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Welcome to Ced Reynolds's personal eTracking search engine. Chaos theory combined with viral technology makes this a leading edge traffic portal. This site can easily become a massive verified lead generator for free. It is self replicating, comes with live training and runs on over 200 servers. This technology is exclusive to Inetekk the inventors of Veretekk. Veretekk is 10 years ahead of any type of lead generating and lead system on the Internet today. If you want your own eTracking system it is free. If you want a portfolio of lead generators like eTracking then you need to join Veretekk. Just click on the Veretekk link to the right. Inetekk has been building lead and marketing systems on the Internet since 1998. Inetekk was created by Thomas Prendergast and Mike Darling. With a combined expertise that started when the Internet was born in 1991, these guys represent over 200,000 hours of Internet and computer technology and have set the standard for Internet marketing. Developers of the first and only double opt in, verified and 3rd party verifiability email systems, Inetekk forged the only secure privacy based email system on the Internet. Inventors of the first online application, first self replicating website and first self replicating PDF ebooks, this company has been destined to empower the little guy from it's very inception. You have everything to gain subscribing for free. Make sure you also join the affiliate program found at Veretekk.com. If your interested in a real solid and easily built income, this is that place. We live in Southern California and we’ve found ourselves being taken advantage of on more than one occasion. Getting affordable legal help was a challenge until we learned how to utilize the proper legal forms. What we found was that every seemingly legal situation doesn’t require hiring a lawyer. All it sometimes takes is a phone call and being pointed in the right direction. One thing we’ve discovered is being prepared is extremely important. One of the most absolutely worse things that can happen to any family is to be ill prepared for a legal challenge. The least one could do is get a little educated about how to approach a any legal challenge. Since the inception of the internet there is no excuse not to know anything we want to know. How and where to get legal help is one of those things we should want to know before hand because not knowing could literally cost us everything. More to come, Ced Reynolds Feeds for [ ] 1. Too late for 2008? Just in time for 2009... Free traffic exchange Something tells me that 2009 will be a year of great opportunity. I say that because of my faith in God and my firm belief in good things coming to those who wait. Many of us have been waiting for a long time for the right opportunity to come along. In really should say many of us have being prepared to receive a great opportunity. Over the years I have seen my share of good opportunities. Some I have been able to take advantage of because I was prepared mentally and financially. But there were those opportunities I had to let pass me by because I just didn't see what they offered and in a lot of cases I just didn't have the money to take advantage of them. In this last month I have been extremely fortunate to come across three opportunities that I believe will help many people who dare to work online. I've been in the online game for almost 10 years now and I firmly believe the best is still yet to come. Below is a splash page that I think you will enjoy. The message may or may not be for you but I guarantee you it will make you think. New ways to attain good quality leads is at the forefront of most our minds. This may just be the thing that puts us out in front of our competitors. Here is Message Magic: 2. Finally A Monetized Browser Monetizing the internet is what many of us have dreamed of. Finally a browser that is allowing the surfers participate in the profit. Their concept is sharing the profits with the surfers to insure they have more surfers than Google, Yahoo, Lycos or Ask combined. This amazing concept is so simple that it literally makes you wonder why it's taken so long.
Click here to access your free browser Click here to access your free browser 3. Look around, who do you see? In a sea of professionals in the same industry many of them know each other. The ones in the same niche especially know who each other are. It's time to look around and see who's still in the game. Look around, who do you see? Are the same people who started in this race with you still with you? Are yesterday's superstars still in the game? In business it is the ones who have applied what they learned in lean times and great times who stick around. There are tons of want to be professionals who can "talk a good game." I mean there are people who sit around and talk about the old days as though they participated. There are people who posture as though things are going good. There are people who put on fronts just to save face in front of their peers. We can be good at all of these things but being good in this arena won't keep us in the game. I don't know who said it but when it comes right down to the wire, those who work more on themselves than they work on anything else become the market leaders. Being a market leader in today's market is hard. It's real hard. I mean people who stay out front in business get up early and stay up late. They do what it takes to get the job done. These are folks who ponder the possibilities all the time. These are men and women who won't settle for mediocrity. They won't throw in the towel just because everybody else has. These folks scrape and scrape until they get what they know is theirs. Look around, who do you see? Do you see yourself in the midst of a group of professionals who are settling for just getting by or do you see yourself as the market leader in your niche? Please understand that because knowledge is so readily available today it no longer is the quintessential distinguisher of market leaders. Understanders of the market can certainly be market leaders but only if they apply the knowledge. On the other hand "just understanding the market no more makes a person a market leader than sitting in a garage makes one an automobile." I look around and realize that many of the folks who started with me in the niche I am in are no longer in the game. They don't write blogs anymore nor do they connect with the same people I connect with. This leaves in a sea of professionals pretty much by myself. Many of you know I am not a Realtor. You read my blogs and realize I am an encourager by nature. The point I am making here today is that before I ever encouraged anybody else I had to encourage myself. For me being a market leader has been tough. I made a decision back in the late 80's that I would connect with Realtors like nobody in my industry would. Although I have changed industries and moved into a different arena, my connection with Realtors stands out more than any other person in my industry that I know. Just look around, who do you see? Where are the market leaders in the niche I connect with? It might sound like I'm bragging but the reality is that I have purposed to set myself far apart from my industry companions. I have chosen to introduce myself to professionals who they said they would love to help. The only challenge is that many of them really didn't mean it. If they did they would still be around. This might sound a bit harsh or egotistical but again I have to ask you to look around, who do you see? In closing I want to encourage you to be the market leader in your chosen niche. Be the person that when others look around they still see standing broadcasting the same message. It takes guts to leave the ruts. By the yard it's hard. Inch by inch life is a cinch. These are cute quotes but they have a powerful impact for those who make up their minds to distinguish themselves as the market leaders and the understanders of the market. What's your decision today, to be a market leader or an understander of the market? Ced Reynolds I am always looking for market leaders to connect with. If you know anybody like that have them contact me. 4. Is it time to stop, slow down or speed up OK, so we're doing things a little bit different than we anticipated. Business has taken a turn in a great direction for some and for some a turn in a negative direction. We have to ask ourselves, "if it's my business who is responsible for the ultimate direction it goes?" Do we leave it up to circumstances or chance? What gets me about many who go into business in boom times is that they don't really know if it's the boom time that has their business thriving or smard (smart & hard combined). The business owners who understand there are ups and downs in business most often stay afloat during tough times because part of their plan is preparing for tough times. To be fair there are some who have just got going in business for themselves and haven't had the opportunity to plan for the tough times. What are they to do? Well the fact of the matter is that tough times are real and they will have to scrimp and scrape to determine if they are suited for being in business for themselves. I guarantee you one thing though, they will certainly learn a lot and be sure to plan for the boom times and the tough times in their future. Sudden changes in the national economy don't always hit our areas right away. They may be signs of things that may be coming our direction but our personal economy is determined by how we serve the clients who want and can afford our services. When situations arise where we say, "but that wasn't the plan". we make adjustments and make the best of whatever the situation happens to be. What I understand when situations show up that weren't anticipated is that it is time to either stop, slow down or speed up. Stopping Stopping may not appear to be obvious to us all the time. The reality is when it's time to stop, there really is nowhere else to go. There is nothing that brings profit by continuing. There are no signs of possibility. Things have come to a halt. Now I must say this. All situations are subject to change. Even when we stop, we need to prepare to re-engage at some point to get back in the swing of things. But when the game changes and it's time to stop be sure to stop. Slowing Down Slowing down is a little bit different. Things on the horizon look to be troubling but not enough to stop. There are still signs of profit. There are still signs of possibility. And although things may be creeping along the game is still on. If you haven't come to a complete halt and it doesn't look like stopping is necessary just slow down a bit and prepare to re-engage at full speed real soon. Speeding Up Speeding up is probably the most fun I have a business owner. This is when things are looking exceptionally good. Clients are buying right on the spot. Referrals are coming out of the wood works. Business is hitting on all eight cylinders. Life is just absolutely good. Speeding up is making sure we capture all the potential business that is near us and then some. Speeding up is about "getting it while the getting is good." The key here is not to stop working or slow down but to move full speed ahead until it's time to stop or slow down. 5. Grant Andrews Message Magic Pulsating Matrix Our Mission & Motto is "Liberating Families, One At A Time" Warning & Disclaimer! This may not be suitable reading for all people, especially heavy hitters who enjoy permanent seats on the top of deep and fat forced matrixes... Our philosophy here at Message Magic Software is to monetarily REWARD ALL OF OUR SUBSCRIBERS, especially our members that have had little or no luck making a income in other companies. We believe there needed to be a change that would be REVOLUTIONARY. What we unveil here is a system designed for the success of all its subscribers week after week, month after month, year after year (not just the few that happen to be fortunate to enter early on). We are very proud to announce the worlds first Pulsating Matrix, a matrix configuration that will absolutely astound industry observers, members and business owners. It is a system designed to help the average person make money for the very first time ever, and is all but guaranteed to take ALL negative aspects of building a forced matrix type compensation plan and throw them away forever! Click on the Pulsating Matrix Icon above. 6. Be Better Don't Be Cut Throat Simply put, being better in this economy is making sure you are prepared to serve the client the first time correctly. There is no time to make mistakes. Contrary to some beliefs of people, just because some sales people get more business than others doesn't mean they are "cut throat." They are simply providing more solutions to problems their clients have. Being better means taking the time to dig out the details of true desires the client has. It takes a professional to ask the tough questions in a pleasant way. Beating around the bush with a "pansy Annie attitude" will just turn clients off. There is so much stress going on in the lives of people today that they need sales people who function with a "iron fist with a velvet glove". Soft on the outside and tough on the inside gets the job done. There is no time to back off being Mr. Nice guy or Mrs. Nice lady. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we shouldn't be nice. I'm saying we can not and should not be wimps. Our clients don't need wimps. Be better than your competitor. Don't be cut throat. Be better than you've been in the past. Be a man or woman who's sole intention is to get the job done right the first time. We are in a season where only the strong will survive. I believe many of those who thought they were strong will find themselves analyzing their inner strength. This is more of an inside game than anything else. It's not all about knowledge. It's about belief in self and God. It's about having a philosophy that is predetermined when you show up in the clients living room. And here's the clincher. The client knows you mean business from the first time they meet you. Please don't get me wrong here. I am not saying you have to have a specific personality to be better and not be cut throat. You can be exactly who you are but the key is being better. In order to be better you have to find a way go get better. Learn all you can about being a better you and the knowledge you have regarding your industry will be complimented so much that people will think of you in an entirely different light. Looking forward to meeting the better you, Ced Reynolds 7. But You're Not My Client It's always good to get that first call of the day when it's a client who is calling to say "yes. we are ready to do business." But what about that dreaded call when a client that's not even your client calls screaming and hollering "I'm through with you people. I've had enough and I want to cancel right now." By now you guessed it. This morning my first call from a gentleman who asked for my by name and began to describe his situation. He had mailed in a cancellation form and his membership hasn't been canceled. All the while I was pondering "is this one of my clients?" His name doesn't seem to ring a bell. As I continued to listen I realized he had the wrong person but I was wondering how he got my name. The wonders of being popular on the Internet has its advantages but today I discovered one of the disadvantages. The gentleman who wasn't my client Googled my company name and my name and there I was. Not the person he was looking for obviously but non the less I was the guy who showed up online and he wasn't taking no for an answer. As he continued to talk I calmly let him know that I thought he had the wrong person. None of that seemed to register because all he was focused on was getting his membership canceled. So I said to him, can you hold for a moment. As I gathered my thoughts I came back to the phone and said let's do this. Let's get the customer service on a three way phone call and we'll get it handled. What came next was pure magic. When the customer service rep got on the line of course the first person didn't have authorization to handle this man's situation. The customer service manager then gets on the phone to yet give the same answers as the customer service rep. I knew this wouldn't end up good if this guy had to jump through one more hoop. Here I am on the phone with a man who isn't my client and a customer service manager who isn't giving an inch and there is no record of a cancellation on file. What was I to do? Why am I involved with this deal anyway? There seemed to be a stale mate and the non-client who has now become my potential worse night mare is madder than a wet hen and the manager just didn't seem to have a clue about how to resolve the situation. So here's what I did. I interrupted the conversation and just asked "is there a record of Mr. Non-Client's email requesting to cancel?" Mr. Non-Client said he had a copy and the manager said she had a copy. Now we seemed to be getting somewhere. So very simply I said can we just get this resolved right now via email. Mr. Non-Client and the manager finally agreed and the cancellation was handled by email and I was a witness to them both saying they received the appropriate emails. The moral of the story is even when a client isn't your client, do what you can to help them. If nothing else you'll feel better and leave a positive taste in their mouth in spite of a negative situation. It's OK for for a client to not be satisfied even when there are millions of people who love your products and/or services. We have to honor their decision. Mr. Non-Client in this case was extremely apologetic to me for getting me involved. He did realize I was the wrong person but was extremely thankful that I took the time to help him. Of course I asked him to give me a call personally if he ever decided to reinstate his membership. His words were, "you are the only one I would call, you're a real credit to your company. Thanks so much Cedric. You really didn't have to help me but you did" It was worth it, Ced Reynolds 8. New Careers Sought By Many There is more to be considered about the economy than our egos. Sales is an industry where our egos can be stroked so we feel so great about ourselves that we would never dream of making a change for fear of being labeled a failure. 9. A Different Kind of Referral - Help a Friend In Crisis
The thought came to me that the more eyes that are looking the better their chances are. I have a young friend who is 27 years old. He got his first job while he was in college at an engineering firm. He was an up and coming star in the company. Then the economy took a nose dive and the company had to lay him off. Now he is looking for work and having a tough time. So I thought I would put some feelers out for him. He's now getting a few calls from lead sources other than the ones he's drummed up himself. Here's the point of my blog today. Can you think about somebody you know who is looking for work so I can keep my ears and eyes open to help them. Not only will I be keeping my ears and eyes open I am going to get some of the friends in my network to do the same. I believe these are the kids of things we have to do to beat the odds of the down turn in the economy. It's when we pull together to help others that makes life and adventure rather than an atrocity. Here's a plan. Just list something like this at the bottom of your blog. "I have a friend who is a civil engineer and he is looking for work in Southern California in the Los Angeles area. If you know anybody looking for a guy with a great attitude and a good work ethic have them get in touch with Ced @ (909) 597-3502" Thanks gang. My heart is heavy for my friends but I know with the help of others who keep open eyes and ears he will find the ideal job in a hurry. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog today. Ced 10. Our Approach to Life It's time to keep our chins up and our hearts lifted. Our approach to life in these tough times says a lot about who we really are. No matter how tough things get a man or woman's true character shines through even when they are squeezed tighter and tighter. It has been said that "tough times help to shape our character." I believe our character might be shaped a little during tough times but the reality is that "our character is shaped primarily by the little things that seem inconsequential." Seemingly inconsequential things can be irritants. But the man or woman who pays attention to them is shaping their character day by day. Our approach to life is learned by a series of life events that add up to where we are today. Not one of us just woke up with a great attitude. Not one of us just woke up with a stellar character. Not one of us woke up with wisdom. It all happened as a result of paying attention to detail along the way of life. Our approach to life has been a matter of taking the events of life one moment at a time, one day at a time. Keep approaching life like the champion you are. Ced Reynolds Career Recruiter 11. Be Thankful For Those We Work With As we approach Thanksgiving I have been thinking about what I'm really thankful for. Of course I'm thankful for my family, my health, my well being and most definitely my relationship with the Lord. As I pondered all that I am thankful for I thought about those I work with. Without them business would be so much more challenging. I am thankful for: *the people who work in the various offices who serve our business because they make my transactions go smoothly *my fellow sales personnel because they keep me motivated to do my best *the vendors we work with because they provide services and products to make my job easier *the salespeople who give me referrals because they help me help more clients *the salespeople I am able to help because they allow me to sow positivity into their lives *my clients because they help me stay gainfully employed while allowing me to help them meet their needs *lastly, Active Rain because it's given me a neat platform to make connections with some really neat people Take a moment and tell us who you are thankful for among those you work with Ced 12. Whining Only Works With Babies
If you have children, you know that when they whine we sometimes try and tune them out. But eventually if you're a softy like my wife and I were, they eventually get our attention. We are long past the stage of small children. In fact our son is 22 years old (not a whiner, thank God). In the sales profession I have come across people who profess to be professionals but they are really whiners. Don't you just love a whining adult. It doesn't matter how much an adult whines in the professional world, most often they don't get what they want. We're into this thing called work. Those who work hard and smart generally get what they are after. Those who whine because they have chosen not to work hard and smart most often find something else to whine about. Babies get what they want because they can't get it for themselves. But as soon as they learn how to get what they want for themselves they are expected to get it and not whine to others until they get it. It is hard to imagine grown adults whining but it's true. They really haven't grown up yet and they haven't figured out that nobody is going to make things different for them but them. In this tough season we all have to choose to work hard and smart or choose to whine. What will you do? Ced Reynolds 13. The Danger of Your Sense of Urgency For years sales trainers have been telling us "you gotta have a sense of urgency or your prospects won't buy." And what did most of us do? We mustered up the greatest sense of urgency we could. Believe me I was in the front of the line. Let me tell you what I discovered about having a sense of urgency in sales. I found that the more my prospects felt my urgency the less I would sell. For months I would express the urgency for my prospects to get on board before it was too late. I would tell them that they would lose out if they didn't act now. I would share with them that the price is expected to go up and they would definitely have to pay the higher price if they didn't act now. You name it I tried it. The only thing was it was all to no avail. When it did work, I found my clients canceling after they cooled down after the sale. Urgency is an interesting thing when it comes to customers. I'll use myself as an example. About 18 months ago I got the new care fever. I've been wanting a Mercedes Benz for about 10 years but I felt the time just wasn't right. Every time I went to the dealer to look at a Mercedes, the salespeople would all express a sense of urgency that really turned me off. Consequently I never bought the Mercedes. In two distinct shopping experiences in the last 10 years I went to my old dealership and bought another Dodge. Just about 16 months ago I went to another Mercedes Benz dealership "on a mission" to get my Mercedes. This time things were different. I had the sense of urgency this time. All the salesperson had to do was show me what I wanted to see and follow my lead. What I discovered was that it was my urgency that made the sale. Here's my point. When we work with prospects, it is not our responsibility to push them to a place of having a sense of urgency but rather discern how urgent they are and flow with them. When a prospect shows up with a sense of urgency, we will never be accused of manipulating them to do something they didn't intend on doing. While our own sense of urgency can get us in trouble at times, just remember that the urgency of a prospect is much better than our own in the sales process. They key for us as salespeople is recognizing the level of urgency our prospects have. Until next time, Ced Reynolds
14. Stumble Your Way to Yes In Sales You have no doubt heard that all you have to do is be persistent. "Just stay in it to win it. Just stay in the game and you'll win. Success is inevitable to those who persist. Winners never quit and quitters never win." There are tons of quotes like these that inspire us to continue in tough times. Have you ever thought that though you stumble in your prospecting and your presentation that you could actually stumble your way all the way to yes? Well you absolutely can. Let me give you an example. Several months ago I wrote an article and somehow a person not even part of this network got a hold of it and called me to ask me a few questions. You talk about stumbling, I really stumbled with this one. While I was doing my due diligence to find out which network they saw my article in, I totally turned the person off because of my seemingly (at least to them) pointless questions. The act of stumbling for me in the case of this prospect (who did become a client by the way) was asking too many questions and not listening enough. Finally when I did get the clue that this person really had no idea where they found my article. They just came across it and they were impressed to call me based on the content. If my first act of stumbling wasnt' enough, wait to you hear this. I lost the person's contact info so I couldn't call back as I promised I would with the answer to their question. I was thankful that this prospect overlooked my fist stumble but I was certain that they would just write me off when I didn't call them back as I had promised. That's what I would have done if it happened to me. You won't believe this but after about three days I got an email from the prospect which included their phone number. Here's the funny part, they were emailing me to apologize saying how much of a flake I must have thought they were because they gave me the wrong phone number. I would love to tell you that I fessed up and said I lost the phone number they gave me but I didn't...lol. Stumbling into your way to yes may not happen like this for me all the time. But what this experience taught me was to keep the faith until I get an answer. Yes might very well be that answer. I assumed "no" because of my stumbling and bumbling. We never know how things will turn out so we should always keep moving forward even if we are stumbling. At least we will be moving toward yes. Ced Reynolds 15. The Importance of Your Marketing Message We have all thought at one point, "what's the use...nobody sees my marketing content or my ads anyway." Have you ever thought these thoughts or something similar? If you have this article might be for you. Those who are serious about sales of any product or service know that sales just don't come by mere luck. It's about preparation and hard work. It's about being in front of the right people with our message. The moment we stop putting our message in front of the people who need and/or want our products and/or services we have just hung ourselves. Marketing is keeping current and prospective clients aware that we are well able and available to assist them when they are ready. The moment we ease up on our marketing message, people begin to wonder just how serious we are. The moment we back off on what we have declared to be of great importance to our clients and prospective clients, they begin to wonder if we are still around. Marketing is one of the key cornerstones in thriving market and an absolute cornerstone in an declining market. In a thriving market we have to distinguish ourselves from the mass marketers so we can stay ahead of the game. In a declining market we have to distinguish ourselves from other seasoned pros who are doing their best get our share of the market. If you have a marketing message do everything you can to remind yourself to stay on point. The seasons may change and your message may change slightly but the reality is that you want your clients and prospective clients to know you are there saying the same thing you've always been saying and providing the same quality you've always provided. Your marketing message is in essence your calling card. People remember you because of what you have said and what others have said about you. When the two match up consistently you know you have a message that will penetrate the hearts of people in good times and tough times. In closing, we are in a season when we have to know that we will be on point and get the job done no matter what. We are in business to help our prospective clients with their needs, wants and desires. One of the best ways to do that is to remain consistent with our marketing message. It's up to us to get our others to boost our reputation in the marketplace and we do that with a consistent marketing message. It's never to late to start if you've been off track. And if you are on track, God bless you for making it a point to stay consistent. In either case make your marketing message something that is apart of your daily conversation.
Stay in the game, Ced Reynolds 16. Recruit, Recruit, Recruit - Leverage Your Income in Business Why do brokers and small business owners recruit, recruit, recruit? Have you ever thought about why some brokers and small business owners recruit so much and others don't? There is something to recruiting that you need to know. Here's the word, "leverage." Most brokers and small business owners recruit to expand their business without having to do all the work themselves. I am sure you would agree that having more people working for you is smart provided you can train them to be the best they can be. There is one challenge though. Once some salespeople become good, they get this strange idea that it's time for them to take advantage of leveraging their income. The concept is awesome but there is a big difference between being a salesperson and being a broker or business owner. I mean a big difference! Not all salespeople should be brokers just like not all brokers should revert back to being salespeople. The reality is that as long as brokers have salespeople they will have a need to recruit because salespeople come and go no matter what. Some go on to different companies. Some go on to start their own companies. And some go on to do entirely different things. Recruiting is important for various reasons: 1. To build your sales team 2. To find sales managers 3. To discover who you will spend time with 4. To identify your potential competition 5. To stay ahead of your competition 6. To leverage your income 7. To sort out the best candidates 8. To increase your knowledge base 9. To keep current salespeople on their toes 10. To build your data base When we stop recruiting we fall into a false sense of reality. Things are subject to change. Recruiting keeps us in the flow so that when things do change we are able to flow with the change without having to play the "starting over game." OK, Ced but what about the economy? Somebody is going to sell Real Estate. Will it be you or someone else. It's a recruiters market. The more we have on our team, the more we can offer what is available. Recruit, recruit, recruit and you can do it in any order you choose to. Ced Reynolds p.s. The great thing about my business is that those I recruit are recruiters also. When they choose to leverage their income it benefits me also.
17. I am Sold on Social Networking - It is like Social Equity Being sold yourself is of great importance when we utilize social networking in business. There is an acronym that says, "iasm stands for I am sold myself" In fact I think this is true about anything we hope to share with others. If you can ever get excited about something, getting excited about helping people attain their goals should be high on the list. Our enthusiasm just spills onto people and is very contagious. Can you imagine an unenthusiastic person trying to offer help to somebody? The person with enthusiasm has a tremendous advantage. One thing I must tell you is we ought not be fooled about enthusiasm. Everybody shows it in a different way but no matter how it is shown it is contagious. I have come across people who were not so overt but they expressed a degree of enthusiasm that just captivated my attention. Then I have come across people who are were extremely bubbly but they really didn't convey they were genuinely enthusiastic. Enthusiasm comes from the core of our being. It is not something we can fake for long. For me I have to be able to say "I am sold myself." I want to encourage you in your business endeavors to be sold on social networking. Believe me it is not a waste of time. We are in the people business and people need each other in various ways. Find yourself getting sincerely involved with your business associates and clients. You will not be disappointed. The relationships we develop over time are assets in our business and our personal life. It is like having "social equity". Remember this. Being purposeful about social networking will cause us to reach out beyond our comfort zone. Take a moment and call a client to give them an update and let them know your plans. Take a moment to contact a business associate to give them a lead. Take a moment and reach out today on purpose and develop your social equity. Are you ready to reach out beyond your comfort zone? Ced ReynoldsCareer Recruiter As a thank you for reading my blog, please accept this free gift of knowledge which will help you take your business to the next level. Click here
18. The New Word of Mouth - Online Social Networking and Media Things are getting faster, better and more profitable because of the new word of mouth. Are you in the online social networking game? Did you know that using Active Rain and other social network media can get people following you and eventually calling you? Well it most certainly can.The key is being in the game. What I mean is writing content that gets people to want to investigate what you are saying. It amazes me that all over the internet in the various social networks I belong to that the the same people follow me from place to place. I noticed this when I caught myself following certain people from network to network. Social networking is more than just a fad. It is a way of connecting and finding out about people who you might consider connecting with for whatever reason. This is not just a youth thing. This is a way of life thing. We just witnessed the greatest social network campaign in the history of the United States in our recent elections. Do you think that our President Elect's campaign team was just guessing things might just work out. These folks knew exactly what they were doing and who they were targeting. I want to tell you one thing. Get good at social networking before it's too late. As much as many of us here on Active Rain are happy with our ranking among ourselves, we have to realize there is a world who is just waiting to read what you have to say. The key is knowing how to make your Active Rain content rain in the rest of the world you want to reach. Just watch how social media is growing at warp speed. If you can write, write a lot. If you can talk, talk create an internet talk show. If you like the camera, start adding video to your blog. This stuff is changing the marketing game in a big way. You might be saying, I do things the way I do it and that's it. That's perfectly OK. My point here is if you want to see word of mouth work well for you, take it to the next level. Get people talking about you the way you want them to talk about you. We are in an era of major change. I mean major change!!! Can you sense it? Get in the game,
Ced Reynolds p.s. Hey listen, if you're looking to do something different to give your life to take this survey. Just click here. 19. Why Great Career Plans Don't Always Pay Off Let's face it. Not all people were meant to be in sales. A great career plan can will go haywire if it's not meant to be. I know it is very alluring and the pay off seems to be well worth the effort. The reality is if sales was an easy career to be involved with everybody would be doing it. It's really not true that all a person has to do is learn everything about a product or service and you can sell it. A sales career needs to be treated like a business. Of course we learn as much as we can about our product or service. But one of the keys that is often underlooked is our philosophy. Our way of thinking about "why we do, what we do, with who we serve makes a world of difference." How many well intentioned nice people have you seen who just can't seem to sell anything? They do all the right stuff and still find themselves struggling. I'm not talking for a few months, I'm talking about for years. Oh yeah, there is that person who breaks out of the pack from time to time. But for the most part many of these well intentioned nice people never get past below average. They try and try and try. They get trained. They work hard. They work long. They do everything they are supposed to do with limited results. It might sound like I'm being pretty negative here. I think you would agree with me that it is much better for every person to "fit in where they fit." If we keep trying to fit a "round peg in a square hole" we will have the same problems all the time. Those who breakthough the "I can't sell anything syndrome," have a philosophy that says "if it's to be it's up to me." They have more than a positive mental attitude. They have a philosophy of life that is deep to the core of their being and they don't receive anything else that is contrary to their philosophy. Here's the question for you. Where is your great career plan taken you? Ced Reynolds If you would like to take a survey to find out if you're still in the game take this survey. Just click here.
20. Forbes tells it like it is regarding Prepaid Legal Services How would you like it if your company was among the top 200 in all of the United States. Hopefully you would be as excited as I am. This isn't our first time being among the top 200 in the country.Take a look at what Forbes.com has to say about Prepaid Legal Services.
The 200 Best Small Companies#130 Pre-Paid Legal Services10.08.08, 6:00 PM ET CONSECUTIVE YEARS ON 200 BEST 2 21. Admitting What You Don't Know Certainly we all do our best to be the best we can be. But let's face it, we don't know everything. At least I know I don't know everything. For years as a younger sales person I used to think I had to know it all. I believed this so much that I would fake like I knew what I was talking about with my prospects and fellow sales associates. The interesting thing about faking it is that the people who know more than we do will know right off that bat that we're faking it. Oh, they may not say anything but believe me they know. I used to hear the saying "fake it til you make it" as I was getting started in sales. To this day I wish I never heard this statement. Thank God a seasoned veteran in sales got a hold of me and helped me understand that it is OK to say, "I don't know but can I find out and get back with you" These words were so liberating. I had finally reached a point of not having to put so much pressure on myself to be the end all be all sales guy. Admitting what we don't know has some great advantages: 1. We relieve ourselves from unnecessary pressure of having to have all the answers 2. We put our clients at ease because they don't think we're a know it all 3. We get the opportunity to learn from our colleagues 4. We experience a more natural maturation process 5. We will eventually become a mentor to others because we've been there and done that Talk about being a free man! I'm a free man today because I don't hesitate to ask others for assistance on my behalf and on behalf of my clients. Ced Reynolds Do yourself a favor and take advantage of a risk assessment tool I make available to my business clients. Don't worry, it's free. Just click here and you'll be directed to a page that explains the benefits of the tool.
22. A Good Reputation is Hard to Keep What are people saying about you. I mean what are the people in your industry, your, clients, your prospects, your family, I mean everybody. What people say about you is how you build your reputation. We can have the best product or service in the world but if our reputation is tarnished, people will pass on buying our product or using our service. Believe me a bad reputation is easy to get but a good one is hard to keep. What we do to keep our good reputation depends on: 1. How much we beleive in ourselves 2. How much we believe in our industry 3. How much we believe in our company 4. How much we believe in our co-workers 5. How much we believe in our clients When our belief is high in the areas I mentioned, our accompanying actions will lead to providing the best service to our clients. One of the key things about people who know they have a good reputation is they don't rely on themselves to bolster their reputation. They rely on others to do it for them. But how do you get others to speak own your behalf? Here's how I do it. *I give people an opportunity to say it through blogs (mine and others). *I give people an opportunity to say it through email. *I give people an opportunity to say it through voicemail. *I offer people the opportunity to say it in my referral process. I basically look for every possible way to give people a platform to say good things about me so others can see it or hear it. Look back over your blog responses, email and voicemail and I can almost gurantee you that people have said good things about you. In fact you might just find something good I have said about you. Keep your good reputation,
Ced Reynolds As a way of saying thank you for taking the time to read my blog, I have a valuable free gift for you. Just click here to receive it.
23. Sometimes testimonies say it best Although we are in business to let people know how we can help them, sometimes the testimonies of others say it best. Take a moment to share a few of your testimonies on my blog. This letter is being written to you as a big THANK YOU for the great service you provided me. To reiterate, I phoned you last January about a problem that I had with a lemon car that I had purchased from (an auto dealership). Last May, I had written them a letter requesting a replacement for this lemon vehicle. Both (the dealership) and (the auto maker) had ignored the letter. Within 16 days of your writing your letter, (the auto maker) responded with a letter stating that they were anxious to exchange this vehicle for another of my choice. My wife selected a brand new Expedition with custom paint, custom wheels and a custom grill plus a lot of other goodies. Thanks again for a wonderful job. California ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am very please of being a member of your legal services. I did ask you several times to guide me regarding many legal matters. You did your best in answering my questions. The last time I did save several thousands of dollars in a real estate deal which was solved through you instead of going through a costly foreclosure. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Esau Awabdy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for connecting us with Pre-Paid Legal. We chose the Business Owners Legal Solution Plan and have been thrilled with the response and service that we have received. The friendly folks at (my provider firm) always returned our calls within several hours and were knowledgeable and courteous with their assistance. We have used them to review a number of our contracts; both to our clients as well as from our vendors. When we call for help we are able to speak with a staff attorney or referred out to one of the many local attorneys right here in San Diego. The GoSmallBiz.com website is a wealth of resources. There are lots of documents online that can be used as a starting point. They can be reviewed by the PPL staff and edited to more closely match our purposes. Thank you again for your assistance with this great service. Jesse Johnson ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I purchased a laptop from a national chain store that proved to be defective, but the store would not take it back and instead accused me of damaging the laptop. I wrote letters and made many phone calls and visits to the store all to no avail. Then I called (my provider firm) who contacted the store. That got the ball rolling and three days ago I finally received an E-mail from the store’s attorney that I would be receiving a check by UPS for $1,547- which is the entire sum I paid for the laptop. Thank you, thank you, thank you… Mark Ramirez ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It would be so easy to tell people about how we help people. But it is so much better to let others tell our story. Get your clients to tell your story for you and your credibility will soar through the roof. Ced Reynolds
24. 5 Reasons Why You Should Keep Social Networking Perhaps you have heard the statement, "people make the world go round." People are the essence of social networking. But just what does a person do when they are doing their best and things just do not seem to be working out? It is amazing how huge a challenge seems when we are living through it. It seems as though it will never come to can end. We must remember that seasons come and go and so do challenges. What might seem like an extended season of "dumpsville" it is just a season. It came and it will go. Nothing lasts forever as much as it seems like it will. So here you are in the season of your life where you are doing all you can do and your best efforts keep you coming up on the short end of the stick. You are doing all the right activity. You are spending tons of money. You are connecting with all the right people. Yet there just does not seem to be that breakthrough you have been anticipating. What do you do? Keep social networking. Here is why you should keep social networking: 1. To stay connected with people 2. To keep your offering in front of the eyes and ears of others 3. To establish a sense of reliability in your mind and in the mind and others 4. To increase your favor in working large numbers 5. To prepare yourself for the new season that is coming One of the most genuine activities we can ever be involved in is social networking. We have to remember that if we are not connecting with people we limit our chances of getting through the season of "dumpsville." This is when we have to breakthrough in our philosophy of life. We have to decide to keep the decision we made when we first stated to pursue success. Even when things look glim, we have to stick to our guns. The decision we made when we had a great attitude and tremendous hope is a major factor in concluding the season we are in and moving to the next one. Stay in the game, Ced Reynolds As a way of saying thank you for reading my blog article please accept my free gift. To find out more about it click here.
25. Better to be Good than Lucky at Social Networking in Business OK, every once in a while it is a good thing to be lucky. But it is a much better thing to be good at social networking than rely on luck. An approach that is consistent and genuinely beneficial for the parties involved is a much better way to network. Networking does come fairly easy to some. But to most it is a learned skill. I must say it a skill that takes continual learning. It is not that the game is changing so much. The key is we have to continue to learn to keep reminded and further sharpen our networking skills. 1. Learning helps us gain knowledge we do not have about social networking. 2. Learning helps us regain knowledge we have forgotten about social networking. 3. Learning helps us stay sharp in areas we need to be the best social networkers we can be. 4. Learning increases our confidence regarding social networking. 5. Learning keeps us humble regarding our social networking skills. Get good at social networking. Being lucky is just not reliable...lol By becoming a good social networker you can assure yourself that the relationships you build will be genuine. The more genuine relationships we develop, the more opportunity we will have to get ourmessage out. Special Note: When relationships are developed properly, the people in your network will become your best referral sources. Stay in the game, Ced Reynolds As a way of saying thank you for reading my article please accept my free gift. Just click here to receive it.
26. Make Social Networking Effective in your Business by Understanding Keywords Yesterday I was on the phone, I was on-line and I made connections with people offline. You would have to say my day was filled with social networking. Although some of my conversations seemed to be just chit chat, believe me they weren't. My purpose for connecting with anybody is to listen for keywords in their conversation to find out how I might be able to help them. This doesn't mean I disregard everything else they say. It's just a normal conversation but I have trained my ears to pick up keywords. Let me share with you about how I train my ears to pick up keywords: 1. I profusely saturate myself with product knowledge which makes my ears sensitive to keywords about the benefits our products offer. 2. I constantly connect with other professionals in my business to pick up new keywords. 3. I make it a point to pay attention to testimonials. They are always filled with keywords. Understanding the keywords associated with your business makes it a lot easier to recognize when you have a good prospect or not. It is especially good to know keywords so you can influence the conversation with the words spoken by your prospects and/or clients. When we are speaking the same language (keywords) as our prospects and/or clients they tend to relate with us more. After all all we're doing is communicating with them in a way that is favorable to them. Make Social Networking Effective in your Business by Understanding Keywords. Ced Reynolds 27. Tips to Make Social Networking More Effective Social networking is a term that is being thrown around all over the internet. The reality is that social networking didn't start on the internet. It has been around for years. It is what what most of us have done all of our lives. The big deal is that for the most part we have not thought of our social connecting as social networking. *When we go to a party we are socially networking. *When we go to church we are socially networking. *When we go shopping we are socaially networking. *When we visit a friend we are socially newtorking. *When we go to a class reunion we are socially networking. *When we go to school we are socially networking. *When we go to a seminar we are socially networking. *When we connect with people on the internet we are socially networking. I think you get picture. To network socially is to be involved with other people no matter where we are. The key is to social networking is being on purpose while we are networking. I am not saying to be so overbearing that you turn people off. What I am saying is to be a good listener, take good mental notes and prepare to respond. Believe it or not once we finish being with a person or a group the conversation is not always over. If you took good mental notes you will have a reason to pick up on a previous conversation with a person or group. This is what separates the professional networker from the ones that stumble into networking situations. People are amazed when we remember details of a previous conversation. It shows them that we cared enough to actually listen. Listening goes a long way. So the key to social networking no matter where we do it is "listening." Another key while we are socially networking is "responding." I need to be real clear here. Responding at the appropriate time is extremely important. A response that seems like we are on the attack is a big turnoff but a response at the appropriate time can win the favor of the listener. While listening and responding work hand in hand, it does not mean that the sequence will be one right after the other. Because the best thing to do is wait to respond at appropriate time after listening, the response may be days or even weeks later. The key is being so attentive that when we do respond the listener will be astounded that our response fits their specific situation. It is really simple to become a better social networker. A reality that must not be over looked is that it is also simple not to be a better social networker. Happy Networking, Ced Reynolds, Social Networker
28. Using audio in your marketing campaign Using audio in your marketing campaign can mean the difference between night and day. Working on the internet is a wonderful tool but it has limited emotional connection unless you're a wonderful writer. The best of writers can do well without audio but us who just write OK can use all the help we can get. I know many people talk about video being better than audio. In my opinion video is a little bit more complicated because you have to prepare to be seen and heard vs. just preparing to be heard on audio. I've done both and actually do both. But the media I prefer which is much faster to prepare for and also get others to participate with me is audio. Let's get back to the benefits of using audio. 1. Audio can bring an emotional connection with your audience that gives them a sense of who you are. 2. Audio allows you to tell your story in your own words to those who prefer hearing a voice rather than reading. 3. Audio gives your clients another option to better understand what you are communicating. 4. Audio along with the written word reinforces what you intend to communicate. 5. Audio adds a little flare to your presentation. 6. Audio sets you apart from your competitors. 7. Audio gives you a professional advantage. 8. Audio says to your clients that you care enough to go the extra mile. 9. Audio intrigues your client because it's different. 10. Audio helps you learn your craft because you want to impress those who listen. There are lots of fun things you can do with audio. I use it because it's quick to set up and it gives me an upfront advantage when I'm trying to connect with first time readers of my blog. Hope you received something of value here. Stay after it, Ced Reynolds
29. The power of your schedule No matter how things get, it is so important to stick to your schedule. In fact if you don't have a schedule you're subject to get off track and stay off track for a long time and not notice that you re drifting from your intended assignment. For years I had intentions of doing things during the course of a day but I would find myself floating all over the map. It's not that I wasn't busy. I was just busy doing things that weren't IPA (Income Producing Activity). IPA is any a activity that has the potential to lead you to a transaction. For example, making phone calls to prospective clients is IMA if the phone call has the potential to lead to an appointment for a meeting. A meeting is IPA if it has the potential of leading to a listing or attaining a prospective buyer. There are a host of IPA's that we should do daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually. Here's what my ideal daily and weekly IPA is: I say ideal because I haven't perfected it yet. It's the human part of me that keeps blowing it. lol... Blogging - I blog at least three times a week in various social networks. When time permits I blog more. Blogging is my way of staying connected with people I know and a great opportunity to meet new people. (90 minutes weekly) Phone Calls - I make at least 3 phone calls a day to give away free business directory listings and free business risk assessment tools to Realtors, Insurance Agents, Financial Planners and other business owners. The directory listings are valuable to the professionals I speak with because they give additional exposure among other B2B professionals. The risk assessment tool is valuable because it helps the professionals understand the functionality of their business in 5 different categories. It can also be used by the professional to help their own business clients. (90 minutes weekly) Email - I send an email campaign to my list of prospects weekly. These are people who have double opted in to my receive my newsletter. The email campaign varies. It will most often be something generic that is non-salsey. Sometimes I give away a valuable free internet tool or offer marketing tips.(20 minutes weekly) Talkcast - I do a talkcast (podcast) weekly to provide inspiration and encouragement to business associates. Often the talkcast is related to one of my blogs. There is always a tag at the end of my talkcast letting people know how to contact me. (30 minutes weekly) Networking - I network once a week with a group of Realtors where we exchange marketing ideas and share leads. (60 minutes weekly) SEO - Search engine optimization is big part of my weekly activity. At least 3 times a week I am submitting my syndicated blogs to the search engines. I use what's called a daisy change approach to get traffic to my blogs and talkcasts which attracts new readers and listeners. (120 minutes weekly) The key for me is sticking to my schedule. Of course there are times when I get off track. What I do to help myself stay on track is post it on my white board in my office. Another key is planning the night before so I get up understanding that my day is already mapped out. This is absolute key for me. Even this particular blog was planned out the night before. Off to give away my free business directory listings and business risk assessment tools. Make today the best day of your life, Ced p.s. check out my talkcast at 30. Community Legal Services and Middle Income Families Once in a while I come across a person who wants to know about community legal services. For the most part they have reached the lowest limits of their financial situation. One of the most unfortunate things is to need legal help and not know where to get it or be able to afford it. One thing that most middle income folks who fall on hard times don't know is that when they fall below the middle income level, there are a host of free services provided for them. Of course because they have never had to access them before they have no idea of these services. One of these services is community legal services. The good thing about the internet today is all a person has to do is Google what they are looking for and they can find it. Unfortunately one of the last things that is on the mind of a person in a stressful life event is Google. Although community legal services offer help to lower income families, what does a middle income family do when they need legal services? After all even the middle class in today's economy would have a tough time securing legal help if it was needed. The equity in our homes used to be our safety net. Today it's sort of a toss up. It will depend on where the economy is on the given day you were in need of legal assistance. With community legal services only being available to lower income families and the middle income families not qualifying there has to be a better way. There is. It's called Prepaid Legal Services. Did you know that 80% of Europeans have a Prepaid Legal Plan? Did you know that less than 3% of Americans even know about Prepaid Legal Services. Those in the Real Estate and financial services field for the most part have heard of it. But only a fraction of the Realtors and Financial Services professionals I know own a Prepaid Legal Plan. If you are looking for a way to better serve your clients before they fall into hard times, consider learning the benefits of owning a Prepaid Legal Plan.
31. Observations of Justice This blog will be a little different than my normal blogs but it will certainly be worth your while. Over the years I have noticed many people in the church I pastor experience things I could virtually do nothing about. They come to me for prayer and counsel expecting to get an answer to their challenge only to go away having been prayed for and hoping that their challenge would some how miraculously be dealt with. Do'nt get me wrong, I believe in miracles and have seen a few in my lifetime. The point I'm making isn't really about prayer or my faith or the faith of those who come to me. It's about how being practical when it comes to practical things. In this case I'm talking about legal challenges. Believe it or not I have seen more people troubled with legal challenges that had no clue what to do in the last several years than I would have ever imagined. Here are a few examples: 1. A business owner in our church has major debts that need to be collected and he had to get an attorney to get his customer to finally get off the dime. 2. An elderly couple had their identity stolen and had to get an attorney only to find out that at the end of 6 months there was nothing the courts could do. By the way they spent a bunch of money. 3. Another elderly lady had a dispute with her insurance company so she had to get an attorney to get the insurance company to act right. 4. A father and son investment team in our church had to get an attorney to go to court against a contractor who refused to do the job he promised he would do. 5. A couple in our church had to get an attorney because their Vet failed to disclose a health condition their cat had that led to the death of their cat. 6. Another business owner in our church had to retain an attorney because his former partner embezzled money. 7. A young couple had their tenant move out unannounced and didn't know what to do. They should have gotten an attorney. These are real examples that have happened in the last year in a small church. There are numbers of other situations that have occurred that would require the counsel of an attorney. All of these people ended up paying lots of unnecessary money to get in most cases less than stellar results. Justice shouldn't just be for the well to do. It should be for all people. For the most part when it comes to seeking justice because of the events of life we tend to not look to call an attorney until it's almost to late. The reason in most cases is because we know it's not going to be cheap. That's not the case anymore. There is a solution. Talking with an attorney regarding life events has been made more painless than any of the 4 major insurances you own. In fact when your insurance company fails to perform what you expect, you can have your own legal counsel on standby. Psalm 25:9 Psalm 37:28 Psalm 103:6 32. Second Look ideas from people who practice it Recently I posted a blog on Getting your clients to take a second look. This stuff works for more people than just me. Take a look at the comments. Great points Ced! We always like to stress a different time of day to take a second look at a property. Sometimes afternoon light and morning light will give a house completely differing personalities.
You have the gift! I beleive in no pressure. You wont like what you get if pressure is how you think you will earn business. Earn is the key word, and you seem to understand that.Thank you for the blog!-Dinah
Sometimes those second looks excite the client or they start ripping the home apart. I like to take notes, then when we get through the whole place try to really look at what the fear and complaints are with the property, deal with those issues, then foucs on the positive. I have to admit that it can always improved and I am willing to learn from experts like yourself.
Cedric, I tried this same approach yesterday with a potential buyer. I was cleaning up one of our rental properties yesterday and this woman simply stopped by to see if this house was available...she loved the neighborhood...and was "selling herself" on the house...sometimes it's important to have that "laid back-nonpushy" attitude and let THEM talk themselves into purchasing or renting...I expect her to call me back today! Wish me luck...
33. Ins and Outs of Social Networking If you've been struggling to get social networking to pay off, you're not alone. There are some very practical ways to join the social networking arena and succeed. In reality social networking has a few ins and outs that aren't really that different from socially connecting with people offline. Just a few days ago I put together a short Blogtalkradio.com audio training program where I share some of the ins and outs that have given me success in social networking. I think you will like it. Either way, let me know. Stay in the game, 34. Time to talk about the Elephant in the Room When it comes to talking about the obvious, sometimes we do everything we can not to be the one who brings it up. Why is that? In business it's customary that professionals disclose everything necessary that pertains to a transaction. That should be a given. But sometimes we overlook stating the obvious for two reasons. Fear is a big factor why we fail to talk about the elephant in the room. When we at the close of a tough transaction that has had a lot of complications who wants to bring up a potential deal breaking detail. Fear will cause us to do the wrong thing that leads to a more trouble than we can ever imagine. Talk about the elephant. Inexperience just comes with the territory. When we are inexperienced we tend to hope others take the lead. Well inexperience only lasts for so long. Take the initiative and talk about the elephant. A small elephant has become a big elephant in the last several years. It is identity theft coverage. We have clients who have just made the biggest purchase of their lives and their personal non-public information has been exposed to more people than they could imagine. This is a big elephant that needs to be talked about. One last thing. What do you do when you don't know what to say about the elephant in the room? Point to the person who has been trained to speak specifically about the elephant. Move past the fear and don't let inexperience stop you from exposing that elephant. Your clients see the same elephant and they don't know what to do, but you do... Ced Reynolds 35. Beware of the Sue Happy People The US is already sue happy. I just wonder if there will be more lawsuits since the economy is putting the pinch on people in every imaginable situation. As money is getting tighter will people be forced to utilize legal recourse to keep what they believe if rightfully theirs? If there are more lawsuits will the people getting sued include Realtors and mortgage brokers? This could be a big deal since there are so many frivolous law suits. You may be a Realtor or mortgage broker who has been upright and forthcoming in your dealings. You may be a Realtor or mortgage broker who has covered all the things that would prevent an E&O claim. But what would you do if a former client who is in a quandry with their mortgage and is in a home whos value has declined dramatically all of a sudden decided to sue you for what ever reason? One of the things to think about is even the defendants who win law suits lose because of the enormous amount of money that is put out to protect their interest. In the climate of our economy it wouldn't surprise me that there are people in such weird states of mind that they won't settle on going down by themselves. On a closing note, we need to remember that we don't have to do anything wrong to be sued. But if we want to keep what we've worked hard for we have to defend ourselves even against frivolous law suits. People do strange stuff in strange times. Desperation causes the most sane and seemingly rational people do things that they normally wouldn't do. Lastly, hurt people hurt people. Beware Realtors and mortgage brokers. Do what you can to protect yourself from the fear filled people who are grabbing for straws (your money). Ced Reynolds If you would consider selling something different than you are selling right now, click here. Then call Ced Reynolds @ (909) 597-3502 36. Getting a Business Education Online is Like a Game There are so many of us who had no clue about working online. If you're like me, I initially got online just to have fun and connect with friends and meet new folks with similar interests. When I finally looked around I was being educated at the most unexpected moments. Boy has it been fun. During the fun process I have learned so many things about working online. One of the greatest things is that I will never know it all. Working online will be an ongoing process. Believe me, it settles my nerves in a big way because I'm a perfectionist and I want to know things yesterday. The good thing about working online is that you can always log on and find out pretty much anything you want to know. Another joy is most of it's for free if you know where to look. Learning to find the free education is a learning process in itself. Lastly as I finish up here, the best thing I have learned is how to actually find people who are looking for me. What I mean is that are tons of people interested in what I offer through my business and I have learned various methods of helping them find me. It's a lot faster than off line because there are so many people who congregate online in the same places expressing the same concerns. All I do is use the tools I've picked up online which help people realize they have been looking for me when our paths cross. It's not that much different than a person who goes into a retail store looking for a specific item. The great thing about the internet is the people who finally find you are already convinced they want to connect with you because they have had a chance to do their own due diligence. Here's a hint. The more we help them do their due diligence, the easier it will be to finally connect us. It's not necessary to be known all over the internet. But it is important to be known in the places where the people looking for you can find out about you. Believe me, people talk and when you get them talking about you in a good way, you've done your job. Stay in the internet game and you'll get used to winning. Ced Reynolds www.greatcareerplan.com 37. This guy says we have less than 15 years left This guy says we have less than 15 years left Either this guy is crazy or he's a genius. Several years ago I came across the teaching of Mark Yarnell. At first I thought he was quite ecentric. The more I've listened to him over the years and especially during financial melt down we've been recently faced with, I think he may be on to something. Take a listen for yourself. Click here Love to get your thoughts on his 10 minute audio on why he believes our economy as we know it has less than 15 years left. By the way he doesn't just talk about the problem. He talks about what he and others have been doing for over 20 years that has given them financial security in the years to come. Happy listening, Ced (909) 597-3502 38. New Ministry Addition of Small Biz Prayer Network New ministry addition of Small Biz Prayer Network During the time I've been involved with the Small Biz Prayer Network there has always been this tug to go directly to business owners and pray with them. Don't get me wrong, I have done just that but it's been more hit and miss. Today I want to let you business owners who are in the Inland Empire know that I will be coming to you to pray with you for your business. For those of you who are part of the network just call and I'll put you on my schedule to pray with you. The days that we are living in is certainly a time for business owners to continue to offer the services and products your offer. More than that it is a time to minister in the marketplace like never before. Your clients, your employees, your vendors need peace. You already know I'm not talking about the peace that the world gives. The peace of God has to rule in the hearts of the believer more today than ever before. In closing, I need your help. If you can begin to pray for your fellow business associates, that would do a world of wonders to soften their hearts to hear God regarding being more bold for Jesus during these tough economic times. My prayer for you today is that the Lord would use you to do the work of an evangelist to make full proof of your ministry. Believe it or not, you have been placed in a position of being a marketplace evangelist. I believe God has great plans for Christian business owners who will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Signing off for now... Stay blessed, Pastor Cedric (909) 263-4569 39. Part 8 Workplace Identity Theft Nationwide We all probably know by know that there really isn't a company that can totally prevent identity theft. It's just like we can't stop injuries that cause us to go to the hospital or having an accident in our motor vehicle. All we can do is do what we can to prevent identity theft, injuries and accidents. Perhaps you are doing all you know to do to protect your clients identity. You do all the right things to store their information in password protected computers. You lock information in the best file cabinets. You make sure only the people who need to view your clients identity are the only people who see it. Did you know that nearly 50% of identity theft happens in the workplace? It's absolutely amazing what pressure will cause a person to do. To use the information of a client can be an almost untraceable event. Of course those clients who have a credit monitoring service will be alerted. But what if the thief uses the identity for something else other than credit. A credit monitoring service does the client no good. The fact that identity theft comes in mainly five different areas is something most people are not aware of. When a persons Character/criminal, drivers license, medical and/or social security identity is breached it takes an expertise the majority of us don't have. Having a lawyer in the family could be a good think if that's their specialty. But if not it's going to be 500 plus hours to get a persons identity restored. Really, who has the time to invest 500 hours over and above our already busy lives? Here's a clue, help your clients, your office staff and your vendors get an identity theft plan that offers credit and identity monitoring, and a comprehensive restoration service. This way you'll be doing more than anybody else regarding workplace identity theft nationwide. 40. Nationwide Identity Theft -What people don't know I have to admit I don't know a lot of things and I am always willing to learn. How about you? Did you know... More than half of all households have a legal situation right now. —Legal Needs and Civil Justice Survey, published by the American Bar Association Even law abiding Americans will encounter a legal situation an average of four to six times per year. —National Resource Center for Consumers of Legal Services You are nearly three times more likely to be in court than you are to be hospitalized. —National Center for State Courts/American Hospital Association Ced Reynolds Great legal help 41. Why your business needs a legal plan
42. OK, my little secret is out OK, you're probably wondering where I get all these free gifts. The reality is that I have just accumulated them over the years. Some I use more than others. But at some point they all have served to be of value to me in my business. The one I use the most, in fact everyday is the free directory listing. I give away a free business directory listing to at least two business owners everyday. It puts people into my data base who I want to get to know better. If you're not sure you have received a free business directory listing from me, go to GoSmallBiz.com and search the directory section. All you have to do is type in your city and your state and you'll see the list of busineeses in your area and your business if I've listed you. This particular tool is so non-threatening that no one has ever turned me down, at least not yet :) I give this listing away because the business owners who get listed on GoSmallBiz.com often go there and discover all the free services that are provided for business owners and they call me wanting to know more information. OK, my little secret is out. I'm not just giving away free business listings because I'm a nice guy. I do have business reasons as well. Have you ever wondered why I give away so many free tools? "I give to receive to give again." In the end I always end up on the giving end which is a good thing. Providing my service to people is nothing more than giving people an opportunity to hear my story. Once they hear my story they decide if the story is something they want to be included in or not. It's really that simple. Even if people say no to my story, we part as friends because I find a way to give to them again somehow. Can you imagine the number of people I've given business directory listings to? Literally hundreds of business owners all over America have received a business directory listing from me and welcome my phone calls, email, mail and personal visits. I've actually developed friends in almost every state. I don't want you to think that they are all my clients but I do want you to understand that I have distinguished myself from every other Prepaid Legal Associate they know in a huge way. Somebody might be reading this blog saying, "why is he sharing his marketing secrets?" The truth is they aren't really secrets. The other truth is that most people won't do what I do anyway. Another truth is when you hear from me you'll know what to expect. Don't you do much better when you receive a call from somebody when you have an idea what they're going to say? Sure you do. Your guard is down because of the trust factor that's been built up. The trust factor is built up because of the like-ability of the person making the call. The like-ability of the person is built up because you've gotten a chance to get to know the person. It's the old adage, "people do business with people they know, like and trust." Let's get to know each other. That's where it all starts. Stay in it to win it, Ced 43. Principaless Interest - is it real? So many things are topsy turvy in the world today that people all over the world are looking for new ways to do old things. Gasoline is at an all time high, the housing market is falling through the basement, the world's economic system is crumbling, the status of marriage as it use to be is being threatened big time and the list goes on. How has it challenged your thinking and your life. I ask about your thinking is because "as we think so are we." Today the person thinking on their feet will not have to fret during these tough times in our nation. What plan do you have to succeed in these days? Have you thought about how these tragic things will challenge your life if they hit home? It's time to start thinking about it and not just that but doing something. I have done something that has secured my present and my future. It has been a passive thing but it is proving to be a steadfast way of providing the income I will need for my future should the markets of this world collapse. I call it principaless interest. If you would like to find out more about principaless interest go to Mark Yarnell's website at15 Years Left. He brings some very interesting things to mind that may strike you to be crazy at first but as you listen again and again I think you might see he's pretty close to being on track. One way or another you will say this guy is a genius or this guy is a nut case. Certainly you are entitled to your opinion. You owe it to yourself to at least check it out. I would love to hear from you once you listen to what Mark has to say. I may have something for you that can provide you with a stream of income that stems from principaless interest. Give me a ring today, Ced Reynolds (909) 597-3502 My Website 44. What the freebie kings don't want you to know So what's the big deal about giving away freebies? There are so many places where you can find freebies on the internet. The big challenge is that who do you trust to receive these freebies from. Chances are you'll be bombarded by spam in a very short time with no way of turning it off... Here's something you might want to consider. Instead of being the one on the receiving end, become the one on the giving end. Just imagine people calling you to thank you for the freebies you gave them. Just imagine people emailing you back saying thank you. Just imagine people responding to your blog. Just imagine people who don't even respond to your blog but click through to receive the freebies. Who knows how many people do that. Here's the big secret. The truth is professional marketers who give away freebies are not doing it just because they like giving away free stuff. They are actually developing a data base of highly targeted people who are potential prospects for their products and services. There is a major factor that you need to be aware of about these professional marketers is that when you respond to their free offer, you are among literraly thousands of prospects. The marketers actually never see your information. It's loaded into an autoresponder that starts a email campaign that shows up in your inbox periodically until you stop it. Chances are you'll never here from these marketers because they are only focused on numbers. I'm talking about mass numbers. The goal is to accumulate a mass amount of targeted leads to be part of their data base. Here's the other side of how people like me use freebies. First of all I find freebies that are really valuable and I give them away to people who I can truly help with those freebies. Second - I actually look to develop long term relationships with people so they will welcome my call or email. Third - I am always looking for ways to help promote the businesses I network with via resources and referrals. Fourth - I purpose to stay in contact either by email, blogging, phone calls and in person visits Fifth - I receive personal referrals to give away freebies from people who use my freebies with success which ends up leading to legitimate business referrals for my business. In nearly 100% of the time this system makes for a warm call instead of a cold call. People are open to receive my calls because they know the legitimacy of the free offers they have received from me. They also are more apt to ask me about my business as well as look to refer people my direction. Old ways of relationship marketing are still very useful. They just take longer because the first contact by phone or in person is hit and miss. Using the internet appropriately makes for a faster way of connecting with people of like interest. Once the initial connection is made it's all about developing relationship. Hope you found this helpful. Ced p.s. Be sure to see the valuable freebies in my previous blog: Freebie #8 - free software + bonus freebie 45. A Crusade or just Hype Many of you don't know that my wife has been disabled for the last 18 years. She is on dialysis and wheel chair bound because of two strokes. I bring this to your attention to tie in a point of how I never thought of how important a person's data based identity is until she was unable to talk. If you've ever tried to get concise answers to a question from someone who can't talk, you'll understand where I'm headed. There was a point when I had no clue who all the people she did business with. All these businesses had her non public information. What was so astonishing was how easy it was for me to access her information at hospitals, doctor's offices and most any business. Now I know I'm her husband but anybody can pose as a person's husband over the phone. As I have been watching the news the last couple of years all I've heard is how older people are being taken advantage of because their identity was breached. Someone would call on the phone to their doctor, the hospital or some business that had their non public information and just give away their information. I don't have to tell you but people are being taken advantage of everyday and their lives are being wrecked because someone else is using their identity. Getting back to my wife's situation. Thank God she has never had her identity stolen. But people in the same hospital and doctor's offices have had their identity stolen and seen their lives become a living hell. I've been involved helping people protect their identity since 2005. For a fair amount of time it was just an opportunity to help other people and earn a living. As I continued in the business, it has really hit home that my wife's and my non public information is just as important to protect. Having coverage is great but making sure the people I do business with have a plan in place to protect my identity has become a crusade. Ironically this crusade has caused me to become a magnet attracting people from all over the nation who are curious about how they can protect their identity and put a plan in place in their business. Many of these same people have joined the crusade by making sure the businesses they do business with have a plan in place that satisfies the Federal Trade Commission's Safeguard Rules. Sources: Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Webinar 46. Employer Protection of Your Non Public Information? If you were to get involved with a company today you might want to make sure they have a good plan to protect your non-public information. What I mean is the company you consider working for should have an Security Information Officer who has constructed and oversees a written policy. Data breach is becoming more prevalent not just in big companies like what we've heard on the news. It's happening in small companies as well. The problem is that most small companies don't have a clue that they are targets. Just think about it for a moment. Does your company have your drivers license information? What about your social security number? If you have insurance, do they have access to your medical identification? If you had a background check, do they have a copy of your criminal identification or your credit information? Most people only think of identity in terms of their credit history. There are actually 5 areas of identity as I just mentioned above. Most companies have various forms of our identity on file. Did you know it's there responsibility to make sure it's protected? Even if you did, do you know if it is being protected? Have you heard of an Affirmative Defense Response System? Does your company have one in place? "The Federal Trade Commission published a booklet "Protecting Personal Information: A Guide For Your Business" providing the steps to protect your business. These steps may be costly to your business to add protection but it will be financially devastating if you are caught without having a plan in place. Fines range from $1000 to $1,000,000 and jail time for corporate executives." Something is definitely up and businesses have to do something about it. If your employer has put a plan in place to protect your personal information, you are in good shape. If they haven't, you might want to ask them what they plan on doing to protect your non public information. If they don't do anything, you can still protect yourself by subscribing to an identity theft plan. Be happy to help you, Ced Reynolds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
People have moods and happenings that can make a second look 180 degrees off. It's funny.