Archive for August, 2008

Success Tip from Ari Galper
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Today’s success tip comes from Ari Galper.

Thousands of salespeople around the world have adopted Ari’s Unlock The Game program and are generating significantly better results. Ari has also created Unlock The Internet Game which uses live chat to help online businesses.

What tips do you have for salespeople to help eliminate the pressures and pain of selling?

Rejection can only happen if you’re focused on your own agenda - rejection happens when you go for the ‘yes’ instead of the truth. If you focus on your prospect’s issues and problems and whether your solution might be a fit for them, rejection is no longer a possibility. After all, how can rejection result from a conversation that has no hidden agendas?

Take a few minutes to debrief yourself after each call or selling encounter - don’t just make your calls and forget about them; every call can be an important learning experience. As soon as you can, reflect on and evaluate your call - did it go well? How do you determine ‘well’? Do you remember feeling a moment of awkwardness after saying something? Perhaps that was because you slipped back into some subtle form of pushing or exerting pressure? Did you sense any withdrawal or pulling back? Debriefing is a useful way to keep track of how your new Unlock The Game habits are developing.

Don’t think sales script, think conversation and dialogue - I talk every day with people who say that their scripts make them feel uncomfortable and robotic. While scripts may give you a feeling of control, this is an illusion. Conversation and dialogue can be scary because it means you have to give up some form of control. But remember, you’re dealing with another human being. How does trying to control them build trust? I promise you that selling can be a positive and productive experience if you are open to shifting to a new mind-set.

Until next time,

Allan Poole

Things to Consider Before Buying a Camera
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Before you are able to take the kind of photos you want to take, it is important to think about the equipment you would like to start out with. Probably the most important decision you will have to make is what kind of camera to buy. There are so many options and brands now that the whole process can seem quite overwhelming.


Shopping for Cameras:

If you are planning to become a serious photographer you should probably buy an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. The term single lens reflex comes from the fact that the camera has a view of the subject through a single lens and that view is reflected to the viewfinder so the photographer can see exactly what is going to be in the picture. The Digital SLR’s are getting so advanced that it’s very hard to choose a film camera over a digital. The main advantage of an SLR camera over a point-and-shoot digital camera is the fact that you can change lenses and filters whenever you want to, although new point-and-shoot cameras have increasing optical zoom and similar capabilities. Point-and-shoot cameras are also a great idea if you just want something simple and small that is convenient to carry wherever you go.


What to Look for in Lenses:

Lenses are what your camera uses to focus on the world. All lenses are defined by their focal length and aperture. The focal length tells you what the angle of view is and how far it magnifies. The aperture is the amount of light that the camera is letting into the sensor. Any lens lower than 50 mm focal length is considered wide-angle. Any at 50 mm is considered normal. And any lens above 50 mm is considered a telephoto. But there are also zoom lenses that have a variable focal length. With a zoom lens you can cover a wide range such as 28 mm to 105 mm or 80 mm to 210 mm.

Lenses can be very expensive and very cheap and it is usually the faster lenses or the ones with the wider apertures that are the highest priced. The faster lenses are more appealing primarily because they can produce better pictures in dim light without a tripod. But it is quite possible to find great lenses at low prices. Probably the first lens you buy should be broad range zoom lens such as a 28 mm to 105 mm. The slight drawback of zoom lenses is that they are slower and they don’t quite match the sharpness and contrast of a fixed focal length lens.


Do You Need any Filters?

Another very important item that you should definitely acquire is an ultra-violet filter (UV filter). It is a simple piece of glass that screws on to the end of your lens and protects it from scratches, dust, dirt, moisture and fingerprints while reducing unwanted ultra-violet light.

But when you buy a UV filter you might as well get a polarizer filter as well. A polarizer filter is most commonly used for darkening the sky by cutting through atmospheric haze. This affect can also dramatically improve the results of black and white photography. Polarizer filters are also good for removing reflections from glass or water.

Get a Tripod:

We would also strongly recommend that you buy a tripod of some kind which is vital when there is not enough light to handhold a picture. Some of the best pictures you’ve seen at dusk, night, or just when it’s cloudy have almost certainly been taken using a tripod. Tripods allow you to use your camera’s full range of shutter speed and aperture combinations which can sometimes creating amazing unexpected results.

You should pick a tripod that is plenty sturdy but also convenient enough to carry wherever you might want it. You also might want it tall enough so you can look through your camera at eye level.


Some Memory Card Details:

Memory cards are extremely convenient with digital cameras but you need to make sure you have all the space on them that you want. It is always a good feeling to know that you can take all the pictures that you want when you think you have a good opportunity. Most SLR’s take Compact Flash memory cards, smaller cameras usually either take Secure Digital memory cards or Sony memory sticks.

It is convenient to have only one format of memory card if you have multiple cameras because then you can interchange them even between a big SLR and a small point and shoot camera. The smaller cameras usually use secure digital cards and Sony memory sticks but some very nice ones use compact flash cards. One thing you must always do is remember to format the card after you unload pictures and put it back into the camera or else you won’t have the full capacity of the card.

If you are looking to buy a new digital camera you should consider these things or you might have regrets later.

Richard Schneider is a digital photography enthusiast and founder of http://www.picturecorrect.com/ which offers tips and news about digital photography, digital camera reviews, photoshop tutorials and computer wallpaper.

Until next time,

Allan Poole

10 Little Gems of Wisdom!
Sunday, August 17th, 2008

Welcome to our Blog.

Today I have included more little gems of wisdom from the “Quote of the Day” from iLifestyleClub over the last 10 days.

Enjoy!

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failure.”

- Charles Noble

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:

“In the long run, men hit only what they aim at.”

- Henry David Thoreau

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit.”

- Vince Lombardi

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.”

- Ben Stein

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“Money, it turned out, was exactly like sex: you thought of nothing else if you didn't have it and thought of other things if you did.”

- James Baldwin

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:

“Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.”

- Fyodor Dostoevski

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

- Jim Ryun

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“This one step - choosing a goal and sticking to it changes everything.”

- Scott Read

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

QUOTE OF

THE DAY:
“Be not penny-wise; riches have wings and sometimes they fly away of themselves; sometimes they must be sent flying to bring in more.”

- Francis Bacon

Until next time.

Your Friend in Success

Leanne Annett :)

Relationship Advice from Dr John Gray
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

Today’s success tip comes from Dr John Gray.

Author of Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus, Dr John Gray is one of the most sought-after international media identities and celebrities. John established Mars Venus Coaching, which has grown into a multimillion-dollar global franchise.

What is something you can do on a daily basis to improve the quality of your relationship?

There are so many things all of us can do every day, no matter how happy or unhappy our relationship is. If I were to pick out one key thing for men and one key thing for women to do on a daily basis to improve their relationships, it would be:

Men - listen! You don’t have to offer solutions to your partner’s troubles or worries - you just have to listen. When women are stressed or upset, the way they deal with it is to talk. They need to verbalise how they are feeling and they simply want their partner to validate their concerns by listening. Men often feel compelled to find a solution to their partner’s woes to ‘prove’ themselves, but this is not what a woman wants. A simple listening ear is all she is asking of you most of the time. So, listen up!

Women - give your partner the space he needs. When men are stressed or upset they don’t want to talk it over. The first thing a man wants to do is retreat into his ‘cave’. By this he’s saying he needs some time and space to himself - physically, mentally or emotionally - to work out in his mind what is bothering him. This process may take 15 minutes reading the paper after he comes home from work, or it may take a weekend spent in the shed working on a project. Whatever it is, women need to try and respect his need for space and wait for him to come to them to talk things over after he returns from his cave.

Another way to improve a relationship is to attend a relationship seminar or enlist the help of a relationship or life coach. While these things may seem like something you would do only if your relationship was an unhappy one, they can also benefit couples in happy relationships.

The new understanding and appreciation of the opposite sex that people get from attending a workshop with one of my coaches makes a huge difference to their relationships. Even those who thought they knew their partner well and were happy together report major changes in how they communicate and how satisfying their relationship becomes after gaining these insights.

Success Tip from Jeremy Lim
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Today’s success tip comes from Jeremy Lim.

Young Ambassador of the Children’s Medical Fund and freelance writer, Jeremy Lim, is a 16-year-old boy who has ‘Brittle-bones’ Disease. His numerous achievements and positive attitude despite his daily challenges has attracted media attention all over the world.

What do you do to pick yourself up when you are feeling down?

Feeling down is as natural as feeling pain when you are hit with an object. How much pain you feel depends on the degree of impact. Sometimes, I feel miserable. I think it is perfectly fine to feel that way, after all I am only human. However, I know I don’t have to stay down forever and the quicker I let it go, the better it is for me.

What do I do to pick myself up? I don’t make a big deal of what has passed because I cannot do anything to change it. Instead, I use my time and energy to think of solutions that will bring back my smiles. I also remind myself that spring would not be so pleasant if there was no winter.

Of course, there will be times when I feel sad because of reasons beyond my control. One of the things I do to feel better is to write about it. I write my column for Today newspaper and this feels great because it gets the negative feelings out of my system.

In challenging times, I pick myself up by looking at funny pictures or comics and reading jokes to have a good laugh. I will also turn to my books for inspiration and words of wisdom.

That’s all for this week.

Until next time,

Allan Poole

Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad
Friday, August 1st, 2008

Ingredients:

1/2 Green Capsicum

1/2 Red Capsicum

1/2 Yellow Capsicum

4 Shoots of Chopped Spring Onion (Including the leaves)

500g Elbow Macaroni (Or another pasta of your choice)

510ml Mayonnaise

4tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Large Chicken Breast

Peanut Oil

Utensils:

Large Pot

Colander

Flying Pan

2 Knifes (One for the Chicken and one for the Veggies)

1 Wooden Chopping Board (For the Veggies)

1 Plastic Chopping Board (For the Chicken)

1 Large stirring Spoon (for the chicken)

Note: It is good to use plastic utensils for raw meat

Step 1:

Cook the Pasta:

Bring the 500g of pasta and 9 cups of water to the boil. Then simmer until the pasta is cooked to your liking.

Once the pasta is cooked; drain and place it in the fridge to cool.

Step 2:

Chop and Cook the Chicken:

Chop up the chicken into small cubes. Cook the chicken in a frying pan, and add a splash of Dijon Mustard for flavor. Cook the chicken until it is a light brown in color, but do not cook it until it is beginning to crisp.

Once the chicken is cooked; Place it in the fridge to cool.

Chop the Veggies:

Firstly give the vegetables a good wash!

Then dice the capsicum and chop up the spring onions. (you may chop the veggies chunky or fine, whichever you prefer, this will not affect the finished product)

Step 3:

Mix it up:

Now simply place all of the ingredients into a large bowl or pot, and mix until all ingredients are covered in a thin layer of sauce.

Welldone, your Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad is now ready to serve.

Creamy Pasta Salad with Egg
Friday, August 1st, 2008

Ingredients:

1/2 Green Capsicum

1/2 Red Capsicum

1/2 Yellow Capsicum

4 Shoots of Chopped Spring Onion (Including the leaves)

500g Elbow Macaroni (Or another pasta of your choice)

510ml Mayonnaise

4tbsp Dijon Mustard

8 Large eggs

Peanut Oil

Utensils:

Large Pot

Colander

Flying Pan

1 Knife

1 Wooden Chopping Board

Step 1:

Cook the Pasta:

Bring the 500g of pasta and 9 cups of water to the boil. Then simmer until the pasta is cooked to your liking.

Once the pasta is cooked; drain and place it in the fridge to cool.

Step 2:

Hard Boil the Eggs:

Hard boil the eggs, then place them in the fridge to cool.

Once the eggs are cool, remove the egg shell and dice into small chunks.

Chop the Veggies:

Firstly give the vegetables a good wash!

Then dice the capsicum and chop up the spring onions. (you may chop the veggies chunky or fine, whichever you prefer, this will not affect the finished product)

Step 3:

Mix it up:

Now simply place all of the ingredients into a large bowl or pot, and mix until all ingredients are covered in a thin layer of sauce.

Welldone, your Creamy Pasta Salad with Egg is now ready to serve.