The Clever Apprentice

I know what your thinking but this is not another “marketing
errors people make” article. I’m not going to tell you how ugly
and annoying your website is or that even your own mother
wouldn’t buy from you with that horrible sales letter.

What I’m going to help you with may be common sense to some but
it may be eye-opening for others. I have learned from my
mistakes (hopefully) and I’m going to pass on my new found
knowledge.

1. Don’t put an ad on an FFA site with your business e-mail
address (or your personal address or your e-zine subscription
address or any other address that you read regularly).

You will wade through a gazillion e-mails. Now that I have that
basement full of Viagra, I have my 12 credit cards, 3rd and 4th
mortgages, and all the businesses going that I can (and
sometimes can’t) handle, I don’t need to read all of the
“conformation of posting to my FFA site” messages. Now don’t get
me wrong, they do have a great use. I do scan them to catch the
headlines that grab me, and if I’m looking for a certain thing,
I may scan for that too. But do yourself a favor, get a free
junkmail address so you won’t be looking for customers e-mails,
or urgent mail.

2. Don’t sign up for every free program out there.

In order to be successful in an online business, you must know
your business, inside and out. How can you possibly spend enough
time learning about 10 different programs so that you can
promote, answer questions and be loyal enough to stand behind
them? Spread yourself too thin and you will start to forget
things, skip important training, not reply to messages in a
timely manner. I don’t know how many times I have said that I
have too many irons in the fire. I have narrowed down the
programs I am involved in. I stuck with the cream of the crop. I
stay much nicer that way.

3. Don’t believe everything you read.

I love the line from the Billy Crystal movie I just saw called
61*. Micky Mantel says “Well, they said so on TV so it must be
true.” There are some unscrupulous marketers out there,
promising all kinds of impossible dreams, schemes, and riches.
Use your common sense. No one can make a million dollars doing
nothing, you can’t eat, shop and advertise and get paid enough
to do it to make a living. You must sell something, either your
knowledge, services, or products. And you might be able to
eventually start receiving residuals for doing nothing, but my
guess is that you started doing SOMETHING first.

4. Never talk bad about your competitors.

Instead, talk up your business. You can point out what you have,
do or guarantee that your competitors don’t without naming
names. Pointing fingers will only make you look unprofessional
and trivial. Benefits sell, not negative comments and bashing
others.

5. Don’t give up.

Now this doesn’t mean that you should forgo paying for your
mortgage so that you can buy advertising. If you think that
because you have placed your 10 ads, you have put up a website
and you have made your banner and still didn’t become rich, you
should quit, your mistaken. Anything worth doing is worth doing
well. You might need to continue working at your J.O.B. until
you start bringing in enough with your own business to reach
your inner income goals. That’s ok, you’re working towards your
goals and that’s positive. Regardless of what the hype says, you
can’t become wealthy overnight and by doing nothing.

I hope my opinions have at the very least, given you something
to think about.

Using a good tool over and over doesn’t make it any less valuable it only proves its usefulness. That said; let’s review the old boiling frog story one more time. A frog accidentally jumps into a pan of water recently placed on the stove. He is comfy and does not try to jump out of the pan. As the water starts to heat up he just enjoys the warmth and as frogs are able to do, he changes the temperature of his blood to match the water temperature. (Don’t try this at home, it only works for frogs) With every increase in temperature the frog adjusts and goes on with his lovely little bath. Just as the water reaches the boiling point he goes to make one final temperature adjustment only to discover that he can’t. Nature has not provided him with this ability. The result is obviously, death.

If contraceptives had been introduced even in the roaring twenties some pharmaceutical company would have quickly been shut down and its executives probably would have been arrested. If open abortions had been suggested in the forties it would only have served to give new meaning to the idea of trying to float lead balloons. If cohabitation, free sex, gay marriages, abortion on demand, late night TV porn, co-ed dorms and dozens of like ideas had been introduced in previous generations they all would have met with a similar fate. These things can’t be dumped on people all at once they have to be introduced slowly, subtly and with great cunning and craft. You have to keep the frog comfortable after all.

The God of this world (satan) isn’t called the arch deceiver by mistake. Not only does he bring these things on but he manages to make us think that the death of innocence is really a move upward. Movies, books and media all give credence to this notion. They make the generations before us look like a bunch of bumbling ignoramuses who had to live their dull lives out in the absence of all the good stuff. He spoon feeds the changes to a nation with little mouthfuls of sugared poison, while the fed gleefully repeat his clichés and deceptions in phrases like, it’s the sixties, it’s the eighties, it’s the nineties. Boiling point, still unknown.

The Bible says men take comfort in the fact that they have found no serious hindrance to their sins; 2 Peter 3:4. The longer they sin, the bolder they become. No judgment has come; God hasn’t struck them dead with lightning so they just change the temperature to match the water. Bring on the new cable network now operating just for homosexuals and lesbians. Bring on four hundred and fifty five million abortions since Roe V Wade. Bring on the new curriculum in our schools that chucks out our Christian beginnings. Bring on the soldiers of the ACLU and other groups fighting to remove those dastardly manger scenes and ten commandment placards. And all the while keep Americans on track and in the real battle. Keep them fighting germs, stains and dirt.

Has anybody checked the pan on the stove lately?

Rev Bresciani is the leader of a non-denominational ministry in the New Orleans area. He has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote, Hook Line and Sinker or What has Your Church Been Teaching You, published by PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book recently released by Xulon Press entitled An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ. Rev Bresciani has his own website at http://americanprophet.org

The coffee plant has two main species. There is the Coffea Arabica, which is the more traditional coffee and considered to be superior in flavor, and the Coffea Canephora known more commonly as Robusta. Robusta tends to be higher in caffeine and can be grown in climates and environments were Arabica would not be profitable. Robusta is also typically more bitter and acidic in flavor. Because of this Robusta tends to be less expensive. High quality Robusta is also used to blend espresso for more bite, and to lower costs.

A little known fact is that some coffee beans improve their flavor with age. It is the green unroasted beans which are aged; the typical length of time is 3 years, though there are some houses which sell beans aged to 7 years. Aged beans have a fuller flavor and are less acidic.

Growing conditions, soil types and weather patterns during the growing season all contribute to the flavor of the bean, creating the differences in flavor from points of origin, such as Kenya or Brazil. However, roasting adds its own flavor, sometimes to the point that it is difficult to tell where the beans originated from, even by experienced cuppers.

The lighter the roast the more the natural flavor of the bean remains. This is why beans from regions such as Kenya or Java are normally roasted lightly, retaining their regional characteristics and dominate flavors. There is a method of roasting in Malaysia which adds butter during the roasting producing a variety called Ipoh White Coffee.

Beans roasted to darker browns begin to taste more like the method of roasting than the original flavors. Dark roasts such as French or Vienna Roasts tend to completely eclipse the original flavor. Roasting to whatever degree, while adding stronger flavor does not effect the amount of caffeine of the bean.

Fry pan roasting was popular in the 19th century, since the beans were normally shipped and purchased still in their green state. You simply poured the green coffee beans in a frying pan and roasted them in the kitchen. This process took a great deal of skill to do in a consistent manner. Fry pan roasting became much less popular when vacuum sealing pre-roasted coffee was perfected. However, in order to vacuum seal roasted beans, you had to wait for them to stop emitting CO2, as roasted beans do for several days after the roasting process. What this meant was that vacuum sealed coffee was always just a little stale as the flavors begin to turn bitter and deteriorate in just about a week after roasting.

Home roasting is once again becoming popular with the creation of computerized drum roasters which help simplify the process. There are some people who have found methods of effectively roasting beans using their hot air pop corn makers.

The region the bean is from as discussed before is a primary factor to the type of flavor you can expect from the brew, though it is very true that ‘new’ or unexpected tastes come from every region.

Arabia and Africa grow their coffee beans in high altitudes in the rich black soils of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Tanzania. The flavors of these beans are distinct and of legendary status.

The Americas coffees are grown in near rainforest conditions in areas such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Guatemala. Coffees of the Americas tend to be very well balanced and aromatic.

The Pacifics includes coffees from Sumatra, Java, New Guinea and Sulawesi, which are as various in flavor as the islands they come from.

Then there are the exotics such as certified Jamaica Blue Mountain and certified Hawaiian Kona. These are rare indeed and can go for as much as $60.00 per pound.

About the Author

Jerry Powell is the Owner of a Popular site Know as
Gourmet911.com. As you can see from our name,
we are here to help you learn more about different kinds of
Gourmet food and Wines, Coffees from all around the world.
http://www.gourmet911.com/

eRix Recipes

London broil - Garlic

Ingredients:

•2 lbs. London Broil beef
•1 cups cubed, peeled carrots
•1 cups cubed cabbage
• cup cubed Spanish yellow onion
•2 cups halved, unpeeled red potatoes
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 tablespoon of canola vegetable oil
•4 quartered cloves of garlic from bulb
• cup of water

Step One - take the 2 lb. London broil beef slab and infuse it with the 4 quartered cloves of garlic. The easiest

way to accomplish this is to take a chopstick or a paring knife to make incision into the beef about 2 inches apart,

then take the garlic and insert it into the holes created. Take of the teaspoon of oil a put it into a pan

warming to medium-high heat. Take teaspoon of salt and dust the slab of beef. When the pan is warmed for about 2

minutes, place the beef into it and spend 10 minutes browning all sides of the beef. DO NOT WASH THE FRYING PAN,

keep the heat on medium-high and place the cup of water into the pan and bring to a boil, then remove from heat

and save to be put on the vegetables. From that point place the seared meat onto a broiler rack lined with foil

and place into a pre-heated 400 oven for 20 minutes. This should bring a meat cooking preference of medium-rare.

Adjust the time longer or shorter for your liking of meat doneness.

Step Two - while the London broil beef slab is in the oven, take tablespoon of canola oil and place into another

frying pan warming to high heat. Next take the halved potatoes and carrots and begin to cook for about 4 minutes,

then add the onion and cabbage and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Add the other teaspoon of salt and the cup

of water that is in the pan used to brown the beef, then cover and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from the

heat and let to rest until serving time.

Step Three - a simple, clean presentation of the food will always wet the appetite of those about to eat a meal.

Therefore, never crowd the plate with more than three items at a time. I suggest you take the beef sliced about ”

thickagainst the grain of the meat to ensure tender cutsand place it a fan shape on the lower left portion of

the plate. Nest take the vegetables and place the above and to the left of the meat. Compliment this with your

favorite salad placed across from the vegetables and you have a delicious, hearty garlic infused London broil your

family and friends will rave about. I like how cool the slices of garlic appear within the meat and how good it

really tastes.

eRix © 2004-08-26

Eric Smith - over 9-years experience as a Japanese Teppan-yaki Chef

ebernard38@yahoo.com

http://www.quality-gifts-galore.com

The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until
you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following
paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is
significant.

Now that blogging has become so popular among everyone from the
novice writer to the most experienced journalist, businesses are
starting to take notice. A well-written and frequently updated
blog can help market almost any type of business. Blogging can
help target readers who are interested in a company’s product or
service and businesses can keep track of what their readers are
looking for through blogging. In addition, blogging can help
link together companies that compliment each other very easily.

There is a lot of talk about blogging. Some feel that blogging
is just a passing fad, but others feel it is just the beginning.
Some business analysts feel that blogging does not significantly
help a business market the company. Many businesses feel that
this is not so. Blogging can be a beneficial way to mark a
business, build an audience and help link in other companies
together.

Blogging can help almost any business expose their readers to
their services and products. Sometimes with new products, a blog
can create interest in something new. Blogging is helpful
because it can talk in depth about the product, and it can also
give step-by-step instructions on how a certain product can be
used. A reader, who is interested in the product after reading
about it on a blog, will be more inclined to research similar
products on the Internet. This can lead to a more informed
consumer and can save a consumer time when shopping or
researching a new product. In turn, a company may save time
because customers who have read the blog are already informed
about the product. These customers can also read reviews on
these products and services, which can be helpful in the buying
process.

Another great thing about companies using a blog for their
products and services is that a blog enables the company and the
customer to communicate effectively. A customer can read the
blog and comment on it right away. This provides good feedback
to the company and they can know what the customers want.
Usually blogs will provide places for readers to leave their
comments or send emails to the writer. This is a good marketing
tool for businesses. People enjoy communicating about products
and services that they have had good or bad experiences with and
blogging provided the opportunity to do so.

See how much you can learn about blogging when you take a little
time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the
rest of this great information.

Blogs can also help market a business because it will be
included in search engines. When people enter certain keywords,
blogs that contain those words will show up. When blogs are
updated frequently, search engines can provide your company with
a lot of hits. This can lead to many people looking at the
company’s blog who might not otherwise have done so.

When companies use blogs, it also has the ability to create a
sensation around a product and influence public opinion. This is
an excellent tool for companies to use. Because of the huge
popularity of blogging, this can be a more effective tool than
some forms of advertising. Readers are more likely to share
interesting blogs with their friends and this can help companies
get the word out about their product.

Another way blogging can help market a business is that blogs
often help a company position itself as a leader in a certain
field. This means that those who blog can show their expertise
about certain subjects and then updates this information on a
regular basis. Blogging can help generate leads and send a
positive message about your company without spending a lot of
money for advertising. Readers can look at these blogs and know
that they are dealing with a quality company.

Companies also use blogs to help network with other companies
that compliment their business. This is beneficial because they
can easily share their links and readers will see all of the
blogs that relate to what they are searching for on the
Internet. Link swapping is often used in blogging, especially
with businesses.

Blogging is proving to be a beneficial marketing tool for
businesses all over the world. While it’s a fairly new way for
companies and customers to communicate with each other, blogging
provides an immediate and unique form of advertising for the
company. Customers are able to read and research products and
services through blogging and companies can better understand
what their customers want.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered
above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you
remember what’s important about blogging.

Articles for
Website Content
SEO
Tips

One way your child can treasure his/her special memories from Spring Break or Summer is to create a Memento Box. Just have them use any kind of plain box such as a hat box, shoe box, photo box, etc - just make sure it has a lid. Then have them decorate it with things such as shells from a beach trip, photos with friends, stickers, markers, ticket stubs from a recent movie outing, napkins from a favorite hangout and such.
A good time to decorate it would be a day when nothing is going on.
Then throughout the Spring Break or Summer Vacation your child can insert favorite trinkets, postcards and other treasures. A great time to do this memento box would be when you go on an extended vacation. That way your child can make sure to bring back savored memories with them.
You can bet that this memento box will be treasured. You can even have your son or daughter write the year and date on the box to mark the time in their life forever.

About the Author

Dionna is Editor/Publisher of Emphasis On Moms; a newsletter focused on helping you enjoy your role as a mom within the home. Visit today at http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com/

Danny Rhodehamel from Inyo Pool Products has found that many of his customer’s have problems with their pool equipment not starting properly during spring start up. Rhodehamel stated “many people do not close their swimming pool properly during the spring and it may cause unnecessary expenses during spring start up” Here is a check list of things to do before closing your pool for the winter.

By properly closing your pool for winter, you spend less time and money opening your pool in the spring will eliminate additional electrical costs, chemicals and cleaning avoids possible freeze damage to equipment and plumbing

Step 1

Several days prior to closing the pool, test the water for pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness and chlorine. Adjust levels if necessary. It is important to get the water balanced to protect the pool from corrosion or scale buildup that can occur during the period the pool is shut down. Use a water test kit to test for:

PH 7.2 - 7.6

Alkalinity 80 - 120 ppm

Calcium Hardness 175 - 250 ppm

Chlorine 1 - 3 ppm

Step 2

Your pool needs to be clean before winterizing. Brush and vacuum sides and bottom. Use Super Shimmer or a Clarifier to get water crystal clear. Lower water level while vacuuming (set filter to waste bypassing sand). Clean the tile line with Tile & Vinyl Cleaner to remove oil and scum line. This will be easier to get off now before it sets on during winter months.

Step 3

To help protect water quality during the winter months, use a Winterizing Kit. Follow instruction on product labels. Additional algaecide and shock can be purchased separately for larger size pools.

Step 4

Clean the filter, skimmer, and pump basket. Remove all unused chlorine product from Chlorinator. Cartridge filter elements and D.E. grids should be sprayed with Filter Cleaner and rinsed clean with a garden hose. Sand Filters should be backwashed.

Step 5

Lower water of pool below returns and skimmer. Never completely drain a pool - Hydrostatic pressure can cause damage. Using an air compressor or shop vac (attached to the blower side of the vac), blow water out of system by forcing air down skimmer and through the plumbing. Add Anti-Freeze to plumbing and install threaded winter plugs to return fittings to keep water out of lines. Anti-Freeze is a non-toxic formula. DO NOT USE AUTOMOBILE ANTIFREEZE.

Step 6

Remove all drain plugs from pump, filter tank and any other pool equipment. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions for your specific equipment. Place all drain plugs in pump basket for storage.

Step 7

Air pillows need to be inflated with a leaf blower or shop vac. Tie off air pillow in the center of pool, larger pools will require 2 or more air pillows. The air pillows will shed water toward the edge of pool for easier removal. They also allow forming ice to crack inward preventing damage to the shell or structure of the pool.

Step 8

Place winter cover over pool surface, black side down. There are different covers for in ground and above ground pools.

Above Ground Pools:

A cable and winch are included to fasten cover under top ledge of pool.

In Ground Pools and Pools With Decks:

Place water tubes end to end around edge of pool. Fill water tubes 1/2 full of water (do not over fill or expanding water will damage water tube). Water tubes are sold separately. Never use concrete blocks, bricks, etc to secure cover because they can damage pool cover or pool.

If you follow these easy steps in the winter. Spring Start up will be a snap!

Patrick Paroline - Worked for 3 years in swimming pool distribution supplying swimming pool contractors and retail stores. For the past 5 years has been the owner of a swimming pool retail store http://www.inyopools.com

Rating of Homeowners insurance depends on various factors. The most knowledgeable buyer usually finds the best home insurance rate. To get the best homeowners insurance rate, you should do a bit of research work. If you cannot time yourself for it you can of course seek professional help. This approach is timesaving but you have to be cautious about your advisor.

Here are some tips to get the best homeowners insurance rates.

1. First of all you should get the basic understanding about your home insurance rate and the different policies. You have to know who regulates the rate. It is the individuals of an insurance company who decide on the home insurance rates and these rates are regulated by the insurance department of the state. The state insurance department is the approving authority; it is only after their approval the rates can be passed on to the customers.

2. Before applying for homeowners insurance, you should shop around, so that you get the best homeowners insurance rates. To maximize your options you should make a search of your own. Enquire with your local bank, lenders and credit unions. Today, many banks have official websites; you can send your enquiry online. After completing your search, compare with those available in the advertisements. This will make it easier for you to get the best deal.

3. Some insurance companies provide more than one kind of insurance policy. For example, they will give you better rate if you buy auto policy along with home insurance. It also helps you get better home insurance rates.

4. Many insurance companies are associated with security companies like Brink’s or ADT, these companies offer you better rates if you install a home security system.

5. Not only better rates, you can even get discounts if you are ready to install motion sensors or video surveillance cameras in your home, provided by the associate companies of home insurance company.

While keeping these points in your mind, you can get the best homeowners insurance rates.

We have made a research on the subject of homeowner’s insurance. Check it out on the best homeowners insurance rates source. All about homeowners insurance on http://www.leandernet.com

Creating the perfect home requires a lot of time and energy. There are so many things you need to take into account, especially if you are new at it. There are some very basic things to get you started.

1) The first thing to look at is the personalities that are in the house. If you are single then you only need to look at your own personality. For couples, the personalities are very often opposites. One may be outgoing and the other conservative. Be prepared to compromise when making decisions on design and color.

2) Browse through magazines and design books to get an idea of what you really like and what makes you comfortable. This really gives you the visual you need to think with when it will come to designing your own rooms. If you’ve never designed a room before, it can be intimidating staring at those blank white walls trying to figure out what you are going to do in there. Magazines can really help a great deal there by helping you choose an inspiration room as a guide.

3) The color of the walls will set the tone for the room so really take your time on that one. First start with the colors you like. If you already have furniture or have some in mind, look carefully at the colors in them. You can draw upon some of the colors in fabrics you will use in the room. If you are having trouble deciding, then go back to the magazines or books and see how the walls are painted and look for the color accents in the furniture and how they all relate. If you are using a picture of a room as your inspiration then it can be a lot easier to get the color right.

4) When you put your furniture pieces in the room, keep in mind the flow of the space you are in. You don’t want to make a room too small or choppy looking. Usually you know if it is not quite right. Rearrange until it is right.

5) Accent pieces go a long way in finishing up the look of a room. Plants and fresh cut flowers are great to put into any room. They have life in them that gives a comfortable feeling to any space. A crystal vase or candles can also soften a room. Framed posters or print and paintings on the walls are an age old custom of design. It is a staple that will never go out of style.

Design doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to find out what your style is and what makes you want to be there and then have fun putting it all together.

Willie Jones is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist, for Art Inspires, Inc. Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing at http://www.artinspires.com

Do you confirm every prospect appointment before you head out the door?

Or…

Do you not confirm, believing that it gives your prospect an “out?”

Far too many coaching clients, workshop participants and readers have said to me, “If I confirm the appointment it gives them a chance to get out of it.” Let’s examine this statement and the beliefs that go with it.

The above statement implies that the scheduled appointment is something that, given a choice, your prospect would avoid. This must mean, therefore, that you somehow tricked or manipulated your prospect into agreeing to the appointment in the first place. Now on reflection, your prospect could only want to bolt.

If you had to trick your prospect to schedule the meeting, the meeting itself must not have any real value. It logically follows then, that the agenda for the meeting, your products or services, you and your time also have no value!

Well, that’s demoralizing!

If, however, you truly believe that your product or service has value, if you have done your homework, targeted your market and are calling on qualified prospects then there is no reason that a prospect should want to avoid meeting with you. It is time to change some of your beliefs about the meeting. If a prospect schedules an appointment with you, that means they are interested in talking about what you have to offer!

And here’s another thought: Do you really want to spend your time racing around your territory to meetings with prospects who don’t show?

I’ve had some sales professionals tell me that when a prospect stands them up, they like it, because the prospect then feels guilty and “owes them.” These sales professionals believe that their prospects will meet with them because of that sense of guilt. And perhaps some do. But barring a last minute emergency that takes a prospect away unexpectedly, someone who stands you up once, will more than likely have no qualms about standing you up again. This “guilt” approach goes hand-in-hand with the belief that prospects must be tricked or manipulated into meetings.

So here’s a better approach: Change the way you think about prospect meetings and confirm them! Call your prospect the day before or early the morning of the appointment. Try to reach the prospect directly. Say:

“I’m calling to confirm our brief meeting tomorrow (or later today) at (fill in the time.)”

(The use of any of the following sentences is optional.) “I’ve put together those samples we discussed.”

“I’ve given a lot of thought to your situation.”

“I have some very interesting ideas to share with you.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting you.”

If your prospect says the agreed upon meeting time no longer works, reschedule immediately! Otherwise, you now know that when you show up tomorrow or later the same day, your prospect will actually be there! (Do make sure that your prospect has your phone number so that they can reach you if something unexpected does happen.)

If you are not able to reach your prospect directly, and if your prospect has a secretary, ask her if she keeps the prospect’s calendar. If she does, you can confirm with her. If she does not, deputize her. Give her your name and phone number and say: “I’m calling to confirm my brief meeting tomorrow at (fill in the time) with Ms. Prospect.” Ask her to speak with the prospect for you and then call you back to let you know that the meeting is on.

If you are not able to reach a human being leave the following message on your prospect’s voice mail:

“Hello, Ms. Prospect. This is (fill in your name) from (fill in your company name.) My phone number is (your phone number goes here.)”

“I’m calling to confirm our brief meeting tomorrow at (fill in the time.)”

(The use of any of the following sentences is optional.) “I’ve put together those samples we discussed.”

“I’ve given a lot of thought to your situation.”

“I have some very interesting ideas to share with you.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting you.”

Please be good enough, to give me a call back and let me know that tomorrow at (fill in the time.) still works for you.”

“And again, this is (fill in your name) from (fill in your company name.) My phone number is (your phone number goes here.)”

Most prospects will call you back, either to confirm or to reschedule.

Over the past years, many, many coaching clients, workshop participants and readers have asked me about differentiating themselves from the competition. This is one way to do it. By confirming your appointments you are setting yourself up to be viewed by your prospects and customers as an expert and a professional. You are a consultant, like any consultant your time is valuable and your prospects will see that if you conduct yourself in that manner. Far too many sales professionals allow themselves to be treated poorly, feeling perhaps, that it comes with the territory. It doesn’t have to.

Confirming appointments is a far better use of your selling time. A prospect who will not meet with you, is not a qualified prospect! Those prospects who do cancel and are unwilling, for whatever reason, to reschedule are doing you a favor. They are saving you the time and energy you would have spent going to see them, following up with them and then not selling anything!

© 2005 Wendy Weiss

Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling & Selling Success,” is a sales trainer, author, and sales coach. Her recently released program, “Cold Calling College”, and/or her book, “Cold Calling for Women”, can be ordered by visiting http://www.wendyweiss.com Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy’s free e-zine at www.wendyweiss.com