Everyday Information for the Internet Searcher

Stephen Bucaro webmasterbucarotechelp.com Bucaro TecHelp http://bucarotechelp.com

———————————————————- Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included. ———————————————————- Be a Web Site Reviewer

By Stephen Bucaro

I don’t have to tell you that there are millions of sites on the Web that – to be blunt – stink! The owners of these sites either don’t have the time or skill to fix them, or they don’t understand why their site is not working. They are losing money, and they don’t know what to do. Ah – an opportunity!

You can be a Web Site Reviewer. Contact the owner of a poorly designed Web site, and offer to analyze it and provide a detailed report of problems and suggested improvements. This will improve the effectiveness and increase the revenue from the Web site.

The fees charged for this service range from free, to over $10,000 depending upon the size of the Web site. You could review a Web site for free, if you also just happen to provide the services required to fix the reported problems, and you expected to profit from that.

You could form partnerships with Web designers and programmers, and let them handle some parts of the job. They could implement solutions, or they could even assist in the initial review.

Use a checklist to review a Web site. For each item in the checklist write your findings in a report. Report the good features of the site as well as the bad. State the problems you find in a factual, non-critical manner. Below is an example checklist.

[] The site’s objectives [] Target audience [] Branding features [] Navigation [] Bad links [] Load time [] Browser compatibility [] “Above the fold” interest [] Readability – color clash, font, layout [] Poorly written copy [] Typos and misspelled words [] Forms don’t work [] Trust features. [] Provisions to accept feedback [] Reason for repeat visits

One warning note: Don’t make a free review offer to a contractor that designed the site. First, you will be insulting their work, and second, they will fix the problems themselves, and charge the owner. Try to contact the owner of the Web site, not someone who had been hired to design it.

Remember, a large part of your work will be marketing. Contact the owners of web sites to inform them of the benefits they will receive as a result of your analysis. The more of an emotional slant you can put on the benefits, the better. Don’t expect them to buy on the first contact.

Here are a few examples of people/companies profiting by reviewing Web sites: http://www.mysitestinks.com http://eons.com/_Web_Site_Review.asp http://internetsuccesscoach.com/webfix.html ———————————————————- Resource Box: Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit http://bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank email to bucarotechelp-subscribetopica.com ———————————————————-

M. E. Callan mpccmnwealth.com Commonwealth Marketing http://www.cmnwealth.com

Many of us are discouraged by the networking events that we go to. We feel swamped by people just looking to get money from us, and we rarely feel as though the event was worth our time.

Yet networking should be one of the best ways to bring in new business. The key is learning to network correctly.

Even those of us who enjoy networking should remember the following tried and true rules of effective networking.

1. Give, then Get. If you approach a networking meeting with a “what’s in it for me?” attitude, you will be just like all those sharks who have kept you away from networking to begin with. Go to a networking event looking for opportunities to help others. When you give this way, your “get” is always bigger.

2. Please, No Fishing. Don’t be that person who offers a cold, limp fish as a handshake instead of a firm grip. Loosen it up just a little for shaking a woman’s hand, but always remain firm. Otherwise, the people you meet will remember you not for all the great things you had to offer, but for your weak handshake.

3. Direct Eye Contact. Don’t ever stare at someone, but always make sure to meet his or her gaze. A person who continuously averts his will be seen as someone with something to hide.

4. Dress Professionally. The old adage about making a first impression is still true. As a rule of thumb, dress one step above what you think everyone else will be wearing. It can never hurt you to look as good as the next best dressed person in the room.

5. Have a 30 Second Commercial. Have you ever met someone at a networking event, talked to them about their business the whole night, and left without knowing what in the world they do? It happens all the time. Remember to state clearly what it is that you do and who are looking to work with.

6. Write on Business Cards. As you meet people, write information about them down on their business cards. It’s virtually impossible to remember all those little details about the people you meet, and no one will mind if you are so interested in what they have to say that you are taking the time to write it down.

7. Create a Cataloguing System. As soon as you get back to your office, file your new business cards in an accessible way. Staple business cards to 3×5 cards and then write down all of the pertinent information you can. Include on the 3×5 the name of the person, where and when you met her, what she looks like, and what you talked about. Next time you see her, she will be very impressed that you remembered so many details.

8. Nice Meeting You Cards. It is never a bad idea to send a new contact a quick card that says “nice meeting you.” Include your business card as well in case they have misplaced the one you gave them at the networking event.

9. Follow Up! This step is crucial. If you have told a contact that you would help them in any way, be sure to follow up immediately. Do this consistently, and you will be seen as a man of his word. Don’t follow up on your promises, and you will be seen as unreliable and untruthful.

10. LISTEN. The number one rule of networking is to listen. In fact, you should only be speaking about 30% of the time. We all love to talk about ourselves, and if you give your contacts the chance to do that they will think quite highly of you without even realizing why. Following these rules of effective networking should not only make your experiences more enjoyable, but will help you bring in new business leads time and time again.

Grady Smith gradycheap-copy.com Cheap Copywriting http://www.cheap-copy.com

Instant Sales Letter Profit Boosters! By Grady Smith 1) Greet Your Perfect Prospect Directly Instead of starting your letter out with a “Dear Friend” salutation, address your perfect prospect directly…

“Dear Fellow Business Owner”.

“Dear Pet Lover”.

Or even better, address them as someone reaping the rewards your product has to offer…

“Dear Busy Mom About To Have A Whole Lot More Free Time”.

“Dear Gardener That’s Found A Fast Way To Weed”. 2) Reveal The Hidden Benefits

Sure, you’ve got a long list of instantly recognizable benefits for your product. But do you explain the hidden ones – - the ones that don’t easily come to mind?

Maybe that new cooking tool has 101 uses, and makes preparing a meal a breeze … but did you mention that it makes it easy for children to prepare their own healthy meals in minutes? Does it save the user money? Is it a great tool for the man of the house too … with thousands of household uses from fixing the creaky bathroom door to cleaning the family car’s engine? 3) Show Your Reader The BIG Difference

Every product has a unique attribute. One that makes it a perfect fit for a certain prospect.

Compact cars work great for someone on a gas budget. Mini vans are suited for those that have large families. And likewise, your product has a certain market that it appeals to. One that sets your product heads above the rest.

Find it, tell the prospect what it is and why it’s different (better) than the others on the market, and you’ll close the sale. 4) Give Your Reader The Offer Early In Your Letter

No cute stories. No beating around the bush. Give the reader a reason to continue reading by giving them a benefit heavy offer they can sink their teeth into.

“Keep reading to find out how you can instantly and permanently take 15 years of age off your face”.

Let them know early why they should be reading and what you can offer them. 5) Make Your Letter Personal For The Reader

By knowing your prospect inside and out, you can make a letter so personal that they start to believe you know them like a friend. Then, when it’s time to tell them what you’d like them to do (order now), they do it … without a second thought, because you know what’s best for them. 6) Build Up YOUR Credibility

We listen. When a recognized celebrity endorses a product, we instantly believe it. Wild claims seem tame because “so and so” stands behind it.

And the same goes for your product. Build yourself up while building up your product. Show the reader why they should believe you, and why your stamp of approval on a product (even if it is your own), should mean it’s an item of quality. =============================== FREE: Copywriting tips, articles, and ebook. Visit http://www.cheap-copy.com . And if you need a custom designed sales letter that pulls – - and don’t want to spend a fortune – - check this out: http://www.cheap-copy.com/specialoffer.html

Annie Jennings annieanniejenningspr.com Annie Jennings PR http://www.anniejenningspr.com

Annie Jennings PR AnnieAnnieJenningsPR.com 908.281.6201, fax 908.281.5221

Tips For Leaving An Effective Voice Mail! By Annie Jennings, Annie Jennings PR Always GO For The Close! Never Ramble—30 Seconds Or Less!

1. Try to speak directly to your target media contract. Ask the receptionist when your contact will be available then set your clock and call. Be ready with your 30 second pitch. If you must leave a voice mail, keep in mind that the voice mail is actually an audition for the interview.

2. Your voice mail should be polished and professional so practice leaving yourself your message. If you are monotone or boring, you are in trouble. Practice your pitch until you sound natural with high energy. If your voice mail is filled with enthusiasm and great benefits for the audience, they will like it and you!

3. Leave your phone number twice, once at the beginning and then again at the end of the call. Speak fast while pitching but slowly while leaving your contact info.

4. Speak loudly as you pitch. Practice on small media outlets to work out the glitches and gain experience. Never wing your pitch and absolutely no “ummm’s”.

5. Never leave more than one voice mail per day and never leave the same message twice. Each voice mail is another opportunity to pitch great points about the benefits to their audience and why you are perfect for them. Follow-up should be weekly for radio and bi-weekly for TV and Print. If after three times you have received no response, you have to assume that there is no interest and back to the drawing board you go!

6. Always follow your voice mail with a fax and email. Having your material directly in front of them makes it easy for them to respond.

7. On follow up, never say “did you get my fax (or email)? Always say “I am following up on my email (or fax) about . . . and go into a few exciting points about the benefits of your topic to their audience and you get another pitch in.

8. Hopefully, you will be successful in your efforts but if not remember to gracefully bow out! Good Luck!

By Annie Jennings of Annie Jennings PR 908.281.6201 National TV, Radio & Print, Famous **Pay For Placement** Program

Order your FREE “How To Leave An Effective Voice Mail” Cassette Tape For More Tips! Email AnnieAnnieJenningsPR.com with “FREE Voice Mail” in Subject Line Along With Your Address. Visit www.AnnieJenningsPR.com For More Publicity Resources & Info.

Stone Evans webmasterhome-business.com The Home Biz Guy http://Home-Business-Journal.com

Operating a home business is seldom easy and interruptions come in all shapes, sizes and forms.

Between the family, friends and neighbors who call or come by, and the telemarketers who insist on ringing your number off the hook, getting through the workday can be a real challenge.

When you introduce children into the home office environment, your productivity and patience can be seriously tested.

For example, right now my three-year old daughter is pulling on my shirt and begging me to read her a story. Clearly, I’m in the middle of something important here, but how can I say no to those eyes? I’ll be right back…

Ok, that wasn’t so bad was it? She’s happy, I’m happy (having bonded with my daughter) and now I’m back to continue my conversation with you :-) What’s the lesson here? Flexibility is a major key to balancing your home business priorities with your family’s needs.

I can tell you from first-hand experience that maintaining a deep level of concentration on work in a home business for long periods of time is next to impossible. Naptime does offer some reprieve, but any break from the kids is usually short lived.

Even with older children, summertime introduces new challenges with kids running in and out of the house all throughout the day.

I would like to share with you some of the tips I have discovered to help manage your home office with children in your midst. Since children of different ages pose different challenges, I will present my tips in terms of age groups. OLDER CHILDREN AND TEENS

We will look at older children first since they pose the least challenge to our work productivity.

Children, who are old enough to understand the idea of schedules and chores, are old enough to understand the needs of your home business. Explain to your children that you do your work at home so that you can be near them when they need you. But also be sure they understand that you must do your work so that you will have the money necessary to keep your house, feed the family and to provide them with money for entertainment.

Once your children understand the necessity of your work, then outline a work schedule and explain it to them. Do make sure they understand that emergencies are definitely an acceptable reason to interrupt your work. Then make sure they understand that between hours x and y, you will be doing work – — and then hold them to respecting your schedule. INFANTS

Infants will never understand your needs for work. But fortunately, babies do well under a schedule or routine. Instead of expecting your child to work around your schedule, schedule your work around the needs of your baby.

It is simple. Babies eat, sleep and poop. Sometimes they play. Fortunately, babies sleep more than they do anything else.

Naptime offers the best advantage for getting your work done. Get your baby into a routine of eat, sleep and play, and you will experience unexpected levels of productivity. TODDLERS

If you have a toddler running around the house while you are operating your home business, then you may find that your hair turning gray or disappearing altogether. But, gray hair is a sign of character, right. ;-)

I am venturing to guess that the person who devised the door lock for the inside of the house did so because he had toddlers in his own home. Inside door locks should only be utilized when you are making that important phone call and your toddler is screaming for your attention. At all other times, your door should remain unlocked with your door open.

Develop a routine with your children for meal times, naptimes, and play times. Work these times into your work schedule and adhere to them. If you fail to keep appointments with your children, your children will have less respect for your work and do more to prevent you from the completion of your work.

Don’t be afraid to let your children sit in your lap while you are working. It helps them to feel wanted and it helps them to be a part of your daily life. There are times when it is okay for them to be sitting in your lap while you work, and at other times you need them out of your lap. Don’t be afraid to tell them to get down and go play or read a book so that you can resume your work.

Permit your children to have their toys in your office. Often they will sit contently and play while you work. Just knowing you are near is enough to keep them happy.

Be prepared to take an hourly break to deal with your toddler. Try to do potty breaks at your hourly break and to do drink refills. This can help your child grow into a routine that will work well with your home business. At each break, spend a few minutes with your child giving hugs and kisses and talking with your child about what he or she wants to talk about.

Toddlers don’t always do well with the routine, so be prepared to take a few minutes when needed to give the attention that your child so desperately needs in the moment. IN CONCLUSION

I hope these tips serve to help you in the challenge of operating a successful home business.

My home business permits me to fulfill my financial obligations *AND* see my children grow up. I would never contemplate trading my home business for another kind of business. Even with the added challenges of dealing with toddlers in my home office, the upsides far outweigh the downsides.

Growing my own home business with children around has definitely given me a new respect for all people who successfully run a home business with kids in the work environment. I tip my hat to you… You deserve it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stone Evans publishes Home Business Tips, a fresh and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people like YOU! If you’re looking for the *best rated* home business opportunities, the latest time saving tools and helpful support from an honest friend in the business, come by and grab a F-R-E-E subscription today at: http://Home-Business.com

Arthur Zulu controversialwriteryahoo.com Arthur Zulu http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/10975

Publishing Guidelines: Permission is granted to publish this article electronically or in print as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Why, you may ask, must I promote my book? I will tell you the reason with a pitiful picture I saw in an aquarium exhibit. An imprisoned young rainbow trout was looking out embarrassingly through the open mouth of an Alaskan northern pike! Pity the small fish in the belly of the big fish! And that is the situation in life. The human tritons are swallowing up the human minnows! It is no wonder then that any where you look, 20% of the people are getting 80% of the best things in life. Or put another way, 80% of all good things belong to 20% of the people. Or, one person succeeds out of five! So, 80% of all best – sellers today are written by 20% of the writers. And, out of about five writers, only one have written a best – seller. Where are the other four? William Blake said: “Better strangle an infant in its cradle than act unacted desires” Out of five writers that thought of writing, only one wrote. Out of five people that wrote, only one got published. And out of the five that got published, only one became a best – seller. That is the principle of life: Only those who back their desire with action, succeed. For nobody has ” the power to curse the darkness” someone says, “unless he has the courage to light a candle”, So, if you have written a best – seller, and you fail to promote your book, it will die. You will become a minnow in the belly of the triton. We shall now discuss ways to promote and market your book for best results. 1. Keep Writing Yes, because that was what gave you fame and fortune in the first place. This will help you keep in touch with your readers. You have to write and publish articles, reply critics and answer your readers’ mails. It is not easy. But now you are a man (or woman) of the world. And you have to maintain your status symbol. What about writing a new book? Of course, your tight schedule does not prevent you from writing another book – - another best-seller. You see, that’s the problem with best-selling authors. If you have written a best – seller, your readers will be eagerly waiting for another, perhaps a sequel to the first. And it must not be any less interesting than the first. So, you have to beat your own record! No mean task. But not to worry. If you did one, you will do another. 2. Continue to Advertise Your publisher would already have been doing this. So you may or may not bother about it. Publishers use advertising methods that are most effective for their situations. If you are a self publisher, you may have already known what is working for you, and what is not. Some common promotion methods are through catalogs, sales to bookstores, libraries, schools, organizations, and other institutions; book reviews in newspapers and magazines, and window displays. There are also television and radio ads. And as you have seen in the previous chapter, there are a lot of free and paid ads available for you in the Internet. 3. Autograph Parties You, your publisher, or bookstore, may arrange autograph parties, or book signings. Most book signings are well publicized and attended. So, it is necessary for you to have sufficient quantities of books to go round. And remember too that apart from autographing books, you have to pose for photographs with your guests. And see that the pressmen are there to publish the story. 4. Grant Interviews Pressmen are always looking for celebrities to interview. Yes, be press friendly; grant interviews. But note that you have to know what to say before granting interviews. Also, note that the interview is a means of letting the public to know more about you, and your works. So, give answers that will help your readers understand you better. You will have to know, however, that it is not necessary for all your readers to agree with your views. So, you have to accommodate their opinions. After all, it is a free world.

Although, what you say is important but more important, is how you say it – -how you answer questions. So, the non – verbal language – gestures and facial expressions, is as important as the verbal language. You should not be answering “Yes,” while your body language is saying “No” (There are some people that mean “Yes” when they say, “No”) Then your personal appearance in an interview matters. How is your grooming and dressing? Are you a natural, confident speaker? Are you an aggressive or sober person? It will be nice for you to pay positive attention to these aspects because you are going to be seen or heard by hundreds, thousands, or millions of people. Therefore, appear in an interview well groomed and dressed and show in a confident tone, that you are the master. But there is one secret – - don’t give everything away; (are we contradicting ourselves?) No. Because you have to keep the newsmen coming! 5. Give Talks Prepare and give good talks to large audiences. You should have mastery of your topic, and in giving the talk, you should know that your personal appearance, gestures and audience contact are very important. You may also take questions at the end of the talk. But the most important thing is that you will get paid for promoting your book! These things are practical. They have worked for the 20% who have tried it; but the 80% who know all the things on earth that don’t work have continued to live miserable, wasted, lives. But “you can do what you want,” says B. Catland. And he added a proviso: “If you don’t think you can’t”. Copyright (c) 2002, all rights reserved

About the Author: ARTHUR ZULU, The Most Controversial Writer in the World, is the author of the best – selling book, HOW TO WRITE A BEST-SELLER. Download your copy and FREE excerpt at : http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/10975 . For FREE writing helps, mailto : controversialwriteryahoo.com

Carolyn Moncel carolynmotiontemps.com MotionTemps, LLC http://www.motiontemps.com

If the media were to call you today for an interview, would you know what to do or say? That question was posed during a recent conference on small-business ownership and micro enterprise creation, which was held here in Paris. I watched the reactions around the room, and it occurred to me that for most small-business owners, the only thing more frightening than conducting a follow-up phone call with a reporter is having that same reporter actually interview them.

There is only one way to overcome the fear. You have to simply adopt and apply an old U.S. Army recruitment slogan, “Be Prepared.” Don’t get caught without an answer the next time the media calls. Follow these quick tips for success:

Ask the reporter to describe the subject and story angle for the interview.

Establish the medium for the interview (i.e. live or taped television, print, radio, etc.)

Discover when (date and time) and where (by phone, e-mail or in person) the interview will take place. Also try to determine if the reporter will need additional information from you, as well as the story’s deadline.

Research the reporter’s past articles so that you’ll be comfortable with the story’s tone.

Create talking points. These are brief positive statements about you and your company that you will want to be included in the story.

Anticipate the types of questions that that reporter might ask, and prepare truthful answers for them.

Assume that everything you say to a reporter – jokingly or otherwise, will be used in the story. Always be aware of what is being stated, and if an awkward silence develops, don’t feel obligated to keep talking if you have no more to say on the subject matter.

Avoid speculation or hypothetical situations. It could lead to being misquoted. You are the expert so stick to what you know.

Admit when you don’t know the answer to a question. However, make it your top priority to find the answers and deliver them to the reporter immediately. It is also fine to take a moment to think before answering a question.

Avoid using technical terms or jargon. You must be able to explain your ideas simply and concisely.

Take notes and don’t be afraid to ask the reporters questions as well.

Make yourself available by phone or e-mail in case the reporter has additional questions or wants to do a final fact check before completing the story. This will help give clarification to something you’ve said or give an opportunity to fix something if you’ve misspoken.

Thank the reporter for selecting you for the interview.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her at carolynmotiontemps.com or by phone in the United States at 877.815.0167 or 011.331.4997.9059 in France.

June Campbell campbeljnightcats.com Business Writing by Nightcats Multimedia http://www.nightcats.com

You’ve received an invite to attend a meeting. You’re not exactly anti-meeting. In fact, you can recollect attending one or two meetings in your lifetime in which something was actually accomplished. “I wonder if this meeting will be like that,” you murmur wistfully.

You’re a realist. You know the odds are against it.

The meeting’s stated purpose is to, “Foster focused cohesion within the Doodad industry.”

Huh? What’s that mean? Why is focused cohesion necessary? Or even better, what is “focused cohesion” in the first place?

At least you know what the Doodad industry is.

And, you note, you’re expected to RSVP prior to receiving the meeting’s agenda. The agenda, it is promised, will be distributed later. Anyone having items to add should submit them as quickly as possible. Items deemed appropriate will be added to the Agenda.

Right. Wearily, you send off your acceptance to attend the meeting. Industry politics being the way they are, you’re safer attending than not.

The agenda arrives. After a cursory perusal, you are no further ahead. As written, none of the items make sense to you.

In time you receive a Revised Agenda containing new items. Then later, a second Revised Agenda. None of the Revisions are any clearer than the original.

The Big Day comes. Grudgingly, you pack your brief case with survival items including what turns out to be the wrong version of the Agenda, and head out. What the hey! You’re only three weeks behind in your regular work right now with two major deadlines fast approaching. Nothing like wasting, er… spending … a half day at a meeting.

It starts 15 minutes late while the host runs around locating chairs for attendees. Apparently, the need for one chair per rear end had not occurred to the organizers until just this minute. “Situation normal,” you reflect.

The meeting is called to order and the guy to the right lights a cigarette.

“Oh my, ” says Madam Chairperson. “Are we going to smoke at this meeting?”

To smoke or not to smoke is debated hotly. You can hear at least some of the conversion over the voices of the three people who are talking into their cell phones and the guy who’s set up his laptop and is clacking away at that well-loved Windows feature, Solitaire.

Forty-five minutes later, the smoking decision is made, and it’s back to business.

You calculate what your time is worth for an hour and decide that you’ve just spent $75 worth listening to the Great Smoking Debate and $25 observing Musical Chairs.

Madam Chairperson, clearly flustered by events thus far, launches into an introduction of New Business.

New Business, it turns out, includes the agenda items that have been submitted by invitees. Obviously, some squealed, “Carpe Diem” and “seized the opportunity” to brag about their company’s accomplishments. All under the guise of Keeping the Industry Informed, of course.

“By what strange twist of fate did Madam Chairperson deem these items appropriate,” you wonder tiredly. An hour later, New Business winds down. You have now spent $200 worth of time and no end in site.

Next follows Refreshment Break, during which Solitaire Guy disappears, never to return. Lucky devil, either he’s somebody’s brother-in-law or he’s planning on retiring next month, you decide.

The meeting re-assembles amid rumbles of dissention. People have to leave. The parking meter is running out. They have other appointments to attend.

“But,” says Madam Chairperson, “We have not yet discussed our main agenda item. We must reschedule.”

Instantly, like soldiers ready for battle, a line of PDA’s and appointment books appear on the conference table. Papers shuffle, electronic devises hum. A second meeting date is set.

“Your Minutes will arrive by email tomorrow,” calls the Recorder. “Let me know if there are corrections. We’ll see you again next week.”

And thus the eternal cycle continues. ================================================ How to Write Business Plans, Business Proposals, JV Contracts, Human Resource Package, More! No-cost ebook “Beginners Guide to Ecommerce”. Business Writing by Nightcats Multimedia Productions http://www.nightcats.com ================================================

Tony Puckerin tpuckautomobilenetmarketing.com Automobile Netmarketing http://www.automobilenetmarketing.com

According to Internet marketing experts, non-response to emails is one of the biggest problems automobile Internet Managers face in their efforts to market on the Internet. Similar to walk-in traffic, each email provides a potential opportunity to sell a unit. As such, it is important that the individual in charge of responding to emails at your dealership follow acceptable netiquette and common sense procedures.

The primary objective of each email you send should be crystal clear. Your goal is to gather information from the prospect. At that point he/she wants something from you. Information. A price quote? Specific model availability? Directions? Lease numbers? What you say and how you say it will determine if you get a response from that prospect. The following tips do not focus on content, instead they can be considered basic operating procedures for any professional Internet Department. Employ them and improve your effectiveness.

1. DO set up your email system so that each email you send contains a six line Signature Block that has the name, address, phone and fax number of your dealership. If you do not know how this is done with your mail browser, explore or ask your web master how to create a sig. box.

2. DO NOT use the sender’s subject heading to respond to an email. Instead take the opportunity to be creative and include a catchy heading. The subject is the first thing the sender will see in your response. Make them jump right into your content.

3. DO NOT respond to an email without reading everything. Do not assume that because you read the first line or it looks like the others it has the same content. Look for buying signs, phrases, anything that will help you to determine the right approach in responding to the request for information.

4. DO maintain and build a broiler plate of responses for frequently requested vehicles. Your first response should not be standardized. It should always include an introduction, a restatement of the requested information, responses to questions and a request from you for more information from the prospect. Your goal is to understand them and what they want to do. Your response only seeks to generate responses, NOT sell automobiles, not yet.

5. DO NOT begin an email without a salutation it is impolite. If you do not know the person’s name at least start by saying “Hi” it is not too formal and still friendly. Remember this is business correspondence. Do not mirror the sender style or tone. NEVER RESPOND IN ALL CAPS it is considered shouting and very impolite. Use caps only for highlights and emphasis ONLY.

6. DO respond as soon as possible. Internet shoppers are shopping with the speed of light, blink and you may lose the opportunity. Some dealers are using web based pagers that instantly alert them to Internet inquiries. Quick response time makes you memorable, do it.

7. DO NOT send out emails that are not spell checked. This feature can be found on most email browsers and is not difficult to activate. It can save your face while giving your email a professional look. Re-read emails for grammatical errors words may be spelt correctly but the sentence construction may be awkward and grammatically faulty.

8. DO keep responses on a tread so that you can scroll to review your previous emails. You will receive emails where the prospect responded with a new message. It is therefore important that you file your leads into specific categories. Depending on the number of emails you receive each should be placed in a specific folder labeled into categories such as sources, model of vehicles or time frames. Action should be completed on each email in the in-box before it is placed in its respective folder.

9. DO activate your email browser’s address function to capture each email address that either comes in or to which you have responded. By capturing these emails you will be able to build an email database that you can use to market to later.

10. DO NOT be evasive, cute, smart, abrupt, insulting, demeaning or commanding. You will not sell a vehicle that way. Your primary goal is to be helpful, nothing more. You will not sell a vehicle with an email. The purpose of your email is to *break the Ice* and open a line of communication. You will not get the potential customer to call unless they are ready to buy a vehicle.

It’s All About First Impression The preceding tips may not guarantee you a response but it will present a professional, no-nonsense image. What you are trying to do is increase the probability of you getting a response from a potential buyer who is ready to buy NOW. Emails are your handshakes. They are your prospect’s first impression of you and your dealership. Make it good.

Tony Puck is a 14 year veteran of the retail automobile sales industry in the Metropolitan Boston market. Mr. Puck has been using the Internet for the last five years and is currently an Internet Consultant in Boston Ma. Get Mr Puck’s free Customer Relationship Management Report for automobile dealers, tonypucksmartreply.net. Visit his site at http://www.AutomobileNetMarketing.com

Wendy Hearn wendybusiness-personal-coaching.com Wendy Hearn Coaching http://www.business-personal-coaching.com

Fast forward yourself to the end of December and as the year closes, how are you feeling about your achievements during this past year? Really get in touch with your feelings, live them, breathe them and don’t let them pass by. Are you feeling any disappointment, regret or frustration for the things you haven’t done or achieved? Do you find yourself thinking, “This past year has flown by and what have I done”, “There is so much more that I wanted to do” or “Why haven’t I done the things that I’d said I’d do”.

Now bring yourself back to today. You still have time before the end of the year to get on a track to achieving what you want. Imagine starting the New Year knowing that you’ve been consistently moving in the right direction and will continue to take the necessary actions.

Lack of planning is one of the reasons why many people get to the end of the year and feel they haven’t achieved what they want. Planning often isn’t seen as a priority or much fun. Hold on! If it’s not fun, that’s the way you’ve chosen it to be. Instead you can choose to have fun with your planning and perhaps even make it into a game. If planning isn’t a priority for you, then have you considered the messages that you’re giving to yourself. Messages such as, “I’m not that important in my life”, “I don’t deserve these things” or “I’m not likely to do what I say I will”.

However, the people who do have plans often make them too rigid. Their plan is stuck to word for word, without any room for flexibility. A plan that you set today needs to be open to regular reviewing and changing. A clue that your plan needs changing is when you find it difficult to follow through with the actions and don’t feel inspired.

You’ve now got an opportunity to end this year with a feeling of achievement. Seize the opportunity and make the most of it.

Start by defining for yourself your vision, dreams and desires. Make this specific and exciting so that you feel inspired to follow through with action. You may need to break this down into smaller pieces. For instance, if you want to grow your business, there may be a number of different opportunities that you choose to explore. Now define the strategies that you’ll use, how you’re going to do it. In the example of growing your business, your strategies may include research, sales and marketing, increasing employee numbers or finance. Now go through each strategy and brainstorm possible action steps. Go for as many as you can, being open to different and creative action steps, rather than sticking with what you would normally do. Sometimes the most outrageous actions steps turn out to be the best and most productive.

Then at least once a day visualize your dream; the achievement that you want to make and see what you feel is the next thing to do. Visualizing keeps your plan alive and you inspired, and allows you to see the right actions to take. Taking committed action every day moves you towards your desires. At the same time give yourself the opportunity to step back and review what you want and what it will take to get it. Time spent regularly stepping back and re-evaluating your plans can save you a lot of time as you see what no longer needs doing, doesn’t serve you or needs to be done differently.

What I want for you is to be achieving and on the right track to your dreams by the end of the year. Wendy Hearn Personal and Professional Coach

She works with business owners, professionals and executives to discover and unlock their own inspiration, to effortlessly take the actions required to have the success they desire. To receive Wendy’s free newsletter, send an email to: newsletterwendyhearn.par32.com http://www.Business-Personal-Coaching.com

Copyright 2002, Wendy Hearn. All rights reserved.