Posts Tagged ‘research’

Increase Sum in Your Check Account with Follow-Ups

We’ll be examining what makes follow up to prospects/customers so important on our online world today.

Are you familiar with this scenario?

  • Joined an affiliate program with good pay-out.
  • Send an email to everyone you know and/or send an email to a list of people
  • Didn’t make any sales
  • Change to another affiliate program
  • Well, I am.

    This never ending cycle is what I used to do.

    Until I stumble across a training article from Six-Figure Income Marketing Group ? “The Fortune is in the Follow-Up!” I wake up.

    I was clearly informed of this statistics:

    The average sale is closed as follows:

    • 2% on 1st contact
    • 3% on 2nd contact
    • 5% on 3rd contact
    • 10% on 4th contact
    • 80% on 5th-12th contact

    — The National Sales Executive Association

    I then think: if follow up is so important what information can I give to my prospects?

    The answer is easier then I thought it could be…

    That is, I can get plenty of informative articles and e-books from the affiliate programs that I’ve joined.

    Gathering all the articles and e-books I can utilize from my entire affiliate program is the next step I took in forming my own follow-ups.

    What I need now is a good autoresponder that can do the work for me 24/7.

    Throughout my research I found that a free autoresponder is good for short term follow-ups (approx. 20 emails).

    If you want to use a free autoresponder be sure to find one that is third-party ads free! You don’t want your competitor’s ads showing up and get all the customers from you!

    I often use free autoresponder for short term training courses when prospects joined under me.

    I then use a paid autoresponder to organize a long term email campaign!

    Most of the paid autoresponder gives unlimited follow-ups which is the key point to follow-ups and sales conversion.

    After you’ve found the best autoresponder for you or you could follow the link in the resource box below to find out some of the *good quality* autoresponder that I recommends.

    You can now start thinking about organizing your follow-up emails.

    Here are some of ideas to help you sort out your articles in order:

  • Send all articles and e-books belong to one affiliate program together
  • If that particular program provides both articles and e-books, interchange them. I.e. Send one emails with the articles, send another emails with the thank you notes and a link for your prospects/subscribers to download the e-books.
  • Unless you are sending a series of articles, e.g. Part 1 to part 5 of Effective Ways of Promoting Your Affiliate Products, send the emails every 3-5 days, but never longer than 7 weeks. You don’t want your prospects to forget who you are.
  • Always send a welcome email to your prospects to introduce yourself and ask the prospects to email you back. A good technique is to ask open questions to your prospects. Open questions allow your prospects to tell you more about him/her instead of yes/no answer.
  • Always provide an easy way for people to unsubscribe themselves from your list. Your autoresponder should do this job for you quite easy and fast.
  • Caution!

    If you are buying or using free email lists is sure to double check with the list providers the sources of their leads.

    You don’t want to end up with a lot of spamming warning!

    Reminder: To build relationship is the key element to bear in mind when following-up with your prospects.

    About The Author

    (c) J M Chiang. Janice Chiang publishes Home Business Tips, a fresh and informative newsletter dedicated to support people looking for *best-rated* opportunities and latest time-saving tools. Send a blank email to mailto:valuenmbiz@getresponse.com today.

    janice@valuenmbiz.com

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    The Most Powerful Attribute in Antiques and Collectibles

    What can increase your sales volume and make you more productive day in and day out? You’ve probably heard this three word statement that seperates those who wish they could do better,from those who really do.

    Knowledge is power!

    This three word statement is more than just a great philosophy. The more knowledge you have about antiques, the higher the increase in your overall profitability…as long as you use that knowledge. Knowledge can literally make or break your antique business.

    Here’s a difficult lesson that was taught to a high-minded museum by a shrewd, savvy antique buyer with knowledge.

    I love this story! It vividly illustrates the difference between knowing and being in the dark about antiques and their value. I was browing in an antique shop a number of years ago, when I struck up a conversation with the owner. We talked about incredible finds that we had stumbled across over the years. Her story topped anything that I had ever done…hands down!

    It all started when she attended the last day of a weekend sale at a local museum. It seems that the museum was desiring to remodel, and they were attempting to raise needed funds by selling off some antiques that had been found in the carriage barn that stood on the property. Obviously, she was not expecting to see anything spectacular because she assumed that the sale would be “cherry-picked”.

    And then it happened!

    While walking through the sale, she discovered a large painting with a faded gold frame. Something about the painting looked strangely familiar, and she thought to herself, “I’ve seen that in a history book somewhere.”

    She quickly ran to her vehicle and poured over several large painting identification books that she had brought with her from her personal library. After taking 10 minutes to research, she was almost positive that this painting was a rare item indeed. She went back inside, and with a few minutes left in the sale, she wrote a personal check for $125. and loaded it into her station wagon.

    Life took a sudden and drastic turn…for the better!

    Upon arriving home, she began to dig deeper with her research tools. She “burned the midnight oil”, and as morning broke, her heart was beating faster as she came to the realization that this painting was something very special.

    The next morning, after more phone calls and cross-checking, she gingerly loaded the painting and took it to a temperature controlled vault in the same city where she urchased it. This $125. painting later sold for several million dollars at a major auction house, and this woman’s financial future was changed in dramatic fashion literally overnight.

    The museum curator was appalled, overwhelmed and completely flabbergasted!

    Imagine that you are the curator of this museum, and you placed the $125. price tag on this million dollar painting! This tag sale had been held to raise money for projects around the museum. If the curator had only possessed the knowledge to even “check it out”, the outcome could have been far more positive for the establishment that he represented!

    Knowledge and research made all the difference.

    Aside from the curator, think of all the antique dealers, collectors and enthusiasts that had toured this weekend-long tag sale. Here was an item that could change their entire lives financially, and they walked right on by. any one of them could have sold the painting, banked the money, and just “fiddled” around with antiques instead of trying to make a living from them. And the difference was knowledge!

    How to get antique knowledge.

    With the advent of the Internet, research is easier to do, and the knowledge is much easier to come by. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of sites that are dedicated to various collectibles, art and antiques.

    Visiting the library all day, once a month can be one of the best ways to increase your knowledge of antique items. The library is still one of the most untapped resources for gaining expertise on a variety of antique subjects. Talk to the librarian, ask questions, and dig! The human mind is like a sponge, and someday you may need what you are learning today.

    A methodical approach toward research and gaining knowledge can pay huge dividends in your antique world. It’s the secret that can make a huge impact in the buying decisions that you make!

    Michael Temple is a retired auctioneer, speaker and the owner of Antique Power Dealers, an antique and collectible business resource. (http://www.antiquepowerdealer.com) He is also the author of the report, “6 Costly Mistakes Antique Buyers and Sellers Make…and How to Avoid Them!” You can own a copy by asking for it. Send your request to: freetips@antiquepowerdealer.com

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    Benfotiamine And Diabetic Retinopathy

    Damage from diabetes can occur in different areas of the eye. It can occur to the cornea, nerves controlling the muscles of the eye, the lens, optic nerve and retina. The retina is the complication that most people and medical professionals think of first in terms of diabetic complications.

    Diabetic retinopathy is simply damage to the light sensitive retina. This damage is brought about by hyperglycemia, the medical term for high blood sugar. Retinopathy is directly responsible for approximately 12,000 to 24,000 cases of legal blindness every year in the USA alone. It is reported that there are over 200,000 cases each year globally.

    Diabetic complications are even more insidious than these numbers because there are several other types of diabetic eye disease created wholly or in part by high blood sugar in diabetics.

    What Can Be Done To Prevent Eye Disease?

    It stands to reason that the more informed a person is about a particular situation the better equipped they will be to handle it. Diabetic eye disease is just such a case in point. We need to think of the whole person and not just the eyes when discussing diabetic education because diabetic complications run from eye disease, heart disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, etc. Although benfotiamine has been found useful for all of the above, for the sake of this article in terms of prevention, we will discuss diabetic eye disease in terms of diabetic retinopathy.

    Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that every diabetic faces the possibility of suffering from somewhere in the course of their disease. The better patients of diabetes are equipped to handle their disease, the lower their risk that they will develop retinopathy. If retinopathy does develop in a patient who is doing all he/she can do to lessen the impact of blood sugar on their bodies, the better chance that they can live productive lives despite the complications and the slower such complications will progress.

    What Works Best?

    Unfortunately, there are very few options that are showing much promise for the diabetic in terms of diabetic complications. Benfotiamine has been suggested recently to be a strong deterrent against the development of diabetic retinopathy and also shown to slow its progression significantly if it develops. It is showing great promise in the arena of retinopathy, neuropathy and heart/circulatory conditions brought about by excess sugar in the cells.

    Benfotiamine, a lipid soluble derivative of water soluble vitamin B1 (thiamine), has been used for the past 12 years in Europe for the treatment of neuropathy, retinopathy as well as heart and circulatory conditions and has shown no adverse effects.

    Much of the current research on benfotiamine can be discovered by typing the term benfotiamine into a search engine such as google, AOL, yahoo, etc.

    Conclusion

    Diabetic complications are a reality that must be an accepted possibility for every diabetic. Diabetic education is highly necessary so that the diabetic community is able to make informed decisions as to their treatment and prevention methodologies. There are few things that show great promise in preventing and/or helping neuropathy, retinopathy, heart and circulatory problems brought about by diabetes. Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal along with adequate exercise in line with the abilities of each individual has shown to help slow the onset of diabetic complications.

    Benfotiamine is a nutritional supplement that has shown to be helpful in Europe over the past 12 years in terms of diabetic complications and is now available in the United States, and might be worth the time to investigate further. How about for the diabetic who faces the insidious nature of diabetic complications?

    Zach Malott is CEO of Brentwood Health International, a nutritional supplement company involved in distribution and supplying wholesale, retail and end users.

    Mr. Malott is available to discuss the research as it applies to benfotiamine in the treatment and prevention of diabetic complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy. He can be reached at:

    Phone: 505.354.0526

    web site: http://www.emuhealthproducts.com/benfotiamine.html

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    A Lesson In Email: The Money Is In The List… With The Back-End Sales

    Firstly, back-end sales is eMail Marketing at its best, so for this to work you need to already have a list of customers that have bought from you before.

    The reason for this is because Back-end sales, are the ultimate way to realize the true ‘life-time value’ of your customers/list. Once someone buys from you, and if their experience with your product is good, then you will have no problems selling to them again and again.

    Back end sales will equate to about 75-85% of your overall income. This is how important and powerful this marketing method really is.

    But first, to accommodate you if you are totally new to this whole internet marketing thing.

    A back-end sale is simply a sale you make from a customer who has purchased from you in the past. Meaning, lets say a first time buyer orders your new ebook. You find a way to collect their email address (through your newsletter, or have them fill out a form during the order process) so you can eMail them promos in the future. Now every time that same customer buys something from your eMail promotions– –that is a back-end sale, and more profits in your pocket.

    As Netrepreneurs, we all know that to acquire our FIRST TIME customers is where the majority of our marketing budget goes. We have to some how direct them to our website, persuade them to sign-up for our mailings and entice them with our sales copy to purchase one of our products.

    With all this time, money and energy being spent drawing these first time customers to our website and sales copy it’s no wonder why you cannot over look the power of following up and back-end sales–if you want to make substantial profits.

    You see when a prospect finally makes the conscious decision to buy from you, then you have succeeded in:

    1) Establishing your Credibility to that person

    2) Building a mutually beneficial relationship with him/her.

    3) (obviously) Closing the FIRST sale.

    Now after the first sale, IF your product or service:

    1–Comes with SUPERB customer service (from you)

    2–Lives up to your promises and their expectations

    3–Is of exceptional quality

    4–Offers them great value

    Then…

    This is the time to take ADVANTAGE of this relationship and offer this person more value.

    Now since they have bought from you in the past and enjoyed the product–selling to them again and again will be so much easier than acquiring a totally new FIRST TIME customers.

    The reason for this, is because your customer base will already trust you and feel bonded with you on some level.

    So if you want to really succeed online you MUST focus on your current customer base. Like I said earlier, they will make up the bulk of your profits (75-85%).

    How do you do this?

    Well for starters you can simply offer them another product, related to their first purchase, at a “Valued Customer” discount.

    Try doing this for your attempted second sale from them..anythng for them to purchase from you again. And if that products lives up to The first one:

    1–Comes with SUPERB customer service (from you)

    2–Lives up to your promises and their expectations

    3–Is of exceptional quality

    4–Offers them great value

    This will make the subsequent sales much, much easier to close..because you have:

    1) Overcome the obstacles of the first sale.

    2) Reinforced your Value to the customer with another excellent product.

    Now…on to offers. Another important segment of back-end sales is.. well, What are you going to sell them? (after you run out of your own products?)

    Well after you sold them your featured product, your discounted product, your new product and so forth.

    Where do you get more products to continue to capitalize on your customer’s “life time value”?

    If you don’t want to go into the whole expenditure of developing another product: Time, Money, Research, Headaches, etc.

    Just join an affiliate program. This is what I like to refer to as being the ‘ultimate back-end.’

    YOU WILL NEVER RUN OUT OF PRODUCTS. Only thing is, make sure the affiliate products are of the same great quality as yours. Also, make sure they are somehow related. If you need help finding affiliate programs to join and promote as back-end product, contact me and I will give you some valuable recommendations for hot new products and services out there.

    I truly hope you found this writing enjoyable and informative.

    Remember:

    You spend all your time and money on getting that first sale. Once you have overcome this, you have that person’s trust–so they will be much more open to your recommendations.

    Realize this. And then Profit from your customer’s “Life Time Value” through your powerful back-end products.

    Thanks again for reading. I hope you see now that Back-End Sales are the way to go for financial independence from your eBiz.

    To your Success,

    Anthony L. Davenport

    About The Author

    I have been online for 2yrs and I will help you the best I can, just visit and email me.

    anthony@iczn.com

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    Achieve Your Goals: Embodying Your Intentions to Inspire Manifestation

    Bringing life to your ideas is what helps them to manifest in the material world. Embodying your intentions, feeling it all the way through your physical body, creates an affirmation of that intention. It tells the Universe that you are determined and fully involved in your idea.

    What is an intention?

    An intention is the goal that you wish to achieve. It’s what you have made your mind up about and have your heart set on. An intention is like an affirmation that you make about what you would like to accomplish in your future.

    Putting your intention out to the Universe, then sitting back and waiting for it to happen without any action on your part is like a person who goes for a psychic reading and wants to know their future. They sit back in the belief that it’s all set in stone and ready for them, then return angry to the reader saying it never happened, only to admit they never performed any actions to put the energy into motion. It’s the same with expecting doctor recommendations to work if you never take the medication.

    Without participation and action, the future you wish for isn’t going to just land in your lap. You need to back up your ideas with forward motion, courage and action. Ideas can remain in your mind forever, but without the action of bringing them down into the physical world, there is no manifestation of the idea- therefore, no results.

    Start bringing them into the physical world by actually writing them down. Many times I hear clients say, “Oh, I have a long list in my head. I know what I want.” The problem is it’s all in their head. They have never written it down on anything material and stated, ” This is what I choose to manifest.” Once it is written, put the writing in a special place, read it once a day.

    In order to turn your ideas into a reality, you need to empower them everyday. Take an action each day to manifest your vision. Write your affirmation, do the research, do one action each day to bring your idea into a reality. You will see results!

    © 2005 Jodie Foster

    Jodie Foster is an Intuitive Counselor who assists clients to create extraordinary transformations in their daily lives. Her work is uplifting, empowering and success-oriented. You can visit Jodie’s website at http://www.illuminationsnetwork.com for further information and to schedule a private intuitive session. You can also look for weekly updates to her blog at: ttp://intuitiveinnovations.blogspot.com.

    Publisher’s Guidelines: You may freely publish this article online, in email newsletters, or in print so long as the resource box and byline are in tact. Author would appreciate a notification, but that is optional.

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    Woodworking Beginners: Secret Tips To Start Right

    Woodworking: Where To Start – Tips From Experienced Woodworkers

    Woodworking encompasses a broad area of skills, specialties, and applications. Some beginners take on too much too soon or blow their savings on expensive woodworking tools and machines that they don’t know how to use and might not ever need. And even some basic techniques can be confusing or easy to do incorrectly. Experienced woodworkers have some simple, but insightful tips to help you get off to a good start.

    Do Your Research
    Initiative, courage, a sense of adventure, these are all good things, and many fine woodworkers learned their skills by just jumping in and trying to build something. Chances are whatever they chose for their first project, it came out better than they thought, but not really nice enough to use or display. Even those brave souls that start from scratch with no preparation often end up seeking out some books, magazines, or experienced woodworkers to figure out how to do it right.

    The woodworkers we talked to stressed that a person can save themselves some time and frustration by learning about the different aspects of woodworking before starting a first project. Many suggested finding some good books or magazines, either at the library for free or at the bookstore. Start with the basics and learn about different forms of woodworking, types of trees and woods and how they are used, various tools, etc. – just the kind of information presented here in this article.

    “I have an entire corner of my garage filled with books and magazines,” shared Paul Johnson, who has been woodworking since he was a young boy. “I subscribe to a couple and keep those that have projects or techniques that I would like to try. I also buy a couple new books every year. When I first started woodworking, I bought them left and right; whenever I came across one that was recommended or had information I wanted to learn. They help give me ideas for projects,” he added. “I especially like those that come with patterns.”

    After learning about the basics, you should have an idea of what type of woodworking interests you, and you can move on to books or even classes that teach hands on skills in that particular area.

    Take Some Classes
    In fact taking classes was recommended by several of our experts. Whether it’s a beginning class through the local college or something taught by an experienced woodworker, it will typically give you a good overview of different tools and woodworking safety. Some building centers and lumberyards also offer classes on basics or teach you how to make a specific project.

    If you aren’t big on classes, but you know a person who is skilled in woodworking, ask if they would let you assist them with a project, or perhaps just sit and observe. Most woodworkers are pleased to talk about their art and share it with others. Chances are they will be happy to oblige.

    Keep It Simple
    The answer, “Keep it simple,” came up over and over, when asked for advice for new woodworkers. Start with simple projects, preferably those that use only hand tools. This way, you will learn how to do the important things like measure, cut, shape and join. Getting good at those basic skills is extremely important.

    If you are brand new to woodworking and haven’t used tools much before, you might want to consider starting with a precut kit. Most kits consist of wood that is already cut in the appropriate shapes and sizes. It is up to you to follow the directions and put the pieces together. These kits typically require nailing, screwing, gluing, sanding, and finishing. You can make birdhouses and feeders, benches, plant holders, and many other fun items to get you started.

    Even as you advance to more complex projects, don’t worry about planning and sizing your own lumber until you feel comfortable and confident. You can buy lumber already prepped and cut in many different widths. And table legs, chair spindles, and other turned pieces are also readily available pre-made. Ease into some of those more difficult projects over time, adding greater levels of difficulty to each project.

    Tool Tips
    The suggestions to keep it simple applied to woodworking tools as well. Most people interviewed recommended buying tools as you need them and adding to your selection as required for new projects. If a project is purchased as a kit, or with printed instructions, the list of tools needed is included. Depending on what type of projects you choose to start with, you will typically need hammers, tape measure, clamps, a square, saws, hand drills, and a set of chisels. These will probably cost you around $200-$300 dollars.

    Some woodworkers said that investing in a good table saw early on was important, but only if you will be doing projects with many cuts, especially those with different types of angles. For most beginner projects, a handsaw, or perhaps a circular saw will suffice.

    It is strongly suggested that you begin by buying good tools, but not top grade until you decide for certain that you want to stick with woodworking. If it becomes clear that this will be an ongoing interest, then consider buying the best quality tools you can afford. Best quality doesn’t always mean the most expensive, and you will have to do your research.

    Kevin Warner, who has been teaching high school shop for over twenty years, had this to say about woodworking tools. “At school, I have a limited budget for tools, but I would rather buy a few high quality tools and have the kids share them than spend my money on cheap equipment. There’s nothing that will turn a young beginner away from woodworking quicker than a crappy tool that doesn’t do what it should.”

    The same is true for home woodworking. Our experts recommended spending as much as you could afford on the basic tools like hammers, saws, screwdrivers, drills and bits. “These are tools you will need around the house even if you don’t pursue woodworking,” Sarah Greeley pointed out. “If you spend the money up front, and care for them correctly, these tools will last you a lifetime because you bought quality to begin with.”

    If you have a tight budget, consider purchasing tools at an estate sale, auction or garage sale. Some may have worn handles or look like they are rusty or dirty, but if they are quality tools and generally sound, you can clean and repair them for less than it would cost to purchase new.

    In general, you get what you pay for with woodworking tools, but sometimes you pay for the name, or for features that you may not use in your particular type of woodworking. So again, you will need to refer to books, magazines, Web sites, and other woodworkers to learn more about different types and brands of tools. And so you see, the tips have brought you full circle, back to the research and learning, which is what so many woodworkers stressed the most.

    There is much to learn and, as has been said, it is an ongoing process. But thanks to the wealth of information out there about different aspects of woodworking, and the many Web sites and Internet resources, it is easy to research your questions. You just have to take the time.

    Copyright © 2005 by Ferhat Gul. All rights reserved. You may redistribute this article in its unedited entirety, including this resource box, with all hyperlinked URLs kept intact. Ferhat Gul is the publisher of the brand-new “Woodworking Beginner’s Guide – Tips From Experienced Woodworkers to Help You Get Started”, made just for people who love woodworking. This comprehensive, yet compact woodworking introduction for beginners is easy to read and helps to save time, money and effort.

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    The Merging of Humans and Computers

    Soon the human brain will be completely interfaced with the computer. The benefit to mankind will be truly significant. The truth is that Arthur C Clark in his short stories talked about groups of people being connected in real time by neuron transmitting devises below the skin. You might even have all the world’s knowledge and latest research all in a chip connected to your brain. Today we see the beginnings of this with teens with cell phones and PDA devices used in Flash Mobs. Such a computer, communication, brain interface would be the next logical step as SciFi meets Moore’s Law and MIT completes their latest Media Lab exploit of Nano tech gone wild.

    The communication device would be in real time, the “Internet in your head” so you can only imagine the opportunities, business and communication at the Speed of Thought. Instead of trading MP3 Player music on the Internet, you would be trading experiences in 4D, and thought using Nano-Tech computer, which interfaces with the enhanced brain. You could do real-time research with members of certain groups across the ocean and when someone made a discovery, the time to write the white paper or peer review would be instantaneous.

    Thus cutting down the research time to next to zero. If you read certain books such as Prescription to the Future; and The 500 year Delta, Futurists book reviews and others working on these issues you can see where we are headed. Some are worried about this but I am rather intrigued on the possibilities for the betterment of mankind. Will computers be smarter than humans? Computers and humans will be one in this case, so we will be equal. Instead of the preverbal file swapping or file sharing, you will be thought swapping. The future is closer than you think, have you considered this?

    “Lance Winslow” – If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

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    Learning Interior Design

    Learning interior design can be a simple or complicated task depending on a wide variety of factors including exposure, ability, creativity, and willingness to learn. This article is dedicated to explaining the basic elements that interior design is based upon so that you will have the ability to go out and research these elements on your own in order to advance you ability and perspective of the interior design world.

    Lets begin with a few suggestions of where to properly conduct your research. A good beginning point for all of those interior design newbies would be television shows dedicated to the subject, books, magazines, other interior design professionals, ect.

    Another resource that you have an unlimited exposure to that doesn’t cost you anything but time and focus are your eyes. Your eyes are wonderful tools for learning interior design and successful application of it. They are such terrific tools because eyes are the ears of the interior design symphony. They possess the ability to look upon any element of design and transmit information to your brain concerning the colors indicated in the design, textures, layout, and whether or not the overall effect is pleasing.

    If you can master the ability of viewing a particular setting or scenario and delving from it the key elements of its visual success, you are enormous steps forward in your journey of learning interior design.

    Find an example of a design setting that is pleasant or pleasing to you. This can be located in a book, magazine, or even in real-life. Close your eyes. Now open them. What do you look at first? The first item that your eyes focused upon is considered to be your focal point.

    In television discussions or magazine articles it is sometimes wrongfully alluded to that there is one appointed (by the designer, of course!) focal point. This is simply untrue. For every person that views the room, that person offers a unique perspective.

    One person might gaze intently at the fireplace due to the warmth and secure nature of that design element. Another might focus upon the sofa. Yet another person might elevate towards the remote control (ha!).

    The point is, is that the focal point of a room is the area of the room that demands your attention upon arrival in it and generally you base your placement of activities that take place in that room on the location the that focal point. This is the reason why so much strategic planning is normally based on the focal points of a room when designing the creative outlay of the room. This is why your fundamental understanding of the focal points of a room is dramatically instrumental in learning interior design.

    It is true that certain architectural elements of a room demand more attention then others. I think that this is one of the reasons that many people misunderstand the concept of focal points. Throughout your journey of learning interior design, you will come to understand the importance of balancing the understanding of architecture focal points, and living ones.

    Certain people are naturally going to elevate towards different activities and objects in a room. This is why a basic understanding of both the human element and the architectural one are a keystone to successful interior design.

    Once you have a basic to medium understanding of focal points and placement of items in and around those places, the other key feature of learning interior design is visual representation of objects.

    Color, texture, and shape are the fundamentals in this category. When you view an object, the way that the light is reflected off of it onto your eyes is commonly known as color. Texture is the way that the object ‘feels’ to you visually. Shape is the basic makeup of the object reflected visually. The correct combination of these characteristics results in a visually harmonious atmosphere.

    Let’s imagine a few terms you hear when associated with design. ‘Gaudy’ always pops into mind. A space with bold color representation, an overkill interjection of texture, and the overuse of modern or untraditional shape forms are all factors that would encompass that title.

    ‘Simple’ would generally refer to the use of light, neutral color schemes in combination with small interjections of light texture and straight lined shapes. Simple, in my opinion is the basic ingredient to a successful recipe of design. Begin simply and build to your comfort level of complexity. This will not be an area that will flow naturally with you when you begin learning interior design. It will more then likely become an understanding that you will develop over time and exposure to different aspects of design.

    To wind things up, the road to learning interior design is filled with information and visual perspectives that will open both your eyes and your mind to an entirely different world. Observation is the key to better understanding this world. Open your eyes and begin the adventure!

    ——————————————————————————–
    Rosemary Leake is an Independent Consultant with Southern Living at Home. Inspired by Southern Living magazine, our exclusive home décor line brings warmth and style to every room of your home! Visit Rosemary’s Interior Design website for more articles and resources – http://www.newsletterjournal.com. Also get your FREE Mini-Report “A Complete Guide To Interior Design.”
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