How To Hire Better Call Center Agents - Every Time!

Reduce Turnover Raise Productivity Lower Absenteeism

A typical Call Center employs 3 Different Types of Call Center Agents:

1. Top Performing Agents - Grade A Agents with the Right Stuff that pushes them to Succeed, and the seemingly Natural Compatibility with the Duties of the Position. You probably have a few in your Call Center Operation now and wish that you could duplicate them.

2. Adequate Agents - Grade B Agents who Perform their Duties Adequately Enough to get by but No Better.

3. Marginal Agents - Grade C Agents who have a High Level of Absenteeism, Low Productivity, Poor Performance & Poor Customer Satisfaction Ratings and who have a Negative Impact on Agent Team Morale.

We ask for a lot from todays Call Center Agent: Handle More Customers & Calls, Order Taking, Cross-Selling/UpSelling, Being Proficient with Computer & Support Systems, Being Non-Confrontational & Good-Humored, Work Well in a Team Environment, etc., etc.

As a Call Center Hiring Manager, your Challenge is Twofold:

1st How Do You Find a Sufficient Quantity of Quality Applicants for your Call Center Agent Positions?

Many North American Labor Markets have reached the Saturation Point for Call Center Agent Applicants in the Local Labor Pool. In fact, 64% of all North American Call Centers now find it a Major Struggle or Somewhat of a Challenge to Find Quality Applicants for Call Center Agent Positions. And 37% of Call Center Employers are now Reporting Severe Competition for Call Center Agents by Other Employers.

2nd How Do You Weed Out the Job Candidates Who Will Burn Out Fast Because They Aren't Suited For The Work, and Identify the People With the Skills, Motivation, and Work Ethic to be Your Top Call Center Agents?

While Almost Everyone can Use a Telephone, Not Everyone is Cut Out to Work Successfully as a Call Center Agent.

Hiring the Wrong Call Center Agent is the Root Cause of Turnover and Absenteeism, and is a Significant Drain on your Bottom Line, on Customer Satisfaction, and on your overall Call Center Agent Team Morale.

Today, the Average Annual Turnover Rate of Full-Time Call Center Agents is over 30%. The Turnover Rate for Part-Time Call Center Agents is Worse (84% - with 15 Month Avg. Job Tenure). And, the Average Cost to Recruit/Hire/Train a Replacement Call Center Agent ranges from US$2,600 US$15,000 (depending on the type of Agent Position).

Every Failed Hire Causes You to Throw Precious Budget Dollars Down the Drain Retraining Recruits for the Same Position. Not to Mention the Lost Sales & Service Opportunities, Poor Customer Satisfaction Ratings, Lowered Productivity and Higher Absences associated with a Poor Job Fit.

There are a Series of Best Practices Steps you can take to address these Two Issues in order to Recruit More Top Performing Call Center Agents:

STEP 1: Create an Agent Success Profile What are the Core Competencies, Personality Traits, Skill Set(s) and Demographics of your Optimal Performing Agents?

Who are your Top Performing Agents?

You should be Profiling your Top Performing Agents for their Gender, Diversity, Economics and Education.

Across all Call Center Industry Segments (except OutBound TeleSales and Technical Support/Help Desk), over 75% of all Top Performing Agents are Female and 66% of them are Working Mothers. Only 5% have College Degrees, and 30% of them participated in Welfare-to-Work, Unemployment Insurance or Public Assistance within 6 months prior to their Hiring.

Is there Specific Must Have Skills/Knowledge that your Top Performing Agents need?

How do your Top Performing Agents Profile in Terms of Typing Speed/Accuracy, Computer Literacy, Specific Industry Knowledge/Experience, etc.?

What are the Key Personality Traits of your Top Performing Agents?

Are you looking for an InBound Agent? (A Persuasive Communicator Motivated by Security, Work Environment, Coworkers / Team, Service and Recognition).

Are you looking for an Inside Sales Agent? (A Persuasive & Persistent Communicator who is Service Oriented, yet Motivated by Sales Opportunity).

Or are you looking for an OutBound Sales Agent (An Assertive & Persistent Closer who is Motivated by Income and Conquering Challenges and who Initiates Customer Interactions).

STEP 2: Create a Recruiting Strategy Create a Recruiting Communications Plan that Identifies & Targets the Job Seekers that Meet your Agent Success Profile Criteria.

Your Recruiting Communications Plan should include:

Personal Referrals
Print Advertisements
Elementary & High Schools (Part-Time Job Opportunities for Working Mothers of Students).
Colleges, Universities, & Technical Training Programs (Part-Time Job Opportunities for Students).
Minority Organizations (Native Americans/First Nations, Gay/Lesbian, New Immigrant Support)
Online Job Postings
Virtual Communities
Job Fairs
Outplacement Programs (Transferable Skills: i.e. Laid-Off Customer Service/Sales Staff).
Unemployment Offices
Welfare-to-Work Programs

STEP 3: Deploy an In-Depth Telephone Screening Process All of your Recruiting Advertising should use as the Call-to-Action a 24x7 Automated "Employment Information Line"/Phone Screen which is then followed by a Structured Telephone Interview.

A 24x7 Automated "Employment Information Line"/Phone Screen Can Be As Simple As An Extension on your Current Voice Mail System:

Hello and Thanks for Calling youve reached the 24 Hr. Employment Information Line for the ABCXYZ Company.

At ABCXYZ Company you will have the Opportunity to Have Fun Make Good Money and provide a Service that Our Customers Really Appreciate.

Youll Earn a Guaranteed Base Wage of $__/Hr Bonuses Get Training and All the Support youll need to Succeed.

Were Conveniently located Downtown with Easy Public Transit Access and theres Plenty of Parking nearby.

To Succeed Youll need to be Confident Professional and have an Excellent Telephone Communication Style.

To Take The Next Step in Our Hiring Process at the Sound of the Tone Please Tell Us Your Name and Please Spell Your Last Name.

Also Please Give Us Your Telephone Number and the Best Time to Call You Back.

And finally Please Read Back to Us the Ad you are Responding to and Remember this is a Telephone Audition So give it Your Best Shot!

Here Comes the Beep So Give Us Your Name Your Telephone Number and Read Back the Ad.

Good Luck in your Job Hunt

Thanks for Calling.

A 24x7 Automated "Employment Information Line"/Phone Screen can also be as Sophisticated as an Interactive IVR System:

This Position requires you to Read Speak and understand English. Are you able to do so?

Press 1 for YES Press 2 for NO

This Position will require you to work Non-Traditional Hours including Evenings Weekends and Holidays. Do you wish to continue this Process?

Press 1 for YES Press 2 for NO

This Position is Fast-Paced Structured and Requires that you have the Ability to Multi-Task. For the Majority of your Shift you will Remain at your Workstation while Assisting Callers and Customers by Telephone. Your Performance will be Monitored and Measured to Ensure the Highest Levels of Customer Service. Do you wish to continue this Process?

Press 1 for YES Press 2 for NO

You will Save Time and Money using a 24 Hr. "Employment Information Line"/"/Phone Screen by:

Reaching More Applicants Faster.
Recruiting Top Candidates Before Your Competition.
Building a Bigger Applicant Pool.
Ensuring that Applicants have a Clear Understanding of Important Job Requirements.
Assessing Applicants Ability to Follow Basic Instructions.
Conducting Voice Auditions to assess an Applicants Telephone Personality.
Reducing time spent with Unqualified Candidates.
Maximizing Applicant Buy-In and Participation in your Hiring Process.
Part of a Legally Defensible Hiring Process.

The Job Candidates who pass through your 24 Hr. "Employment Information Line"/"/Phone Screen should then be promptly followed up with using a Structured Telephone Interview.

A Structured Telephone Interview is:

Used to Further Sell The Job Opportunity.

Used as 2nd Screen of Candidates for Must Have Skills & Attributes (Start Date, Shift Availability, Wage Rate, Typing Speed, Specific Product Knowledge, Sales Ability, Security Clearances, etc.)

Used to Further Evaluate a Candidates Telephone Personality.

Where Appropriate, Used to Schedule a Candidate Visit at your Office for Going Forward with Hiring Process.

Delivered consistently, a Structured Telephone Interview is part of a Legally Defensible Hiring Process as all Candidates are asked for the same information in a uniform and consistent fashion.

STEP 4: Deploying Pre-Employment Assessment Testing to Confirm Personality Traits/Job Fit and Skill Set(s).

Candidates for Call Center Agent Positions need to have a Unique Constellation of Traits - and Specific Amounts of those Traits - in order to Successfully Complete the Job Requirements.

A Call Center Agents Success Depends Much More Upon Personality/Job Fit Factors than Product Knowledge, Past Experience or Skill Set.

Merely knowing how to react in a Customer Service Situation is Far Different from Actually Engaging in the Necessary Appropriate Behavior Consistently - and for the Long-Term.

This is what Call Center Agent Personality/Job Fit Testing Measures.

SPAS Service Personnel Appraisal System - is CD-Rom based Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Screening Software, which is Easy to Deploy, Very Cost-Effective and Highly Predictive of an Individual's Suitability for a particular Call Center Agent Position.

SPAS Weeds Out Job Candidates Who Burn Out Fast Because They Aren't Suited For The Work, and Identifies The People With The Skills, Motivation, and Work Ethic to be Top Call Center Agents.

There are Specific Versions of the SPAS Call Center Agent Pre-Employment Testing Software Validated to Test for Call Center Agent Positions such as:

InBound Customer Service
OutBound Telephone Sales (B2B) Business-to-Business
OutBound Telephone Sales (B2C) Business-to-Consumer
Inside Sales Agent
Tier 1 Technical Support/Help Desk Agent
Central Station Monitoring Operator
Telephone Collections
Telephone Answering Service Operator
Reservations/Guest Service Agent
Government Information & Referral Operator
Tele-Counselor
Mystery Shopper

Whatever Call Center Agent Personality Testing Instrument you Deploy make sure it is Validated for the Specific Call Center Agent Position you are looking to fill and Use it Consistently at the Same Point in your Hiring Process and with All Candidates.

You should also perform a Skills Test on your Job Candidates. Skills Tests are designed to Identify a Candidates Skill Level in Specific Areas such as Keyboarding, Software Literacy, Spelling, Telephone Etiquette, Listening, etc.

STEP 5: Using a Structured Face-to-Face Interview based on Core Competencies, Personality Traits and Skill Set(s).

This Style of Interview has Great Value in Call Centers because it allows you to Identify Candidates Past Behaviors and Use Them as Good Indicators of Future Performance and Behavior.

Before you conduct a Structured Face-to-Face Interview, you need to go back to your Original Success Profile and Core Requirements Document. Identify the Most Appropriate Core Competencies for the Position and Build your Questions around these Competencies.

They should be Very Specific Questions Designed to Determine How Candidates Behaved and Thought during Certain Situations.

Structured Interview Questions could include:

Tell Me About a Time When You Went Far Beyond What Could Normally Be Expected In Order To Satisfy a Customer?

The Target Behavior you are looking to uncover is Customer Focus. Can this Candidate Demonstrate that they can go Above & Beyond The Call of Duty to ensure that Customer Requests are Handled Effectively and with a Customer Service Orientation?

STEP 6: Having Your Candidates Experience a Job Preview Depicting Day-to-Day Activities, Responsibilities and the Environment of the Call Center.

The Goal of a Call Center Job Preview is a Final Attempt to Sell the Candidate In or Out of the Job.

You need to Paint a Realistic Picture of the Company, Call Center Environment, Hours, Flexibility, Management Style, Performance Expectations, etc.

This can be done as easily as having Candidates Sit in the Call Center for a Period of Time to Form Their Own Opinion before Accepting or Declining the Job Offer (**Check Your Local Labor Laws to See If Candidate Time Spent in a Call Center Preview by Sitting In The Call Center Qualifies as Paid Time.)

There are also Software-Based Call Center Simulators that are available to give a Candidate the Ability to Accurately Experience Call Center Work such as Referencing and Cross-Referencing Data and Dealing with a Variety of Callers and Customer Service Scenarios. (**Used as part of a Pre-Employment Process, Software-Based Call Center Simulators are Not Subject to Local Labor Law Interpretation as Paid Time.)

During the Call Center Job Preview Time, the Candidate should also be Encouraged to Speak Off the Record with Supervisors/Team Leaders and Potential Coworkers.

Done correctly, this Step will Help You Attract People who Genuinely Want to Work in your Call Center.

STEP 7: Reference Verification - (also Security Clearances / Drug Testing if required).

These Best Practices Hiring Steps are Easy to Deploy, Very Cost-Effective and Highly Predictive of an Individual's Suitability for your Call Center Agent Positions. They will allow you to Recruit, Select and Hire New Call Center Agents who fit your Employment Needs Better and Stay On The Job Longer - leading to a Call Center Agent Workgroup that has More Experience and is More Productive.

Your Individual Call Center Agent Productivity Will Go Up - Along With Your Customer Satisfaction Ratings - and Your Turnover Costs Will Go Down.

I would be Happy to Prove to you in Advance and at No Charge that these Best Practices Hiring Steps Will Work for your Call Center Team as well.

Please Don't Hesitate to Call/eMail me, or to Find Out More Click Here:

http://www.telesoftsystems.ca/64201.html

Regards.

David Filwood
Principal Consultant
TeleSoft Systems
604-986-4116
david_filwood@telesoftsystems.ca
http://www.telesoftsystems.ca

David Filwood is the Principal Consultant with TeleSoft Systems http://www.telesoftsystems.ca, a Call Center Improvement Consultancy based in Vancouver, BC.Caryn Blog41028
Becky Blog5166

The Unspoken Horror Of Adult Acne

Did you know that more than 25% of the adult population worldwide suffers from acne? If we leave the pages of statistical data and look at people with plain eyes it will be hard to find a man or a woman who did not suffer the gnawing problem of zits. However, even though this problem is "skin deep", its effects germinate into bouts of despair and social angst, which jeopardizes quality of life.

Digging Into The Roots Of Adult Acne

Sebum secreted from the hair follicles moves to the skin pores and lubricates the skin. But sometimes the oil glands expand, producing an excess of sebum, which ultimately gets trapped in the hair follicle and clogs the pores. These clogged pores permit bacteria and growth of Propionibacterium acnes. This bacteria causes inflammation of the hair follicle and the surrounding skin and thus acne emerges.

Though till now the exact causes of adult acne are not known, most of the theories suggest hormonal imbalances as the root cause. Some other causes proposed are evolutionary biology, diet, stress, vitamin deficiency and the list goes on.

Some Effective Treatments To Get Rid Of Adult Acne

Studies reveal that Vitamin A plays an important role in the reduction of serum and keratin production and thus minimizes their growth in follicle comedos. So, nourish your system with Vitamin A and take at least five servings of vegetables and fresh fruits daily. However, always consult a doctor before starting up with any kind of regime.

Zinc is an important element in treating acne too. Zinc enhances the functions of Vitamin A and lends a helping hand in the healing and regeneration of tissues. Zinc also reduces the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, which shrinks sebum production.

Most acne sufferers lack Selenium, which plays a crucial role in the action of the enzyme Gluthathione Peroxidase that prevents the inflammation of the hair follicle. Vitamin E minimizes this process and plays a vital part in the action of Vitamin A and Selenium.

Friendly bacteria, Acidophilus, can check injurious intestinal bacteria including yeasts such as Candida albicans. You can take in Acidophilus either in gel capsule form or as yogurt with live culture.

Benozyl peroxide reduces pimples and is effective for acne. You can have it in cream or lotion form.

Creams containing sulphur are also useful in treating acne

Medications containing iodide and bromide can worsen your acne condition so stay away from such products.

All these things are medicines, all of which may have side effects and should not be taken without a prescription and the guidance of a doctor.

Good News For Foodies

You will be glad to know that chocolate or fried foods do not cause acne. These foods are often seen as unhealthy food habits and therefore "must be" related to skin breakouts, but this theory has no scientific backing.

However, foods which are high in refined sugar, trans-fatty acid (milk products) oxidized fatty acids (fried oils) and synthetically hydrogenated vegetable oil contents may not cause acne but are definitely not very good for your health, and so an excess of these foods should be avoided. You can be infected with intestinal toxemia if your diet is low on fiber and essential vitamins and high on these contents. The result of glut of toxins may show on your skin.

Some Natural Remedies Of Adult Acne

The good news about the use of natural things is that they come without the risk of side effects.

Name And Fame Of Some Natural Ingredients

Azelaic acid

This acid makes the keratin production stable and you will get almost same results as using Benzoyl- Peroxide or oral antibiotics.

Tea Tree Oil

Reduces acne with its antibacterial and antifungal qualities.

Green Tea

A renowned antioxidant, which trims down inflammation and infection

Topical Vitamin C And E

Both are strong antioxidants, which improve skin condition by diminishing inflammation and infection.

Fruit Acids (AHAs And BHAs)

These acids gently exfoliate your skin, leaving it smooth.

Some Tips To Control Outbursts Of Adult Acne

Cleanse your face with a mild soap or sulphur soap but do not rub your face with a towel.

Never ever pick or squeeze the zits, it will only worsen your skin condition.

Some acne treatment products will hike up your skin's photosensitivity so when you are using these products, use a sunscreen and wear a hat when you are out. Avoid the tanning booths while using these products as well.

Try to avoid the use of oil-based products on your skin. To prevent the clogging of pores use only "noncomdomedogenic" skin products

Try to avoid friction from sports equipment and airborne grease from fast food places; these can make your acne worse.

Along with a good diet include at least 8 to ten glasses of water in your daily regimen to keep your system clean and the skin glowing

Choosing the right path will help your skin get rid of adult acne scars. Make your skin dazzle with a smooth glow by following the tips in this article.

Frank CordovaAleece Blog1278
Celesta Blog90758

The John Muir Learning Garden Brightens San Francisco Schools

Purpose of the Learning Garden

The John Muir Learning Garden is designed to give San Francisco Schools students a change to take learning further outside of the classroom. The Garden builds on the fundamental curriculum concerns of the elementary school and provides an opportunity for students to gain real life experience that complements their academic studies. San Francisco school students are able to integrate classroom literacy, mathematics, science, history, and language arts instruction through their participation in activities in the Learning Garden.

The Learning Garden reaches out to the community in providing outreach services for parents, neighbors, and interested volunteers. Mentor gardeners work with teachers and students to design educational opportunities. One of the interesting projects going on now is the sustainable composting program that takes organic waste from San Francisco school lunches and uses it for fertilizing garden projects instead of filling landfills. This is just one of many projects that combine garden training with practical real world environmental concerns. The events organized in the park help students and the community learn about how to protect the local environment while studying nature in an urban setting.

Partners of the Learning Garden

The Learning Garden would not be possible without the support in terms of time and money from a variety of neighborhood partners. San Francisco area businesses, organizations, and volunteer groups have all played a role in establishing the Learning Garden. Located in Daniel E. Koshland Park, the Learning Garden has benefited from the dedication of two part-time garden mentors provided by the Hayes Valley Neighborhoods Parks Group. These two women, Rebecca and Aubrey, have become part of the local community as they organize activities that raise local awareness about the environment.

Further assistance has come from the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners, the Center for Ecoliteracy, the Recreation and Park Department, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, and the San Francisco Zen Center. All of these organizations have devoted time and money to helping the John Muir Learning Garden become an environmental center for the San Francisco community, especially the children that attend John Muir Elementary School. In particular, the John Muir Learning Garden is indebted to the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, which donated the initial funds to start the Learning Garden and remains an active community partner with John Muir Elementary School.

A Look at John Muir Elementary School

John Muir Elementary School has a unique place within the San Francisco Public School System. Located in the Western Addition of San Francisco, it operates as a professional development school where education students from the San Francisco State Universitys Muir Alternative Teaching Program are able to hone their skills in a real world environment, learning how to specially adapt course for the urban classroom.

John Muir students come from a rich cultural background and are supported within the school community with language and literacy programs beginning in infancy. The programs also extend to the parents and families of John Muir Elementary School students. Within the San Francisco school district, John Muir Elementary School acts as a BASRC (Bay Area School Reform Collaborative) leadership school with a clear focus on literacy for the whole community.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more on San Francisco schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/California/San-Francisco/index.htmlCandi Blog10195
Aila Blog40069

How Much Will It Cost Me?

Well, that depends. Realistically, the minimum amount of money you are going to spend is about $ 5000.00.

$ 5000.00!

Yeah, $ 5000.00. Probably it will be closer to $10,000.00 or possibly more.

Before you react, let me put that in perspective for you:

How much did your last divorce cost you? $ 5000 may not have even covered the attorneys fees.

A formal wedding dress can approach $ 5000.00 in cost.

Jewelers recommend three to six months wages as the suggested cost of an engagement ring.

A vacation for two averages three hundred dollars per day plus airfare and personal expenses, for a total of $ 5000.00 for a typical Club Med vacation.

Scuba diving, bicycling, or other equipment intensive hobby will probably cost you more than $ 5000 to get started.

To join a dating service, the entrance fees are often three to five thousand dollars or more.

I can assure you that the adventure of wooing, winning, and wedding the woman of your dreams will be more exciting than any hobby or vacation you will undertake. It will be more spine tingling than bungee jumping or parachuting.

It will be more exciting than a dating service, where you are much more likely to be introduced to your neighbors ex-wife than a Playboy bunny.

You will enjoy spending the money much more for a trip to meet half a dozen beautiful Russian women than you would on scuba tanks or a mountain bike and certainly much more than on a divorce attorney.

If you have to, borrow the money from your mother. She probably will be happy to help you get out from in front of your television set or computer screen and go meet a woman who will spawn grandchildren for her.

http://www.russian-luv.com/cost.html

John Kunkle has been married to a Russian women for over five years. He has travelled the path from finding her, to traveling to Russia, to bring his wife to America, and adjusting to married life. He will show you step by step how to do this yourself.Adria Blog81934
Anstice Blog71727

Aromatherapy Nebulizers And Diffusers

Aromatherapy is based on the properties of essential oils which are used to produce a calming, refreshing or uplifting mood. In addition, these oils have many therapeutic effects and can help cure many common ailments. Some of the common methods of administering these oils are by inhalation, diffusion, massage or bathing. In this article, we shall discuss the administration of essential oils by the use of aromatherapy nebulizers and diffusers.

What is a Nebulizer?

The best way to absorb the properties of a plants oil is through direct inhalation and the Nebulizer does just that. This device literally "spits" out a barely visible stream of atomized particles from the essential oils of your choice. It basically consists of a standard pump with a glass receptacle for oil attached to it. The pump forces air into the oil in the receptacle and propels it through several channels, twists, and intricate canals to atomize the oil. This atomized oil is then released into the atmosphere where it is inhaled by the user. Aromatherapy Nebulizers are safe, effective, quiet, and economical. They are good for both home and office environments.

What is a Diffuser?

Aromatherapy diffusers disperse fragrant and therapeutic essential oils into the air by heating them. As the molecules of the essential oils are diffused into the atmosphere, they're inhaled into the lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream. There are different types of diffusers in the market such as steam, candle and electric diffusers. The difference between them lies in the method by which the essential oils are heated.

Nebulizer or Diffuser - Which one is better for me?

Whether to choose a nebulizer or diffuser will depend on your requirements. A nebulizer dispenses essential oils by physically breaking them up into tiny droplets. This course naturally suspends and ionizes the oil into extremely fine molecules, causing them to remain suspended in the air for longer periods. Since there is a continuous mist emitted it should not be used for more than a few minutes at a time. A diffuser on the other hand, usually involves the evaporation of essential oils due to heat. The aroma is not as concentrated as that from nebulizers but because it is in vapor form it will cover a larger area.

To sum it up, nebulizers deliver a more concentrated dose of essential oils and are good for small areas whereas diffusers deliver a less concentrated dosage and should be used if you wish to cover a larger area. The choice is yours.

Sharon Hopkins, webmaster of http://www.aromatherapies.net opens doors to therapeutic healing and relaxing using essential oils made from various parts plants and herbs. She also writes for other sites on Massage Therapy, Yoga, Hair-n-Skin-Care site and many other health sites.Alexina Blog12181
Brook Blog94954

Target Marketing Your Internet E-Commerce

It is one of the supreme ironies of the Internet that the computer, so long derided as impersonal, is now being used to create highly personal experiences for Web site visitors. Because a computer can sift through vast amounts of existing information according to preprogrammed rules, computers can now take company information (or special interest information) and combine it with information supplied by prospective customers and digest it in a way that is meaningful to each individual.

What are the best ways for businesses to personalize selling and customize products in order to build business. Although many of these methods are still in their infancy, a great deal can be gleaned as to current strategies and technologies and techniques and strategies can be implemented.

To attract new customers, companies can now establish Web sites that provide highly individualized recommendations based on information provided by the customer. In this way, it's possible to tell a prospective customer exactly which product, among a plethora of possibilities, is just right for that individual or that business. The strategic idea behind these efforts is clear: By empowering the customer with information about how a specific offering meets his or her needs, the company positions itself as a knowledgeable place to buy and also demonstrates how its products are just right for that individual customer.

This information, properly used, gives an existing supplier or retailer a clear leg up on the competition: The Company is able to use its information to establish itself as the supplier of choice and to suggest services to existing customers before they request them. Companies can maintain effectively private Web sites for individual clients so that they can both provide extraordinary service and recommend new products that will be of value to these customers.

In the past, this type of personalized communication was virtually impossible: Retailers and suppliers lacked the detailed information necessary to provide these recommendations and the ability to cost-effectively communicate it to individual customers.

However, today we have moved into an era where technology allows firms to cater to the individual needs of customers in a way that have not been possible before. The value of these initiatives, both in tightening the bonds with existing customers and in attracting new customers, is high. Another business tool made possible by the Internet is something that previously was available only to the wealthy: product customization, done quickly and inexpensively.

How are companies making use of several levels of "personal" recommendations ?

In adopting any strategy based on personalization, privacy is a central issue. The ability to make the customer feel comfortable enough to give you the information you need to create a tailored product or solution is among the primary challenges companies must overcome.

1) The Web's ability to help companies establish marketing intimacy is possible because a Web site combines five elements:

2) An opportunity to present information in an interactive format, permitting customers to express their preferences to the owner of the Web site

3) Virtually costless online communications between the potential buyer and seller

4) A visual component that lets potential buyers see prospective purchases and how they would appear if personalized The ability to store tremendous amounts of personal information about their customers

5) An unprecedented ability to create systems that configure products so that costly errors are eliminated, thus reducing the expense of creating custom products

Presently, one-to-one selling can be viewed in two general categories, recommending and customization.

Brick-and-mortar companies have long known that for the most part, either a motivated buyer has done a great deal of research on a particular product, or a product has been enthusiastically recommended by a friend or business associate. This knowledge leads to two keys to establishing a Web site that motivates buying:

Ample information (so that the buyer needn't do any more researchand, in the process, possibly depart your Web site for another)

A positive recommendation.In the past effective recommendations were generally person to person, there are several reasons why these technology-based recommendations are valued now. One has to do with the dizzying array of choices that now faces consumers. A cosmetics firm may offer hundreds of shades of lipstick or eye shadow; financial services companies have become true supermarkets filled with choices; well-known cold remedies now have multiple versions that end with words such as "plus" and "sinus" and "cough."

A generation ago, the dilemma posed by the array of choices was generally solved through one-on-one interaction (selling, if you will). Someone with a cold would have stopped by his or her local pharmacy and chatted with the pharmacist about which of the three or four cold remedies carried by the pharmacy would be best.

Depending on your product and customer, several types of recommending functions may work best. But first, let's take a moment to consider how to judge effectiveness..

Personalization, like any business initiative, should be used judiciously. There are real costs that accompany developing personalized applications: They range from the hard cost of development dollars to the cost of disappointing customers or prospects who expected a better experience. It's important to assess whether a personalization effort will be effective and contribute meaningfully to new sales or customer retention before investing the time and money in bringing it to market.

The criteria for establishing an effective recommendation system are different for every product. The system chosen is dependent upon a balance of the following: (1) the nature of the product, (2) the amount of information needed from the potential buyer to make an effective recommendation, and (3) the likely willingness of the prospective buyer to share this needed information with you.

Will consumers will trust the information they receive from companies on the Web as much as (or more than) they trust sales representatives? All evidence to date suggests the answer is yes. People believe that no trusted brand will risk its good name by posting misleading information on the Web.

As you go about creating an online recommendation system, your overriding goal should be to make the online shopping experience better than what a customer might encounter in the physical world. Therefore, you need to ask yourself: "What can my company accomplish using this medium that can't be accomplished in the physical world?"

Payment issues online seemed to have been taken care of by the credit card companies as a matter of routine.

What about issues of privacy? Consider gathering data anonymously. Recommendation systems that provide advice to consumers anonymously are likely to be far more popular and, therefore, more effective. In these cases, you are able to provide the prospective buyer with value without needing to jump the hurdle of "you can trust me with this information."

If you'd prefer to record the identities of site visitors, you are one step ahead if you are a recognized brand. Consumers are already predisposed to believe in your company name. In this case, address the privacy issue head-on with a statement that precedes your online registration form: "The information gathered here is to help us better serve you; we will not share or sell this information to anyone."

Finally, if you plan to share customer data with others, then you need to be explicit about it and receive the customer's permission. The worst thing you can do is fail to inform the customer that some piece of information you determine about him or her may be used in some way the customer does not expect.

Product customization is possible because of a convergence of two elements: the Web as a one-to-one communications technology and manufacturing processes that allow for the development and delivery of custom products.

Designing your own custom desktop computer at Web sites such as Dell has become "commonplace," but what about designing your own swimsuit or, perhaps, golf clubs? These customized services provide several valuable benefits for companies: (1) They help to drive new business, and (2) customers are willing to pay a premium price for an individually designed product, which means these products and services sometimes have higher profit margins than standard offerings.

The ability to interact with customers and say, "I can create the product that is just right for you," is one of the most powerful features of the Web. Expansion of this Internet capability will be the inevitable result of the combination of (1) manufacturers creating products that permit increasing customization, (2) further advances in computing power at ever decreasing costs, and (3) new software that is continuously enhancing the options available to businesses to personalize.

Smart companies realize that the more involved the relationship becomes with the customer, the better their rate of retention. They are implementing this strategy in a wide variety of creative ways, involving both personalization and customization, and will certainly enhance their applications significantly over time:

1). Companies are creating extraordinary convenience for customers and establishing systems to speed the fulfillment of custom orders.

2). E-mail communications and reminder systems are going to be used increasingly.

The ultimate goal of every business is to have a customer who wants to hear from the business about new products that he or she might want to buy. E-mail, for the first time, provides this type of powerful tool, since it's an almost costless communications vehicle.

3). In business-to-business selling, smart companies are also linking tightly to their customers.

Leading-edge technology companies are offering custom password-protected Web sites for their corporate accounts and high-volume small business accounts. These sites are typically designed to simplify the buying process, and they offer

(1) customer online malls offering products preselected by the company to be bought by employees at volume discount prices,

(2) electronic mail links to account managers responsible for serving that customer,

(3) the ability to track the status of orders, and

(4) dramatic increases in the speed of order fulfillment through the elimination of paper forms and a reduction in errors.

This is a clear way of providing customers with additional value and of tying the customer more closely to your company. Most companies will also see an increase in revenues from these accounts.

What was called for, of course, was a new category of employee: "e-mail respondents"; yet no one wanted to add staff at an additional expense to a project that was in its infancy.

Enter "response software."

Several intelligent software systems, are able to routinely handle and route questions, so there is no excuse for underserving your customers with the first and most basic customer serviceanswering their questions.

Companies who are successfully managing their e-mail via electronic means are also taking the opportunity to benefit from the Knowledge they glean.Companies are finally transforming their Web sites from marketing brochures to vehicles that turn visits into sales leads. Those who develop a Web presence and fail to respond to electronic inquiries in a timely manner run the risk of losing existing and new customers.

Industry research also shows that only 30 percent of Fortune 500 companies respond to questions directed to these companies through their Web sites, which means a large number of customers aren't getting the personal attention winning companies need to provide.

As you consider the possibilities offered by personalization and customization, I suggest that these initiatives be weighed against these criteria: Will the initiative enhance relationships with my customers by adding convenience or a better ability to meet their needs?Will the initiative result in potentially high cost-savings for my organization Will intelligent product configuration eliminate and reduce costly order errors and help to target vital marketing efforts directed at the customer base entity?

Mr. William Z. PikerAmii Blog54990
Carmela Blog63437

Where now for used booksellers?

Where now for used booksellers?

The traditional high street bookshop is fast disappearing and so what does the future hold for the professional bookseller? The move towards the internet has been massive but competition is ferocious and margins have gotten tighter and tighter. Who will survive and in what form?

There will always be a place for bookstores. The internet cannot provide for the casual browser who loves the smell and feel of that dusty cosy book filled haven from the real world. Rare books, collectors items, first editions you need to see them and haggle with the owner over the price. This used to be the only way to buy a used book, but we all know that book buying has exploded onto the internet in the guise of Amazon, Abebooks, Alibris et al. This is definitely the future, at least for the volume trading of cheap, mass produced novels, textbooks, reference books, manuals, literature etc. etc. etc.

Most bookstores survive by adding their inventory to the database of these big book listing services but the trend is relentlessly moving away from the costly main street premises to the relatively cheap shop window of the internet where the biggest cost is often shipping.

I remember from my school economics that the 'perfect market' was when everyone knew the price that everyone else was selling for. This theoretical market is now a reality and book comparison sites and book search engines like usedbooksearch.co.uk instantly give the best price and location for any given book criteria. It has gotten so competitive in the used book market that paperback novels are selling for 1 cent and any profit is contained in the shipping charge. Herein lies the future where no dealer can afford to rent a shop, cannot afford the cost of any storage area, cannot even afford to employ staff because the profit margin is so small on every single book, just to make a sale.

The most efficient means of delivering the written word is electronically. But e-books apart from the 'get rich quick' fraternity does not seem to have gone the same way as say, electronic music where downloading your favourite track is fast becoming the method of preference. Most people would still rather print out a document rather than read it exclusively from the screen which is not easy on the eye for a relaxing dip into that favourite novel.

Until the handheld electronic book becomes the next part of the cell phone, i-pod, organiser merger then we are stuck with the good old paperback. This is not as archaic as it might seem as when you order a book you are pretty sure what you will be getting through the post in the next day or two. It is also already fairly compact, lightweight and instantly usable upon delivery.

So, I believe the future will be some form of automated system (website?) that enables a book to move directly from the current owner to the customer with only shipping costs in between. Yes, there will always be room for dealers who can buy in bulk or even find a source of free books (they would have to work from home and store the books under the bed), but the principal would be the same. The contract would be between the customer and the individual selling. This is being done already by Ebay with the added excitement of an online auction to determine the price. Unfortunately the book you want to buy may not be up for auction just when you need it for that project at college! Amazon allow individuals to post their books for sale , and in my opinion, this comes closest to the way used books will be sold in the future, but they charge a standing fee and then 15% commission on top and this is still probably subsidised by their other activities. There is plenty of room for competing with this for someone without the overheads that Amazon must be carrying each year. Everyone else (and including the main part of Amazon) is part of the 'book industry', dealing with dealers, each level taking a bit off the top.

So, that is my vision of the future of used book selling. A person to person arrangement without middlemen, just service providers putting people together.

Mike Nankivell, the man behind http://www.usesdbooksearch.co.uk and http://www.used-textbooks.ws, has been in 'the business' as a used book affiliate for seven years.Anni Blog68956
Catie Blog65904

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

WHAT IS SLS?

Rapid Prototyping refers to the creation of quick representations of final products from an initial idea and taking it through successive iterations until the final form is developed without tooling or molds. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is one of the most popular Rapid Prototyping mechanisms in which a laser beam selectively fuses or sinters powder materials, nylon, elastomer etc. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) can provide your manufacturing business with a leading edge by producing rapid plastic or metal prototypes that closely match their molded counterparts.

SLA vs SLS

The primary advantage of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) over Stereolithography is that it builds prototypes in nylon material. It is possible to make structurally functional parts such as living hinges, functioning springs, snap fit components with nylon material using Selective Laser Sintering. The process in itself is very simple and there is no molds or tooling involved. The nylon material used in SLS can be easily machined, drilled and tapped unlike those used in SLA, which are brittle as they are built with liquid photopolymers and cured with UV light. They continue to cure once complete and as a result become more brittle as time goes on.

Since being patented by Dr. Carl Deckard in 1989, the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology has become one of the most popularly utilized processes for rapid prototyping and product development in manufacturing industries. Selective Laser Sintering has become a very reliable and trusted form of rapid prototyping due to its structural properties. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is particularly useful when the design is complex, customized, needs to be functional or requires short run production.

PROCESS

In the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process, 3D parts are created when an infrared laser beam sinters and fuses powdered materials. The final object is created by repeatedly fusing thin layers using the laser beam. This process also known as additive manufacturing producing parts that gradually increase in size until they reach the prescribed size. These prototypes are created directly from the STL file obtained from 3D CAD models.

The most beneficial characteristic of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is how durable and functional the materials are. These materials include versions of the original DuraForm and DuraForm glass-filled (GF), which are nylon-based materials that create highly durable and functional plastic prototypes. Other Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) materials available are Flex Plastic for elastomeric, rubber-like parts, and LaserForm, which makes metal prototypes.

ADVANTAGES

Research and development has been progressing to bring newer selective laser sintering (SLS) materials to the market. These materials are such that they require no post processing steps whatsoever after building and this offers a distinct advantage over stereolithography (SLA). This however does not mean that these materials cannot be processed. All of the selective laser sintering (SLS) materials can be finished in multiple ways. They can be painted, plated, drilled, tapped, or even machined. This allows for a higher grade of appearance to these parts thus giving users an unlimited potential to use them.

Annette Kalbhenn is Business Development Manager at a Rapid Prototyping Service Bureau. For more info on how you can benefit from Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) check out http://www.3dPrototype.comAubrette Blog78131
Casie Blog9637

Rich Rapper Music Service: Underground Hip Hop Savior, or Underground Rap Messiah?

Youve probably heard many people say Hip hop is dead and Most of the mainstream hip hop coming out is watered down. Its just too commercial. You most lightly have two burning questions: Who are the real underground hip hop artists? and Where can I find the best underground rap music?

Theses no doubt that some of the mainstream hip hop being released is pretty good. After all, these artists generally have big budgets behind them. But have you ever wondered why you sometimes hear new songs on the radio and you absolutely hate them? And after a while, those same songs find a way of growing onto you.

Just to give you some background, one study showed that an ad from a new product or service has to be noticed by a prospect a total of nine times before that prospect becomes a customer. Two out of every three times a prospect is exposed to a new product or service, its ignored. That means that a customer has to be exposed to a new product an average of 27 times before he or she will buy. So what does that tell you about the music on the radio?

Quite simply, it means you have a personal musical taste that goes beyond the standard mainstream music on the airwaves. Thats why you fall in love with certain songs the instant you hear them. You dont normally wait for a song to grow onto you, unless youre forced to hear it again and again. Think about it. If youre forced to hear a song that you dont particularly like for an average of 27 times, wouldnt you start to know some of the lyrics and maybe even sing along with it? You would, and you might even buy it.

Heres the slap-in-the-face reality: In our experience, the typical hip hop consumer is only exposed to music that makes it onto radio play lists. Its not necessarily the best music, but since the labels behind it have deep pockets, they can afford to have their material played over and over again, even if it means using payola tactics to get the job done. This obviously doesnt make life easier for smaller labels since they dont operate with big budgets. And in the end, the hip hop consumer is the one that ultimately suffers because he or she might never get to hear some of the best underground hip hop available.

In Rich Rapper, (http://www.richrapper.com), our online music service, we bring known hip hop artists together with lesser known hip hop artists. This gives music listeners a wider variety of underground hip hop music to browse through and not be forced to listen to music they dont like over and over again. With a click of the mouse, you can sample some of the best new underground hip hop CDs and underground rap downloads.

Amongst music industry insiders, Rich Rapper is said to be the most generous rap music store in the world, but only for people who like underground hip hop music. For example, Rich Rapper is known to pay artists 90 cents per download, while other digital music services only pay 65 cents, or 70 cents per download at best. Theres a lot to like about Rich Rapper.

Rich Rapper
http://www.richrapper.com

Hilary Mujikwa is the author of "Rich Rapper Poor Rapper".Amie Blog45914
Aleece Blog25408

Dear Paris, Here's An Idea.

For the past few weeks, I've been astonished to find there's been no front page news on the life and times of Hilton heiress, Paris. I mean, with America at war, the healthcare system in disarray, and a presidential election creeping up, what else could possibly be more worthy of breaking news than Paris's recovery from her time in the slammer. We're all praying for you dear Paris; get well soon.

I'm sure I'm not the only one surprised by this; half of America probably expects Paris to randomly appear on every news station, perhaps speaking at the next State of the Union Address, where - when asked about her feelings on Iraq - she replies, "I'd love to go there; I've never been to Africa" and then concludes her speech with her signature catch phrase, "That's hot." Her dad beams with pride, her mom applauds enthusiastically, her dog Tinkerbell piddles from excitement.

Right.and the world goes further to hell in a hand basket.a designer hand basket, mind you.

Sarcasm aside, I, like so many other people, simply don't get why Paris Hilton is such a big deal. So, she's a heiress to the Hilton hotel chain. So what? I'm set to inherit my dad's one-man janitorial company and you don't see me getting attention (and he has a really expensive mop, people!). So she's blond, tall and thin. I can dye my hair, wear heels, and throw up after I eat. If that doesn't get me Paris-like attention, I guess I could just stop wearing underwear. I will miss you fruit-of-the-loom.

Truth be told, the whole Paris fascination is a bit of an enigma: she's not a big deal, she just makes herself one and that, in turn, makes everyone biteeven if they don't like the taste. Look at this article, I'm doing it too.

The Guiness Book of World Records hit the nail on the head in their 2007 edition when Paris received the record for "Most Overrated Person." Still, it's attention, albeit negative attention, and that's probably enough for Paris to deem it "hot."

I guess the whole Paris thing just makes me mad. Here is a person who doesn't need to worry about a job or paying rent or whether or not she can afford her healthcare premiums. She's been born with a silver spoon in hand and yet can't even seem to dish out anything good.

Is she helping make the world a better place? Does she take her elevated status in society and use it to help others by dedicating her life to a worthy cause? Other than the few license plates she may have pounded out in prison, has she really contributed anything tangible to society? Seems to me the only things she adds to our culture are scandals. I don't know about you, but I'm just about all scandaled out. They're so "Amy Fisher."

So, dear Paris, here's an ideainstead of parading around in shirts with that oh so clever (and grammatically incorrect) catch phrase of "Thats Hot. Your Not," go give back to the world. In lieu of hopping from party to party (all while trying to avoid those "pesky" laws) go and do something that helps others. Take your money, take your fame, and take your undeserved power and volunteer at a Children's Hospital, fight for animals, donate money to help the African AIDS crisis, head a fundraiser that helps cancer research. Don't do this for five minutes once a month; include them in your life's dedications.

When you start to do this, your biggest dream will come true: you'll find that you really are a big deal after all.

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://www.turbocellcharge.com. Possessing an infatuation with pop culture and a gift for stalking she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.Annecorinne Blog96491
Caye Blog79620

Laptop Insurance - The Vital Elements

Laptop Insurance - The Vital Elements

Imagine if, for whatever reason, you were without your laptop. You need to do some work on it, or maybe some planning - you know why you need it.

But you cannot. It is incredibly frustrating. Many people have been in this situation.

Your laptop might be lost, stolen, damaged or just plain not working. How soon would it be before you are back with a functioning laptop, and how much is it going to cost you to get there?

Laptop Insurance is recognised as the necessary tool to help you through this, but how do you know if you are getting good cover at a price that represents good value to you?

To answer that, first you need to define exactly what is important to you. What are your likely risks?

For example, if you never travel with your laptop - maybe you just use it at home, sometimes in the lounge, sometimes in the study - then you are probably not going to need international cover as part of your laptop insurance. In this instance you are probably not going to need loss cover either (a laptop is not something you are likely to lose down the back of the sofa).

What if you just drop your laptop? You need your laptop insurance to be able to protect you for this. You do NOT want to have to commit insurance fraud (and thereby break the law) by lying in your claims process, you would want to make sure that you are covered for accidental damage.

So outline what elements of cover you think you will need. For example

* Will you need Extended Warranty in case it just breaks down?
* Will you need loss cover?
* Will you need international cover?
* Will you need water damage cover?
* Will you need accidental damage cover?
* Will you need theft cover?

It may seem obvious to you that you need certain elements of cover, and maybe not others, but just consider the list above. Some people might feel more at risk of theft than water damage, while others might be the other way around.

For example, compare a travelling businessman with a Hydrological Consultant (who might be planning river system controls). The latter would obviously seem more at risk of water damage than theft.

Let's look at each in turn

Extended Warranty:
Bizarrely, very few companies offer Extended Warranties as part of Laptop Insurance. The only main provider that does is www.2u.co.uk/laptop-insurance/ . If you want to be covered for your laptop simply going wrong or breaking down, you need to be covered for this.

Loss Cover:
It would appear that almost no provider offers loss cover. It is most likely deemed to be too risky to insure.

International Cover:
Many providers will protect you for up to 60 days per year outside of the UK.

Water Damage:
This is not a common element of cover in many laptop insurance company's policies, but it IS a common killer of laptops! How many times has that cup of tea or class of orange juice been dangerously close to spilling over your laptop keyboard?

Accidental Damage Cover:
Again, this is a common need for laptop insurance. You are walking along, maybe in a crown, and your laptop bag gets knocked out of you hand and smacks down on the concrete. This is a relatively common element of laptop insurance.

Theft Cover:
This is the most obvious risk for your laptop. You laptop is a very portable, high value item. Anything that is worth a lot and can be carried while running away is a prime target for thieves. Consequently, this is the most common element of most laptop insurance policies.

On analysis of the market, if you need all of the different elements of cover, then the 2U Laptop Insurance is, to the knowledge of this author, the only laptop insurance policy available on the market that will meet all of your wants and needs.

If you do not need to protect yourself for all of these eventualities, you can find slimmed down levels of protection for your laptop with your local insurance broker, or in your search engine.

To learn more about the fuller laptop insurance from 2U, go to

Duncan Elliott has successfully managed and run the Marketing Dept at http://www.2u.co.uk/laptop-insurance/ for the last 6 years. He has seen many other companies come and go, for a number of reasons, many of which did not give the customer good service. From this experience he is able to expose what you should be doing to get the best deal. Anni Blog72613
Barbie Blog62848

The Journey From USB 1.1 To USB 2.0

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) was first launched in 1996 by a group of IT Companies known as the USB Promoter Group.

This first version was known as USB 1.1 and was a standardized serial connection that aimed to provide a replacement for parallel and serial ports. Intended for mid-speed and slow computer peripherals, it created an intelligent serial bus.

In the early years, many people utilized USB on their own computers and it proved to work well for most applications. In recent years, however, USB 1.1 has proved to be too limited. While USB 1.1 managed to remain useful to more modern technologies, some loopholes in the initial version were pointed as the source of major problems.

USB 1.1 was limited with a slower transference rate of only 12-megabits/ sec. During the rise of the USB 1.1 in the market, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) unveiled the FireWire, also called i.LINK(tm), which had a transfer speed of 400 blazing megabytes per second, then considered a fantastic rate of transfer. This transfer speed made the uploading of a full motion video from a camcorder convenient. It threatened to push USB 1.1 out of the market, as it was not able to compete with this newcomer.

The creation of increasingly sophisticated gadgets and peripherals spotlighted the limitations of the original version of USB. USB 1.1 was not able to fully support the speeds needed to run gadgets like digital movie or video players, mobile phones, video phones, Web cameras, digital cameras, MP3s or digital music players, PDAs and Palmtops.

When USB 2.0 version debuted, with 40 times the speed of the previous version, it offered the capacity to operate most of the newly released technologies.

One of the most important features of USB 2.0 is that it is backward compatible. In other words, USB 2.0 hardware can be plugged to computer's old USB 1.1 port and will function properly because both versions use same plug. USB 2.0 can transmit data at speeds between 1.5 megabits to 480 megabits per second, but if USB 2.0 hardware is connected to a USB 1.1 port it will not attempt to transmit data at its maximum speed of 480 megabits per second. Rather, it will slow it's rate of transmission in order to operate properly and compatibly with the older hardware.

Upgrading a computer to include USB 2.0 ports into a computer is a simple procedure. When USB 2.0 ports are added with a PCI port card, the original USB 1.1 ports are retained and will continue to function normally.

Both USB 2.0 and 1.1 are plug and play. Once a USB device is connected to the host computer, the system will automatically recognizes it. The drivers will then be installed and the system can begin operating the new hardware without the necessity of a reboot. The upgraded technology of USB 2.0 also allows the connection capacity of a single computer to a very large number of devices at once: 127 to be exact.

Both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 have become vital instruments in connecting devices and computers together. If things continue as they have begun, USB will become even faster and more efficient in years to come.

Patricia Williams contributes to several popular web sites, such as http://poweg.com and http://rebaw.com.Agna Blog47576
Birgit Blog13977

How to Double Your Sales Appointments in Half the Time; Part 4

Here are the final 3 Sales Prospecting Errors that lead to low sales appointment success. Find out how to avoid the Slippery Slope of low sales appointment conversion ratios.

In Part 3, How To Double your Sales Appointments in Half the Time, we reviewed and remedied the first 3 sales prospecting errors that start us down the Slippery Slope to low Sales prospecting conversation ratios.

So lets continue to address the final 3 sales prospecting errors, discuss some proven solutions that will head us toward our worthy goal of spending Less time to achieve more targeted Top-down sales appointments.

Sales Prospecting Error #4

We fail to develop an effective Call to Action; strategic words and phrases that create a positive 'visual' reference to the Prospect of what happens during the initial appointment and how long it takes.

Develop your Call to Action communication as a visual block of time in which a Step-by-step process occurs with the objective of having your Top-down prospect inform you they perceive enough of a potential benefit to take the next step in your evaluation process.

How long does it take to run your 1st appointment in your current sales process; 30, 45, 60 minutes? Id estimate in the small to medium size B-to-B arena the average 1st appointment timeline is about 35 minutes. That is to re-cap why you are there, to inquire about their current state of the union, to overview your solution offering and to gain commitment for the next step in your sales process.

But if you ask a business person with fiscal authority for more than 15 minutes of their time initially, your closing ratios on a sales prospecting call will go down dramatically.

I dont know the scientific reason why, but I do understand the logical explanation. These business people are busy. Its that simple. Every minute of the day is accountable to moving closer to their business objective. There is No room in the Inn for distractions that are not in line with their business objectives.

Especially the idea of Meeting with some stranger that is only interested in selling me something that I dont need just so they can make a living.

Because in their minds, if they knew something was broken, theyd already have gone in and fixed it.

Ultimately your key objective for the 1st appointment is to Gain Commitment to Take the Next Step in your sales process, whether that step is a diagnostic survey, a demo, a site visit or a proposal. But when your sales prospecting methodology is a Top-down approach, these C-level prospect contacts do not get into the nitty-gritty of your evaluation process. They wont walk you through the office opening up closet doors to evaluate telephone systems or help you pull current service invoices from file drawers. They want to understand whats in it for them from a financial aspect, what your diagnostic process looks like in order to see if the solution fits and what timelines there are to see the results. And they dont like major change.

But if your 15-minute Call to Action communication is effective, they will delegate these tasks to a lower level to effectively conduct the evaluation to qualify if your solution offering will help them with their business challenges. By them delegating down, it will help you minimize any service bias within the organization with non-decision makers. And that lowers sales cycles and increases sales closing ratios.

In summary, frame up your Call to Action under the theme of The Business Reason to Meet and visually communicate the steps in your diagnostic process, the potential benefits (Along Economic terms in line with Business challenges) and what they will get in return for the time invested in the 15-minute face-to-face appointment.

Sales Prospecting Error #5

We dont support our Call to Action with 3rd party valuators parallel to the Prospects business objectives; valuators like business statistics, appointment performance ratios, ROI figures and relevant success stories.

Heres a hard-knock lesson on sales prospecting conversations and one you need to put to memory.

A targeted Business prospect does not care what you think. I repeat; they do not care what you think or what you personally want. After all, they dont know you yetand thats fair. Thats the reality of the moment. After they get to know you, they will respect youre personal perspective on what you feel is good for them, but not now. Its too soon. Got It?

Heres my point. How many times have you heard someone talking to a prospect and communicating the words, Heres what Id like to do, or I think you should have me come in to meet and , or In my experience, heres what Ive seen.

Get my point? We already realize we are perfect strangers to this target prospect, so why should we reference what WE think or what WE have found to work. Its not valid data. So heres the golden rule:

Avoid 1st Party references when communicating on a sales prospecting call.

Replace 1st Party references with 3rd Party Valuators.

When you communicate the Business Reason to Meet, back it up with real numbers; business data like your own conversion ratios of helping prospects become clients or your overall companys ratios. What about condensed case studies of current customers that hold the same title of responsibility in the same industry? Or how about accumulating business ROI statistics in relevant modules in line with prospect business issues and challenges?

3rd party references to support the Business Reason to Meet should be specific and applicable to your Prospects world, and not visually project a one-sided salesperson view or a marketing brochure.

Sales Prospecting Error #6

We fail to document all possible Objections and develop Powerful communication templates to negotiate 3rd Solutions.

There are only a finite amount of scenarios in any selling process and if you identify, train to and measure each and every one, you are on your way to excellence.

That statement I coined some years back is especially true in a sales prospecting conversation.

It means there are only a finite number of objections you encounter over the telephone when attempting to set a 1st appointment with your Target contact.

Statements like, Send me some information, and I dont handle thatso and so does.

Or what about the popular, Im happy with my current Vendor and Im under a Contract?

Identify all of them and develop Powerful communications templates in line with each one.

Perception is Reality.

Your target sales prospects initially will put you into a Perception bucket you do not belong in and you can't afford to be in. They want to fit you into a past experience, good or bad. It's up to you to differentiate yourself from the very beginning when directly responding to concerns and objections spoken, unspoken, or implied.

Systemize your Sales Prospecting System into individual Components and Elements and Practice before you Preach.

Youre only as good as the intellectual capital you share throughout your sales organization. That will keep you ahead of the competition.

Understand the 6 errors that have been discussed in this article series and decide to do the opposite. Develop best practices and business communication paths parallel to each possible scenario. Because best practices are techniques that through experience and measurement more often than not lead to the desired result.

Then invest in the technology to bundle it up into a learning system that you can become certified to, adopt it and adapt it over time.

We understand why Professional athletes practice prior to the event. Professional sales people need to do the same.

Because if you can double the amount of targeted sales appointments and spend half the time achieving it, it will save you a bunch of valuable time, make you more money and get you the recognition you deserve.

And thats a worthy cause indeed.

Jeff Hardesty is a National sales speaker, Sales performance improvement consultant and the Developer of the X2 Sales System, a blended sales prospecting training system that teaches sales professionals the competency of setting targeted C-level business appointments. Amata Blog98244
Brandi Blog44555

Own Furniture? Protect Your Investment!

How much did you pay for your furniture? I'll bet it wasn't cheap. Most people spend thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars to furnish their homes and then forget about it, leaving all of their furniture, carpets and floors to waste away over time.

You would never go to the beach without u/v protection, would you? Everything in your home is exposed to low-levels of u/v light all the time and it can't regenerate the way your skin can. It doesn't have any way to protect itself. Most people never think about this and so the money they invested in making their home beautiful slowly goes to waste, pennies at a time as their carpets, leather sofas and wood floors fade, scuff and dry out.

Proper furniture care is difficult to define. Standard furniture polish you can find in the supermarket can make your coffee table shine like new and also offers some short-term protection against small scuffs and scratches, but don't address the long-term issues, of which u/v light is at the forefront. Even at the low-levels you'll find in an average living room, over time it is extremely damaging to everything it touches that is made of wood, leather or fiber.

Most people have either owned furniture long enough to see some of the effects, or grew up in a house where your parents had an old couch that you could just tell was old simply by looking at it. Worn-out u/v damaged furniture isn't the worst thing in the world, in fact some might say it makes a place look homey, or lived in. That's perfectly understandable for someone who already owns an old, faded sofa, but if you own furniture that is fairly new you know it looks great the way it looks now! In fact, that's why you bought it. You don't want to even imagine that brand new home theater seating looking cracked and faded. It's enough to make you wince.

Luckily some companies do offer the kind of u/v protection furniture needs. Most people have heard of Scotchgard, but many are not clear on exactly what it does, which is simply this: Provide long-term protection against the elements to anything it is sprayed on. It's often viewed as an industrial or automotive product, but it is much more than that.

While Scotchgard is arguably the best known consumer product available, MasterSeal by Guardian products is also an excellent product and has been embraced by some as the only protectant they trust using on their most delicate leathers.

Guardian also manufactures commercial-grade furniture protectants that are used by many furniture retailers offering extended warranties on their products. Often-times when you purchase an extended warranty on furniture you are not just making an agreement that the retailer will service your furniture for a longer period. Many dealers are actually treating your furniture with commercial protectants to make the materials last longer and keep their original look. That is why extended warranties on furniture are often a better value than warranties offered on other products, such as electronics.

If you didn't buy an extended warranty, don't feel like you've completely missed the boat. If you regularly clean and polish your furniture you are already doing something to slow down the aging process. The other half of the job is actually a lot easier because many of the long-term protectants have to be applied at most twice a year or in some cases, just once!

And if you want to get the good stuff, the commercial-grade protectants the retailers use, some of them are actually available to consumers as well. In fact, there are even companies that will come to your home and spray the protectant onto your furniture for you, and then give you a warranty afterwards no matter how long it's been since your original warranty expired.

Proper furniture care is an important thing to think about because it doesn't take a lot of time but it can save a lot of money in the long-run. Ten years from now instead of spending money to replace a faded TV room couch you could be sitting on your just-like-new decade-old sofa and watching your brand new big screen televion.

And that's a tip most people don't know. I hope you've found it helpful.

Michael Wangner is a consultant for Furniture Marketing and Metro Guardian, which offers commercial grade http://www.metroguardian.net/shop/ and more direct to consumers via its website.Benedikta Blog89376
Ashlee Blog62825

Preschool Education: Why Should You Care About Preschool Learning?

Preschool education is a hot topic among parents and early childhood educators today. If you are the parent of a preschooler (or younger child) you need to ask yourself why you should care about preschool learning. There are three key reasons why you should not only concern yourself with your child's preschool education but become actively involved in it as well.

First, you must remember that preschool education is the foundation for your child's education. The skills and knowledge (not to mention aptitude and attitude) that your child develops in the preschool years will have a dramatic impact on your child's success when formal schooling begins as well as life success. Today we expect children to know more by the time they start kindergarten. While previous generations learned basics like color identification and the alphabet in school, today's children are expected to possess these basic skills by the time they start kindergarten.

Another reason to care about your child's preschool education is that by actively promoting and encouraging your child's preschool learning you will promote his or her self esteem as well. Help your child gain confidence by making learning fun and easy at this age and you will help make your child an eager lifelong learner.

Finally, preschool education is important because it can give your child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess that knowledge and skill set. Do you want your child to be at the head of the class or lagging behind?

Concerning yourself with your child's preschool learning does not mean you have to enroll your child in a formal preschool program. You can work with your child at home if you prefer. The important thing is that you make sure your child is working to learning the skills they will need to prepare for kindergarten and learning to read.

You should care about your young child's preschool education because preschool learning is the foundation for formal education, it can boost your child's self esteem, and it can give your child the edge they need for lifelong success.

Deanna Mascle shares tips and strategies for Preschool Education at http://preschoolerslearnmore.com and her free preschool education newsletter at http://preschoolerslearnmore.com/blog/Alyson Blog62888
Cathe Blog24149

How To Choose A Business Credit Card

A business credit card might a be good option if you are a business owner looking to streamline your accounts management. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a business credit card.

Look At The Interest Rate

One of the most important issues is the annual percentage rate (APR). This is the interest that lenders charged on any outstanding debt. The APR varies considerably between lenders, so it is worth shopping around for one that you find acceptable. You should also pay attention to the interest rate for cash withdrawals. As with personal credit cards, the APR on cash withdrawals can be very high. This is worth considering if you intend to use your business credit card to withdraw cash.

Check Out The Fees

Some business credit cards charge annual fees. These can range from around 20 to as much as 75. However, there are still some business credit cards that do not have a fee, so it is worth considering these if the other factors meet your requirements. Another fee to consider is the application fee. It may be worth searching for a credit card provider who will waive this fee.

The amount of credit you will get and the repayment period are crucial aspects for managing your business. You'll want to get as long a grace period (interest-free period) as possible.

Business Or Personal?

Like personal credit cards, some business credit cards also offer rewards. These can be points that can be applied to purchases or useful rewards such as air miles or travel points of some sort. However, the range of rewards for personal credit cards is far greater.

Some business owners may be tempted to manage their business spending via a personal credit card, but this is best avoided for three reasons. First, the credit limit given will not match the kind of credit limit a business credit card might get. Second, the interest rates and repayment periods on business credit cards are designed to help with business cash flow. Third, if you find yourself in debt, any spending on a personal credit card is your personal liability. In comparison, spending on a business credit card is charged to the business rather than an individual.

Credit Or Charge?

Business owners also have other options for managing their finances. Some can choose debit cards. This will mean that there is no line of credit and business owners can only spend what is in the business account.

Another option is a business charge card. Like a credit card, there is often a fee for having a charge card, but there is no APR and no minimum repayment. This is because any spending on the charge card must be repaid in full at the end of the pay period.

Whichever option business owners go for, there are a number of good reasons to use a card for managing business expenses. This can be especially useful for businesses with a lot of employees as they can use a business credit card to track expenses and cut down on in-house accountancy.

Joe Kenny writes for the Personal Loans Store, allowing visitors to compare loans and also focuses on personal loans in the UK.Alix Blog66276
Cathyleen Blog20052

A Hard Look at PPC, Click Fraud and the Alternatives

With the creation of the Overture and Google Adwords systems, many webmasters believed they had finally hit the mother lode. It was no longer necessary for small online businesses to invest large amounts of money into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services to gain high search rankings in the natural search results.

Even webmasters committed to SEO campaigns began to realize its fleeting nature. Given frequent search engine algorithm changes, optimizing a website was no guarantee that in 6 months or less it wouldn't be back to square one and page twenty of the search results.

PAY-PER-CLICK SEARCH ENGINE (PPCSE) PLACEMENT

With the advent of the PPCSE model created by Overture, and followed by Google Adwords, webmasters felt like they had finally found the level playing field that everyone talks about. Hiring a SEO company was no longer necessary to crack the top search engine results. A Page One placement could be purchased and often for far less than the cost of a SEO company's services.

Webmasters discovered that they could get traffic to their website for as little as one cent per click.

Pay-per-click, however, has evolved over the last 5 years and not to the benefit of most webmasters. Although five cents is currently the average starting bid price at most major search engines, many sought after keyword terms can cost as much as $30 - $50 per click. Given the increasingly competitive nature of PPC advertising and spiralling costs, many small- to medium- sized businesses today might be better served hiring a good SEO company to search optimize their websites.

WHO IS CLICKING YOUR PAY-PER-CLICK LINKS?

There are four types of people who click on pay-per-click ads. Knowing who these people are helps explain why experts keep telling us that 20% to 25% of all clicks on PPC listings are "fraudulent clicks".

Personality Type #1: True-Blue Prospects

These are the people for whom you have placed your pay-per-click ads. They see your advertisement; they like what they see; and they click your link to see if you can actually serve their needs.

Personality Type #2: Accidental Clickers

Every once in a while, even my finger misfires, and I click an advertisement that I did not intend on clicking. My first thought is usually, "Oh no...", and my first action is to find the back button.

I didn't mean to cost that person money by clicking his advertisement... but I did. It was an accident. Now, the advertiser has to pay for my mistake. That bites.

Personality Type #3: Jealous Competitors

I would like to think that all of my, and your, competitors are fine, upstanding people. And most of them are. But, there are some who are not, and they click on pay-per-click links just to be spiteful or just to cost their business rivals a few dollars.

Believe it or not, a good percentage of "fraudulent clicks" are believed to be clicks perpetrated by people against their competitors.

Personality Type #4: True-Blue Fraudsters

Not that long ago pay-per-click providers realized that there was tremendous opportunity in offering small website owners a method for cashing in on their limited traffic.

Today, a webmaster can go to any number of pay-per-click services, add a small piece of code to a webpage and start serving paid advertising the same day. Webmasters thus become revenue share partners with the PPC provider, splitting revenues with the PPC provider for each click.

Ethical webmasters, of course, put the needs of their advertisers first and focus on putting eyeballs on their website so that visitors can click on the advertising links.

But, the word "ethical" doesn't exist in the vocabulary of some webmasters. These are the "true-blue fraudsters" who believe in making "revenue at any cost... no matter who might be hurt by their actions." They devise schemes to have their own ads clicked in order to drive up their revenue share.

These webmasters, although a minority, are responsible for the vast majority of fraudulent clicks. And, they are the same people that should be taken out behind the barn, for a good old-fashioned flogging --- one lashing for each stolen dollar would be fine with me.

THE UNSEEN COSTS OF THE PAY-PER-CLICK SEARCH GAME

If the experts are correct in estimating that 25% of all clicks are fraudulent, then you are paying out 33% more than you should have to pay to get your business.

If you are converting PPCSE clicks-to-sales at a rate of $20 per transaction, then you should be aware that your actual conversion rate for non-PPCSE advertising would cost you an average of $15 per transaction. By escaping the pay-per-click search engine model, you could in effect make an additional $5 per transaction by cutting the fraud out of your marketing budget.

Personally, I would rather not pay the pay-per-click mafia the $5 a transaction that they are exacting against pay-per-click advertisers.

WHERE MY ADVERTISING MONEY WORKS BEST

I have always gained the best bang for my buck with pay-for-placement advertising. In a nutshell, I pay a monthly, quarterly or yearly fee to have my advertising seen on various websites. Banner advertising is always an option, but text links provide better click-through rates (CTR's).

At any one time, you can find links to my websites on dozens of other websites.

Here are a few examples of pay-for-placement, often referred to as "paid inclusion", advertising networks:

ISEDN.org Network: ( http://www.ISEDN.org )

The Independent Search Engine and Directory Network (powered by ExactSeek.com) is comprised of more than 200 specialty search engines, search directories and article directories. Through their system, you can buy quarterly or yearly top ten exposure (http://www.exactseek.com/featured_listings.html) for specific keyword phrases which are then shown through the ISEDN's 200 plus member websites. Their network claims to show paid inclusion ads 150 million times per month.

Pricing starts at $4 per month per keyword phrase and goes down according to the number of keyword phrases purchased. Quarterly and yearly rates for one keyword phrase are $12 and $36, respectively.

BraveNet.com Home Page Featured Advertiser Listing: http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?zone_id=8181 4

BraveNet is the number one provider of free web tools in the world and through their AdBrite sales page you can purchase a 30 day text advertisement at the bottom of the Bravenet home page for $1500 or a 3 month advertisement for $3500. According to the Bravenet Media Kit ( http://www.bravenetmedianetwork.com/mediakit.php ), their network serves 500 million page views per month.

ColdFront Network: ( http://www.coldfront.net/index.php/content/view/100/50/ )

ColdFront serves the Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) communities. With 150,000 unique visits and 12 million page views per month, they provide real advertising value, if your target market happens to be in this area. Paid inclusion can be purchased for $250 to $350 per month.

WHO LEFT THE BARN DOOR OPEN?

We put locks and deadbolts on our doors. In some localities, we put bars on our windows. We keep our valuables in safes. We keep our cars locked when we are not in them. We are a nation obsessed with protecting our valuables.

And yet, when we advertise our online businesses, we seem to be willing to let PPCSE providers steal 25% of our advertising budget? It boggles the mind.

Personally, I am done with PPCSE companies until they can assure me that my advertising dollars are protected from click fraud.

I have always relied on my own search engine optimization skills to strengthen my natural search results. And frankly, I am pretty good at it.

And, to supplement my own SEO efforts and organic search result placement sucesses, or lack thereof, paid inclusion currently offers me the best value for my money.

Bill Platt is the owner of http://thePhantomWriters.com Article Distribution Service. Through his system, you can have your Free Reprint Articles sent to thousands of publishers and webmasters looking for good quality content. If you need someone to write articles for you, Bill's writers can create interesting articles on most any topic. If you would like to talk to Bill personally about his services, you can reach him from 9:30am to 6pm CST at: (405) 780-7745. Cam Blog86805
Anne Blog3714

10 Weight Loss Busters You Shouldn't Eat

1. Fried Foods That Are Frightening
2. Steakhouse Stories That Scare
3. Manufacturers Mislead Many
4. Burgers That Are Bigger and Biggest
5. Awful Appetisers
6. Cakes and Cookies That Are Calorie Clogged
7. Diet Drinks That Deceive
8. High Calorie Horrors
9. Diet Disasters When Dining Out
10. Super Sized Servings That Sabotage Your Diet

1. Fried Foods That Are Frightening

Deep fried foods are nutritionally bad for you. If you enjoy going to fairs and carnivals, you may well be tempted to eat the strangest of concoctions. It's amazing just what has been thrown into the deep fryer in the name of creativity.

But the only thing you are going to create is havoc with your weight loss diet.

2. Steakhouse Stories That Scare

Your local neighbourhood restaurant or steakhouse may be a Nutritional Nightmare.

Fried onions that are considered a Starter Dish are so full of Calories, Fat, Saturated Fat and with a high Salt content. And to go from bad to worse, the onions are usually served with a sauce that has even more Calories, Fat and Salt.

For the sake of your health, be sure you know your onions.

3. Manufacturers Mislead Many

Foods that are often labelled as healthy are just the opposite. Marion Nestle PhD, MPH a New York University Nutritional Professor in her book What To Eat,' talks of Fruit Snacks' that have absolutely no fruit in them but were just laden with sugar.

Don't believe the adverts, read the labels carefully then decide for yourself if it's right for you.

4. Burgers That Are Bigger and Biggest

Burgers are getting bigger and bigger. Burger King and others are taking a bun and piling on as many as four burgers, plus slices of cheese and strips of bacon. Just one of these burgers will give you more Calories than you should eat if having three meals a day.

If you really do want a burger, try ordering a plain burger. It could be served with a sauce, but it should be on the side not on top.

That will save you eating more Calories than you need.

5. Awful Appetisers

How about a Fundido as a snack before the main meal?

A Fundido is made up of a combination of cheese, pepperoni, bacon and sausage served with bread sticks.

If you are on a weight loss diet, a Fundido is a nutritional no-no.

6. Cakes and Cookies That Are Calorie Clogged

You are tempted to have a square of Starbucks Old Fashioned Crumb Cake to go with your coffee but that little square has 670 Calories in it.

And a piece of Cheesecake has enough Calories in it to make a mess of your weight loss diet, but the Cheesecake Factory adds Chocolate Candy, Mousse etc.

Nice for a treat once a year, but for the rest of the year DON'T.

7. Diet Drinks That Deceive

High Calorie drinks are so deceptive. They don't need chewing and go down real easy and they don't fill you up. So how can this innocent looking cup of coffee be loaded with 490 580 Calories? It could be the chocolate or cream that is added.

To avoid piling on the Calories, order a small size cup of coffee with low fat milk and sweeteners.

8. High Calorie Horrors

When you are out shopping at the Mall you may be tempted by the delicious aromas of coffees, spicy pies and the mouth watering smell of freshly made doughnuts.

But giving in to temptation could mean you may consume a day's worth of Calories in one delicious but none essential piece of confectionery.

Ok I'm being a spoil sport but, for the sake of your health and weight loss diet, you would be better to take along a snack of crackers and nuts or raw veggies. Enjoy.

9. Diet Disasters When Dining Out

Two decades ago, dining out was already beginning to be a disaster for the person who was on a weight loss diet. The menu offered high Calorie foods.

Things haven't improved over the years; in fact they have become worse. On the menu in restaurants are such things as fried macaroni and cheese and cheese fries. Just oozing with fat and packed with Calories.

In order to keep to your diet change into a fluffy bunny rabbit and talk yourself into eating and enjoying salads.

10. Super Sized Servings That Sabotage Your Diet

Have you noticed how it's not just fast food meals that have got bigger? So have bagels, pasta servings, salads and sandwiches. If you go out to a restaurant for a meal, most of the meals on the menu are going to be around 1 000 Calories.

The question to ask yourself is, do I really need this food? As Michelle May MD, author of Am I Hungry?' and What To Do When Diets Don't Work' said, that Once a person indulges in a decadent dessert or monster burger, it triggers the I've already blown my diet, so why bother,' mentality.

Beyond that, May believes, the real horror may be the American mind set about food. We were raised to clean the plate, so we could be rewarded with a dessert, which further enhances our desire to eat sweets and meals without recognition of fullness,' she says.

If you want to keep to your weight loss diet, learn what foods are best for you and avoid the ones that sabotage it.

Eva Moffat an Ex- Nurse has helped many people with their Weight Loss problems over the years. Now it is your turn to be helped. For more of Evas practical help, visit Evas Weight Loss Site.Ardene Blog57268
Caitrin Blog51822