The top 18 websites for marketers that I keep on my desktop

Mainstream Media:

• The New York Times: Still some of the best business writing on the planet. If you click through to their Media and Advertising page, you'll get all the top stories all the time.
• The Wall Street Journal: Ditto for The Wall Street Journal. This is just an amazing publication. If you're young and ambitious, you should be reading their Media and Marketing page every single day. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Every. Single. Day.
• DM News: If you haven't jumped on board the direct response marketing bandwagon yet, you should do so quickly. (Why? Because direct response marketing is a highly-measurable form of marketing, which is what all CEOs and CFOs are interested in.) If you want to get the inside scoop on direct response marketing, then check out DM News. It's top-notch.
• HBS Working Knowledge: This site, associated with Harvard Business School, puts out some of the more thought-provoking and insightful articles on marketing and management. It's heavy stuff, but good stuff, too.
• Advertising Age: These guys have done a fabulous job evolving into one of the more progressive and cutting-edge publications around. I particularly like the column by Al Reis, who wrote The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding (affiliate link), among other classics.

Marketing Websites:

• MarketingProfs:Ann Handley and her team have done such a great job upgrading MarketingProfs over the past few years, it's hard to know where to start. If you're looking for useful information on marketing, they're one of the best sites around.
• MarketingSherpa: Another great marketing site. MarketingSherpa focuses more on marketing research and case studies, so their results are based on data, not just anecdotal information or opinion.
• Social Media Examiner: I'm reading Michael Steltzner's book, Launch (affiliate link), right now and it's terrific. So is his website. It's packed with really great tips on marketing.

Marketing and Business Blogs:

• ChrisBrogan.com: Chris provides his followers with tons of great tips on social media along with his insights into new and emerging media. And, from what I can tell, he's a nice guy. His parents should be proud.
• SethGodin.com: Seth is the guy who started it all back when he wrote Permission Marketing (affiliate link) many, many years ago. He's a pioneer and still writing great posts on business and marketing every day.
• CopyBlogger.com: One of the few writers who matches Chris Brogan for style and content is Brian Clark.Check out some of Brian's insights on consumer behavior and you'll see what I mean.
• ProBlogger.com: This is another excellent blog, run by Darren Rowse. He consistently provides top-notch tips for bloggers and social media practitioners. Chris Brogan, Brian Clark, Darren Rowse and Sonia Simone started ThirdTribeMarketing.com together (see below). Third Tribe is a great place to get advice on all things interactive.  
• DivaMarketingBlog.com: Toby Bloomberg was recently ranked as one of the 20 best marketing and social media blogs by women by Forbes. She also has a terrific new eBook called Social Media Marketing GPS that's definitely worth reading.
• Brainzooming.com: Mike Brown is a smart, strategic thinker who has some interesting perspectives on marketing and business. He's a friend and worth checking out.
• WebInkNow.com: David Meerman Scott wrote the definitive book on new and emerging media several years ago. It's called The New Rules of Marketing and PR (affiliate link) and has recently been updated. The book is packed with good information as is his blog. Definitely worth checking out.

Other Important Marketing Sites:

• Website Grader from Hubspot: These guys are geniuses. Really, they are. They're one of the first companies to put a tool on their website that drew visitors back to the site on a regular basis. The tool - Website Grader - uses its own algorithm to calculate how visible your site is to search engines. It's totally worth checking out. (Disclosure: HubSpot is a sponsor of the 60 Second Marketer. They're still geniuses, though.) 
• ThirdTribeMarketing.com: As mentioned above, Chris, Brian, Darren and Sonia started this forum as a way for marketers around the globe to learn, share and inspire each other to improve their marketing skills. I joined recently and it's proven to be a valuable tool.
• Compete.com: If you haven't stopped by Compete.com yet, you really need to do so. It's a great way to compare various website analytics across multiple sites. I stop by frequently just to find out how other sites are doing.
• 60SecondMarketer.com: Okay, shameless plug here. But if you haven't had a chance to take a spin through our site, it might be worth checking out. We have :60 video tutorials on our YouTube channel, access to free marketing tools, marketing articles and dozens of other pages filled with useful tips and techniques. (At least, that's what we think.)

Forward to A Friend:

Do you know someone who might be interested in the list of research sites above? If so, why not forward it to them? Just click here and share with others.

Additional Articles of Interest from the 60 Second Marketer Blog:

• Top 10 Must Have Applications to Build Your Brand on Facebook 

• Top 10 Tips on Using Twitter for Business 

Free Downloads and Resources:

• Download our free e-book called "99 Tools to Help You Make Money with Social Media" by clicking here.

• Download "How to Calculate the ROI of a Social Media Campaign" by clicking here.

• Download "The Social Media ROI Cycle" by clicking here.

How To Present Without Presenting By Michael Oliver

Here’s an interesting question from JY who was reading one of my articles about a dialogue in my “Talking With Friends” CD program.

I find this conversation very interesting.  Why is it that during a conversation you are having with a friend that they do not ask you what you are doing?  It feels one way. And, if it truly is a friend, how can you not have told them about such an exciting part of your life?

How do you answer when they ask?

There is nothing stopping you from telling your friends directly. As I said in my article “Use your judgment and go with what feels right”.

It’s important to remember though that if you start a fire hose presentation on them they will likely react like most people and be blown backwards away from you. Fire hoses exert a lot of pressure and put things out!

So if you do tell them, make it brief and get a dialogue going using the basic simple principles and methods described in my book and CD’s

Your Personalized Response.

If they do ask you what you are doing, briefly tell them.

One way is by using a modified version of your “Personal Introduction”.

This is sometimes called your 10 second commercial or “Elevator Speech”.

Here is an example. You can fill in the spaces to personalize it to fit your circumstances…

• “You know how I’ve been saying for some while that I was tired about (your story here) “
• “Well, I decided to do something about it and set myself up in a part time business so that I can… (your compelling reasons here) “
• “Have you ever thought about doing something like that?”

I explain the Personal Introduction in detail in Chapter 11 of my book “How To Sell Network Marketing Without Fear, Anxiety or Losing Your Friends!” I also talk about it on my CD program “12 Ways To Start Effective Conversations Without Fear”.

The Personal Introduction Speech is one of the most powerful and flexible tools that you have at your disposal.

You can modify it to fit all sorts of different situations. You can;

• Create a generic one for general use to create interest in what you do.
• Use it to explain your products using compelling “What’s in it for them” terms.
• Turn it into a customized mini presentation after someone has given you some clues there is something missing and they might be open to change.

A key thing to remember is to end your Personal Introduction with a question. This puts the focus back on the other person and enables you to start a dialogue with them.

The main point is, don’t be anxious to tell. Be more interested in finding out. You’ll have plenty of time to present later.

U. S. Nuclear Facility Closes as Wildfire Moves Closer

A raging wildfire in the southwestern United States is moving closer to a key nuclear weapons laboratory, forcing it to shut down for another two days.

Only essential personnel will have access to the facility.

Lab officials have said all nuclear and hazardous material - including hazardous waste stored on the complex - is safe.

Crews say the fire has now grown to more than 24,000 hectares. They said the main blaze sparked a smaller fire on the lab site itself, but that it was quickly extinguished.

Officials first evacuated the lab Monday after the wildfire burned through some nearby communities. Thousands of residents have been evacuated and other nearby communities have been put under a voluntary evacuation due to concerns about poor air quality.

Fire crews across the U.S. are currently battling more than 30 large wildfires in nine states, including 14 in Texas, four in Arizona and six in Florida.

Meanwhile, some U.S. nuclear officials are downplaying concerns about two nuclear power plants in the central U.S. state of Nebraska that are being threatened by flooding.

Water from the rising Missouri River has surrounded the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station, while floodwaters have been creeping closer to the Cooper Nuclear Power Station.

The officials that oversee both power plants have said there is no possibility of a meltdown at either facility. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Gregory Jaczko says there is no immediate threat.

There have been concerns that the floodwaters could knock out the plants' electric power supply, allowing the nuclear materials to overheat, leading to a possible meltdown.

Officials say sufficient back-up systems are in place to make sure there is no repeat of the problems that sparked a meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant following an earthquake and tsunami earlier this year.

Heavy flooding in the central state of North Dakota has threatened dozens of cities across the state.

The Souris River crested at its highest level in 130 years on Sunday, damaging an estimated 3,000 homes and displacing more than 12,000 people in the city of Minot.

The river, which travels from Canada southeast into North Dakota and north back to Canada, has prompted officials in the Canadian province of Manitoba to warn residents to prepare for floodwaters arriving from North Dakota.

How to Close Your PayPal Account Posted by Kelly Clay on Jun 24, 2011

PayPal is an easy and secure way to complete transactions online, whether to send roommates your share of rent or pay for purchases made online. If you’re not happy with using PayPal, however, whether because of the time it takes to withdraw your balance to your bankaccount, purchase fees, or holding times to clear a check, you may want to close your account. If you want to close your PayPal account, PayPal has made this process just as easy as using PayPal.

To close your PayPal account, make sure you are first logged in to PayPal and then click on the My Accounttab. Then, on the row underneath the main tabs, click onProfile. Then, select More Options from the dropdown menu. On the left side of the next screen, chose My Settings, which will allow you to select the status of your account. At the top of the next page you will see your Account type, and to the far right an option toClose Account. If you are ready to close your PayPal account, click this link to start the process of closing your PayPal account.

Before you can close your PayPal account, though, PayPal will ask you a few security questions to confirm that you are in fact the owner of this PayPal account, which helps prevent others from fraudulently closing your account and potentially stealing any remaining balance. You’ll need either the credit card connected to the PayPal account, bank information about the checking account connected to the PayPal account, or if you have a PayPal debit card, information about that card. You will then have to confirm you do want to close your PayPal account. If you have a remaining balance in your PayPal account, it will be mailed to you as a physical check to the address you specified in your account.

Marketing

"The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself."

Peter F. Drucker

North Carolina Insurance Law: Homeowners Appraisal Process Does Not Allow Apprai...

North Carolina Insurance Law: Homeowners Appraisal Process Does Not Allow Apprai...: "In a rare move, the North Carolina Supreme Court has granted an insurer’s petition for discretionary review and reversed a unanimous May 201..."

Discover Your Assignment

06-24-2011 - , Are You a Person of Influence?

06-24-2011 - , Are You a Person of Influence?

06-24-2011 - , Are You a Person of Influence?

06-24-2011 - , Are You a Person of Influence?

Step AWAY From The Crack Pipe! – NMPRO #531 | Network Marketing Pro | Free MLM Training

Step AWAY From The Crack Pipe! – NMPRO #531 | Network Marketing Pro | Free MLM Training

Step AWAY From The Crack Pipe! – NMPRO #531 | Network Marketing Pro | Free MLM Training

Step AWAY From The Crack Pipe! – NMPRO #531 | Network Marketing Pro | Free MLM Training

Buying Private Health Insurance - SmartMoney.com

Buying Private Health Insurance - SmartMoney.com

Difference Between an Adjuster & a Public Adjuster | eHow.com

Difference Between an Adjuster & a Public Adjuster | eHow.com

The 4 Steps to Creating Afformations That Change Your Life

Step 1: Ask yourself what you want.

You can use a goal you've previously written down or start from scratch. You decide.

Please note that traditional success coaches stop right here. They tell you to "set your goals" and then say "affirmations" in an attempt to convince your brain that you will have what you want... sometime, somehow, somewhere.

Let's use Brandon from Utah as an example. He wanted to make more money by doing something he loved. He was an insurance salesman who'd spent $30,000 on every "how to succeed" program out there, with no results. So for his goal, he wrote: "I want to be all I can be in life."

Now, the breakthrough step...

Step 2: Form a QUESTION which assumes that what you want is already true.

Forming a question which assumes that what you want is already true is the key to creating Afformations that change your life.

Your life is a reflection of the subconscious assumptions you make. That's why Step 2 of The Afformations Method is to change your communication with the world inside yourself. Afformations are the fastest, most effective way I've ever seen to immediately change your communication with the world inside of you AND the world outside of you.

So Brandon began afforming: "Why am I allowed to be, do, and have all that I want in life?"

Step 3: Give yourself to the question.

The point of Afformations is not to find "the answer" but to ask better questions. When you ask better questions, your mind automatically begins to focus on what you have as opposed to what you don't have.

Once Brandon began to afform what he wanted, his mind automatically began to search for the answer. He started doing things a little differently and talking to people with new confidence.

Which brings us to Step 4 of The Afformations Method - the one you MUST do to get optimum results...

Step 4: Take new ACTIONS based on your new assumptions about yourself.

Even though Brandon had spent thousands of dollars on every "how to succeed" program out there, he subconsciously assumed they wouldn't work for him. So they didn't.

After reading my book, he realized that this was what was keeping him from what he wanted. So he began to take new action on the very programs that had not worked for him.

He began calling more people. He followed up with more confidence. By focusing on what he had instead of what he lacked, positive results naturally followed.

Once Brandon followed the four steps of The Afformations Method, his sales tripled in 30 days. In less than nine months, his income increased 560% and he was named Agent of the Year.

The point of Afformations is not to find "the answer" but to change your questions. When you follow The Afformations Method, you will form empowering questions that immediately change your subconscious assumptions.

For example, Andrea had been trying to get pregnant for more than a year but had a huge mental block. She thought she didn't deserve it, her body couldn't do it, and so on. After her psychologist told her about Afformations, Andrea began asking herself "Why do I conceive so easily?" and "Why am I so fertile?" Within a month, she was pregnant. Now she's asking herself, "Why do I carry my babies full term?"... "Why am I free from morning sickness?"... and all kinds of other questions that are making her feel great.

Omar, a car salesman, was selling one or two cars a month and making less than $600 in commissions. Then he started afforming "Why am I so successful at selling cars?" And in just two days, he sold four new cars, three used ones, and made more than $1,800.

Judy, a 55-year-old grandmother from Texas, wanted to lose weight but told herself she was too old. In November 2008, she joined my Platinum Weight Loss Club. I recommended that she start asking questions like "Why do I lose weight so easily?" and "Why do I love eating healthy foods?" During the holidays, while most of America was gaining weight, Judy lost 24 pounds. And by February 2009, she was down over 30 pounds and feeling fantastic.

Can you see how this process must, by definition, change your life? Using Afformations, you can take conscious control of your subconscious thoughts . Change the questions, change your results, and change your life!

[Ed. Note: Noah St. John is the inventor of Afformations and bestselling author of The Secret Code of Success: 7 Hidden Steps to More Wealth and Happiness.

LinkedIn: how to up your game - TNW Social Media

LinkedIn: how to up your game - TNW Social Media

Was A Policyholder Release Intended As A Final Settlement Of An Association's Wilma Claim? - Court Will Determine Whether Mutual or Unilateral Mistake : Condominium Insurance Law

Was A Policyholder Release Intended As A Final Settlement Of An Association's Wilma Claim? - Court Will Determine Whether Mutual or Unilateral Mistake : Condominium Insurance Law

Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book | Video on TED.com

Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book | Video on TED.com

Your Business Is Selling Your Business

By Michael Masterson

I recently received a letter from a nice lady I'll call "Lynn" that reminded me of something very important.

It is something that can thwart your efforts to start your own business. It is probably the main reason why smart and talented people never enjoy financial independence. It is big. It is bad. But it is also invisible.

And that's the real problem. If you can't see it, you are unlikely to do anything about it.

I myself was held back by this invisible problem for many years. It prevented me from pursuing my own career. It blocked me from making a lot of money.

But when I finally saw it clearly, I eliminated it quickly. After that, everything fell into place.

Here's Lynn's letter:

"I've worn many hats, juggled them off and on in my years as Mother, Grandmother, Realtor, Concessionaire, and Artist Retailer/Wholesaler. Love, divorce, custody issues, death, inheritance, bankruptcy, accidents, health issues, friendship, betrayal -- I've either been through it or carried someone through it.

"What I seem to do best is calm nerves and give good advice, to the point where it often interferes with other endeavors. I've seriously thought about ETR's Internet business ideas, but I'm wary of selling things. It seems that, among family and friends at least, I am the oracle, the witchy matriarch with the final answer. The trendy term 'life coach' isn't quite it. I want to be like an e-mail comforter. A listener of last resort. A sounding board.

"It's the only thing I think I'm really quite good at. Could this be a business?"

Do you see Lynn's problem?

I do. It isn't about choosing the right business to go into. It is much more serious than that. Lynn's problem is that she is "wary of selling."

How can Lynn hope to be successful at business -- any business -- if she is wary of selling?

And what is especially interesting to me is that she voices her problem without recognizing it. Rather than understand that her fear of selling is the issue, she has convinced herself that what is holding her back is not knowing whether the particular business she has chosen can work.

Can it work?

Yes. But not if she is wary of selling!

Business is selling. It doesn't matter whether you want to sell pots and pans, horticultural information, custom-built homes, or hash pipes -- unless you are willing to market your product, you won't succeed.

Lynn suffers from a common delusion. She believes that there are two kinds of people: honest, hardworking people who don't sell... and greedy, self-centered people who do.

What nonsense!

Whether they're dealing with "things" or ideas, everyone has in their heart a voice that wants to persuade others to buy what they're selling. So the first thing Lynn needs to do is to make friends with her inner salesperson.

Some of the best marketers I've ever trained detested selling when they came to work with me. They had the typical liberal arts education -- the one that perpetuates the ludicrous myth that teachers and museum curators and novelists don't make a living by selling.

I prefer to work with young people like that because their reluctance to "sell" can be converted to a desire to sell with integrity. Business school graduates are often jaded when it comes to selling. They don't become great salespeople because they never get beyond the tricks and techniques. They never really want to make a personal connection.

But enough about that right now. Let's get to Lynn's question.

Lynn says she can deliver comfort. But will people pay for it?

Yes... but not if she calls it comfort.

Think about what therapists do. They charge pretty good money to give people comforting advice. Yes, there are some who deliver discomfort -- but they don't stay in business very long. People pay therapists to make them feel good. If you've ever been in therapy with a successful therapist, you already know that.

But if therapists said that they were in the business of making their clients feel good, no one would take them seriously and no one would pay them good money for their comforting advice. So rather than advertise what they are really selling, they advertise their methodology (Freudian, Behaviorist, etc.) or the type of "problems" they deal with (addiction, obsessive compulsive disorders, etc.).

Since Lynn isn't a trained psychotherapist, she can't honestly advertise those sorts of things. So she will have to come up with her own ideas about why people get themselves into trouble and how they can find solutions. These ideas will form themselves into a unified whole, if she thinks about them long enough. This unified whole is what we call an "intellectual franchise." That's what Lynn needs to develop. And then she needs to test it to see if it sells.

Remember, starting a business and making it a success is not just a matter of having a good idea. The idea has to be one that people will be happy to pay money for.

So if you are in Lynn's position -- looking to turn your idea into a profitable business -- you have to become comfortable with selling.

How do you do that when you are "wary of selling," as Lynn puts it?

The first step is to understand that there are two kinds of selling:

1. Pushing people (to buy things they don't want)

2. Helping people (to select those things they do want to buy)

Pushy salespeople -- the telemarketer who calls you while you're eating dinner, the broker who calls you on the weekend with a "hot deal," the proverbial used-car salesman -- delight in persuading you to do what you don't want to do. Such salespeople see the selling process as a kind of battle where they bully and beat you into submission. It's an ego game for them, and your acquiescence -- even if you really do want the product -- is an indication that they've won.

Such salespeople should be pilloried and run out of town. They are the same kind of people who get a kick out of not letting you merge in traffic and cutting ahead of you in the supermarket line.

Fortunately, salespeople who understand that their job is to solve a customer's problem or help him meet a need are more common than their obnoxious cousins.

How would Lynn go about doing that?

Let's say she has a prospective client whose main concern is the future of his marriage. What she would do, in this case, is ask him questions about it and find out, in as much detail as possible, what his worries are. Having done this, she would be in a great position to address each one -- to explain how her product (her advice) can give him effective solutions. By driving home the benefits of her product -- benefits the prospect cares about -- she is making a very strong sales presentation. She is telling him exactly what he wants to hear.

Remember -- your prospect wants to be sold. So long as you help him understand how your product can help him achieve his desires or solve his problems, he will be prejudiced in your favor.

So don't sell him, help him. Begin by finding out what he wants and needs. And then (if and only if you can really help him), make the strongest, most specific case you can to convince him that his desires will be achieved and his problems solved.

Next, you need to start testing various ways to position your product... preferably on the Internet... until you find one that catches on.

And then, to grow your business, you will have to produce lots of products that tie into your initial business idea and lots of sales letters to convince people to buy them.

This is a rough outline of what will be involved in making Lynn's business work. It is not easy, but it is definitely doable.

The Internet has lowered all the barriers. Lynn can set up a website for a few hundred dollars in a single day. She can begin generating traffic to that website through a combination of inexpensive pay-per-click (PPC) ads and organic search techniques.

Step by step, she can develop a little business that initially brings in a few hundred dollars a week and then a few thousand a week. And then she can move on to more ambitious marketing techniques that will leapfrog her into the big time.

None of what she has to do is rocket science. Tens of thousands of people all around the world are making six-figure incomes from the comfort of their own homes. Lynn can and should be one of them.

But she must begin by getting over her distaste for selling. And then she must follow a proven formula that will allow her to take full advantage of the cheap costs and wide reach of the Internet.