Posts Tagged ‘family’
Remodeling Online
Remodeling Plans
Making remodeling plans for a house helps you to ensure that your home meets all your needs. It also adds value to your home in the long term. After all, you will spend at least half your working life paying off the first mortgage on your house-by making remodeling plans, you ensure that your home evolves with the changes in your lifestyle and add value to the property.
When you want to improve or remodel your home, you cannot afford to proceed in a haphazard manner-you need to make a plan and adhere to it. For instance, you might find it troublesome to get your house painted every few years. Maybe you should get information on and try out Total Remodeling’s System 2000 and Elite siding systems, which include energy-saving options. You can consult with our designers at Total Remodeling to select the best color combinations in sidings and trims.
What if you find that the windows and doors in your home need to be changed? You need to create a remodeling plan with our experts at Total Remodeling and select doors and windows to maximize security and energy savings. Suppose you have a large basement, which needs to be waterproofed. You could create a remodeling plan with our experts at Total Remodeling to not only waterproof the basement, but also install an electric floor warming system and create a home entertainment center.
Within 10 or 15 years of purchasing your house, you may find that the wiring and pipes need to be replaced. Our designers and contractors at Total Remodeling can help you get new pipes and wires installed.
As your family grows, you will need to add more rooms, and as each child leaves home, you will need to change the use of various spaces in your home. You will need to make remodeling plans with our experts at Total Remodeling to build more rooms in your home and change the use of existing spaces. At Total Remodeling, we can supervise the work to be done for your home and co-ordinate with several contractors and designers.
You can add more value to your home by converting the master bathroom into a health spa and by changing the tiling, cabinetry, and sinks in the bathrooms and kitchen. You can also make your bathrooms and kitchen more comfortable in the winters by installing an electrical floor warming system, controlled with a thermostat.
Dan Noyes
Marketing Head
The Man Who Loved Jail
Around my twentieth birthday life became a series of incredible events. Perhaps in retrospect it has never ended. I was living on my own with other guys in houses where partying was the rule and bars were meant to be closed. I had started reading Eastern mysticism and was heavy into music after years of boredom in school. It seemed like the world was much more interesting in every aspect of life’s potentials. I wasn’t making much money as an apprentice accountant but I was getting lots of parking tickets. I had just met a woman seven years my senior by the name of Myrna, when I went to the Don Jail for my second visit that year. The policeman asked me if I’d like him to take me in Friday late, so they would have to let me out the same night.
“No, I loved it the last time. I learned more in two days in jail than a whole year in school. But thanks a lot; I do appreciate your kindness.”
“You are definitely different!”
“So are you!”
Myrna had gone to California to spend three weeks vacation with a Salvation Army Major friend of hers and their family. We had not really made love and her divorce was being finalized, so I had time on my hands. The week before I went to jail, a really freaky thing happened when I went to a party in Clarkson. It was a hundred miles from Myrna’s home in Bay Ridges. I had been at her Bay Ridges home with her before she moved. I walked into this bachelor pad and saw Myrna’s collage hanging on the wall. I pointed to it and told my friend Joe; “That looks just like Myrna’s.”
Under the picture was seated a man who gave me a glare and I suddenly realized it was her husband Jim. She had told me he was a violent man and that she had been afraid he might use his shotgun if he had caught us when we were at her house. It was such a co-incidence I couldn’t believe it. I went to Barry Cunningham who was living there and he started to tell me about it before I even asked.
“Does he know?” I asked before deciding to stay.
“Not yet. He is a bit of a hot head? This is pretty ‘far out’, eh Bob? He’ll never believe a kid like you is with Myrna. Frankly it is a little hard for the rest of us to figure out too.”
Barry enjoyed making fun of me, but never really believed anything I said, so I had learned to smile and shine him on.
My first time in jail had included frank discussions with some very diverse people. The prison was totally full and I was put in the hospital ward with 31 other people. One of them was on his way to the ‘big house’ for his second murder. Another was a professional thief in his early forties who had spent most of his life in prison, but enjoyed it. He was extremely fit and worked out all the time in prison. His philosophy was he could steal a lot of money when he was out, and take good care of his family who had a nice home. With no education and free food and board in jail every couple of years he thought he was doing better than most. He never hurt anyone and figured the people he stole from had insurance. Another man discussed how he had turned into a homosexual because he wasn’t able to handle the pressure of pleasing a woman. I told him that it sure would be good if sexual dynamics were taught to everyone. My own experience was close to non-existent but I knew I would be a good lover. However, Myrna had told me on the night she left when I tried to please her that I hadn’t succeeded. She was averse to cunnilingus and I was certain it would get better, but I couldn’t really help him out. Everyone loved to tell me their life stories and this perturbed a younger guy who was in for two months on a drug possession charge. He was the ward trusty and had a knife. He came at me brandishing the knife while the other guys were teaching me bridge.
The murderer stood up and glowered at the thin young man as he advanced towards me. “You! Stay in the corner or lose your life!”
It was amusing to see this man who was older than me cower and shiver in the corner until dinner. He never really recovered during the rest of the time I was there. Another man who no one ever talked to was kept drugged. He was a big black person with muscles like a football player. His case was something everyone else talked about though.
It had taken nine guards to subdue him one time when he was conscious. I was told he threw them off his back like they were little kids. His mind apparently operated in a high hormone state. He also was a sleepwalker. Late on the first day, a man was brought in to the ward who had just returned from Venezuela. He had loaned his car to a friend who had left him with about $400 worth of tickets. He was a professional man who feared everyone else there and stuck close to me. I was about six foot and two hundred and ten pounds with a good physique. His reasons were numerous, and fear would have been his companion regardless of where he was. He stayed on the bunk above me. As we went to sleep the black man got up and came directly to him. I think fear is something animals and people alike can sense. When I woke just before sun-up the man who had been in the bunk above me was gone. Everyone had a good laugh thinking about how he had rattled the bars and paid his way out, rather than deal with the sleepwalker who was reportedly gay.
The second time I was in the ‘Don’ turned out to be one of the most important events in my life. I was shown into a cell with about twelve single beds and no bunk beds. The prison pipes were alive with the news of my return. It is nice to be remembered but sad that so many people find it necessary to spend so much time in jail. The truth is that jail is safer than the shelters and more interesting than the group homes. Stealing something for throwing a brick through a store window and taking something you need often doesn’t result in jail. Sometimes it leads to having money to get drunk with your friends or better things. They don’t seek to put drugs down your throat or alienate you with religious dogma and/or analyze you to see if they can make you part of a drug program that removes your libido and zest for life either. Some prisoners and ’street people’ are actually smart enough to see that this benefits some rich drug pushers in the psychiatric and drug complex too.
I found that people in jail like to be treated with respect and know that their opinion is valued and they can teach smart young ‘yuppies’ too. If there is one key word in relationships, I was learning that might be RESPECT! No one tries to force someone to do something they don’t want to do when they share respect, I think. It made me learn a lot about sales and how to become close to new people as well. Fear was definitely the opposite ingredient. I don’t know how many people in the supposed real world have as high an ethical or ‘brotherhood’ component as these friends I made in jail. I even began to wonder if I was in the ‘big house’ whether I would be able to charm enough people to make it so that I wouldn’t have had to offer up my anal virginity or worse. Fortunately my life hasn’t made this point clear to me yet.
As I walked to the bed that was to be mine I noticed a book on the floor. It was a compendium of existentialist authors! Sometimes I would answer the often asked question ‘What religion are you?’ with the high sounding phrase ‘I’m a French Atheistical Existentialist.’ during this time in my life. I definitely wasn’t into some man-made or projected GOD! They call this anthropomorphing in some academic circles. I was surprised to see this book along with some other intellectual books on the floor of the bed next to the late twenties man who looked a lot like Cat Stevens.
“Are you reading this?” I asked after I settled on my bed.
“Just refreshing myself. I’ve read it two or three times before.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Fifteen days.”
“What for?” I asked with genuine interest.
“It doesn’t matter really. Let’s just say they called it assault.” I sensed it might have been a female/male conflict and knew he didn’t want to talk about it.
“So what is a clean cut looking military man like you doing in jail? I thought the cops liked to give their own a break.”
“I am an officer in the Militia and an accountant but I don’t do the army thing anymore. I kinda wish I could let my hair down like you. I’m a hippie at heart.”
“Followers and flower children in the most part. Just do what makes sense; it’ll stand you in good stead.” The late twenties or early thirties man that I was drawn to, said wisely.
“Yes, I certainly do that. I like Sartre’s saying ‘Love is absent space.” He didn’t respond and I really wanted him to talk with me. “So, you’ve led a very interesting life, haven’t you?”
“They want you at the bars. Who are you? I heard something on the pipes that sounded like ‘the guy who loves jail is back’; is that you?”
I went to the bars at the front of the cell and talked to an older guy who had been in the hospital ward a couple of months earlier. I barely remembered having talked to him, but he was the retired guy who would throw a brick through a store window and sometimes wait for the police to bring him to jail. He told me that about seven people I knew who were back in jail. They wanted me to know they remembered me. I thanked him heartily and shook his hand through the bars with both of mine. I told him to thank the other people for their having remembered me and that I could have avoided jail by doing what the cop had offered. He knew that the others would like the fact that I valued what I had learned and experienced that much. As I walked back to my bed I smiled a lot. I knew I had made the right decision to let life bring me whatever was waiting for me, it felt like another good thing was about to happen.
“So, my name is Bob Baird. I’m here for the weekend and yes, I am the guy who loves jail. I don’t believe in paying parking tickets for unmarked zones, and there is no other place to park near where I have lived. More illegal taxation without representation.”
“Maybe we should have another tea party?
“Are you from the States?”
“No. But I spend a lot of time there. I am an actor and writer.”
“What’s your name?”
“I use different names. Kyle Edwards or Ed Kyle – Whatever you like!”
“Kyle. I like that! So you are a writer. I’ve written some thoughts about the dimensions of energy that surround us and even a sort of journal/biography but I know I can do a lot better.”
“It is a real craft that requires a lot of dedication and a tough skin to handle all the rejection. I’m working on one right now, in my head.”
It was fifteen minutes later that I realized I had been working on his book with him. He said very little and listened with no particular sense of amazement that I was reading his mind. I had read all there was on ESP and parapsychology but still didn’t accept it was a fact without personal experience. It was a watershed event for me.
“Say Kyle why don’t you read my mind. I’ve almost finished your book. Can you do that too?”
“Sure, it just takes a little trust and willingness to make a mistake now and then.”
He waited for a minute then began to give me advice on sex and my relationship with Myrna. It was very specific and somewhat embarrassing for him to know how inexperienced I was. That would have been enough to say that my trip to jail had been better than the last time. Much more was to transpire as a result of Kyle and his influence. It is only recently that I have a better idea of the extent of it. That is thirty years of thought. I hope the reader takes a little less time to accept the possibility of these things. However, I expect some people will reject the possibility or be left saying the same things I had said before this ESP event. I need to experience it myself!
That kind of skepticism is fine, if the mind doesn’t seize up and deny its’ powers of observation and relationship with the soul. Before I say what it was that makes this such an important event in my whole life let me tell you some more about Kyle; who I stuck to like a leech the whole time I was there that weekend. He didn’t want to tell me how to get in touch with him after I left. I am sure he was a little worn out by my enthusiastic pursuit of his wisdom. Some of what he told me was too incredible to put my mind around. Don’t be afraid to admit you feel the same way, and yet don’t close the mind to the possibility. That is all I have asked the thousands of people I have shared this event with over the last thirty years. Kyle had been a paraplegic at the age of five. One day in his Quebec home with his nurse in attendance, a fire truck went by.
“Kyle look it’s a fire reel!”
He rose from his wheelchair to her absolute surprise. Later at the age of eight or nine years old he participated in the Canadian National Diving Championships. He won the junior and intermediate title and was allowed to compete with the seniors. In the process of this competition he banged his head on the platform. The X-rays showed that he was a paraplegic, the doctor ordered a new set and they maintained a close scrutiny to ensure no further foul up happened. The new X-rays were identical. Kyle never graduated from high school yet he became a teacher in the prairies. He was an animal trainer and his description of his ability to relate with animals was something I had read about and Crocodile Dundee did with animals in the movie which came out two or so decades later. This is the key ingredient in the rest of this story. I guess that sounds a little like the radio host Paul Harvey.
When I left the ‘Don’, I saw a cat near the sidewalk ahead of me. It was an orange and white tabby that didn’t move out of my way nor did it come for rubs from my outstretched hand. It winked at me with one eye and I received a flash of enlightenment. The knowledge of what exists in the lowest form of life is ruled by the same principles and rules that impact the more complex creatures. Knowledge is not comprised of words or logical constructs and when fully integrated it appears quite simple. That is the nature of principles. Seeing or feeling the white light in Yoga has an element of this, as does the Near Death Experience. This was more than that!
In a mere fifteen seconds my head was filled. I may only have been able to incorporate a small portion of what it offered yet it seemed almost to be the kind of divine illumination that many ecstatic religions report. It was something I pondered upon for many years. My current attitude about it is that it was not the level of knowledge that I would have gotten at the most complex level of life, but rather one or more steps beneath that. James Redfield’s book the Celestine Prophecy told a nice story that incorporates the knowledge of the Enneagrams. Around the early 1920’s Jesuit priests brought this knowledge out of Persia. It is probably related to the Magi of Zoroaster and the three wise men of the Bible.
Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest ‘expert’ at World-Mysteries.com
Goalsetting – How to Easily Set and Get Your Goals
Which of the following changes to your life do you want to make to your life this year?
- To have a slim and trim body?
- Find a stimulating job
- Take up a sport or hobby
- Buy your dream home
- Travel to an exotic destination
- Have more time with your family
- Establish your own business
- Double your income
- Become involved in the community
- Develop your creativity
- Improve your skills
- Create a plan for your financial future
- Have more fun.
- Enhance your current relationship or find a new partner.
- All of the above
To help you channel your energy into achieving this year’s goals, here are some practical ways to get you started. After all, there is no reason why you shouldn’t start immediately, is there?
Goalsetting – Getting Started
Write a list of what you want to achieve this year.
Make sure what you’ve written down is specific, measurable and attainable. Eg. Lose 5 kgs by 30th April.
Write no. 1 against the most important goal. Write no. 2 against the next most important goal.
Continue numbering the rest of the goals.
Look at the goal with no. 1 next to it. ie. Lose 5 kilos. Start a separate list with the heading Lose 5 kilos by 30th April.
Write down the action steps you need to take to achieve this goal:
- Join gym
- Decide which specific days and times you will attend
- Purchase gym gear
- See nutritionist
Enter the action steps into your diary/electronic organiser on the day/s you will do these:
- Jan 15th – join gym
- Jan 16th – book nutritionist
- Attend gym Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 6.00 a.m.
Ensure when you book time for yourself in your diary you treat it as a top priority. Unless there is an earthquake or equally devastating disaster occurring, keep that time sacred.
To ensure your goalsetting is successful, it is imperative to write your goals first and then plan the appropriate steps to take in your diary. Otherwise your goals could end up being wishful thinking!
Goal/Dream Chart
Having visual reminders is a valuable part of the goalsetting process. It’s a great way to prompt and keep you motivated to follow through. Cut out a picture of the body you’d like to have from a magazine and stick a photo of your head on top of it. Alternatively if you want to recapture the way you were some time ago, find an old photo of yourself. You can place these on your desktop, car dashboard and the fridge at home.
Do this for your other goals (minus the head). In fact having a dream chart with pictures or words of the things you want to achieve is a great stimulus for your sub-conscious mind. Sticking these reminders onto green paper is even more effective. I have one of these in my office and guess what? It actually works!
Action Is The Key
Once you’ve identified what you want, written it down, planned when you will take action and done your goal/dream chart, nothing will happen unless you get off your butt and take action towards those goals.
Avoid the ‘Too Much Too Soon’ Syndrome
Often people try making many changes at once then get disillusioned because there are too many things to do and just give up. If you’ve done this in the past, tackle one goal at a time. If you really have difficulty going it alone, you may benefit from using the services of a life coach like myself who will keep you on track.
Dare to Fail
In Billi Lim’s bestselling book “Dare to Fail” he shares the following story:
A woman once walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch.
“I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look”, she said. “What’s the secret for a long happy life?’
“I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day’, he said. “I also drink a case of whisky a week, eat fatty foods and never exercise.”
“That’s amazing, the woman said. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-six”, he said.
The Final Word On Goalsetting
You too can achieve your goals if you really want to. The goals you set must fit in with your values. For instance if you really value your health and well-being (and you should?you’re no good to anyone if you’re sick or even worse?dead,) then it will be easier for you to take action around this area.
Goalsetting is an ongoing process. Plan and get off your butt now to achieve what you want in your life otherwise you could get stuck in the usual rut and before you know it, another year has passed by.
Take action today!
About The Author
Lorraine Pirihi is Australia’s Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including “How to Survive and Thrive at Work!”
To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au
This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it’s entirety, including the author’s bio and all links. For further information please contact Lorraine Pirihi, lorraine@office-organiser.com.au
Planning To Work Abroad
Working abroad can be an exciting, rewarding and horizon broadening experience; and if you take the time to plan ahead carefully before you go, you will make your transition into the overseas work place a smooth and successful one.
So, if you’re considering relocating overseas to take up a temporary assignment or you’d like to move abroad permanently and find work there are basically three main aspects of expatriation that you need to think about before you make your move and this article examines them for you.
1) Location
Unless you’re being relocated by your employer to a fixed location you will quickly discover that it’s a big wide world and you therefore have a great deal of choice when considering which country best suits your lifestyle and employment requirements. In an effort to narrow down your search a little consider any country you’re interested in in view of the following considerations: -
i) The location’s distance from your home country and your family and friends ? remember that there will be times you want or need to return home and/or to catch up with old faces. How easy and affordable will it be for you to go ‘back home’ should the need arise and how simple will it be for your friends and family to come and visit you?
ii) The weather ? some countries are more or less hospitable in weather terms and someone who originally heralds from Tropical North Queensland may find it a struggle to cope with the wet, grey winters in England for instance and someone from Canada may find is a shock coping with the searing summer temperatures in Spain. Thinking about your ideal overseas location from a weather perspective may well cut down your choices!
iii) Your family ? particularly if you’re expatriating with children you’ll need to think carefully about the healthcare and education facilities available overseas and also about getting your essential insurances in place before you go. Some countries are more expensive and restrictive than others?bear this in mind.
iv) Language barriers ? if you’re considering moving to a country where the mother tongue is other than your own will this restrict your employment prospects? Can you overcome this by learning the language before you go or do you need to reconsider your destination?
2) Employment
Are you a professional in a given industry or do you have a flexible skill set that will allow you to seek work in many different sectors? Do your qualifications translate favourably and transfer directly overseas? What sectors would you like to work in, in which countries can you find work in a profession that suits you?
These are all questions you have to consider carefully. Next, if you’re moving overseas permanently you need to be practical and realistic and consider the long term employment prospects for you, your spouse and any other family members accompanying you?if you can find employment today how easy will it be to change employer or advance your career later in life?
You should then examine your desired location carefully and determine whether or not you need work permits, residency visas and permission to work and live abroad, if so you should get the ball rolling and apply as soon as possible in case of any paperwork and administrative delays.
Also consider the taxation and financial aspects of working abroad?remember that if you’re moving to a low cost country the economy will likely pay lower wages than you’re used to, will these be sufficient to sustain your ideal lifestyle?
3) Accommodation
Last but not least is the thought of finding somewhere to live abroad. By now you’ll have a clear favourite in the location stakes but now you need to examine the property market and whether it’s easy and affordable to rent accommodation when you first arrive and whether, long term, it’s possible for foreign residents to purchase freehold property abroad.
If you’re planning on moving abroad permanently you’ll also need to think about moving your household belongings and personal effects with you, and what about transporting your pets overseas too?
There are many relocation companies who specialise in relocating individuals and families abroad, these companies have a fantastic skills base to assist you with every single aspect of the process. If on the other hand you’re on a budget or looking to work abroad for a shorter period of time use the internet to find forums and information sites dedicated to expats, working abroad and the particular countries you’re interested in and you’ll quickly be amazed at the wealth of invaluable information out there.
Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer based in Cyprus whose many articles about living and working abroad have appeared in expatriate publications around the world. Visit this link to read her latest articles about: North Cyprus
How to Boost Conversion Rates, While Lowering Merchant Account Fees!
Using an Address Verification System (AVS) when processing your online credit card transactions can help to reduce the number of fraudulent transactions you receive. However, most online merchants don’t know that using AVS can also reduce your number of legitimate orders.
Using AVS can hurt your conversion rates in two main ways.
1. If you set your AVS rules to reject all transactions that do not match both street address and zip code, you may be loosing legitimate sales from customers who do not understand that the billing address needs to match the address that their credit card statement is mailed to.
2. The more troublesome problem with AVS occurs when your customer has recently moved. Even if you update your billing address with your credit card company after you move, it can take up to 6 months or longer for them to update the AVS database with your new information (even though they make sure that the bill arrives at the right address!)
The worst part about this delay is that often customers will blame the merchant if their card gets rejected for this reason. If their credit card bill arrives at the right address, they assume that their credit card company updated their information. When a card that they know should work gets rejected by your website, they often become angry with you, not their card provider!
This happened to me recently. I moved my family into a larger home over eight months ago and the debit card that I use for most of my online purchases still gets rejected unless I use my old billing address, even though the bank statement has come to our new address from day one!
The solution to the first problem is quite easy. Simply make sure that you use a statement near your “Billing Address” fields telling your customers something along the lines of, “To speed processing of your order, please ensure your billing address matches the address on your credit card statement.”
Include this type of statement near your “Billing Address” fields and your AVS matches will improve.
In markets with historically low attempted fraud rates, you can also try loosening your AVS rules a bit. Most AVS systems check both the number in the street address and the zip code. By setting your AVS rules to accept transactions that match for only one of the two AVS numbers, but still rejecting transactions that do not match for both, you can improve the number of successful transactions. If you attempted fraud rate is very low you can even try accepting transactions that fail both AVS checks, but flag the transactions for additional follow up before shipping.
Before loosening your AVS rules, you need to understand that most merchant account providers classify transactions that do not match for both street address and zip code as “non-qualified” transactions. These transactions usually get charged a higher discount rate than your normal discount rate. Depending on you merchant account agreement this penalty can add up to an additional 2% above your normal discount rate, so check with your merchant account provider before accepting “no match” transactions.
The solution to the second problem take a little bit more work to implement, however it can significantly reduce the number of AVS mismatches you receive. For this solution you can keep your AVS system set to reject “no match” transactions, however you need to modify your “Card Rejected” error page to include a brief educational statement, such as the one below.
“We’re sorry, your credit card has been declined. This can happen for several reasons. Your billing address* should match the address on your credit card statement. Please check your billing address, card number and expiration date and try again.
*NOTE: If you have recently moved, your credit card company may not have updated your billing address in their Address Verification Database. It can take up to 6 months or longer for some credit card companies to update your address, even if they send your bill to your new address. If you have recently moved, try using your previous billing address when you check out.”
By making just a few changes in the way you use AVS at your web site and by educating your customers about address verification, you can boost your conversion rates and sales, while lowering your merchant account fees!
Copyright 2004 Eric Graham
About The Author
Eric Graham is the owner and CEO of several successful online and offline businesses. Recognized as one of the top authorities on eCommerce and Internet Marketing, Eric is a sought after speaker and consultant. To boost YOUR conversion rates and gain an unfair advantage over your competition visit www.web-site-evaluations.com.
Finding the Right Insurance
No matter what type of insurance it is, they are all important for us. Insurance helps us to secure our life when something bad happens to us unexpectedly. It helps us to overcome the emergency situation.
Therefore, if you don’t have any insurance right now, you’d better start searching for the right insurance for you. The accident insurance is probably not as famous as life insurance. But this insurance is very important to provide financial protected to you and your family when the unexpected bad thing happens to you. Of course we never pray for this thing happens to us, but there’s nothing wrong to be prepared since now. Find the best accident insurance by visiting Guardianinsurance.com.au. This website also offers income insurance that will protect your income. This insurance will secure your life when suddenly you experience loss of income because of certain reason, such as sickness or injury. It is also possible for you to find the excellent life insurance Australia at this website. This website also provides an instant quote online. Simply click this website if you want to request quick quote.
For more information about any kinds of insurance, just click this website. You can also request a call if you have any questions to ask.
How to Build Benefits from Features Fast and Easy with the Solution Approach
Every salesperson and fledgling copywriter hears the harangue: DON’T SELL the FEATURES of a product ? SELL the BENEFITS those features bring!!!
The concept’s important but it confuses a lot of people. Many sellers don’t understand how to build a benefit from a feature. Back when I was first learning to write sales copy, I didn’t know how myself. I just knew it was critical I figure it out.
Finally I realized what the problem was. You can’t get there from here. You don’t actually turn a feature into a benefit. You have to approach it from a different point ? the solution approach.
Here’s the full process?
When you’re looking for the benefit, don’t start by focusing on the feature. Instead figure out the problem the feature is supposed to solve. Then, determine what solving that problem could MEAN to the prospect. This payoff ? what the solution means to the prospect – is really all a benefit is.
Here’s an example…
Product: Car
Feature: Cruise Control that automatically maintains a set speed without the constant pressure of your foot on the gas pedal.
One Problem it solves: lets you maintain speed limit without constant attention
What the solution means to the prospect: Maintaining the speed limit means you avoid breaking the law which means you avoid getting a ticket which means you avoid higher insurance premiums. Here’s a benefit headline that naturally flows from the Payoff we found in our example:
Avoid Speeding Tickets and the Higher Insurance Premiums They Cause
Cruise Control solves another problem too: the driver’s leg doesn’t tire from having to maintain a fixed position to keep the accelerator pressed
What the solution means to the prospect: Avoiding the tiredness of a fixed position means you arrive fresher and ready to enjoy your destination which means your companions or family enjoy your company more.
And here’s a benefit-based lead we could write from this solution:
Face it. It’s not much fun for your family when you finally arrive at Disney but you’re grumpier than an old bear with a bad back. After all, you probably feel about the same as if you spent every winter scrunched up in the same position.
It’s not your fault. Driving is naturally tiring when you have to sit in exactly the same position for hundreds of miles at a time. Your gas-pedal foot is frozen, your leg is paralyzed. You can’t help stiffening up and getting achy. WHO WOULDN’T BE GRUMPY?
Good news. You wouldn’t be ? not if you had Easy-Street-O-Matic Cruise Control. Not anymore.
Just imagine. Driving in complete comfort, able to shift in your seat any time to get a more relaxed position. It’s okay to move that leg around. It’s safe!
Now when you reach Disney, you’ll be first to bound out of the car. The kids will have to run to keep up. They won’t believe their new Dad!
(Yes, I know this tongue-in-cheek example is pushing the bounds of credibility slightly. But it makes the point. Find the solution that a feature offers and then figure out what that means to your prospect. There’s your benefit.)
Here’s another example?
Product: Daily Supplement for Men
Feature: Contains naturally occurring nutrients that are not acid-forming like chemically derived nutrients.
Problem it solves: Can be taken on an empty stomach at any time because natural nutrients are self-buffering.
What the solution means to the prospect: You’ll be able to take the supplement whenever it’s convenient for you without worrying about an upset stomach because you haven’t eaten. That means you’ll be more likely to take it regularly which means you’ll get the benefits of greater energy and health. Ultimately that will lead to a longer, healthier life, especially since to be effective against diseases like cancer that take a long time to develop, you must be taking the defensive nutrients over an equally long period.
I’ll leave it to you to build some headlines and leads from this second example. Once you have the benefits, it’s a lot easier.
The next time you need to create sales material, use this Solution Approach to build your benefits. It will go a lot faster once you approach it from the right point.
Ronald A Murphy is a Copywriter and Graphic Designer specializing in Direct Response and Internet Marketing. Murphy writes and designs sales letters, direct mail packages, inserts, web sales pages, direct email, newsletters for marketing, Internet articles, white papers, and other sales focused materials. He provides expertise to clients serving financial, business, technology, health, opportunity and fundraising markets. For more information on copywriting and marketing, visit his site at http://RonaldAMurphy.com
When Expectations Are Not Clear!
Introduction
There were two incidents, which inspired me to write this write-up, “When Expectations are not clear”. Sometime back, I had this interaction with a CEO of one of the most famous company in Bangalore, in his words, “it is impossible to give clear-cut job responsibilities and job specifications to an employee”. Second incident was an e-mail from one of my friend from Noida, stating, “Sanjeev, I expected a lot from you but you failed”. Well, having expectations are important and equally important is to communicate it properly.
Why Expectations?
Before I start expecting anything from others, I must be clear as what I am expecting from myself. Those, who have no expectations from themselves, have no right to expect anything from others. So, just ask your self:
- What are your expectations from yourself?
- Where do you see yourself in next 5-7 yrs?
- How you wish to be remembered by your family members, your friends, your sub-ordinates and your colleagues?
Expectations in Relations
Imagine, if you don’t know, what are the expectations of:
- Your parents
– Your Children
– Your gurus/teachers/faculties
– Your Students
– Your Spouse
Your Friends, family members and people around you Don’t presume things? Don’t think that everybody knows everything? If there are no expectations, there will be no challenge, no passion, no motivation, nothing. That is where, I mentioned, that “Silence is a crime”
Expectations in Profession/work-place
- How often do you appraise your employees/team-members?
– What are your expectations from your employees/team-members?
– What are the parameters to measure their performance?
– Have you communicated to them?
– What will be the consequences, if they fail?
– What will be the rewards, if they exceed the expected level?
If you are not having any expectations, how you are going to appraise, your employees? Yes, you are going to be biased, because you don’t have set standards. The role of a CEO, HR Manager is like a director of a movie; choreographer of a stage show, where there is a defined role for each character, each participant.
Setting expectations initiates the process. Managers need to sit down with each employee and clearly define what’s expected of them. Management consultant, Kenneth Philips, states that when expectations are not clear, employees may not be in sync with their job’s current demands and priorities. Setting expectations is not a once and done activity. Jobs change.
Priorities change. Resources change. Managers need to revise and set new expectations throughout the year. Setting expectations revolves around the following three areas:
1. Key job responsibilities
2. Performance factors and standards
3. Goals
Why is a setting expectation important? Quite simply, this process can be the cornerstone of improving the motivational climate within your sphere of responsibility. If your employees know what is expected of them, it allows them to focus on results and to monitor themselves against the set standards. Environments in which expectations are not clear, or change from week to week, seldom create high-performing work groups.
Three Principles that Drive Expectations
The three principles that should drive expectations are clarity, relevance, and simplicity.
1. Clarity
Expectations should focus on outcomes, not activities. In other words, you achieve clarity when you identify the expected results rather than the method for achieving them. Managers often make the mistake of attempting to direct the process that an employee will use rather than being clear about results. The advantage of identifying the outcome is that you, the manager, focus only on the goal; after all, the employee will develop the method for achieving the desired results.
Defining the objective often requires some thought on the part of the manager because it is easy to fall into the “activities trap.” While developing a strategic plan for a department or division is a worthy activity, it does not represent an outcome. In the activities trap, developing a plan is the goal, rather than increasing your market share.
2. Relevance
The principle of relevance helps define the “why” of the assignment. If your employees have a full understanding of the project’s importance, they can make adjustments as unanticipated factors crop up within the process. They probably also will be more committed to the result because they can see more easily how it fits into the big picture and how their efforts impact the company.
This understanding typically is accomplished through dialogue between the manager and subordinate, which allows for a more thorough review of the situation and for feedback and discussion. This process builds good will with the employee and sets the stage for additional responsibilities.
3. Simplicity.
Simplicity creates a sense of grounding for employees as they endeavor to carry out assignments. If managers identify the work in simple, straightforward terms, employees will find it much easier to follow through on managers’ wishes. To accomplish this, a manager must identify the key message in a fashion that the employee can embrace.
Now What?
After setting expectations, the manager should maintain a level of discipline and consistency that can be applied in all situations. The next steps involve monitoring, providing feedback, and, finally, either rewards or consequences depending on the level of achievement. This four-step model can be applied in most managerial situations that involve goal achievement.
1. Monitoring
Monitoring is the follow-up that the manager provides after expectations have been set. It can take many forms, from a formal status-review meeting to a casual conversation in the hallway.
Regardless of the form, monitoring is the component that indicates that the project or assignment is important to you as a manager and that you are keenly interested in its outcome. It enables you to assess the progress and assist if unexpected roadblocks emerge.
2. Feedback
Feedback is the process of coaching subordinates as they complete their goals.
During this time it is important to focus on progress, any additional resources that may be required to meet the timeline, and the subordinate’s view of the project. It is key to allow employees to debrief their experience during this phase. As the manager, you will be in a better position to evaluate not only their progress on this project, but also what future assignments they may be able to undertake.
3. Rewards and Consequences
The reward or consequences phase involves either positive or negative reinforcement, depending on the outcome and the process.
Certainly, you want to reward a positive outcome. Rewards can take a number of forms, but regardless of the type, they should be timely, specific, and relevant to the employee. Consequences also should be timely and specific while focusing on how the employee can improve performance. While giving negative feedback often is uncomfortable for many managers, on-the-job behavior is shaped by both circumstances and consequences. If there is no downside to poor performance, it is difficult for managers to raise the performance bar for any of their subordinates.
This approach has the advantage of simplicity and-if consistently followed-will yield results for managers as they try to do more with less. While it may appear time-consuming at first glance, the alternatives create more rework and missed deadlines and often are far more expensive in time and resources.
Conclusion
Having expectations, Setting expectations is important and equally important is to communicate them. If you are having expectations, you are having parameters to measure those expectations, you are the judge, you appraised the person, but you failed to communicate to that person, what is the use of such expectations?
Have expectations from your self. Have Expectations from people around you. Incase of self-expectations, write it properly, and incase of having expectations from others, communicate it properly. Just because, we are not having clear-cut expectations, we are having high-attrition rate at corporate level and broken families at personal level. True, I may fail. I may not be able to live up-to the level of your expectations but then I will know the margin of failure.
Looking forward to your comments and feedback Have a great time and yes, pleaseee pleaseee do take care of your good self.
Regards,
Sanjeev Sharma
Pune-India
Mobile: +91-9890788259
E-mail: ss_himachali@yahoo.com; s070976@yahoo.co.in
Blog: http://sanjeevhimachali.blogspot.com
Paying For Elder Care Just Got Easier
It’s not a surprise that thousands of families across the nation are facing the challlenges of an aging population. The “sandwich” generation, those who are caring for their children as well as their parents, have been feeling the financial pinch of caring for loved ones. Paying the high cost of Elder Care can cost a family thousands of dollars a month. Too many families are unaware of how utilizing a loved one’s life insurance policy can not only pay for Assisted Living and Nursing Home care, but can maintain the standards of living for the remaining spouse.
Not too many financial specialist inform their clients who have purchased life insurance policies with a death benefit over $250,000 that they can utilize a somewhat unknown option on their life insurance to pay for the high cost of Elder Care. It is called a Life Settlement and it can fully take the financial burden off of families who struggle to keep their loved one in a quality facility.
A policy owner has the right to sell his or her life insurance policy to an institution for signifantly more than the cash value of the policy. For example, a life insurance policy with a $500,000 death benefit and a $75,000 cash value can be purchased for $250,000 and up. This money can be used now to pay for assisted living, nursing homes as well as in home services also. The procedure is relatively quick with minimal paperwork. It is senseless to struggle financially to pay for the needs of elderly loved ones when they can utilize their life insurance policy to pay for care. Many, many times life insurance policies lapse when a loved one goes into assisted living or a nursing home just out of financial neccessity as well as through medicaid planning.
Instead of letting a policy lapse or into surrendership, smart families are looking into life settlements as a funding source for the high expense of Elder Care.
Chuck Bongiovanni, M.S.W. has been helping seniors and their fanmilies for over 20 years in the assisted living industry. Chuck can help your family investigate your options for paying for Elder Care through a Life Settlement. You can go to his website at http://www.LifeTransitionsOnline.com or call him directly at 480-703-7005.
