Eagle Sins - Cardinal Virtues - Home Seller Assist

Sports and contains so many metaphors about what it takes to succeed - that anyone who completely ignores them is truly missing the boat. A friend once said, "I think you learn MORE from sports than you do from sitting in the classroom." He was right.

And yesterday's NFC title game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals contained several examples of what makes a winner - and what leads to losing.

First, to win, it is NOT the first effort that usually gets the job done. It's the second and third and fourth efforts. This was readily apparent in the play of Cardinals' receiver Larry Fitzgerald. He may have longer hair than the rest; he may cut his sleeves a bit higher than most; he may go without thigh and knee pads - but when he catches the ball, you can count on him NOT stopping when hit once. The first time he scored he was hit three times - yet he bounced off each hit and found a way into the end zone. THAT is what it takes to win. No matter what you're doing in life - watch Fitzgerald keep fighting and do the same thing. Never give up at the first sign of trouble or defeat. Keep on keeping on and you'll be amazed at how many people let up because they expected YOU to stop.

Second, celebrating victory is fine. But be very, very careful about celebrating BEFORE victory. When I watch Donovan McNabb play, I cringe when I see him getting cocky after running for a first down in the first quarter. Man, you've got 3+ quarters to go, and you're already acting like it's a done deal. Bad move.

Naturally, the NFL is filled with idiots who showboat when ever they make a great play. They do this, in part, in the hopes of securing a spot in the media upon retirement - and in part because they lack humility. But it's a dangerous practice that screams, "me, me, me" rather than "team, team, team." A week ago, McNabb ran out of bounds against the Giants. He danced before one of the Giants coaches - then picked up the team phone on their sideline. Bad move. Dumb move. And this is precisely the sort of antics that have led to him being a perennial choker.

Third, never let up once you take the lead. The Eagles rallied in the second half, scoring three touchdowns in less than ten minutes. They took the lead by one point, 25-24. I wondered if the Cardinals could come back because the Eagles had shut them down the whole second half. I thought: "Often times a team uses all of its energy to catch up or take the lead, and once they do, they let up again." This is precisely what happened in the final ten minutes of the game. The Cardinals drove down the field, controlling the time and the ball - and scored a critical touchdown and 2-pt. conversion. Even so, they did not celebrate like the game was over. There would be plenty of time for that AFTER the game.

I use this with the Home Seller Assist program created by John Alexander and never give up after the first or second attempts. If you do the same, you will succeed too.

Are You Asking Enough Questions?

By Jason Holland

How do you find out what you need to know? By asking questions, of course.

But in a business environment, that simple practice all too often goes out the window.

Whether you're intimidated by your boss, afraid to look dumb in front of a coworker, or embarrassed by your lack of knowledge, not asking questions can have serious consequences: failed plans, miscommunication, and stalled innovation.

Suppose, for example, you get assigned a new project by your superior. What you shouldn't do: Spend three days trying to figure out what she meant by "Look at the 2005 results" when you have no idea what happened in 2005. What you should do: Go back down to her office the next day with a specific list of items you need clarified.

Or imagine you receive an e-mail with an attachment you can't download. What you shouldn't do: Spend hours trying to figure out the problem on your own. What you should do: Consult the IT department or ask the person to send you the file in another format.

I'm not advocating that you ask people in your company to hold your hand 24/7. You do have to figure things out on your own and do your own research. But don't assume you know everything. And don't be afraid to ask questions - "big picture" or very specific - when you know you don't understand.

A Commonsense Approach to Getting Free Publicity

By Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby

Of the many channels of marketing, public relations is one that no business should ignore. And because PR is nearly free, that makes it an ideal channel for small and start-up businesses.

So how do you get your company and/or product mentioned on television and in the newspapers? You start by understanding what they are looking for. Generally speaking, they are looking for two things:

News about subjects their readers are already interested in (i.e., Britney Spears - not you).

Captivating and/or curious tidbits to fill in the gaps.

It is only into this second category of "news" coverage that you can hope to find a welcome place for your public relations campaigns.

It's unlikely that the media will be interested in any sort of news about your Home Seller Assist business, which was created by John Alexander. Yes you may be able to get news about your company published in an industry trade journal, but what good is that? Your customers aren't reading trade journals. They are watching TV and reading USA Today.

So begin with this: What you won't do. You won't waste your time and resources sending out press releases to the national media about company news. And if you do announce corporate news in industry periodicals, it will not be with any hope that it will boost your sales.

What you will do is figure out, first and foremost, which news media you want to be in, and then figure out how to create curious and captivating stories that relate to your business.

Web Surfers Are Spending 46% MORE Time Watching Online Videos

A trend that will continue to have a HUGE impact on Internet marketers everywhere -- and really change the way we sell online -- is the growing popularity of online video. Check this out: 94% of Internet users now watch online video with some level of frequency, and people now spend a whopping 46% MORE time each DAY watching videos, compared to last year! So if you haven't dipped your toe into the online video world, you'd better get cracking! Video, like blogging, has multiple benefits for your business: You can use video in your salescopy in order to more effectively sell your product... you can use it for SEO purposes and traffic generation (Google LOVES video!)... to create informative or educational videos for your niche... and to spread the word about your business. And you don't need to have a lot of complicated equipment or technical expertise to produce your own quality videos. Many people working the Home Seller Assist program are using videos quite profitably.

What If You KNEW You Couldn’t Fail?

What if you knew you couldn't fail at making money? I mean it...

What if you could attract wealth effortlessly?

Opportunities you never thought possible PLOPPED into your lap with a note attached that read, "These dead presidents are for you..."

Not just any money... but a financial windfall that is so huge you think a rich relative died and left you an inheritance... THAT type of wealth.

GONE are your unpaid bills... GONE is that old clunker of a car... GONE is the stress of never having to worry about making lots of money and your family never suffering again!

Now, how would your life change if you had a Mentor reveal to you his "wealth attraction secrets?"

And what if I told you could learn all these money-magnet strategies in just days - guaranteed?

If you are really curious head over to the We Provide The Cash site and let John Alexander show you how it can be done starting minutes from now.

Start more blogs

When a single blog isn’t enough, you can always start multiple blogs.

Obviously, it’s going to take up even more of your time, so think through your current situation before you make the jump.

There aren’t too many bloggers who are willing to have yet another blog to build content for. We have several blogs setup for the Home Seller Assist program and for
We Provide The Cash created by John Alexander.

The one’s that do, usually do it on a completely different topic to satisfy their other passion.

Tactics and Tenacity

Every January there is usually a surge of would be entrepreneurs seeking advice on how to start a business; I am referring to any business not just the Home Seller Assist business. By March though the surge dies down as the New Year’s resolutions loose their shine. One by one, millions of start-up dreams give way to life as usual.

With the right tactics and tenacity, though, you can go beyond life as usual and enjoy the passionate, creative and fulfilling life of an entrepreneur. To make sure you succeed in starting up in the year ahead, follow these recommendations.

Know what you’re after. For a dream to be realized, it has to be built on reality – your reality. Define what you love doing, what you are good at doing and where you have experience. Also, get clear on what resources are available, what you’re willing to risk and what you ultimately want to gain. Put your answers in writing to use as a compass for all decision making. This should help you avoid a situation where you end up working for your business instead of your business working for you.

Research extensively but quickly. Search the internet, conduct a brief survey, read industry studies, attend trade shows – do everything you can to be smart about your business niche. Apply that learning to your specific concept to make sure all of your operational, financial and customer assumptions are on target.

Test-drive your assumptions. As quickly as possible, test your ideas on customers. Your first handful of customers will teach you more about your business opportunity than anything else will. Just be prepared to go back to the drawing board – initial feedback may require you to change key assumptions.

Monitor progress with milestones. Create a chart that shows dates by which you plan to achieve major milestones. Include things like “launch website,” “Close 1st transaction,” “break even,” “Close 10th transaction,” etc. Hitting the milestones is important, but even more critical is adjusting your course when you don’t.

Use the buddy system. I’ve always been more focused and effective when I’ve had someone to talk to about my business. For some people this can be a mentor; for others a paid coach. For me, simply having a buddy who is smart and supportive and who holds me accountable for my wide-eyed entrepreneurial ambitions has done the trick. Knowing that you have to report adds a level of discipline to your work and may be just what you need to help you realize your start-up dreams for the We Provide The Cash business which was created by John Alexander.