Account Management - How to Manage Accounts to Maximize Sales

Congratulations! You successfully sold one or more of your company's products or services to a business unit, department, or division of a large organization. Now your manager has tasked you with "account management". If you are not already familiar with account management, you are probably asking yourself the following questions:

What is "Account Management"? What skills and talents are required to excel in Account Management? What activities must be performed to maximize Account Management ROI?

Providing answers to these questions is the focus of this article.

What is Account Management?

Account management is actually a synonym for account penetration. Just because you have sold one product or service to one business entity within an organization doesn't mean your job is done. Think of all the additional opportunities that may exist in the account! For example:

Does your company offer additional products or services that might be a "fit" for this customer? How many other business units, departments, divisions, and subsidiaries are potential prospects for your company's offering(s)? Required Skills and Talents

A critical talent for successful account management is the ability to build relationships, as relationship selling is a very effective way to increase account penetration. Another critical skill/talent is organization. If you are going to manage large accounts effectively, you need to be willing and able to keep meticulous records.

What kinds of records do you need to keep? Picture a large, three-dimensional spreadsheet in your mind. In the left-hand column is a list of every product and service that you could possibly sell to a customer. Across the top of the spreadsheet are all of the business units, departments, divisions, and other business entities that make up your account's entire organization. Behind each business entity is every contact you know within that business entity.

Armed with this mental picture, ask yourself the following questions:

Which business entities are you doing business with? Which business entities are you NOT doing business with? Where are the various business entities located? Which products and services does each business entity already purchase from you? Which products and services are they NOT purchasing from you? Who do you know in each business entity? Which of these contacts have you already asked for referrals and testimonials? What referrals and testimonials have they given you?

Required Activities

Hopefully your organization has some type of CRM (Client Relationship Management) software application to help you keep track of your answers to these questions. If you don't have access to a corporate CRM system, here are some other options:

You can purchase a software package like ACT! Or GoldMine? You can subscribe to an online service like salesforce.com? You can track information using a spreadsheet, database, or e-mail program?

Next, plan your tactics for increasing account penetration by considering the following questions:

What process will you use to regularly expose each of your contacts in the account to your company's entire portfolio of products and services? Who can provide testimonials that will help you win business in other business units, departments, or divisions in the account? Who can refer you to new contacts in other business units, departments, or divisions in the account?

Why is it necessary to repetitively expose your contacts to your company's entire portfolio of products and services? Because they forget! I can tell you from personal experience that there is nothing more frustrating than finding out a customer has placed a large order with another salesperson...and the only reason they didn't give you the order was because they didn't know or remember that you could fill it!

Is There More to Account Management?

There can be, but activities focused on increasing account penetration make up the critical core. Account management does become more complex if a team of people is managing a regional, national, or global account, but most of the complexity pertains to coordinating the activities of the team members.

Don't make account management more complex than it needs to be! The basic goal is to maximize account penetration. Look for opportunities to sell every product and service in your portfolio to >every business entity (business unit, department, division, etc.) in the account. Make maximum use of referrals and testimonials to help you initiate new relationships. Regularly remind all of your contacts of the full breadth of your portfolio of products and services. Be organized and keep meticulous records. If you do these things, you should be amply rewarded for your efforts!

Copyright 2005-2008 -- Alan Rigg

E-Mail Marketing - Factors That Enable Effective Implementation

The objective of marketing is to reach potential customers and win them to the advantage of your business. Email marketing is an important aspect of the Internet marketing plan. Let us discuss the factors that make email communication more effective.

Email marketing is one of the most effective IM strategies Email marketing has emerged as one of the most powerful strategies in Internet marketing. This involves sending individual messages to each customer and get inputs therefrom later. It is a means to strike a relationship between seller and the buyer. As emails can be targeted personally, it is easy to reach the customers.

How to make it effective? Having recognized that email marketing is an effective tool in Internet marketing, you should use techniques to make it more effective.

To make this strategy more effective, personalize your emails. Use software that enables you to send mass emails. Include personal details such as name, address of your company, etc. Ensure that you give a clause saying that the email sent to you is not a spam generated by computer. Following are furthermore details given out on effective implementation of email marketing.

E-mails should be readable Important aspect of email marketing is the content therein. The content should be prepared focusing on the buyers needs. It should be relevant and intelligible to the buyer. The language of the text should be easy-to-understand, engaging and concise. There should not be any errors in grammar or punctuation. If you furnish any image in the mail, it should be relevant to the product/service that you are marketing.

Use a trustworthy sender name Your email should reflect your genuine interest in the customers and your desire to extend the relationship with them. For your customers to feel that you are genuine, you need to appear trustworthy and reliable. For this, you need to give information in your email that is authentic and verifiable. One of the sure ways of gaining the confidence of your customers is to have a trustworthy sender's name in your email. The email should detail the personnel (sender) involved in the business. Information pertaining to the company/person should be furnished in the email to enable cross checking, if anyone needs.

Subject should summarize the content The subject of the email should state the essence of the message in the email text body. Otherwise, people may not be interested either to open the mail or read it. The subject should also let the reader know what actually the email contains in its body.

It's not worth if your emails go in to spam/junk folder If the email you have sent gets dumped in the spam/junk folder, it will lose the attention from the potential buyers. Mention a request to make the email from your company/business to go neither to the junk nor the spam folder.

Make the links appear different While sending emails, let the prospective buyer have a glimpse of your business website or the specific landing page. Furnish the relevant links. While doing so, present the links in colored and underlined text to make it easy to locate. The link is generally presented in blue. The underlining is for showing that they are links. Further, keep the links separate from the text and in a white space to emphasize their importance.

Don't trap links in images If you send images in the emails, ensure that they are clear enough and not blurred. Further, do not furnish links, if any, in the image itself. This makes the image disfigured, especially when zoomed. It may cause readers/users to skip the mail. Excessive flashy images may annoy the readers outright.

Limit link density to drive clicks Do not present too many links in the email in one go. Such emails may be rendered as junk by ISPs. The links should be relevant to the product/service marketed alone. Links not related to the content in the mail should be avoided. Further, adding links that are related only to the product/services, discounts, offers, etc., presented in the email, would lead to the probability of increased click-through action.

Take help of experts in the field Email marketing is a highly specialized work involving expertise. It is, therefore, sensible to take the aid of experts in the field. Research the Internet for the purpose. There are numerous Internet marketing companies present in the online market space. You can find the price most suitable to you and hire them for your business.

Provided these points are followed scrupulously, businesses can leverage email marketing as a powerful tool of Internet marketing.

Music Business Contacts: Music Business Registry connects artists, managers, publishers, producers &

"The difference between success and failure is information," notes Ritch Esra, and he should know. Along with his partner, Stephen Trumbull, Esra is a leading part of the number one most-reliable source of information on "who's who" and "who does what" in the music business. Best of all, they can tell you where everybody is located.

FIVE VOLUMES OF DATA.

The Music Business Registry (http://www.musicregistry.com) publishes five directories: the "A&R Registry," the "Music Publisher Registry," the "Music Business Attorney Registry" the "Film and Television Music Guide," and the "Record Producer and Recording Engineer Directory." For many in the business, these are indispensable reference works.

"The directories give everyone vital, accurate and the most up-to-date information they need to contact the entire A&R, music publishing, legal and film/TV music communities," Esra states. From comparing notes with dozens of professionals in all of these areas of expertise, I can tell you that no one disputes his claim.

More than one music industry executive has told me that the Music Business Registry publications are worth their weight in platinum. Tess Taylor, president of NARIP (National Association of Record Industry Professionals), says "I couldn't get through one day without the directories from the Music Business Registry. These publications are the finest in the business."

Each directory tells you how to reach industry professionals by regular mail, e-mail, direct dial telephone and fax. The books provide each person's exact title, street address, the name of their assistant and the styles of music in which each executive specializes. Web sites are also included.

UPDATES? YOU WANT UPDATES?

The world of the A&R executive is exciting but ever-changing. Which is to say, there's a lot of turnover in this part of the industry. So much turnover, in fact, that the A&R Registry is completely updated and reprinted every eight weeks, whereas the publisher volume is biannual and the other books come out yearly.

NEED A PRODUCER? HERE ARE 1,700 OF THEM!

Created in partnership with RPM Direct, the "Record Producer & Recording Engineer Directory" presents 1,700 of today's leading Record Producers, Recording Engineers & Remixers throughout the US, Canada and Europe in every genre of music. Included in the book are:

(1) Complete contact information for every Producer, Remixer & Recording Engineer along with a list of their credits.

(2) Producer/Engineer/Remixer Management Companies including a complete staff listing as well as full client rosters.

(3) A Complete Index to easily locate any producer.

(4) Several Interviews and articles with today's leading Producers & Engineers.

No wonder you can find the Music Business Registry's publications in the offices of top record company executives, music publishers, artist managers, agents, music attorneys, recording artists, studios and other music business professionals everywhere from Los Angeles to London, New York to Nashville, Chicago to Copenhagen, Toronto to Tokyo, Stockholm to Sydney and Minneapolis to Munich.

YOUR SEARCH BEGINS HERE.

The Music Business Registry is located at 7510 Sunset Blvd #1041, Los Angeles, CA 90046-3400. Phone: 800-377-7411 or 818-995-7458. Fax: 800-228-9411 or 818-995-7459. E-mail: ritch@musicregistry.com.

What Is Google Pay Per Click And Why Is It Good For Your Business?

Google offers many services that can benefit your business and it is up to you whether you take advantage of it or not. Google is the second biggest website in the world only behind Facebook so it is definitely something that you should take advantage of. They offer a Pay Per Click (PPC) service which can help you grow as a business.

Google PPC lets you design your own small advertisement that goes next to the natural search results. The advert always relates to the search results so that you will be advertising to people are already interested in what you have to offer. The PPC service operates so that you only pay every time someone clicks on your link. So your link will be displayed but if nobody clicks on the link you are not charged. This can help save you money unlike other advertising like on the radio where you pay an extortionate fee no matter what. The fact that you only pay for the people that click on your link make this form of advertising more efficient than other forms. The people that do click on your link are likely to buy your products as they are probably of high quality. This then makes your return on investment high as when you do pay for a click that person is likely to bring in sales for your business.

Google PPC lets you choose your own ad so it can be more specific to your own business. By writing the ad yourself you can choose the message for certain times of year. For example when it comes to Valentine's Day you may want an advert about flowers saying get some for your loved ones. As well as this you can choose your own keywords and like the personalized advert it can let you target certain people so that the traffic you do receive on your website is quality traffic. This means the people that visit your website use your services by signing up or purchasing something as there is no point having people visit your website if all they do it look at the website then go; it leaves you where you are now.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of making a website appear more visible on search engines natural results. If you know what you are doing it is free and this is the more popular way of making your website appear on Google. The problem with this is that your natural rankings could change overnight and it could suddenly put you on page 10. Whereas with Google PPC you a control over where your advert appears meaning until your budget has been use the advert will appear and traffic will stay at a constant level.

Google PPC gives you control over the advert which is extremely important. If you feel you are receiving enough traffic for the time being you can simply turn off your advert so it will not appear anymore. The budget you have left will still remain and you can simply turn it back on when your traffic begins to dip. This allows you to keep a constant level of traffic as well as helping you grow when you want to. In addition to this you can make sure that the budget that you set is not overspent so you will not suddenly be left owing Google an extra £100.

Google PPC can help you take your business to the next level and with over 90% of the search engine market share there is certainly the potential. No matter how big or small your business is you can still benefit from this.

How To Generate More Money In 7 Days

We all need to know how to generate more money in hurry at one time or another. It could be that your house is screaming out for a makeover, your car needs new tyres, yet another school trip needs to be paid for, or you may even have just found the perfect low cost business to start but you haven't got the cash that you need. So is there really an easy way to generate money within 7 days?

To make money you generally need a product or service to sell but what if you haven't got a product to sell, can you still generate cash?

Yes and it's easier than you think.

There is an easy way to generate more money without having to source a product, without having to sell direct to customers and without having to pay for advertising and the great news is that we all have what we need to make more money already in our homes.

All of us have unwanted items lying around the house. Just taking a look in your attic, garage or even in your downstairs cupboards will reveal many items that can create some extra cash for you.

You could then raise money for these items.

But what if you don't want to set up a stall and have to wait for passersby to buy from you in a car boot sale?

There is an alternative. You could sell your items on the biggest online "car boot sale" on the planet... eBay.

The great thing is that you do not need any experience to sell on eBay and the site provides easy step by step instructions on how to sell on eBay.

The other great advantages of selling on eBay are;

You do not need to have direct contact with the person who buys from you.

The customers are more targeted to what you are selling i.e..they know what they are looking for and therefore will be diverted to your product.

People are looking for bargains and if you have what they are looking for at a reasonable price they will buy from you.

What items can you sell on eBay?

There is no limit to what you can sell on eBay... Ranging from clothes, CDs, DVDs, books, manuals, "how to" business opportunities for those opportunity junkies who have amassed numerous sets of the latest ways to make money, the list goes on and on.

Some people have even sold bizarre items like a Tupperware box filled with hurricane wind or a carrot that attracted a lot of bids purely by the seller asking for a good home for his carrot which he had even named.

eBay has also made individuals seriously rich.

Take for example Alex Tew. In August 2006, 21 year old British student Alex decided to use eBay to launch a one page website selling pixels as advertising space. His aim was to raise money for his university education to avoid having to pay off a huge student loan at the end of his studies. He very cleverly sold the pixels for $1 per pixel as he figured that the US had a larger online population.

In January 2006 his final 1000 pixels were put up for auction and closed on the 11th January with a winning bid of $38,000 resulting in a final $1037,000 in gross income! There really are endless ways to make money with eBay.

As previously stated, selling on eBay is really easy. If you need to know how to set up an eBay account, the site has easy tutorials for you to use to get started.

To sell an item on eBay you will need to:

1. Sign up as an eBay seller.

2. Take a photo of your items and provide a brief description of each. You could also cross reference other items that you are selling by adding something like "Don't forget to check out my other auctions for other great products on...

3. List the item

4. Detail prices, payment and postage information.

5. State the length of time for bidding. It is better not to have a reserve price in order to ensure that your item will be sold and the longer time you allow for bidding, the more money you will generate. However, to generate money quickly, within 7 days, you will need to restrict the bidding time to 7 days or under.

I have used eBay many times to generate more money and it really is one of the quickest and easiest ways to generate cash and can even provide project money for those of you wanting to start a business.

What Can Be Compensated With Travel Insurance?

A lot of people don't mind their safety when traveling abroad. They think it's all about fun and thrill. But that should not be the case. If you are traveling to countries with high kidnapping risk, for instance, it's just reasonable to contact kidnap and ransom insurance companies to seek for advice and to obtain the right insurance product for you. Obtaining travel insurance is essential. The worst can happen to people who fall into the trap of too much complacency. Travelers have been victims of theft, crime, accidents, and medical emergencies. Without insurance they could be vulnerable.

Do not think of travel insurance as an added and unwanted expense. Many people don't mind paying for their travel insurance as long as doing so gives them peace of mind. With this form of insurance, you are assured protection in case something goes wrong. For overseas vacations, travel insurance is extremely necessary.

Keep in mind that there are different forms of insurance. Travel insurance may include only compensation for medical costs and losses incurred during the trip. Many companies also provide travel insurance for kidnapping.

If you have travel insurance, the following can be compensated:

Medical Costs

Accidents and sickness can happen to travelers. If you get hospitalized in a foreign country and you have no insurance, you end up paying all the hospital bills. Many American tourists would have to return to the United States. Imagine paying all the travel bills if you have no insurance.

Loss

You may lose belongings when traveling. Cases of lost baggage at airports and terminals are high. For tourists loss of baggage is extremely inconvenient in an unfamiliar land. It could ruin a supposed to be happy vacation. If you are an insurance holder, your frustration could be eased.

Cancelled Flights

This is another common complaint of travelers. Canceled flights actually bring about annoyance and distress. Flight cancellation causes passengers to wait for several hours and even days for another flight. You could miss out on events you're supposed to go to or miss package tours and accommodations you have already booked and paid. Travel insurance covers this trouble.

Calamities

If you travel to Bangkok sometime in August or September, you may become a victim of flooding. Many travel destinations suffer from calamities at certain times of the year. Hurricanes sweep across the Caribbean. Bushfires happen in Spain or Australia. If you are unfortunate, you may become a victim of these natural calamities in the middle of your vacation. It is important to know if such acts of nature are covered by your insurance policy.

Kidnapping

Certain destinations in the world are known for cases of kidnapping. If you are traveling to other countries with some risk of kidnapping, it is practical to obtain travel insurance for kidnapping. This insurance could provide you benefits in case you fall victim of kidnapping. However, paying attention to travel advisories should keep you from becoming a victim yourself.

Emergencies

You may have to head back home because your mother fell ill or your associate notified you of a company emergency. These cases can cancel your vacation. Travel insurance may allow you to recover cost of canceled holidays.

Some people think that insurance policies are expensive. But if you want to put a prime on your security, getting an insurance product is not a bad idea. There are insurance policies that come at a reasonable price.

Be the Hammer - Make All Your Problems Look Like Nails

Having recently embarked on a vigorous campaign for our on-line business, I have encountered problems which have seemed insurmountable. Since embracing social media is imperative for any contemporary marketer, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have become fairly simple tools to use but when I began several months ago, they seemed impenetrable.

Similarly, the newer viral marketing requires discarding old habits which no longer work, re-learning methods of traffic acquisition and message design. The constants are learning both as noun and a verb. Google key words have become so expensive that for many of us, they are no longer viable for our small businesses.

How do we handle all this change which can seems chaotic?

Here are some techniques which have worked for me.

Create a plan. Sure, it may sound too simple but that is the only way to make a path through the chaos. The alternative is to flit from one activity to another wasting valuable time and energy. Devise the list of the most important activities which can potentially result in desired results- for me, that is increased traffic and customers. Share the list with your partners to assure that you are all on the same page; in environments of great change like that of on-line marketing in 2012, it is dangerously tempting for a team members to run off in different directions resulting in wasted money and time. Prevent that through frequent and clear communication among all your partners. Learn patience. Once again, this is so easy to say but so incredibly important. Take frequent breaks for exercise, and fun. Celebrate accomplishments.

Podcasting As a Web Medium - Benefits and Considerations

Today's Internet users are getting more and more familiar with the term "podcasting."

A podcast is an audio file that you can listen to while browsing a site. Usually, podcasts come with a subscription option, whereby you can download the latest updates to computers or MP3 players. Let us check out what exactly a podcast is and all the benefits of podcasting.

How does podcasting work?

One of the specialties of podcasts is that they allow you to listen to what you want as per your convenient time. If you are thinking that podcasts only relate to music, then you are mistaken. Podcasts cover a wide range of topics ranging from programming to health recipes. Some people might think that podcasts can only be heard through iPods. However, the truth is that you don't need iPods at all. All you need is either an MP3 player or a computer with Internet connection.

Before discussing about benefits of podcasting, let us learn about the technology behind podcasts. Podcasts are syndication of audio files using RSS feeds. Podcasts work in a similar fashion like the RSS feed reader. The difference is that the feed you are subscribing to have an audio file embedded within it.

The benefits of podcasting

From the business point of view, the benefits of podcasting can be extended to several areas. Firstly, you can reach a new section of web audience. People invite new, innovative media to reach them. Audio podcasts also allow people to surf other sites or work with other applications while they listen to it.

Podcasting is being used in the following areas:

Self-instructional walking tours offering informational content Brand promotional clips and interviews News coverage How-to-operate training materials etc. Storytelling to the visually challenged children

Building a lasting relationship with the visitors of your site is also one of the benefits of podcasting. Podcasts are your company's voice. As podcasts are optional, people who feel drawn to them must have genuine interest in your company's products and services.

By podcasting, you can beam seminars and conferences and portray your level of acceptance far and wide to your clients. You can also podcast your expertise in various fields, showcasing your depth of knowledge and a deep sense of business to your clients. The benefits of podcasting might also extend to bring you greater advertising revenues. If your podcasts become popular, advertisers might queue up before you to buy advertising slots. Podcasting also allow you to respond to customers' feedback and concerns promptly. This prevents depletion of your customer base in the long run.

How to run a successful podcasting program

So these were the benefits of podcasting; but before going for it, you need to do an assessment of your expectations and circumstances. First, determine your target audience. Will podcasting reach the right customer segment that you are eyeing at? Research shows that males between 34 and 54 constitute about half of the podcasting audience. While going for podcasting, give stress on what you are about to broadcast.

If the content is of some value (say, informational or an insight into your product's underlying technology or a product demo) to viewers, then only it is likely to be accepted. Lastly, you need to update your podcast periodically. If you want your subscribers to be happy, you need to update that on a regular basis with fresh, insightful content.

Humor Just Got A Whole Lot Funnier With Juggin Joe

Author Joseph Yakel presents his own blend of humor and melodrama in this country boy comedy. Offered as a light-hearted, fun adventure with a feel-good edge, Yakel said he was looking to amuse his audience with something a little different. "With Juggin Joe, I wanted to create a funny, but identifiable character, and his own unique 'hook', that would draw readers into his world. Hopefully, I've done that with this comedy adventure, and Joe and the rest of the gang will strike a good chord amongst readers."

Yakel describes "The Legend of Juggin Joe" as an over-the-top fictional humor story that takes place in and around the Town of Westerlo, NY, and centers around the life and times of a hillboy dubbed 'Juggin Joe', for his uncanny musical abilities with the jug. Yakel said, "This book is a country boy comedy/melodrama that I've written in 'country speak', which makes the story that much more fun to read. It's a light-hearted, clean, fun adventure, suitable for all audiences."

Have you ever watched a country movie, and, in a good natured way, tried to imitate the characters' accents and dialogue? Sure you have, and more than likely, you had yourself a good laugh with the trying. Now then, have you ever read a book with such a dialogue? Probably not, and further, you've likely never even seen such a book. Until now, that is. After you read 'The Legend of Juggin Joe', you'll be able to respond affirmatively that, not only have you satisfied your longing to fill this heretofore literary void, but that you had a hilariously good time in doing so! Once the rhythm of the dialogue takes root in your mind, you'll actually start thinking and talking like the characters! And that, my friends, is the key that unlocks your door to Joe's world!

As the story begins, you'll laugh at Joe's country ways, and, perhaps, perceive him and the rest of the gang, merely as 'bumpkins'. But, as the comedy-melodrama unfolds, you'll quickly realize that there is more below the surface of that Westerlo topsoil than you had initially suspected. As you wind your way through the chapters, your laughter will gradually shift from being aimed at Joe, and somehow become laughter shared with Joe! By the time you realize that this subtle transformation has occurred, the hook has already been set! All the while, the secrets to unlocking Joe's full potential in the world are slowly revealed.

It's easy to identify with Joe. You'll root him on, share his joy, and feel his pain, as he weathers the storms of life. By the time the book ends, you'll have gained a newfound respect and admiration for Joe, his good-natured antics, and for his unmistakably simple perspective of life. Simply put, Juggin Joe transforms those around him, and brings balance to the world - it's what he does.

If the grind of everyday life and work is putting you to sleep, worry your troubled heart no more. A remedy is now at hand. Good humor is a powerful antidote to the 'environmental lethargy' weighing you down. So, go ahead and read, "The Legend of Juggin Joe", and count yourself among those who have awaked!

"The Legend of Juggin Joe" * ISBN 1-4116-2588-9 * Pub date: March 2005 * $9.00 paperback * 123 pages *

Change A Teen Through Unconditional Acceptance

You may have heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In a nutshell, if we are to ever to ascend the summit of our true potential, and live a happy and fulfilling life (self-actualization), we must first provide ourselves the basic needs of, as Maslow puts it, Esteem, Love/belonging, Safety, and Physiological.

One of our most primary needs is ACCEPTANCE. It falls into the "Love/Belonging" and "Esteem" categories.

Acceptance is never more important than during the teen and preteen years - when they are clamoring, ever so awkwardly, toward adulthood and on their way to the summit of self-actualization (their true potential).

Many of us believe the basic need of Acceptance can only be supplied by others. That it is something that comes to us, and something others must provide for us.

"BZZZZZZZZT!" Wrong! Or, in the words of Alex Trebek, "Oooooo... sorry."

One thing I stress to teens as I travel across the country is that if they spend their time expecting other people to make them happy, they'll never be happy.

The same thing is true with Acceptance.

The person who should be the most accepting of you... is you.

Why do you think teens make so many stupid decisions? Even adults for that matter?

When people are hungry for acceptance and seek after validation, they make choices that they wouldn't normally make. They believe that by acting a certain way it will help them to be noticed and accepted by the person or group they're trying to impress.

Why do you think:

kids get involved in gangs there is a bullying epidemic in schools across our nations there are as many as 850,000 teen pregnancies reported each year 20% of teens have seriously considered suicide in the last 12 months 80% of 12th graders and 51.7% of 8th graders use alcohol as their drug of choice 1.3 million students fail to graduate each year

... and on and on.

To help a teen accept themselves, they must feel unconditional acceptance from you.

Giving a teen unconditional acceptance means regardless of what they've done, who they are, what they say, or where they come from, you make them feel understood instead of judged. And that's not always easy. We're human. It's natural to pass judgment.

Don't confuse acceptance with approval.

Accepting a teenager unconditionally doesn't mean you have to accept their reasoning, the premise of what they're saying, their poor behavior or bad attitude, their disrespect, their playing the victim card, or their oft-times poor sense of judgment.

But the simple act of showing them that you accept them for who they are, as a person - their weaknesses, strengths and all - is the first step to helping them build their own self-acceptance. This will lead to their building a more positive self-esteem and self-confidence. It will open the door of a truly meaningful relationship in inspiring and influencing the life of a teen.

Two and Four Stroke Engines - Fast and Simple Answers

Many years ago when I got hooked by motorcycles, I started to hear a lot about two and four stroke engines... It seemed there were (and there still are) strong opinions in pro and con of each of the engine types.

As Internet wasn't available, and as I was worried about other aspects or motorcycle riding back then, I left that question unanswered for a long time.

If this is your case or if your are interested in these two kind of internal combustion engines, in the next few lines I hope to give you a few fast answers and some resources to get more in depth information.

Just keep reading...

Here are some facts about two and four stroke engines:

TWO STROKE ENGINES

Cycle - Two Strokes:

1.- Compression (intake+compression)

2.- Combustion (combustion+exhaust)

Take a look at the cycle in: http://science.howstuffworks.com/two-stroke2.htm

Advantages of two stroke engines:

o The engine fires - spark plug ignites - once every revolution of the crankshaft.

o They produce twice the power than four stroke engines.

o They are much simpler than four stroke engines. Fewer parts to worry about.

Disadvantages:

o You have to mix two stroke engine oil with gas, and depending on your consumption, this might be expensive.

o They last less. Lubrication is not as efficient as in a four stroke engine with heavy oil.

o Do not use gas efficiently.

o Pollute more.

FOUR STROKE ENGINES

Cycle - Four Strokes:

1.- Intake

2.- Compression

3.- Combustion

4.- Exhaust

Take a look at the cycle in: http://science.howstuffworks.com/engine4.htm

Advantages of four stroke engines:

o Last longer than two stroke engines

o More efficient use of gas

o Pollute less than two stroke engines

Disadvantages:

o More complicated. Many more parts to worry about.

o Half as powerful as two stroke engines (for equivalent engines)

o Fires once every two revolutions.

If you want to learn more about two stroke and four stroke engines, take a look at the pages I mention above. You will find extensive information and diagrams that will solve all of your doubts.

Well I hope this gave you some basic information and helped you answer some FAQ about two and four stroke engines! :-)

Enjoy the ride!

Daniel Levy

Why Did I Survive Written By Heather Sharp

Heathers book serves several purposes for all of us. She survived two major accidents that could have killed her but didn't. Heather gives the reader her great fortitude along with her faith that forces her to push on in life to get better and be able to do some normal things in life. The lessons are terrific and will give all readers a different outlook on life as they read on. I enjoyed every part of this book especially the daily journal her family wrote while she was in the hospital the second time.

Heather had been in the military and became a pilot when women were finally allowed to fly in combat. She loved her flying and loved life. She eventually met "the right guy" and she and Jack got married. They had children and she left the military so she could be with her family more since the military limited her time off and places she had to go. She took a job with an airline, becoming a co-pilot and loving her job. However, life didn't remain good for Heather or her family when she was hit from the side while driving and was injured quite badly. Mainly her crushed pelvis and her traumatic brain injury were the worst. She recovered and was allowed to return to work after a year of rehabilitation and hard work to regain her faculties. Then in October 2010 she had another accident. Jack was cutting down trees and Heather was hit on the head by a falling tree and branches. This accident was the rough one. She was in the hospital for a long time as the medical staff did all they could to get her as near normal as possible. She was in a shell for her upper body support, part of her skull was removed so the doctors could relieve some of the pressure in her brain, and she was a mess almost from head to toe. No visitors except immediate family for a time at first, but Jack stayed with her pretty much 24/7 so he could be there for her all the time.

Eventually she improved and they brought her out of her induced coma to be followed by some extremely hard rehabilitation. Heather had to learn to do almost everything from scratch, from talking, to moving the slightest bit. Her sister-in-law kept a daily diary that is in the book and is very interesting. The family dog, Hannah, stayed with Heather a lot and that helped her healing as much as family did with their presence. The dog climbed into bed with her and snuggled. Heather's faith and belief in the power of prayer kept her mind and body on track towards healing; a healing that still goes on today. She is presently home and working on her many rehab things such as writing, remembering, reading, and recognizing things and people. She is improving and realizes she has no ability to go back to work now but who knows what the future will bring.

This entire book shows what faith and prayer can do for a person. If we all used that ability to connect with God our own lives would be so much better. Thankfully, Heather has that faith in God and after what she has been through the results of that faith shows every day. The book tells of her outlook on everyday life and gives us all so much to ponder in our lives. Heather is a miracle and she and her family know that for a fact.

Attendee Relationship Management Is Imperative For Making Your Training Programs Successful

Often training organizers concentrate entirely on implementing strategies and techniques for increasing the number of new and fresh attendees for their training sessions, ignoring the significance of creating a healthy and strong relation with their past registrants and trainees. Thus, their marketing approaches are only meant to promote the training courses or programs, targeting the new registrants. The key point, which most organizers fail to understand, is that the success of a training program or session not just merely depends on the capability to grab increased attendees but also on maintaining a great attendee relationship management process with the past and the existing trainees.

Retaining healthy relation with both past and existing trainees will benefit the organizers in numerous ways. Some of these are mentioned below:

· The word of mouth:

Within the marketing and promotion activities, nothing is as better as spreading the positive word of mouth. This is a very effective and consistent medium of advertising your training programs. The satisfied and happy trainees will spread good words about your training classes and might recommend other prospective students to register. Thus, it becomes extremely essential to maintain good rapport with the past as well as the current trainees.

· Anticipate increased attendees to your program:

Promoting your training program might require both planning and coordination and if you are not going to take effective measures, you may fail to generate desired attendees to your program. Attendee relationship management with both the past and the present trainees will make it much easier for you to market your class to interested trainees through their networks.

· Build up reliability for your training organization:

Being a training organizer, your vital responsibility should be to create reliability for your institute. A great way to make sure that the attendees are viewing your training classes as reputed and trustworthy is by offering value to them. A reputed and credible training organization will always draw more attendees and support than an undependable institute.

For maintaining an enhanced relationship with your prospects and past attendees at all times, you can also use the cloud-based training management solution, which will help you in boosting up the attendee relationship management. Some advantages of the solutions are:

· Flawless data integration, allowing training organizers to know their attendees closely.

· Secured payment management solution for making transactions easier so that attendees can sig-up for your upcoming program, instantly

· Customized reports for assessing the effectiveness of the program and generating feedback from the trainees.

With the increasing realization of the importance of attendee relationship management among the training organizers, it is expected that focusing on this aspect will enhance their brand value and will help them in promoting their training sessions, more effectively.

Finding a Local Moving Company for Your Crosstown Move

A local moving company might be beneficial to you if you are going crosstown. Going across the country can be difficult, but it is almost just as difficult to pack up to move across town. Obviously the move across the country is harder because of all of the distance, but going any distance necessitates packing up your belongings in some type of order.

You might be going the other side of town to be closer to work or the school you want your kids to be in. Whatever the reason, it will take some time to get packed up and moved. If you are trying to keep working through the process then you may want to hire a local moving company to do the majority of the work for you to save you time.

Before hiring any company to come and handle your belongings, you should definitely check up on them. The Better Business Bureau is one place that may be able to tell you something about a local moving company. Some companies are not registered with the organization. Another option is to find reviews of local moving companies in your area. Make sure to interview with them and get an estimate before doing anything else.

A company may seem very good, but that is sometimes where the reviews come in. Obviously someone can write a negative review, of course, and it may or may not be warranted. If you look at the reviews and there are some positive and some negative, read through them. Some people are just picky, and you might not even have a problem with what they say. Other times, you might find a number of the same legitimate complaints. This is when you need to be careful about hiring the company.

Hopefully you will be able to find a company to help you that also has a good reputation. One thing about making a move across town is that you will not spend all the money on mileage that you would if you were making a longer move.

You may prefer to pack the boxes and truck yourself and just get help with the actual move. This is fine, too. A company should be able to help you to do this as well as unpack.

Before making your choice for a local moving company, be sure and do a few price comparisons between other companies in your area. Read the fine print. Some might offer boxes and packing supplies for free while others charge for everything.

It's All About The Pool Finish

Today, many pool owners are focused on features that add to the aesthetic beauty of their swimming pool. This is greatly do to the accessibility of Social Media sites such as Facebook, Twitter Houzz, and Pinterest. Pool features, such as waterfalls and fountains, are great options for owners that want to remodel their pool. However, many remodels forget the pool's fundamental base. It's all about the pool finish.

For decades, swimming pools came in a limited number of shapes, styles and colors. Welcome to the future. In this day and age, a pool design is only limited by the imagination. Pool plaster has grown leaps and bounds in recent years. Plaster is the most common type of interior finish in the world. It used to only come in white and EVERYBODY had it. Today, pool plaster is highly customizable and unique. Interior finishes now come with many different textures, colors, and materials. One of these new pool finishes is Beadcrete. This is an innovatively formulated pool finish system incorporates the highest quality aggregates, polymer adapted cements and pigment technologies to create a truly exquisite pool finish. StoneScapes is also a new pool finish for pool owners who want a more rustic earthy looking swimming pool. StoneScapes combines artistry with durability of small pebbles and comfort to create the perfect finish for any pool. Tinted plaster is now an option that is available for pool owners. PlasterScapes reflects the colors of nature in your pool. This colored plaster achieves beautiful, consistent, lasting colors with high quality pigments for an exceptional, durable finish. JewelScapes captures the sparkle and brilliance of the world's finest gems in a stunning, durable interior finish. Available in array of dazzling colors, JewelScapes combines the beauty of smooth, colorful glass beads with the highest quality pigments and aggregates for a finish that's beyond compare.A good pool finish is the base for a great pool remodel and for its future.

Starting a pool remodel can be extremely stressful and nerve racking. Do you want to remodel your favorite swimming hole for relaxation or recreation? Trying to figure if a waterfall would look good here or a vanishing beach entry is the best option. Maybe with rising energy prices, remodeling for energy efficiency is the right path for your swimming pool remodel. Remember every swimming in the world has one basic fundamental element. Don't forget: it's all about the pool finish.