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Dr. Zonnya's Motivation Minute
When Success is Slow, What Can You Do?
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Tell a Story A good technique to consider for your direct mailing or emailing campaign: serial storytelling. Tell an ongoing story with an ongoing them over a series of email messages. The first might be a letter from the CEO. Then you might send a bunch of testimonials. Next might be a product feature comparison chart. Readers who ignore the first email might pick up on the story later on. Some might even ask you to resend old emails! Guerilla Marketing Jay Levinson and Amy Levinson |
How To Make Your Business Card Stand Out In The
Crowd
By: Dale W. Hutchings
I know we have all experienced it. Not once or twice, but many times. You have
just returned from attending a networking meeting or trade show. One of your
first actions is to dump the stack of business cards you collected on your desk.
You then immediately ask yourself, “Okay, among all the people I met who gave me
their business cards what ones do I want to keep and make a follow-up contact
with?”
Now think about the dozens of business cards you handed out to people while
attending that same function. Those people are now sitting at their desks as
well asking themselves the same question.
So what can you do to ensure that the prospects you give a business card to do
more than just take it from you? That they actually read it, keep it and will be
more likely to do business with you?
1. Keep Your Card “Reader Friendly.” Don’t fill the card with too much copy.
Provide ample white space. If you have information that you believe is crucial
to selling your product or service, and you want to make a prospect aware of it,
consider creating a two-sided business card. Above all, make sure the crucial
information on your card is easily read by anyone looking at it. Too often I see
cards with people’s names, phone numbers, etc. that are in very small type, when
there is enough space on the card to double or triple the size of the typeface.
2. Consider Putting Your Photo On Card. I use the word “consider” because a
photo isn’t necessary for every business. For example, if you have a business
that sells sportswear via the Internet, there is probably no need for you to
have a photo of yourself on your business card. On the other hand, if you have a
business that is extremely “personalized” where one-on-one contact is important,
such as a dentist, a lawyer or financial planner, a photo on your business card
is probably a good idea. Of course, having your photo on a business card will
help a prospect remember you more easily as well.
3. Keep Your Card Standard Size. You might think it’s clever handing out an
oversized or odd-shaped business card, but in reality that is the fastest way to
get your business card in a prospect’s wastebasket. Stick with the tradition
size. Make it easy for people to carry your card around with them after they
receive it or later when put it in a business card folder with other cards they
have collected and want to keep.
4. Make Sure The Card Is Professional-Looking. Have your cards printed on
quality paper stock. Strongly consider using color. It doesn’t have to be
full-color. Some of the best-looking business cards I have ever seen were only
two or three-color. (If you do decide to use a photo, however, I would recommend
the photo is full-color.) Furthermore, unless you are an exceptional designer,
hire a graphic artist to design the card. Whatever the cost, it will be worth
it.
5. Be Sure All Your Contact Information Is On The Card. This may sound so
obvious why is he including it, but believe it or not, it seems like a week
doesn’t go by without someone giving me a business card that is lacking some
kind of important contact. Missing Web site and e-mail addresses seem to be
common, but I’ve been given cards with other obvious information you should
always put on a card missing as well.
6. Keep The Information On Your Card Up-To-Date. Let’s face it. When you get a
business card from someone who has crossed out an old telephone number and
written in a new one, or did the same for their e-mail address, or some other
piece of information on the card what do you think? Pretty tacky and
unprofessional, wouldn’t you say? Make sure you always have plenty of cards and
above all the information on the card you pass out is up-to-date.
Bonus Tip
Here is a final tip everyone should keep in mind in using business cards to help
market their business.
7. Be Generous With Your Business Cards. Don’t be afraid to give a potential
client more than one, especially if you know he or she may know someone else
that can use your services. When you send out invoices to customers include a
business card. If they like your products or services, they’ll be one of your
best referral resources. Hence, if they have an extra card or two of yours on
hand, they’ll always have a card readily available to give to another
businessperson when referring business to you.
Dale W. Hutchings, APR, specializes in “out of the box” marketing and has more
than 30 years of Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising experience. Known
for his outstanding brainstorming ability, and excellence as a copywriter and
marketing consultant, Dale has had his own practice since 2001. He can be
reached at hutch7@verizon.net
Ovarian Cancer …Consensus does not equal Scientific Facts
By Cindy A. Krueger, MPH
For years stories have been reported in cyberspace detailing the grim realities of women suffering with ovarian cancer. As we hear more, women’s anxiety increases as they fear being the next diagnosed. Some feel rates of ovarian cancer are approaching epidemic proportion. That may be true.
With good intentions anxious women are lobbying governmental agencies to require an additional mandate to cover diagnostic testing for ovarian cancer. The good feeling of doing something sets in motion the law of unintended consequences. Their well intended efforts have nothing to do with preventing the disease and will increase costs while creating a false sense of security. I’m not against early detection methods; however, ovarian cancer can potentially be prevented with correct lifestyle behaviors and choices.
Over the past 30 years this mentality and course of action has been applied in hopes of decreasing the incidence of breast cancer. To date, the outcomes have been dismal. Breast cancer rates continue to rise. The slight decrease we have seen in breast cancer rates has come only since women have begun to abandon the use of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).
The US cancer death rate declined by one-half of one percent between 2003-2004, a small fraction compared to the thousands of cases recorded yearly. What is overlooked is the steady rise of cancer rates the past 70 years. The investment of billions of dollars in treatment therapies ignores the causes. Little consideration is given to prevention. What if the causes can be eliminated?
If you have been a Preservion reader, you have a pretty good idea where I am heading. As long as we continue to focus on treating symptoms (medical silos) or the disease once it has been detected, the opportunity of prevention has been lost. Could I be looking at the world through rose colored glasses? Some think not.
William
J. Baumol, economist and the 2003 winner of the International Award for
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research says, “The domination of the cancer
field by big pharmaceutical firms has also meant the cultivation of economically
safe treatments and avoidance of “the romantic flights of the imagination, the
leaps of faith and plummets into the unknown, which alone are likely to open up
new worlds.” Robert W. Mahley, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Pathology and Medicine
from University of California, San Francisco adds, “There is no place for
narrow-mindedness or protecting one’s own turf if we are to solve complex
diseases and advance prevention and treatment of disorders plaguing humankind.”
The focus on prevention and lifestyle changes appears to be too simplistic to
grab the attention of scientists, yet eradication of cancers and other diseases
lie precisely in this arena.
So much time, effort and money is invested in cancer research and here are the typical results. Recently, three major Cancer institutions: the American Cancer Society, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists released a consensus statement...not a scientific statement on the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The statement reflects opinions from these institutions on symptoms of ovarian cancer which include:
·
pelvic or abdominal pain
· abdominal bloating
· urinary urgency (needing to get to a bathroom immediately)
· urinary frequency (having to urinate often)
· feeling full
· difficulty eating
Women who experience one of more of these symptoms on a persistent basis should contact their physicians for follow up.
Dr. Barbara Goff, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington says, "This agreement on common symptoms of ovarian cancer hopefully will lead to earlier diagnosis when a cure is more likely." We know that when women are diagnosed in Stage I of the disease, it is 90% curable. Unfortunately, until now there has been no agreement on common symptoms, allowing women to go undiagnosed, despite visits to the doctor, until it was too late."
The statement also lists other symptoms associated with ovarian cancer that include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation and menstrual irregularities. However, according to the statement, these other symptoms are not as useful in identifying ovarian cancer because they are also found in equal frequency in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer.
Interestingly, the primary symptoms described can also be found in equal frequency in women who suffer with or from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), food allergies, premenopausal or menopausal symptoms, benign noncancerous ovarian cysts, ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders. And nowhere the report mentioned what women could do to decrease their risk or prevent this disease from occurring in the first place.
The current approach to diagnosing disease forces researchers into a corner to develop new medications with minimal efficacy. There is no cure or silver bullet for these diseases. Though early detection is associated with an improved prognosis, a whole systems lifestyle approach of improved nutrition, exercise, stress management and education exceeds the capability of any drug therapy.
Ignoring the evidence is irresponsible. In June 2007 the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that Vitamin D and calcium consumption decreased risk of all cancers from 22% to 77%. Name one drug that comes close to this type of efficacy. The study results suggest that there are significant health benefits for women who maintain a high serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Vitamin D deficiencies have been implicated in the development of breast cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, osteoporosis and hip fractures.
Nutrients found in soy and cruciferous vegetables have recently been shown to have anti-cancer activity for hormone-responsive tumors (i.e. breast and prostate cancers). The British Journal of Cancer reported that genistein (a soy isoflavone) and indole-3-carbinol (I3C) found in vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage enhance DNA repair and partly explain the ability of increased vegetable intake to reduce the risk of cancer. The study is also among the first to discover a cellular explanation for the correlation between increased vegetable intake reduced risk of cancer.
Researchers found drinking tea may prevent ovarian cancer. The more tea women drank, the lower their risk of ovarian cancer. Women who drank at least 2 cups of tea per day had a 46% lower risk of ovarian cancer compared with nontea drinkers and each additional cup of tea was associated with an 18% lower risk of ovarian cancer.
Several
studies have suggested that both green and black tea may protect against various
cancers. But researchers say this is the first study to look specifically at the
relationship between drinking tea and the risk of ovarian cancer. Although it
was not reported, tea drinkers benefit more without the use of sweeteners. Pure
undiluted tea is Mother Nature’s finest.
Repeatedly, the value of good whole nutrition is reported to have a direct link
to improved health, yet unless a randomized double blind, placebo controlled
trial is conducted, this evidence is ignored by the medical community.
Malnutrition in cancer patients is a significant problem, especially among those
patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer so why do we look to pharmacological
interventions that universally cause side effects?
If you wait for the government, agriculture, food companies restaurants, grocers
or the drug industry to provide educational facts about food, politics will
dwarf creating real solutions that address the cause of illness and disease.
Statistically, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States in 2007 causing 15,280 women to die. Detected in its early stages, which is rare, before it has spread past the ovary, they estimate that nine out of ten women will live at least five years with the disease. However, only 25% of ovarian cancer cases are detected in early stages. The researchers believe a list of symptoms may help in the early detection of the disease.
More
vexing information for women to take away from this report is how to decrease
risks and improve your odds of prevention. Some of the causes of ovarian cancer
have become quite clear. Click here for
www.preventcancer.com
The more critical information for women to take away from this report is how to
decrease risks and improve your odds of prevention. Some of the causes of
ovarian cancer have become quite clear. Click here for more information:
www.preventcancer.com and
www.healthy-communications.com/cpc.html
The widespread use of fertility drugs enters into this equation because they stimulate the ovaries to mature follicles. Thousands of women who are desperately seeking children use these drugs without a thorough understanding of future implications. Additionally, the use of synthetic estrogens, in the form of birth control pills, HRT, environmental estrogens from feed lot animals, insecticides and pesticides, is creating unprecedented growth of this disease.
Those of us with a relative who has been diagnosed have a higher risk. More full-term pregnancies lowers the statistical risks because pregnancy is a time when the ovaries rest for nine months and the production of progesterone is very high providing protection against cancer.
The influence of diet and nutrition on hormonal health is undeniable and must not be ignored. As I reported last month, women are not a defective species. We are wonderfully designed and meant to influence those around us in the most incredible ways. Women will be safer and better served in taking a preventive approach to “health”.
Using a sports analogy, prevention is an offensive stance that creates the greater likelihood of gains. The best one can hope in the defensive position is to stay the same and eventually lose ground. Go on the offense to have the best chance of staying healthy.
Resources:
1. War
on Cancer is being Oversold, The Moss Reports, August 2007.
2. The June 2007 Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Consensus Statement is available on the
Gynecologic Cancer Foundation website at http://www.wcn.org/ov_cancer_cons.html
3. Disruptive Innovations in healthcare: Expanding the Discourse on Quality and
Value, Alternative Therapies, July/Aug 2007, vol. 13. No. 4
4. British Journal of Cancer (2006) 94, 407-426.
5. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007) 61, 642–646.
doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602540
6. Larsson, S. Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec. 12/26, 2005; vol 165: pp
2683-2686.
7. International Health News, www.yourhealthbase.com
8. What Your Doctor May Not Tell you About Premenopause, Lee, John, R. M.D.,
Hanley, J, M.D., Hopkins, V., Chapter 11, pgs. 238-240.
In the news
As the kids head back to school parents gear up to protect their little ones from colds and flu. Don’t be caught on the defensive having to make a reactionary decision. Be sure you evaluate your child before you decide to call in the “big guns”.
Read what the American Institute for Preventive Medicine has to say. Prevention is the best medicine.
http://healthy.net/scr/article.asp?id=1832 Scroll down to the bottom to learn about self-care tips.
Keeping you “in the know" …
I’m not the only one who strongly rejects the use of drugs for our kids. A decade ago the American Academy of Pediatrics recognized the risks of complications and overdose with certain medications such as cough suppressants. Joining them in to discourage parents from using these drugs is the American College of Chest Physicians and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also recommend not giving cold remedies to children under two years of age.
Last month, the FDA finally announced a Public Health Advisory on Non-Prescription Cough and Cold Medicines for Children due to several reported adverse events. Click here for more information. http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/cough_cold.htm
Dr. Michael Marcus, director of pediatric, pulmonology, allergy and immunology at New York’s Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital prefers parents to use LOVE instead of DRUGS. He embraces the whole body concept in creating an environment for the body to heal itself. His solution is lots of love through kisses, hugs and time along with extra fluids which allows little bodies to naturally pass off viral infections in a few days’ time.
Be prudent and use common sense in treating your children. Drugs should be the last treatment if you want your babies to grow up healthy and strong!
Need a speaker to stimulate your group or organization? Contact Cindy A. Krueger, MPH. Her lectures are engaging, candid, humorous. They may even save your life …
Edited by: Thomas J. Cline, MBA, President and Editor in Chief of INTEGRITY TALK, The official publication of the International Association of Ethics Trainers. Visit: www.ethicstrainers.com
Health Disclaimer: The information provided on this site should not be considered as personal medical advice. Readers should research and consult with appropriate healthcare practitioners on matters related to their personal health and well-being. The information and opinions on this site are believed to be accurate and scientifically sound, based upon the best judgment available to the author. References are noted where appropriate. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.
Copyright © 2007, Preservion, Inc. All rights reserved
Exercise at ANY Age
By John Kent, Owner, Oxygen Personal Training
So you've slacked off a bit and avoided exercise.
Maybe your job demands too much of your time or you simply fell out of the routine. I have news for you. Whether you've taken off one year, ten years or haven't exercised a day in your life - it's never too late to start.
You see there are problems with living a life devoid of exercise. Big problems.
Your weight rises along with your blood pressure and cholesterol. Your muscles and joints degenerate at an astounding rate leaving you with daily aches and pains. Your body becomes weak, making you susceptible to all kinds of medical issues.
Why Should I Start Now? You've heard about the benefits that consistent exercise bring, but what if you haven't been consistent? Should you even start at all? This has been the subject of many medical studies and the results are unanimous:
Exercise helps improve your quality of life even if you start late.
Researchers are constantly finding new benefits to consistent exercise. It's no wonder that Dr. Robert Butler, of the National Institute on Aging, once said "If exercise could be put into a pill, it would be the single most prescribed medicine in the world."
Imagine if a pill could offer all of these benefits (without harmful side effects):
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Substantially reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis
-
Decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure
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Helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
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Contributes to healthy bones, muscles and joints
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Helps relieve anxiety and depression
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Promotes well-being and reduces stress
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Is associated with fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations and medications
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Helps prevent and treat chronic medical conditions associated with old age
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Increases energy levels and promotes sound sleep
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Strengthens immune system
I know that I would take that pill - wouldn't you? Exercise may not be something that you can gulp down with a glass of water, but it will offer you all of the above benefits that can greatly enhance your quality of life.
Excuses, excuses, excuses…
I know what you are thinking. Those benefits sound great, but I can't exercise because:
-
Exercise is painful. Not if you do the type most suitable for you.
-
Exercise is boring. Most people who exercise find it to be quite enjoyable.
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Exercise takes too long. It only takes 30-60 minutes a day.
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Exercise is confusing. Not when you work with a trained professional (me).
-
Exercise if for young people. Studies have shown that exercise if for all ages.
Get Started the Right Way. Many people have started an exercise program only to quit days later. Now that you have decided that exercise may be worth your time after all, ensure your success with the following tips:
-
Make a Commitment
You know the meaning and value of a solid
commitment. It's in your blood. So don't view exercise as something you will
merely try. You will only reap the true benefits of exercise when you stick with
it.
A great way to reinforce your commitment is to solicit the support of your
friends and family. Tell them how you plan to improve your health and quality of
life through exercise - who knows, they may join you.
-
Set Reachable Goals
This is an immensely important ingredient to your success. Don't start your exercise program with unreasonable expectations. If you expect to lose all of your unwanted pounds, drop your blood pressure and cure your joint pain all in one week then you will be sorely disappointed.
Remember that it took years for your body to fall out of shape so it makes sense that it will take some time to regain it. The key to unlocking all of the benefits of exercise lies in one word: consistency. Only then will your body be transformed.
-
Rearrange Your Schedule
They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. This may be because his schedule simply didn't allow for it. The truth is that as we age there is a tendency to become 'stuck in our ways.' The thought of rearranging your schedule may leave you a bit squeamish.
Remind yourself that exercise is worth your time and then think long and hard about your daily schedule. The fact is that you do have time to lend toward exercise - you simply need to find it. Set aside 30-60 minutes for exercise and then stick with it.
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Increase the Challenge
You should start your exercise program with the thought of easing into it. Since you haven't exercised in awhile your body will need to build up strength and endurance. Consider a car that has been sitting in your garage for years. You wouldn't turn it on and instantly slam down on the gas would you? You need to warm it up.
However, this warm up period should not last forever. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt to new challenges and will grow complacent when asked to do the same exercises over and over. When your routine begins to feel easy take that as a hint to increase the challenge.
I want to help you achieve all of the benefits that consistent exercise can bring you. Call or email today and together we will design an exercise program that will enhance the quality of your life.
Don't let another day pass you by. You deserve the good life. Take action now.
John Kent is a writer, speaker and owner of Oxygen Personal Training, located in Clearwater, FL. With his fitness expertise, as well as warm, friendly, and approachable character, John has become a captivating and much sought after speaker on the topics of nutrition and health. He has contributed articles to various publications and has been featured on Bay News 9, Channel 10’s Life Around the Bay and in Tampa Bay’s Best Magazine where they named him “Tampa Bay’s Body Transformer”. He can be reached at 727-420-8139 or on the web at www.oxygenpersonaltraining.net
Book
of the Week
Made To Stick
Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
By Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Random House 2007
304 pages
If you or your business is stuck, you may have to get stickier!
Not so long ago, the state of Texas had a roadside littering problem to match
its size. Faced with the monumental task of getting the attention and changing
the habits of the proud and independent Texan, the state came up with a slogan
covered in stickum; “Don’t Mess with Texas”. In the first year, littering was
reduced by 29% and the state saved over one million dollars.
Avis found itself trailing Hertz every year. The reason that you know what comes
next is because they became sticky. They embraced their #2 position and became
the “We Try Harder” company. Subway sandwiches may be healthier but what we
remember is Jared lost over 250lbs eating them. JFK (a sticky set of initials)
grabbed the imaginations of an entire nation with the words;” put a man on the
moon and return him safely to the earth" within a decade.
What makes ideas stick? According to the authors/brothers Chip and Dan Heath,
stickiness has the following attributes: simplicity, unexpectedness,
concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. Their book is filled with
memorable examples of creating stick in all areas of our lives. When you present
yourself and your product, do you create, and use the attributes listed above?
The authors present this example from journalism. Journalists are taught that a
lead line (the first sentence or thought) is what grabs the attention of your
audience. If you do not take advantage of your first and only chance to capture
your audience it is known as “burying the lead”. What could you uncover or
reveal to your prospects so you can avoid “burying the lead”.
Is your advertising accomplishing what you intend? Are you memorable to your
clients? Is their emotion allied with creditability in your presentations? In
short, are you and your business Made To Stick?
Dr. Brian Beirl is an educator, author, presenter, consultant and business
coach. Dr. Beirl is passionate in helping his clients live the life of their
dreams. He may be reached
www.CoachingTheProfessions.com or via email
BrianBeirlDDS@BBeirl.com
Pinellas Life is The Portal with a Personality serving Tampa Bay Florida since 2001!
If you have any comments, questions, or need information contact us today.
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