The LuxMob Info Tags

The Winter Olympics may be a hot topic in most of the world, but
in America, the Boys of Summer already are grabbing headlines as
they frolic on base paths at warm-weather spring training
locales in Florida and Arizona.

The big prize, of course, is the Fall Classic, captured last
year by the Chicago White Sox, who won 100 regular-season games
en route to their first World Series title in 88 years.

The Chisox also copped 11 of 12 post-season games while
disposing of Boston, the Los Angeles Angels and, finally,
Houston.

Clubs will report to training sites throughout the week, with
the first spring games slated for March 1.

The regular season will begin April 2 with the White Sox hosting
Cleveland, which almost caught them at the wire in last year’s
American League Central Division race.

One sure sign that baseball is just around the corner is that
2006 season win totals began popping up on Las Vegas sports book
boards over the weekend.

Futures have been posted since before the 2005 World Series
became history.

“It’s like a blur,” said Hilton SuperBook oddsmaker Jeff
Sherman. “One season just runs into the next.”

According to Hilton oddsmakers, no team will achieve the century
mark in victories this year.

The New York Yankees, pegged for 97 1/2 wins, top the Majors.

“Actually, that’s a lower total than we’ve had on the Yankees in
several years,” Sherman said.

“They may have weak spots pitching-wise, but their lineup always
commands attention.”

St. Louis checks in at 93 1/2 wins, Boston at 92 1/2 and the
White Sox at 92.

At the other end of the spectrum, Kansas City comes in at 63
1/2, Florida at 66 1/2, Tampa Bay at 69 and Colorado at 69 1/2.

Sherman says an “elasticity effect” comes into play when
oddsmakers calculate season win totals from one year to the
next.

“Teams that show great improvement one season are likely to win
less the next,” he said.

“Teams that have a dramatic drop win more.”

Initially, Sherman notes, the SuperBook doesn’t expect the
season over/unders to draw a lot of action.

“The bulk of it will come the week before the (regular) season
starts,” he said.

Play at the Hilton is minus $1.15 both ways; other books, such
as the Stratosphere, are dealing with a minus $1.10 line.

“We trying to stir up interest among the players,” Race and
Sports Director Robert Jaynes said.

In the dynamically changing world of technology, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is one of the latest and potentially greatest wonders ever created by the human mind. Watch a techie show, read a techie magazine or talk to any cyber dude and most will acknowledge that VoIP is one of the coolest advancements they’ve ever been blessed to experience.

On the other hand, for the vast majority who are not techie-nerds and who are looking for a non-techie to English translation of what VoIP has done to induce such high praises, then sit back, relax and read a bit more. In a nutshell, VoIP allows you to make phone calls over the internet, using your computer, to pretty much anywhere on the planet. The VoIP acronym is simply a fancy, smancy technical term for what could just as easily be called an Internet phone.

The miracle of VoIP can be explained in a simple process. The analog voice signals, which are the technical term for the exchange of hot air you have with friends and family while talking for hours on the phone… Sorry, I couldn’t resist a bit of humor as I drifted back to days gone by and my youth. Ok, back to business.

VoIP converts the analog voice signals into digital data packets, which allows those packets of data to be transferred via cable lines (the internet) and then they are reconverted into analog voice signals at the other end so that once again, you can understand what is being said. Thanks to internet protocol, VoIP supports real time and two way transmission of conversations.

Sounds Good But How Do I Get Started With VoIP?

First, you have to know what type of internet service you have from your ISP (Internet Service Provider). The reason you need to know the type of service you have is because currently, VoIP works best with a cable or DSL internet connection because they are faster… as in they can download more bits of information (data packets) per second and this allows better sound quality on your internet calls.

Although VoIP services are available for other types of ISP connections like dial up, prepaid and satellite… the technology with VoIP has yet to progress to the point where you will consistently experience crystal clear sound over slower internet connections. However, if you currently live in an area that hasn’t been wired for broadband, you shouldn’t have to wait too long for the technology to progress to where you can enjoy a quality conversation over a slower internet type connection. However, for the time-being, quality is still a bit patchy without a high speed connection.

How Much is This Internet Telephony, VoIP Thingy Going to Cost Me?

Cost is one of best things about VoIP because VoIP services cost less than residential phone service and much, much less than most monthly cell phone plans. And if your DSL or broadband internet company just happens to be one of companies that currently offers VoIP services, then so much the better because that usually translates into even lower rates than if you used an independent or outside company for your VoIP phone service.

How Reliable Is VoIP?

Because transmission is being done over the Internet, the voice quality is largely dependent on your internet connection speed. And… at this moment in time, regardless of your ISP or connection speed the voice quality still hasn’t reached that of normal land based or mobile phones. Plus, although rare, if your internet connection goes down you wouldn’t be able to make or receive phone calls and VoIP is still more vulnerable to dropped calls due to a lack of signal strength.

Although VoIP still has a few drawbacks, once you try it you’ll quickly realize that they aren’t the type of problems that will stop you from wanting to use it… especially when you get your bill each month because with VoIP the savings can be dramatic if you spend a bunch of time on the phone.

How Secure Is VoIP?

Because transmission is in an environment where the dreaded “hacker” reigns supreme this concern is an obvious and legitimate one. Let’s face it… although not perfectly secure it’s no less secure than sending emails and billions and billions of those are sent each day. And frankly, if you’re concerned about others listening in on your phone calls you should toss your cell phone because picking up those signals by the “unscrupulous” is much easier than sabotaging your VoIP phone calls.

If you are overly concerned with security due to the fact that VoIP is a relatively a new technology and that there still exists; although remote, a possibility that those cyber technicians will hijack your calls then you’ll just have to wait until you feel these issues are solved before you give VoIP a test drive.

Can You Keep Your Number?

Yes and No! In most instances you will be able to keep your current phone number but just to be safe you should ask this question before signing up for VoIP service. And frankly, in some cases you may be required to change numbers. Oh well… nothings perfect.

Kevin Erickson is a contributing writer to: VoIP | Wifi Hotspots | Trade Show

When it comes to the price of used cars, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what it should be. After all, there are so many variables that go into figuring out the worth of a used car. Not only do you have to take into consideration what kind of car it is, but you also need to remember that the number of miles as well as the condition of the vehicle are very important as well.

Follow the three tips below so that you have no trouble determining if you are getting a good price on the used car that you are considering.

1. When looking at a used car to buy, consult the Kelly Blue Book to see what the going price is. This way you will be able to at least get an idea of what to expect. This is not the end all, but it can at least give you an idea of your situation.

2. The condition of the car means a lot when it comes to the price. Obviously, if you are going to buy a used car that is a little bit worn, you will not have to pay as much.

3. Just like new car prices, used car prices are negotiable. You should never let the car salesman tell you that there is no room to move on the price. If you do not think that you are getting a fair deal, and that you can do better elsewhere, you should do so by all means. There is no reason to purchase a used car for more money than it is worth; regardless of what the dealership is telling you.

When does consciousness exist? Will the sentient robots being created with nanotechnology and the dumping of human memory such as was done to a computer chip by Stanford in 1999 have a soul of their own? I do not believe our soul is dumped in this process. But the issue of soul can be debated until the cows come home by observers of natural phenomena. Modern science has no greater insight than the ancient observers. In fact the ancients spent more time attuning with consciousness or soul in all things – elemental and spiritual. Most nature worshippers are able to see an element of soul in rocks and trees and the recent fact that science provides about the white pine eating insects or the changing colour of leaves not being for the first frost add to the possibility as I see it. I love the saying of the Mayans – ‘Do not put your self in front of your SELF.’

Our chakras may be conscious collectives of our solar bodies which have atoms and molecules inside us coalescing their consciousness. By acting as a creative agent in this coalescence we create or manifest reality. Part of the matter of Free Will is involved in these considerations that man can choose to avoid or to act upon. It is LIFE and growth, rather than some weird obsession with sins, fears and guilt which has been foisted upon us by theocracies focussed on power. Spiritual avoidance has lead to theologic tribal mud-slinging by ‘Chosen Ones’ whose prejudices cause war, and other hell fires and damnation against the PURPOSE of Divine Providence.

The female (passive vs. dynamic) or left side of the Tree of Life (Yggdrasil) as developed from rock representations of man and his vital egress and power entry points such as the Third Eye were known so long ago that I dare not type all the zeroes. I know many ‘zeroes’ of the non-mathematical variety would assail my naiveté or sense of who man is. These people are as ‘sinister’ as those who made the left-handed witches or heretics prove themselves as worthy in the ‘autos da fe’ or other vile acts of the heinous Church the Pope apologized for in 1999. ‘Sinister’ means left-handed and my older brother had teachers rap his knuckles to try to beat it out of him. My father had had this happen to him and he made them stop their evil behaviour. There are so many ‘sinister’ ways the paradigm programs us into being their sheep.

On a personal level you can close your eyes and focus your thoughts as you move your eyes to the eight points equidistant from each other in a circle. Spend 15 seconds or so at each point and breathe with conscious centering effect. The final point is where your look into the Third Eye inside your skull behind your forehead. Stay there and feel the ‘buzz. – you have balanced the energy flowing to all lobes in the brain. This system known as the Mudras or Mutras in India and Greece can help Schizophrenics or other disassociative stress better than the ‘pharmacological lobotomies’ (term used by Drs. Breggin and Cohen) of our medical model, or social management of ‘money trees’. Why is our brain structured the way it is – or how did the ancients know a chakra system that mirrors modern neurophysiological mapping of our nervous system. The same can be noted in the correlation of the psychic points chart, acupuncture chart and lymph system. Is this a case of ‘As Above, So Below’ or Intelligent Design?

Author of many books soon available at a lot of places.

One would definitely want to dazzle the vast crowd on the beach in a striking and attractive bikini.

The raging trends of bikinis now available are mostly inspired from movies. Most of the bikinis come in prints of stripes, floral or patterns of checks. The colors are mostly black but colors like blue, white and purples are in vogue too. The embellishments include smocks, laces, stones, beads, crystals and sometimes embroidery.

Bikinis now with their steady development in its varied styles are much in fashion today. Bikinis can be termed as the father of fashion swimwear. They become skimpier as days go by. They are styled in such a way to enhance the curves. An interesting innovation of the bikini is the tankini. It is more of a bikini that has a sporty style to it. A tankini has a longer bikini top thereby only exposing a little of the tummy. Another variation of the bikini is the bandini, which has a strip of straight cloth for the top. A bikini with a top in the form o f a camisole is called a camikini. Another deviation from the regular bikini is the maillot, which is of one piece. They are one shouldered and are halter necked.

With the wide variety in the styles of the bikini one can dazzle the crowd in a sizzling style that one desires. Some of the eye-catching styles would be a bikini with aqua prints. For a softer and sober look go in for bikinis in pastel shades and for a fun loving look choose tropical prints with details either in beads or stones. For a hot look go in for bikinis in a fiery red color or velvet bikinis with details on them. For a bolder look bikinis in bold stripes and checks or loud patterns. One can even get the bikini bottoms hold together with beads, laces, strings, bows or rings. Bikinis of lace are available with strings that can be adjusted to fit better. Such a bikini is ideal for a full-figured woman.

Animal printed bikinis can turn everyone’s eye toward you.

It is hard to believe the vast number of things one can do with so little cloth to bring out the glory in a woman’s body. Whether one wants to sizzle or if one wants to stay plain there are fashion bikinis to enhance the feminine beauty.

Spy cams are small cameras that transmit video output to a remote receiver. What’s special about them in comparison to other types of cameras is the fact that they are very small, sometimes even as small as a key after they are hidden. A spy cam can be useful in a variety of situations. They are used mostly for surveillance and don’t harm anybody. A particular type of spy camera cameras is the spy web cam. The difference between a spy web cam and a normal spy cam is that the data is transmitted live on the Internet, rather than to a receiver.

Such cameras are used to spy on people, places, and actions in nature.

Browsing the net, one will surely find websites that have such direct live feed. Some of them are displaying adult content and others give viewers the chance to watch something unusual. Live Internet broadcasts such as pay-per-view events usually use more advanced technology than spy web cams. More advanced cameras are utilized for the benefit of the normal paying customer.

Spy web cams are often intended for somewhat immoral reasons. Many Internet sites use this technology to broadcast live places like a public bathroom, a sauna, a strip club, or something else related to naked women, men, or sex. Also, a type of worm has been developed that basically takes control of a normal web cam and broadcasts the signal and the live image to a certain person. Of course, this is against the law, but many people still get a way with doing it.

While some people use spy web cams for illegal reasons, they are usually used for wholesome purposes. People can find hundreds of sites that give viewers a live feedback of a local area or of certain animals in their natural habitat, as well as other actions that give pleasure to people without involving anything adult. They can be useful but at the same time they can be used to spy on unsuspecting people.

Spy Cams provides detailed information about spy cams, hidden spy cams, pinhole spy cameras and more. Spy Cams is affiliated with Discount Laptop Computers.

Have you heard of the term “Super Affiliate” else where? Actually, we bet you already know what it is: Super Affiliates are greater affiliates. If you don’t know what affiliate marketing is, it’s an interesting job selling other people’s products and earn commissions for yourself.

The Internet has been growing so wide and large in a short period of time, and there have been millions and millions of people trying to jump on the Internet billion-dollar market. People are starting to sort their way of beginning an online business.

Yet, it’s a really tough job to accomplish if you’re just a beginner. There are a lot to digest, but it certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed with it. In fact, it is very easy.

Earning big money on the Internet is entirely possible. Here are just a few examples of successful affiliates and affiliate programs:

•Cashring – Top affiliate earns $5,000/month

•FriendFinder – Pays out more than $1,000,000 in commissions to its affiliates every month.

•Matt Haller – NPC newsletter subscriber earns $10,000/month with a hip-hop affiliate site.

•Deborah Casey – Student of the ‘Super Affiliate Handbook’ by Rosalind Gardner who earns $15,000 every month.

•Jim Cockrum – Affiliate selling the ‘Super Affiliate Handbook’ made $1000 in ONE day!

•Rosalind Gardner – She regularly earns $50,000+/month just from her affiliate marketing efforts!

•Ewen Chia – An affiliate marketer who also regularly earns more than $10,000 every month.

Now you will probably think, how can I be like them, and what should I do? The answer: meet the basic requirements for a Super Affiliate: domain name, hosting, website, and sign up for the appropriate affiliate programs.

Basically affiliate marketing is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3:
1. You join the affiliate program and place links on your site or in your newsletter.
2. Your visitor clicks that link and buys a product, service or fills out a form.
3. You earn a commission for sales or leads generated through your links.

And without a website, you can hardly sell them at all, unless you really plan on printing out flyers and distributing them to the neighborhood.

How do Super Affiliates earn a steady income and grow bigger and bigger every month? It mentions one of the most important factor, Opt-In List.

If you are going to learn one thing from this, remember that the fastest way of making money with affiliate marketing is through your own list of subscribers! If you have started building your own opt-in list, great. If not, you need to start now.

To have an opt-in list, you will need to register for an auto-responder account. The better auto-responders are Aweber and GetResponse. You will be provided with the script that can be easily copy-pasted on your web page to have an opt-in form so that people can subscribe to your list. There are so many things you can do once you have an opt-in list, some of them:

Follow-up on your affiliate sales:
You can set your auto-responder to send a newsletter/e-zine every few days to provide your subscribers with useful information, of course, integrate your affiliate link for a certain product whenever you can on the right time.

Offer time-Sensitive bonuses:
When you are selling your affiliate product, you can always include a bonus or free stuffs along, a report, an e-book, anything that suits. People who buy from you in that limited time will get the bonus you offered, a good incentive isn’t it?

Pre-selling/Back-End Selling:
You’ve probably seen this being mentioned everywhere, but really, there are too many lazy affiliates around that don’t practice it! After you sell an affiliate product to your customer, it doesn’t mean that you won’t need to bother about him/her anymore, in fact every single customer is your source of “gold mine”. Not only can they become your repeat customers but also working partners in the future!

Don’t make it sound too hard for you, for most Super Affiliates doing these become their everyday habit, as easy as breathing and they can do it anytime they want, anywhere they are. Once you have a huge opt-in list, the send button on your auto-responder will be your ever-needed money machine. When you need cash, pick a good affiliate product endorse it to your mailing list and that’s all, wake up the next day with all your affiliate earnings!

Other than your own opt-in list, you can definitely leverage on other people’s list, by purchasing solo ads from ezines or joint venturing(partnering). A solo ad is an independent, single email advertisement you can buy in ezines and they normally allow up to 300-600 words for your ad copy.

Joint venturing although doesn’t seem as appropriate because you don’t have your own product to be offered as an affiliate marketer, you can definitely have an ad-swap with other Internet Marketers, which is to endorse each other’s solo ad to your own subscribers. If there is a huge difference between the numbers of opt-ins, you just need to endorse the solo ad of the other Internet Marketer a few more times, until both of you are equal.

When there is time, focus more on creating websites to endorse the other affiliate programs and build your list. It’s just that simple, a concept which is repeated over and over again, and grow more and more each day. Successful affiliates work harder and smarter, while broke affiliates hardly work at all.

The Super Affiliate:
•Have their own domain names, hosting and websites!
•Carefully selects great products to promote.
•Consistently chooses to promote products which pays high commissions, or those which have a higher price.
•Knows the value of building highly targeted and highly responsive opt-in lists.
•Focus on improving and maximizing the activity/efficiency of each affiliate sale/campaign before thinking of moving to the next one.
•Find multiple affiliate programs to build multiple streams of income.
•Consistently work hard for more traffic and sales, while lowering any other costs of advertising.

There are a lot of places for you to find great affiliate products you can sell, here’s a few of them:
http://www.cj.com
http://www.clickbank.com
http://www.affiliateguide.com
http://www.affiliatemathc.com

You can easily exceed the other 98% of affiliates and become the 2% of Super Affiliates that are responsible for more than 80% of the sales for an affiliated product or program, once you have gained your momentum, it really is as easy as breathing.

Seth Chong is the owner of IMViral, one of the largest, greatest viral Internet Marketing Newsletter which is being spread around the world, you can sign up for the Newsletter(worths $297) for Free at www.imviral.com

Excited, that’s how you felt when you saw that space in your
backyard. And you bought some plants, but without even
considering first what kind of soil you have at your garden, or
perhaps, without planning carefully what kind of plants will
survive. Now your garden is a mess. Think it over.

Before buying plants you should be attentive of where are you
going to place the plants in the garden - shade-loving plants
for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots,
drought-resistant plants for the parched areas which may be
either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained
parts. Once you decided with your selections it is time to
choose how you are going to position them in your garden.

Take a look at these pointers:

What to plant

Do you want fruits, vegetables, flowers? Remember to start
small; you can always increase the size of your garden if you
choose to. But do it gradually. This is particularly important
if you’re in a budget, of course.

Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and
what kind of nutrients you need to add. You can alter the garden
soil’s pH. However, it is a lot easier to maintain a garden
without having to alter it’s soil’s pH level. This calls for
choosing plants that will survive with the kind of pH your
garden soil has.

Plant in groups

One good rule of the green thumb is to buy at least one of the
many varieties of small plants. However, a “one of everything”
method of plant selection tends to make the garden seem spotty
whereas plants placed in groups makes it more organized.

Positioning the Plants

Before planting your chosen plants, you can either let them be
in their pots first and arrange them according to how you plan
to position them in your garden. Grouping plants in sets of
threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of
even numbers. Be sure that you have an interesting combination
of colors and textures of plants.

Color of the plants

The right color scheme is one way to maintain the harmonious
ambience in your garden. Imagine the color of the flowers when
they are in bloom. Some plants may have flowers that would not
look good with other flowers but they can be planted alongside
if they have different blooming season. Foliage color does not
have to be confined to green. Look for plants that have other
colors for their leaves if it such suits your taste.

Americans repeat certain words with mindless ease without once regarding their definitions, their real meanings or their connotative meanings. Their use or perhaps their misuse is a good reflection of the health of our culture or the lack of it. Without including four letter words and expletives with the exception of…love, you will not be able to reach the end of this list without remembering that you have probably heard one or more of these words today alone. If you do not recall hearing them for a while it may be that you live an isolated life in the mountains or you have found company that would be the envy of any halfway intelligent person.

Relationship: Here is a word that is used to qualify, justify and honey coat just about every nefarious, sleazy or reprehensible union between just about anybody and anything. Recently on an edition of the Jerry Springer show a guest was about to be interviewed who was getting it on with a very close relative. Heckles, and murmurs flowed through the crowd from the moment they entered the room and much of the way through the interview. Everything quieted down instantly when Springer asked the question, using in this case the great justifier. He asked how long they had been having this relationship. The audience quieted at first then began to add their opinions and advice as if the word relationship provided all the civility and credence needed to put this obviously perverted affair back into the realm of respectability or at least acceptability. The word is used today to describe everything from marriages to the on-goings between a farmer and his barn animals. This is an overused word that has elevated some of the worst unions in history to a place they hardly deserve.

Love: The word love has but one general definition in the English language but in contrast there are over forty definitions for it in the Greek. Unfortunately definitions for this word are almost always unknown, ignored or drawn from only the basest and lowest of human response. Usually it is defined by physical attraction. If it goes beyond that it wouldn’t be intelligence that got it moved up the ladder but mostly time. That is, the longer a love has existed the less it requires pure physical attraction to exist. The Greeks speak of three distinct types of love, physical, brotherly and Godly. In America we don’t get that fancy. It is a great loss that we do not ponder the glib use of this majestic little word, and the few who do have given it the value that turns our heads, pricks our ears, provokes great writers, enables hero soldiers and motivates the most notable philanthropists of our nation. If it were possible to tie the hands and secure the tongue of any average teenager who claimed to be in love the whole affair would in most cases endure less than twenty four hours. This is not meant to show disdain for youth or young love but only to invoke a search for a more practical definition of love as early in life as possible. A good definition to adopt or at least ponder might be… Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Jesus…John 15:13

Fun: The word fun has become a three letter giant in the American psyche. It would seem that it can cover any kind of bad youthful behavior, adult excess, or fickle feathered phantasm that festers in any fool, foul up or clown on the continent. We seem to think that we have a right, no a mandate to have this poorly defined aspect of American behavior ready to engage us at the freeing of any moment we are not doing the other thing Americans do when not engaged in fun…work. We are constantly reminded that Americans work hard and play hard. This notion is great for selling trucks but leaves a lot to be desired when trying to gather meaning from what is left in between. Fun is just that …fun. It is healthy and provides a natural resource of rejuvenating energy for almost everyone. It is the driven pursuit of fun that causes others around the world to think of Americans as mindless party animals who don’t take life very serious. I don’t like that assessment anymore than anyone else but I can hear a tiny voice over my shoulder saying…if the shoe fits.

Psychiatrist: A newspaper headline over twenty five years ago in a New Orleans newspaper read…Psychiatry Fast Replacing Religion in America. I could never get that headline out of my mind and now twenty five years later I must say it is largely true. The price for this transition from religion to psychiatry has been costly and disheartening at best. In the interim many headlines and reports have told us that psychiatrists have the highest rate of suicides and the lowest success rate for helping their patients than all others in the medical profession. One can almost see a microcosm of the entire profession over the last quarter century by comparing three fairly well known psychiatrists from television. No insult intended to those in the profession. Once again let’s be reminded that perception in America is the better part of reality. First we see Sydney the spry little psychiatrist from the famous MASH series with Alan Alda. He solves almost all shellshock, homesickness and phobias in soldiers with only a few minutes of counseling, hypnosis or shoot from the hip diagnoses that perhaps an eight year old adolescent might have come up with if given a chance. Whether this was possible doesn’t matter. It was the beginning of the takeover of religion and we wanted to believe that it was working. Next came, Bob Newhart, taking a little more time on matters, conducting sessions and follow ups that left us with one thing if nothing else. Newhart assured us that all we needed to do is, get in touch with our feelings. Ah, there’s a good replacement for religion. Enter Frasier, a psychiatrist who bungled his own suicide attempt to go to radio show psychiatry. He provided pop psychiatry for those too busy to make appointments or who wouldn’t take him too seriously anyway. His answers to his callers often being as silly as his show, but after all it was good clean fun, remember that word, but lets close in for the bottom line. Should we trust our very minds to a profession whose history so closely parallels these three TV shrinks? Psychiatrist, is an overused over rated word that will be lowered a few notches in any serious reality check.

Religion: Now we can look at the word used for what was supposed to be replaced by modern psychiatry. Religion if nothing else is an enigma. The word has almost as many definitions as the people you ask to define it. Some people say all religions are like roads that in the end will all lead us to God. This is a lot like saying that if you leave Boston and go due north in time you will come to San Francisco. In case you have a very poor sense of direction, do not take that route because you will never be heard from again. Some say that religion is a word that means different things to different people but in the end they are all praying to or worshipping the same God. Oh really! I am a Christian and I know when I worship God I am not worshipping the God who will give me fifty virgins if I go hurt someone who doesn’t believe like me. In fact that is a God I wouldn’t want to worship. To others the word religion conjures pictures of the austere life with strict rules and long hard lists of dos and don’ts.
The Bible says it isn’t what men do or don’t do, but what Christ has done for them that make things right between God and man. Personally I like having the imaginary scale of good deeds and bad deeds that plagued my conscience removed by the concept of the grace of God. Gods’ ideas are always easier to bear than the ones we devise in the name of religion.
Most people think they could turn to the Bible for many good definitions for religion. You can’t. The word religion is used only five times in the entirety of scripture and only once is it given a definition. James 1:27 Religion is thought to be anything from the adoration of nature to dancing over a bed of coals. It is an extremely over used word that should not be left to those who often utter the phrase about never discussing either politics or religion. It also should not be left to those who don’t believe in God at all. If I want to learn how to fly I wouldn’t consult the books written by Jacques Cousteau. It has taken on a connotation that is too large for the whole world. I think I’ll stick to the gospel of Christ and the simple definition offered in James 1:27

Romance: If you asked the next ten people what their definition of romance would be you will undoubtedly get ten very different but very personal definitions. It is perhaps one of those words that most people think is only open to a personal definition. If you ask men this question you may get some to answer, some would ignore you and the remainder would freeze up or change the subject at super sonic speed. Women would give you answers that if collaged together would comprise the typical singles ad in the ‘women looking for man’ section of the dating magazine. Long walks on the beach, intimate conversation, humor, candle lit dinners and holding hands. Is this romance? Or should I say is this all it is? Maybe the definition of this word should be left in the wide gray area where it is now, an area of wispy feelings, mystery and heart choking moonlit flower strewn landscapes with gentle music in the background. Yeah I like that too, but in the end it isn’t what is in the end. Romance can include these scenes but unless our eyes are wide open and our sense of tomorrow is engaged to temper the other five senses romance will go the way of all flesh. Romance then is an embellishment that is used to spice the furtherance of the real stuff…love, remember that word? As far as I know romance has not yet been found to produce world peace or build the world’s tallest skyscraper but it holds its own for what it is supposed to do, with or without a universally clear definition.

Commercials: Here is a word many people love to hate. Television, radio, internet and all other media bombard us with messages, ads and pictures about everything from soap to potatoes. If someone has the particular statistics on just how many commercials we watch in a day or a lifetime I don’t want to know it. I don’t need a statistician to tell me when I’ve had enough to eat. We try to add dignity to them with phrases like, a word from our sponsor, we will return right after these messages, or we’ll be right back after the break. Who will give us a break from the commercials? The commercial busting technology of Tivo started slowly but now DVRs are popping up quickly to fill the gap. These are wonderful electronic devices that enable us to skip through all the commercials and keep watching the programs we started with. At last for some this means the cessation of the bombardment and the end of the constant insult to our intelligence. Internet providers have gone all out to provide us with spam busting technology isn’t it about time someone has finally gotten after the rest of the media. Magazines at least leave us with the option to read or not to read. Billboards and outdoor ads are another matter that won’t be so easily solved. One example of what happens when outdoor advertisements are scaled down could be seen by taking your next vacation in Vermont. Roadside billboards and indiscriminate signs and posts are unlawful there. May seem a bit harsh but hardly anyone who has ever visited Vermont wouldn’t agree that it is one of the most beautiful states in the country. We really haven’t abused the word commercials but with or without a succinct definition we have greatly abused what the word has come to mean, interruption.

About the Author

Rev Bresciani is from New Orleans La and the author of…Hook line and Sinker or What Has Your Church Been Teaching You, PublishAmerica 2005 and…An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ, Xulon Press 2005. His website is,
http://americanprophet.org

Let’s face it: the greatest accomplishment for a member of the
sales community is closing a deal with a skeptic. Many who are
proficient at this art agree that it is far more gratifying to
convince someone who initially felt your product was not
necessary that it indeed is, than to complete what the industry
terms an “easy sell.” Lucky for us all, plenty of doubters buy
products and services everyday. Let us examine eleven of the
fundamental techniques used by those who succeed in persuading
the worst of cynics.

1. Know your product/service

Know it inside and out, backwards and forwards. You should know
its strengths, weaknesses, and any proprietary features. Also
understand the factors that influence its supply and demand. All
of these will strengthen your presentation and help the skeptic
make a more informed purchasing decision. There should be
nothing that anyone can tell you about what you solicit. You
will definitely be asked questions, so be prepared to
demonstrate all aspects of your product/service in response.

2. Know your prospect

Along with knowing your product comes knowing your prospect.
Strive to know all you can about your target demographic and
potential clients. Make sure you deal with the decision maker.
You should know their purchasing habits, what motivation
determines their choice, and how long a buying decision takes.
You must understand how your product fits into their overall
purchasing strategy. When you know the buying habits of your
prospect, you can use it to develop a longer-term sales
plan–that means repeat business. Put yourself in the most
favorable position to get a “yes” by focusing on what most
concerns your prospect.

3. Believe in your own words

You will never be effective selling something you do not believe
in, particularly to someone who is already skeptical. Your lack
of enthusiasm will be an obvious as you attempt to convince your
potential buyer. When you emanate passion and confidence, you
break down the wall of doubt the cynic has built. To not be a
pillar of strength during your presentation is a sure-fire
ticket to an abrupt “no.” If you are lucky enough to sell a
product you do not believe in, you still lose because you risk
killing referral business and losing the trust of your customer.

4. Be transparent

Too often, we give strong pitches with lots of hype and little
information. We will say, “If you want these benefits, buy my
product.” This is done with the hope that a prospect’s curiosity
about your bold claims will be enough to convince them to
purchase. The idea that if you divulge too much information, you
could dissuade your prospect is a far too common falsehood. Be
prepared to give as much information as needed to convince the
potential buyer to make a purchase. Transparency builds trust.
Things people do not understand will always be greeted with
“no.” The more information available when making a purchasing
decision, the more likely they are to say “yes.” Another benefit
of being transparent is the more resources you divulge free of
charge, the more likely you are to generate interest in your
product/service.

5. Gain trust by associating yourself with things they
respect

By offering endorsements and testimonials, especially from
well-known sources that your target market respects, you strike
the chord of “trust.” Many a skeptic has purchased based on the
recommendations of individuals they respect. Secure associations
along these lines and look to align yourself with trusted
agencies through strategic partnerships. Major endorsements mean
less resistance and lots of sales.

6. Offer a free trial, incentive, bargain, or guarantee

The structure of your offer can play a key role in building
trust and enticing your prospect to buy. There are many
variations of each, but incentives and guarantees are great ways
to gain your potential buyer’s confidence. Guarantees and free
trails allow the skeptic to try the product/service before
determining if your offer is a good fit. Incentives and
discounts are also valuable tactics as they make the cynic feel
they are getting a value. People always love the feeling of
getting something for free and buying when it is a low/no-risk
transaction. By guaranteeing the quality of your
product/service, you disarm the skeptic and encourage them to
buy. You also communicate an important message that you are
confident in what you sell.

7. Compare and differentiate yourself from your
competitors

Know the nature of your business. Is it commodity based, where
the low price bidder wins? Is the strength of your brand a
factor? Is there something unique about your offer? You must
understand your competitors and their advantages and
disadvantages. Once you have both the knowledge of your
competitors and an understanding of the skeptic’s needs, you can
choose the most effective marketing angle. We offer such phrases
as:

“The lowest cost”…you play to the desire for value “The
official”…you validate for authenticity “The best”…you show
superiority “The only”…you offer exclusivity

If possible, demonstrate the differences that make your
product/service unique or superior.

8. Sell the relationship, not the product

Contrary to popular belief, the best salespeople not only close
deals, they foster relationships. Relationships are more
valuable to both you and the prospect than a one-time
transaction. For the salesperson, relationships bring repeat
business and the ability to cross-market your offerings;
increased referrals because you gain access to the prospect’s
network base, and the ability to charge a premium because of the
higher perceived value of your relationship. For the skeptic,
relationships help build trust. These bonds let them know they
will not be abandoned after the transaction is finished.
Ultimately, they are buying a relationship with you and your
firm, not the product/service, so approach selling that way.

9. Focus on benefits offered and value delivered

Self-interest is the skeptic’s primary concern, so focus on how
your product/service solves their problem, fulfills their need,
or satisfies their desire. If your prospect is solely
bottom-line focused, your presentation should be centered on how
your product or service will make or save them money. If your
product satisfies a desire, focus on how it fills an emotional
void. Emotional selling differs from bottom-line selling because
it focuses on feelings rather than metrics. Remember to focus on
the benefits that concern your potential buyer; anything else
will make a skeptic lose interest and you lose the sale.

10. Isolate their objection

In life and business, two of the greatest challenges are making
intelligent decisions and properly following through on them.
One of your fundamental goals as a salesperson is to help people
make informed decisions. To do so, ask two types of questions:
those to better understand your potential buyer and his/her
needs, and questions designed to lead your prospect to buy. A
series of well-placed questions will allow you to isolate any
objections. You should brainstorm every possible reason a
skeptic will not buy from you and comprise an effective solution
or rebuttal for each. Any other question should be crafted in a
way that allows for only one reasonable answer, and that answer
should compel your prospect to agree with you.

11. Don’t seem desperate!

Your emotional state will be apparent to a skeptic. Never appear
as though you “need” a sale. Everyone avoids a hard-pressed
individual. Often we are conditioned to give to and buy from
those who do not need our money. It is the same principle that
makes us more likely give a rich man fifty-cents to make phone
call because he has no change, than to a homeless man in need
who makes the same request. Therefore, it is imperative that you
operate from a mindset of abundance. Understand there is always
a bigger sale out there, so you need not be pressed for this
one. Your confidence will put the cynic at ease and make them
more likely to buy from you.

Once internalized, these 11 points will mesh into an effective
sales strategy. You will begin to think of them not as
individual points to be mastered, but one comprehensive selling
technique. They are designed to compliment each other and give
you a thorough footing for selling to those who are naturally
doubtful about you and your service. Master them and win!