Take Advantage Of Internet Phone Calls (VOIP)

Take Advantage Of Internet Phone Calls (VOIP)

by: Colin Brin

Voice Over IP (VOIP) is a relatively new technology. Voice Over IP allows people to leave behind the old and very traditional analogue phone networks and now adapt in favor of the very new and very progressive Internetbased calling system infrastructure. Using this technology for your communications actually works out cheaper for you in the long run as it means you won’t need to pay for calls if the people you are calling and speaking to are also using the same VOIP system.

Voice Over IP runs on several different types of infrastructure. This is the main reason why you should take the time to do your homework and find out how it works and what is involved, before you even consider setting up a Voice Over IP network at your home or place of business. When you do your homework you will see that invariably VOIP offers lots of advantages over and above the standard traditional telephone based analogue service that most people are currently using. Letกs take a moment to examine some of the advantages of using Voice Over IP.

The main advantage of Voice Over IP is to be honest the cost the cost benefit goes directly back into your pocket. And because Voice Over IP uses the infrastructure of the Internet to make outgoing calls, you will never need to pay your traditional phone provider to maintain a telephone line or for phone and line rental. In addition, many Voice Over IP service providers allow customers to make long distance calls that attract minimal or no long distance charges at all. Many service providers even offer customer VOIP packages that allow you to opt for discounted internet call rates so you can save even more.

But what about this for a benefit? If you have Voice Over IP software installed on your PC and you want to speak to someone who is also uses Voice Over IP, then you are able to talk for as long as you want without having to pay a single cent. This is because your voice is actually transformed into digital data packets rather than audio, and the data is transferred in a similar fashion to that of email. Voice Over IP also makes it very easy and cheap to conduct conference calls and video calls.

There are, of course, some minor disadvantages to using Voice Over IP and you should consider these before you embark on setting up Voice Over IP. Since Voice Over IP is a relatively recent and largely untapped technology, Voice Over IP is prone to experience more errors than using a normal phone would. In addition, if you experience a power failure, then you would be unable to make a call, like you could with a traditional analogue phone. In any event, Voice Over IP is something that you should investigate for your own home and business needs and you should consider it soon while the rates are cheap and the deals are good.

About The Author

Colin Brin is the owner of AB Voip which is a premier source of information about Voip. For more information, go to: http://abvoip.com

This article was posted on August 08

by Colin Brin

Software Promotion

Software Promotion

by: Sharon Housley

Software Announce

Creating amazing software is only half the battle. Telling the world about your software is the other half. With working capital, consider employing someone who specializes in software promotion. To work with an established reputable firm can esure success when marketing software. Two promotional companies that know the software industry, and can provide valuable marketing advice and insight are:

Shareware Promotions http://www.sharewarepromotions.com

Dr File Finder http://www.drff.com .

Outside of hiring professionals to market software, there are still a number of options for marketing software, in most cases, the only investment will be time.

1. Post Press Releases to Online Resources

If press releases or product announcements are sent out, consider posting the announcements to websites, there are a number that allow for press release posting free of charge. The releases on these sites are occasionally picked up by publications looking for information or filler content. Another side benefit to these listings is increased link popularity, which helps with search engine ranking. A list of sites that allow for press release posting can be found under กpress release postingก A number are available at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/pressreleases.html

2. Post Announcement on Usenet

A number of Usenet groups allow for posting of announcements or press releases. Most of the announce groups in Usenet contain กann.ก in the domain address. To locate topic specific announce groups consider searching Newsguy.com. A list of common software announce groups are listed below.

comp.software.shareware.announce

fm.announce

3. Post to Forums

Forums also contain sections in which you can post announcements. If the application is niche product, consider searching for topic specific forums in addition to the general software announce forums listed below. Be sure to post any announcements in the appropriately marked กannounce forumก

http://www.smallbusinesssoftware.net/forum/

http://forum.mypdacafe.com

http://forums.digitalsea.com/

http://download.net/forums/index.php

http://www.developersforum.com/

http://v2.tlab404.com/forum

Topic specific software announce forums are also available, such as http://www.messagingsoftware.com/forum only messaging related announcements are welcome

4. Search Usenet

To determine if there are recent inquiries regarding related software or your products and to post appropriate responses search Googleกs Forum directory (by date): http://groups.google.com/

5. Present to Local User Groups

User groups are filled with technically savvy individuals who have an interest in technology and software. Consider attending and presenting software at a local user group meeting or a SIG (special interest group). The targeted audience will often share information, about software that impresses them, with friends or other user groups. To find local user groups search the database located on the Association of Professional User Group (APCUG) website at http://www.apcug.org or post an inquiry to the user group forum on http://www.smallbusinesssoftware.net/forum/

6. Partner with Other Developers

Consider a developer newsletter exchange. Complimentary products often do well when presented properly. Provide a discount or affiliate exchange to sweeten the offer of a mention.

The extra effort expended to make potential customers aware of products can go a long way to ensure the success of a well designed application.

About The Author

Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.smallbusinesssoftware.net

This article was posted on April 20, 2004

by Sharon Housley

E(merging) Books

E(merging) Books

by: Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.

A novel redefinition through experimentation of the classical format of the book is emerging.

Consider the now defunct BookTailor. It used to sell its book customization software mainly to travel agents but this technology is likely to conquer other niches (such as the legal and medical professions). It allows users to select bits and pieces from a library of ebooks, combine them into a totally new tome and print and bind the latter on demand. The client can also choose to buy the endproduct as an ebook. Consider what this simple business model does to entrenched and age old notions such as กoriginalก and กcopiesก, copyright, and book identifiers. What is the กoriginalก in this case? Is it the final, usercustomized book or its sources? And if no customized book is identical to any other what happens to the intuitive notion of กcopiesก? Should BookTailorgenerated books considered to be unique exemplars of onecopy print runs? If so, should each one receive a unique identifier (for instance, a unique ISBN)? Does the user possess any rights in the final product, composed and selected by him? What about the copyrights of the original authors?

Or take BookCrossing.com. On the face of it, it presents no profound challenge to established publishing practices and to the modern concept of intellectual property. Members register their books, obtain a BCID (BookCrossing ID Number) and then give the book to someone, or simply leave it lying around for a total stranger to find. Henceforth, fate determines the chain of events. Eventual successive owners of the volume are supposed to report to BookCrossing (by email) about the bookกs and their whereabouts, thereby generating moving plots and mapping the territory of literacy and bibliomania. This innocuous model subversively undermines the concept legal and moral of ownership. It also expropriates the book from the realm of passive, inert objects and transforms it into a catalyst of human interactions across time and space. In other words, it returns the book to its origins: a time capsule, a time machine and the embodiment of a historical narrative.

Ebooks, hitherto, have largely been nothing but an ephemeral rendition of their print predecessors. But ebooks are another medium altogether. They can and will provide a different reading experience. Consider กhyperlinks within the ebook and without it to web content, reference works, etc., embedded instant shopping and ordering links, divergent, userinteractive, decision driven plotlines, interaction with other ebooks (using Bluetooth or another wireless standard), collaborative authoring, gaming and community activities, automatically or periodically updated content, ,multimedia capabilities, database, Favourites and History Maintenance (records of reading habits, shopping habits, interaction with other readers, plot related decisions and much more), automatic and embedded audio conversion and translation capabilities, full wireless piconetworking and scatternetworking capabilities and moreก.

About The Author

Sam Vaknin is the author of กMalignant Self Love Narcissism Revisitedก and กAfter the Rain How the West Lost the Eastก. He is a columnist in กCentral Europe Reviewก, United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

His web site: http://samvak.tripod.com

This article was posted on February 2, 2002

by Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.

How to Buy the Right Digital Camera

How to Buy the Right Digital Camera

by: Kathleen Wade

When buying a digital camera there are many things you should consider. First you should understand how a digital camera works. What you are using your digital camera for will help you decide what features to consider and how much you should spend. I am here to educate you and help you decide.

Let’s start with understanding how a digital camera works. A digital camera uses semiconductor chips instead of conventional film. It’s usually a Charged Coupled Device (CCD). When your shutter opens, light strikes the CCD, temporary electronic changes to the CCD and converted into computer language and recorded on either internal or removable memory. After which the images can be viewed on a small screen located on the back of the camera. Later, then of course downloaded to a computer. Did that make sense? It probably didn’t if this is your first time buying a digital camera. Let’s move on.

Today there are endless cameras to choose from. You obviously have a price range in mind. If you are mainly using it to exchange snapshots over the internet or for creating quick and simple advertising, don’t expect to spend more than $500.00. If you want some control over creation and images, expect to spend between $600 and $2000, especially if you want to make prints on a printer capable of ขphoto qualityข reproductions. If only the ‘best will do’ for you than don’t expect to spend anything less than $5000.

You also have to consider what features you would like. The heart of the camera is the CCD. The larger it is, the more pixels it contains. As expected, the more pixels, the more it costs. If you just want to email your mom 500 miles away a snap shot of a 3 x 4 of your first born, a CCD with about 640 x 480 pixels will do. If it’s a 5 x 7, than do not settle for less than 1280 x 1024 pixels. An 8 x 10 demands about 2000 x 1500 pixels. Also important things to consider are memory, types of flashes, and ease of download.

Depending on what you plan to use your digital camera for will depend on how much you will spend. Keep the previous and following advice in mind before you leave to purchase your first camera and maybe it will be your last.

A. Start out with the least expensive camera that will do the job today.

B. Make sure that the camera you are purchasing is compatible.

C. Ask if the camera you are purchasing can accept an external power supply. Digital cameras eat power faster than your car. You don’t want to spend endless amounts of time sitting in line buying batteries for your camera.

D. See if the software that comes with your camera has a photoediting program.

E. Lastly, ask your friends, neighbors, relatives how satisfied they are with their cameras.

Author: Kathleen Wade

www.etechhead.com

[email protected]

About The Author

Kathleen Wade

http://www.etechhead.com an on line computer store that fits all your needs

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 01, 2004

by Kathleen Wade

Online Advertising For The Perplexed

Online Advertising For The Perplexed

by: Dave Collins

One of the more frightening realities of business is that in order to make money, you often have to spend it first. For independent software developers, the costs of doing business are usually very low. There are often no expensive offices to purchase or lease, a limited amount of hardware to buy and maintain, and for most, no stock to tieup precious capital.

For many developers, the first and most obvious option for productive spending is advertising. And for the online business, there is no shortage of options to choose from.

Most websites offer some form of graphic or text advertising, and there is a bewildering variety of mailing lists, newsletters, and regular mailings. And thatกs before you even begin to consider the printed media.

However, before you even start to think about where you want to advertise, you need to consider why you’re advertising in the first place.

For many companies, the aim of an advert will simply be to increase sales and make more money. Other legitimate reasons for wanting to advertise can include raising the profile of your company or product, increasing brand awareness, and testing new pricing strategies or new markets.

>From the outset, itกs important that you are clear about exactly what it is that you want to achieve. From there, youกll be able to choose where to advertise.

When selecting a venue, an important factor will be how targeted the audience is, as this will have a major bearing on the price that you should be prepared to pay for the ad. In general, the less targeted the audience, the less money you should part with. And even though itกs not always the case, you might want to consider spending a little bit extra for a highly targeted advert.

The next obvious factor is the price.

First of all you need to know how much you will be paying, and whether this is a flat fee, a cost per click, paying per exposure, or some arrangement.

You also need to consider the costs involved in preparation. If you’re using artwork, you may wish to use a professional designer to create it, and don’t overlook that the graphic might have to be in a specific format. More importantly, you have to take into account the amount of time that you will have spend on arranging this.

You also need to consider the time period that you’re hoping your advert will cover. If the ad will be on a website, then youกll probably be looking at days, weeks or even longer. If so, then you should find out whether you can change the content of the ads as you go. If this is what you want to do, all the ads should be prepared well in advance, and the total costs of these should also be factored into the budget.

A good starting point in finding a suitable place to advertise is to learn from the experiences of others. As an ASP member, you have access to the private newsgroups, where other members will often be considerably more open, detailed and revealing than they might in public.

When you think youกve found the right venue, read through whatever information you can find on their website or in their publications, and only then contact the person who handles these matters.

Present them with a general introduction to yourself, your products and your needs, and don’t be afraid to ask questions right from the start. Ask about their terms, payment terms, conditions, and whether they offer any form of guarantee or minimum response levels. A little bit of optimism never did any harm!

Youกll also want to find out if there are any deadlines or timescales to consider, and whether they will publish your ad กas isก, or reserve the right to edit it to suit their content.

Bear in mind that whoever you contact is likely to know their audience very well, so make sure that you ask for any guidance, tips or pointers that they can offer. Find out who will see the ads, what behavioural patterns you might expect, what outcome or response rate you might get, and whether they can offer any helpful suggestions.

Also find out who else has advertised with them in recent months, and ask if you can have their contact details. Make sure that you chase these up, and ask them outright about their experiences.

Leave nothing to chance, and find out whether there will be a contract to sign, and any commitments that may be involved throughout and beyond the advertising period. Itกs also a good idea to find out how flexible they may be. For example, if the ad will run for a number of days or longer, can you change the content of the ads with little or no notice?

At this point, itกs very important to keep in mind that you are the customer. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, don’t be worried about bargaining, and make very sure that you’re getting all the information and answers that you need. If not, move on. There are many other places to advertise.

Assuming that their answers meet your satisfaction, you are then in a good position to negotiate. The web is full of advertising, but even the more popular websites and newsletters often find it difficult to sell all their advertising space nowadays.

You might also want to ask them whether some form of trial period may be possible. If they’re very confident of a high click and success rate, then they shouldn’t object to an ad going out to a smaller test group, or perhaps a normal ad running for a number of hours.

When it comes to the actual payment basis, the ideal scenario would be a vendor offering highquality, targeted advertising, with payment based solely on a commission basis, with no signup fee or base rate.

This is, however, a little on the unlikely side. A more realistic option will be advertising that is based on a flat fee, most (or all) of which will be paid for in advance.

When the terms, price and payment conditions have been dealt with, you’re then ready for the content of the ad itself.

The following article will look at the importance of knowing your target audience, what to include in the ad, and how to know when to call in the professionals. Weกll also be looking at the importance of implementing a good tracking system, and how to follow up an advertising campaign to gain from your experiences. In short, weกll be looking at everything else you need to help make your ad campaign a successful one. Until then, be seen, be sold.

Copyright © 2005 Dave Collins

About The Author

Dave Collins is the CEO of SharewarePromotions Ltd., a well established UKbased company working with software and shareware marketing activities, utilising all aspects of the internet. http://www.sharewarepromotions.com and http://www.davetalks.com.

This article was posted on January 31

by Dave Collins

8 Killer Mistakes For Ezine Failure You Must Avoid

8 Killer Mistakes For Ezine Failure You Must Avoid

by: Christos Varsamis

It is true that sometimes in life there is a small line between failure and success. The same thing applies with ezines and newsletters. Some details we consider unimportant are the keys for the success of our publication or failure.

1) Be Careful with the ขfromข field.

Although many consider this as a detail, it is the first thing a user will see. Who is sending the email. Use either your name or your business name. Avoid any kind of other phrases in that field .It will cost you a lot.

2) The subject line.

This is the second more important field in the email. Avoid hype in that area like ขEarn 50.000$ in 2 weeksข e.t.c. People are smarter than you think. You will never be believable. Emphasize to the purpose of your newsletter .Do not use more than 7 words in your subject line.

3) Call to buy in the first mailing.

This is a common mistake most ezine publishers do .They have sales pitch on the first time. Research has proved that you will gain your subscriber trust after 6 to 7 mailings according always to the content you offer.

4) Use death words, which spam filters ban.

For God’s sake, do not use words or phrases like free, make money, hello, your family, and other. Your newsletter will go directly to junk mail and will be erased without notice.

5) Avoid too much personalization.

Although personalization is important in order to create a friendly ambience, do not overdo it. Some people will consider this as rudeness. Use their name only once in your mailings on the first line of your message, not more. Otherwise, some of your subscribers will be insulted and unsubscribe in a second.

6) Use more verbs, not adjectives.

The best internet marketers and advertisement agencies has proved that verbs are much stronger than adjectives. Especially the ขcall to actionข verbs are so strong that could increase the response rate up to 700%! For example, use the verbs, boost, and explode instead of the word ขincreaseข. See how stronger they are?

7) Use auto responders not web pages.

Many people use on their mailings or other advertisement campaigns their web page mostly. That is big a mistake. The estimate shows that 30% max will subscribe from your web site. On the contrary if you promote your auto responder the percentage, goes from 80% to 100%! Of course, you can use both. It is effective too.

8) Too much info in the submit form.

This is another typical mistake. Some ezines require submitting more personal information such as: email, first and last name, area and other. The info you really need is the first name and the email. Many internet users consider any more than that as violation of their personal info. That means fewer subscribers for your ezine.

Copyright 2004 Christos Varsamis

About The Author

Christos Varsamis is an internet marketing consultant and the owner of the exclusive internetmarketing club http://www.internetmarketingsuccesstips.com. Get his knowledge at your desktop! Subscribe to [email protected].

This article was posted on October 26, 2004

by Christos Varsamis

10 Tips to Use Giveaways Effectively

10 Tips to Use Giveaways Effectively

by: Susan Friedmann

Walk around any trade or consumer show and you will be able to collect a bag full of advertising specialties, or giveaway items all designed to promote. But look a little more closely. How many really do an effective job? How clearly do they get a message across? Is the message sufficiently visible? Is the giveaway useful or unique enough that you would want to keep and use it? All these questions, and more, need to be considered before jumping into the giveaway game.
Everyone enjoys receiving a gift, even if it is กjust a little something.ก Gift giving creates a favorable impression. It can build goodwill, be an incentive, communicate a message and create awareness.
When thinking about advertising specialties for your next show, consider the following ten questions:
1. What do you want to achieve by giving away a premium item?
Your giveaway items should be designed to increase your memorability, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition. It is important not only that the message have an impact, but also the premium itself.
2. How will you select your premium item?
There is a multitude of different items you could consider as a premium. However, which one will best suit your purpose? To select the right item, you need to decide your objective. Do you want it to enhance a theme; convey a specific message or educate your target audience? A clear purpose should help make your selection process easier. A promotional specialist can also help you make an effective selection. Remember that your company image is reflected in whatever you choose to give away.
3. Whom do you want to receive your premium?
Having a clear objective for your premium item will also help you decide who should receive it. You may consider having different gifts for different types of visitors. You might have different quality gifts for your key customers, prospects and general passers by.
4. How does your giveaway tie into your marketing theme?
Is there an item that naturally complements your marketing message? Have the message imprinted on the item and make sure that your company name, logo and phone number appear clearly. An important aspect of any gift is to remember who it was from long after the fact.
5. What is your budget?
The price range for premium items is enormous. Quality, quantity and special orders, all impact the price. Establish a budget as part of your exhibit marketing plan. Consider ordering the same item for several different shows. The greater the quantity of your order, the lower the individual unit price.
6. What must visitors do to qualify for a gift item?
There are several ways to use your premium effectively. For example, as a reward for visitors participating in a demonstration, presentation or contest; as a token of your appreciation when visitors have given you qualifying information about their specific needs; as a thank you for stopping at the booth. Avoid leaving items out for anyone to take. This diminishes value and has little or no memorability factor.
7. Will your giveaway directly help your future sales?
Consider handing out a discount coupon or a gift certificate that requires future contact with your company for redemption. Consider premiums that will help generate frequent visits to customers and prospects, such as calling you for free refills.
8. How does your premium item complement your exhibiting goals?
Premiums can be used to prequalify your prospects. One company uses playing cards. Prior to the show, they send กkingsก to their key customers, กqueensก to suppliers, กjacksก to new or hot prospects. They request that the cards are brought to the booth in exchange for a special gift. When the cards are presented, the booth staff already know certain information about the visitor. They can then act on their previous knowledge and use time with the visitor more productively.
9. How will you inform your target audience about you giveaway item?
A sufficiently novel or useful giveaway can actively help to draw prospects to your booth. So make sure your prospects know about it. Send a ‘ticklerก invitation with details of the giveaway, or create a twopiece premium, sending one part out to key prospects prior to the show and telling them to collect the other half at your booth.
10. How will you measure the effectiveness of your premium?
Establish a tracking mechanism to measure the success of your giveaway. If it is a redemption item, code it so that you know it resulted from the show. Postshow followup could include a question about the premium did visitors remember receiving it and how useful was the item. After the show, critique your giveaway with your exhibit team: Did it draw specific prospects to the booth? Was it eyecatching enough to persuade passers by to stop? Did your customers find it useful? Did it project the right corporate image?
There are plenty of exciting premiums for you to choose from so that you can avoid the usual pens, pencils and keychains. Make your premium work for you and it will be money well invested.

About The Author

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: ขMeeting & Event Planning for Dummies,ข working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.

[email protected]

This article was posted on May 26, 2004

by Susan Friedmann

El Marketing, Das Marketing, Le Marketing

El Marketing, Das Marketing, Le Marketing

by: A. Raymond Randall, Jr.

While reviewing site stats, I noticed 18 foreign countries as domain origins. This prompts my curiosity. Should I hone my marketing efforts to serve these visitors effectively in their native tongue? My college age daughter studies French, German, and Spanish simultaneously. The Word กmarketingก is an กAmericanก word she informs me; distinguished in Spanish, German, and French with slight nuance. Although my daughter learns conversations in Spanish, German, and French, much more talk is in Chinese.

Despite this fact, Kenji Kitao, a professor of English at Doshisha University in Japan, points out, กEnglish is the major language of news and information…business and government…maritime communication and international air traffic control….ก English headlines and text appear on more than half of the newspapers published in the world. Three thousand magazines publish in English for Indian readers, according to Kitao. If so many read so much English, what reason would a webmaster have for providing multiple language translations for web sites?

Well, web marketing seeks global participation by its nature. Every villager, whether dressed in a Brooks Brothers suite or shorts and sandals may click a favorite URl, and each villager speaks a unique language. Marshall McLuhan, a communication visionary, says กOur new environment compels commitment and participation.ก That new environment includes the Internet.

So, what questions does this idea present? Perhaps just one: should a webmaster consider multiple languages for a website? If no, stop reading here, but first consider the fact that Yahoo provides local (or village) site translations for 24 countries and ethnic groups. Further, Yahoo provides state specific sites for every state in the U.S. Local marketing matters. Just take a look at Yahooกs home page. In fact, a study by IDC informs us that only 45% of online surfers speak English, yet 85% of Web pages appear in English.

Most webmasters work solo, or with a very small staff, and our budgets are smaller yet. We don’t have a Yahoo staff of international writers. So, what do we do if this concept matters? Here are 7 rudimentary steps you may consider.

1. Check with your site design company. Many web designers provide provide foreign language support. Here is an example of one designers commitment, กOur templates support the following languages: English, Danish, Dutch, Faroese, French, German, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. We are planning to translate our site in several languages in the future as well. We have already started doing translation into Spanish.ก

2. Really small budget? See if a language department of a college anywhere in the world would consider using your site as a class project. Inquire about college foreign language interns. Find a student with a passion for language and a commitment to accuracy with a professor looking over their shoulder.

3. Don’t use on line translators. As one writer points out, the Swedes will laugh while the French excoriate you for your aloof effort. On line translators work for a phrase or a word, but not a sentence or paragraph. Nuance is the essence of meaning, and all words have various shades of meaning. You don’t want to be standing under a palm tree when you should be under an oak. However, if you must, the University of Maryland recommends two sites: Systran and Transparent Language

4. Be very aware of graphics that please in one culture and offend in another. If fact, less is best when it comes to graphics; itกs all about content. Local and effective communication matters the most, not fancy graphics. Additionally, most people around the world access the Internet using dial up.

5. If your site offers multiple language pages, be prepared to respond to inquiries in that language.

6. Research and manage all currency exchange and local tax issues when marketing offshore.

7. Be certain that your product or service provides a relevant resource to your prospective foreign customer or client.

English may not remain the leading language of commerce, but even if it does, we have an obligation to consider the importance of global marketing in a local way. In the long term, success may mean el marketing, das marketing, and le marketing, and the results may be grande, Großartig, or grandioso! Just something to think about.

About The Author

Ray Randall serves clients as a registered investment advisor with his firm, Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts http://www.ethosadvisory.com . He has wide experience within the financial services industry, writes a weekly newsletter for Ethos Advisory Services, and coordinates the developments at Echievements . Ray holds a Masters Degree from GordonConwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, MA. You may email him or call (8778953756).

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 04, 2004

by A. Raymond Randall, Jr.

10 Tips For Bringing Your Event To Life

10 Tips For Bringing Your Event To Life

by: Susan Friedmann, CSP

Your job as an event planner doesn’t stop with the meeting in the company boardroom. You may be call upon to organize an employee appreciation event, an awards dinner, a product launch, the celebration of a company milestone, a gala recognizing a longtime employee’s retirement, an incentive event for the company’s sales force, a fundraising event, a holiday celebration…the list goes on and on.

These types of affairs differ from your typical corporate business meeting, and you face unique issues and pitfalls when planning them. Rave program reviews are generally the result of the blood, sweat, and tears you devote to the project. A welldesigned and wellorchestrated event is analogous to a good stage production. It’s all about getting your act together and performing the right show for the right audience.

The following are 10 tips that zero in on the nitty gritty elements that can help earn your efforts glowing reviews (and make your mom really proud of you). As you begin each planning program, a key question to ask yourself is, ขhow can each activity engage the participant’s interest?ข

Tip #1: Decide When To Stage Your Event

Timing is everything. The decision about when to hold your event is determined in large part by what type of event it is. Ask yourself, is the event better suited for the day or evening? Do you want to hold it during the week or on a weekend? If your event doesn’t have a deadline, would it be best to hold it during a specific season or time of year? Make sure to check that your event doesn’t overlap with any religious holidays, and it’s probably best to avoid scheduling during major sporting events.

Tip #2: Map Out A Location

The first order of business is to decide whether to hold your event indoors or outdoors. However, outdoor events have several major considerations, the elements being number one on the list. Think tents, portable flooring, electric generators, and space heaters, in addition to a well thought out contingency plan. Also, be aware that speeches and audiovisual presentations are notoriously difficult to stage outdoors.

Tip #3: Consider Unique Environments

Hotel meeting rooms can get old very quickly and the thought of a unique environment can immediately add interest and excitement. Consider retreat centers, cruise ships or yachts, museums, stately home, sporting venues, and theaters. Realize that many of these venues work well for special functions, but they don’t necessarily have adequate meeting facilities and equipment. Make sure you do your homework beforehand and abide by the ขMeeting Planner’s Golden Ruleข never select a venue without having seen it in person!

Tip #4: Set The Stage

The program plan you choose stems from the purpose and participants. Your four main considerations include:

What is the main emphasis of the program – educational, business or social?

What are your financial criteria – generate revenue, break even, or be a company expense?

What are your participants’ expectations?

What is the optimum ration of educational, business, and social programming?

Tip #5: Create The Right Atmosphere

One key to a successful special event is to seek out entertainment or decorations that are unique and fun to spark excitement and add the right ambiance. Think outside the box and consider all sorts of amusements – strolling musicians, magicians, chefs’ demonstrations, palm readers…anything out of the ordinary. Novelty is the key to your success. Keep in mind that entertainment that rave about can also come in the form of an elaborate coffee bar or startlingly beautiful champagne fountain. Remember to check all decorating plans with the venue in advance because many have restrictions on what they allow. For example, many establishments forbid helium balloons.

Tip #6: Create A Memorable Theme

Creating a theme for your event helps make it easier to organize food, décor, and other accessories, such as giveaway items. Select a theme that fits your participants. Consider choosing from the following categories:

Fashion: The Roaring Twenties or An Evening at Ascot

History: The Garden of Eden or A Renaissance Fair

Politics: Fourth of July Celebrations or Women’s Lib (political and historical)

Popular culture: Wizard of Ox or An Evening with Dr. Seuss

The arts: An Italian Affair or A Night at the Oscars

Tip #7: Integrate The Theme

Don’t consider a theme unless you are prepared to follow it through your entire event. Don’t limit it to a few posters on the walls, which just add lip service rather than real ambiance. For the most impact, integrate it before, during and after the event. Reflect your theme in your invitations and in any party favors that guests take home. Your theme should complement the tone and content of your event. Advise speakers and discuss with them how they can incorporate, but not overuse it in their remarks. A few extras to consider when integrating your theme:

Make sure the theme is general enough that it is unlikely to offend anyone, and that it is meaningful to your group.

Develop a meaningful slogan or message to go along with the theme to add a little extra when you promote the event.

Consider having a special logo designed to enhance the theme and its possible message.

Tip #8: Hire A Professional Photographer

A photographer is a great addition to almost any event. Guests appreciate a visual reminder of the fun time they had at your affair. Arranging to have family portraits taken at an employee appreciation event shows your employees that you care about them as individuals. Guests at more formal affairs enjoy having their pictures taken while they’re dressed up for a night out. Decide whether you want a photographer to roam among your guests taking candid shots, to set up in a central location to take posed shots, or both.

Tip #9: Entertain The Group

Participants look forward to the entertainment segment of a program. They want to have fun, enjoy themselves, and let their hair down, particularly after stressful and demanding sessions. So guess what? Your participants’ stress reliever now becomes your stress maker. You have a true responsibility to choose the right entertainment for your group. Some options include the following:

Music: Your choices include a band with or without singers, a soloist (instrumental or vocal), a disc jockey, or even karaoke.

Spectacle: Consider hiring a magician, juggler, comedian, mime or hypnotist.

Theater: Arrange a dinner theater performance, a oneperson act, a murdermystery experience, or corporate theater (which involves using professional or amateur actors to dramatize a company’s image, a new product, or the history of an organization).

Games: Involve your participants by planning individual games, such as a treasure hunt, or an event with a game show format, such as ขJeopardyข or ขHollywood Squares.ข

Video or slide show: A picture is worth a thousand words. For a retirement dinner, consider creating a slide show featuring the guest of honor’s accomplishments. For a sales meeting, provide a video demonstration of a new product.

Tip #10: Hire The Right Talent

As you think about hiring your entertainment talent, find out where and for whom they’ve previously performed. Make certain that you view a demo video. Watch for the quality of their performance and the audience reaction. Check out their references and ask some pertinent questions:

Would you hire them again?

How flexible, reliable, and easy to work with were they?

How would you rate their act?

What do they do well?

What part of their act could use improvement?

What were the demographics of your audience? (You want to make sure that this act would be a good fit for your participants.)

About The Author

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: ขMeeting & Event Planning for Dummies,ข working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.

This article was posted on September 12, 2004

by Susan Friedmann, CSP