I lost track of how many bags of Doritos I’ve eaten this week. If I sat up and looked underneath me, I bet I could get a lot better of an idea. Ah, but I don’t really want to do that. I’m really comfortable. In fact, I’ve been comfortable for…god, I guess four or five years now. Its not that bad, sometimes friends come by and my mom has called me before too. Although I do have one regret. Probably my only issue with my life dedicated to the ultimate acquisition of sloth (really I like to think of myself as a Western monk), is that I’ve acquired virtually no skills or experiences whatsoever, work or life derived. Normally I wouldn’t consider this a problem. That drastically changed when I heard about work experience degrees.

A work experience degree is a college degree that you can earn by using your knowledge and skills and experience instead of going to the classroom and laboratory and learning these things by experts, academics, professors and intellectuals. You may be thinking that even having a degree is something that wouldn’t appeal to me. Normally, you’d be right. But, through the work experience degree method, obtaining a degree is completely congruent with my life philosophy.

For those of you who are crying, “FOUL!” Quiet yourselves. This isn’t one of those “diploma mills” that just doles out undeserving degrees to any fool that fills out the online application. I’m talking about utilizing your native understanding of Spanish to pick up a Spanish 101 course credit. I’m talking about bring using a painting you did to grab yourself a little intro to art credit. Get the picture? That boring seminar on new methods in bookkeeping that your job sent you to just earned you credits in accounting.

This is legitimate, is reasonable and its respectable. The more knowledge you have gained in your jobs, travels and general life, the more college credits you’ll have with the work experience degree. There are several institutions that can help you with this, but the Thomas Edison State College is one of the best. This is because it has no restrictions on the number of credits you can acquire through work experience. So, for those of you that have done more in your lives than me (which should be just about all of you…if not call me, we’ll hang out), start making your experience work for you. Go get started on your work experience degree.

Nelson Widrow is an author who’s written multiple articles about online degrees. Read more of his articles including: online accredited degrees and work experience degree.

About The Blue Cross

Blue Cross was started in 1929 by Justin Ford Kimball, at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas. It was developed to guarantee teachers 21 days of hospital care for $6 a year. Later on the plan was enlarged to other people in the Dallas area and then throughout the country.

In 1939 the term Blue Cross was used to include other plans as well. Blue Cross is a name used by an association of health insurance plans throughout the United States.

It was developed in 1929, by Justin Ford Kimball, at Baylor University in Dallas, Texas. The first plan guaranteed teachers The plan was extended to other employee groups in Dallas, and then nationally. The American Hospital Association (AHA) adopted the Blue Cross symbol in 1939 as the emblem for plans meeting certain standards.

So as it stands today Blue Cross is an independent membership association working on a service basis and providing protection against the costs mainly of hospital care. Benefit payments are made directly to the hospital. Benefits vary among various Blue Cross associations.

And then there is Blue Shield which, rather than covering hospital care, provides protection on a service basis against the cost of surgical and medical care in a limited geographical area. The actual Blue Cross, which was a blue Greek Cross, was created by the artist Joseph Binder under the auspices of E A van Steenwijk who was the Company secretary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

The Blue Cross began now to be used in other parts of the country as well. At present it is a national trade organization linking 40 health insurance companies in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico together.

Supposedly, Blue Cross operations are considered to happen as franchises in specifically designated regions. At present these services are available in every state wihin the United States and every Canadian province

Blue Cross is very prevalent in providing coverage to State as well as Federal government employees and they are also very important in the administration of Social Security. There is a problem with health insurance in the United States.

There is a conflict between the need for the insurance company to make money versus the need of their clients to remain healthy.

This need to make money has become so uncontrolled that one third of the population in the US can not afford medical insurance and medical bills today are the major cause for bankruptcies. This is why state and federal regulation of health insurance companies is necessary. On the other hand medical insurance companies could hypothetically face unforeseen events such as the chicken flu where a large percentage of their clients all of a sudden face horrendous hospital bills.

Theoretically this could bankrupt the insurance company within a very short timeframe. So to prevent this situation medical insurance companies use a variety of checks and balances to limit payments to beneficiaries.

And of course it is a well-known fact that those seeking health insurance are also those most likely to have medical problems being present or future ones. It is also known that if the cost of healthcare to the beneficiary is very low than the use of medical benefits will be much greater than if the cost is substantial.

So to find the balance where medical services are available when needed but not abused to the extend that for every paper cut you will make a visit to the doctor proper safeguards should be in place.

So in theory, if people would exercise, would eat healthy food, would avoid addictive substances, this would lower health insurance prices because the insurance companies would pay fewer doctor bills.

However, you could then also say that too much of the insurance premiums would be paid out in executive salaries or kept as profits by the company.

Ballet is an art form that began in the 1400’s and became more standardized in the 1600’s in the court of Louis XIV. Louis was known as the “Sun King.,” Tthe name came from a role he danced in a ballet. In 1661 Louis XIV established the Acadmie Royale de Danse to train dancers and dance teachers. By the 1800’s the technique was pretty much solidified into a form very close to what we see today.

Ballet, the art and the training of a dancer, has a tradition that is now handed down from generation to generation. The training a dancer receives today is similar to the training a dancer would have received in the 1800’s. Yes, there are differences, stylistic and technical. Certainly better nutrition, better health care, and the ability to start training at a young age has also had an impact on what a dancer today can physically achieve. The engineering of the pointe shoe has also changed significantly, allowing the ballerina to dance en pointe for longer periods of time. The framework for all of this, however, was set in the 1800’s.

Today, if you take a ballet class any place in the world, the structure of the class is the same, the steps are the same and the approach is the same. The timing, the position and the execution of any given step is not open to discussion. Neither is the posture or the alignment or the classical line. Why? For one reasonit works.

Now let’s talk about introductory calling. (You knew I’d get here eventually, didn’t you?) In many of the workshops I conduct, participants are generally opposed to the idea of working with a script. They tell me they feel uncomfortable, canned, phony and insincere. They also tell me that every conversation is different.

Hmmm…..

When you make introductory calls, the only thing that really counts is results. Here are the numbers: If you are calling to schedule meetings, in a given time frame how many times do you dial the telephone? How many decision-makers do you reach during that time? And how many appointments do you schedule? Your feelings don’t count.

Some words are stronger than other words, some phrases are more persuasive. Some words or phrases are more powerful, more evocative, better selling words than others. If you say something to a prospect that works to get the result that you wantwhy would you ever want to say anything else? If what you are doing does not get the result you want then you have to tweak your approach until you get a better result.

It’s easy to recognize what works and what doesn’tcount and keep records. Keep records of the number of times you dial the phone, the number of decision-makers you reach and the number of appointments you schedule. If you are scheduling one meeting without of every three or four decision-makers with whom you speak, you are doing fine. Keep doing exactly what you are doing. If you are not scheduling that number of meetings, find better words and phrases with which to entice your prospects. Track your results. You will quickly be able to figure out what works and what does not. Once you know what workskeep doing the same thingit works!

Every conversation is not different. The reality is that most conversations with most prospects are very much the same. When asking for a meeting, most prospects respond: “I have a vendor,” “Send a brochure,” “I’m too busy” or “I’m not interested.” You need a response to each of these objections and you need a response that works. Once you find a response that worksnote it down and keep using it. It works. (For a complete listing of objections and effective answers see “Cold Calling for Women: Opening Doors & Closing Sales,” Chapter 12, page 121, “Specific Answers to Specific Objections” or “Cold Calling College,” Module 3. To order visit: http://www.wendyweiss.com.)

Great actors have the ability to work with scripts and make them lifelike every time. You can do this too. It takes some concentration. Part of what makes great dancers great is the discipline and concentration to start at the beginning, follow through and continue to do what works. Great sales people are great because they have the ability to plan, think strategically, discover what works and then they have the concentration and discipline to follow through and continue doing what works.

Where do you fit in? Only you can decide.

© 2005 Wendy Weiss

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

Imagine…you inquire about a product. The salesperson does everything right. Says the rights words, emphasis the benefits of the product — everything right. And you hesitate but you do not know why. You just aren’t “sure.” And you respond, “I’ll think about it.” Then you talk with another salesperson that says the same things, uses the same languaging, and does everything else right, until towards the end. Then they get honest with you and tell you the weaknesses of the product. Then you buy.

Works every time. Why? Because the old adage “if it’s too good to be true, then it usually is” is a skepticism that has been planted in everyone’s mind for generations. Don’t think you’re kidding the prospects they know the weaknesses. Be up front, let the honesty out, it is a quality people are looking for today. They are tired of being scammed. Yes. Honesty does sell!

Let’s continue on how you can use this to your marketing advantage.

First, write down all the weaknesses of the product or service. Ask others for help with this. It is easy for people to find the weakness first, so do not hide it. If you offer a service, look for those weaknesses as well.

Second, is to show those weaknesses in your communications. It illustrates that you know the weaknesses and how you have thought them through. It shows that you are not hiding anything. The consumer can then make an honest evaluation for himself or herself. It also provides them with the language they will need when they need to justify their purchase with their spouse, friends or family members.

If you are a consultant that provides strategic planning, your weaknesses might be: It takes time and patience to plan. They will need to expand their thinking and change the way they are doing things. These could be a few. Strategic planning is not fool proof.

If you are a coach that offers only telephone coaching, some of the weaknesses could be: There isn’t any visual or in- person contact. Coaching as a service assumes that people want to change.

It is easy to say the weakness and have your mind quickly go to the positive off side. Be at peace with the weaknesses. Allow them to be “okay.” Don’t take them personally as a flaw in yourself because the weaknesses are in the service or product. They would be the same for you or for anyone else presenting that exact service.

The big advantage to knowing what your flaws are is then you can create a plan on how to respond when people point them out — and they will. You will be able to handle these better and not feel like someone is attacking you. They just want the answers on how to get around the weaknesses. And everything has weaknesses.

People are persuaded to buy when you intentionally expose the weakness of your product or service. Marketers rarely do this, they usually only show the benefits. Only showing the benefits side of things is the stance of selling on the Internet. It is refreshing when you see honesty come through.

If you are up to being different and increasing your sales, find the weaknesses (I said “the” not “your”), talk about it frankly in your marketing communications. Indicate in insignificance of the weakness and how it doesn’t outweigh the strengths.

The results — you will come across as strong because you have been up front and honest with the weaknesses. A great character strength to have, wouldn’t you say?

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

The wisdom of sales is best summed up by Nike, “Just do it”. Too many salespeople including myself will focus on developing a perfect sales plan before they make the first call. To often the perfect letter never reaches the client because it isn’t mailed. The sales call isn’t made because the salesperson doesn’t know the exact words to say.

I write this article today without my proof readers’ approval. It will have some grammatical mistakes but it will reach the point on time and be on the digital highway. Why, because I just did it.

One of the best mailers I ever sent was hand written on torn card board. It wasn’t fancy but it had a huge response. The message stood out from anything else on my prospects desk. If I had waited until my message was professionally printed and perfect, I wouldn’t have sold anything that month.

The First Lesson of Sales - Do It with Attitude
As a student of sales and considered an expert at creating sales programs and sales action plans for sales organizations, nothing happens until someone sells something. The salesperson with a positive attitude and a passion for what they are doing will always sell something. If you don’t have the perfect words or know exactly what to say, don’t sweat it. The important thing to have is the right attitude for helping clients with their problems. Use this attitude and sell them on a solution that improves their results. Good Selling.

Steve Martinez is the founder and CSO (Chief Sales Officer) with Selling Magic. The Business Development company is sales oriented and a CRM pioneer in automating and customizing ACT or Outlook with the best practices of sales management for increased sales. http://www.sellingmagic.com

There are a good deal of logical reasons why you might require a shed and luckily there are cheap garden sheds to match just about every last requirement. Sheds may be purchased just about everyplace but what you will notice is the price will change tremendously. You should not have to forego the shed you wish because it is excessively pricey though. A shed is something you purchase once and use for a long time and if you take a look on-line you can discover Sheds at some pretty silly prices. I do not mean cheap and silly as in quality but as in cost. You may find you can get the garden shed you want for the price of the one you were close to settle for very much cheaper and if you have a garden that you tend to every day you will almost likely want to look into a wooden garden shed as a space to place the fertilizer, tools and water hose and so forth.

Looking after your garden tools and making them well available is a very good idea. You can find sheds on the internet that are the identical sheds you’d purchase in the store. In fact, you can go to the garden store and shop even touch them to find if it’s what you require then you can go on-line and purchase it for a lot lower price. The difference in price is sizeable!

Leather coats are in all the time. They are a fashion statement in its own sense and have all gotten to wear one or bought one at one point or another. I bought my first coat when I was only a teenager after working very hard for it. I remember that it took me about one year to finally get to afford it and really saving every single penny I got from my parents and doing some extra chores will getting paid. I remember walking out of that store I could not stop smiling, and better yet the first day I wore it, I felt like I owned the world. There was no other single girl that could feel better than me that day.

Owning a leather coat gives you status it really does make you feel like a movie star. After all, the great stars of Hollywood all were made famous wearing a black leather coat. Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marlon Brandon, and from our age Brad Pitt. My favorite being Sarah Jessica Parker in her famous city show. Of course I don’t look half as good as she does, but will soon with the help of Acceletrim, the weight loss system.

No matter what type of fashion sense you have or even if you don’t it is highly recommended that you have a black leather coat, they always come in handy and make you look like a million bucks.

Planning is critical if you want your sales team to achieve a high level of success, so if your salespeople are failing to plan, then they are planning to fail or at best underachieve.

Salespeople often overlook the planning stage because they find it difficult or don’t see an immediate benefit to themselves however if they continue to do more of the same they will get less of the same.

If you think of developing a sales plan in the same way you might think about climbing a mountain, the purpose and advantages of planning become clearer.

When you start up the mountain you never know what to expect, sudden change in weather, lost or broken equipment, mistakes in maps, an injury. Planning for these eventualities will allow you to deal with them and still reach your objective in spite of temporary setbacks. On the other hand, lack of planning can spell disaster.

The more careful the planning, the more likely problems will be anticipated and not allowed to interfere with your ultimate sales objectives.

Sales Performance & Effectiveness

There are ONLY three (3) ways to improve your sales team’s personal sales performance: 1. Increase the value of their prospects by cross or up-selling; 2. Work harder; or 3. Increase their sales effectiveness

The key to increasing your sales team’s effectiveness is for them to spend more of their valuable time with prospects who are truly predisposed to buy from them.

Why Plan?

Selling is and always will be challenging, but through effective planning your sales team will be able to find more prospects who are truly predisposed to buy from them. Developing a well researched & thought out plan will enable each salesperson to achieve improved and repeatable sales results.

Planning

The first part of the planning process involves learning from the company’s sales history. Much can be learned by documenting past wins along with the associated problems that were solved in a simple reference template. Previous sales wins always provide a trail of valuable clues to lead salespeople to future success.

The second and most important aspect of the planning process focuses on drilling down to uncover ALL of the Tangible & In-Tangible Added Value that your product, service or solution provides. By empowering salespeople with this knowledge, they can offer real business benefits to Approvers - the individuals who matter the most!

The third and final part involves documenting Advantages Features & Functions. It is not always possible for salespeople to initially gain access to an Approver in a complex sale; therefore it is important to have a clear understanding of each of the remaining member’s specific interests within the Decision Making Unit (DMU). All of the valuable information gathered during the planning stage can also greatly assist with the creation of attention grabbing written marketing material.

Summary

Fail to plan and you plan to fail; make your sales team the exception to the rule - plan, assess and plan some more. You MUST have a clear goal and a well defined methodology for getting there. Ensure that each member of your sales team is investing the necessary time to produce a well thought out sales plan that will result in them spending more of their valuable time with prospects who are truly predisposed to buy from them.

To learn more about Deakon and how we can help your sales team, please visit our website at http://www.deakon.com.au

If your items aren’t selling, then you might have a bad pricing strategy. There as many pricing strategies in the world as there are buyers - if you look at two businesses selling the same thing, often the only difference you’ll be able to find between them is pricing.

The ‘Few Dollars More’ Strategy.

Here’s something you might not have thought of. If you set your auction’s starting price to what you would usually charge for Buy it Now, while setting the Buy it Now price a few dollars above, you can make a profit by setting off an interesting psychological reaction in the buyer’s mind.

Here’s what they’ll think. They want the item, but why should they bother bidding for it? After all, they could use Buy it Now for just a few dollars more, and be sure of getting it! Doing things this way makes the value of the Buy it Now option extra clear to the buyer, and makes them more willing to pay extra for the privilege.

The ‘One Dollar Less’ Strategy.

This is simple, but requires you to keep an eagle eye on your competition. As soon as they start a Buy it Now auction for an item you stock, start an auction for one of those items yourself. Match the title closely, but price your item one dollar less than theirs. This will mean that your auctions will sit together in the search results, and who’s going to see both and go for the one that’s a dollar more expensive?

The ‘Free Shipping’ Strategy.

Buyers really hate paying for shipping. With Buy it Now, you might find it easier to incorporate the shipping cost into the main price of the item, and then write “free shipping” in the auction’s title. You’d be surprised how many buyers would prefer to pay one price including shipping for the auction, instead of having shipping added on at the checkout. Again, this is psychological: they pay the same at the end, but it doesn’t feel like they’ve paid an unnecessary ‘extra’ cost for Internet shopping.

The ‘Go for It’ Strategy.

If you’d like a slightly more risky strategy, try this. List your item for the maximum duration (ten days), starting the listing on a Thursday so it goes across two weekends and finishes on a Sunday. Set the starting price to the minimum (one cent).

What you’re trying to do here is give bidders as long as possible to discover your auction, so that they push the price up themselves. Pay for a few upgrades like bold and highlight, to give them a helping hand. If you do this right, you can make a much bigger profit than you would have with any Buy it Now price, especially with a medium or high value item.

“Even when interest rates are high, it would take a very large amount of money to make the interest a significant incentive. We advise consumers that savings should be an integral part of most people’s finances, since they provide a financial ’safety net’ that can be a lifeline if any financial emergencies arise.

“The only situation in which savings should not be a high priority is if the consumer is struggling to repay debts. Debt repayments should always be top priority, since debts often grow a lot more quickly than savings do. The long-term consequences of not repaying debt also tend to outweigh the benefits of saving.”

The spokesperson added that anyone in trouble with their debts should speak to their lenders, as well as a professional debt adviser, in order to discuss their options.

“In many cases, lenders will agree alternative repayment plans, or brief repayment holidays, to let the borrower get their finances back on track,” she said. “If that doesn’t solve the problem, then it may be time to speak to an expert debt adviser for a more specific debt solution.

“There are a number of ways borrowers can manage their debts, such as a debt management plan, debt consolidation loan or an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement). Getting debt help from an expert adviser can help borrowers to establish the best debt solution for their needs.”

Gregory Pennington offer debt management plans as well as a range of other debt solutions. If you are worried about debt, contact one of our expert debt advisers now.