If you seek better speaking and writing, the answer is found with Painting My Room In A Colorful Way
April 23, 2009
Thanks for stopping by the Consumer Friend side of the street. Please do visit again.
5 Stars for Craig Fenton’s speaking and writing course:
http://www.learnpublicspeakingskills.com
One of the ways reviews often lose credibility is if the writer does it with a selfish purpose (promoting something they receive commission on) and not with the consumer’s benefit as the primary goal.
That is why I choose to educate without compensation. Craig Fenton the rock and roll author of books on the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship as well as a lecturer with a one time member of the Grateful Dead and a famous rock photographer has recently released a guide to better speaking, writing, and self-confidence called Painting My Room In A Colorful Way.
I have often been perplexed if speaking is a verbal word why so many products are only using the written. Painting My Room In A Colorful Way contains a book, audio files, email, and actual phone coaching. The contents clearly show Mr. Fenton’s desire to give the customer the optimum results. The majority of the population would find Mr. Fenton’s product advantageous for work, school, interviewing, or building personal self-confidence.
I often find those that sell books or audio products are talking down and not to the customer. It is obvious from the way Mr. Fenton supports the product after the sale that he is rooting for each individual to succeed. There are many exercises that think outside the box and that was a refreshing change. How many times do you purchase something and the contents only differ by the author’s name.
The idea behind the program is to take the customer through various steps of the speaking and writing path and tear down the walls of inhibition and improper habits. He includes over 650 words that are commonly mispronounced, tricks on improvisation, preparation, relaxation, slang terms that can severely limit your message, memory building, and what has to be the largest assemblage in one place a reverse dictionary. Almost 3500 words that can be looked up by the improper and correct spellings. You don’t get the meanings but it is a priceless tool.
Too many people feel when the sale is made their job is finished. Mr. Fenton coaches you all the way through with email and phone instruction. Part of the contents of Painting My Room In A Colorful Way is Mr. Fenton coaching you on the telephone (at his expense) so you are able to get the proper guidance both via the written and oral word.
The entire course was never work. It actually made me eager to see what was coming next and practice what he already afforded me. If you are or want to be a speaker or get involved in communications, a student, a manager, salesperson, a parent, or a writer, the contents will give you the road to the finish line. You only have to bring a pen, your voice, and the desire to achieve.
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From the Consumer Friend side of the fence thanks for being here. Come back soon.
Welcome to the Consumer Friend slice of the neighborhood. Thanks for visiting.
What if they had a new Jay Leno show this fall on the NBC Network and you couldn’t watch? WHDH Boston as of April 3, 2009 is thinking about running a newscast in the 10PM hour and not Mr. Leno.
Enter oversight. Obviously the suits at NBC are displeased and are putting pressure on WHDH for a change of heart. How much? You can be sure they are looking at the contract with their affiliates to see if they can be forced to carry a non-controversial program.
Options would be to have WHDH lose their affiliation and NBC could look to start their own station or have an independent come aboard.
I don’t watch Leno or Letterman and have no stake in this. I am for freedom of choice. If Boston wants to go for the news as long as 50.1 percent or more of their viewers agree, they should. If the majority want Leno that should be delivered.
NBC has got to be displeased with a market the size of Boston even considering not to air the program.
Stay tuned for details same bat time same bat channel, blog I mean.
From the Consumer side of the fence have a great Saturday.
Will this make it more of Google Tube Than You Tube?
April 3, 2009
Welcome to the Consumer friend World Center at Almost the Weekend Road. Thanks for visiting.
You may use You Tube for marketing, research, to laugh, to rock, or to question why so much content has been deleted the past year but did you know that on or about April 16th, 2009 the site will get a face lift? Changes are coming and that is always open to interpretation (good or bad).
Check out the link and see what you think!
Almost the weekend at Consumer Friend Center, thanks for visiting and remember think for yourself.
Hello Consumer Friends from ther 77th floor of the 2 story Consumer Friend World Headquarters. Thanks for stopping by on a busy Thursday.
If you are looking to buy or lease a vehicle 2009 for example there is a site with an abundance of information:
The Auto Channel
http://db.theautochannel.com/db/newcarbuyersguide/
Once you arrive and get a parking spot you can navigate around the site by checking out SUV’s, Hybrid’s or everything in between.
The opportunity presents itself to see the cost of the vehicle and how it stacks up against others.
They aren’t pushing you in any direction. That is why the Consumer Friend feels comfortable sending you there for a look. The information is written and you make the decision if anything seems perfect for the budget and the heart.
I’ll go now and sign off from the Consumer Friend local at Consumer Friend Road and Be well Avenue. Thanks for visiting and always stop by!
Welcome to the Consumer Friend section of the block. Thanks for visiting.
Tomorrow evening the New Yankee Stadium with all the amenities a fan could want will be open for the first time. The first of two exhibition games with the Chicago Cubs kicks off the new home for the Bronx Bombers.
The new home is not a House. There are certain things that don’t get replaced, the Beatles, Coca-Cola, the Montreal Forum, and the original Yankee Stadium.
For any that walked through the doors suddenly time stopped. The three hours or so were uplifting and if you spent it with your mom and or dad it was that much more meaningful.
The word progress is thrown around frequently but newer isn’t always better. In fact I would have been content if the original configuration of the old stadium didn’t change when it was renovated in the 1970′s. Right field 296 feet away (not 300) and the monuments located not behind center field but on it!
If all goes well the Yankees will put over 4 million people in the park and as a fan spelled f a n a t a c, I hope there is plenty of post season baseball. It was sorely missed in 2008.
Anything but a World Series victory in Yankee land is a failure and when the glitz is gone the championships shine on forever.
Good luck to the 2009 New York Yankees. Bring the title back to New York City.
From the Consumer Friend Headquarters time to get some food for tomorrows game. Thanks for stopping by.
Calling all Cars (Chrysler, Ford, & GM)
April 2, 2009
Welcome to Thursday at the Consumer Friend Headquarters somewhere near Information Alley & Partly Sunny Blvd. Thanks for visiting.
You can’t get too far in the morning without hearing the rumors about the automakers. Will one or two go bankrupt, will there be a merger, does the government need to submit even more bail out funds.
What is the answer? There is none. Whatever road you take there are advantages and pitfalls. Some will argue that good money is being given to bad. They feel not once, not twice… the car makers have not come up with a structure to give quality, service, and financial stability. The other side of the line is if even 1 of the big 3 fold the total job loss would severely damage the path to economic recovery.
A merger? Will that solve the issue? You still would be dealing with large debt and even if buying a competitor helped in the very long term initially wouldn’t that mean more lay-offs, early buyouts, and cuts in man and woman power?
Would incentives work? Buy an American car and you get a tax rebate and a gas card for the first few hundred miles. Refer somebody else and get a small check.
A tough delimina for an early Thursday morning.
Thanks for sharing part of the day with the Consumer Friend. Enjoy spring!
What if they gave a Post and nobody came?
March 31, 2009
Welcome to Tuesday at the Consumer Friend Ranch:
Thank you for taking time to stop in.
Blogs and forums are an excellent resource to expand your on-line presence. It may be for your product, business, or even to tell a point of view.
There is give and take. What many marketers overlook is if they want the posts to be successful they have to create trust and break down the walls. If you are seeing a post that has great potential to be well read (getting your message to the masses) but the views are as low as the temps in Antarctica during December stop and think for a moment.
For somebody to take the time to read your post, isn’t it only right that you have done the same for them? Have you given thanks on the forums for those that helped you and supplied excellent information for others? Are you rooting newcomers on or are you talking down to them?
Do it the right way. When you register on a forum make sure that if people welcome you, you reciprocate. When somebody registers say hello. If there is a post that you have the answer or a link of use please make it available.
When somebody is excited about their new blog and website and ask for a look, take a moment to check it out. You would want them to do the same for you.
Nobody is too big where they can’t afford a few moments to help and nobody is that large they don’t need some new customers.
The more threads in a forum and the more responses the more people that will join and that only spells “Traffic” to your site.
Join the party and don’t be the one to make it end.
From the Consumer Friend World Headquarters at Somewhere and Maybe Roads, thanks as always for reading.
Hello from Consumer Friend Avenue at Safety Road. Thought Monday would go better with this one.
What’s in a Burger?
In what could be called an oxymoron marketing campaign a minor league baseball team West Michigan Whitecaps have gotten more publicity on Yahoo and other sources than many pro teams the past several days. It isn’t because they have 7 can’t miss prospects destined for Major League Baseball stardom.
A four pound burger that will cost you a twenty dollar bill and put 4800 calories into the arteries will be featured this season. With five patties and an equal amount of cheese I don’t have to go into the details of what this will do to the insides of the average person.
On the one hand the marketing team comes up with a product that has gotten them world wide publicity for free. The other side of the bun is the health backlash.
Will the team keep the burger or have its number retired? The season will answer that question. In the mean time if you feel hungry maybe a quarter pounder would be less dangerous and not set you back as much.
Signing off from the Consumer Friend Hang Out but wishing you health and sanity first.
As I look out the 77th floor from a 2 Story Consumer Friend Hang-Out, thank you for giving me a few moments today.
I’ll often explore the free information on the Warrior Forum, which entails anything from new products to reviews, and search engine information to finding a web host.
One of the regular contributors is Craig Fenton who is an author of rock and roll books on the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship and a public-speaker with a former Grateful Dead member and a long time rock photographer. Craig pointed something out to a marketing newcomer not too long ago that would be suitable for many to digest.
The post on the forum was something to the extent if somebody can show screen shots of their checks from Click Bank
(people sell and promote products through them) and if the payments are large does that correlate to potential success for the new marketer wanting to invest in the product?
Craig mentioned that not only could screen shots be faked but if you even pretend that every person was honest in their ClickBank information the amount of profit the creator of a product makes is not the key for somebody wanting to fulfill their own dream.
Let’s look further at what he talked about. We can use any numbers you want. For the sake of the post pretend that Marketer XYZ has made 100,000 through Click Bank for a product they launched 2 months ago. Somebody sees this and stars over-take their vision.
It isn’t the profit they made in total that is the key. How much of the 100,000 was because somebody purchased their product and how much was because of the information found in the contents were applied and brought in a good source of income?
If 99,000 came as a result of sales throughout the world the marketer is only profiting on the sale of the creation and not from the actual information.
You as a consumer would rather see honest proof that 31.4 percent of the profit was due to the implementation of his or her own strategy such as article writing, Google AdSense, and so on.
Before you jump because a number seems large please break it down to the smallest segment and then if it can stand on its own it may be worth a look.
Always get impartial information about the service. Does the product that is being sold for traffic generation or blogging for thousands have a money back guarantee, are there complaints about it on the forums or through the Better Business Bureau, and is there an email or phone number you can use to ask questions before the sale?
Take small steps and I hope you make giant dollars.
Signing off with a large thank you from Consumer Friend Headquarters until next time.
Finding Your Blogging Niche or think 1
March 29, 2009
Welcome to the Consumer Side Of The Road,
thanks for being here on Sunday.
Why do people blog and is it right
for you?
Finding Your Blogging Niche
Finding your blogging niche should be one of the aspects of blogging which the blogger carefully considers before starting a blog. This is especially important if the blogging is being done for the purpose of financial compensation. Ideally a blog owner should select a blog subject about which they are passionate and knowledgeable. However, bloggers should also carefully consider the direct competition as well as the purpose of the blog before starting their blog. This article will discuss these considerations in greater detail in an attempt to assists bloggers in choosing a subject for a new blog. This information is applicable to both bloggers who are completely new to blogging as well as experienced bloggers who are considering starting a new blog.
Isolating Your Interests
One of the first considerations for a new blogger is his personal interests. This is important because a blogger who is passionate and knowledgeable about a particular subject will not only have an easy time coming up with ideas for new blog posts but will also likely be highly successful. This success will likely be attributable to the fact that blog visitors can sense his passion for the subject matter and greatly appreciate the knowledgeable posts which are informative and accurate.
The interests of the blogger may run the gamut from subjects which are widely popular to subjects which are of interest to only a small subset of the population. However, there will likely be interested readers regardless of the subject of the blog. Therefore bloggers are not discouraged from opting to blog about even the most obscure subjects. However, bloggers who are seeking financial gain through high blog traffic should consider selecting a topic which appeals to a larger audience.
Evaluating the Competition
Once a blogger has selected one or more subjects he is considering for a blog, it is time to begin evaluating the competition. This includes viewing other blogs covering the same subject matter. This will not only give the blogger a good indication of whether or not the market is already saturated with blogs on this subject and the quality of the existing blogs on this subject. Based on this information the blogger can make an informed decision about whether or not he feels capable of competing for blog traffic with the existing blogs.
Considering the Purpose of the Blog
Another important consideration for bloggers is the purpose of the blogs. Blogs can be created for a variety of reasons including financial compensation, personal use or to promote a cause. Bloggers who are starting a blog for personal use may only wish to consider their own interests when starting a blog because they are not likely seeking high blog traffic. However, bloggers who are creating a blog for purposes of generating a profit or promoting a cause do have to consider factors such as the ability to generate blog traffic. In these cases the blogger should choose a subject which appeals to a large audience. Additionally, the Internet should not already be saturated with blogs on this subject because it will likely be difficult for the new blog to garner a share of blog traffic. Finally, blog owners should consider the quality of the blog they are capable of creating on a particular subject. The blogger should choose a subject where he is confident he can not only make regular posts but also ensure these posts are original, informative and interesting.
From the 77th Floor of the 2 Story Consumer Friend home, have a
great consumer day!
In this Web We Find: A bit about a web site for a Sunday
March 29, 2009
In this Web We Find:
It’s Sunday in Consumer Friend Headquarters. Welcome to a slice of the morning.
Don’t focus only on the home page, keywords and titles.
The first step to sales when customers visit your site to see the products they were looking for. Of course, search engine optimization and better rankings can’t keep your customer on your site or make them buy. The customer having visited your site, now ensure that he gets interested in your products or services and stays around. Motivate him to buy the product by providing clear and unambiguous information. Thus if you happen to sell more than one product or service, provide all necessary information about this, may be by keeping the information at a different page. By providing suitable and easily visible links, the customer can navigate to these pages and get the details.
Understanding Your Target Customer
If you design a website you think will attract clients, but you don’t really know who your customers are and what they want to buy, it is unlikely you make much money. Website business is an extension or replacement for a standard storefront. You can send email to your existing clients and ask them to complete a survey or even while they are browsing on your website. Ask them about their choices. Why do they like your products? Do you discount prices or offer coupons? Are your prices consistently lower than others? Is your shipping price cheaper? Do you respond faster to client questions? Are your product descriptions better? Your return policies and guarantees better than your competitor’s? To know your customer you can check credit card records or ask your customer to complete a simple contact form with name, address, age, gender, etc. when they purchase a product.
Does your website give enough contact information?
When you sell from a website, your customer can buy your products 24 hrs a day and also your customers may be from other states that are thousands of miles away. Always provide contact information. Some sites will have the ability to view the contact information on every page. There must be a sense of legitimacy in the eyes of the potential customer.
From Consumer Headquarters we wish you a productive and all around monumental day.
If the world feels like a coliseum here is a forum
March 29, 2009
Sunday In Consumer Land, welcome!
If some of you are wondering about the pros and cons of an internet business such as affiliate marketing (ClickBank products for example) why not get free information. Explore the ground, check the terrain and see if you feel stable.
ClickBank Success Forum http://www.clickbanksuccessforum.com/forum/
If you want a more broad based scope of the internet marketing landscape why not book a trip here:
Internet Marketing Forums http://internetmarketingforums.net/
Knowledge is a wonderful thing when there is no charge to listen, learn, and read on.
If you have some time today and are not rushed why not look at the forums and see what looks good, bad, and palatable.
Next train leaving now.
From the Consumer News Desk we wish you a great Sunday.
Tools to monitor your website or how we can make some noise
March 29, 2009
Tools to monitor your website
Welcome to the Consumer Friend Info Quarters:
You can’t just put your website on the net with right keywords and all the right touches and expect your traffic and ranking will remain constant. As the web is an ever changing landscape, you have to keep track of your own web results like what is happening with the competition and also the best and highest ranked sites. There are many useful tools to help you find out what exactly is happening.
1. A tool which you can use to test your own website links or other websites for broken links:
http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html
2. With this tool you can check search engines for the number of back links to your URL i.e. other web pages linking to your site:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/backlinks/
3. It sometimes becomes important to know where the servers of your hosting company are physically located. Because, some search engines like Google have the ability to filter search results based on their physical location called geo-targeting. This could be used to determine why your site is showing in only a certain country. This link can also be used to research the country location of a particular competitor’s website:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/website-country/
4. In order to track the location of the visitor or a customer to your website:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/geovisitors/
5. In order to check the Yahoo! web ranking of yours or your competitor’s website use:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/webrank/
6. Here is a link to check the web ranking of a website using a Mac or Apple computer:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/pagerank-mac/
7. You need a Google AdSense account for using this. This link provides you with charts and reports which will help you analyze traffic, clicks, and results from your AdSense advertising
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/adsense-charts/
8. If you have an AdSense account, you can analyze your website address or another website address to see what Google ads will be displayed when the customer selects certain website names or keywords:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/adsense-sandbox/
9. This link will take you to a cooperative advertising network where you can join to display and
Share your ads with other website owners:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/ad-network/
10. You can add the Search Functionality on your website which uses Google. This works only if your site is listed in the Google Index.
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/search/
11. Here are some links to free website counters which you can use on your website to track your traffic and hits:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/counter/
http://www.amazingcounters.com/?ref=gad033
http://www.cyber-counter.com/signup.php
http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html
From the Consumer Friend Desk enjoy the day!
From the Consumer Friend Hang-Out welcome one and all:
It is all too rare that somebody wants to help because it is the right thing and not the monetary voice speaking.
There is a successful businessman Roy Carter that is known for his achievements in the Internet Marketing/Home Based Business World. The other day he furnished information to a family that he not only could have attempted to do so with a price tag but with a sales pitch to every product on his resume. He did neither. His motives were to help somebody because they are in a position he once faced.
I found out about his compassion with a nightly visit to the Warrior Forum. Looking over the vast selection of topics on marketing is a learning resource that never reaches over saturation.
Below is the link to the forum and a couple of Roy’s products. There is no compensation for me posting the information, as you can clearly see the links don’t include any affiliate information and the Warrior Forum is free to view and free to post.
http://www.CaseStudyCashClub.com
http://www.InfoProductsMadeEasy.com
For Roy, I am glad you didn’t forget where you once were. For me I often can’t remember the street of the Consumer Friend Headquarters but maybe one day I’ll get a navigation unit.
Thanks for reading and consume but don’t be consumed.
