Strategic Services Business Tips newsletter, Issue #021

This month we have……

INDEX:
Strategic Services One Minute Tip
Power Quotes
This month’s Business Resource
Sponsored Resource
Editor’s Note.

Strategic Services One Minute Tip:

Put Yourself in the Top 1% of Readers

Successful achievers display an insatiable appetite for learning. It is said that CEOs of major corporations read five to 10 books a month. Many people do not read more than 10 books in a lifetime. It would be hard to argue that the average person has less time to spare than the average CEO. The difference-maker is personal discipline.

According to the booklet "Make Yourself the Obvious Choice", you can be in the top 1% of all readers by reading just one book per month. To do that, you would have to read about half a chapter each day -- about a 15-minute commitment.

You can do that, can't you?

Power Quotes:

He who has learned to disagree without being disagreeable has discovered the most valuable secret of a diplomat.
Robert Estabrook

He who asks a question is a fool for a minute; he who does not remains a fool forever.
Chinese Proverb

He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires, and fears is more than a king.
John Milton

He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner.
Benjamin Franklin

Strategic Business Resources – Articles & Tips:

“10 Benefits Of Submitting Articles To E-zines”

1. You'll brand your web site, business and yourself by submitting articles to e-zines. You could include your name, business name, your credentials, web site address and e-mail address in your resource box.

2. You will become known as an expert on the topics you write about. This will give you and your business extra credibility which will help you compete against your competition.

3. Your article might also be placed on the publisher's home page. If they publish each issue on their home page this will give you some extra exposure.

4. You might get extra exposure if the e-zine publisher archives their e-zine on their site. People might want to read the back issues before they make the decision to subscribe.

5. You will get free advertising. This will allow you to spend your profits on other forms of advertising. You could buy advertisements in other e-zines that don't publish your articles.

6. You might get extra income from people wanting to hire you to write other articles, books, or even ask to speak at seminars. This is a great way to multiply your income.

7. You could allow e-zine publishers to publish your articles in their free e-books. Since people give them away, your advertising could multiply all over the internet.

8. You will get your article published all over the web when you submit it to an e-zine publisher that has a free content directory on their web site. They'll allow their visitors to republish your article.

9. You'll gain people's trust. If they read your article and like it, they won't be as hesitant to buy your product or service. You will then be able to increase your profits.

10. You could get your article guaranteed to run in an e-zine. You could agree to run one of their articles in your e-zine if, in exchange, they run yours in their e-zine. It's a win/win situation.

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To get more small business resources and business entrepreneur executive training on how to manage a successful small business (including how to increase your Affiliate Income) as well as books on how to Publish your e-zine

Today is Yesterday's Tomorrow by Jim Rohn

The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it finally arrives, it is called today. Today is yesterday's tomorrow. The question is what did we do with its opportunity?

All too often we will waste tomorrow as we wasted yesterday, and as we are wasting today. All that could have been accomplished can easily elude us, despite our intentions, until we inevitably discover that the things that might have been have slipped from our embrace a single, unused day at a time.

Each of us must pause frequently to remind ourselves that the clock is ticking. The same clock that began to tick from the moment we drew our first breath will also someday cease.

Time is the great equalizer of all mankind. It has taken away the best and the worst of us without regard for either. Time offers opportunity but demands a sense of urgency.

When the game of life is finally over, there is no second chance to correct our errors. The clock that is ticking away the moments of our lives does not care about winners and losers. It does not care about who succeeds or who fails. It does not care about excuses, fairness or equality. The only essential issue is how we played the game.

Regardless of a person's current age, there is a sense of urgency that should drive them into action now - this very moment. We should be constantly aware of the value of each and every moment of our lives - moments that seem so insignificant that their loss often goes unnoticed.

We still have all the time we need. We still have lots of chances - lots of opportunities - lots of years to show what we can do. For most of us, there will be a tomorrow, a next week, a next month, and a next year. But unless we develop a sense of urgency, those brief windows of time will be sadly wasted, as were the weeks and months and years before them. There isn't an endless supply!

So as you think of your dreams and goals of your future tomorrow, begin today to take those very important first steps to making them all come to life.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

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Creating Sales letters that attract customers

A Sales letter is all about making a powerful offer to your visitors they can’t refuse. The sole purpose of a sales letter is to attract more customers and induce higher sales.

Sales letters can be used with autoresponders to introduce new eBooks to existing as well and potential customers.

You can also put up a sales letter page on your website convincing your visitors that they have come to the right place.

How do you create an effective letter that draws customers in? What are the keys to turning a list of eBooks into a menu of enticing delights your customer has to have? Read on.

Personalize your sales letter

I must have stressed on the importance of this aspect of advertising hundreds of times in this eBook. Nevertheless, let me say it once again. Always write a sales letter with a real person in mind. Write your sales letter just like you are writing it to them personally.

When your potential customer reads it, it will seem personal, almost like you wrote it with them in mind. Too often, sales letters are written as if they were going to be read to an audience rather than one person.

Use Real world stories and examples

Your sales letter should identify with your prospective customers. This can be done by providing them with real life examples or stories on how your eBooks can benefit them. The key here is “benefit”.

Do not simply list out the features of your eBook – list out benefits and show examples of how each benefit can help a customer. By emphasizing a benefit using a real world example, you establish your point effectively and create interest in the customers.

Use the Heading and Introduction well

The sales letter headline is very crucial. Most people only look at the headline of the letter. Your headline should be attractive enough to make a potential customer read through the letter and eventually click on the link provided.

Similarly, the introduction paragraph should be eye catching as well. Most people only go through the heading and the introduction paragraph and get convinced to either check out a product or forget about it.

Bulleted lists

Instead of writing out benefits in form of paragraphs, use bulleted lists. These are visually appealing and appear less cluttered. People generally have a tendency to read lists rather than long paragraphs, especially in ads. It also makes sense to separate each list by an additional space.

A reader always looks for benefits in an ad, and benefits are what you should list out early in the sales letter. After an introductory line, immediately give your readers a list of some of the most important benefits of your eBooks.

By offering a killer list early in your sales letter, you will automatically create a desire in the reader to continue through your sales letter.

This would entice your reader to visit your website and find out more about your eBooks.

Keep refining your letter

Write down everything that enters your mind as you are writing your sales letter. You can edit it later. If you just sit and start writing everything you know about your eBooks and how it will benefit your customer, you will be amazed at how much information floods your mind.

Write it all down. Then read through it - you'll be able to add a lot more detail to many of the points. Edit it after you have exhausted all of your ideas.

Use casual language

Forget all of those rules that your grammar teacher taught you. Write your sales letters in everyday language, just like you would talk in person. Don't be afraid to begin sentences with "And" or "Because." Don't worry about ending a sentence with a preposition. Write like you speak.

Use Shorter Paragraphs

Long copy works but long paragraphs do not. Use short paragraphs that lead into the next paragraph. Don't be afraid to use short sentences. Shorter paragraphs keep the interest of the reader. Longer paragraphs cause eye strain and often force the reader to get distracted. Simple Language

Some sales letters read like they are a manual. They are filled with words and phrases that may require a dictionary to understand. Unless you are writing to a much targeted audience, avoid using technical language that many readers might not understand.

Keep it simple, using words, language and information that are easy to understand and follow.

Target your sales letter

When you are finished with your final draft of the sales letter, target it to a specific audience. For example: If you are selling an eBook that introduces many "work at home" opportunities, then rewrite the sales letter by adding words in the headlines and ad copy that are targeted towards women who are homemakers.

Then, rewrite the same sales letter and target it to college students. Write another letter targeting senior citizens. Still another could be written to high school teachers wanting to earn extra income during summer vacation. The possibilities are endless.

All you need to do is add a few words here and there in your ad copy to make it appear that your eBook is specifically designed for a target audience. Upload all of the sales letters to separate pages on your website.

By creating these targeted sales letters, you can literally open up dozens of new groups to sell your eBook to. And, in their eyes, it looks like the book was a match made for them.

Structure your sales letter

Break up the sales letter with attention grabbing headlines that lead into the next paragraph. One thing that works very well...is to use a pause like this.

Start the sentence on one line, leaving the reader wanting to know more, and then finishing up on the next line. Also, if you are going to use a sales letter that continues on several different pages of your website, use a catchy hook line at the end of each page to keep them clicking.

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Article reprinted with permission from Strategic Services. All rights reserved. Helene Malmsio has been a successful business entrepreneur for nearly 30 years and has been operating Strategic Services group of Companies since 1987. For more information on how to publish your own ebook, and to get your own copy of our free self publishing ebook, go to http://www.buybooks-online.com

Sponsored resources:

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Editors notes:

STRESS MANAGEMENT

A lecturer, when explaining stress management, raised a glass of water and asked… "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied… "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.”

"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem... If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm…If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. "

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress and worries.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. "

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work or life down. Don't carry them home… You can pick them up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can."

"Relax; pick them up later after you've rested... Life is short… Enjoy it!”

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

REMEMBER: A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour, so have a Wonderful day and know that someone has thought about you today... I DID.

To update yourself on our new business resources or to check out the free business resources, just go to: strategic services site

SEASONS GREETINGS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!

Your Editor,
Helene Malmsio.

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