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Are you ready for Cyber Monday? We are. All day Monday, November 29th get 25% off everything in the store PLUS free shipping. We will also offer a few "one hour specials"... So be ready. Visit Inspirational Expressions today!
I'm originally from Detroit, Michigan. I now live in Scottsdale,Arizona. I went from the #1 Chocolate City to the 5th whitest city in America. Yes there was a cultural shock. I celebrate Kwanzaa no matter where I am if I have to celebrate it with just my daughter and myslf.
In Detroit its a very big deal with Kwanzaa Celebrations going on every nite. Kwanzaa has grown fron a Black American Celebration to one that is celebrated world wide. All communities are now celebrating Kwanzaa. People celebrate at home, in the workplace and at their houses of worship. Gatherings go from informal to very elaborate events where people rent nightclubs, Museum of African American History and other large venues. Many of them including the City Hall Building allow vendors to come sell and disseminate info about their businesses.
Truly celebrating the principle and purpose of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa provides a way to Buy Black and shop local. Many consumers discover businesses they never knew existed and continue to patronize after the season.
Do you celebrate Kwanzaa? Whether you celebrate or not it is a gift buying season with emphasis on handcrafted items as gifts. If you sell product you really show have Kwanzaa as part of your marketing stategy. There are now many who no longer celebrate Christmas because it has become so commerical and they only celebrate in church. Many of these same people celebrate Kwanzaa because it is a time of communal sharing and the emphasis on handcrafted gifts.
Do you celebrate or ignore Kwanzaa? Kwanzaa.com will give you info on how to share Kwanzaa with your family.
All the best
Michelle aka WireQueen
I edited my entire Wire Queen shop on Etsy using the new feature "On Sale" to take 10% off all my one of a kind handmade jewelry. With the click of a mouse I took 10% off shop wide. I then set up the coupon code on paypal to take an additional 10% percent off using the coupon code "BOOKMARK". You can receive a totaI discount of 20% off. I rarely do sales so this is your opportunity to get one of a kind handmade quality jewelry.
Grab your pretties now because when they're gone, they're gone. http://wirequeen.com
So I began to think about a conversation I had with Lashundra the other day she said " YOu have to be authentic and transparent"...as simple as that is..it is hard for some people to wrap their mind around. I am thinking be transparent..are you serious..so you want me to tell people that I lost over 50lbs and I still struggle with food choices...so you want me to tell people "You can do it"but I have affirmations all over my house reminding ME that I CAN do it:)
Yikes that is scary but heck what is there to lose? My life is the best story that was ever written so why not tell it..why not share with the world....can't always be the expert..can't always be the guru with no flaws...heck this is NOT corporate america..its Attraction marketing...so the same thing that attracts a moth to a fire..is what will attract others to YOU...YOUR LIGHT...so Go on out there is the world...and let it shine...shine shine shine :)
Kai
www.bit.ly/KaiSpeaksHealthBlog
Wishing you Greatness...4 You were made Great in his image :)
Though this may seem obvious, it is often overlooked or done poorly.First, say your name and company, then ask for the same from your listener.
2. Be specific about your line of work.
Don't say, I'm in technology or, I'm in insurance. Instead, bespecific. For example, “I specialize in creating targeted marketing solutions for business insurance agents. Or, We focus on the lowest possible fares for law firms that fly their lawyers on short notice, and we can get them waivers and favors to reduce their bottom lines.
3. Organize your introduction.
Prepare a 15-second opening statement that describes what you do. Ifyour product or service is technical or hard to explain, begin with a 15- to 20-second story that illustrates how you provide solutions for your clients. Stories help create and maintain listener interest.
4. Inform, don't sell.
Don’t come on with a sales pitch. Always remember that your initial goal is in building a relationship. When in doubt, remember a low-key introduction is always better.
5. Be yourself.
Not being yourself can make you look silly, artificial, or worse.Learn what makes people receptive and master that. There is no substitute for being genuine.
6. Be a better listener,
When someone else is speaking, it’s tempting to be thinking of yourresponse. But careful listening builds goodwill, trust, and confidence. Two ears, one mouth, use them proportionately.
7. Follow-up.
Always send a personal note to follow-up your conversations. It isunlikely your listener will need your product or service immediately. But don't be surprised when they make the call and say, I really appreciated your note when we met last. Oh, and can you do it via email? Sure, but a sending a personalized greeting card goes a long way toward making a lasting impression.
So after your next networking event, pick someone and send them a follow-up greeting card on me. Go to www.sendoutcards.com/80793 - click option #2 and follow the prompts.
Take care and stay blessed!
This is a blog post from http://stephanieathome.blogspot.com/
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| picture courtesy of cartoonstock.com |
Oh where, oh where did customer service go? While renovating our house we've made purchases from a lot of different businesses. From mom-and-pop shops to the big box retail companies to independent contractors and I must say the one thing that they all have in common is a general lack of good customer service. It seems to me the general attitude these days is to just 'get the job done'. But, it should (at least in my opinion) be about more than just getting the job done, it should also be about delivering the best experience possible to the customer.
What does that mean exactly? It's all the things that show you care and actually value your customers. It's putting the phone down when you're clearly on a personal call to ring a customer up at the cash register rather than making them wait till you're finished telling Missy about your hot date last night. It's about actually leaving your store open till the closing time printed on your front window rather than locking the doors and packing up at quarter-to, so you can get out of there as soon as the clock strikes 5:00. It's about skipping lunch (and yes I've done it many times before myself) to help a customer rather then telling them they are SOL because it's time for your break. It's using words like 'good morning', 'good afternoon' and 'good night". It's about simply thanking your customers for their purchase. It's about letting them know that you would be happy to see them come back again.
It's all of those little things (that don't cost anything extra to do by the way), that will make a customer drive past three of your competitors and go out of their way to shop with you because they want to repeat the great experience they had the first time. Soon that repeat customer turns into a loyal customer. Then their loyalty spreads to their family and friends. And in no time you've developed a cult following all because you said 'good morning'. Ok, so it's not quite that simple, but still I wouldn't underestimate the power of good customer service.
So all you business owners out there, think about the little things you can do to help your customers have a more enjoyable experience when they enter your store. And don't keep it a secret, train your employees to put a smile on the customer's face. After all, you don't want someone you're paying to lose you money at the end of the day. So spread the word, good customer service is the newest trend in town and it's here to stay.
To read more from Stephanie @ Home, visit her blog, http://stephanieathome.blogspot.com/
Two things ... (one) when I asked for suggestions on how to make BBWO better one member requested more information about useful web tools online and offline. Then (# two) on the Digital Sisterhood call last night (audio replay here) one of the topics we talked about "Our Favorite Web Tools." I discovered quite a few resources I've never heard of....
SO I put one and two together to create my latest creation, "Dollar Downloads." I will regularly either give you a code to download one of my digital products for $1 OR share other eBooks, eCourses, web tools, and apps that you can try for $1 or less. And to ensure that I'm not the only one sharing, I've also created a 'Dollar Downloads BBWO Group', so that you can share your creations and/or finds with the entire BBWO community.
I loved being on the Sisterhood radio show last night AND even though I planned on shutting down my Sistas Who Sell 7 Day Challenge, I've been getting such great feedback about it that I decided to make it my first Dollar Download. The next 250 sistas who signup to the challenge and use the code (7FOR1) get access to my 7 Selling / Marketing Tips for only $1. When you click here, just use that code.
ALSO in the spirit of digital sisterhood, share my first Dollar Download with the sistas in your circle. I'm curious to see how many will signup, spread the word, and stay connected! More dollar downloads to come -lh
“America’s Next Natural Model”
Deadline for models to apply is Dec. 18, 2010
Who will be crowned Miss Nappturality 2011? A lady with locs, or a beauty with a Fro-hawk?
The pageant, also known as America’s Next Natural Model, is looking for a new face to grace the pages of a national magazine and to represent one of its sponsors.
The online competition, which is in its third year,celebrates the beauty and versatility of natural hair. It began in 2008 as a collaboration between the site owners of Going-Natural.com and Nappturality.com , Mireille Liong and Patricia Gaines, respectively. Together their sites form a social network of well over 150,000 users who share information beyond the common interest of natural hair care.
“I am very exited about this event”, says Liong who is also the author of Going Natural, How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair . It’s like America’s Next Top Model meets American Idol in an interactive social network nvironment.
The Miss Nappturality pageant is the perfect match for upcoming models who need exposure and for businesses interested in social media promotion. While natural beauties get free products and endorsement opportunities that can put them on the national stage, sponsoring companies can have their products promoted interactively to the hundreds of thousands of potential buyers who make up the growing social network.
The ultimate goal of America's Next Natural Model isto spread awareness about the hair and scalp disorders that plague a large majority of Black women. According to Dr. Jeffery J. Miller, dermatologist at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania, 73 percent of African-American women suffer from relaxer-induced
alopecia and complain of hair breakage, split ends and dryness caused by relaxers.
America’s Next Natural Model takes on the lingeringissue by proving that African hair can be extremely beautiful without the need for hazardous chemicals, extensions or damaging weaves. At the same time, the organizers strive to make the case for a corporate dress code policy that is updated to include natural hairstyles to ease the pressure on ethnic women to straighten their strands.
Previous pageant winners have gone on to bigger and better things. After winning America's first-ever Next Natural Model, Tiana Tamara Townsel also became Miss Black Washington. And last year’s Miss Nappturality, Teesha Borum , is currently working on her acting career in Atlanta.
Photos of the models have been used in commercials of sponsoring companies all over the country. You can see the winning photos and read the respective interviews of the winners on Going-Natural.com.
For more information about the competition, sponsorship opportunities or becoming a model, email miss-np @ going-natural.com
- How to Add a Contact Form to Your Blog
- How to Use eJunkie to Share, Sell, and Track Your eBooks, Reports and other Digital Content Online
- How to Add Video to Your Blog Using Youtube or Uploading Video that is longer than 10 minutes
- How to Add Premium Themes to Your Wordpress Blog
- How to keep viewers on your blog longer
- My Social Media Checklist for the Best Traffic and Visibility Online
In This Edition
Healthier Shore Kids
Ayasha Robinson
The Courage Giver
RJ Jackson
"My Daddy The Devil and Me"
Debra Ann Brown-Davis
Voices For Our Children
The Poverty Mindset
Shyra Smith
Young Men Enlightening Younger Men
(YMEYM)
Sylvester Brown, Jr.
Through Future Eyes
Shennell Barnes
Parenting Corner
Gaetane Borders
The K.I.S. Foundation, Inc.
Kiki Sheppard
(Former Co-Host, Showtime At the Apollo)
Utilizing Feminist Perspectives
John C. Roy, II
Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation
Southern Hospitality
Sharon Fox
Safely Ever After, Inc.
Patti Fitzgerald
Dream Girls Mentoring Program
Tamira Dunn
Monthly Tasty Treats
Pat Holmes
Christ Gospel Church "Love Center" Drama Ministry
Sister4Sisters, Inc.
Carolyn Washington
Start loving yourself the way that you want others to love you. People will only treat you how they are trained to treat you. So if you expect a man to love you unconditionally start doing it yourself.
I see too many women complain about people are not loving them or treating them a certain way. However, the way that other people treat you is the same way that you treat yourself. (Law of reflection)
Start speaking to yourself with love.
Say positive affirmations.
Take care of your body, mind, and spirit.
Disregard High School Info when ordering
"AsI was working with a client to develop her social media strategy, she mentioned that she has realized that relationship building is really a business practice. This is someone who was under the misconception that networking is about gathering business cards. She didn’t realize that networking is really about building and maintaining relationships with other business people. As we got her more involved with LinkedIn, she started reconnecting with people she had lost contact with over time–and she was really enjoying the rediscovery. She started to understand the real value that relationships play in business.
That got me thinking about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to networking and building relationships.
Therestill seem to be some misunderstandings about networking. Based on some of the behavior I’ve seen, it appears that many people are still missing the whole idea of relationship building. It doesn’t matter
whether it is social networking or in-person networking. In the business practice of building relationships, there are three deadly sins to avoid:
1. Pitching early
2. Signing someone up without permission
3. Assuming closeness
1. Pitching early:
Thisis when you meet someone at a networking event, exchange cards, and decide that the card exchange gives you permission to give them a sales pitch. This happens all the time. It’s one of the reasons that some people avoid networking events. They either think they are supposed to behave this way and aren’t comfortable in that role, or they dislike the people who do it and don’t want to be around them.
People whopitch early don’t understand the relationship building aspect of networking. They believe that simply participating in the activity is a license to sell. Well, it isn’t. Networking is the opportunity to begin
the relationship building process. Networking gives you the chance to meet people whom you might not otherwise meet.
I submit that thesame is true for “social networking.” Linking in or friending someone online does not mean you have an open invitation to sell to them. Here’s an example of a double whammy – I met a young man at a chamber event. Within a couple of days he sent me a LinkedIn request to connect. I accepted. Now I receive solicitations from him via LinkedIn.
Theproblem? I don’t know him, so I can’t trust him. He doesn’t know what my situation is or what my needs are. He isn’t matching a solution to a problem. He is solely focused on what he wants. If, on the other hand, he had continued the process of relationship building, he would have learned more about me and my situation. He would have waited to sell until he knew there was a need and until he had established trust. As it stands, I’m not even interested in seeing him at the next chamber function. He accomplished the exact opposite of what he wanted–all because he pitched too early.
2. Signing someone up withoutpermission: As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the deadliest networking sins. It is presumptuous and rude. I believe that when you do this you are telegraphing that you are more interested in building your list than in building relationships. How do you know the person needs
what you have to offer? How do you know they want to read what you have to say? Where did you get permission to enter their e-mail inbox on a consistent basis? Remember, the simple exchange of business cards is not a license to behave in any way you choose.
The solution is sovery simple. When you meet someone and engage in a conversation, you will learn things about them. If you discover that they have an interest in or need for the information you provide, ask them if they’d like to be added to your e-mail list and tell them why you think it would be a good idea for them. If they say “yes,” jot a note to yourself on their card. If they say “no,” don’t do it!
Did you notice the steps? They go in order. To take them out of order is to ask for trouble.
3.Assuming closeness: The story I told above about the young man I met at the chamber event also falls under this category. He assumed that we were closer than we were. He assumed that we had a relationship because of our chamber and online connections.
Think about therelationships you have with your friends, significant other, co-workers. Did they happen instantly? At “hello”? They didn’t, did they? They had to be built and nurtured; they had to grow over time.
This is notto say they you didn’t feel some sort of connection with some of these people. That sense of connection is what propels you to want to get to know them better. However, until you know someone better, you really don’t know enough to explore the possibility of conducting business with
each other.
Nothing sends people running from you quicker thanassuming closeness that doesn’t exist. Not only does it send people running, but they will tell others what you did. If you want to destroy your reputation quickly, then by all means, assume closeness. If, on the other hand, you want to grow your business, don’t make assumptions. Rather, grow those relationships first.
Ask yourself: Are you inbusiness for the long haul or for a quick hit? If you answered “for the long haul,” then relationship building is a necessity. Do yourself and your business a favor and take the time to build relationships with the people you meet. Most of these people will become great referral partners for you – not customers. The more referral partners you have, the easier it will be to grow your business. Those people you’ve built relationships with will be the best promoters of you and your business.
Hi Super Busy Moms,Here is your chance to sound off and share with others how you still manage to fit in your workouts. I have had this same dilema with my daughter under feet, dinner needs to be cooked and I want to watch the 6 oclock news. These are some activites that I have found that work:1. Bicycle Riding-Just carry your children on a sit and hit the trails2. Walk/run-Do intervals while your children are in a stroller or riding their bikes3. Turbo Jam- Fun cardio kick boxing routine all the while your children can do it with you.4. Play tag, hid and go seek or any other outside games with your children. Believe me it will keep your heart rate up for a good cardio exercise.Ok Moms its your turn. Where are your children when you workout?If your interested in finding an inhome solution click the link below for one of the number 1 in home fitness programs.
A new crochet blanket pattern from This Is Crochet by TurquoizBlue
T U R Q U O I Z B L U E :
A few years ago, I was exploring how to create different star and pinwheel shapes using Tunisian Crochet. One of the first motifs I came up with was a five-pointed star shape, which I went on to use in my Seaside Throw Afghan which was published in the Interweave Crochet Summer 2009 issue. The six-pointed star was one of the next incarnations of the star motif. I enlarged the small motif into a large star, and sketching and playing with color options brought about the stripes and burst of color from the center of the star.
