7 Ways to Turn Readers Into Friends

Back in my school days, if the teacher demanded a term paper I knew just what to do. I quickly researched the report, and wrote it as fast as I could.

Next, I reached for a thesaurus and looked up complicated, multi-syllable synonyms for my easy words. This turned my paper into a complex, obtuse mess.

That was wrong, wrong, wrong! Once I started to write for a living, I quickly discovered that if readers don't understand something, they simply quit reading!

So how can you make your writing less formal, more personal, and turn readers into interested friends? Here are some ideas I've stumbled across:

1. Think about a specific reader when you write. I usually picture a family member. This tends to make my writing less formal.

2. Ask a question. Example: "Do you ever get bored reading a long, complicated report?"

3. Propose a solution. Example: "Here's a way to alleviate afternoon boredom."

4. Present new evidence: Example: "My brother ? a historian ? claims he's discovered three new traits about medieval knights."

5. Offer free advice. Example: "I've found a new way to write research papers."

6. Share a shortcut. Example: "Here's a timesaving method to exercise better and more efficiently."

7. Tell how or why you started a project. Example: "I started this company with one goal: to help people find the job best suited for them."

Rix Quinn wrote the book of writing tips "Words That Stick." It's available at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/

For more information on his frequent phone seminars, e-mail him at mailto:rixquinn@charter.net

Ditch The Hotel For A Villa Or Vacation Home

Two visits to Budapest. Two apartments, walking distance from downtown. I did not even set foot in the Hilton. My mother and I saw Budapest like only someone who stays away from the Americanized hotels can. We stayed with the locals. We came to feel the city, not just see it.

Several years later, I returned to Europe on my honeymoon (this time, without my mother). The first two nights in a little village near Schaffhausen, Switzerland, we stayed in the European version of a vacation villa rental: our own unit in a private home, our own balcony overlooking the scenic village, comfort, privacy and peace.

Three weeks of touring brought us to one or two hotels, several bed and breakfasts, and a couple "gasthauses" in Austria and Liechtenstein that felt more like private homes.

"There is no way to compare the comfort and privacy of a private villa with squeezing everybody into an impersonal hotel room," says Stewart Granville, CEO of Last Minute Villas ( http://www.lastminutevillas.net ), a booking site for Florida villas and vacation rental homes. "You have your own space ? and lots of it ? and you don't have to worry about noise of peeping eyes. Usually you have a private pool, spa, sound system and other luxuries."

Last Minute Villas books some vacation rentals on Florida's Gulf Coast, but mostly in the Orlando area. Typically, theme park visitors stay in the motel strip in Kissimmee. Those with deeper pockets might stay at the Disney World Hotel. Few people realize that a Vacation home near Disney World or in nearby Orlando is even an option.

Fewer still realize how cheap it is. One Florida villa owner describes how he had just checked his guests in to his own Kissimmee/Orlando area villa. Drew was heading out of town, but he missed his flight. With ten people staying in his rental home, there really was no place for him. He checked into a very basic motel, typical of the Kissimmee strip, and realized he would be paying over $200 per night for ten people ? or about $1500 per week ? for uncomfortably basic motel rooms typical of Orlando and other vacation mecas.

"They stayed in my house for $900 - and they got their own private pool, ensuite bedrooms, laundry facilities, refrigerator and all the things you now take for granted in villas," Drew says. "It really opened my eyes to just what a sweet deal my visitors are getting ? and how little motel visitors get for their money, too."

Two years ago, my brother and I rented a private cottage in the Laurentians. We had four bedrooms, enough to accommodate both our young families. We could see two of the neighboring houses, which would be useful in case of an emergency.

We had the television, the stereo, the fire place, fresh raspberries right off the bushes around the house (some blueberries, too!), a screened patio with a private table/bench swing, and a nice big fridge to keep juice, milk and beer cool. We had plenty of space to spread out and a table just perfect for a relaxing evening of cards.

Last summer, we rented a private villa in the Laurentians again, this time overlooking a small lake, and a canoe was supplied.

Why would anybody want to crowd their family into a hotel room? Or even two? I've been spoiled. From Orlando, Florida to Budapest, Hungary, travel in style by staying in a private vacation rental home, no matter where you go.

About The Author

David Leonhardt is a freelance writer, and an online and offline publicity specialist. Contact him at: mailto:info@thehappyguy.com or visit his website at: http://www.thehappyguy.com

info@thehappyguy.com

Chakras 101

The chakras are different coloured energy centres that originate from seven different points in our body. Chakra is a Sanskrit (East Indian) word that means "Wheel". For millennia the chakras have been visualized as round balls, blossoms or spheres of light that can open, close, darken, brighten and spin! The location of each of the seven chakras represents a different aspect of human experience. Our emotions, ability to connect with others and physical health are thought to be reflected in the condition of each chakra.

Seeing your own chakras requires mental focus and powers of meditation. Remember these are imaginary entities that were invented by great mystics thousands of years before medical technology. The manipulation of these spheres or wheels of light, particularly the brightening and opening of them is thought, by many, to relieve a variety of ailments.

There are seven main chakra centres in the human body and the correspond with the seven colours of the rainbow or light spectrum:

The Red Chakra, also often referred to as the Root, First or Base chakra is at the base of the trunk of the body and is thought to correspond to the sex drive and to primal drives such as the desire to procreate, survive and destroy. This is the chakra to work on if you are having troubles with your health.

The Orange Chakra, sometimes called the Second, Sexual or Spleen chakra is in the abdomen and relates to the lower digestive organs. It corresponds to our ability to physically digest and eliminate food, emotionally digest events and process them in a healthy way and emotions such as joy or affection. This is the chakra to work on if you are having trouble letting go.

The Yellow Chakra, sometimes called the Third, Stomach or Solar plexus chakra is located in the upper stomach area just below the rib cage. It is the centre where we connect to others on an astral level and it relates to our abilities to transform or manifest events.

The Green Chakra is located in the chest and is related to the lungs and heart. It is sometimes called the Fourth or Heart chakra. It represents the flow of energy and flow of love in our lives as well as our ability to connect to others.

The Blue Chakra, sometimes called the Fifth, Thyroid or Throat chakra relates to the immune system, the regulation of hormones. It represents our ability to communicate effectively with others as well as creative and personal expression.

The Indigo Chakra, sometimes known as the Sixth chakra or the Third Eye, is located just slightly above and between the eyebrows on the forehead. It is related to the pituitary gland and mental and spiritual processes, as well as intuition, second sight.

The Violet Chakra, also sometimes known as the Crown chakra, the Seventh chakra, the White chakra or the lotus chakra is located at the top of the head. It is thought to be the gateway or connection to the spirit world, ascended masters and the higher self. It is the receptor of divine wisdom and divine inspiration.

When functioning well, the chakras are thought to be a conduit for the constant flow of energy through out our bodies. If these chakras are blocked, slowed in their spinning, darkened or not working, then you can correct this imbalance by imagining them being cleared from negative energies such as resentment, fear or trauma. Tuning up your chakras can make an enormous difference to your sense of well-being in general as they conduct the natural flow of energy through our bodies. Chakras that are blocked are thought to cause physical disease and emotional and spiritual dis-ease. Common blockages are negative emotions, the desire to hurt, being emotionally hurt, and the holding on to of fears and resentment and sometimes past life issues. The chakras interact with each other in a constant dancing of the spheres that extends outside our bodies. They exist in a constant state of renewal that can be enhanced by meditation, creative visualization, light working and breath work.

Samantha Steven's articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha's books about metaphysics click here http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110 You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

Creating Intense Emotions That Motivate People

Ever wish that your presentations could be as much fun as a cool TV commercial? Come late January every year network TV treats us to America's finest and most expensive commercials - Superbowl commercials. You may remember some of these even now, 2 weeks later. Which was your favorite? E*Trade? Fed-Ex? One of the dot.coms? My favorite was Mountain Dew.

The commercial opens showing an African desert at a distance. Drumming percussive music is playing at a moderate pace in the background. Switch to a close up view of a cheetah running fast across the desert floor. As the music builds, switch to a distance shot of a line of dust speeding across the desert. Hmmm. There's a second line of dust gaining on the first. Switch to the determined face of a mountain bike rider, teeth bared, and pumping rapidly at the pedals of his bike. Who's chasing who? The cheetah is the fastest land animal, capable of speeds up to 60 miles per hour. Switch to a front view - the mountain biker is chasing the cheetah! What's going on here? As the biker gets closer and closer to the cheetah, the music and the anticipation build. The chase is getting increasingly more exciting, and more dangerous. As the biker closes in on the cheetah, he launches off his bike, and tackles the cheetah to the ground. He gets up, cautiously approaching the cheetah with both hands poised, and reaches into the cheetah's mouth, deep down into its stomach. Suddenly he pulls his arm out, and ... it's a punctured can of Mountain Dew - empty.

After a brief shot of three guys standing with their bikes watching in the distance, the biker scolds the cheetah for drinking his Mountain Dew "bad cheetah!" One of the three guys says "see, that's why I am not a cat person". Some party music kicks in while the three guys are shown chugging cans of Mountain Dew. The commercial closes with a shot of the cheetah walking around with Mountain Dew's tag-line, "Do the Dew", written in its spots.

Pretty fun, and pretty funny. What happened here? Put simply, Mountain Dew is using your emotions to get you to desire and purchase their product. The essence of an excellent commercial is to create an intense emotion within prospects who fit the target market, and then anchor the prospect's emotion to the product at the emotional peak of the experience. By creating an intense enough emotion, and repeatedly anchoring it, the prospect will later recall the emotion, the next time that he sees the product. The associated feelings dramatically increase his propensity to purchase the product.

So how can you use this? Plan stories into your customer presentations. Design a story with emotions that you wish to associate with your product or service. Choose emotions that will help sell your product. Use the story to create the emotion, to build the emotion, and to stack it until it is intense. Then slam home your product message at the peak of the emotion. If you have ever told a story with feeling or recalled an emotional experience to someone else, then you have already done this. This is equally effective in a brief one minute interaction, or in a one hour presentation.

First, you want to plan the sequence of emotions that you your audience should feel during the presentation. In the Mountain Dew commercial, the range of emotions went something like this: intrigue, anticipation, excitement, fun, friendship. These are the emotions that Mountain Dew wants you to feel the next time you see a can in the store. You want to plan the pictures, sounds, and words that will elicit the intended emotions from the audience during your presentation. The director of the Mountain Dew commercial scripted this out in detail.

Finally, plan what product message you are going to anchor at the peak emotional moment of your presentation. The Mountain Dew can with Logo was shown to you right at the peak of the anticipation and excitement after the biker tackled the cheetah. You saw it again with the three friends chugging it, anchoring you to friendship. The final anchoring was with the tag-line written in the spots of the cheetah sexily strutting by. The Mountain Dew logo was anchored three times to excitement, friendship, and sex.

Pictures and sounds are very important in creating emotions. If you help the prospect create pictures and sounds in their own minds, you help them to create their own unique meaning of the experience you give them. There was very little dialog in the Mountain Dew commercial. Instead, the visceral experience of the biker chasing the cheetah sells you the product. Only 7% of all communication comes through in the words we say. 55% of all communication comes through in the physiology we observe in others, and the remaining 38% come through in subtleties of the sounds we hear.

Telling stories allows you to fully engage your audience's emotions. Features and benefits are important, but emotions are how most people make purchasing decisions. Now, do you really want to give another bullet-list PowerPoint presentation?

? 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.

Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/

10 Secrets to Get Your Press Release Noticed

It's difficult enough running the day-to-day aspects of a business, let alone trying to drum up new business as you go. But according to Shannon Cherry, APR, even if you have additional staff helping to get the word out about your products and services, location and prices, delivery and sales support, news releases can make your company grow faster.

"A news release is sent to editors and journalists in order to generate a news story in the media," says Cherry, president of Cherry Communications which helps businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations to be heard through marketing communications. "It's one of the easiest and cost-effective ways to get your message out there. If a reporter decides to run your release, your business receives space for free - and more credibility than just running an ad."

Cherry explains that it's critical in today's business world to be seen, a key element in any business plan. She shares her top ten secrets to getting a news release noticed:

1) Your press release should sound like news, not an ad. You need to make sure your news is newsworthy, so start thinking like a reporter.

2) You should only send your press release to the media related to the topic of your press release. Don't just send the press release to every reporter you can find.

3) Keep your press release one page in length. Truth is, most editors will only read the headline and the first line or two of your release.

4) Your header, contact information and release date should be at the top of your press release.

5) Use short sentences and double space your lines.

6) Your headline and first few sentences should grab the reader's attention. Write like the news organizations you are targeting.

7) You should tell a story and mention your business, product or service in the body of the release.

8) Proofread your release many times. Look for grammar and spelling mistakes.

9) Follow up is not only recommended, it is vital. But don't call every other day asking if your release will run. Call once to see if there is any interest, but don't nag.

10) Stick to the facts. Tell the truth. Avoid fluff, embellishments and exaggerations. tone it down a bit.

And a bonus:

Use active, not passive, voice. Verbs in the active voice bring your press release to life. Writing in this manner helps guarantee that your press release will be read.

Shannon Cherry, APR, MA helps businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations to be heard. She's a marketing communications and public relations expert with more than 15 years experience and the owner of Cherry Communications. Subscribe today for Be Heard! our free biweekly ezine and get a free special report: "Get Set For Success: Creative, Low-Cost Marketing Tips to Help You be Heard." Go to www.cherrycommunications.com.

Free Stuff for Twins: Incentives for Parents of Multiple Births

A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is to give birth to twins! You'll have twice the smiles, goos & coos, giggles, and firsts (first words, first steps, first burps...) But for many soon-to-be parents of twins, once the excitement wears off, the math sets in...

Suddenly you find yourself with twice the dirty diapers, twice the mouths to feed in the middle of the night, twice the formula to buy. Then, there are twice the outfits and booties to get. You'll need two cribs, playpens, baby swings... The next thing you know, double the fun has turned into triple the financial stress.

But before you begin pulling out your hair and pawning the family keepsakes, read on. Many rewards and incentive companies out there realize that oftentimes, parents of twins need an extra break. They offer coupons, freebies, discounts, free stuff for twins and many other incentives.

Gerardas Norkus is a successful author and publisher of http://www.1st-in-rewards.com

Great tips on receiving free merchandise and money from top online rewards programs.

(c) Copyright 2004, http://www.1st-in-rewards.com. All rights reserved.

Publishing Guidelines: You may freely distribute or publish this article provided you publish the whole article and include the copyright notice and links in full. A courtesy copy is requested upon publication.

Modern Medicine Has Extended Life - BUT 9 Out of 10 People Say Its a Miserable Extension!

Sit down in a quiet place alone and take a minute to notice how you really feel inside and out? Would you consider yourself in good health or living a slow death you call life? As you sit quietly observing yourself, pay attention to the signs and symptoms of your body. Notice the things you've been ignoring such as a low-grade headache that rarely ceases, aching joints, slightly blurred vision, a bulging stomach, sagging chin, no zest for life or maybe a definite feeling of being bone tired and constantly in pain somewhere.

The ease and efficiency of your body to function properly, providing you with a painless, disease free, energetic, lean existence is within your realm of control. To accomplish this type of life-style, you need to have the know-how and be able to read the signs along the freeway of life that leads to excellent health.

Health is an ongoing process of constant change. Over the past 20 years in the health and nutrition business we (here at EAT & Be Lean) have discovered that there are five levels of health. You must become aware of what these levels are and how to move up the scale. These levels of health are discussed in the EAT & Be Lean Common Sense Health Solutions newsletter at www.EATandBeLean.com. Do you wonder which one you fit into today? The one you fit into is your choice! The following will give you a brief description of a level one approach to health.

The level one motto is, "Eat, drink and be merry if possible, for today and every day I will live a slow, miserable, death process."

Water is used mainly for bathing, swimming and watering the plants. Heaven forbid they should drink it! Examples of level one drinks are soda pop (especially caffeinated colas) beer, and high sugar juices.

Vegetables are little known substances to level one people with French fries now listed at the number one consumed vegetable for our youth. Ketchup runs a tight second. How pathetic! Grains are rarely recognized as anything at all. There is little understanding about the possibilities of the variety and use of grains. Level one products are "enriched" white breads, white buns, white pastas and white rice. Fruits are obtained mainly through juices (as mentioned earlier) that contain very little, if any of the original fiber content of the whole fruit. Sugar content is high here. Proteins are in the form of meats (95% of the time) and are a main course at every meal. Lots of red meats are used such as hamburger, hotdogs, and bacon, Spam, roast, pork chops, etc. Deserts after meals and on an empty stomach are the rule. Candy will frequently be the substitute for an entire meal or two each day.

At level one, microwave ovens are their only source for cooking; regardless of forthcoming information as to the damage it causes within the body. After all, "quick and easy" is the key to everything for the bargain basement of health!

For level one people, exercise seems confusing and an unnecessary source of pain. It is disregarded completely. Television is their main activity during the day. Their eyes are the most exercised portions of their body along with their index finger on the remote control hand. When and if family activities do take place, their participation is quite brief and may end in a nap while the festivities carry on without them.

Attitude at level one is often contentious and stress filled in dealing with relationships because they don't feel good and they don't have patience or understanding for other people, especially those close to them. On occasions, when they feel pretty good, the positive side may immerge long enough for people to remember why they liked them in the first place.

The quality of health is poor at level one. Level one people can expect to "catch" everything everyone has in the office or that is brought home from school. Fatigue is commonplace and accepted as "the way things are." Hay fever and asthma are common along with headaches, skin growths and worsening obesity, which plagues their existence. Joint and muscle pain creeps in slowly and painfully, growing worse each passing year. Disease is a part of their lives and they are filled with fear when they think about "catching" something.

Overall there is very little understanding for good health principles at level one. They talk as though they know a lot about how the body functions, but in fact they know very little. They can be found quoting studies that support their destructive habits and attitudes. Many can hardly remember what it feels like to feel good and may even have lost their ability to compare. Level one people eat out often. Some eat out every meal! They often smoke, drink alcoholic beverages under the guise of medication and use a variety of medications for every ailment under the sun (which they will experience). Antibiotics and Prozac are taken like vitamins! Drugs are always overused, abused and addictive. These people are commonly late to bed and if at all possible, late to rise. They either sleep too many hours or can't sleep well at all.

Summary

Is this you? Sick of being sick, fat and miserable? Learn how to lower your fat setpoint and raise your level of health by signing up for a FREE common sense health solutions newsletter at www.EATandbelean.com. Start today! Remember, the level you are on is never permanent. If you don't like this level, with time and a little effort daily, you can move up to a healthier, more active life-style. That's why the Favorite Family Recipes eCookbook was written. It is a wonderful resource to help you make the jump from level 1 to level 2 and help you prepare for level 3 (EAT & Be lean Success Formula student manual). It is packed full of delicious, family tested recipes, that are partially healthified for you. It teaches you how to change any recipe you might already have to a healthier level. You do deserve a break today; one that will create a happier, leaner, healthier, more energetic existence for you and your family.

Additional details of this article may be found at http://www.eatandbelean.com/newsletters/Issue_103.htm#3.

Article by Chris Humpherys - Chris has a master's degree in Professional Leadership and Athletic Training from Brigham Young University. She has been in the health and nutrition field for over 30 years, has co-authored 3 health and nutrition books, and is currently the CEO of Thornock International Productions, Inc. and EAT & Be Lean - http://www.eatandbelean.com

For powerful, common sense health solutions that are very effective in dealing with illness prevention and reversal without requiring you to buy pills (medications), powders or packets of food.

Copyright 2005 THORNOCK INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS, INC. - All Rights Reserved. EAT & Be Lean