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Pinellas Life "On The Grow" Newsletter Friday October 19, 2007

Think Global. Live Local. Go Green.

Women of all fitness levels, sizes and ages are gaining great results with Adventure Boot Camp! You can too! Are you looking for a jump-start to your fitness program? Then this adventure is for you! Whether you are a beginner, an avid fitness enthusiast or just tired of the same routine come try this whole new approach to exercise...fun! North Pinellas Adventure Boot Camp for Women is a four week outdoor fitness program that offers fitness instruction, nutritional counseling and motivational training - packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach your fitness goals. Whether you want to lose weight to fit into that special dress, shed the extra pounds from a pregnancy or just get fit before that special occasion, this is the program for you! Phone: (727) 420- 8139 | Web Site: www.NorthPinellasBootCamp.com  | Email: John@JohnKentFitness.com

"Never make negative comments or spread rumors about anyone. It depreciates their reputation and yours."
- Brian Koslow

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Inside This Issue Pinellas Life Update & Stats Pinellas Life Sponsors Feature Article: Be Persistent in Getting Clients… Not a Pest WWW: Optimizing Your Online Press Release Recipe: Crockpot Pulled Pork Business & Marketing: 21 Secrets of Great Sales Copy Health & Wellness: Hidden Aspirin Facts - Safe Alternatives to Troublesome Pain + Fit over 40 Program Book Review: The Power of Nice Classifieds

Pinellas Life
Think Global. Live Local. Go Green.

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North Pinellas Adventure Boot Camp for Women The Ultimate Out-of-Gym Experience! Phone: (727) 420- 8139 Web Site: www.NorthPinellasBootCamp.com  Email: John@JohnKentFitness.com  Women of all fitness levels, sizes and ages are gaining great results with Adventure Boot Camp! You can too! Are you looking for a jump-start to your fitness program? Then this adventure is for you! Whether you are a beginner, an avid fitness enthusiast or just tired of the same routine come try this whole new approach to exercise...fun! North Pinellas Adventure Boot Camp for Women is a four week outdoor fitness program that offers fitness instruction, nutritional counseling and motivational training - packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach your fitness goals. Whether you want to lose weight to fit into that special dress, shed the extra pounds from a pregnancy or just get fit before that special occasion, this is the program for you! Register now!  Spaces are limited!  Visit our website for more info and to register:  www.NorthPinellasBootCamp.com ... Lose Weight and Feel Great!

Platinum Sponsors

Florida Barter (727) 524-6800 | 1000 Belcher Road, Suite 9, Largo, FL 33771 Florida Barter provides a marketplace for businesses to exchange goods and services. Florida Barter members list their products or services in the Florida Barter network, earn trade dollars (one trade dollar is equivalent to one U.S. dollar) when they sell, and use trade dollars to buy products and services they need in their businesses.

Helene P. Bazinet, Realtor I Specialize In First-Time Home Buyers! If you are looking to Buy, Sell, Downsize, Upgrade or Relocate to Pinellas County and you are looking for an Experienced, Hard-Working, Full Time Professional Realtor, then I look forward to meeting you and discussing your real estate needs. Business: 727-393-6437, ext. 113 | Cell: 727-517-5181

(727) 669-3897 Bella Southern Interiors, Inc. Interior Decorators and Designers Building Relationships leads to better design.  Residential and commercial interior design practice located in Safety Harbor.  Seasoned business professionals who love design and enjoy giving back to our community.  North Carolina pricing on furniture, art, and accessories.

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Cool Breeze Premier Pressure Washing (727) 584-6622 Cool Breeze is a locally owned and operated company that is dedicated to complete customer satisfaction through superior customer service coupled with years of experience.  With many areas of expertise you can be sure that once Cool Breeze is finished with your home or commercial site that you will b satisfied, guaranteed.

Baywalk | 115 2nd Avenue N. | 727-822-6252 Being Being is the Art of Living a Beautiful & Inspired Lifestyle. Being is a unique store of simple elegance. A must see! Exclusive Home Accessories and Gifts that make you feel like you are shopping in New York or Miami. More than 5000 square feet of beautiful Furniture, Bedding, Lighting, Custom Pillows, Picture Frames, Candles, Creative Placemats & Napkin Holders, Wall Hangings and so much more. Being has a variety of Furniture both Modern and Classic, that would fit in to any interior. Being has a great assortment of Home Accessories, Gifts and great Gift Ideas.

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Philthy Phil's Waterfront Bar and Grill We're The Phun Place On The Beach! Check out our Open Air, Roof Top Bar. What A View! Casual, Fun, and Tropical Enjoy a Full Drink Menu & Lite Dining Menu. Lunch, Dinner, Carry Out, Full Bar & Entertainment. Hours: Monday thru Saturday 11am to Midnight - Sunday Noon to Midnight. We gladly accept MC, Visa, and AmEx Phone: 727-367-9977

Ferg’s Vacation Club Take A Trip With Us! Contact: Mark Ferguson Phone: 727-822-4562 (Ferg’s) or Cell: 727-742-5957 (cell) Serves Tampa Bay Area Ferg’s Vacation Club | Book Your Travel Here! Email: Mark@Fergsonline.com Whether you are looking to join a group of fun people for a vacation, or looking for the easiest way to book you own trip online you have found the right place. Ferg's Vacation Club can satisfy all your travel needs, whether it involves getting to your destination, or where to stay when you get there. Cruises on an assortment of popular cruise lines, golfing, skiing, spas, a romantic Honeymoon destination, or those last minute travel deals, we have it all. There is also a great business opportunity available for anyone looking for big discounts on personal travel or another stream of income.

St. Pete Appliance Repair LLC Lowest Priced Appliance Repair in Pinellas County! Same day service. Free service call with repair. Average repair cost savings is 25% ---50% less than all competitors. Here's what you can expect when you call St Pete appliance for repairs: Complete Diagnostics--For $40.00 you'll receive a thorough inspection of the problem and our professional recommendations on what needs done to repair it. If we get your OK to fix the problem, we'll apply the diagnostic fee to the cost of the repair. Flat Rate Pricing--Every repair job has a fixed price, no matter how much time it takes to complete. We'll give you the price up front before we do the work. Guarantee--All of our work is guaranteed: parts for two years, labor for 90 days. Straight Talk--If we determine that your appliance should not be repaired because it's too old or in poor condition, we'll tell you. We don't want you to waste your money. 727-323-3237 ST. PETERSBURG 727-323-4978 PINELLAS COUNTY 727-455-1747 EMERGENCY-24 HOURS Email: TFJean@StPeteAppliance.com Web Site: www.stpeteappliance.com Member Since: October 4, 2007

Gallagher & Associates Law Firm, P.A. 727-344-LAWS | 5720 Central Avenue St. Petersburg, FL 33707 We accept numerous types of cases ranging from consumer law to business transactions to litigation. We also offer representation for real estate transactions and insurance disputes. Additionally, we can provide transactional services such as drafting wills and advanced health care directives. The firm's practice is limited to representation of individuals and small businesses with regard to all of their civil legal needs. From insurance claims, preparation of your will, to starting a business, to litigating any range of matters, we can assist you. We strive to provide the highest level of legal services possible. Your case is a priority to our firm, and we will work hard to obtain the results you want. The firm's practice areas include the following areas of law, personal injury / accident claims including: auto accidents, premises liability and medical malpractice. Additionally, the firm handles all types insurance disputes such as hurricane claims, toxic mold, lead paint, asbestos, theft, fire damage, sinkholes, settlement damage and all denied insurance claims. Finally, the firm handles commercial litigation cases as well as construction litigation, employment litigation, real estate litigation, sexual harassment, business litigation, bankruptcy, probate litigation, and family law. Gallagher & Associates Law Firm, P.A. is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, but the firm accepts cases throughout the State of Florida, with a particular emphasis on Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota Counties.

TableRock Cuisine Personal Chef Services LLC Phone: 727-743-1229 | Location: Largo Florida 33771 What's on your table tonight? TableRock Cuisine has a real passion for great tasting foods. With a combined 40 years experience in 5-star and casual restaurant cookery; TableRock Cuisine offers you your own in-home Personal Chefs Service. You get the full range of our gourmet culinary talents. We come to your kitchen once every 7 to 14 days or so with bags of groceries; and using our own pots, pans, tools, & culinary talents; cook about one to two weeks' worth of dinners. Generally, it works like this. Because this is a personalized service; we meet with you to understand your food likes & dislikes; then we design your personal menu(s). Imagine; if you could wave a magic wand at exactly what you would want to eat for dinner all next week; that's what TableRock Cuisine is all about.

 

Feature Article

Be Persistent in Getting Clients… Not a Pest
By Will Newman

If you’re in the business of providing some sort of service, it’s important to be persistent when contacting potential clients. It shows that you’re serious about working for them. But you must not be a pest. And there’s a fine line between persistence and pestiness. Here are five strategies for staying on the right side of that line.

1. Follow up quickly on your first contact.

When you make contact with a potential client, follow up with an e-mail as soon as possible. Express how much you enjoyed talking with him. Then ask for a good time to call him for a brief, but more detailed, discussion about your services.

2. Don’t panic if you don’t hear back right away.

Potential clients are busy. Wait 10 to 14 days before sending another e-mail. Send something related to their business, such as a recent news article that might be of interest. Or if you’ve heard some good news about their business, congratulate them. Include a reminder of where or how you first made contact, and say something about your hopes of working with them. Space subsequent e-mails every two to three weeks.

3. Subscribe to your potential clients’ newsletters

Potential clients won’t know you subscribed to their newsletters - but this gives you another source of subjects for future e-mails. Continue to remind them of who you are.

4. Ask if they want to subscribe to your e-letter (if you have one).

A regular e-letter keeps your name in front of potential clients. And it provides another source of subjects for more personal e-mails.

5. Recognize when a lack of response means a lack of interest

If you get periodic responses from a potential client, interest is still there. But if you get a total lack of response after six months - or an outright request of "No more, please" - go on to more productive possibilities.

[Ed. Note: Will Newman is the editor of AWAI’s The Golden Thread online newsletter - a free weekly alert loaded with writing and marketing secrets, tips, and insights.]

Optimizing Your Online Press Release
Go through the life cycle of an online press release - from keyword optimization and distribution to determining your ROI.
By: Margie Zable Fisher | 9/18/2007

Thanks to the internet, small-business owners can now get the kind of visibility that was previously only available to large companies. And one important tool that'll help you achieve that goal is the online press release.

All press releases should include news: new information about your company, a new product launch or a new service. And they should never be blatant sales pitches. But while the primary goal of a traditional press release is to get the media interested in your story, the primary goal of an online press release is to increase your natural search rankings and drive traffic to your website. This leads to the main difference between writing a traditional press release and an online one: keyword optimization.

Keywords

Your press release should include keywords your clients would be searching for. Keywords are search terms that someone in your target market might use to look up your type of business, product or service on a search engine.

When writing a press release for my business, the keywords I chose were phrases. They were "get on the Oprah show" and "do it yourself public relations." If someone typed one of those phrases into a search engine, I wanted my information to show up in the natural search results, preferably on the first page.

While this press release was sent in October 2006, I did a recent Google search for those terms. When I checked "get on the Oprah show," my press release showed up in a search on the first page. When I searched for "do it yourself public relations," my online press release didn't show up in the first couple of pages. However, because I've used "do it yourself public relations" in other online efforts, I showed up twice on the first page.

Distributing Your Press Release

There are almost an unlimited number of places where you can distribute press releases, according to Allison Nazarian, president of Get It In Writing Inc., a firm that specializes in search engine optimization copywriting for online press releases, websites and blogs, and copywriting for other marketing materials. Here are some of the distribution options Nazarian uses for her clients:

• Industry publications

• Blogs

• Discussion boards

• Article sites

• Newsletters

• Trade associations

• Online news sites

• Online newswire services such as PRWeb

• Your own website

• Free press release listing sites like www.arrivenet.com

Keep in mind that you often need to submit your press releases to each site separately, sometimes through a cut-and-paste process or an uploading process. It can be very time consuming.

What to Expect After You Submit Your Press Release

It's hard to know how quickly you'll start getting web traffic, e-mails or calls, but you need to be ready in case there's a quick response. The worst thing to do is to send out your online press release and then go on vacation without coverage. If people find you online, they generally want a quick response, usually within one business day.

If you're not getting a quick response, don't worry. Sometimes things take time. Often, a snowball effect will happen, where other sites will pick up your press release from the original posting sites, and you'll get more traffic over several months' time.

Was Your Effort Successful?

At this point, you've put a lot of time and maybe money into this effort. You want to make sure you get a return on your investment. And unlike some traditional forms of PR, it's relatively easy to analyze the success of an online press release campaign. Here's how:

• Use your web analytics program to determine increases in traffic to your site.

• See if you get new newsletter subscribers.

• Check the natural rankings on several search engines to see if your press release information shows up.

• Ask prospects how they heard about you and tally the number who mentioned finding you via your online press release.

Just like any other marketing effort, you'll need to repeatedly send out online press releases to get the best results. Remember, people often need to see your information several times before they're willing to contact you.

Recipe of the Week

21 Secrets of Great Sales Copy
By Clayton Makepeace

Copywriters, marketing professionals, and business owners often ask me, "How do I tell the difference between good sales copy and bad sales copy?" It's an important question, and getting it right can make the difference between a mediocre response rate and hitting an out-of-the-park homerun.

To start, it helps to understand that consumers almost never buy things because it's logical. The vast majority of purchases are made because they satisfy an emotional need. So, great sales copy must connect with your prospect's most powerful emotions - positive or negative - and demonstrate how reading the copy and buying the product will fulfill or assuage those desires or fears.

Your sales message is like a chain designed to meet the reader at the point of his need, and then lead him, step by step, link by link, to the order form. This chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The minute you lose the "tingle factor," the reader gets bored and the chain breaks. Your sales copy is only as strong as its strongest link. The more compelling you make each section of your sales letter, the greater your response and average order will be.

Sales copy has the power to make or break a direct-marketing campaign, a product launch - and a marketer's career. That said, here are 21 tips to make your copy stronger, your ads more effective, and help you create winning direct-mail and Internet promotions.

1. Be somebody. Putting a friendly and/or highly qualified human face on copy - and speaking in that person' s voice - will ramp up the impact of your sales messages.

2. Talk to your readers. Avoid "we" and focus on "you." Use the word "you" as often as is humanly possible throughout the text. Remember, your prospect really doesn't care about you, they care about themselves.

3. Be personal. Pretend you're talking to a friend. What would you say? What would they say? And what would you say back? Avoid copy like "We want to help you..." in favor of "Here, let me help you..."

4. Identify with your prospect. Tell the reader what you have in common. Let him know that you empathize - that you've been there. Anything that puts you on the reader's level will create a connection that boosts response.

5. Put a face on the enemy too. Why has the reader failed to solve this problem or fulfill this desire? Were the "experts" who gave him advice wrong?

6. Prove every point. Never ask your reader to accept any claim at face value. Always include proof elements, such as study data from respected sources, expert testimonials, user testimonials, or statements that support your position from major publications such as The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times.

7. Don't fear the occasional obvious statement. Don't exaggerate or lie, but don't be afraid to go "over the top" when trying to get, and keep, your reader's attention.

8. Speak colloquially. Speak to your prospects as they're used to being spoken to. They'll appreciate the occasional dangling participle - even if your old English teacher wouldn't.

9. All jargon is not evil. Jargon can be very effective, especially when the jargon is familiar to the reader. When the jargon is being spoken - sparingly - by an expert, it can demonstrate the expert's knowledge.

10. Figures of speech are wonderful! Remember, you're "talking" to an individual. You'd certainly use figures of speech if you were face to face. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a good figure of speech should be worth at least 100. But be careful - don't overdo it.

11. Use powerful words and phrases, such as "amazing," "bargain," "bonus," "discount," "discovery," "just arrived," "premium," "prestigious," "savings," and (of course) "FREE." Similarly, avoid wimpy words such as "may" and "ought," and phrases like "in my opinion." Write with the courage of your conviction.

12. Squint. As you study the page, ask yourself, "At first glance, does this feel easy-to-read and inviting? Or is it covered with long, dense paragraphs that will discourage the reader?" Look for opportunities to turn a long block of copy into a string of pearls.

13. Go for precision and power. Many experts say you should always use short words, writing as if the prospect is an eighth grader. Don't do it! Given a choice to use a long word or a shorter one that means the same thing, go with the shorter word. If a longer word - or even a phrase - more precisely conveys your meaning or more effectively invokes the emotion you're going for, use it.

14. Short sentences rule!

15. Count commas. Commas can be a big red flag that screams run-on sentence. Or that you've written an upside-down sentence. Consider... "With only the finest of intentions, Clayton wrote his example." Now try this... "Clayton wrote his example with the finest of intentions." Which is better?

16. Use connecting words at the beginning of paragraphs. In addition to communicating, every paragraph of great copy should also make a sale. It should "sell" the prospect on the idea of reading the next paragraph with words such as "and," "plus," "furthermore," and "what's more."

17. Look for shortcuts to keep the momentum going. Use contractions - because that's how people talk.

18. Be specific. Every generality in your text is a landmine. Instead of saying "You'll save money," tell your prospects how much they'll save.

19. Consider the question. Some copywriters recommend that you avoid asking a question in the headline or elsewhere in the copy. But how about a question like "What's wrong with getting richer QUICKER?" More than a question, it is a compelling cry of defiance.

20. When in doubt... cut it out. Often your best lead is buried a few paragraphs down. Moving or deleting the first few paragraphs - even the first page - can get you off to a much faster start. Second drafts are the perfect time to spot needless repetition and condense several paragraphs into one short, punchy one.

21. Break the rules!

[Ed. Note: Clayton Makepeace has spent the last 35 years creating direct-mail, Internet, and print promotions that have sold well over $1 billion worth of products. Plus, as a direct-marketing consultant and copywriter, he's helped four major direct-marketing firms at least quadruple sales and profits to well over $100 million per year each.

Clayton publishes the highly acclaimed e-zine, The Total Package to help business owners and copywriters accelerate their sales and profits.]

The Power of Nice
How to capture the Business World with Kindness
By Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

Short and Sweet

Reviewed by: Dr. Brian R. Beirl

Nice is healthier, earns more money, and spends less time in court.

Nice is putting your head on the other person’s shoulders.

Nice is telling the truth.

Nice is not fighting over the last piece of pie, but baking a bigger pie.

Nice is Samsung and Sony joining forces to create significant market share in the highly competitive flat panel television arena.

In a business world that many times embraces the “looking out for #1” mentality, it is refreshing to be reminded of how simple and productive business relationships can be.
The Kaplan Thaler agency has enjoyed incredible success in the highly competitive advertising business. Thaler and Koval’s book illustrates the simple premise that telling the truth, listening, partnering, and simply treating your fellow workers, and competitors, with kindness will reap you far greater rewards than the “us or them” mentality.

To illustrate this point, by simply listening to a frustrated CEO of an insurance company, the Kaplan Thaler advertising agency learned that his greatest concern for the future of his company was the simple fact that nobody could pronounce his company’s name. They were the first to listen with compassion to his lament. Because of their implementation of a new campaign, the insurance company’s sales rose 55% in the next few years.
We all know now how to pronounce AFLAC!

The Power of Nice does not profess to be a groundbreaking book of newfound wisdom; it is, rather, an enjoyable read that reminds us that we all have what it takes to succeed in business. In fact, if you take anything from this book, give it back.

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