There's some good news and bad news sprinkled around our
annual look at the top scams of the past and coming years.
The good news is that, according to the most recently
available research, the number of identity theft and fraud
victims in the US has dropped sharply.
The bad news is that, on average, the out-of-pocket cost to
individual victims went up, and identity theft remains in the
number one slot in our top 10 scams list both in 2011 and 2012.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Your Guide to YouTube Scams and Tricks
The online video site YouTube is one of the most successful
and heavily used areas of the Internet, with over 3 billion
videos viewed every day and uploads equivalent to 240,000
feature films every week.
Sadly, that popularity also makes it a lucrative target from crime, ranging from scams and account hijackings to illegal use of the YouTube name and abusive videos and comments.
YouTube, which is owned by Internet giant Google, has lots of security checks in place and offers guidance on things like phishing and hijacks, but the sheer scale of the operation makes it virtually impossible for the organization to monitor videos and comments as they're posted.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Sadly, that popularity also makes it a lucrative target from crime, ranging from scams and account hijackings to illegal use of the YouTube name and abusive videos and comments.
YouTube, which is owned by Internet giant Google, has lots of security checks in place and offers guidance on things like phishing and hijacks, but the sheer scale of the operation makes it virtually impossible for the organization to monitor videos and comments as they're posted.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, December 16, 2011
Don't Fall for this Strawman Scam
The notion that the US Treasury holds a secret cash stash in
your name underlies a scam known as strawman fraud.
Crooks claim not only that they can help you gain access to the account but also that you can make purchases and pay debts just by scrawling a few words across bills.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
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Crooks claim not only that they can help you gain access to the account but also that you can make purchases and pay debts just by scrawling a few words across bills.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
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Saturday, December 10, 2011
Why Penny Auctions Don't Always Deliver a Bargain
When you're looking online for electronic products at bargain
prices, you've almost certainly come across those penny
auctions ads that seem to offer unbelievable value -- like
your favorite laptop or camera for just $20 or $30.
But there's a catch. In order to buy at that price, you have to win the auction. And in order to win the auction you have to pay to bid. If you don't win, you lost the money you laid out for each bid you made.
That, says the Federal Trades Commission (FTC), makes penny auctions more like lotteries than regular auction sites.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
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But there's a catch. In order to buy at that price, you have to win the auction. And in order to win the auction you have to pay to bid. If you don't win, you lost the money you laid out for each bid you made.
That, says the Federal Trades Commission (FTC), makes penny auctions more like lotteries than regular auction sites.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW TO MARKET... SO WHY DON'T YOU HAVE ALL THE CLIENTS YOU NEED?
For the
past nineteen years, I've been asking self-employed professionals to
tell me the most effective ways they know to get clients. No matter
where and when I ask this question, their answers are always the same:
"networking," "referrals," "word of mouth." These are the right answers.
The professionals I ask know this to be true.
But then I ask a follow-up question: "What are you doing right now to market yourself?" And what I hear back is surprising, given the answers to my first question. More than half the people I ask tell me their primary focus is on something OTHER than those answers. They'll tell me they are building a new website, or mailing out postcards, or running pay-per-click ads, or cold calling strangers, or launching a Facebook page, or exhibiting at an expo, or posting promos on Twitter.
The other folks, the minority, who tell me they ARE spending most of their time networking, building referrals, and actively boosting word of mouth in other ways (like public speaking), are invariably those professionals who are the most successful. They are doing what they know works, and reaping the rewards.
So what's going on here? If the professionals who are struggling to get clients already know what to do, why are they doing something else? Why aren't they using the marketing approaches that work the best? After exploring this question for quite some time, here are the causes I most often see:
So before you spend time and money on any marketing approach, check it out first. Ask yourself the following questions:
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
But then I ask a follow-up question: "What are you doing right now to market yourself?" And what I hear back is surprising, given the answers to my first question. More than half the people I ask tell me their primary focus is on something OTHER than those answers. They'll tell me they are building a new website, or mailing out postcards, or running pay-per-click ads, or cold calling strangers, or launching a Facebook page, or exhibiting at an expo, or posting promos on Twitter.
The other folks, the minority, who tell me they ARE spending most of their time networking, building referrals, and actively boosting word of mouth in other ways (like public speaking), are invariably those professionals who are the most successful. They are doing what they know works, and reaping the rewards.
So what's going on here? If the professionals who are struggling to get clients already know what to do, why are they doing something else? Why aren't they using the marketing approaches that work the best? After exploring this question for quite some time, here are the causes I most often see:
- The most effective marketing approaches can also be the most challenging to your psyche. They expose you to the possibility of rejection, and require you to talk to strangers, reach out to acquaintances, or speak in front of a group. It's so much easier to send out a mailing, buy an ad or trade show booth, or try to attract clients online.
- Networking, building referrals, and increasing word of mouth are approaches that require consistent effort and can take time to pay off. You might find it tempting to instead try for an instant response with letters, ads, or cold calls.
- When professionals begin to market themselves, they often mimic what they see large companies do, thinking this is the path to success. But marketing a small service business is entirely different from marketing a national firm. You don't have the budget or staff to sustain an expensive advertising campaign, a social media strategy that requires many hours per week, or high-priced promotional events.
- Another type of mimicry that gets professionals in trouble is copying how they see others marketing packaged products or learning programs. But you can't sell interior design as if it were an ebook, or management consulting as if it were a home-study course. Professionals get hired based on referrals, credibility, and personal relationships, not because they get a lot of web traffic, send email blasts, and offer free bonuses.
- Many professionals are led astray about their marketing by vendors and gurus who are forwarding their own agenda. Web designers say you need a better website; postcard vendors tell you postcards will get you noticed; expo booth reps entice you with early-bird discounts, and everywhere you turn, experts are promoting social media marketing.
So before you spend time and money on any marketing approach, check it out first. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are other professionals in your field, with businesses of your size, using this same approach to get clients? Do you have evidence that it's working for them?
- Is the person who recommended this approach to you someone whose opinion you trust, based on recommendations from others or your own relationship with him or her?
- Will the business you are likely to get from this approach pay for your investment in it AND pay you for the resulting client work?
- Is this the most effective kind of marketing you could do for the time or money involved? Is there another, better approach you may be avoiding because it brings up some fear or resistance?
- Do you actually need any new approaches to marketing right now, or do you just need to apply more persistence and consistency to what you are already doing?
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Friday, December 2, 2011
More Simple Steps to Block Cell Phone Spam
Although cell phone spam accounts for only about 1% of SMS
texts, that still means hundreds of thousands of unwanted and
illegal messages arrive on our cell phones every year.
But sometimes these messages can simply be blocked by one simple step -- switching off reception of messages that originate on the Internet (which is where the majority of cell phone spam comes from).
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
But sometimes these messages can simply be blocked by one simple step -- switching off reception of messages that originate on the Internet (which is where the majority of cell phone spam comes from).
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
When Computer Hijacking is a Friends and Family Affair
A more sinister variation has surfaced recently, where
computers are hijacked by so-called friends or family members
to spy on your activities.
Think it couldn't happen to you? Well, just to give a recent example:
A Delaware man was convicted in October of putting a spyware program on his father's computer to capture passwords so he could read his emails.
There was a more disturbing element to the story -- the father actually became a murder victim, though there was no suggestion in court that the two aspects were connected.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Think it couldn't happen to you? Well, just to give a recent example:
A Delaware man was convicted in October of putting a spyware program on his father's computer to capture passwords so he could read his emails.
There was a more disturbing element to the story -- the father actually became a murder victim, though there was no suggestion in court that the two aspects were connected.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, November 18, 2011
Freelancing Risks and Translation Scams
In Spanish it's called "chanchullo," in Romanian "inselare"
and in French it's "escroquerie" but in any language a scam is
a scam and the bad news is that translation scams are on the
rise.
Not only that, but the risk of being conned, which the country's 50,000-plus translators face every day, could be the tip of an iceberg.
With increasing numbers of people setting themselves up as freelancers, doing everything from article writing to operating as virtual assistants, scammers have tagged the whole army of them as a lucrative target.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Not only that, but the risk of being conned, which the country's 50,000-plus translators face every day, could be the tip of an iceberg.
With increasing numbers of people setting themselves up as freelancers, doing everything from article writing to operating as virtual assistants, scammers have tagged the whole army of them as a lucrative target.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, November 11, 2011
How to Spot and Stop a URL Shortener Scam
Unless you're a "techie," you may not know what a "URL
shortener" is, but most of us -- Internet surfers, users of
social networks and even emailers -- use them all the time
without knowing it.
If you're a crook, the fact that we use them without knowing is very useful because it means if they can tamper with them, they can load malware onto our PCs, also without us knowing.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
If you're a crook, the fact that we use them without knowing is very useful because it means if they can tamper with them, they can load malware onto our PCs, also without us knowing.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, November 5, 2011
HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE YOUR PROSPECTS?
Does it
seem strange to use the word love when referring to a business
relationship? Substitute another word if you prefer -- "like," for
example, or "respect." However you want to express it, the point is to
consider how much you care about the people you sell to -- their needs,
goals, desires, concerns -- all the elements of their lives that might
be involved in their decision about whether to buy from you.
If you don't love your prospects, they will know it. We've all been sold to by someone who didn't care about us. The salesperson who pressures us to buy a car with options we don't need. Or the telemarketer who launches into a lengthy script without asking if she's interrupting our dinner. Or the guru who entices us to purchase a high-priced solution without bothering to find out whether it has any relevance to our situation. We can feel their disregard, and it turns us off.
On the flip side, you've probably had the pleasant experience of being sold to by someone who took the time to find out exactly what you needed, explored with you respectfully the match between what he had to offer and your desires, and allowed you to come to your own decision about the purchase. An experience like that not only makes you feel good about spending money, it makes you want to buy more from that person as soon as you can.
You know when people who are trying to sell to you care about you and when they don't. You can sense it in what they say (and don't say), the type of questions they ask (or don't ask), how they listen to you (or don't listen). You always know. And so do the people you are trying to sell to.
So how much DO you love your prospects? Do you look forward to spending time with them, or dread going to places where they gather? Do you enjoy talking with them on the phone, or find reasons to avoid calling? Do you take pleasure in learning more about their problems and goals, or resent the time it takes? Do you try to sell them only what they need, or hope to sell them anything you can? Whichever it is, you can bet that your prospects know it.
I'm not suggesting that you truly dislike your prospective clients. It may be that talking to them just makes you nervous. Or that selling brings up the fear of rejection. Or that you're so focused on making a sale, you're not really seeing the person you're selling to. Whenever we're anxious, or afraid, or intent on our own goals, we tend to become self-absorbed or defensive. As a result, we may hold ourselves aloof, or talk too much, or stop listening, or disregard what others want.
But those are the very same behaviors that other people interpret as "not caring." You're uncomfortable or hyper-focused, so you withdraw from others, ignore them, or override them. They feel your disregard, so they react by pulling away from you. You feel them pulling away, so you either give up -- and lose the sale because you're avoiding them -- or try even harder -- and lose the sale because you've alienated them. It's a self-defeating cycle.
There is a way to break this pattern, but it's not a new set of skills to learn or techniques to try. It's simple but not easy, subtle but incredibly powerful.
Love your prospects.
Picture in your mind the ideal person to become your client -- the sort of person you went into business to help. Imagine the problems they are having and the issues they are struggling with. Think about the goals they are working toward and the dreams that inspire them. Visualize them getting what they want and need, and what that would mean to them.
Now, what feelings do these thoughts evoke toward that client? Do you feel warm, friendly, connected? Thinking about their problems, do you feel sympathetic, supportive, encouraging? Imagining their goals, are you approving, enthusiastic, excited for them?
This authentic state of mind -- a caring, supportive, loving attitude toward your prospective clients -- will help you close more sales than any skills or techniques you could learn. And as an added bonus, it can help you become more comfortable with selling than you ever thought possible.
Whenever you find yourself struggling to make a sale, or to reach out to a prospect, stop what you're doing. Take a few moments to consider all the reasons you care about that person. Even if you don't know them, you know others like them. Ground yourself in an attitude of friendship, support, and respect. Then start again.
If you begin to really love your prospects, you may just find that they will love you back.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
If you don't love your prospects, they will know it. We've all been sold to by someone who didn't care about us. The salesperson who pressures us to buy a car with options we don't need. Or the telemarketer who launches into a lengthy script without asking if she's interrupting our dinner. Or the guru who entices us to purchase a high-priced solution without bothering to find out whether it has any relevance to our situation. We can feel their disregard, and it turns us off.
On the flip side, you've probably had the pleasant experience of being sold to by someone who took the time to find out exactly what you needed, explored with you respectfully the match between what he had to offer and your desires, and allowed you to come to your own decision about the purchase. An experience like that not only makes you feel good about spending money, it makes you want to buy more from that person as soon as you can.
You know when people who are trying to sell to you care about you and when they don't. You can sense it in what they say (and don't say), the type of questions they ask (or don't ask), how they listen to you (or don't listen). You always know. And so do the people you are trying to sell to.
So how much DO you love your prospects? Do you look forward to spending time with them, or dread going to places where they gather? Do you enjoy talking with them on the phone, or find reasons to avoid calling? Do you take pleasure in learning more about their problems and goals, or resent the time it takes? Do you try to sell them only what they need, or hope to sell them anything you can? Whichever it is, you can bet that your prospects know it.
I'm not suggesting that you truly dislike your prospective clients. It may be that talking to them just makes you nervous. Or that selling brings up the fear of rejection. Or that you're so focused on making a sale, you're not really seeing the person you're selling to. Whenever we're anxious, or afraid, or intent on our own goals, we tend to become self-absorbed or defensive. As a result, we may hold ourselves aloof, or talk too much, or stop listening, or disregard what others want.
But those are the very same behaviors that other people interpret as "not caring." You're uncomfortable or hyper-focused, so you withdraw from others, ignore them, or override them. They feel your disregard, so they react by pulling away from you. You feel them pulling away, so you either give up -- and lose the sale because you're avoiding them -- or try even harder -- and lose the sale because you've alienated them. It's a self-defeating cycle.
There is a way to break this pattern, but it's not a new set of skills to learn or techniques to try. It's simple but not easy, subtle but incredibly powerful.
Love your prospects.
Picture in your mind the ideal person to become your client -- the sort of person you went into business to help. Imagine the problems they are having and the issues they are struggling with. Think about the goals they are working toward and the dreams that inspire them. Visualize them getting what they want and need, and what that would mean to them.
Now, what feelings do these thoughts evoke toward that client? Do you feel warm, friendly, connected? Thinking about their problems, do you feel sympathetic, supportive, encouraging? Imagining their goals, are you approving, enthusiastic, excited for them?
This authentic state of mind -- a caring, supportive, loving attitude toward your prospective clients -- will help you close more sales than any skills or techniques you could learn. And as an added bonus, it can help you become more comfortable with selling than you ever thought possible.
Whenever you find yourself struggling to make a sale, or to reach out to a prospect, stop what you're doing. Take a few moments to consider all the reasons you care about that person. Even if you don't know them, you know others like them. Ground yourself in an attitude of friendship, support, and respect. Then start again.
If you begin to really love your prospects, you may just find that they will love you back.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
How 3.5 Million Social Security number Details Get Stolen Every Year
We've written many times about Social Security number theft
and you can read more about it and what to do if your number
is compromised at our Identity Theft Information Center.
With an estimated 3.5 million SSNs stolen every year (based on research findings from Javelin Strategy), we're taking a step back to explore in more detail exactly how numbers are stolen and what you can do to protect yours.
In fact, according to the same research, more than two in every five identity thefts come from stolen wallets or physical paperwork and only one-in-ten originates on the Internet.
You may be surprised at the variety of other techniques crooks use to get hold of your Social Security number.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
With an estimated 3.5 million SSNs stolen every year (based on research findings from Javelin Strategy), we're taking a step back to explore in more detail exactly how numbers are stolen and what you can do to protect yours.
In fact, according to the same research, more than two in every five identity thefts come from stolen wallets or physical paperwork and only one-in-ten originates on the Internet.
You may be surprised at the variety of other techniques crooks use to get hold of your Social Security number.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Scammers Target Harry Potter and Twilight Fans
Crooks are preparing to release their latest Harry Potter scam
as the approaching Holiday Season sees the launch of the final
DVD of the blockbuster movie series.
They offer pirated copies of downloads of the eagerly awaited disc as a cover for phishing scams or a way of loading malware onto victims' PCs.
The whole saga of the young wizard, in print, online and in video, has been dogged by scams and the continuing immense popularity of the series is likely to ensure they'll continue, even if the adventures of Harry Potter don't.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
They offer pirated copies of downloads of the eagerly awaited disc as a cover for phishing scams or a way of loading malware onto victims' PCs.
The whole saga of the young wizard, in print, online and in video, has been dogged by scams and the continuing immense popularity of the series is likely to ensure they'll continue, even if the adventures of Harry Potter don't.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The 147 Banks and Super-Companies that Run The Entire World Economy
The 1% indeed: a new study of the global economy and wealth
concentration has identified a complex system of only 147 banks and
corporations around the world which share in the largest chunk of the
change. While that number might not seem too shocking to those of us
paying attention, this study, "by a trio of complex systems theorists at
the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, is the first to go
beyond ideology to empirically identify such a network of power,"
writes New Scientist.
In other words: valuable data which will not only strengthen OWS'
political arguments but will help us identify whether, and how, the
global economy is unstable.
Click here to read the full article.
By Julianne Escobedo Shepherd | Sourced from AlterNet
Click here to read the full article.
By Julianne Escobedo Shepherd | Sourced from AlterNet
Friday, October 21, 2011
What to Do If You're a Data Breach Victim
Up to 20 million Americans may become victims of a data breach
this year, in one or more of an estimated 400 incidents.
A data breach happens when a hacker gains access to a computer that contains personal records of individuals, or a disk or other device containing records is lost or stolen.
These may be stored by a business or other organization - a hospital for instance - and the records may hold information ranging from simple contact details like home or email addresses, to highly sensitive and confidential information like credit card numbers and health records.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
A data breach happens when a hacker gains access to a computer that contains personal records of individuals, or a disk or other device containing records is lost or stolen.
These may be stored by a business or other organization - a hospital for instance - and the records may hold information ranging from simple contact details like home or email addresses, to highly sensitive and confidential information like credit card numbers and health records.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, October 14, 2011
Your Action Plan for Dealing with Telemarketers
Telemarketers always seem to call at the worst possible time,
and even then you can't get them off the line without being
rude.
But the truth is that they mostly don't care about inconveniencing you, and they're so thick-skinned they don't care what you say to them either!
But sometimes they may be selling something you want and, if not, there's still an effective way of dealing with them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
But the truth is that they mostly don't care about inconveniencing you, and they're so thick-skinned they don't care what you say to them either!
But sometimes they may be selling something you want and, if not, there's still an effective way of dealing with them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
WHAT MAKES MARKETING SO HARD?
by C.J. Hayden
"Marketing is hard." That's what we independent professionals tell each other, anyway. At meetings, workshops, and online, wherever entrepreneurs gather, the difficulty of getting clients is a frequent topic.
There's certainly some truth to this statement. Marketing your services can be one of the most challenging elements of being in business for yourself. But does marketing have to be as hard as we seem to think it is? Maybe not.
In fact, I've noticed that professionals often make marketing much harder than it needs to be. Here are six ways that entrepreneurs frequently turn marketing into much more of a struggle than necessary.
1. Refuse to choose a target market.
If you don't limit your marketing to a specific category of likely clients, the alternative is marketing to anyone and everyone. That makes everything about marketing harder. You have to network more often, in more places, with more people, to run across enough prospects who might hire you. Building referral relationships is rarely possible, as you can neither identify who might be most likely to refer you a client, nor describe to them who they should refer.
Without a defined target market, you can't even talk about your business effectively, because there's no way to get specific about the benefits and results you produce. Whether you market yourself online, in person, by mail, or on the phone, trying to reach an undefined audience with a generic marketing message will wear you out before it produces results.
2. Spend time on your approach without tailoring your message.
I'm often asked to supply a universally effective cold calling script or sales letter, as if it were possible to craft such an item without explicit details about what is being sold, to whom, and for what purpose. No matter what marketing approach you choose, it's not going to work without a message that's tailored to your business and your audience.
But I see countless professionals fall into the trap of thinking marketing success is all about the technique -- social media, let's say, or public speaking, or pay-per-click ads, or a leads group -- while giving little thought to what they wish to communicate with these approaches.
3. Do what's easiest instead of what works best.
Most professionals already know what works best to market their services. When I ask them, they answer with "networking," "word of mouth," "referrals," and other strategies involving direct contact or personal connections. But when I ask those same professionals where they are spending the majority of their networking time, many of them sheepishly admit they are avoiding these strategies and instead sending out email, running ads, or trying to attract web traffic.
It may seem easier and less confronting to sit at the keyboard, buy an ad, or hire website help than to spend time connecting with people personally. But is it really "easy" to put money and effort into the least effective ways to market yourself, instead of doing what you already know works better?
4. Change marketing approaches every week.
Successful marketing is an ongoing process, not a collection of unrelated events. Whether you are blogging, networking in your community, writing a newsletter, or building referral relationships, persistence and consistency pay off while one-time or occasional attempts fall flat. Letting go of a marketing tactic after a handful of tries, only to pursue a different approach, is a guaranteed recipe for struggle and failure.
5. Avoid follow-up.
Similarly, any marketing strategy requires follow-up to produce results. Exhibiting at a trade show will do nothing for you unless you follow up with the people who stopped by. Public speaking won't produce results until you follow up with those who attended. Attending networking events won't bring you clients unless you follow up with the people you meet.
Yes, follow-up can seem difficult or confronting, but consider the alternative. Expending all that effort on exhibiting or speaking or networking without landing any business because you neglected to follow up -- now that's hard.
6. Continue to search for hidden marketing secrets instead of doing what's in front of you.
One of the hardest ways to go about marketing is spinning your wheels in analysis paralysis, second-guessing, or perfectionism. "Should I do this? Maybe I should do that. Perhaps something else might work better. I wonder what else I could do? Maybe I need more information. I'm not sure I'm ready." You can wear yourself out this way just thinking about marketing, without taking a single step.
Make it easy on yourself instead. Choose a few simple, effective things to do about marketing, using the suggestions above as a guide. Then get going. And keep going. You'll find that marketing won't seem so hard once it really starts to work.
"Marketing is hard." That's what we independent professionals tell each other, anyway. At meetings, workshops, and online, wherever entrepreneurs gather, the difficulty of getting clients is a frequent topic.
There's certainly some truth to this statement. Marketing your services can be one of the most challenging elements of being in business for yourself. But does marketing have to be as hard as we seem to think it is? Maybe not.
In fact, I've noticed that professionals often make marketing much harder than it needs to be. Here are six ways that entrepreneurs frequently turn marketing into much more of a struggle than necessary.
1. Refuse to choose a target market.
If you don't limit your marketing to a specific category of likely clients, the alternative is marketing to anyone and everyone. That makes everything about marketing harder. You have to network more often, in more places, with more people, to run across enough prospects who might hire you. Building referral relationships is rarely possible, as you can neither identify who might be most likely to refer you a client, nor describe to them who they should refer.
Without a defined target market, you can't even talk about your business effectively, because there's no way to get specific about the benefits and results you produce. Whether you market yourself online, in person, by mail, or on the phone, trying to reach an undefined audience with a generic marketing message will wear you out before it produces results.
2. Spend time on your approach without tailoring your message.
I'm often asked to supply a universally effective cold calling script or sales letter, as if it were possible to craft such an item without explicit details about what is being sold, to whom, and for what purpose. No matter what marketing approach you choose, it's not going to work without a message that's tailored to your business and your audience.
But I see countless professionals fall into the trap of thinking marketing success is all about the technique -- social media, let's say, or public speaking, or pay-per-click ads, or a leads group -- while giving little thought to what they wish to communicate with these approaches.
3. Do what's easiest instead of what works best.
Most professionals already know what works best to market their services. When I ask them, they answer with "networking," "word of mouth," "referrals," and other strategies involving direct contact or personal connections. But when I ask those same professionals where they are spending the majority of their networking time, many of them sheepishly admit they are avoiding these strategies and instead sending out email, running ads, or trying to attract web traffic.
It may seem easier and less confronting to sit at the keyboard, buy an ad, or hire website help than to spend time connecting with people personally. But is it really "easy" to put money and effort into the least effective ways to market yourself, instead of doing what you already know works better?
4. Change marketing approaches every week.
Successful marketing is an ongoing process, not a collection of unrelated events. Whether you are blogging, networking in your community, writing a newsletter, or building referral relationships, persistence and consistency pay off while one-time or occasional attempts fall flat. Letting go of a marketing tactic after a handful of tries, only to pursue a different approach, is a guaranteed recipe for struggle and failure.
5. Avoid follow-up.
Similarly, any marketing strategy requires follow-up to produce results. Exhibiting at a trade show will do nothing for you unless you follow up with the people who stopped by. Public speaking won't produce results until you follow up with those who attended. Attending networking events won't bring you clients unless you follow up with the people you meet.
Yes, follow-up can seem difficult or confronting, but consider the alternative. Expending all that effort on exhibiting or speaking or networking without landing any business because you neglected to follow up -- now that's hard.
6. Continue to search for hidden marketing secrets instead of doing what's in front of you.
One of the hardest ways to go about marketing is spinning your wheels in analysis paralysis, second-guessing, or perfectionism. "Should I do this? Maybe I should do that. Perhaps something else might work better. I wonder what else I could do? Maybe I need more information. I'm not sure I'm ready." You can wear yourself out this way just thinking about marketing, without taking a single step.
Make it easy on yourself instead. Choose a few simple, effective things to do about marketing, using the suggestions above as a guide. Then get going. And keep going. You'll find that marketing won't seem so hard once it really starts to work.
| Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter. |
Sunday, October 9, 2011
App Malware Threatens Smartphones and Tablets
While most of us exercise caution before downloading an
executable file to our PCs, some of the same people don't
hesitate to install them onto mobile devices, like smartphones
and tablets, without worrying about app malware.
After all, apps -- "applications" -- are nothing more than executable mini-programs and deserve the same precautions that you use on your desktop computer.
Let's be clear at the outset that we're not talking about Apple products like the iPad and iPhone here, so-called iOS devices. That's because Apple retains full control over the apps and the way they actually run on these devices and vets each one before making them available at its App Store.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
After all, apps -- "applications" -- are nothing more than executable mini-programs and deserve the same precautions that you use on your desktop computer.
Let's be clear at the outset that we're not talking about Apple products like the iPad and iPhone here, so-called iOS devices. That's because Apple retains full control over the apps and the way they actually run on these devices and vets each one before making them available at its App Store.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
5 Facts You Should Know About the Wealthiest One Percent of Americans
Think Progress by Zaid Jilani
It may shock you to learn exactly how wealthy this top 1 percent of Americans is.
Think Progress by Zaid Jilani
It may shock you to learn exactly how wealthy this top 1 percent of Americans is.
As the ongoing occupation of Wall
Street by hundreds of protesters enters its third week — and as protests
spread to other cities such as Boston and Los Angeles — demonstrators have endorsed a new slogan: “We are the 99 percent.” This slogan refers to an economic struggle between 99 percent of Americans and the richest 1 percent of Americans, who are increasingly accumulating a greater share of the national wealth to the detriment of the middle class.
Van Jones on America's Uprising: It's Going To Be an Epic Battle
Alternet by Adele M Stan and Don Hazen
Jones talked to AlterNet about the growing social movements for change, running real progressives in 2012, and how we can train a million new leaders.
As the grassroots sit-ins and marches that originated as Occupy Wall Street spread to other cities, Van Jones, lead evangelist for the American Dream movement, took the stage Monday at a Washington, DC hotel where organizers of the institutional element of the progressive movement converged at Take Back the American Dream. The gathering was organized by the Campaign for America's Future in partnership with Jones' new organization, Rebuild the Dream. Jones voiced his support for the spontaneous Wall Street uprising, and for the U.S. Marines who agreed, he said, to protect the protesters while wearing dress blues.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet by Adele M Stan and Don Hazen
Jones talked to AlterNet about the growing social movements for change, running real progressives in 2012, and how we can train a million new leaders.
As the grassroots sit-ins and marches that originated as Occupy Wall Street spread to other cities, Van Jones, lead evangelist for the American Dream movement, took the stage Monday at a Washington, DC hotel where organizers of the institutional element of the progressive movement converged at Take Back the American Dream. The gathering was organized by the Campaign for America's Future in partnership with Jones' new organization, Rebuild the Dream. Jones voiced his support for the spontaneous Wall Street uprising, and for the U.S. Marines who agreed, he said, to protect the protesters while wearing dress blues.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet by Adele M Stan and Don Hazen
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Typo might send personal data to crooks, not company
First came "typosquatting."
In this common scam, cyber-criminals buy Internet addresses that differ from big-name ones by just a letter or two, then capitalize on sloppy typing. Someone who wants to go to xyxcorp.com but accidentally types xyzcorp.com ends up at the scammer's site.
Now comes another trick to hook the fumble-fingered, courtesy of a keystroke omission rather than a misspelling: a missing dot in an email address.
Click here to read the full article.
By Sid Kirchheimer
In this common scam, cyber-criminals buy Internet addresses that differ from big-name ones by just a letter or two, then capitalize on sloppy typing. Someone who wants to go to xyxcorp.com but accidentally types xyzcorp.com ends up at the scammer's site.
Now comes another trick to hook the fumble-fingered, courtesy of a keystroke omission rather than a misspelling: a missing dot in an email address.
Click here to read the full article.
By Sid Kirchheimer
How to Avoid Predatory Lending Scams
Although laws are being tightened all the time -- in some
states more than others -- the practice of predatory lending
is still flourishing.
There seems to be no official definition of the term and that, in many cases, the process may actually operate inside the law -- it may be unjust and unfair but it's not always illegal.
Frequently, predatory lending occurs in the housing market, charging high-interest rates and fees; we've discussed this problem previously in a Scambusters issue as part of a broader review of mortgage scams. New Mortgage Scams Sweep Away Homes And Dreams.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
There seems to be no official definition of the term and that, in many cases, the process may actually operate inside the law -- it may be unjust and unfair but it's not always illegal.
Frequently, predatory lending occurs in the housing market, charging high-interest rates and fees; we've discussed this problem previously in a Scambusters issue as part of a broader review of mortgage scams. New Mortgage Scams Sweep Away Homes And Dreams.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, September 23, 2011
Urban Legends, From Vampires and Hauntings to Cockroaches and Laxatives!
In this occasional series, we spotlight some of the best-known
or unusual urban legend stories, though obviously we can't
cover them all -- since there are possibly thousands.
When we find firm evidence that stories are true or untrue, we say so. But most urban legends persist precisely because evidence is lacking.
That doesn't mean we believe them -- we just leave you to make up your own mind.
Also, we find that many urban myths show up in more than one state, and that yet others come in numerous variations. So you may know of a different version.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
When we find firm evidence that stories are true or untrue, we say so. But most urban legends persist precisely because evidence is lacking.
That doesn't mean we believe them -- we just leave you to make up your own mind.
Also, we find that many urban myths show up in more than one state, and that yet others come in numerous variations. So you may know of a different version.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, September 16, 2011
Watch Out for These Home Security Systems Scams
ou'd think that increased demand for home security systems would be bad news for crooks.
But not for all of them. For some scammers, it's a golden opportunity.
We're all concerned about our home security as much as we are about online safety -- and with good reason.
The decline in burglary rates, which has been a trend of the past few decades, has slowed down almost to a stop, with more than 3.13 million victims reported in 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
IF YOUR MARKETING WORKS, ARE YOU PREPARED TO SELL?
by C.J. Hayden
Most of the information and effort aimed at getting more clients focuses on promotion and attraction. You'll find plenty of advice on how to tell the world about your business, make the phone ring, or get inquiries to arrive in your email inbox. But once you've been marketing yourself for a while, you discover that turning those prospects into paying clients can be pretty darned difficult. I find that many professionals are simply not prepared to sell to the prospects they attract.
When you're selling a professional service, marketing doesn't end at a sale; it ends in a sales conversation. People don't buy accounting or coaching or graphic design or management consulting as the result of seeing your ad or getting your letter or visiting your website. They make their decision to hire you as the result of a conversation where you find out what they need, tell them what you have to offer, and the two of you see if there's a match. That's selling.
If you put all your effort into marketing, then aren't prepared to sell when a prospective client gets in touch, you'll waste good prospects and the work you did to get them to contact you. Here's what you need to be ready to sell.
1. Get your basics together.
An essential element for successful selling is a clear, concise description of what you do, with an emphasis on the benefits of working with you and the results you can produce. This is not the same thing as simply citing your education and experience. Prospects don't want to hear what you might be capable of; they want to know how you can solve the problem they have today.
Be prepared to discuss your rates. While you may need detailed information to quote a firm price, don't stall prospects with a vague "we'll need to talk about that" when they ask what you charge. Whether you work by the hour, day, month, or project, you can answer with a range of prices or examples of what you've charged in the past. Prospects don't want to waste time in conversation if your services cost far more than their budget will allow, and neither do you.
2. Be prepared with qualifying questions.
Not everyone who contacts you will be a real prospect. You'll need to ask questions to select in the prospects you want and select out the ones you don't. What problem do they need to solve? How important is it to them? What made them contact you vs. a competitor? How much are they expecting to pay? How soon will they be making a decision? Their answers will reveal how appropriate they are to become your clients, and their readiness and willingness to hire you.
3. Determine what you want prospects to do.
What do you want your prospects to do when they first contact you? Schedule an appointment for an in-person presentation? Provide details for a quote or proposal? Review your offerings to choose options? Come in for an evaluation? Sign up for a sample session or introductory seminar? Whatever you determine this first step is, your entire response to their query should be focused on getting them to take it. Lead them through your sales process; don't make them figure it out.
4. Be ready to follow up.
Most initial conversations end with a next step rather than a closed sale. Gain your prospects' agreement to this step, and follow-up will be much easier. When they agree to schedule a presentation, evaluation, sample session, or introductory seminar, confirm the date on the spot and follow up with a reminder. When they agree to send details for a quote or make selections from your offerings, tell them how to do it and follow up with a form, list of questions, or link.
When it becomes clear your prospects aren't ready to commit to a purchase, you'll need to follow up as well. Capture all the details you'll need in your first exchange with them, and ask their permission. For example, "May I call you next month?' or "May I subscribe you to my newsletter/blog?" or "May I add you to my mailing list for future events or new offerings?" Be prepared to follow up repeatedly until they're ready to act.
5. Have tools to support your strategy.
Each one of the steps above requires tools to perform it well. Everyone needs a clear description of services, fee schedule, and list of qualifying questions. Depending on your business, you may also need a presentation, sample session, or intro seminar outline, quote or request-for-proposal form, and/or online portfolio or catalog. For follow-up, you need some sort of contact management and calendaring system, and may also need a subscription management system.
Developing these steps and tools for effective selling will make it possible to convert more of your prospects into clients. An organized, well-considered sales process like this will also make you a more confident salesperson. So be prepared for your marketing to work by being ready to sell once it does.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Most of the information and effort aimed at getting more clients focuses on promotion and attraction. You'll find plenty of advice on how to tell the world about your business, make the phone ring, or get inquiries to arrive in your email inbox. But once you've been marketing yourself for a while, you discover that turning those prospects into paying clients can be pretty darned difficult. I find that many professionals are simply not prepared to sell to the prospects they attract.
When you're selling a professional service, marketing doesn't end at a sale; it ends in a sales conversation. People don't buy accounting or coaching or graphic design or management consulting as the result of seeing your ad or getting your letter or visiting your website. They make their decision to hire you as the result of a conversation where you find out what they need, tell them what you have to offer, and the two of you see if there's a match. That's selling.
If you put all your effort into marketing, then aren't prepared to sell when a prospective client gets in touch, you'll waste good prospects and the work you did to get them to contact you. Here's what you need to be ready to sell.
1. Get your basics together.
An essential element for successful selling is a clear, concise description of what you do, with an emphasis on the benefits of working with you and the results you can produce. This is not the same thing as simply citing your education and experience. Prospects don't want to hear what you might be capable of; they want to know how you can solve the problem they have today.
Be prepared to discuss your rates. While you may need detailed information to quote a firm price, don't stall prospects with a vague "we'll need to talk about that" when they ask what you charge. Whether you work by the hour, day, month, or project, you can answer with a range of prices or examples of what you've charged in the past. Prospects don't want to waste time in conversation if your services cost far more than their budget will allow, and neither do you.
2. Be prepared with qualifying questions.
Not everyone who contacts you will be a real prospect. You'll need to ask questions to select in the prospects you want and select out the ones you don't. What problem do they need to solve? How important is it to them? What made them contact you vs. a competitor? How much are they expecting to pay? How soon will they be making a decision? Their answers will reveal how appropriate they are to become your clients, and their readiness and willingness to hire you.
3. Determine what you want prospects to do.
What do you want your prospects to do when they first contact you? Schedule an appointment for an in-person presentation? Provide details for a quote or proposal? Review your offerings to choose options? Come in for an evaluation? Sign up for a sample session or introductory seminar? Whatever you determine this first step is, your entire response to their query should be focused on getting them to take it. Lead them through your sales process; don't make them figure it out.
4. Be ready to follow up.
Most initial conversations end with a next step rather than a closed sale. Gain your prospects' agreement to this step, and follow-up will be much easier. When they agree to schedule a presentation, evaluation, sample session, or introductory seminar, confirm the date on the spot and follow up with a reminder. When they agree to send details for a quote or make selections from your offerings, tell them how to do it and follow up with a form, list of questions, or link.
When it becomes clear your prospects aren't ready to commit to a purchase, you'll need to follow up as well. Capture all the details you'll need in your first exchange with them, and ask their permission. For example, "May I call you next month?' or "May I subscribe you to my newsletter/blog?" or "May I add you to my mailing list for future events or new offerings?" Be prepared to follow up repeatedly until they're ready to act.
5. Have tools to support your strategy.
Each one of the steps above requires tools to perform it well. Everyone needs a clear description of services, fee schedule, and list of qualifying questions. Depending on your business, you may also need a presentation, sample session, or intro seminar outline, quote or request-for-proposal form, and/or online portfolio or catalog. For follow-up, you need some sort of contact management and calendaring system, and may also need a subscription management system.
Developing these steps and tools for effective selling will make it possible to convert more of your prospects into clients. An organized, well-considered sales process like this will also make you a more confident salesperson. So be prepared for your marketing to work by being ready to sell once it does.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Why the Breakfast Most Americans Will Eat Today Is a Corporate Scam
Alternet by Anneli Rufus
Wake up and smell the McCafé: Cold cereal, donuts and orange juice are breakfast staples because somebody somewhere wanted money.
Not all of it. But nearly every breakfast staple -- cold cereal, donuts, yogurt, bagels and cream cheese, orange juice, frappuccino -- is a staple only because somebody somewhere wanted money. Wake up and smell the McCafé.
Seeking to provide sanitarium patients with meatless anti-aphrodisiac breakfasts in 1894, Michigan Seventh-Day Adventist surgeon and anti-masturbation activist John Kellogg developed the process of flaking cooked grains. Hence Corn Flakes. Hence Rice Krispies. Hence a rift between Kellogg and his business partner/brother, who wanted to sweeten Kellogg's cereals in hopes of selling more. Guess who won.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet by Anneli Rufus
Wake up and smell the McCafé: Cold cereal, donuts and orange juice are breakfast staples because somebody somewhere wanted money.
Not all of it. But nearly every breakfast staple -- cold cereal, donuts, yogurt, bagels and cream cheese, orange juice, frappuccino -- is a staple only because somebody somewhere wanted money. Wake up and smell the McCafé.
Seeking to provide sanitarium patients with meatless anti-aphrodisiac breakfasts in 1894, Michigan Seventh-Day Adventist surgeon and anti-masturbation activist John Kellogg developed the process of flaking cooked grains. Hence Corn Flakes. Hence Rice Krispies. Hence a rift between Kellogg and his business partner/brother, who wanted to sweeten Kellogg's cereals in hopes of selling more. Guess who won.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet by Anneli Rufus
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Using Mobile Device Tracking Programs Like Find My iPad
One of the greatest mobile computing security innovations of the past few years has been the introduction of tracking programs like Find My iPad.
It's one of several measures that producers of mobile devices have introduced to help victims of theft -- or simply those who've lost their devices -- to find and recover them, or to switch on remote phone locking.
As they so often do, computer and communications leader Apple Inc and developers who write programs for them have set the pace with this type of security.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
It's one of several measures that producers of mobile devices have introduced to help victims of theft -- or simply those who've lost their devices -- to find and recover them, or to switch on remote phone locking.
As they so often do, computer and communications leader Apple Inc and developers who write programs for them have set the pace with this type of security.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Financial Watchdog Sounds College Savings Plans Warning
Ignorance, unscrupulous brokers, and misleading ratings systems could be directing parents into college savings plans that fail to give them the best return for their money.
Also known as 529 college savings plans (named for the tax code section that relates to them) these programs enable families to accumulate savings that enjoy federal tax relief plus other tax benefits at state level, but in some states only.
The result is that there are now an estimated 80-some state-sponsored college savings plans and pretty much every one of them is different from the others.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Also known as 529 college savings plans (named for the tax code section that relates to them) these programs enable families to accumulate savings that enjoy federal tax relief plus other tax benefits at state level, but in some states only.
The result is that there are now an estimated 80-some state-sponsored college savings plans and pretty much every one of them is different from the others.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Matt Taibbi on the Explosive Investigation Revealing the SEC's Cover-Up of Wall Street's Crimes
Alternet by Amy Goodman
In an interview with Amy Goodman, Matt Taibbi explains how the SEC has let the Wall Street bankers who created the global economic crisis get away with it all.
In the following interview on Democracy Now! Amy Goodman interviews journalist Matt Taibbi about his recent investigation into the SEC's shady practices.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet by Amy Goodman
In an interview with Amy Goodman, Matt Taibbi explains how the SEC has let the Wall Street bankers who created the global economic crisis get away with it all.
In the following interview on Democracy Now! Amy Goodman interviews journalist Matt Taibbi about his recent investigation into the SEC's shady practices.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet by Amy Goodman
Friday, August 12, 2011
How to Deal with Computer, Phone and Email Threats
Email threats have been around pretty much as long as email has. The aim is to strike fear into the hearts of the recipients and prompt them to send money or, in some cases, do nothing at all except spread the threat to others.
They also come by phone, in text messages, or as pop-ups on your computer screen -- and a few of them are both clever and convincing.
Here are the most common types of threats -- and what you can do about them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
They also come by phone, in text messages, or as pop-ups on your computer screen -- and a few of them are both clever and convincing.
Here are the most common types of threats -- and what you can do about them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
SEVEN STEPS TO NETWORKING ONE-ON-ONE
Most of the dialogue about networking to build your business centers around attending events or social networking online. But I've always found that one-on-one networking is where the real magic happens. Meeting with people individually, in person or by phone, builds the "know, like, and trust" factor, generates referrals, connects you with new resources, and creates lasting relationships.
To people who are natural networkers, this type of connecting may come easily. But many entrepreneurs tell me they find the process of one-on-one networking mysterious, awkward, or daunting. Here are seven steps to help any entrepreneur become a master networker.
1. Choose who to network with.
Networking is not selling. While you might network with people who could become clients, your purpose is not to close a sale. The aim of a networking conversation is to build a mutually beneficial relationship. The benefit you're seeking may be referrals to prospective clients, information about your market or field, or suggestions and resources to boost your success. The benefits most important to you should drive your choice of who to network with.
If you are seeking referrals, your best choice for networking will be people who are in regular contact with your target market. This usually means they are either in your target market themselves, or they serve it. A graphic designer serving entrepreneurs, for example, might network with other entrepreneurs, preferably those with active networks of their own. Or she might network with photographers, web designers, and others with entrepreneurs as their market.
2. Plan your approach.
Before reaching out, determine the primary purpose for your contact. Perhaps you want to acquaint the other person with your business so he could refer to you in the future. Or you might like to learn what she knows about the high tech industry. Or you might want to find out where you could speak locally to reach corporate training directors.
Since networking is intended to be mutually beneficial, think about what you could offer the other person. Could you refer him business occasionally? Or can you provide useful information or ideas? If you're not sure what you could provide, be prepared to ask, "How could I be helpful to you?" Make the offer of reciprocity, even when you don't yet know what that might look like.
3. Reach out with a call or email.
Place a phone call or send an email, stating the reason for your contact. Suggest that the two of you set up a convenient time to meet in person or by phone.
You might say something like this: "I understand we both serve the health care industry, and we may be able to help each other be more successful. Could we get together and talk about that?"
Or like this: "I'd like to do more work with schools, and I know you're well-connected in that world. Could I ask you to give me a few pointers? I'd be happy to return the favor if there's some way I could be of assistance to you."
Or this: "I'm interested in writing some articles for financial publications. Since you've been doing that for a while yourself, would you be willing to pass along some suggestions? Perhaps I could also help you with something you're working on."
4. Follow up if they don't respond.
Don't make one attempt and then give up, thinking the other person isn't interested. You may have contacted him at a busy time, she may be ill or on vacation, your voice mail could have been accidentally deleted, or your email never arrived. Wait a week or two, then try again. Consider calling if you emailed before, or vice versa. If you still don't hear back, wait a month and reach out again. Just be sure never to make the other person wrong for not replying before.
5. Meet in person or by phone.
Begin by asking for more details about the other person's occupation, even if you think you know everything. Expressing interest in others will increase their comfort level in talking to you. Then tell them a bit about your own work to provide a context for your request. Next, ask for what you want from the meeting, and at the same time, make a reciprocal offer.
For example: "I'm looking for more referrals for my business, and I suspect you may be also. Could we exchange some information today that might help us refer to each other?" Or: "I'd like to get more doctors to refer their patients to me, and I was hoping you could give me some insights to help with that. And I'd like to find out what I might be able to help you accomplish."
Never use a networking request to lure someone into a sales conversation unless you want to make an enemy for life. Only if the other person clearly expresses an interest in working with you should you turn the topic to how you might do business together.
6. Follow up after you meet.
After your meeting, send a note thanking the other person for his time, and expressing your pleasure at getting to know him better. Include any supporting information relevant to your conversation, such as a link to your website, description of your ideal client, or copy of an article you've written.
7. Follow up over time.
If you felt your meeting was productive, stay in touch to keep the relationship alive. Suggest that your new acquaintance subscribe to your newsletter or blog, or connect with you on Facebook or LinkedIn. Reach out personally every three to four months with a note, phone call, forwarded article, or invitation to an event you're attending or hosting. Try to get together in person or by phone at least once per year.
To get more out of networking, follow these seven steps and get to really know the people who can help your business succeed. When you see the kind of results one-on-one networking can produce, you'll be glad you spent the time.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
To people who are natural networkers, this type of connecting may come easily. But many entrepreneurs tell me they find the process of one-on-one networking mysterious, awkward, or daunting. Here are seven steps to help any entrepreneur become a master networker.
1. Choose who to network with.
Networking is not selling. While you might network with people who could become clients, your purpose is not to close a sale. The aim of a networking conversation is to build a mutually beneficial relationship. The benefit you're seeking may be referrals to prospective clients, information about your market or field, or suggestions and resources to boost your success. The benefits most important to you should drive your choice of who to network with.
If you are seeking referrals, your best choice for networking will be people who are in regular contact with your target market. This usually means they are either in your target market themselves, or they serve it. A graphic designer serving entrepreneurs, for example, might network with other entrepreneurs, preferably those with active networks of their own. Or she might network with photographers, web designers, and others with entrepreneurs as their market.
2. Plan your approach.
Before reaching out, determine the primary purpose for your contact. Perhaps you want to acquaint the other person with your business so he could refer to you in the future. Or you might like to learn what she knows about the high tech industry. Or you might want to find out where you could speak locally to reach corporate training directors.
Since networking is intended to be mutually beneficial, think about what you could offer the other person. Could you refer him business occasionally? Or can you provide useful information or ideas? If you're not sure what you could provide, be prepared to ask, "How could I be helpful to you?" Make the offer of reciprocity, even when you don't yet know what that might look like.
3. Reach out with a call or email.
Place a phone call or send an email, stating the reason for your contact. Suggest that the two of you set up a convenient time to meet in person or by phone.
You might say something like this: "I understand we both serve the health care industry, and we may be able to help each other be more successful. Could we get together and talk about that?"
Or like this: "I'd like to do more work with schools, and I know you're well-connected in that world. Could I ask you to give me a few pointers? I'd be happy to return the favor if there's some way I could be of assistance to you."
Or this: "I'm interested in writing some articles for financial publications. Since you've been doing that for a while yourself, would you be willing to pass along some suggestions? Perhaps I could also help you with something you're working on."
4. Follow up if they don't respond.
Don't make one attempt and then give up, thinking the other person isn't interested. You may have contacted him at a busy time, she may be ill or on vacation, your voice mail could have been accidentally deleted, or your email never arrived. Wait a week or two, then try again. Consider calling if you emailed before, or vice versa. If you still don't hear back, wait a month and reach out again. Just be sure never to make the other person wrong for not replying before.
5. Meet in person or by phone.
Begin by asking for more details about the other person's occupation, even if you think you know everything. Expressing interest in others will increase their comfort level in talking to you. Then tell them a bit about your own work to provide a context for your request. Next, ask for what you want from the meeting, and at the same time, make a reciprocal offer.
For example: "I'm looking for more referrals for my business, and I suspect you may be also. Could we exchange some information today that might help us refer to each other?" Or: "I'd like to get more doctors to refer their patients to me, and I was hoping you could give me some insights to help with that. And I'd like to find out what I might be able to help you accomplish."
Never use a networking request to lure someone into a sales conversation unless you want to make an enemy for life. Only if the other person clearly expresses an interest in working with you should you turn the topic to how you might do business together.
6. Follow up after you meet.
After your meeting, send a note thanking the other person for his time, and expressing your pleasure at getting to know him better. Include any supporting information relevant to your conversation, such as a link to your website, description of your ideal client, or copy of an article you've written.
7. Follow up over time.
If you felt your meeting was productive, stay in touch to keep the relationship alive. Suggest that your new acquaintance subscribe to your newsletter or blog, or connect with you on Facebook or LinkedIn. Reach out personally every three to four months with a note, phone call, forwarded article, or invitation to an event you're attending or hosting. Try to get together in person or by phone at least once per year.
To get more out of networking, follow these seven steps and get to really know the people who can help your business succeed. When you see the kind of results one-on-one networking can produce, you'll be glad you spent the time.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Friday, August 5, 2011
A Dozen Outrageous, Daring and Funny Scams
They may be hard to believe, but the outrageous and funny scams we report on this week have a serious message for all of us.
They show some crooks at their inventive best, while others just come over as plain crazy.
But they all teach us there's no limit to the lengths scammers will go to to fool their victims and, unfortunately, sometimes no limit to the gullibility of victims.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
They show some crooks at their inventive best, while others just come over as plain crazy.
But they all teach us there's no limit to the lengths scammers will go to to fool their victims and, unfortunately, sometimes no limit to the gullibility of victims.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, July 29, 2011
Think Twice About Bedbug Treatments and Designer Label Ebay Scams
The thought of bedbugs may send a shiver down your spine but when it comes to bedbug treatments, the Federal Trade Commission is twitching -- warning of unrealistic claims about some products.
We all know about the scam artists on eBay who sell knock-off copies of high-end branded items like watches, sunglasses and clothing.
But here's a sneaky new trick that turns this eBay scam on its head.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
We all know about the scam artists on eBay who sell knock-off copies of high-end branded items like watches, sunglasses and clothing.
But here's a sneaky new trick that turns this eBay scam on its head.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Mortgage Securitization Scams Add to Homeowners' Woes
Masquerading under the impressive-sounding title of a "mortgage securitization audit," a new scam is bleeding financially-pressured homeowners out of their dwindling funds.
Also sometimes simply called a "mortgage audit" or a "forensic document review," the service supposedly combs through all of the documents relating to a mortgage, looking for mistakes or even frauds in those documents.
The purported aim is either to help homeowners escape foreclosure or to strengthen their case for a loan modification, which will ease their repayments.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Also sometimes simply called a "mortgage audit" or a "forensic document review," the service supposedly combs through all of the documents relating to a mortgage, looking for mistakes or even frauds in those documents.
The purported aim is either to help homeowners escape foreclosure or to strengthen their case for a loan modification, which will ease their repayments.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Mobile World Sparks Cell Phone Spam Onslaught
With more than half the world's population now using mobile communication devices, cell phone spam is on the rise -- despite government clampdown efforts.
Mobile phone spam, also known as m-spam, can arrive in two forms -- either as an email or as a text or SMS message (which some clever person labeled spaSMS).
In most cases it's illegal, but what's really infuriating is that unless you have an unlimited text plan with your cell phone service provider, you end up actually paying for this garbage.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Mobile phone spam, also known as m-spam, can arrive in two forms -- either as an email or as a text or SMS message (which some clever person labeled spaSMS).
In most cases it's illegal, but what's really infuriating is that unless you have an unlimited text plan with your cell phone service provider, you end up actually paying for this garbage.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, July 9, 2011
AVOIDING THE FEAST OR FAMINE TRAP
It often seems that it's the destiny of the independent professional to exist in a constant state of feast or famine. Either you are working day and night to keep up with client demands, or you're wondering how much is left in your savings account and whether the phone will ever ring again.
When you're having a feast of business, there's plenty of money coming in, you're getting recognition for your talents, and your energy level is usually high. But you may also feel constantly pressed for time, have to disappoint some clients you can't adequately serve, and lose out on future business because you can't respond to new opportunities.
When a business famine strikes, you have the time to develop new business and provide good service to the clients you still have. But you may also be low on cash and not feeling so good about yourself, which gets in the way of effective marketing.
There's a simple answer to this dilemma. You need to market for new clients consistently and persistently, no matter what state your business is currently in. But like many simple answers, this is not necessarily easy.
Here are some suggestions for how to always make time for marketing:
1. Sometimes the customer comes second.
If you spend all your time doing client work, you will go out of business. You need to set aside time not only for marketing, but to answer correspondence, keep up in your field, and oh yes, send out the invoices. Every time you rush to help a client with what they call an emergency, you set a precedent that you will be available on short notice. Learn how to say no compassionately, but firmly, when client requests interfere with you running your business to your own benefit.
2. Establish a time budget for marketing.
It's helpful to have two different budgets -- one for when you are busy, and one for when things are slow. If you're busy, a minimal budget will keep your marketing rolling. In two hours per week, you can go to lunch, make phone calls, send out letters, or make contacts about speaking. When business is slow, you should increase your time budget up to 30-50% of your work week -- more, if you aren't doing any client work at all.
3. Make marketing a priority in your calendar.
Work expands to fill the time allotted to it. Think of the last time you wrote a proposal. If the deadline was next week, you probably wrote and re-wrote until it was perfect. If the deadline was today, you probably miraculously completed it on time. If you block out marketing time in your calendar, and schedule other important activities around it, you will find that those other activities somehow get done. Treat your marketing time just like an appointment. If something truly urgent comes up, reschedule it; don't just erase it.
4. Get your marketing done first.
Sit down at your desk in the morning, and before listening to voice mail, reading email, or looking at your project list, tackle whatever marketing activities are on your agenda for the day. Spend 15 minutes, an hour, or two hours -- whatever makes sense for your current marketing time budget -- and then start your regular day. This has the added benefit of allowing you to engage in marketing when you are fresh.
If despite your best efforts, you do hit a famine period, there are some things you can do:
1. Take advantage of the lull to make a plan.
This could be a new marketing plan, or it could be a business plan where you do some financial modeling or revisit your strategic direction. I usually do this myself during the month of December, when I can expect a seasonal slowdown as my regular clients take vacation time and new clients don't want to begin until January.
2. Send out a reminder.
This could be in the form of a postcard, email broadcast, or letter, with an announcement, special offer, or helpful information for your target market. If you are thinking, "Send a reminder to who?," you need to take some to time to update and...
3. Use your contact management system.
Every independent professional needs some type of contact management system to track your clients and prospects, whether it's sheets in a 3-ring binder, or software on your computer or phone. When business is slow, every potential client in your CMS who hasn't heard from you in the last 30 days is worth a phone call, email, or letter. You are much more likely to get a client quickly from following up than you are from contacting someone new.
If you use a CMS, you'll be able to...
4. Research where your business comes from.
If you track the source of every lead, you can then determine which sources actually delivered people who became clients, and then how much money each of those clients spent with you. It's an extremely worthwhile use of some down time to find out which sources of business put the most money in your pocket, and then see what you can do to replicate them.
If you do a good job at consistent and persistent marketing, inevitably you will attract more business than you can handle, at least at certain times. Don't be so afraid of this possibility that you allow it to hold back your marketing! If a client calls and you are not available, they will often wait for you. Having a waiting list makes you more desirable, and it also allows you to raise your rates because of the perceived demand for your services.
So don't stay trapped in the feast or famine cycle. A steady diet of just enough clients will feed a happier, healthier, wealthier you.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
When you're having a feast of business, there's plenty of money coming in, you're getting recognition for your talents, and your energy level is usually high. But you may also feel constantly pressed for time, have to disappoint some clients you can't adequately serve, and lose out on future business because you can't respond to new opportunities.
When a business famine strikes, you have the time to develop new business and provide good service to the clients you still have. But you may also be low on cash and not feeling so good about yourself, which gets in the way of effective marketing.
There's a simple answer to this dilemma. You need to market for new clients consistently and persistently, no matter what state your business is currently in. But like many simple answers, this is not necessarily easy.
Here are some suggestions for how to always make time for marketing:
1. Sometimes the customer comes second.
If you spend all your time doing client work, you will go out of business. You need to set aside time not only for marketing, but to answer correspondence, keep up in your field, and oh yes, send out the invoices. Every time you rush to help a client with what they call an emergency, you set a precedent that you will be available on short notice. Learn how to say no compassionately, but firmly, when client requests interfere with you running your business to your own benefit.
2. Establish a time budget for marketing.
It's helpful to have two different budgets -- one for when you are busy, and one for when things are slow. If you're busy, a minimal budget will keep your marketing rolling. In two hours per week, you can go to lunch, make phone calls, send out letters, or make contacts about speaking. When business is slow, you should increase your time budget up to 30-50% of your work week -- more, if you aren't doing any client work at all.
3. Make marketing a priority in your calendar.
Work expands to fill the time allotted to it. Think of the last time you wrote a proposal. If the deadline was next week, you probably wrote and re-wrote until it was perfect. If the deadline was today, you probably miraculously completed it on time. If you block out marketing time in your calendar, and schedule other important activities around it, you will find that those other activities somehow get done. Treat your marketing time just like an appointment. If something truly urgent comes up, reschedule it; don't just erase it.
4. Get your marketing done first.
Sit down at your desk in the morning, and before listening to voice mail, reading email, or looking at your project list, tackle whatever marketing activities are on your agenda for the day. Spend 15 minutes, an hour, or two hours -- whatever makes sense for your current marketing time budget -- and then start your regular day. This has the added benefit of allowing you to engage in marketing when you are fresh.
If despite your best efforts, you do hit a famine period, there are some things you can do:
1. Take advantage of the lull to make a plan.
This could be a new marketing plan, or it could be a business plan where you do some financial modeling or revisit your strategic direction. I usually do this myself during the month of December, when I can expect a seasonal slowdown as my regular clients take vacation time and new clients don't want to begin until January.
2. Send out a reminder.
This could be in the form of a postcard, email broadcast, or letter, with an announcement, special offer, or helpful information for your target market. If you are thinking, "Send a reminder to who?," you need to take some to time to update and...
3. Use your contact management system.
Every independent professional needs some type of contact management system to track your clients and prospects, whether it's sheets in a 3-ring binder, or software on your computer or phone. When business is slow, every potential client in your CMS who hasn't heard from you in the last 30 days is worth a phone call, email, or letter. You are much more likely to get a client quickly from following up than you are from contacting someone new.
If you use a CMS, you'll be able to...
4. Research where your business comes from.
If you track the source of every lead, you can then determine which sources actually delivered people who became clients, and then how much money each of those clients spent with you. It's an extremely worthwhile use of some down time to find out which sources of business put the most money in your pocket, and then see what you can do to replicate them.
If you do a good job at consistent and persistent marketing, inevitably you will attract more business than you can handle, at least at certain times. Don't be so afraid of this possibility that you allow it to hold back your marketing! If a client calls and you are not available, they will often wait for you. Having a waiting list makes you more desirable, and it also allows you to raise your rates because of the perceived demand for your services.
So don't stay trapped in the feast or famine cycle. A steady diet of just enough clients will feed a happier, healthier, wealthier you.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Update Your Browser to Block History Sniffing
Towards the end of 2010, a new report showed how dozens of sites were checking visitors' surfing history by exploiting a browser feature most of us know well.
A visit you make to any site is "remembered" by your browser so the next time the site name shows up in a search you make or on another website, it's colored purple instead of blue. That way, you instantly know you've been there before.
But this handy feature, which has been around almost as long as the Internet, means your previous Internet activity potentially could be "read" by simply looking for the color purple in your browser's records.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
A visit you make to any site is "remembered" by your browser so the next time the site name shows up in a search you make or on another website, it's colored purple instead of blue. That way, you instantly know you've been there before.
But this handy feature, which has been around almost as long as the Internet, means your previous Internet activity potentially could be "read" by simply looking for the color purple in your browser's records.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, July 1, 2011
How to Do a Credentials Check on Almost Anyone
Many other types of employment require membership of professional bodies that provide online or postal credential checks and verification.
However, there are other individuals whose credentials may be important to us but are more difficult to verify.
For example, how do you know whether a utility worker or charity collector who arrives at your doorstep is genuine or a threat?
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
However, there are other individuals whose credentials may be important to us but are more difficult to verify.
For example, how do you know whether a utility worker or charity collector who arrives at your doorstep is genuine or a threat?
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, June 24, 2011
How Scammers Target and Abuse Disabled People
Knowing that many disabled people may have special needs and vulnerabilities, scammers target them frequently.
They even pass themselves off as being disabled or as helping to raise money for physically and mentally handicapped people as a way of conning money from the general public.
People suffering from a mental disability, especially dementia, are especially at risk but others with sensory and mobility handicaps have also fallen victim in recent incidents.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
They even pass themselves off as being disabled or as helping to raise money for physically and mentally handicapped people as a way of conning money from the general public.
People suffering from a mental disability, especially dementia, are especially at risk but others with sensory and mobility handicaps have also fallen victim in recent incidents.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Host Gator is a Great Web Hosting Site from My Personal Experience and Great Affiliate Program.
Hello. Host Gator is a great host for your website needs. I have been using it for a year. And when ever I have a question, Support gets right back to me almost immediately! It is very affordable too.
Hostgator is Starting at 3.96 a Month with Unlimited web hosting, a Free site builder, easy control panel and more.
The Host Gator Affiliate Program is free and I have made money from this program.
http://shortquik.com/hostgator/barb2birds
Have a great day!
To your success.
Barb :)
Hostgator is Starting at 3.96 a Month with Unlimited web hosting, a Free site builder, easy control panel and more.
The Host Gator Affiliate Program is free and I have made money from this program.
http://shortquik.com/hostgator/barb2birds
Have a great day!
To your success.
Barb :)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Secret $8 Billion Wireless Scam: How AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Game the System
Alternet / by David Rosen and Bruce Kushnick
Telecom giants Verizon and AT&T have gamed the system, using regulations designed to foster competition to snatch up ever more of the wireless spectrum.
On May 11, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing astutely titled, "The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger: Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?"
At the hearing, Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, raised a fundamental challenge: “At present, four companies control nearly 90 percent of the national wireless market. The proposed acquisition would further consolidate an already concentrated market for wireless communication.”
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet / by David Rosen and Bruce Kushnick
Telecom giants Verizon and AT&T have gamed the system, using regulations designed to foster competition to snatch up ever more of the wireless spectrum.
On May 11, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing astutely titled, "The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger: Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?"
At the hearing, Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, raised a fundamental challenge: “At present, four companies control nearly 90 percent of the national wireless market. The proposed acquisition would further consolidate an already concentrated market for wireless communication.”
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet / by David Rosen and Bruce Kushnick
Friday, June 17, 2011
Common Bait and Switch Tricks and How to Avoid Them
Bait advertising," the FTC explains, "is an alluring but insincere offer to sell a product or service which the advertiser in truth does not intend or want to sell.
"Its purpose is to switch consumers from buying the advertised merchandise in order to sell something else, usually at a higher price or on a basis more advantageous to the advertiser."
Trouble is, it's not against the law to use a come-on to lure buyers into the net, provided whoever's doing it can prove that they did have the merchandise in question, that it was genuinely available and that they made the conditions of its sale clear.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
"Its purpose is to switch consumers from buying the advertised merchandise in order to sell something else, usually at a higher price or on a basis more advantageous to the advertiser."
Trouble is, it's not against the law to use a come-on to lure buyers into the net, provided whoever's doing it can prove that they did have the merchandise in question, that it was genuinely available and that they made the conditions of its sale clear.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Urban Legends Tour Around the US
Most urban legends, true or not, gruesome or not, develop and change over time, as the tellers embroider and exaggerate the tale.
Mostly, they're historical stories with an unexpected, weird or spooky angle. Sometimes, they can cause distress, especially to those of a nervous disposition!
We think it's important to be skeptical about the outrageous stories you sometimes encounter online and in conversation.
Certainly, we encourage you to think twice about passing on emails that purport to be genuine and supposedly circulate to offer advice or serve as a warning to others, when, frankly, they're just too weird to be true.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Mostly, they're historical stories with an unexpected, weird or spooky angle. Sometimes, they can cause distress, especially to those of a nervous disposition!
We think it's important to be skeptical about the outrageous stories you sometimes encounter online and in conversation.
Certainly, we encourage you to think twice about passing on emails that purport to be genuine and supposedly circulate to offer advice or serve as a warning to others, when, frankly, they're just too weird to be true.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
MARKETING WITH THE 80/20 RULE
By C.J. Hayden
You know about the 80/20 rule, right? It's the guideline that 80% of your return comes from 20% of your investment. For example, 80% of your referrals come from 20% of the people in your network. 80% of your new business comes from 20% of your prospects. 80% of your new contacts come from 20% of the networking activities you engage in. And so on.
Like all such guidelines, this one is inexact, but helpful. If used correctly, it makes you stop and think. Where are most of your returns coming from? And where is most of your effort going?
Imagine how much less time and money you could spend on marketing if you could simply identify the 20% of your current efforts that are really the only ones that matter. You could let go of 80% of what you're doing.
I can't guarantee everyone can do this. Some of you are already pretty smart about how you market yourselves. But here are some places to look:
1. Where are your clients actually coming from? You may think you know the answer to this question, but I find in many cases that people's assumptions don't match the data. Review every client you've worked with in the past two years and try to determine how that client entered your life. Make a list of not just the source of each client, but what you may have done (or made available) to produce clients from that source.
For example, "Referred by Mary Smith. Met her for coffee last month," or "Inquiry from my website. Signed up for my special report two weeks ago." If you can't uncover data like this about every new client, now is the time to start tracking it for the future.
Notice any patterns this analysis suggests, and strategize how you might reproduce these successes. Where could you find more referral sources like Mary Smith? Or what potential referral sources already in your network have you never met for coffee? If most of the new clients originating from your website are those that requested your special report, is that request form available on every page?
2. Where are your highest paying or lowest hassle clients coming from? The quality of your clients can make as much difference to the success of your business as the quantity of them. Select the top 20% of your clients from the list you made above -- either the ones that paid you the most or troubled you the least -- and consider how you might acquire more clients like them.
Notice not just the source of these top clients, but also what characteristics they might share. You might discover that your highest paying clients are those who themselves are in a higher income bracket. Or that the clients who give you the least trouble are the ones who have worked with professionals in your line of business before. These are valuable clues to where the majority of your marketing efforts should go.
3. What marketing approaches are costing you more money than they bring in? When you can see exactly where your clients are coming from, you can also determine where you're paying too much to get them. Common places for overspending are print and online directory listings, pay-per-click ads, search engine optimization fees, and multiple association memberships.
Compare not just what you are spending on each potential source of clients to what revenue you received from it, but what profit you ultimately made. A $500 ad that brought you a $500 client has earned you nothing. And an ad that produces many inquiries but little paying business consumes time you could better use to produce income.
4. What are you currently doing that you haven't gotten a single client from? Some marketing techniques take time to pay off, but if you've been using a particular approach for several months and no clients have yet resulted, it's time to reconsider. You probably need to either abandon this approach or fine-tune it.
If you belong to a networking group that isn't producing referrals for you, consider whether you should seek a different group that's a better match for your target market, or stick with the group and start meeting its members for coffee. If you've been cold calling corporate prospects without results, you may need to drop cold calling and focus on referrals and introductions, or your telemarketing skills may need considerable improvement.
By making judicious use of the 80/20 rule, you can eliminate the least productive marketing activities you engage in and ramp up those that are more effective. You can also focus most of your marketing on the client sources and type of prospects that have worked well for you in the past. And that can put you in the 20% of entrepreneurs who have a successful business instead of in the 80% who don't.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
You know about the 80/20 rule, right? It's the guideline that 80% of your return comes from 20% of your investment. For example, 80% of your referrals come from 20% of the people in your network. 80% of your new business comes from 20% of your prospects. 80% of your new contacts come from 20% of the networking activities you engage in. And so on.
Like all such guidelines, this one is inexact, but helpful. If used correctly, it makes you stop and think. Where are most of your returns coming from? And where is most of your effort going?
Imagine how much less time and money you could spend on marketing if you could simply identify the 20% of your current efforts that are really the only ones that matter. You could let go of 80% of what you're doing.
I can't guarantee everyone can do this. Some of you are already pretty smart about how you market yourselves. But here are some places to look:
1. Where are your clients actually coming from? You may think you know the answer to this question, but I find in many cases that people's assumptions don't match the data. Review every client you've worked with in the past two years and try to determine how that client entered your life. Make a list of not just the source of each client, but what you may have done (or made available) to produce clients from that source.
For example, "Referred by Mary Smith. Met her for coffee last month," or "Inquiry from my website. Signed up for my special report two weeks ago." If you can't uncover data like this about every new client, now is the time to start tracking it for the future.
Notice any patterns this analysis suggests, and strategize how you might reproduce these successes. Where could you find more referral sources like Mary Smith? Or what potential referral sources already in your network have you never met for coffee? If most of the new clients originating from your website are those that requested your special report, is that request form available on every page?
2. Where are your highest paying or lowest hassle clients coming from? The quality of your clients can make as much difference to the success of your business as the quantity of them. Select the top 20% of your clients from the list you made above -- either the ones that paid you the most or troubled you the least -- and consider how you might acquire more clients like them.
Notice not just the source of these top clients, but also what characteristics they might share. You might discover that your highest paying clients are those who themselves are in a higher income bracket. Or that the clients who give you the least trouble are the ones who have worked with professionals in your line of business before. These are valuable clues to where the majority of your marketing efforts should go.
3. What marketing approaches are costing you more money than they bring in? When you can see exactly where your clients are coming from, you can also determine where you're paying too much to get them. Common places for overspending are print and online directory listings, pay-per-click ads, search engine optimization fees, and multiple association memberships.
Compare not just what you are spending on each potential source of clients to what revenue you received from it, but what profit you ultimately made. A $500 ad that brought you a $500 client has earned you nothing. And an ad that produces many inquiries but little paying business consumes time you could better use to produce income.
4. What are you currently doing that you haven't gotten a single client from? Some marketing techniques take time to pay off, but if you've been using a particular approach for several months and no clients have yet resulted, it's time to reconsider. You probably need to either abandon this approach or fine-tune it.
If you belong to a networking group that isn't producing referrals for you, consider whether you should seek a different group that's a better match for your target market, or stick with the group and start meeting its members for coffee. If you've been cold calling corporate prospects without results, you may need to drop cold calling and focus on referrals and introductions, or your telemarketing skills may need considerable improvement.
By making judicious use of the 80/20 rule, you can eliminate the least productive marketing activities you engage in and ramp up those that are more effective. You can also focus most of your marketing on the client sources and type of prospects that have worked well for you in the past. And that can put you in the 20% of entrepreneurs who have a successful business instead of in the 80% who don't.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Why You Should Always Check Your EULA
When did you last check a EULA? Not even sure what it is?
It stands for End User License Agreement, and every time you install a program on your computer or mobile device, and sometimes even when you just use a new piece of hardware, you implicitly sign up to everything that licensing agreement says.
That can be a pain in the neck because, let's face it, most of us don't read them.
In fact, we can guess that around one-thirtieth of one percent of users read their EULAs (pronounced "you-las") since one software company that offered $1,000 to the first person to spot this prize buried away in its licensing agreement recorded 3,000 downloads before anyone claimed it.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
It stands for End User License Agreement, and every time you install a program on your computer or mobile device, and sometimes even when you just use a new piece of hardware, you implicitly sign up to everything that licensing agreement says.
That can be a pain in the neck because, let's face it, most of us don't read them.
In fact, we can guess that around one-thirtieth of one percent of users read their EULAs (pronounced "you-las") since one software company that offered $1,000 to the first person to spot this prize buried away in its licensing agreement recorded 3,000 downloads before anyone claimed it.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tell-tale Signs of a Fake Blog
It's commonly known as a "flog" -- a fake blog -- and the con-artists who run them and bogus news sites are currently raking in an estimated $750 million a year selling products of questionable value, from supposed miracle cures to phony anti-virus software.
They're easy to set up and, even though the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently filed lawsuits to try to stop some of them, the tricksters often skirt their way around the law to stay in business.
What's a fake blog? Well, first, let's think about what a blog is: it's usually a personal or company website that's regularly updated with the latest news, views, and comments.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
They're easy to set up and, even though the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently filed lawsuits to try to stop some of them, the tricksters often skirt their way around the law to stay in business.
What's a fake blog? Well, first, let's think about what a blog is: it's usually a personal or company website that's regularly updated with the latest news, views, and comments.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, May 20, 2011
Security Breaches Strengthen Spam Campaigns
The ups and downs of the war against spam have been thrown into sharp focus by major incidents during the first half of the year, emphasizing the need for unflagging vigilance against spammers and scammers.
Over the years here at Scambusters, we've warned subscribers against responding to any kind of spam, but the flow of unwanted emails continues unabated and, as recent incidents have shown, some of this flood is potentially very dangerous indeed.
You may want to check out some of our earlier reports to remind yourself both of the risks and what you can do about them, before we go on to discuss the latest situation.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Over the years here at Scambusters, we've warned subscribers against responding to any kind of spam, but the flow of unwanted emails continues unabated and, as recent incidents have shown, some of this flood is potentially very dangerous indeed.
You may want to check out some of our earlier reports to remind yourself both of the risks and what you can do about them, before we go on to discuss the latest situation.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
YOUR MARKET NICHE: AN ESSENTIAL KEY TO SUCCESS by C.J. Hayden
How important is it that you have a clearly defined market niche for your professional services? Can't you simply make yourself available to work for anyone who might need you? Doesn't having a niche limit you to serving only a small portion of possible clients? Why would you want to rule out any possible sources of business? Discovering the answers to these questions can have a powerful impact on the success or failure of your business.
When you have a market niche, it defines either your target market -- who you wish to target as prospective clients -- or your professional specialty -- the services you specialize in providing within the broader scope of your profession. The most effective niches define both these elements.
For example, a graphic designer could have the target market of the financial services industry and the specialty of customer communications. A career coach could target the legal industry and specialize in helping lawyers experiencing burnout.
But when you don't define a specific market niche, by default, you are marketing to everyone and anyone. And that takes an endless amount of time and energy -- resources that are probably already in short supply.
Consider the difference between the sun and a laser beam. The sun's rays shine everywhere, reaching everyone and everything without discrimination, but this takes an enormous output of energy. A laser beam, on the other hand, points at only one thing at a time, but a tiny bit of energy can focus and direct it exactly where you choose.
Since you only have a limited amount of time, money, and attention to devote to marketing, wouldn't it be better to spend it pointing your efforts directly toward the prospects most likely to become your clients?
Many professionals, especially those newer in business, fear that choosing a niche will limit them in some way, because it reduces the number of potential clients they might serve. But as a solo professional or small professional services firm, you don't need millions of clients, or even tens of thousands. Over the course of a year, you might only need dozens. It would be rare indeed to select a niche that was so small it couldn't yield enough clients with numbers as low as those.
Instead of limiting you, what choosing a niche does is focus you. Just like pointing a laser beam, it allows you to direct your marketing efforts exactly where they need to go.
To understand this better, imagine any specific marketing tactic you might employ, say, attending networking events. Without a defined market niche, how do you choose what events to go to? How do you even know where to look for events that clients might attend? What do you say to the people you meet at these events about who you serve and how you help them? How do you determine which people at an event you should spend time getting to know?
When you haven't defined a niche, your chances of making the right marketing decisions are often little better than if you were throwing darts.
It sometimes seems as if you might be able to avoid making a decision about your niche by simply making your services "available" and not actively marketing at all. For example, you could rely on your website, directory listings, social networking profiles, ads, flyers, etc., to bring you business.
But even this sort of passive marketing requires a niche to be effective. When an executive woman surfs the web looking for a financial planner, will she choose one who serves everyone, or one who specializes in helping executive women? When a corporate buyer looks up copywriters in a directory, will he contact one who does all kinds of copywriting, or one who stresses experience in the buyer's industry?
Choosing a market niche allows you to not only seek out prospective clients through personal outreach like networking, referral-building, and phone calls, it allows you to attract them through online visibility and other less personal means. This is because having a niche makes it possible to craft messages that speak directly to the wants and needs of your target clients. Without a niche, you can only make generic statements that will attract no one.
So don't be fooled into thinking that the best way to get clients is to offer to serve anyone. Your prospective clients don't think of themselves as "anyone." They consider themselves to be unique individuals with very specific needs, and they want to be served by a professional who not only understands that, but is truly dedicated to helping people just like them.
Once you limit your marketing focus to a particular kind of client and/or a defined specialty, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much easier marketing becomes. You'll find it easier to talk with people about your business, easier to write about it, and easier to decide where to go and what to do to market yourself. And you'll probably also find that your marketing will begin to produce results with considerably less effort.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
When you have a market niche, it defines either your target market -- who you wish to target as prospective clients -- or your professional specialty -- the services you specialize in providing within the broader scope of your profession. The most effective niches define both these elements.
For example, a graphic designer could have the target market of the financial services industry and the specialty of customer communications. A career coach could target the legal industry and specialize in helping lawyers experiencing burnout.
But when you don't define a specific market niche, by default, you are marketing to everyone and anyone. And that takes an endless amount of time and energy -- resources that are probably already in short supply.
Consider the difference between the sun and a laser beam. The sun's rays shine everywhere, reaching everyone and everything without discrimination, but this takes an enormous output of energy. A laser beam, on the other hand, points at only one thing at a time, but a tiny bit of energy can focus and direct it exactly where you choose.
Since you only have a limited amount of time, money, and attention to devote to marketing, wouldn't it be better to spend it pointing your efforts directly toward the prospects most likely to become your clients?
Many professionals, especially those newer in business, fear that choosing a niche will limit them in some way, because it reduces the number of potential clients they might serve. But as a solo professional or small professional services firm, you don't need millions of clients, or even tens of thousands. Over the course of a year, you might only need dozens. It would be rare indeed to select a niche that was so small it couldn't yield enough clients with numbers as low as those.
Instead of limiting you, what choosing a niche does is focus you. Just like pointing a laser beam, it allows you to direct your marketing efforts exactly where they need to go.
To understand this better, imagine any specific marketing tactic you might employ, say, attending networking events. Without a defined market niche, how do you choose what events to go to? How do you even know where to look for events that clients might attend? What do you say to the people you meet at these events about who you serve and how you help them? How do you determine which people at an event you should spend time getting to know?
When you haven't defined a niche, your chances of making the right marketing decisions are often little better than if you were throwing darts.
It sometimes seems as if you might be able to avoid making a decision about your niche by simply making your services "available" and not actively marketing at all. For example, you could rely on your website, directory listings, social networking profiles, ads, flyers, etc., to bring you business.
But even this sort of passive marketing requires a niche to be effective. When an executive woman surfs the web looking for a financial planner, will she choose one who serves everyone, or one who specializes in helping executive women? When a corporate buyer looks up copywriters in a directory, will he contact one who does all kinds of copywriting, or one who stresses experience in the buyer's industry?
Choosing a market niche allows you to not only seek out prospective clients through personal outreach like networking, referral-building, and phone calls, it allows you to attract them through online visibility and other less personal means. This is because having a niche makes it possible to craft messages that speak directly to the wants and needs of your target clients. Without a niche, you can only make generic statements that will attract no one.
So don't be fooled into thinking that the best way to get clients is to offer to serve anyone. Your prospective clients don't think of themselves as "anyone." They consider themselves to be unique individuals with very specific needs, and they want to be served by a professional who not only understands that, but is truly dedicated to helping people just like them.
Once you limit your marketing focus to a particular kind of client and/or a defined specialty, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much easier marketing becomes. You'll find it easier to talk with people about your business, easier to write about it, and easier to decide where to go and what to do to market yourself. And you'll probably also find that your marketing will begin to produce results with considerably less effort.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Friday, May 6, 2011
8 Mother's Day Scams and Urban Legends
After Thanksgiving and Christmas, Mother's Day is the biggest-spending special occasion of the year, with grateful children and husbands forking out around $14 billion on flowers, chocolates and other treats.
No wonder then, that Mother's Day is also a favorite target for scammers.
The celebration of the role of mothers actually has been around since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and perhaps even longer.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
No wonder then, that Mother's Day is also a favorite target for scammers.
The celebration of the role of mothers actually has been around since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and perhaps even longer.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, April 29, 2011
Glue-Toting Crooks Launch ATM Scam
In the ATM scam, thieves use a cunning new trick based on old technology -- glue! -- to fool and rob their unsuspecting victims.
They stick down a number of keys, halting the transaction after users have inserted their cards and keyed in their PIN numbers.
Then, while the victim goes to report that the machine has jammed, the crook sneaks up and completes the transaction by using the ATM's touchscreen.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
They stick down a number of keys, halting the transaction after users have inserted their cards and keyed in their PIN numbers.
Then, while the victim goes to report that the machine has jammed, the crook sneaks up and completes the transaction by using the ATM's touchscreen.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Why Scammers Target LinkedIn Users - and How to Stop Them
Although it's small fry by Facebook and Twitter standards, the social media marketing and networking site LinkedIn is still a big fish for scammers and spammers (misspelled intentionally) -- because most of its members are professionals, businesspeople and academics.
That usually means they're relatively prosperous and on the lookout for opportunities, both mouthwatering attractions for crooks.
As one technology consultant at security vendor Sophos recently pointed out: "By using this mechanism, the criminals know they're talking to people who aren't 13-year-olds, but people with money in their pockets."
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
That usually means they're relatively prosperous and on the lookout for opportunities, both mouthwatering attractions for crooks.
As one technology consultant at security vendor Sophos recently pointed out: "By using this mechanism, the criminals know they're talking to people who aren't 13-year-olds, but people with money in their pockets."
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, April 15, 2011
Credit Card Security Tips -- from a Credit Card Thief!
A former credit card thief has confessed online that the crime, which rakes in more than $500m a year in the US, is "ridiculously easy" to commit.
Using stolen numbers that cost $10 to $50 apiece, Dan DeFelippi manufactured genuine-looking credit cards from blanks, programming their magnetic stripes, and used them to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise at stores, which he then sold online.
He was part of a loose network of crooks who, according to recent research by leading ID theft surveyors Javelin Strategy, account for around 4.5 million credit card fraud victims in the US alone every year.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Using stolen numbers that cost $10 to $50 apiece, Dan DeFelippi manufactured genuine-looking credit cards from blanks, programming their magnetic stripes, and used them to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise at stores, which he then sold online.
He was part of a loose network of crooks who, according to recent research by leading ID theft surveyors Javelin Strategy, account for around 4.5 million credit card fraud victims in the US alone every year.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Top 10 Marketing Tips of All Time
With more than a decade of experience in marketing, ranking from pay-per-click to direct mail, I’ve seen a lot of failures and far more successes when it comes to marketing.
Today, the art of marketing is far more complex than it once was. However, many of the same basic principles still apply. Too often, professional marketers and small business owners overlook the basic techniques that have separated successful campaigns from those that never turn a profit. Here is my all time list of effective marketing tips.
Know your audience. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.
Focus on the offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to be successful.
Split test. Never ever run a campaign without testing something. One of the most common is a split test which allows you to simultaneously test two versions of something. It can be a web page, post card, or email. Split testing is essential for improving performance.
Never work alone. The most creative ideas come from working with other creative people. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers or great ideas. You may start with an idea, but an open dialog with creative individuals will make it better.
Don’t sell on price. I’ve seen so many marketers fail because they sell on price alone. This leads to a discounting war, lower profitability, and often bankruptcy. Rather, focus on creating so much value that the perception of price becomes insignificant.
Consistent messaging. Consider the entire user experience before you launch a campaign. From email to website to offer, is the prospect having a consistent user experience? If they are, your campaigns stand above 98% of others.
Create value after the sale. As marketers, it’s our job to understand our market segment and build relationships, not dump people off at the front door of our store and walk away. Focus as much of your energy on building relationships with customers as you do prospects.
Test. Test. Test. In addition to split testing, you should consider multiple forms of testing in each marketing discipline. For direct mail, test headlines, offers, copy, time of direct mail drop, etc. Consider testing a life long mission.
Integrated Marketing Works Best. You can’t rely on one form of marketing to carry you to success. It’s okay to generate most of your leads or sales through PPC marketing if you will but what happens when that dries out? Use multiple media sources to meet your goals.
Nothing can replace experience. You can run out and hire all of the best consultants in the world, but you still have to do the work. Nothing can replace actual experience. It will make you a stronger marketer and more successful in the long term.
Apply these helpful marketing tips if you want to be truly successful. These techniques and tips are applied by successful marketers on a daily basis. The result is an ever growing success rate of marketing success.
About the Author
Are you looking for marketing tips that will take your marketing to the next level? Visit the marketing tips blog for helpful information, tools, and marketing secrets you won't find anywhere else.
©2009 MarketingScoop.
Today, the art of marketing is far more complex than it once was. However, many of the same basic principles still apply. Too often, professional marketers and small business owners overlook the basic techniques that have separated successful campaigns from those that never turn a profit. Here is my all time list of effective marketing tips.
Know your audience. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.
Focus on the offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to be successful.
Split test. Never ever run a campaign without testing something. One of the most common is a split test which allows you to simultaneously test two versions of something. It can be a web page, post card, or email. Split testing is essential for improving performance.
Never work alone. The most creative ideas come from working with other creative people. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers or great ideas. You may start with an idea, but an open dialog with creative individuals will make it better.
Don’t sell on price. I’ve seen so many marketers fail because they sell on price alone. This leads to a discounting war, lower profitability, and often bankruptcy. Rather, focus on creating so much value that the perception of price becomes insignificant.
Consistent messaging. Consider the entire user experience before you launch a campaign. From email to website to offer, is the prospect having a consistent user experience? If they are, your campaigns stand above 98% of others.
Create value after the sale. As marketers, it’s our job to understand our market segment and build relationships, not dump people off at the front door of our store and walk away. Focus as much of your energy on building relationships with customers as you do prospects.
Test. Test. Test. In addition to split testing, you should consider multiple forms of testing in each marketing discipline. For direct mail, test headlines, offers, copy, time of direct mail drop, etc. Consider testing a life long mission.
Integrated Marketing Works Best. You can’t rely on one form of marketing to carry you to success. It’s okay to generate most of your leads or sales through PPC marketing if you will but what happens when that dries out? Use multiple media sources to meet your goals.
Nothing can replace experience. You can run out and hire all of the best consultants in the world, but you still have to do the work. Nothing can replace actual experience. It will make you a stronger marketer and more successful in the long term.
Apply these helpful marketing tips if you want to be truly successful. These techniques and tips are applied by successful marketers on a daily basis. The result is an ever growing success rate of marketing success.
About the Author
Are you looking for marketing tips that will take your marketing to the next level? Visit the marketing tips blog for helpful information, tools, and marketing secrets you won't find anywhere else.
©2009 MarketingScoop.
New Malware Threat Heads Up 2011 Tax Scams
Tax scams are in full swing at this time of year, as crooks attempt to trick victims into giving away either their refunds or personal information they can use to steal identities.
Most of these tax scams have been around for years and you can read about them in some of our earlier reports.
But, as one blogger wrote recently, people still fall for these tax fraud tricks; otherwise, the crooks wouldn't be using them!
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Most of these tax scams have been around for years and you can read about them in some of our earlier reports.
But, as one blogger wrote recently, people still fall for these tax fraud tricks; otherwise, the crooks wouldn't be using them!
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, April 1, 2011
7 Common Taxi Scams -- and 7 Steps to Beat Them
Taxi scams won't bust your bank balance but knowing an unscrupulous driver tricked you will drive you nuts.
And although the vast majority of drivers are reliable and honest, scams are widespread, both at home and abroad.
Some of their tricks are well known and easily spotted; others will just as easily fool you.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
And although the vast majority of drivers are reliable and honest, scams are widespread, both at home and abroad.
Some of their tricks are well known and easily spotted; others will just as easily fool you.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Beware of New Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Scams
Crooks have launched a vicious and heartless exploit of public curiosity and generosity with a wave of scams linked to the Japan earthquake and tsunami.
Within minutes of the tragedy, they were posing as fundraisers seeking donations online and via email and phone solicitations, while bogus news pages uploaded malware to unsuspecting victims' PCs.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Within minutes of the tragedy, they were posing as fundraisers seeking donations online and via email and phone solicitations, while bogus news pages uploaded malware to unsuspecting victims' PCs.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, March 18, 2011
How Politicians Are Using 911 Emergency Services to Scam Millions of Consumers
Alternet/ by David Rosen and Bruce Kusnick
Raiding 911 funds is an easy way for politicians to scoop up loose cash -- far easier than taxing the rich.
The Great Blizzard of 2010 dumped record levels of snow throughout the Northeast. On day one of the snowstorm, New York's 911 service got nearly 50,000 calls and, at its peak, had a backlog of 1,300 calls that almost brought the service to its knees. Sadly, the combination of 911 failures and the inability of EMS ambulances to get through the snowdrifts likely contributed to a number of needless deaths.
Many elected officials, most especially New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, were put on the proverbial hot seat over their failure to meet unprecedented volumes of emergency calls. After an initial phase of finger pointing and mea culpas, politicians made their customary promises to make sure such a crisis would not happen again. Fortunately, while this was a record year for snowstorms, none was as devastating as the initial December 2010 blizzard.
More troubling for long-term civil society, none of these officials, let alone the less-then-attentive commercial news media, identified the deeper problems besetting 911 services. Hundreds of millions of dollars are collected annually by states and localities to support 911 services and much of it is diverted to plug state budget holes and meet a host of other demands. Most disturbing, 911 services are technologically bankrupt, held together by duct-tape and workarounds.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet/ by David Rosen and Bruce Kusnick
Raiding 911 funds is an easy way for politicians to scoop up loose cash -- far easier than taxing the rich.
The Great Blizzard of 2010 dumped record levels of snow throughout the Northeast. On day one of the snowstorm, New York's 911 service got nearly 50,000 calls and, at its peak, had a backlog of 1,300 calls that almost brought the service to its knees. Sadly, the combination of 911 failures and the inability of EMS ambulances to get through the snowdrifts likely contributed to a number of needless deaths.
Many elected officials, most especially New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, were put on the proverbial hot seat over their failure to meet unprecedented volumes of emergency calls. After an initial phase of finger pointing and mea culpas, politicians made their customary promises to make sure such a crisis would not happen again. Fortunately, while this was a record year for snowstorms, none was as devastating as the initial December 2010 blizzard.
More troubling for long-term civil society, none of these officials, let alone the less-then-attentive commercial news media, identified the deeper problems besetting 911 services. Hundreds of millions of dollars are collected annually by states and localities to support 911 services and much of it is diverted to plug state budget holes and meet a host of other demands. Most disturbing, 911 services are technologically bankrupt, held together by duct-tape and workarounds.
Click here to read the full article.
Alternet/ by David Rosen and Bruce Kusnick
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