Monday, December 31, 2007

Choosing A Professional Designation

by Tammy de Leeuw
Financial Advisor Netzone


In the companion FINANCIAL ADVISOR NET"ZINE", I have been attempting to answer the burning question: "Are there ANY designations worth getting anymore?"

This was prompted by an unusual request I received from the Certified Retirement Financial Advisor (CRFA) coordinator asking if I would host a webinar for them. When I finished laughing, (those of you who know my background will realize why I laughed) I began to think that the designation industry, while it is wheezing and sputtering, isn't dead yet.

Put away those "magic bullets", Festus...

I am frequently asked "Do I need financial designations?" Now, come on people, how am I supposed to know that?

Are you having credibility issues? Are you 35 but you look like you are fresh out of college so no one takes you seriously? Then maybe a few ABC's trailing your name might assuage some of the doubts your prospects feel when they gaze upon your baby face. That, and actually KNOWING what you are talking about could do the trick.

However, a designation, while perhaps educating you beyond the lame training you got from your company or broker-dealer, will not generally create an instant rapport with your clients. It will not make you infinitely smarter than the competition, nor will it make you well-known and admired by all.

Seniors and others in your ideal demographic will probably not gasp in awe and exclaim
"Well dadgummit, Martha, that young feller's done got him a Chartered Certified Retirement Analyst Professional (ChCRAP) designation. Pull out the coffee can and give him our life savings!"

Not gonna happen...

So, when considering getting a designation you really and truly have to know your own motivation for getting it.

1. To impress other people.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the general public only recognizes a few designations- the ones you probably already have: CPA, CFP, CSA, These might be recognizable to your prospects- but it doesn't necessarily mean they understand or appreciate the VALUE of the required expertise. That being said, the public does expect EXPERTS to have at least a spoonful of alphabet soup, so the right designations might be useful in making a good first impression for some of the people you meet.

2. As A Marketing Tool

In my opinion, this is the absolutely worst reason to want a designation. Most of the world outside of the financial services bubble doesn't give a rat's patooty about the letters on your stationary. They just want to know "What can you do for ME?" Designations do not put butts in the seats at your seminars- good marketing and good reputation DO.

Some of you considering spending $2,000 for another designation might be better served just learning how to become more entertaining, polished presenters or in producing higher-quality invitations, or in buying a decent filtered mailing list so you can crack the one half percent response rate.

Don't rely on designations to fill in the gaps of a poorly designed marketing program. They just can't.

3. As A Way To Better Serve My Niche By Becoming An Expert in THEIR Issues-

Ah ha... Now you are on to something. What if you got a designation just because you wanted to become a better advisor? Now, that is worthwhile. And guess what? When you explain to Mrs. Jones that you became a certified whatever so you could better understand and assist her, you have created a marketing opportunity.

4. My company pays for it

Go for it. A little free education can go a long way. Besides, some of those designation workshops are in go-to destinations. Take advantage of the situation and get some knowledge with your margaritas.

5. They give ME Free Marketing, Including a Listing in Their Directory (wow!)

Nearly all designations claim to have websites and directories which generate tons of leads for their clients. Past experience tells me this is rarely the case. Unless designations chip off some of their margins and spend a whole lot of money advertising, paying for keywords, and doing a ton of search engine optimization, the general public pays them little heed.

Most of the designation websites marketed to the public are weak at best, and from personal experience a lot of the data they generate consists of bogus names and bogus emails. So, how useful are 100 leads of non-existing prospects? For an example of a poor designation marketing website see:http://www.retirement-financial-advisor.com/crfa.html. Is this really going to generate loads of viable leads?

Could you possibly get lucky and find the client of a lifetime just because you got chartered or certified? Possibly. Scatter enough seed and something might eventually grow but are you willing to waste time and money finding out?

Once you have identified your motivation for getting the designation, you need to do the type of research I have been doing on the ChFEBC(sm) designation.

This is the Chartered Federal Employee Benefit Consultant designation. I had an advisor contact me about a program which uses this designation as a way for advisors to do seminars for Federal employees.

Since I wasn't trying to get the designation myself, I asked advisors who already HAD the designation about its value as both a marketing AND educational tool.

So far, on the educational front, the designation looks to be legit. "You just can't pass the test without knowing the stuff," opined one ChFEBC. Another said, "it was exceptional material and I learned a lot." However, and here is the interesting thing, none of the advisors I spoke with were planning to RENEW their designations.????

Why not? Well, you can guess that their personal motivations for getting it had to do with seeing it as a magic bullet to get more clients OR they got themselves involved in seminar programs which REQUIRED it.

According to a smart cookie advisor who forwarded me his own independent ChFEBC research, advisors in North Carolina complained to him that attempts at doing seminars had failed again and again and when they tried to get refunds from the designation company, they were stonewalled.

This might only be the case in the Carolinas, which are notoriously difficult states in which to prospect, but it does ilustrate the need for you to take the time to call someone in your area who has the designation in which you are interested and ask them a few questions. To me the number one question would be" are you planning on renewing your XYZ credential?" If they say "No." ask why and proceed with caution.

In conclusion, designations can be useful and worthwhile, but only if you have realistic expectations and take the time to do your homework.

PS: I welcome your own experiences and comments about designations. Address them to: teleconferences@gmail.com.





Thursday, December 27, 2007

Liberal Arts Grad Made Good-TJ Walker



Financial Advisor Netzone is proud to announce a new webinar for 2008. TJ Walker's blog is one of my most frequently visited sites, so I am thrilled to give you the opportunity to hear this dynamic presenter LIVE.

“Attention-Grabbing Financial Presentations- The Story Behind The Numbers” with TJ WALKER.


Wednesday, January 30, 2008
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST

Register at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/837187772


A frequent news commentator
, TJ Walker has appeared often on MSNBC, Fox News Channel, Court TV, and Bloomberg TV. He has also been a syndicated TV and talk show host, appearing or hosting on more than 2000 TV and radio shows, and has hosted talk radio shows on seven different networks.

Walker's credits include features in the New York Times, NBC News, ABC News, CBS radio and most major radio news outlets. He has lectured and conducted trainings at Yale University, Columbia University and Princeton University.

Walker was a merit scholar at Duke University where he graduated magna cum laude, with a B.A in Philosophy.

Be sure to register early for this exciting webinar.

Check out some of TJ's short "Bully Pulpit" Clips:

















Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Another Christmas Gift

"Rust (aka Tammy de Leeuw) never sleeps. In my vigilant quest to find financial professionals the best products, services, and people, I even work on Christmas Day. Many of you are starting to think about what challenges you will face in 2008 and what changes you need to make. I hope you will find some guidance and some good cheer here at your home on the Web- Financial Advisor Netzone."


Choosing a Broker/Dealer:A 60-Point Checklist
By Katherine Vessenes, JD, CFP

Picking the best broker/dealer for your business requires some due diligence on your part. Here are 14 major areas to consider when selecting someone you can work with for the long term.


A few years ago I got out my trench coat and fedora and went undercover. My mission: to scope out the inside workings of broker/dealers. I wanted to get an up-close look at how they ticked, their policies, and what they really thought about the advisors out there being their reps.


Let's call this one firm I observed ABC Securities, just to protect the guilty and the innocent. Before I had completed my first two months, ABC was summarily shut down by the NASD for violating net capital rules after an investor defrauded the firm! One day it was in business, making money, and preparing for an IPO. The next day, it was out of business.


If you want to see ugly, picture what happens when you can't trade for your clients. You can't even liquidate their positions. You are locked into a firm and can't switch to another broker/dealer. You have no income and lots of unhappy investors. In short, you're living your worst nightmare.


The experience made me think I could save a lot of reps a great deal of money and stress just by telling them to follow a few simple rules when choosing broker/dealer. So here it is: a checklist of 14 things to consider as you choose your next B/D.


Payout. Actually, this is not the most important thing on my list; I just included it first because it is the most important thing to many financial advisors. One of the surprising things I learned undercover was just how narrow the margins are in this business for broker/dealers.

This is a labor- and technology-intensive business that costs a lot of capital to maintain. That eats into profits. It is not unusual for a B/D to be operating at break-even or even a small loss.

Its biggest expense is commissions. High commissions can actually be a sign of trouble. It may mean the B/D doesn't have the resources to provide you with the service you want

Be careful when you start comparing payouts. There can be a bit of smoke and mirrors in how some firms advertise them. It is not unusual to see an ad for a 90% payout, or even more. But if you look at broker/dealer surveys, you will notice the actual payout can be less than advertised. Why the discrepancy? It's due to the extra fees many firms may charge reps.


A while back, I got a call from a rep who was furious with his B/D and wanted me to create a new B/D for him. The reason: He had ticket charges of $20,000 on total gross commissions of $120,000! I understood his anger but advised him it would be far cheaper for him to just find another firm with a different payout schedule.


Before you choose a new B/D, create your own spreadsheet of all the costs you could incur in the relationship. Compare at least three firms, and include any extra fees like technology charges, Web fees, and E&O insurance.


You might be surprised to find out that at B/D X, even with lower payouts, you are actually making more money than you would at B/D Y with higher payouts. This was the situation of a well-known B/D up until recently. For many years, it had a very complicated payout schedule. On the surface, it looked as if the reps were making significantly less than they would at another firm. In actuality, the reps' gross was so much higher, they were actually taking home more...


Katherine Vessenes, JD, CFP, a nationally known author and speaker, has the best job in the world. She turns average producers into stars by focusing on sales, marketing, compliance, and practice management issues for broker-dealers and advisors. You can contact Katherine at (952) 401-1045 or at katherine@vestmentadvisors.com. (download this complete report at:http://www.mediafire.com/?bdnlj8y93fy.


For more help choosing a broker dealer- use the free "matchmaker" service offered by Broker-Dealer finder.com.

http://www.bdfinder.com/(S(pzkvoc45guxmfl555l4uao45))/Default.aspx

Friday, December 21, 2007

For Your Holiday Viewing Pleasure



Here's a sample of what you can expect from Malcolm Kushner. Be sure to register for the webinar on January 8.





In case zone you didn't get the Financial Advisor Netzone e-zine (be sure to sign up -there is a form on the righthand side.) Here is the HOW NOT TO USE POWERPOINT VIDEO from Don McMillan. It's funny because it's so true..



WOULD YOU DO THIS WITH YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER?
I was so impressed with this company that I placed their ad on this blog for free. If you click on the small ads on the righthand side of the blog- you will get 30 days free and 10% off!



Toastmaster of the Year Goes to...

Thursday, December 20, 2007

How To Create A Free Special Report...

that actually gets read and acted upon

Why is the free report necessary?

What should your free report accomplish?

by Mark Satterfield
Gentle Rain Marketing

We naturally want the report to accomplish a number of objectives.

First it should build your credibility. (Remember that this is a NEW relationship we are trying to develop.) You'll achieve a lot more success if you approach relationship building by developing a series of small steps. Failure often occurs when we try to accomplish too much too quickly.


It's important that we put ourselves in our prospect's shoes. For example, we can assume that the client is understandably skeptical at this point in time.


Thus at this very early step we want to gently move them through a series of steps to reduced that resistance. That's one of the main objectives of your free report. (The other naturally is to pave the way for the next step in the business development process.)


Now just a quick comment on lead generation methods. There are any of a number of techniques that can work. What you need to do is experiment so that you can determine over time, what works best for you.


My most successful clients use a variety of methods, direct mail, pay per click or paid internet search, direct response advertising in specialty trade publications, speaking, writing... I even have one client who has used billboards. (which you might not think would be particularly effective for marketing professional services but for him it works quite well.)


The key point it not to rely on one method, but to determine what portfolio of lead generation methods works best for you.

Now having said that, and recognizing that my clients use different methods depending upon their services and markets, the one strategy that they all share is the use of the one-page lead generation letter...


So regardless of what lead generation methods you use, remember that getting prospects to raise their hand and self identify themselves requires that they see a reflection of themselves in your marketing materials. And this is very important to keep in mind— at this point, when they are intrigued by your letter or your ad or whatever, their level of interest is usually quite small.


So what does this mean in terms of developing our marketing campaign?

From a practical perspective, unless they have an absolute burning need for your services (i.e. farmer who's barn is on fire and you sell water) they probably aren't terribly interested in actually meeting with you or speaking with you.


They may be interested in what you have to say, but there's this little fear they have that if they raise their hand they're going to get inundated with a full-court sales press. This is the reason why we want them to request the report anonymously. Ideally, through your website. How to set up your website to maximize its lead generation potential is a topic for another day.


Suffice it to say, your free report must accomplish a number of agenda items...

It needs to build credibility for you and propel the prospective client forward to the next step in the relationship building process. If they put down the report without taking that next step, then your report hasn't completely done its job.


So we want to build credibility AND move the process forward. Quite an agenda for a free report, but it's one that you can accomplish if you follow my guidance.


Now the concept of offering a free report isn't new.

In fact my entire Gentle Rain methodology is based on a classic marketing process that has proven to be enormously successful over time.

A quick story

I'm probably dating myself here, but when I was young I loved comic books. On the back cover of the comics in those days, often appeared an ad for Charles Atlas.


Now for those you who are old enough to remember, the ad largely consisted of a comic strip in which the skinny kid got sand kicked in his face by the bully, subsequently signed up for the Charles Atlas muscle-building program, eventually beat up the bully and got the girl. Now in the lower right hand segment of the ad was a coupon that you clipped out.


It asked you if you wanted bulging biceps, thighs of steel, a washboard stomach etc. Anyway, you'd send in the coupon and a week or so later you got in the mail a Free Information Report called The Secrets of Dyna-Tension. Now this was pretty well thought out.


It gave you some practical tips (push-ups as I recall) along with a pitch for the complete program. Then for weeks and months to come (and in fact they may still be coming) were regular mailings encouraging me to take action.


That's basically the same model I, and my clients, use. So naturally what we're talking about today is your version of The Secrets of Dyna-Tension.


Remember that what we don't want to happen when someone visits our site is for them to play around on it and then leave without leaving some sort of record that they were there. Naturally, since our goal with Gentle Rain is to build relationships, that's going to be very difficult to do if we don't know who's visiting our site.


I view the free report as an ethical bribe. Give me some information about who you are, and I'll give you some information about a subject that you're interested in. Naturally what we have to do to ensure that we're gaining long-term traction is to make sure that the report is actually read...

Purchase the Mark's entire report-generating course in 3 parts:

How to Create a Free Special Report
that Actually Gets Read and Acted Upon


Wednesday, December 19, 2007

When Seminars Attack..


As you plan your 2008 event calendar, be sure to do your homework
to avoid wasting time and money.
Tina and Doug Dixon of SEMINAR DIRECT offer you this advice.



The Top 10 Reasons Financial Seminars Fail

by Doug Dixon
Seminar Direct



Top producers from Boston to Bakersville are getting rich because they know how to market themselves with financial seminars. They understand that seminars can be the greatest tool for finding wealthy clients and dramatically building their business. And their bank accounts can prove it.

Unfortunately, some financial advisors haven’t learned the basic principles of seminar marketing and are disappointed with their results. Because they can’t identify the real problem, they blame imaginary outside forces they can’t control. Instead of looking inward at what they can improve to become successful, it’s just easier and more comfortable for them to believe that the market is “saturated” or the room is just filled with “plate lickers” who are only there for free food.

The solution can be found in understanding what causes some financial seminars to fail. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you’ll improve your income and avoid poor results.


HERE ARE THE TOP TEN REASONS SEMINARS FAIL:



Stale Invitation


The market isn’t saturated with seminars, it’s saturated with the same invitation. This happens because there are a few very large seminar marketing companies that dominate the marketplace. These companies have 1,000s of advisors all over the country mailing the same invitations. When prospects receive the same invitation repeatedly from different advisors, it absolutely kills response rates.

Not only is the credibility of the advisor questioned, but any sense of urgency is removed because the prospect knows another offer will be coming again soon. Response rates can be increased simply by avoiding the herd and not using the large seminar companies that advertise they produce 1,000s of seminars.

Betting on Postcards


Postcards are a great tool for seminars, but their response rate is about half of other mailing pieces. To achieve the results equal to other mailers, twice as many postcards need to be mailed. This increased mailing causes the market to become saturated twice.

This is why postcards seem to do very well for a short period of time, then response rates crash. Carefully watch results with postcards and be ready to switch to another type of mailer as response rates approach unacceptable levels.


Wrong Time


It may sound elementary, but seminars should be held when it’s convenient for the attendees. What complicates this issue is that the best time varies with the demographics of the audience. There is a huge difference between the best time for a business owner, a near retiree (55-65) and those that are above 65. Demands created by work, ability to drive at night, age, and family conditions make each of these groups unique. By identifying the concerns of your target audience, you can hold your seminar at the very best time, dramatically increase response rates.

(download the report now:http://www.mediafire.com/?aqjdz4gz9nj)

LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE A LASTING FIRST IMPRESSION?

BECOME A SUPER HERO!




By Tammy de Leeuw

OK- I admit it. I was a member of the nerdy geek club-one of those kids in high school who was into Star Wars and comic book shows. I was in the drama club and on the debate team. In other words: I was tragically uncool just like Eric on "That 70's Show."

Perhaps that is why I think Diogenes Ruiz (love the name!) is a genius to come up with SuperHero business cards.

SuperHero cards are like no other cards I have ever seen. You can have your fancy-paper, triple embossed, foil impressions- give me something that will stand out from the crowd and won't get tossed into the junk drawer abyss.

Admit it- how many times have you been handed a business card that you barely glanced at and either tossed into the trash can or the bottom of your computer case?

Well.. other people are doing the same when you hand them YOUR card. Why not be DIFFERENT and show them your inner hero?

Not only does the card command attention, but people are loathe to throw them away due to the tug of nostalgia they feel. Remember all those cards you used to collect? What if you had kept that Nolan Ryan rookie baseball card ( I had 10 of these!!!) or those Beatles cards?

Recipients of your card are instantly transported back to their childhoods, when life was simple and computers lived only in banks and universities and were as big as 18-wheelers; back before
WII and broadband and malware ,Rosie O'Donnell and American Idol.

Far from being "unprofessional" Dio's cards show the world that you aren't afraid to grab life by the, uh.. horns and that while you ARE a serious professional, you have a self-effacing sense of humor and warm approachability.

These custom cards are used by one of my favorite sales trainers- JEFFREY GITOMER.
If they are good enough for Jeffrey, they are good enough for me.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Variable Annuities: Are They Ever OK To Sell?- One Attorney Says "Yes!"

(editor's note: Katherine Vessenes and her husband Peter teach advisors how to break down barriers and achieve the practices of which they have always dreamed. For more on their unique comprehensive workshop, visit:(http://www.vestmentadvisors.com/b2b. )

FAN readers get $250 off the registration fee if they contact me at 888-571-8383 or email: teleconferences@gmail.com for more information and a brochure.)

By Katherine Vessenes, JD, CFP®


The problem:

There is going to be trouble in boomer retirement-land. Big trouble and a lot of firms haven’t figured it out yet.


How do I know? I have the best job in the world—I help protect our clients from the pain of an investor lawsuit or complaint. Our clients are wholesalers, financial advisors, broker/dealers and insurance companies who all want to do the right thing for the investor and raise profits at the same time.


So I am on a mission—I want financial advisors and corporate execs to be able to sleep at night knowing their investors are happy, in great products and the companies they recommend are solid and secure. I don’t want any lawsuits, complaints, or worse: criminal prosecutions, on my watch.

Here is the situation: Baby boomers are woefully ill prepared for retirement. Based on numerous statistics I have seen over the years—it wouldn’t surprise me if 50% of them had the unthinkable happen to them—run out of money in retirement. Could be more.

Baby boomers have their heads in the sand when it comes to retirement. Two thirds of Americans believe they will have the same life style in retirement as they do now, even though less than 42 have ever bothered to even calculate their retirement needs, says a study by EBRI. The US Department of Commerce reports the average savings rate is now close to a -1.7% and the average savings for retirement is a pitiful $50,000.


According to Price and Associates 80% of top executives who are making between $500,000 and a million dollars a year in income (not net worth!) are worried about running out of money in retirement—and with good cause, it is likely to happen at all levels of society.


To compound the situation, boomers will have a longer retirement than any other generation. Some think it could be as long as 30 years! They might even be retired longer than they actually worked.


So let’s connect the dots: Baby boomers are likely to run out of money in retirement. It is going to be a big surprise to them. Investors hate surprises. Unhappy investors, particularly surprised and unhappy investors, run to their attorney’s office...
(rest of story at:http://www.mediafire.com/?5ncdhmbwt9n.)


Thursday, December 13, 2007

Yo, Tis Da Season Fo Making Merry


"I grew up in a tough neighborhood. Walking towards the subway, a kid held me up with a knife.
I could tell
it was his first mugging because there was butter on it." - Rodney Dangerfield

A while back, I went to the local convenience store (which in my neighborhood is commonly referred to as a "stoh") and saw the first signs of Christmas in the Hood: A guy with a Santa hat and beard drinking swill out of a brown paper bag. After wishing me a drunken "Happy Holidays," he ambled off back inside the store for another 40 ouncer.

I thought to myself, "This wouldn't happen if I lived in Brentwood."

For many people, times are harsh and it is hard to hold onto visions of self-employment and a great lifestyle. Even mere solvency seems a pipe dream with the current mortgage crisis and inevitable downturn in the economy.
Those of us who live and die by commissions, gratuities, and management fees deal with uncertainty and budgetary crunches on a daily basis. We can't afford to take our eyes off the pipeline for even one second lest the
stream dry up.

I can't tell you how many financial planners, brokers, even CPA's have reported a significant downturn in their businesses. One RIA told me had to take a second job to meet his obligations and another has given up altogether and gone back to working as a teacher.

At the risk of being trite I want to tell you: "don't give up." Your clients need your creativity, knowledge, and foresight more than ever. They need your guidance and encouragement, and your skills in asset preservation and tax reduction. They need your friendship and kindness.

If you have to- take another job to feed your dream- just don't let it die. I have had to work two or three jobs for most of my life. it won't kill you and it can even get you out of the rut of office life. One successful RIA I know has a parttime job just to keep him in the flow and help him meet more people. Find a good direct marketing opportunity and stick with it. It might be a good source of cash flow and it definitely will make you more positive
about prospecting.

Become a visionary, a thinker of great thoughts, a doer of great deeds, and a more fun person in 2008. Don't let your practice run your life, but don't forget to invest in it either.

Above all, re-examine the reasons why you went into business in the first place. I hope it is to make money by
providing excellent and honest service to your clients.

I hope to post again before Christmas Day, so come back for a visit. And, if this is your first visit to the blog- don't forget to check out the archives and subscribe to the free e-newsletter.

Thanks!

Tammy




Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Last Chance to Register for Tomorrow's Webinar!

DON'T FORGET TOMORROW'S WEBINAR WITH KATHERINE VESSENES. Information below:

How to Make More Money

By Giving Your Clients and Prospects a WOW Experience


Wednesday, December 12, 2007

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST






Join us for a Webinar on December 12
Highly regarded as a compliance expert, attorney,
and presenter, Katherine Vessenes is also adept at helping build better advisors and
service professionals.

Along with her husband Peter, Vessenes is author of Building Your Multi-Million-Dollar Practice:
8 Success Strategies of Top Producing Advisors and is a champion of the
client-centric approach to financial services.

In this exclusive webinar, Katherine will show us how making a few
simple changes in our daily routine can result in turning an indifferent client into an advocate and making a mundane visit into a WOW experience.

Who should
attend?
EVERYONE interested in retaining clients, getting referrals,
and having more
fun with their business.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer

Reserve
your Webinar
seat now at:


https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/428147259

Sunday, December 9, 2007

New Webinar: Something A Bit Different..

Join us for a Webinar on January
8






Malcolm Kushner is a lawyer
with a sense of humor
(is that an oxymoron?)
who lives in Santa Cruz, California-
a place even weirder than San Francisco.

He is also a gifted speaker
and author of books such
as Presentations for Dummies,
Public Speaking for Dummies,and the Light Touch.

Malcolm is "slightly famous", having successfully
conned Larry King, National Public Radio, CNN, and
David Letterman (among others)
into either dropping his name or allowing him
to shamelessly self-promote over the airwaves.

Join Malcolm for what I trust will be an entertaining
look at how our presidents have used humor as
an effective weapon- and how financial professionals
can learn from, and adapt, their techniques to
make their presentations sizzle.

Title:
Leading With Laughter-How U.S. Presidents Use Humor To Relate,Motivate and Communicate And You Can Too

Date:
Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Time:
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro,
2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/5983555

Friday, December 7, 2007

Apologies for the Cancelled Webinar Yesterday



If a computer crashes in the woods and no one is there to curse it...
(was this a VISTA(c) computer? Only my IT guy knows for sure.

WE DID NOT GET SLIGHTLY FAMOUS YESTERDAY

Sincere apologies to all who registered for and attempted to attend yesterday's
"Get Slightly Famous" webinar with Steven Van Yoder.

Unfortunately, Steve somehow got locked out and when I went to rescue him from
the stinking maw of technology gone awry, I found myself locked out as well.

There are some things a Swiss army knife and can of WD 40 will not fix..

Fortunately, something good came out of this in that Steve is sending all
who registered a free copy of his insightful and useful survey-The Personal
Fame Assessment .

This survey will serve two purposes: for one it will help you discover
whether or not getting slightly famous might work for you and
it will also help Steve customize his makeup presentation according
to audience needs.

Below is the invitation for the rescheduled webinar. Please don't be
afraid to join us this time- seat cushions may be used in
case of a water evacuation.



Join us for a Webinar on January 10






Want to Attract More Business With Less Effort?
Get "Slightly" Famous!รข„¢
(NOTE: this is a makeup webinar for the cancelled December 6th presentation)

Seasoned journalist and author of the seminal treatise on personal branding and niche marketing "GET SLIGHTLY FAMOUS," Steven Van Yoder says:

"Some business owners attract clients and customers like magnets. Their marketing seems effortless. They don't advertise. They haven't made a cold call in years. They charge more. They're regularly asked to speak at conferences and are featured in newspapers and magazines. Everyone knows their name, and they get all the business they can handle.
It's almost as though they were famous..."

Van Yoder will show us six do-able strategies for becoming a recognized and in-demand expert; the kind of person who gets interviewed by Katie Couric or quoted in the New York Times.

Anyone interested in personal branding and niche marketing should attend this exclusive presentation by one of America's leading authorities on getting yourself known.

Title:
Six Ways To "Get Slightly Famous" With Steven Van Yoder

Date:
Thursday, January 10, 2008

Time:
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/523134614




Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Last Day To Register- Get Slightly Famous Webinar

Reminder: Today is your last opportunity to register for:

Six Ways To "Get Slightly Famous" With Steven Van Yoder
Thursday, December 6, 2007 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PST



Want to Attract More Business With Less Effort?
Get "Slightly" Famous!™

Seasoned journalist and author of the seminal treatise on personal branding and niche marketing "GET SLIGHTLY FAMOUS," Steven Van Yoder says:

"Some business owners attract clients and customers like magnets. Their marketing seems effortless. They don't advertise. They haven't made a cold call in years. They charge more. They're regularly asked to speak at conferences and are featured in newspapers and magazines. Everyone knows their name, and they get all the business they can handle.
It's almost as though they were famous..."

Register at:https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/626992841?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com

ALSO: Don't forget to spend an hour with noted compliance attorney, author, and coaster aficionado KATHERINE VESSENES as she discusses how to turn prospects into clients by giving them a WOW experience.

Wed, Dec 12, 2007 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST, 11AM Central and 12 Noon Eastern
Presenter: Katherine Vessenes
RSVP: (register):https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/428147259

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Normally, I Wouldn't Do This But..

My new friends at Bottom Line Radio http://www.bottomlineradio.net/ have pointed out some things to me: namely: Where is MY bio?- Who is Tammy and why is she doing this blog in the first place.? (bio to follow soon)

The second thing Bottom Line Radio has done for me is highlight these very excellent videos which I want to share. Until this post, I have never put politics on this blog, but after years of living in a socialist country myself, and watching the garbage spewing out of the mouths of politicians and celebrities- I am hungry for common sense.

Please do yourself a favor and read "A Foreign Policy of Freedom" by the only man who is worthy to be President, but who sadly, never will be- Dr. Ron Paul.
http://www.ronpaul.org/.

And watch these outstanding videos:




HilaryCare? DO YOU WANT TO GO HERE?


Sunday, December 2, 2007

Investment Advisor Finds His Niche Market

Steven Van Yoder will host a special webinar for blog readers on December 6th "Six Ways to Become Slightly Famous. Sign up now and learn some tips on niche marketing. I also highly recommend Steven's e-zine. You can get it free from:http://www.getslightlyfamous.com/free-resources/newsletter/subscribe.html
Be sure to check out the video below- it's cool and YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

Atlantic Financial Uses Online Video to Promote Dubai Niche

Bruce FentonBruce Fenton is an investment advisor and founder of Atlantic Financial Inc., an independent investment firm that advises American clients on investing in the Middle East. Fenton is also the editor of The Fenton Report, a Global Wealth Management magazine focused on changes to the global economy.

Fenton embraced online video a few years ago to support his goal of reinforcing his expertise in investing in Dubai. Online video helps position Atlantic Financial as a thought leader in Middle East investment opportunities. Moreover, it works in concert with other elements of Fenton’s Dubai-niche marketing efforts, including speaking for the Kuwait Ministry of Finance.

Describe your overall business.

We are an investment firm that focuses on global investing, founded in 1994; prior to that, I was with a major Wall Street firm. We serve individuals and institutional investors, typically those with several million dollars to invest, who want to participate in the changing global economy.

We help U.S. investors invest in the Middle East. This includes high net worth individuals or endowments and pensions. Unlike many investment companies that work in the region, whose primary goal is to get money FROM the region, we bring U.S. money TO the region.

(rest of the story at:http://www.getslightlyfamous.com/webzine/success-stories/atlantic-financial-uses-online-video-promote-dubai-niche