Sick of the Traditional Publishing Path?

A book coaching client recently emailed me that she was getting sick of traditional publishing because of so many costly requirements and so little payoff. Do you feel the same way?

Fifteen years ago, I worked hard on a 60-page proposal for a top agent and after a year got "approval" to be his client. Then the kicker, he asked for a $50,000 retainer to get the book marketing because I was an unknown.

Unknown, yes, but not a fool. A marketing maven for 20 years, I sold 20 self-help books at the back of the room for seminars taught at colleges and other talks. Why would I need to go the traditional route of low attendance book signings, travel to less than prominent spots to market the book at a cost that had to paid back through royalties.

And royalties? Even selling 10,000 books, with the percentages that book stores, distributors, and agents take, what profit comes to the author?

As an author's advocate, I step out of the traditional box and encourage you talented writers to do so too. You can self-publish without spend $1000's. You can write a saleable short book and it still will have merit and be readily accepted by your appropriate audience. No one today wants to read long books any more unless they are fiction.

All of this, and you can market and promote from you home office through the Internet. In just 3 1/2 years, online promotion has paid off hugely and brought me over $3500 a month in sales. Depending on your book and audience, you can too.

Avoid the myths and get real information from a professional book coach of 20 plus years. See the once a month free book and business ezines offered in the signature file below.

Judy Cullins ?2004 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," "How to Market your Business on the Internet," and "Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The Book Coach Says..." and "Business Tip of the Month" at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 155 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.

7 Ways To Make A GREAT First Impression!

1. Focus on the other
Being known as a 'natural' at interpersonal communication is not just a gift that a select few enjoy. We can all enjoy the reputation of being 'a great communicator'.

Simply focus the conversation on the other person. This takes the pressure off you -- you don't have to be a witty bon-vivant to be a great communicator.

Avoid interrogating your new acquaintance, and if you are really nervous do your best to control twitches and jittery movements. And (best hint coming...) ALWAYS slow your speaking rate down. Nervousness makes us talk too fast.

2. The eyes have it
Here's a great 'rule breaker': instead of sticking to the 'respect someone's privacy and personal space' rule, when you meet someone for the first time give them a good look right in the eyes.

It's well known that when we look at someone we find attractive, our pupils dilate, a phenomenon that the other person instinctively picks up on. Well, that phenomenon can also be put to good use in our business dealings, too. Notice the other person's eye colour, say 'great' to yourself, and you'll find yourself involuntarily smiling. The other person will pick up on your mood.

But try and avoid smiling lecherously, or as a vampire would when contemplating a tasty new neck...

3. Get over your 'bad hair day'
Whilst 'being yourself' is always a good thing for relational honesty, try and disguise your inherent pessimism and bad mood from new acquaintances.

Even though you know you are just 'having a bad day' or a bad half-hour, the other person will probably decide that you are a 'full-time whinger', an impression and reputation hard to shake.

A bad mood will spread contagiously, bringing down the other person too. Better to start off positively; you can always let them see your 'other' side on another day...

4. "Mirror in the bathroom" **
Adjust your posture, voice and gestures to those of your new acquaintance. Establish rapport by mirroring their head nods and tilts. Speak at their pace and volume level. You'd be surprised by just how many different 'voices' a successful salesperson uses in a day -- they spend a large amount of time mirroring the other person's gestures, voice, language, pace, intonation and volume.

** (a wildly unsuccessful link to an 80s ska/reggae song)

5. Tread lightly...
He's talking about his new Holden Commodore; you're thinking of your new Impreza WRX. Or she's talking about her latest small win at the office and you're thinking about the new $1M account you just landed single-handed.

Which do you reckon will be more impressive: you gloating about your wins and toys, or you letting the other person have their 15 minutes of fame?

Good manners, as well as psychological research, dictate that to impress your guest you should always keep at the forefront of your mind the question, "How am I making the other person feel?"

Actively encourage others to talk about themselves, and respond genuinely -- without bringing it back to yourself.

6. Focus on their achievements
Use flattery sparingly but powerfully by focusing on the other person's achievements, not their personal attributes. Even if they suspect you might be brown-nosing, they will still get a warm glow from a well-directed compliment. "You have a great eye for colour; I really like how you have put the office decor together" is more flattering than, "Nice office".

"I like your new BMW - you must be a real asset to the company for them to give it to you" is more flattering than, "So who did you suck up to?"

Similarly, "You have a great eye for colour; I really like how you've put your wardrobe together" works better than, "You look totally shaggable in that dress".

7. It's never too late
Remember, there's very little that is unfixable in our interpersonal business relationships. There is usually always another chance to fix false first impressions.

Let's say you arrive at a meeting late, having just copped a parking ticket from the previous appointment. Your mood is not, as they might say, triumphant and glowing. Instead of responding appropriately to a new acquaintance's polite greeting, you mumble a grumpy 'yeah' and drop your laptop bag unceremonially into a nearby chair.

Okay, not a good start. But step outside the room for a moment, take a deep breath, count to seven (ten is too long a pause) re-enter the room and look your acquaintance in the eye. Apologise and explain why you are out of sorts. You might even want to turn it into a joke by saying something like, "I see you just met my evil twin."

And remember to cut others some slack if they make a bad first impression on you, too! What comes around, goes around...

When you match consumer psychology with effective communication styles you get a powerful combination. Lee Hopkins can show you how to communicate better for better business results. At Hopkins-Business-Communication-Training.com you can find the secrets to communication success.

Ukraine IT Myths Dispersed

While Ukraine is becoming a new popular IT outsourcing destination, there are still many myths about it and no clear understanding of the opportunities outsourcing to Ukraine can present. Let us look closely at some of those myths and find out whether there is any truth behind them.

Myth No. 1 ? Ukraine is politically unstable

This myth has seen its rise in November-December 2004 during the events around the presidential elections that led to the Orange Revolution. However, presently there are no grounds for concerns. During the Orange Revolution, the Ukrainian people have shown their devotion to the democratic ideals and prevented the worst scenario from happening, bringing the legitimately elected president to the power. The new Ukrainian government has clearly voiced its intentions to move towards the goal of joining the EU and is making logical steps in that direction. The overall political situation in the country is stable and predictable. Unlike some popular Asian outsourcing destinations, there have never been any threats of terrorist acts in Ukraine.

But even during the most critical events in November and December, no threat existed for the clients of the Ukrainian outsourcing services providers. There were no power shortages, Internet and telephone lines functioned as usual, and no danger was posed to the outsourced project. Many companies did join the national strike that was going on, but the most urgent tasks could still be done uninterrupted. Ukraine has proved that it is a civilized 21-century European nation.

Myth No. 2 ? Ukraine's IT infrastructure is poorly developed

Ukraine's IT infrastructure is rapidly developing. As the recent research conducted by the Ukrainian Democratic Initiatives Fund and Kiev International Sociology Institute has shown, 13.1% of Ukrainians have a computer. 14% use Internet and/or email either at home or at work. Internet connectivity, being one of the primary concerns, is also developing rapidly. Telecom is one of the fastest growing markets in Ukraine, and fibre optics are continually being laid and new companies are continually opening new connectivity services, which continually lowers cost. For example, monthly fees for a DSL connection are lower in Ukraine than in India. It is considered indispensable for an IT company to have a broadband Internet connection and several telephone lines. Furthermore, there is no shortage in high quality hardware, and IT companies provide their development teams with powerful, modern computers and servers.

Myth No. 3 ? Ukraine is software pirates' paradise

WTO ascension is a top 2005 priority for Ukraine's government. As Ukraine moves towards this, its intellectual property laws are being revised to comply with WTO standards. While a lot of private users may still be using the cheap pirated copies of the most popular software products on their home computers, companies specialized in software development are under severe control, and to avoid problems with law, switching or have switched to licensed products. Those companies who can't afford the price of more expensive software products choose Open Source solutions, but the problem is being tackled in one way or another anyway. Ukrainian companies are looking to work legally and don't want to risk their good reputation.

Moreover, a large part of professional software aimed specifically at software developers has never been available as pirated copies in Ukraine, hence it has always been used in its legal, licensed form (take IBM RationalTM products as an example, as well as many others).

Myth No. 4 ? Ukraine is not secure when it comes to sensitive information

Special measures must be taken to protect sensitive information no matter where your project is developed. However, according to the recent reports, India is much more dangerous than Ukraine when it comes to sensitive information leaks or theft. While it is reported that it is difficult to run background checks on employees in India, it is not that problematic in Ukraine. It has become a common practice in Ukraine for the outsourcing customers to sign NDAs with every member of the development team. Additional security policies can also be implemented to protect your sensitive data.

Myth No. 5 ? Ukraine's IT sector lacks support from the government

The new Ukrainian government is showing its extreme interest and support to foreign investments into the country's economy and international cooperation. While Ukraine moves towards joining the EU and WTO, the laws, including those covering the IP issues, are being revised to create better environment for the economy's development and growth. This applies to the software development as well, IT being the most rapidly developing sphere of the Ukrainian economics.

According to the reports, the volume of export of Ukrainian IT services and products rose by US$ 40 million or 57% to US$ 110 million in 2004. The export of the IT sector of the Ukrainian economy is the most dynamically developing. At the same time, the total number of IT specialists operating on the market reached 15,000 toward the end of 2004. This was an increase of 50%, compared with 2003.

Myth No. 6 ? Ukraine's IT workforce is cheap

Ukraine's IT salaries level used to be low, but as the country's economy develops and integrates into the European and world market, it is growing, even though it is still lower than the salaries of EU and US IT specialists. The Ukrainian programmers possess high level of education and skills, as the IT sphere of the Ukrainian economy develops the demand for them increases, hence their highly intellectual labour cannot be cheap. However, outsourcing customers need to realize that cheap workforce is not a good reason to choose an outsourcing provider, as it is likely to cause problems in the long run that will lead to an increase in expenses instead of savings. The reason behind many outsourcing failures is actually the customers going for cheap workforce and overseeing the quality and efficiency issues.

Outsourcing is seen as a way to cut down the development costs, but this should not be done at the expense of the developers' salaries and therefore, quality. There are better and more effective ways to save. If a company employs methodology allowing for faster development, better quality source code, automated code generation, less developers involved, etc., this actually does reduce the development costs while still providing a satisfactory software solution.

Myth No. 7 ? The language and cultural barrier

It is certainly important to be able to communicate with your outsourcing development team on a level allowing for a smooth development process, and the language and culture differences can be an obstacle.

However, Ukraine is a European nation, and the mentality of people does not differ greatly from that of your country, be it anywhere in Western Europe or the US. There is no striking difference as you would encounter in some Asian countries. Besides, before outsourcing software development came to Ukraine on a large scale, many Ukrainian IT specialists used to go to the Western Europe and USA and work for IT companies there, which means they are familiar with the approach traditional for Europe and America and the procedures used for software development in those companies. Moreover, different international agencies are now offering courses in management providing necessary management skills to the Ukrainian specialists. Thus, all the business processes in a development team can be organized according to the international standards.

While English is not the native language to the Ukrainian developers, this issue is also being actively dealt with. English is the language of choice in the universities and in the schools it is now required from an early age. Several universities are conducting their entire programs in English. Oral and written comprehension is high among software engineers, given the amount of text they have to read for their degree and work programs and the amount of English language programming available in the country. Communicating with the Ukrainian developers through online chats, instant messaging and e-mail in English should not be a problem. While not all the development team members might be completely fluent in English, those who communicate directly with the international customers will speak, read and write in English at the proper level. Many companies conduct in-house English language training programs to improve the language skills of their personnel. Specialists speaking other languages, such as French or German, can also be found, though these languages are not as popular as English.

So as we see, not everything looks as bad as it can be assumed. Care should be taken when planning an outsourcing deal, as is in any business move, but if done wisely, outsourcing to Ukraine can leave you satisfied and meet your expectations.

Julia Lukianova has several years of experience in the outsourcing software development business in Ukraine. She is a marketing manager of Metasoft Ltd. (http://www.metasoft.com.ua)

Are Your Business Proposals Losing You Sales? 10 Steps to Get the ?Yes? You Deserve

Your ability to write an effective and persuasive business proposal directly relates to your level of success. Write a great proposal and you'll get the contract or make the sale. Write a ho-hum proposal and your prospect will go elsewhere.

Regardless of the product or service you're pitching, your prospect makes his or her ultimate decision based on how you write the proposal, not the product or service itself. That means even if you have the best product in the world, if you write the proposal poorly, you probably won't get the deal. A lesser quality product or service may very well beat you out just because the other person knew how to write persuasively.

For any proposal you submit, realize that your prospect is likely reviewing at least twenty others. Therefore, your job is to make your proposal not only stand out, but also get selected as the bidder of choice. To increase the odds of your proposal winning, follow the proposal writing guidelines below. Doing so will enable you to get the "yes" you deserve.

1. Always use the prospect's correct name, title, and company name. While this may sound obvious, many salespeople and business owners send proposals to the wrong person, or they misspell the prospect's name or company name, or they write an incorrect corporate title. Such oversights make a negative impression and alert the prospect to the fact that you're careless. If you don't know how to spell someone's name or his or her exact title, call the person's office and ask. While you're at it, verify the street address and company name. Is the prospect's title that of Sales Director or Sales Manager? Is the company an Inc or an LLC? Are they located at 41 Buckingham Street or Avenue? Prospects look at these details to get a feel for your professionalism and attention to detail. Pay attention to the details every time.

2. Always include a cover letter that includes the reason for your proposal.

Since your prospect is likely reviewing more proposals than just yours, include a brief cover letter that recaps any conversations you've had and that clearly states why you're presenting your proposal. After all, if you don't state why you're sending this 10-30 page document to someone, why should they bother reading it? For example, you could write, "I am enclosing the proposal we discussed on June 1 that will introduce you to the ABC widget. Based on your stated needs of (state the needs), you will see in the proposal that this widget will (state the benefit)." Too many salespeople fail to state a reason for the proposal. But if you don't give people an immediate reason to keep reading, you'll miss your chance to capture their attention. A lonely proposal in an envelope or attached to an e-mail gets absolutely nowhere.

3. Always include an immediate, brief overview of your product or service.

In one opening paragraph, state what your product or service is, what pain or challenge it solves, and how your prospect will benefit from what you offer. Stick to the facts. Resist the temptation to make your product or service sound grander than life. Phrases like "first," "only," "greatest," revolutionary," and "groundbreaking" typically raise red flags and indicate that you're exaggerating.

4. Always include research and development information.

Your company has likely done plenty of research into your product or service, so highlight the findings in your proposal. Show your prospects that they're getting more than just any old product or service. Show them all the benefits they'll get when they invest their time and money into your solution, and why that investment is worthwhile. Highlight any intriguing findings or principles that relate to your prospect's challenge. Show them that your company knows what they're going through, have done the research for them, and now have the best solutions for their needs.

5. Always write in chunks.

A business proposal is not a book or a magazine article. Structure your proposal so your prospect can skim read it and pull paragraphs out as needed. Think in sound bytes and text block chunks. Why? Because studies show that people have greater comprehension and longer retention when printed information is presented to them in bullet points, numbered lists, or some other format that sections out pertinent details.

6. Always include all the important technical details.

Make sure your proposal lists the small but important technical details your prospect will need to know. How many items come in a case? How many user licenses does it include? How long of a warranty is included? Does the price include service calls, consultation, or training? If so, how much? Don't let your prospect guess about anything. Make it easy for them to get the facts so they can make a quick and informed decision.

7. Always state the obvious.

Remember, the prospect reading your proposal does not know much, if anything, about your product or service yet. So just because you know that an accounting computer program can calculate and create employee paychecks, don't expect your prospect to make that assumption. They need to read everything, even the obvious, or they may not realize all the features and benefits your solution provides.

8. Always write for an eighth-grader.

Most mainstream and business publications are written at an eighth-grade level, so no matter how complex your product or service is, keep your proposal geared so that an eighth-grader can understand it. This is not to imply that your prospect is dumb or uneducated; rather, he or she is a busy professional who is pressed for time. Your prospect wants the information presented in the simplest way. So resist the temptation to impress people with your big words and over-complex solutions. Instead, impress them with your knack for making a complicated solution easy.

9. Always use good grammar.

Sure, you want your proposal to gain attention, so breaking some grammar rules for added impact or emphasis is okay. But don't overdo it or you may appear careless. Remember, you're selling a professional solution. If your proposal is riddled with errors, your prospect may think your solution is too. Always have a co-worker or professional editor read your proposal prior to sending it. In today's marketplace, bad grammar could cost you the sale.

10. Always make a compelling call to action.

What do you want the person reading your proposal to do? Buy your product? Contract for your services? Stock your merchandise in his or her store? Whatever action you want your prospect to take, state it clearly. "I recommend you begin by placing an introductory order for 500 piece." "I suggest we start with a three-month consulting contract." "I recommend you devote three shelves to this product." Tell them precisely what you want.

The Winning Proposal

As any business owner or salesperson knows, "you're only as good as your last proposal." So commit to enhancing your business proposals, and focus on writing effectively and persuasively. By following these pointers, you'll be 10 steps closer to landing that next deal.

Dawn Josephson, the Master Writing Coach?, is President and founder of Cameo Publications, LLC, an editorial and publishing services firm located in Hilton Head Island, SC. Dawn empowers leaders to master the printed word for enhanced credibility, positioning, and profits. She is also the author of the book Putting It On Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books and the co-author (with Lauren Hidden) of the new book Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros. Contact her at dawn@cameopublications.com or at 1-866-372-2636.

Negative vs Positive: The Ever-existing Battle In Your Mind

WE ARE ALL THINKING ALL OF THE TIME.

Can you believe that our thoughts never leave us.

Wow!

Silly thoughts, hungry thoughts, angry thoughts, melancholy thoughts, happy thoughts; that's a bunch of emotions that has a significant impact on our lives. Physically, emotionally, it's all there.

Every thought is connected to our body to create a response. Example: imagine a hot summer day. There is absolutely no breeze. You are sitting on a rock in the middle of your yard. Smell the earth, the heat. HEAR the crickets doing their thing. The sun is hot on your body. In your hand, you have an ice cold drink. You are thirsty. Put the glass to your lips. Drink. AHHHHHH. Wasn't that nice? Were you there with me?

Thoughts influence our emotions. Try this other exercise. Think of something that makes you happy. Anything. Now think of something that you hate doing and that makes you feel miserable. Okay. Back to something that makes you smile. See. Thoughts rule our emotions instantly. Change your thoughts to happy thoughts and your emotions will change.

Well then, where do negative thoughts come into play? If you start telling yourself several times a day that you are an idiot, incompetent person what do you think you will act like? YOU WILL ACT LIKE an idiotic, incompetent person. It's powerful stuff.

Positive thinking produce positive results likewise negative thoughts will have a negative impact on your life.

WHICH one do you choose?

Lynne D.
Team of Motivational Central
www.motivationalcentral.com

A mind stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its
original dimensions. ? Oliver Wendell Holmes

Yesterday is not ours to recover,
but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. ? Lyndon B. Johnson

If you like this e-zine, please do a friend and me a big favor and "pay it forward." If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting us. http://www.motivationalcentral.com

Comments? Ideas? Feedback?
I'd love to hear from you.
Just reply to this zine and
Tell me what you think!

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Clear Your Clutter and Free Your Life

Whatever your clutter problem the answer is the same: make a decision to clear your clutter and then take action to clear your clutter.

Without action, the decision is meaningless. Without the right decision any action is undirected.

Physical clutter is the debris that is strewn around your home and work environment: papers and files in piles on the desk and floor, dirty clothes, washing up, unopened mail, half finished projects... the list is endless.

Don't be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, break it down. Decide to deal with one room at a time or with one type of clutter at a time. Set aside some time to start, just half an hour initially will get you moving without seeming overwhelming. Set a timer and work at clearing the clutter until the timer goes off. Then you can give yourself a small reward like a cup of tea before tackling another 30 minutes worth of clearing up. Or leave it for today and do another 30 minutes tomorrow. Remember you are in charge here, not the clutter.

And then there is mental clutter: trying to remember everything - appointments, making phone calls, picking up the dry cleaning, and so on. Here the answer is even more simple - write it down! Not on scraps of paper to add to the physical clutter but in a diary or planner. Get your life organised and develop a habit of always noting everything down in your diary or planner as it arrives in your life.

Then develop a habit of checking the week ahead every morning. Keep your mind free for useful creative thought that moves you forward with your life and your projects.

Most importantly, remember to reward yourself for taking action on the clutter in your life. Knowing there is a reward at the end makes the clearing up much less irksome. And cultivate a tidiness habit - get into the habit of putting things away after you've used them rather than leaving them around to mount up and you'll never need to do a major clear up again.

Emotional clutter is when you spend your life wondering 'what if'. What if we hadn't split up? What if I'd married someone else? What if I hadn't been sacked? The What Ifs keep you anchored in the past. They get in the way of moving forward with your life today, and they sap your energy and enthusiasm for today.

One way to cope with emotional clutter is to meditate. Relax, be still, and focus on some one thing in the present - you can use a candle, or focus on your breathing or repeat a single sound. Don't be concerned at the thoughts that will crowd in but gently put your focus back on that one thing in the present.

Just 10 minutes a day of this type of relaxed meditation will help clear the emotional clutter from your mind.

As you clear all of this clutter from your life you will find you have more energy, more time and more space to enjoy today and prepare for a real fun tomorrow. And you will find you are able to move forward with any stuck projects or new challenges.

So, get more out of your life by clearing your clutter now.

Penny Dablin is a life coach who helps her clients to clear the clutter from their lives. For many more useful ideas for making more of your life see her website: http://www.pkdcoaching.co.uk

Dallas Wedding Receptions

The most important day of your life is drawing near and you want to plan it to perfection. Everything has to be just right, the chapel, the dresses, the food and most importantly the wedding reception. Specifically if you are planning a Dallas wedding reception, there are many areas that you need to look into in creating the right theme, the right ambience as well as to ensure that all your guests' needs are taken care of.

The first thing in planning Dallas wedding receptions is the search for the right location. However, before you can make a list of probable venues, you first need to determine your budget for the occasion. If possible, it would be best if you could breakdown your costs of the wedding reception to categories such as food, hall rentals, wedding favors, flower arrangements, music, etc. With this, you will then have an exact feel of what you can afford to pay for in rentals. This will also put you in a better position for negotiations.

If you are on a tight budget then perhaps you should consider a Dallas wedding reception held in your own backyard. This way, you save on hall rental costs and do not have restrictions on catering your own food for the occasion. On the other hand, if you do have an adequate budget to spare then you have more choices in terms of the location.

A wedding reception in Dallas can be held in many types of venues. If you prefer to plan everything from scratch, then you could probably rent a basic hall. Then get relatives and friends to help you with hall decorations and food preparation, and get a separate vendor to rent your tables and chairs. With this, you can probably consider renting a school hall or your local town hall for this occasion.

Alternatively, you can also enquire with halls that have been designed and built just for hosting wedding receptions. For example, the Cityplace is a great unique Dallas wedding reception location. They have incorporated a choice of classic design d?cor or a garden atmosphere during the daytime which is transformed into a starry night theme at night.

Especially for couples who have the right budget and have a preference for grandeur. Hall of State would probably be the most romantic venue to host both wedding ceremonies as well as wedding receptions in Dallas. This elegant hall boasts of facilities which are fit for royalty. It is truly the ultimate wedding venue for a grand wedding. The Grand Hall with the high ceilings and pillars flanked by wall art painting is just exquisite for wedding ceremonies. In fact, the Hall of Heroes can be configured for a wedding reception after the wedding ceremony.

Finally, a common venue for a wedding reception in Dallas would be in a grand hotel, with accommodation provided for the out of town guests attending the wedding. For example, the Hotel Zaza in uptown Dallas is famous for their cuisine by their Dragonfly restaurant and spectacular room setups. Truly, a wedding reception here will be a Dallas wedding reception that you will never forget.

? Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has more articles on wedding information such as Games for a Wedding Shower and Wedding Favors.