing your marketing campaign, don't worry too much that you're a small business working on a very limited budget. There are a lot of things you can do to promote your business. You just have to be more resourceful about it and work really hard to achieve what you have set out to do.

Lynne Saarte is a writer that hails from Texas. She has been in the Internet business for some years now, specializing in Internet marketing and other online business strategies.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit:
Marketing Brochures, Brochure Printing

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Smart-Marketing-For-Not-So-Big-Businesses&id=954347

Attracting Clients With Ease

Attracting Clients With Ease
By Bernadette Doyle

Whether you are already running your own business, or still thinking about starting your own business, I suspect that deep down you know you have gifts and talents that can really make a difference to others. In an ideal world, you'd spend the majority of time doing the work you love to do, with a steady stream of clients knocking at your door as and when you want them. The reality, however, can be somewhat different, and the whole process of finding new business can be a time consuming challenge full of uncertainty.

Some would be entrepreneurs are so intimidated by the idea of finding clients that they never put their dreams into action. Others start promising businesses, yet give up disillusioned by the frustrating lack of clients. Some die-hards persist, but at great emotional and financial cost as the uncertainty about attracting and maintaining clients takes its toll.

But it doesn't have to be this way. There is a way to reverse the sales process. Imagine, if you will, a situation where instead of having to go out and chase new business, qualified buyers are seeking out YOUR expertise. Imagine putting your marketing efforts on 'automatic pilot' so the right work turns up as and when you need it. Imagine being able to pick and choose which projects you want to work on. Can you imagine having the confidence to turn down work that doesn't meet YOUR criteria?

Here's a metaphor that nicely sums up this approach. Imagine two boys in a garden. Both of them want to catch birds. One of them is frantically chasing after birds; the other just stands still holding out birdseed in his hand and waits. Instinctively, most of us recognise that the second boy will be more successful. Yet most sales techniques used by businesses today involve some form of 'chasing' with the net result that prospective clients are scared away. In this article you will discover how the birdseed approach can help you attract rather than chase clients, and even get them eating out of your hands!

'But that doesn't apply in the business world', I can hear you say. 'If it were that easy, why don't I already have all the clients I want?' Well there are a few possible answers. Some of us have entered the commercial garden, but forgotten the birdseed! Others haven't even taken the birdseed out of the packet. Some of us have the birdseed in our hand, but clenched so tightly the birds can't get to it. If you are to adopt the latter approach, it's important to spend some time selecting the right birdseed. So what's your birdseed? To answer this question you need to know who you are aiming to attract, so that you are offering the birdseed which is most tasty and appealing to your target clients.

1. Take a moment to think about your prospective clients. What are their concerns and fears? What problems are they struggling with right now? What are their hopes and desires? Be willing to think laterally as you think about what is most important to them.

2. The next step is to align what you have to offer with their most pressing concerns and needs. How can you help your target clients even before they become a client of yours?

3. It's important to emphasise that you already have skills, knowledge and expertise that is valuable to your prospective clients. The trouble is most of us take what comes naturally to us for granted, and completely underestimate the value of what we know to our prospective clients.

Not only is what you know very helpful, you could be using it to attract your prospective clients, by packaging your knowledge and expertise in a form that meets one of their current needs. A classic way of doing this would be to offer a free report or information pack which answers a question or solves a problem that your prospective clients have.

For example, if you are a recruitment consultant, you have probably noticed that some of your existing clients are more successful at attracting and retaining talent than others. Now if you sit down and reflect upon this, you could probably come up with five things that the companies who are successful at retaining talent do that others don't. This could be based entirely on your personal observations over the years. Voila! Flesh out your opinions and you now have a report, '5 ways attract and retain talent' or ''What companies who are successful at attracting and retaining clients do that their competitors don't'

This does not need to be a ground breaking piece of academic research. I want to remind you that you already have an opinion on this, which may well differ from the mainstream view, and if I asked you this question over lunch, you would have no problem in coming up with an answer.

4. Once you have your article written, you could offer this free report by placing a message or short ad in a place where your target clients congregate. I call this a magnet - something that provokes prospective clients to raise their hands and say, 'I'm interested!' By requesting your report, responders indicate that they are interested in this topic.

Now, not everyone who requests your report will be a hot prospect, but there will be some potential clients within this group. The free report would just be the starting point of your relationship. From this point you could offer more 'birdseed' each time demonstrating your credibility in this subject area, up until the point when the prospect asks, 'can you help me', or a one-to-one conversation is necessary.

This is a low cost way to generate leads and position yourself as an expert in your particular field. Yes, it takes a little brainstorming, imagination and creativity on your part, but the knowledge which shapes your 'birdseed' should come naturally anyway, and the time spent thinking about the needs and desires of your prospective clients will never be wasted.

(c) Bernadette Doyle, 2004. Reprint rights granted to all venues so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact. This article may not be used for any publication unless it is opt-in.

Bernadette Doyle is dedicated to helping self-employed and small businesses become Client Magnets. Get her FREE 7 part mini-course 'How to Become A Client Magnet', send a blank email to minicourse@clientmagnets.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Attracting-Clients-With-Ease&id=1440

Focus...a Marketing Strategy

Focus...a Marketing Strategy
By Ann Marie Rubertone

The secret to increasing sales doesn't lie in choosing just the right marketing tactic for each of your businesses. The real problem that's experienced by many entrepreneurs--a damaging lack of focus.

Plenty of entrepreneurs make this dangerous mistake. They try to market more than one business at once, or they tackle too many targets for a single business. Suddenly, they discover that their time and budgets are fragmented beyond their ability to produce positive results. The solution is to get--and stay--focused. This single alteration can actually reduce your marketing costs and increase sales.

The trouble with trying to market several businesses at once is that you end up with many different target audiences--each requiring its own set of sales and marketing tactics. To reach them, your sales tactics may include creating an in-house prospect list, making cold calls to set up appointments and handling one-on-one meetings with prospects.

Instead of trying to gain small profits from a variety of individual ventures, for best results, the key is to pick one of your businesses (preferably the most profitable and enjoyable) and focus all your marketing energies in that direction.

I inevitably get calls from business owners who say, " I have the greatest product on earth. Anyone can use it--kids, parents, businesses." And then I'm forced to reply, "Do you have unlimited funds to launch this product? Can you start off with $10 million, or how about $20 million or more?" Because no one can market to everyone. The cost would be astronomical. Even the world's largest companies, with seemingly unlimited marketing funds, typically focus their efforts on a single type of product or service for individual niche markets. And the actual campaign messages they employ differ depending on the hot buttons for each niche.

As an entrepreneur who has limited time and money to waste chasing after unqualified prospects, it's vital to narrowly focus on your best, most profitable target audience groups. This will reduce your media costs--since you won't be advertising to reach marginal groups--and free up the time you would otherwise lose meeting with low-quality prospects.

For entrepreneurs who operate several businesses at once, choosing just one can seem like an overwhelming task. The secret lies in following both your head and your heart. Start by examining the business potential and the corresponding costs of each of your ideas. For example, consider which business has the greatest chance for success based on your ability to fund and manage the operation. Then, review the ideas that look best on paper and decide which you feel most passionate about.

When you're passionate about what you do, it shines through to customers--and can make all the difference between lackluster sales and a stunning success.

Ann Marie Rubertone owner of Check It Out, author of "The One Page Marketing Plan" and "13 Household Items You Can Use To Market Your Business" tips for marketing on a shoestring budget that can make the difference between success and failure. Check It Out is a customer-driven marketing firm providing design, writing, editing, desktop publishing services, and hands-on marketing workshops for independent professionals and small businesses. For more information, contact Check It Out (772) 335-0073, www.checkitoutinc.com cio@adelphia.net">cio@adelphia.net

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Focus...a-Marketing-Strategy&id=1422

Self-Promotion on a Zero Budget

Self-Promotion on a Zero Budget
By Meryl K. Evans

Recently, I’ve received a few e-mails from people asking me for advice on how to get started in the writing biz. When I stop to think about it, maybe I’ve been lucky to accomplish this much writing in a short time. I have accidentally discovered a way to self-promote my work. It starts with an interest in Web design and a friend who needs a Web site for her professional organization. I volunteer to do it to get Web design experience.

Do you hear an “Ah-ha!” coming? Before I take you there, let’s talk about catch-22. Most people just entering Web design or freelance get the old “Get experience before we can hire you.” OK, how am I supposed to get experience if no one will hire me?

Back to the “eureka.” What kind of business typically has little or no money to invest in a Web site? Let’s say it together, “non-profit organizations.” That was lesson number one. Build a portfolio by offering your services to charitable organizations. It’s win-win because you get the opportunity to add to your portfolio as well as make a contribution to a good cause. The only drawback is finding the time to do it outside of your “pays the bills” job.

Oh, you’re not a Web designer, programmer, or code-head? No problem! Get out pen and paper or load up your favorite word processor. Start writing about a topic you know well. You’ve come up with another excuse saying you are not an expert in anything? It’s time for my rebuttal and a confession. I’m only doing this for you to boost your confidence and to show you it can be done. The old, “if I can do it, you can, too!”

Here goes: I am a Jane of all trades. I kid you not. It’s not a bad thing and I’ve managed to continuously add to my writing portfolio. Guess what? I am promoting myself with this article. Whenever I publish an article with a popular online Web site, my own Web site, http://www.meryl.net, experiences a traffic boost. I’ll bet you that you’ll go to my Web site when you finish this one. No, I am not high on myself. Whenever I read a story or discussion list, I often click on the author’s link to learn more and see if there is anything else I’d like to check out. If you don’t find this article worthy, then how did you get this far?

There are plenty of places that want your articles (Hint: notice this Web site?). Not everyone pays, but it’s a good way to put you out there. One way I've gotten started was submitting an article to an email newsletter's open publishing initiative. It accepts articles in exchange for software and free publicity for you. You can write your own bio and add links to your Web site. Thanks to the newsletter, my portfolio grows and I gain new and paying clients.

If you want something bigger than a bio and you’re brave enough, then offer yourself up for interviews or presentations. If you’re involved with a new product or service, then you can suggest an article on that topic and be interviewed as a subject matter expert. For instance, in writing an article on Flash, I interview several experts and return the favor by including links to their Web sites. Again, it’s win-win. Remember to promote a topic of interest to readers instead of focusing on your company or its products.

Is there a conference coming to town? They’re always looking for proposals. Also, try checking around for user groups and offer up your services to speak about a relevant topic. I've given a presentation to a computer users group and my URL was in the footer of every page of the presentation. More free promotion.

There’s something for everyone. In summary, this is the advice I give to people on how to market their way to a new career:

• Offering your services to nonprofit organizations
• Publishing an article
• Getting interviewed or doing a presentation

Give it a shot. One more note, I’m terrible at sales. These steps have helped me move forward without feeling like giving a sales pitch. Now, finish this off by reading the bio and clicking on the link.

Meryl K. Evans, Content Maven, is Editor-in-Chief of eNewsletter Journal and The Remediator Security Digest. She's a slave to a MarketingProfs weekly column and a Web design reference guide at InformIT. She is the author of the popular e-report, How to Start a Business Blog and Build Traffic. Visit her site at http://www.meryl.net/blog/ for free newsletters, articles, and tips.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Self-Promotion-on-a-Zero-Budget&id=1798

Good News Travels Fast

Good News Travels Fast
By Keith Thirgood

This newsletter is full of opportunities staring you in the face. If you don't believe me, write and tell me so--and by doing that you'd be proving me right.

That would make you a proactive marketer: spotting a marketing opportunity in an everyday activity.

For instance: Something most of us do every day is read the paper, and though they may not seem like business issues at first glance, editorials or news items offer one of those marketing opportunities. How does that merger, government legislation, tax increase, tornado--or whatever--affect your business, your industry, your clients? Take a position on the subject, and write a letter to the editor to tell them. Include your company name in the body of the letter. Readers often give more credence to opinions of business leaders, and it gets your name out there.

Act immediately. After reading the paper, set aside some time to respond. Then go over your response carefully. (It's easy to fire off a letter, but you might regret sending something not fully thought out.)

Your letters may not be used every time, but when one is, it goes a long way to building your image as an expert.

Another marketing opportunity arises when you see an article that might be of interest to one of your clients. Clip and send it to them with a note. Even if they've already seen it, your client will appreciate the gesture. It shows you take them and their business seriously.

That was easy. Now, what about all those items that don't directly relate to you or your existing clients? Some may mean more to you than you think.

Electronic or print, the news media are chock full of marketing information. As you read, watch or listen, be prepared to capture vital information. Pen and paper by your side can't hurt. Every day, companies you should be prospecting appear in the news. Jot down the spokesperson's name and title; if you're lucky the report may even provide a number to call. Companies like putting their people in front of the media (because they can say all the positive things about themselves the media won't). Pick out the companies you are interested in marketing to, and call them.

The news item doesn't have to be a positive story; the negative ones may hold more opportunity. However, don't assume a company facing tough decisions automatically wants you. They may react quite nastily to that assumption.

The person in the news story may not be the right one to discuss your ideas with, but they are an in, so contact them first. When you call, mention where you saw or heard them, make some positive comment on the coverage, then quickly move on to the reason for your call. They will appreciate knowing how their PR is working, and will, no doubt, feel that you're not wasting their time with insubstantial chit chat.

From this point, the call becomes like any other exploratory sales call.

You can't afford to sit on these opportunities. News has a short shelf life. Because of the number of news items we are bombarded with, you should only focus on a couple at a time. Don't worry if you miss some, we are fed a constant stream of potentially useful information, so you'll never run out of targets.

It's hard enough to keep on top of daily events pertinent to your field. It's harder still, when using them for their marketing potential, to stay up to date, and to act quickly. But it's vital, because with marketing, timing is everything.

Opportunities lie on every page and in every broadcast. Your success in using them for marketing depends on their relevancy to your field, and on your ability to act quickly.

Use the news to turn yourself into a proactive marketer.

Keith Thirgood, Creative Director

Capstone Communications Group

Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing

http://www.capstonecomm.com/

Markham, Ontario, Canada 905-472-2330

Subscribe to Thrive-on-line http://list.capstonecomm.com/mail.cgi?f=list&l=thrive_on_line

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Nice Guys Finish First

Nice Guys Finish First
By Keith Thirgood

Volunteering your services can be an excellent way to form new business relationships and raise your business’s profile while lending a hand to a good cause. However, unless you take care, it can also become all-consuming, with little return (besides creating good karma).

There is nothing wrong with good karma, or better yet, feeling good about lending a hand in the community. The whole point of volunteering should not solely be to expand your marketing. If it is, you won’t get very far (read reincarnated as a dung beetle). You should honestly be concerned about the project you chose to support. Doing your best for the project at hand must come before your desire to network. Those who join a cause for purely selfish reasons are usually uncovered. Potential contacts become turned off and few people will do business with those with questionable ethics.

So how do you get more from your efforts than a warm glow?

One method is, to choose a cause that needs someone with your expertise and will allow you to showcase your talents. Major organizations (Lions, United Way, etc.) usually have well-established hierarchies, and positions are often taken, but they offer a better opportunity to build relationships with movers and shakers. One-time events take less time in the long run and can provide a better chance for publicity.

Working with influential people, is more likely to make a difference to your career. Stuffing envelopes may be just as crucial to the cause, but you are unlikely to get much recognition or a chance to build rapport.

Once you’ve volunteered, don’t rush into “making contacts”. As you work together, conversation will run the gamut, from weather to the kids, and inevitably, to business. It’s a friendly, natural way for people of influence to get to know you.

These people may or may not need your services, but chances are they know those who do. If they are impressed by your work on the project, they are likely to refer you to others. You have made valuable contacts. Contacts who can last a lifetime.

If you have taken a leadership role in creating a campaign, organizing volunteers, raising funds, or performed other key functions, you may discreetly blow your own horn. Do it discreetly, but do it, because it is all too easy to have your participation overlooked. Because they donate large sums of money, large corporations often take the spotlight away from individual volunteers. That’s not to knock corporations, because without their contributions many projects would falter. Those in charge of volunteer projects maybe aware of the value you bring, however they may not realize the importance of public recognition to a small business. If they do, they may no know how to help you get that recognition.

Although your efforts were vital to producing a successful project, you won’t automatically receive any collateral marketing opportunities. It is up to you to get the word out. Your, or your company’s, involvement in an important cause might be news to the local newspaper, and it might also be worthy of mention in an industry publication. A graphic monthly may be interested in a design firms involvement in a good cause. Likewise, an accounting periodical might like to know about an accountant’s involvement in fundraising. Send press releases to media that are related to your field. Write them in proper press release language. If you don’t know how, buy a book or hire someone who can write press releases. It’s worth the cost.

Take care not to bite off more than you can chew. Becoming too involved and spending an inordinate amount of time for the cause, will send out mixed messages. To some, you are unselfishly dedicated; to others, it’s a sign that your business is slow or you don’t know how to manage your time properly. Know when to say no.

Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet people and grow your business, but do it because you love it, not for the business reward.

Keith Thirgood, Creative Director

Capstone Communications Group

Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing

http://www.capstonecomm.com/

Markham, Ontario, Canada 905-472-2330

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Most Wanted Response... How To Make It Work

Most Wanted Response... How To Make It Work
By Bill Parks

"When I walked into the grocery store last Saturday, I was just 'browsing.' But... their MWR was obvious. Because,... I could smell the 'hot fresh baked bread' in the bakery department. They must have arranged to circulate that aroma all over the store. Yep... I knew at that moment, their MWR.

What is MWR?... MWR means Most Wanted Response.

Copy Writers say MWR's the starting point for their headlines, articles and sales letters.

That 'fresh hot bread aroma' was like a great headline... It got my Attention... It created Interest, and I Desired to buy several loaves. And... It created Action, because I headed for the bakery department.

Forget fruit and vegetables. I wanted some of that 'fresh hot baked bread'.

First the MWR, then the headline to grab the readers attention, excite and motivate them to continue reading down the web page, ezine, or article. Everything from the headline, first paragraph, sub headlines, sentence , and every word should lead toward your Most Wanted Response.

MWR may be convincing your reader the value of subscribing to your ezine, clicking a link for an ecourse, reading an article, sending an email, or buying your info-product.

Browsing at the grocery store, emphasized principles and ideas that Copy Writers talk about and use. That hot fresh bread got my Attention the moment I walked into the store. A great headline.

I became Interested in buying hot fresh bread. .. No!... I wasn't just Interested, they had created the Desire for hot fresh bread. And I was taking Action as I headed for the bakery to get some loaves before they sold out. That was the bakery's MWR in action... It worked!

And... It was the old standby of Copy Writers first decide on the Most Wanted Response and then use 'AIDA'. We've all heard this term and have tried to apply it in our writings. Know your MWR, then create Attention, Interest, Desire that causes Action.

Now everytime I sit down to write anything, I'll remember 'Most Wanted Response' and 'AIDA' Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Then do my best to accomplish my Most Wanted Response.

If you've read this far... I've accomplished my MWR... to get you to read this article right to the very end.

copyright (c) Bill Parks 2003

Bill Parks... Computer Consultant, specializing in Filemaker Pro database design. Publisher of "Information Age Products Ezine" and "Bill's Business Boosters Ezine." http://www.InfoAgePro.com

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Target Your Market

Target Your Market
By Keith Thirgood

Your market is not everybody, as so many small businesses assume. It is the people/organizations who need, want, have the money--and the willingness--to pay for what you are offering. Identifying them can be complicated and expensive, or it can be relatively painless and cheap.

How much do you need to know about them? Enough to have all the clues on how to reach them, and what to say, when you do. Finding your target is vital, so whatever method you choose, do it properly and test your assumptions.

Research

The best place to start is with what you already know. What does your company know about its clients? Do you already have a perfect client--the one you wish you had more of? Examine their demographics. Who are they, where are they, what are they spending, what are they earning, how many employees do they have? And any other information that may help you build a clear picture.

Now, identify what need your product or service is fulfilling. Who needs your product or service the most? What industry are they in? Where are they located and how can you reach them?

Further Research

Once you have exhausted your internal research, go further. Interview potential prospects. Ask questions that deal with the benefits you bring: Is there a need? Is there awareness of your type of offering? Try to identify any unfulfilled needs: price, service or other benefits. See if there are any weaknesses in the competition. If all those you survey are happy with their present supplier, you should ask yourself if is this the right target.

If you are targeting specific industries, read their trade magazines and investigate their associations. Associations often publish directories with statistics concerning their members. These can be found in your local library. Boards of trade put out listings of their members, divided into services provided.

Business directories are invaluable. They list businesses geographically and according to industry sector. They also give you the products offered, the number of employees, sales figures and the principles involved.

Armed with this information, you can survey a number of these potential targets to confirm they are in need of your benefits. Remember, these are not sales calls. Ask for 5 minutes of their time, and ask only non-sales questions. Simply gather data and thank them for their time. Resist pitching yourself.

You now have an idea of who your target is and where they are, but what are they thinking? How much do they know and what do they need to know? This brings you to the world of Psychographics.

Psychographics don’t come from Jo Jo the Psychic reading your target’s mind (although, it would be nice). They relate to how your target thinks about certain issues, and the way they do business. Much of this information comes from studying your potential targets. Put yourself in their shoes. Talk their language, think their thoughts, feel their emotions, respond to their cues. To catch a fish you have to think like a fish.

If this all sounds daunting, you may want to hire a research company. This can be expensive, but if you don’t have the skills, time or the inclination to do it yourself, it’s perfect. Any research company worth its salt can identify your target down to the colour of their underwear (if they wear any).

The tighter your focus, the more effective your materials can be.

All your prospects have different levels of awareness of your type of product/ service. Using Capstone’s Awareness Scale™, divide your potential prospects into three groups:

1. Those who are unaware of the existence or the benefits of your type of product/ service. This is the Educational Target.

2. Those who are aware but unsure or unconvinced. This is the Doubter Target.

3. Those who are convinced and buying. This is the Differentiation Target.

Once you define your ideal prospect, you’re set. This perfect buyer falls in the middle of a bell curve of prospects with similar wants and needs. The positioning and communication strategies and tactics you develop to sell this prospect will apply to most of your prospects.

Keith Thirgood, Creative Director

Capstone Communications Group

Helping businesses get more business through innovative marketing

http://www.capstonecomm.com/

Markham, Ontario, Canada 905-472-2330

Subscribe to Thrive-on-line http://list.capstonecomm.com/mail.cgi?f=list&l=thrive_on_line

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