Cards Cut

OK, so you have finally managed to get your business setup online. You have the three major components in place… 1. A product or service of your own 2. A website that converts visitors into buyers 3. A follow-up system that steadily grows your opt-in list Now you want to start growing the traffic to your website, so you can steadily increase sales of your product or service. But if you’re like most small business owners, you have limited time and money for promotion. With that in mind, here is the one question you must answer… Which ONE of the following traffic/sales building strategies should you focus the majority of your efforts on? Getting good search engines ranking? Setting up and maintaining a Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising campaign? Setting up a blog and RSS feed? Starting a viral article marketing campaign? Utilizing traffic exchange networks? Starting an affiliate program and seeking out JV partners? You’ll find the correct answer below. I’ve used all of the above strategies and had different levels of success with each one of them. And I do think that using each one will help grow your business. So today I’ll speak briefly about each strategy. Then I’ll share how and why one strategy works FAR better than all the rest combined.

Getting good search engines rankings works well but is very difficult. Sure, the free traffic that good rankings can generate is certainly an attractive lure, but unless you are in a small niche, you can end up spending oodles of time and or money getting your site near the top of the major search engine results. And what can you do when search engines change their algorithms and your site drops? Nothing. The fact is, search engines have nearly all the control when you use this strategy and relying on search engines for the majority of your traffic is a mistake. Setting up and maintaining a Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising campaign can bring immediate traffic to any website. But do you have any idea how much money you will need to spend if you are in a busy niche? Sure, Google Adwords is one of the best places to BUY traffic on the Internet, but small businesses need to focus on ways to get traffic without paying for it! Setting up a blog and RSS feed is a solid strategy, and you’ll find a myriad of books about “blog and ping” and rss as the future technology you cannot pass up. But the fact is, they are not the answer to high traffic and sales. They are merely technological tools developed for the purpose of distributing information. These technologies are not the Holy Grail of marketing, as many have professed. Starting a viral article marketing campaign is a great way to get traffic for free. And it is one of my personal favorites. But let’s face it, this strategy can be a lot of work. Sure, tools such as ArticleAnnouncer can speed the process and ease the learning curve, but many business owners simply do not have the time to dedicate to faithfully writing/acquiring articles and distributing them to websites and editors on a regular basis. Utilizing viral traffic networks such as TrafficSwarm.com can bring lots of traffic to any site. In fact, I get literally thousands of visitors a month from TrafficSwarm so naturally I recommend it to me readers. That’s because free traffic should always be utilized in small business, whenever possible. But the fact is, traffic from ANY such “traffic network” is commonly known to convert into sales at a lower percentage than traffic that comes from sources such as search engines, articles or personal recommendations.

Which leads me to the final strategy, a strategy that will work forever and works better than all the previous strategies combined — if you know what you’re doing… Starting an affiliate program and seeking out JV partners is the most effective, longest lasting strategy for growing traffic and sales at your website. I’ve started using this strategy more and more this year and the results have been phenomenal. Getting started… Setting up an affiliate program is pretty simple these days. I use my webbusinesswizard.com pro account to handle my own affiliate program but you can find dozens of low cost solutions by searching google.com for affiliate management solutions. The key is to choose a simple solution that you can get working in a day or two. Once you have your affiliate program in place, you decide what percentage you want to pay affiliates (I suggest 30% as a minimum in this highly competitive environment) and then post a link for your website visitors to join. Once they join make sure they get access to lots of marketing tools such as banners, solo emails and sponsor ads. Also make sure you system follows up with them regularly to assist them in their efforts. The real key is to get proactive with your affiliate recruitment.

Every day you should contact at least 3 or 4 owners of websites in niches similar to yours. Spend a little time at their site and if you like their product or service, tell them you want to promote it for them.

That’s right!

Tell them you want to promote THEIR product? It’s called Synergy.

Dictionary.com defines “synergy” as: “The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects”

And that says it all, really.

You see, you should not be out there “pitching” potential super-affiliates. You know that tired ol’ bit… “I have a new product and I’ll give you X% of the profits if you’ll promote it.”

Frankly, webmasters are tiring of those pitches. In fact, I receive literally dozens of them every week now. I don’t have time to even look at all those offers.

HOWEVER… (And this is the real twist that makes it effective)

When someone comes to me and says, “Hey Jim, I think I can sell lots of copies of your new software…” then I sit up and take notice. And that folks, is the #1 job of any JV offer.

So that’s what you should be doing in your own efforts.

Of course, at the same time, you will also “introduce” a product of yours that would fit in well with their niche. Here’s a sample letter you can use to make the first contact… Subject: I’d like to promote your site Hi {NAME},My name is {NAME} and I own {WEBSITE}. I just found your site today and I believe many of my website visitors would find your {PRODUCT NAME} quite useful. Would you be interested in a little cross-promoting?I’m confident I could bring you lots of fresh sales, and I’ll pay you handsomely for any sales you generate of my product. Of course I’d be happy to send my product to you so that you can review it first. Just say the word and I’ll get it right out.Sincerely, {YOUR NAME} What you will find resulting time and time again is a JV-JV, or double joint venture, where you promote their product and they promote yours. Synergy. Increased sales. Call it what you want, it is very effective and profitable for both parties involved.

Here are a few tips to consider before you start using this strategy.

Tip #1: Make sure you have a top-notch product, service or opportunity to present BEFORE you start using this strategy. You’ll need testimonials in place and you should also be willing to offer a complimentary review of your offering.

Tip #2: Stick to businesses that are NOT directly competing with you, but whose offerings are in the same niche. For example, if your site offers discount search engine submissions, don’t try to hook up with another search engine submission site. Instead, try domain name registrars, web hosting companies, or similar sites.

Tip #3: Try to find other businesses whose traffic and subscriber lists are comparable to yours.

Again, this is a strategy that will work forever. It is not subject to being blocked by technology or becoming less effective over time, like many strategies. So if you are not yet using an affiliate program at your site, and actively seeking out potential partners on a regular basis, I suggest you start today.

Thanks for the read. Tony Smith

Unfortunately for Nokia it has not has not proven the best selling mobile handset they have every built, in spite of this it remains worth thinking about if you see one with a discount. The Nokia E61i is a good multi purpose handset that would be appealing for a very wide range of customers. The E61i is fairly well featured for the price.

There are lots of special offers availbe on the web to todays mobile handset customers. For example, using a mobile comparison site you may get a 12 month free line rental or a mobile phone with instant cash back or a free Nintendo DS Lite .

Polyphonic, Monophonic, MP3, True Tones ring-tones are enabled on the Nokia E61i along with a vibrating alert . Getting on to the display the phone is equipped with a 2.8 inch screen, which is a nice big display considering other possibilities you could get for the money. The screen is a TFT, 16M colors. The battery duration the E61i is 9:00 talk time and 400 hours reserve time. A Standard battery, Li-Po 1500 mAh (BP-4L) battery cell is that comes with the Nokia E61i. The Nokia E61i is compact and convenient. The Nokia E61i can be bought in, Silver and Mocca. The E61i weighs in at 150 g. The Nokia E61i is has bluetooth, meaning it can be used with with a range of mobile phone accessories like hands free sets or even a music system. The E61i is compatible with 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G UMTS 2100 . A 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels, video(CIF) camera is integrated into the E61i camera. For mobile Internet users as WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML browser is included. Additional features of the Nokia E61i include:

Despite being a relatively new model, the Nokia E61i has some really competition from rival manufacturers products. This means that it is pretty easy to get a great bargain on this mobile handset.

Everywhere we look in the western world we are inundated with pictures, images, icons and inferences of the ‘perfect’ female shape! The truth is that many of these images are altered or enhanced in some way and do not depict the typical female form. The pressure to lose weight is immense when we are bombarded every day with media selling products based on slimness, sex appeal and fashion. The constant message is that slimness will make you desireable.

With the current demographic trends in western countries, and faced with a sea of high fat, high sugar combined with physical inactivity; it is time to pay attention to our weight but not for any reasons of desirability. The most important reason for wanting to be a healthy body weight is for health rather than for how your body looks.

Overweight and obesity are major public health problems in western countries. Since the 1980s both adult men and women have become heavier, with obesity rates more than doubling in the last 20 years! Children are also becoming heavier. There is a growing concern that we are inadvertently training our overweight children to become obese adults. It has been said, we are digging our graves with out teeth! So just why should we be concerned with achieving a healthy body weight?

Overweight linked with diabetes.

In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured two studies that highlighted the topic of obesity and its impact on health. The first study focused on the relationship between obesity and diabetes, as well as the growing concern of diabetes in the U.S. between the years 2000 and 2001. The numbers don’t look good, with an alarming 5.6% increase of obesity in both men and women-from all ethnic groups, age ranges and educational levels. The occurrence of diabetes also increased-up 8.2% from 2000.

Overweight linked with premature death.

The second study found that obesity appears to markedly lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5′10″ weighing 288 pounds with a BMI of greater than 40 was estimated to lose 13 years of his life as a result of obesity. Findings were similar for women with higher BMIs, who were estimated to lose an average of eight years. While these studies reference extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of overweight people in developed countries with a life expectancy rate that is three to five years less than their healthy-weight counterparts.
Overweight linked with heart disease.

Overweight people tend to have higher blood pressure and higher blood cholesterol, which are major risk factors for heart attack and other blood vessel disease. Being overweight can contribute to problems in the joints, and is also associated with other serious diseases such as diabetes.

How you tell if you are overweight

As we are all different shapes and sizes, there is not one recommended weight for your height. Instead there is a range of weights that are healthy for your height. One way to check your weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index or BMI.

Your BMI is a ratio or comparison of your height and weight expressed in a number. To find out your BMI you need to divide your weight (measured in kg) by your height (measured in m) squared. If you do not know your measurements in the metric system you can find any number of BMI calculators online that will do the conversion for you into empirical measures. One such calculator is at the website listed below.

The accepted definitions of weight categories by BMI are:

Underweight - BMI less than 18.5
Healthy weight - BMI between 18.5 and 24.9
Overweight - BMI equal to or greater than 25 and up to 29.9
Obese - BMI equal to or greater than 30

These BMI values only apply to adults aged 18 years and over and are based on studies of Caucasian populations. Therefore, they are not applicable to children and adolescents and they may not be appropriate for people of other cultural backgrounds.

Another way to check your weight is to measure your waist circumference, using a tape measure. This gives you an idea of whether you have a lot of fat stored around your middle. Waist circumferences associated with increased health risk are:

For men Waist circumference greater than 94cm
For women Waist circumference greater than 80cm

Being a healthy weight can help:

- improve blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood glucose levels

- reduce your risk of other health related problems
- improve self confidence and self esteem
- make it easier to be physically active.

If you are obese or overweight…try not to gain additional weight. This will help you in years to come as people tend to increase weight with age. Better still look after your body and follow a healthy lifestyle incorporating a nutritious, delicious, health enhancing weight loss program. Just by losing 10 pounds you can significantly improve your overall health.

(c) Copyright Kim Beardsmore

Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. Tons of recipes, articles, resources, free newsletter and more to help you lose weight and keep it off forever. Estimate your healthy body weight or receive a free weight loss consultation at http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au

Most of use writers have our critics and that goes for those who write novels, documentaries, biographies, short stories, poetry, screen plays, news stories or simply articles either on or off line.

Recently my writing mentor, Dina Giolitto, who is an expert copywriter recently asked me about my critics after writing 3000 online articles over 3 grueling quarters, while averaging 285,000 words per month. She said;

“In reading your articles, one can ascertain you’ve acquired vast knowledge in the areas of mechanics, engineering, logistics, marketing, energy conservation, science and innovation, robotics… not to mention you keep up with current social and political trends. This makes you well able to articulate opinions based in fact. Yet, many readers have criticized you for “grammatical imperfection” in your articles. What is your response to their accusations?”

Indeed I have my critics like any other writer I suppose and many have accused me of not understanding all those subjects, yet being self-taught often means a lifetime of learning really and over time one does amass a wealth of knowledge of course. I suppose now after my crash course in learning to be a writer and of course I am no where near where I want to be; my response to any critic is “look at the score board!” Now then I do listen to their critiques and take an objective stance jumping into their point of view and perspective, really get inside their heads and ask myself;

1.) “Are those comments true?” If so, what can I do not improve, if not why do they feel that way? You can learn a hell of a lot from your critics and believe it or not sometimes you can benefit from them too. For instance: you can get New material to write on or discover another direction to discuss the industry, critique or explain something

2.) “Is the critic a legitimate commenter or is he a detractor?” In other words what are their true motives? Are they jealous? Are they one certain sector of the writing community who is on Prozac, Depressed, Insomniac, Alcoholic? Do they have a motive to destroy? Do they derive pleasure in creating controversy? Are they the type, which goes around the Internet looking for online forums to start a fight?

3.)”Is the critic accomplished in their own right?” Is the critic a superstar in their industry and really believes in their biting remarks, if so, it might be wise to study all their work and learn a new perspective and use that to propel meaningful thought or defend your case if in the end you have not changed you mind.

I believe that all authors who have gotten to a place in their careers where people are listening and reading what they have to say, should understand that there will be critics and detractors, so I offer my advice to deal with these folks. Think on it.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Can you recall the era when gaming laptops were not so accessible? The laptops were circulated in low numbers but each laptops had a massive profit margin. Regardless of that people probably wanted one. They were just the best laptop computers that the technology was able to provide at that time. They probably were not best sellers though because I guess us people buy laptop computers that we can easily afford. Sales will get better though now that well known companies are getting into the market.

Bringing their brand names into the market could allow them to charge greater prices. With such little markup on other notebooks it is no surprise they would like to be involved. Additionally they know they can persuade prospects to buy laptop computers like these more easily than small companies. I guess smaller manufacturers are really concerned regarding this. I’m pretty sure that the multinational companies will attempt to force the small ones out. Consumers just feel a lot more confident making a giant purchase from a brand name.

The buzz being generated concerning the latest brand name gaming notebooks is making people see them to be the best laptop computers ever. I guess that littler retailers could yet have an opportunity. I can see the ability of being able to customize the laptop computer to be a key buying decision. People that get high performance notebooks can usually look past the gimmicks. For this sort of niche, the specifications are generally more important instead of the appearance. For the prospect, this has plenty of benefits. As this pushes down the prices even further, top end technology will become even more attainable to the mass market. I mention that with a large dose of doubt though. New laptops are constantly being introduced and that should hold prices constantly high. It is tough to tell what will take place now that the big brands have gotten involved in creating gaming laptops.

I love fishing; it’s relaxing, fun and always a challenge. I don’t fish in tournaments because I don’t know how to catch game fish in a consistent way. For me, entering fishing tournaments would be a waste of time and money. There are those, however, who study every aspect of a particular fish, practice casting, and know their target so well, that they consistently pull in “the big ones” and win the tournaments. It seems the same thing happens in business. Certain companies seem to consistently “pull in the big ones” and gain market share. Why? They know that their target is like a fish! Fish are naturally unpredictable. They only strike at bait that is pulled toward them at the right time and in the right place. Sounds a lot like your potential clients doesn’t it?

When promoting their business small business owners and entrepreneurs often forget basic marketing principles. When I go fishing, the first thing I do is look for a couple of lakes that have they type of fish that I want to catch. Once I find a couple of lakes that I want like to fish, I would seek out the locals to get the latest scuttlebutt on what my fish are doing. I would ask what’s biting, where they’re biting, and what time of day seems to work the best. I would also find out which type bait is hauling them in. Then, I would purchase a map of the lake so that I have a good idea of the “lay of the land.”

This is a lot like exploring your target market. When I’m fishing for Bass, I get the intelligence report from the locals and a map for the lake. When you’re fishing for clients, you need to find the right market, gather information and cast your line. Remember, you can’t just cast it in any old place and hope that your “fish” will see the lure. Make sure you are casting into the correct places to find your customers. Know where your target market hangs out so that they see your message. Bass hide out under logs, lily pads, etc. If I want to catch a Bass, I throw my lure where the Bass are located. Apply the same concept to your target market. Cast in the correct location, you will save yourself time and money and avoid the unnecessary
“snags” that many marketing campaigns run into.

When you market, you need to know what type of customer you are looking for, where they are, and what will attract them to your business. By focusing your efforts on reaching a defined target with a specific message, you will pull in many more “fish” than if you simply float to the middle of the lake and start throwing lines into the water.

If you know your target market you will be able to create a strategy for pulling some of them into your boat! Defining your target market is just one of the strategies Starmaker Marketing addresses during the Marketing Quotient process.

Success in fishing is learned, but with a plan and some perseverance you can start catching the “big ones” too. It’s the same with your clients. You have the ability to pull them in - just toss out a line and start reeling!

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter for more great articles and tips for your business at our website below.

Preston Odenbrett
“Master Caster”
Starmaker Marketing
Web: www.starmakermarketing.com E-mail:preston@starmakermarketing.com

Preston Odenbrett
Starmaker Marketing
web:http://www.starmakermarketing.com
phone:651-208-0126
e-mail:preston@starmakermarketing.com
“Helping you ‘catch’ business using smart strategic-driven marketing”

Press releases and sales letters are key tools in marketing one’s business in today’s professional world. However, many professionals do not seem to understand the importance of enhancing their writing skills.

Few people realize that the written materials they send to clients can make or break their business. A badly written press release or sales letter can make one sound like an amateur to a potential client; but a crisp, well-written letter can prove to a client that you are the best in your field. You can utilize these marketing techniques if you follow a few simple rules.

First, take a minute to analyze your niche market. Who are these people to whom you are sending your materials? What will spark their interest? Use clear and concise words to detail your product or services, but do not treat your clients as though they cannot understand simple examples. Do not use words that are key words in your industry but not widely used elsewhere.

Second, determine what makes your business unique to your niche market. If you are sending your press release to a business magazine or newspaper, focus on the business aspect of your services. If you are sending a press release to a magazine for women, emphasize how your product can help women. Be sure to carefully research the target market of the medium to which you submit your press release. Most editors will not waste their time with your press release if it does not have an impact on their readers.

Third, make your materials attractive. Most people receive a lot of advertisements and “junk mail” every day and are quick to throw away these items without looking more closely at them. Make your sales letter or press release stand out from the rest by choosing attractive designs and interesting fonts. Add your company’s logo and offer a free service if you are able. Think of new ways to make even your sales envelope catch the eye of your client.

Finally, proofread your sales letter or press release before sending it to your clients. Make sure to check for spelling errors or grammatical problems as these errors can reflect poorly on your professionalism. Allow someone else to read your material before you send it as they will have a fresh perspective and may be able to clean up your letter or release for you.

Remember to not be overwhelmed by that evasive sales letter or press release. Follow these tips in order to utilize these important marketing tools. As you become accustomed to sending out written materials, you will become more adept at focusing on your client’s needs. Before you realize it, you will be standing out above your competitors. Start today enhancing your writing skills so you can begin marketing with this low-cost but effective technique.

If you’re ready to start promoting your business through press releases or sales letters, hire a professional. Katie Cruice Smith, a former newspaper reporter, will use her editing and writing abilities to create a professional press release or letter for your business. Visit www.katiespen.com today to jumpstart your professional campaign.

These days more and more people are getting intellectual instead of physical jobs. Sitting in the office chairs all-day long has become a norm for many of us. Stress, busyness, and rush make us forget about regular food and stuff our stomachs with cheeseburgers and sodas, which don’t do anything good for our bodies.

As a result of such crazy life rhythm, we rarely find time for exercises, gyms or balanced nutrition. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the reasons why there are now more that 60% of U.S
citizens that have overweight. However, it is possible to change your lifestyle and lose your weight if you are willing to.

These 7 day-to-day life tips provided below will help you to drop your extra pounds, become more energetic and healthier.

1. Drink More Water

   Our bodies need a lot of water. Water removes waste from our organisms and carries various nutrients into all our organs and cells. Your body also loses water by using it for various ways.
   For this reason you have to replace it and drink water more often than you are used to.

   Start your day with a glass of water in the morning. Drink a glass of water before any meal. Take a bottle of water with you when you go to work. Your body needs approximately 3-5 liters of water
   during one day. So don’t hesitate to drink plenty of water wherever and whenever you can.

2. Eat Fruits and Drink Fruit Juices

   Eating fruits and juices helps you eliminate toxins from your body. Eating a variety of fruits also helps you get enough fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. That’s why you should eat fresh fruits
   and drink natural fruit juices as often as possible.

   Fruit juices from stores are often sweetened. If you want to drink juices, make fresh juices yourself. If you think it takes too much of the time, then look for juices with labels that say “100% fruit juice”.
   These are much healthier for your body as long as they contain much more vitamins.

3. Eat Lots of Vegetables and Vegetable Salads

   When it comes to losing extra pounds, vegetables are a great choice. They are natural and contain different vitamins, minerals and tons of other useful chemicals known to provide benefits for your body.
   Vegetables are low in fat and calories, they help control blood glucose levels, reduce blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of colon and other cancers. All these features also help control your weight effectively.

   If you feel that eating vegetables alone isn’t great choice for you, then make some salads. Mixing vegetables together gives you even more different vitamins and health benefits. There are tons of tasty, healthy
   salad recipes on the internet. You can also use you imagination to make some great salads.

4. Eat Only When You Are Hungry

   How many times you’ve been to a party where you saw lots of different and tasty looking meals, which you were offered to try.

   Don’t eat, because you are offered to. Eat only when you want to.

   Many people also like snacking. In between meals or when have nothing to do. Quit snacking. Most snacks contain a lot of fat and calories.
   Replace your usual snacks with vegetables or fruits. These are healthy to your body and you’ll never get fatter, only thinner.

5. Carry Healthy Food with You

   Many of us work busy office jobs and don’t have time to eat regularly. In this case, bring your own made food with you. Instead of bringing sandwiches with meat, take vegetable salads, carrots, chicken salads.
   Any low fat food will do. This way, you won’t have to wait for a break to fill your stomach. You’ll be able to have fixed times when eating food.

   It’s also important to try to eat about 5 times a day, rather than 3 or 2. Eat in smaller quantities, but more often. This helps you to increase your metabolism.

6. Work Out When You Can

   Working out in a gym is not only a great way to grow some muscles, but also to drop a few pounds. Exercising helps you burn your calories instead of storing them in your body as fat.
   Our bodies were made to be active, so exercising slowly and easily can actually help you get more energy and make you feel much better.

   At the end of the week, try to lose all the stress and burn your calories in a gym or having some kind of physical activity at home. If you have time, then try to do easy exercises everyday.

7. Don’t Lie Down or Sit When You Can Move

   Many of us like to watch TV lying on a couch or sitting in a comfortable chair. Of course, when you come home after hard working day, you’re tired, and all you can think of, is a couch and a remote in your hand.
   But such laziness won’t help you lose weight. Contrarily, it will make you grow some more pounds.

   So don’t lie or sit, when you can walk and move. Instead of staring at TV, like a goofy, go ahead and work out in your garden for example, clean your garage, fix your car, go to walk in park or beach.
   Breathe fresh air and move more often. Not only does it help to reduce stress after work, but also ups your mood and makes you more energetic.

In Conclusion

Remember that all these tips will help you to lose weight, but only if you are determined and are ready to devote some of your time.
Don’t expect to slim down 4 sizes after eating 5 carrots and drinking orange juice.

Your body, just like many things in this world, needs time. So be patient. And if you will honestly use at least some of these tips, you are
going to change your lifestyle, which in the end will lead you to a thinner and healthier body.

Monty Lee is dedicated to helping people lose weight by providing quality and natural products. Visit http://www.body-health-online.com for more information.

We love our cats. Throughout the centuries, Cats have been revered, even worshipped. They can be our cuddly friends or fearsome hunters. Through it all, they are our beloved pets. For some, coming through the door at the end of a long day, being greeted by a furry feline it the best part of the day. Our cats love us unconditionally; we can do no wrong with them. Now, there is something that can lift your spirits as soon as you turn into the driveway. A new and unique way to pay tribute to the one who enriches our lives in so many different ways and this is with cat mailboxes.

Cat mailboxes, what’s not to love? A cat mailbox is a cute, fun, decorative novelty item that can bring you home to life. It is a way to personalize your property. It can show to the world that you are friend to felines. The assortment of different cat mailboxes is as astounding. There are so many different shapes and sizes that it makes the decision to purchase just one difficult. There have been some who have purchased cat mailboxes just for décor. They can be created a playful kittens or in a stalking pose. The design is limited only by cat lovers’ imagination.

Cat mailboxes are approved by the United States Postal service and are made of heavy-duty steel that is rust and weather resistant. They also can be made out of wood, or vinyl, and are all durable to withstand the often-frigid temperatures of winter or scorching heat of summer. Cat mailboxes come in many different designs. They can be freestanding, or attach to a building. They can have locks attached by request.

By searching the Internet, there are hundreds of links that will assist the cat lover in finding the perfect cat mailbox. There are even sites that will create a specific cat mailbox from a picture that is sent. It can be made to be a life size model of the your favorite pet. What better was to express love for a furry feline friends. A cat mailbox can also have a message inscribed on it to welcome guests to your home. This services is usually offer by request only. These adorable designs are usually hand crafted, and made to look exactly like a treasured family pet.

A cat mailbox can even be made with movable whiskers and tails. They are a delightful novelty item that all cat lovers would love to receive as a gift.

A cat mailbox will make an incredible addition to a home that will keep friends and loved one amazed at the quality and workmanship of the design.

Most sites on the Internet will send a cat mailbox complete with everything you need for installation. This feature is appealing to most people as all they have to do is unwrap and install their cat mailbox for all to see.

Big or small, black or white a cat mailbox will be the talk of every neighborhood.

Mailboxes HQ contains information about mailboxes from designer mailboxes through how to keep your mail safe from criminals.

If you’re searching for a proven method that leads to fast results, than this article is for you. Many times I come across loan officers who are either new in the industry and need to earn immediate income or who joined during the height of the refinance boom and now needs to build purchase business.

Either way, this strategy I’ve tested with dozens of loan officers and have had great success. In fact, it’s one of those ideas that’s commonly known, but is uncommonly practiced - meaning that it’s another way of getting ahead of your competitors.

Captive Audience

With the housing market appearing to cool off and inventory climbing in many towns across America, it prompts agents to hold open houses again. This is great news for you, because it means they’re captive. It’s one thing to approach an agent at their office, when they’re on their natural turf, but when it’s an open house, you’ll discover their behavior is strikingly better. For one thing, if the traffic for the open house has been slow, they’ll be happy to have someone to speak with.

So the first step, which believe it or not, is the most difficult for loan officers, is to give up some personal time on a Saturday and visit several open houses. How much time? If you’re efficient, meaning you’ve spotted the open houses in Friday’s paper and planned a route, you could knock out a dozen in three hours.

Your Plan

If you’re going to take some personal time on a Saturday to pursue agents, you definitely want to make the most of your effort. So let’s review your objectives; an open house visit is your chance to:

Schedule Appointments - Don’t miss this point - Your primary objective in visiting open houses is to schedule appointments, not to share every reason in the world why they should do business with you. You’re not there to socialize longer than 20 minutes. If you’re staying longer than that, you’re giving up too much information.

Build Your Prospect List - If you visit a dozen open houses, you should gain at least four appointments. But what about the other eight? If you don’t get an appointment, always seek permission to market your services to them in the future. Just say, “If you’re like most agents I meet, you’re interested in ways to grow your income. If I come across ideas from time to time that can help you do that, would you be offended if I send it to you?” Of course, very few will turn you down and now you’re building a list of prospects who have granted permission for you to send them information.

If you find yourself quickly accumulating a permission-based list, consider implementing a regular email or direct mail campaign so you can build familiarity, which leads to future originations.

Demonstrate Your Professional Commitment - Just by showing up on a weekend, you’re making a statement about your willingness to service agents.

Make Friends - You might find open houses to be a less confrontational method to meeting agents. Some of my toughest clients, loan officers who never called on agents before, found open houses to be less intimidating and trouble-free.

The idea of visiting open houses has been around since the dawn of time…ok, maybe not that long, but hopefully you get the idea. It can give you a quick jump start to meeting agents, developing some familiarity and if you schedule several appointments, a real chance to interact with agents who will send you originations.

If you’re new in the industry or haven’t marketed your services to agents before, it’s a strategy worth trying. You’ll find that it’s not too difficult, and agents recognize the effort you’re putting forth, so they’re more empathetic to your cause.

Click here to get a free copy of Jeff Nelson’s Marketing Planning Guide, a 20-page workbook designed to help you outline a strategy to become an Agent Magnet. Are you a mortgage broker struggling to get business from real estate agents? Learn simple secret to earning business instantly.