International driving licences go on-line!

Not sure if you were aware of this or not ???
 
Drivers License And Privacy Act - Check your driver’s licence information on-line. 

Now you can see anyone’s driver’s licence on the Internet, including your own!
 
It asks for U.S. Info, but unfortunately it works for Canadian, English, Australian and New  Zealand licences as well.
 
I just searched for mine….putting in Auckland as the city and there it was, picture and all.
 
This is really scary.  I removed mine. I suggest you all do the same.
 
Go to this website and check it out. Just enter your name and city (in city put Auckland), Or  leave ‘Select a State’ and see if yours is on file.
 
After your license comes  on the screen, click the box marked “Please Remove”. 
 
 

Motivate your customers to buy from you

Too much “Hard Sell” can mean “No Sale”.  With the proliferation of advertising both online and off-line, customers have grown wary of products or services marketed through traditional sales methods. 

Entrepreneurs of today must therefore learn how to invest more time and money in soft-sell methods. 

Here are some real secrets to making your customers want to give you their money.

Share Information
Take a look at the web, and you will notice that most corporate sites invest considerable resources on disseminating information to their target market. 

The information that these companies provide is geared not only to give customers a better idea about the products and services offered; they also help these companies build their brand as well as their credibility in their particular industry.

Notice, too, that one of the growing trends in television commercials is the use of controversial, funny or shocking information to grab viewers’ attention. 

Statements like “9 out of 10 women suffer from…” or “the most common defect of…” give information about a topic of interest to the market being targeted.  Use this strategy to educate consumers and position yourself as a credible (and thus quality) supplier of relevant products or services.

The Human Touch
You must also improve your relationship with your customers.  Most businesses –especially those which are hard to differentiate from their competitors – lose a lot of customers because they lack the will or the means to maintain contact with their customers. 

Invest some of your time and money to set up a system which will let you readily and regularly communicate with prospective and past customers.  This will help you capture a larger share of your market, and this will motivate your customers to spend more money on your business.

Lower Perceived Risks
For the regular customer, every purchase decision involves a delicate balance between risks and benefits.  What happens if the product doesn’t work?  Will they replace the defective product with a new one?  Will the product work as advertised? 

These are just some of the questions that are usually raised whenever a customer contemplates making a purchase (especially a big one).

You should strive to lower your customers’ perceived risks.  Offer money-back guarantees or product warranties; showcase testimonials from satisfied customers or industry awards for product quality. 

These and other similar methods will assure your customers that you will always stand by your promise or your unique selling point.  When customers are less wary, there’ll be less resistance to your products and services.

These are just some of the things that you can do to become irresistible to your customers.  Learn more by subscribing to our marketing newsletter.

Why you need a unique selling point (USP)

Having a business without a Unique Selling Point or USP is like running for office without a defining slogan.  The result can be similarly devastating:  you’ll lose. Your business needs a USP.  It’s your business’ unique promise to customers.  It cuts through miles of marketing red tape and categorically tells your customers that “this is who we are and this is what we can do for you that any other company cannot”. 

Lower Conversion Rate

Having no USP almost certainly means a lower conversion rate for your ads.  Your Unique Selling Point is the central marketing message upon which the customers you are targeting will focus; it will be the pivotal factor in converting potential customers into buying customers. 

To illustrate, imagine that you are a typical customer who has become tired of pizza delivery delays.  Wouldn’t an ad for a pizza place that says “delivered within 30 minutes or your money back” compel you to try out the company that made this claim?2.      

Less Memorable

People tend to think of businesses and brands the way they think of other people.  Some are hard to remember and yet others (the noisiest, the most trustworthy, the most artistic, etc) are very easy to remember because of their defining characteristic.  In the same way, businesses that are able to invoke emotional responses from customers through a defining characteristic are usually remembered and get referred to others. 

Loreal’s “because you are worth it” manages to cut through the price issue by addressing its customers’ need for quality and their desire to pamper themselves and to feel good.

Less Focused

Not having a USP also decreases the focus for your business and leads you to try covering all the bases – to try satisfying all of the implicit and explicit promises you make to your customers.  This stretches out your resources for less the market share. 

Consider Head & Shoulders’ USP “you get rid of dandruff”.  By focusing on the dandruff issue, Head & Shoulders is able to concentrate all of its resources in delivering this single promise.  It is also able to corner a specific niche or portion of the shampoo-buying market.  Indeed, being generic hurts your business.  Stand out from the crowd through your unique selling point.  Start by reading about how you can formulate a USP for your business.  Resources abound online; marketing newsletters are especially helpful in this regard.  If you are finding it exceedingly hard to create your own USP, seek professional marketing help.

How to attract as many motivated prospects as you can handle

Hitting the right prospect-rich vein in business is like being given a get-out-of-jail-free card in Monopoly or a toll-free pass at the expressway.  In other words, it’s a fast, free ride to a successful business outcome.  Just like a vein of gold, one prospect will lead to another until you’re swamped with orders, customers and profits.  The question is:  how exactly do you find such prospects?

Prospecting involves casting your net far and wide to determine where the more promising opportunities lie.  Think of it as a market reconnaissance mission.  Far from being a hit-or-miss exercise where you cannot easily anticipate how well things will go, the art of prospecting is actually a very precise way of determining the most efficient use of your marketing dollars. 

Here are some tips in prospecting:

Look before you Leap
Prospecting involves time and money.  To avoid wasting both, you need to do some research beforehand.  Read local trade magazines and newspapers.  Pinpoint the organisations, areas, churches, groups, and networks to which your target market belongs. 

Make sure that your target customers truly belong to these groups before you finalise your prospecting plans.  Furthermore, contact your friends and acquaintances to see if they can introduce you directly to your prospects.

Systematise
The goal of prospecting is to gather as much useful information using the least amount of resources possible.  Thus, you need a definite prospecting plan outlining your prospecting dates, locations, activities, and goals.  This will let you cover the widest area possible and the greatest number of prospects without spending more than the necessary amount of time and money. 

Careful planning, moreover, will let you prioritise highly productive business activities.

Generate Impact! 
Of course, prospecting won’t be very effective if you can’t create a favourable impression on your prospects.  To ensure that you are remembered or referred, briefly explain what you do and offer in the most interesting way. 

For example, if you’re in the construction business, you can provide energy-saving construction advice to people who are planning to build their own homes.  Save your sales slides in your handheld device, so you can do an impromptu presentation whenever an opportunity arises. 

Lastly, don’t forget to distribute professional-looking business cards containing pertinent information – the services your offer, your contact numbers and a website they can check for more information.

Remember one more thing.  Be creative!  Create opportunities where apparently none exists.  Turn PTA meetings, wedding receptions, grand openings, and other similar activities into prospecting opportunities.  As an alternative, you can let a professional “mine” your market for you; you can also purchase a leads list from a reputable list company.

How to cope with stress

Everyone experiences some level of stress in their life but if stress is not properly coped with, it can have many serious side effects to your health.

There are several strategies available to cope with stress including lifestyle changes, dietary changes and proactive steps to avoid burnout.

In business, stress is often associated with the demands of the career or with work and family imbalance. To avoid burnout, try the following strategies:

Take care of yourself
It is important to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle to properly cope with and to reduce the effects of stress on your body. Be sure to limit your alcohol intake, avoid smoking and eat a diet rich with vitamins and minerals by regularly eating fruits and vegetables.

If you are unable to maintain a healthy diet regularly, consider adding a multi vitamin supplement to your daily routine.

Take Time Off
Schedule regular long weekends, holidays and time to relax throughout your work year. If you do not have time to take regular holidays with your work schedule, practice relaxation techniques in your weekly schedule to help you cope with stress.

To read more about time management, click here to read an article on my blog.

Set Limits
Business owners tend to take on the majority of the work responsibility. Time management is a priority to ensure that you are not overworked and that you are able to complete tasks in a timely manner without being overloaded.

Outsource
If you are feeling overworked, outsource tasks to other employees or outsource them to another company to avoid being overworked.  Virtual Assistants can assist you with a variety of tasks, leaving you to focus on your health and business.  I regularly use the team at Office Elves for these type of jobs. 

To read more about outsourcing, read the recent article that I have posted onto my website.

Get Enough Sleep
Most business owners are not getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your ability to concentrate and can have serious health consequences if not addressed. It is recommended to get 6-8 hours of sleep on a nightly basis.

All of these strategies are important to help you reduce the effects of stress on your body and to help you to cope with stress that you have from your personal and family lives.

If you need to reduce stress, start by evaluating anything in your current life that is causing your stress and then take proactive coping steps to reduce the effects of stress on your body.

How to write the perfect headline for your next ad

What’s the most important part of any ad or sales letter?

The headline, of course.

What’s the hardest part to get right?

The headline.

That’s correct. The headline will make – or break – your ad and it’s the toughest part to write. Until now, that is.

Instead of struggling to create a headline that will get you the action you need, what if you could simply answer 4 simple questions and press 1 button to get 100 killer headlines? And… wait… what if it only took 17 seconds?

That’s okay. I didn’t believe it either until I saw this amazing software in action. Check out this online video to see Shawn Casey actually create 100 superb headlines:

We’ve all struggled to create great headlines. Some work. Most don’t. What an exercise in futility. You can waste so much time and energy. And who can afford to hire a copywriter. Forget it.

That’s why I was so excited to discover this software. Anyone can create killer headlines – no experience necessary.

You’ll experience new feelings of calmness and control as open the software. You’ll enjoy the simplicity of entering short answers to 4 easy questions. You’ll be astonished as you push 1 button and create 100 killer headlines.

And the best part is… you’ll love the results you get when these new headlines get your ads the response you deserve.

So…

Stop struggling with headlines.

Stop settling for mediocre results.

Stop doing things the hard way.

Grab your copy of this software now and enjoy new success.
 

Leverage your Time and Use it More Productively

In business, time is one of your most important assets. There are many time management tools available, yet many business owners fail to implement the ideas into their daily schedules.

If you are looking to become more successful in business, there are a few simple strategies that will help you to immediately boost your daily productivity by leveraging your time.

To start, identify where you are wasting time throughout the day. You may be spending more time than you realise on activities such as reading emails, making personal calls, searching the internet or simply preparing or organising your day.

If you are unsure of your own personal time wasters, create a daily time tracker and record what you complete throughout the day.

Once you have a few days of data, you will be able to identify potential distractions that you can eliminate.

Using time management tools such as a day planner or a software program are essential business tools. There is a large difference between using the tool and using it effectively.  Your time management tool should include all business, personal, charitable, health related and any family obligations that you have throughout a given week.

To read more about time management, click here to read my article called “Take Control of your Life- Use your Time Effectively”.
 
As you are using your time management tool, you will need to prioritise your daily activities and responsibilities. Begin each day by reviewing the tasks that you will need to complete and set performance milestones for yourself throughout the day.

Eliminate all tasks that are unnecessary to ensure that you complete as many important tasks throughout the day as possible. Establishing a daily routine is also beneficial for ensuring that you leverage your time throughout the day.

Outsourcing is a powerful business tool. No matter how large or small your business may be, leveraging other people to carry some of your business load can allow you to focus more of your time on valuable business tasks.

To learn more information about outsourcing, read this article.

Don’t waste time waiting for appointments, meetings or through waiting in traffic. Always have something to do while you are waiting such as an audio book to listen to, a report that needs to be read, a business book or just a blank notepad that you can use to plan your day or next project on.

Leveraging your time to be more productive in business is a crucial skill to possess to ensure your overall success.  Learn how to control your time at www.secretstobettertimemanagement.com 

5 tips for clear and effective writing

Writing is one of the most important skills that a business owner can possess.

Whether you are looking to write business letters, emails, blog postings, forum posts, articles, newsletters, eBooks, eZine, autoresponders or sales copy; your ability to be both clear and effective will determine your levels of impact on you readers.

Here are 5 tips for clear and effective writing:

Catch the Reader’s Attention

When you are writing you should start with a short sentence that is designed to captivate your reader’s attention. The goal of the introduction is to make your reader interested in what you have to say.

You will want to identify the bigger picture of your writing by explaining why your topic is important and how it applies to your reader’s personal or business life. You will also be able to catch your reader’s attention by knowing the audience; who they are, what their needs are and what would they be hoping to learn or gain by reading your text.

Use Strong Verbs

Verbs describe action and readers pay attention to action. Use active verbs instead of static verbs, avoid turning verbs into nouns and beware of using technical terms that you reader may not understand.

Clear descriptions are powerful when communicating a message in a way that is interesting and easy to follow for your reader.

Keep Your Writing Simple

If your writing is not simple, you may lose your reader’s attention. Be sure to construct simple messages, avoid parentheses, strive for simple paragraphs and have a clear and organised path for your reader to follow.

An organised writing structure with well organised thoughts is crucial to use when planning your business writing.

Keep Your Readers Involved

There are several ways to keep your readers involved while they are reading your writing such as providing specific examples, using stories to paint pictures in the minds of the reader and using effective quotations when appropriate.

Use an Effective Closing

When you are concluding your written content, it is important to summarise your thoughts and to include a clear call to action for the reader to follow. Be brief in your conclusion and be sure to end by emphasising your thoughts and what the reader’s learnings or calls to action should be.

You will need to learn how to be effective in all forms of written communication in business.

To learn about how to use clear and effective writing when drafting an email, read my article called “3 Incredibly Simple But Outrageously Powerful Keys to Guaranteeing your Email Messages are read”.

Emails can be used for business communication, general communication and sales messages as an autoresponder.

How to run a successful home based business

Home based businesses have become widely accepted as an effective income generating alternative to traditional employment. Many business owners decide to run a home based business for the flexibility to work at their own pace and to have a better balance between family and work.

Working at home allows you to work in your own time and at your own pace. There are several important strategies that you can implement to ensure that you run a successful home based business.

One of the most important skills to master when you are running a successful home based business is time management. It is crucial to set up a work schedule that is organised, effective and one that you adhere to, as it is easy for business owners to become distracted without a schedule when they are working at home.

You need to treat your schedule the same at home as you would if you were going to an office every morning. Also, ensure that you have an organised work space that is separated from any distractions in your home, such as children during the times that you are scheduled to work.

Your workspace should be structured in an efficient manner, with all of the necessary tools at your disposal to enable you to work continuously throughout your workday without disruption. For more information on time management, read my article “Take Control of Your Life- Use your Time Effectively”.

Marketing is the key to growing any business and is crucial in driving your business revenues. Leveraging your current network is one of the most important strategies in running a successful home based business. You will need to regularly contact your network, stay visible and grow the number of people within your network.

You can also tap into any existing customers that you may currently have by using drip marketing systems to help increase your sales rates per customer and to solicit qualified referrals.

Other important marketing techniques to help you grow your home based business include: eZines, Automatic email responders, Blogs & blog carnivals, IM’s, Podcasts, nanocasts, webinars, Social networking, forums and advertising. For more information on how to grow your home based business, click here to read my article called “Growing your Business: Top 5 Tasks that you must perform”.

Education is another key step to help you run a successful home based business. Be sure to leverage newspapers, eZines, eBooks, books, articles and websites that would contain tips or ideas that you can use to help build your home based business. The best strategy is to read something on a daily basis from blogs, forums and articles that are relevant to your business topic to help you to keep up with the latest news and tips from within your industry.

A case study outlining how one company similar to your own became widely successful just may be the jumping off point for your home based business to do the same

Home based businesses have made millions of people income every year across the world. By implementing time management, marketing and education strategies, you are more poised for home based business success.

Why discounting is bad for business

Discounting is a short term fix with long term consequences! While there is some disparity among experts, most say that even in the current marketplace, discounting can cause long term damage to your overall business success. According to www.sm.com.au, discounting is a costly strategy for retailers.

While the book called, You Can Compete, suggests that discounting will double retail sales, most data points towards a business disaster. There are several successful alternatives to discounting that are available for your business.

Retailers who have been indulging in discounting by dropping prices and holding pre-sales before major holidays risk losing customers over the long term. Discounting can cause a business’ customers to become conditioned to sales or discounts. If a change in the economy of your infrastructure were to require a price increase, you will likely lose a large portion of the client base that you worked so diligently to build.

There are several reasons why a business should avoid using discounting as a technique to increase sales, including:

Volume
Too many companies fail to account for the effects of price on sales volume. While reducing prices could yield additional customer purchases; can the purchases match and exceed the necessary volume levels for profitability when taking into consideration the deep discount?

Impact on Customer Relationships
Dropping and then raising a price back up can create ill will within your customer base. Some companies use this pricing strategy to engage a customer or to make a sale, hoping that this sale will result in a residual long term customer.

Once the loyalty has been established, some companies then participate in price gauging, losing those initial customers to their competition who has a more consistent pricing model. Deep discounting can also tarnish your brand, unless you are looking to be considered over the long term as a deep discount retailer.

Impact on the Industry
Price cuts that are not backed up by the manufacturing company’s production cost reductions can lead to competitive counter attacks, potentially eroding your company’s profits. Competition can also be created among similar retailers unexpectedly, forcing you to take a lower than expected profit per item sold.

Margins are an essential component for a business’ bottom line. To read more about the importance of business margins, click here to read another one of my articles. There are several available strategies to avoid discounting your products for sale. Your business can give away gifts with purchases that have a high perceived value to its customers.

Businesses with outstanding client service are not concerned with discounting. Evaluate your current customer satisfaction levels and your current business practices to determine how you and your business can provide outstanding customer service. In addition to great customer service, a company with outstanding products & services does not have to concern itself with discounting.

Ensure that your business is offering the best products available in its field or industry so that you can demand the appropriate pricing for the product’s value.

While discounting may be implemented and appropriate for some retailers and businesses, the concept should be carefully considered for its effects on your business. The use of alternatives to discounting will be more beneficial for your business growth over the long term.

Consider which strategies will be the most effective for your business and business niche.