Ordering Commercial Printing For Your Company Can

Ordering Commercial Printing For Your Company Can Be Indimidating

by: Robert Kennedy

กI went to see a printer today to get my companyกs stationery printed. They ask too many questions, I can’t answer!ก I feel kinda dumb.

How many times have you felt this way? Itกs kind of like going to the auto garage for a tune up and being told you need a new 02 sensor, your syncro mesh gear has a tooth missing and so on. You know you have to get it done but who can you trust to give you the best quality, price and service. There is a reason why I include all three กquality, price and serviceก

In the 80กs and early 90กs it used to be กquality, price and serviceก…pick 2. These days, with the internet as a resource, buyers and sellers alike can truly benefit from forming bonding relationships with their print and design firm of choice. Location is no longer an issue. In fact, I will bet money you can always find what appears, to be better than what you are getting. It can be overwhelming and too much information, which may lead to a regretful purchase. Neither the buyer or the reputable seller desire this result.

Here are a few tips on what you should figure out before you talk to your printer:

1) Decide how many inks colors you are going to print in. Here are a few links that will help you understand this:

Pantone color chart in RGB and html; http://www.weprintcolor.com/pantone_RGB_convert.htm

Convert from RGB color to CMYK color;

http://www.weprintcolor.com/rgb_CMYK.htm

Explain CMYK, RGB and Pantone Color; http://www.weprintcolor.com/pop_ups/Templ_modificatons_full.htm

2) Have a pretty good idea of the paper and texture of the paper you would like to use. Learn some ‘buzz words’ in your conversions with the printers you speak to. Here is a list of printing terms commonly used by people in the printing industry;

http://www.reprotechprint.com/printing_terms.htm

3) Have a general idea of the quantities you would like to purchase. If you’re not sure don’t be afraid to ask your printer to provide a quotation on several different quantities. In printing, the more you order the cheaper the per unit cost is. Here are a couple of examples of this:

Business Cards;

http://www.weprintcolor.com/businesscardscolour.htm

Postcards;

http://www.weprintcolor.com/postcard_index_4x6.htm

4) Will you provide a ‘print ready’ digital file? When I say ‘print ready’, it is important that you understand this. Many printers will attempt to print from a ‘none print ready’ file. This will sometimes lead to undesirable results. Here is a couple of links to help you with this:

Free digital file inspection; http://www.weprintcolor.com/upload.htm

Specifications for sending files; http://www.weprintcolor.com/SendingFiles.htm

Once you have gathered education with the terms us printers use you will understand , more clearly, what you are getting for your money. You will also appear more educated in your future purchases.The moral of my story? Buyers need to be more armed with knowledge to make an educated purchase and sellers need to be sharp, knowledgeable and willing to share this knowledge…Everybody wins.

About The Author

Robert is an online leader in graphic design and print. Online since 1999, Robert has spearheaded the success of http://www.weprintcolor.com by providing the finest online graphic design system on the web.

This article was posted on December 13, 2004

by Robert Kennedy

Advertising doesn’t cost…it pays!

Advertising doesn’t cost…it pays!

by: Robert Kennedy

Well this has been a busy day. I am truly fatigued. So I may cut my writings today short, but not cheap. We set a sales record today and entered more new printing orders than any other day since our inception in 1989. Today was a banner day…great.

What I want to write about today was advertising…

When should I advertise?

How should I advertise?

How much of a budget should I allow?

These are the three BASIC questions each business needs to answer before listing in any advertising campaign, online or offline. I will address each of these points very briefly in a matter of opinion.

When should I advertise? When you’re busy. Many businesses make the mistake of advertising when they are not busy. This will often lead to the ‘feast or famine’ result. The time to advertise is always. If you need to start somewhere advertise when you are busy and watch the peeks and valleys level out.

How often should I advertise? Repetition is good, it helps create brand awareness. Find the venue that works best for you and stick with it. Keep flow charts running so you can calculate return. Advertising, done properly doesn’t cost…it pays.

How much of a budget should I allow? This answer usually comes from your business plan. Work your plan and plan your work. If you come in under budget and achieved or exceed projected results put the funds into growth of your business.

Here are a few free tips that may help you:

Tip 1

Do me a favor. The next time you are shopping at your local WalMart, Home Depot or Tops, create a third eye for ADVERTISING. Walk the isles you would normally walk and buy the items you would normally buy. At the same time, keep your third eye opened. You will begin to recognize some common factors. Signage colors, placement of merchandise, free sample booths or aroma of baked goods. Allow these corporate giants to show you some advertising psychology that has proven success and apply these concepts in your world.

Helpful Links

Psychology of color http://www.weprintcolor.com/moodofcolour.htm

What do you see? http://www.cs.toronto.edu/%7Emoraes/illusion.html

How does color affect your mood? http://www.weprintcolor.com/usingcolour2.htm

Tip 2

If you are an online business, exposure to search engines is becoming increasing difficult. Search engines are where most websites receive visitors from. Once your website is completed and ready for business submit it to search engines, guides and directories. Especially the more prominent ones such as Google, Yahoo, MSN. You may even want to consider a paid listing at Yahoo. Google offers AdWords and AdSense, great programs. AdSense offers you revenue opportunities fir running text ads on your site. Every time the ads get clicked Google will pay you. On the other side there is AdWords. AdWords offer you an opportunity to advertise your product offerings in the text ads that appear on there search pages. In both cases all you need to do is apply:

AdWords https://adwords.google.com/select/

AdSense https://www.google.com/adsense/

How to make money with AdSense http://www.createonlinebusiness.com/adsense_index.html

Tip 3

Design and print quality marketing material. So many businesses try to cut costs in the wrong areas, when it comes down to your image don’t cheap out. Also do not forget to print your website address all of your company’s printing and marketing material. It would surprise you the amount of times I see this being overlooked. Keep all of your expensive, high quality printing brief in content and more about image. Why, you might ask? Unfortunately, in my business I have seen my share of wasted printed matter because someone didn’t proof read the properly, product information changed or prices changed. Display all of this information on your website, changes are far easier and cheaper to implement.

Helpful links:

Full Color Business Cards with Free Coating http://www.weprintcolor.com/

The importance of Logo Branding http://www.designlogos.net/

Download Business Templates http://www.cardtemplates.com/

Well that’s about it for me today, I’m on my way to Walmart.

About The Author

Robert is the marketing director of a leading online printing and design firm http://www.weprintcolor.com. Robert believes in an educated customer and has created a personal blog, online to help achieve this goal. Learn commercial printing and design tips from the pros http://www.weprintcolors.com.

This article was posted on December 14, 2004

by Robert Kennedy

Simple Graphic Design

Simple Graphic Design

by: Robert Kennedy

THE TIRES ARE TURNING BUT YOU ARE GOING NO WHERE

Sound like a familiar story?

So youกve got a great concept or idea but you just can’t seem to get it down. You have been working on your computer for hours, days, weeks but just can’t seem to accomplish anything concrete.

STOP. Think about it! How can you realistically create an effective graphic design if you don’t know what you are trying to create? Take a breather and think about what I am about to suggest to you. Let’s suppose for a minute you want to open an importing company that will sell ‘Red Shoes from China’. Fire up your browser and Google this term. Learn what you can about manufacturers, distributors and competition. Now you have something to go on. Try to quickly digest and figure out how you can make all of this information work for you.

Now let’s start to design your company’s corporate ID. I know you really want to get critical design project completed now, but a wise man once said to me ‘Slow down you’ll go faster’ here are a few links worth checking out before we begin your design:

Learn about color and how it affects your mood:

http://www.weprintcolor.com/moodofcolour.htm

Color Mood Test, Spot Color and CMYK:

http://www.weprintcolor.com/usingcolour2.htm

Pantone in RGB and html:

http://www.weprintcolor.com/pantone_RGB_convert.htm

OK, now you have a mental picture in your mind, look, feel, type paper you want to print on. What colors shall I use? What typography (fonts) should I go with? What graphic message am I trying to communicate? These are the basic questions you need to address before you can begin your graphic design.

Here is an idea for you, in the infancy stage of creating your great concept, pickup a pencil and piece of paper and sketch your ideas before you go near your computer.

Programs like Corel Draw, Adobe Photo Shop, Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Pagemaker, etc. are the greatest programs for designers on the market. But these great desktop publishing programs need to be told what you want, they cannot conceptualize. These programs cannot dream for you. So it really does come down to you, your pencil and paper as any graphic designer will tell you… conceptualize, sketch, render, create.

Follow these steps for all of your creative graphic designs. Whether you’re designing a colorful website, a full color multi panel brochure, an annual report, an NCR form, a power point presentation, a full color business card or stationery, keep these guidelines in mind youกll find you start getting better mileage on one set of tires.

Listed below are some links that will help you make more educated discussions on the fundamentals of graphic design:

Online design tutorial http://www.weprintcolor.com/tutorial_inst.php

Design from business templates online with online graphic design tools http://www.weprintcolor.com/buscardtemplate.htm

Tips the latest tips and techniques from the pros http://www.weprintcolors.com

Free stock photos and photography tips http://www.stockphotowarehouse.com/

Did you know…

A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Contains every letter of the alphabet?

Submitted By Robert Kennedy

About The Author

Robert Kennedy is the marketing director of a leading online printing and design firm http://www.weprintcolor.com. Robert believes in an educated customer and has created a personal blog, online to help achieve this goal. Learn commercial printing and design tips from the pros http://www.weprintcolors.com

This article was posted on December 12, 2004

by Robert Kennedy

Freebies

Freebies

by: Robert J Farey

FreebeesFreebeesFreebees
WHY PAY, WHEN กYOU CAN HAVE IT FOR FREE?ก
There are all sorts of things that we would like to have but we cannot always afford them. That is where Freebees come into play.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People will tell you that there is no such thing as a กfree lunch.ก
I don’t know who first said it but it is as true now as it was then.
You can bet your boots that every thing that is on offer for free has a hidden catch.
Internet marketers use freebees in the hope that you will remember who gave it to you and purchase something from them at a later date.
I can’t see any thing wrong with that. Itกs just good business practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I said, there is a reason that they are offered for free. In almost every one of them you will find one or more links to other products or services that the person is promoting.
You are under no obligation to purchase any of these offerings. It is just another form of advertising.
Instead of being bombarded with demands to buy this or buy that, you are given something of value in the hope that you will click on one of their links and purchase something at a later date.
Don’t decry the goods just because they are for free.
If they don’t give good value, you are not likely to go back and buy from them later.
If you are selling information from your website and you haven’t tried it yet, you are probably passing up on one of the strongest marketing strategies available to you.
There are thousands of ebooks, reports and various other items out there that are available to you, all for free.
Collect a selection that are compatible with your product and offer them for free when someone buys your main product. Be sure to include a link to another one of your products towards the end of the package. Someone who has purched from you once, is most likely to purchase a 2nd or 3rd item if they were satisfied with the first transaction.
Make sure that they are of real value. Not just a selection of outofdate trash that is of no use to anyone.
Every thing has a sales value. Let your customers know the retail value of the freebees you are offering. Be honest. There is no need to exaggerate the price.
Over sell. For instance: If you are selling something for $49.99. Offer a bundle of freebees worth $69.99 to go with it. It will cost you no more to offer a big bundle than a small one.
Don’t overdo it. A product worth $30.00 with a bundle of freebees worth $150.00 is a little bit over the top.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P S. There have been a number of surveys on pricing, with some interesting results. It would appear that the number seven has a particular magic. People are more likely to purchase an item with a seven at the end. ie. $39.97 rather than $29.99.
I don’t know if it is true but I am going to try it.
Robert J Farey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About The Author

Robert earns his crust by targeting the thousands of newcomers to internet trading. He aims to cut their learning curve to enable them to start earning money from the word go.
He learned the hard way. You can learn the easy way.
Checkout his website. Itกs not posh. Itกs not perfect, but it is effective. http://www.learnandearnnow.co.uk/
[email protected]

This article was posted on November 01, 2004

by Robert J Farey

Spyware, What Is It?

Spyware, What Is It?

by: Robert Dorrance

Spyware, what it is and what it does. Basically, spyware is a program put on your computer usually after you have downloaded some kind of program or went to a certain site. Once this program is on your computer, depending on what kind was put on, has the potential to monitor what you’re doing without you knowing it.

Besides having the ability to track your Internet surfing, it can also change the settings of your computer, and display unwanted advertising. Kinds of Spyware include, Adware, Malware, parasiteware, and other kinds of software.

A lot of these Spyware applications are bundled with other applications such as shareware and freeware, and as I said, you usually don’t know you have it. Some of these Internet pests have the ability to gather your email address, passwords, and even private credit card numbers.

Many of these programs send the information it gathers information to third parties who in turn send you a lot of advertisements, hence the word Adware. This is also why you can get a tremendous amount of popups.

The only real solution is to get a very good AntiSpyware program. There are many of them on the market, and is well worth getting one. Once you have some kind of Spyware program, you’ll always it and can run it anytime you please. That’s basically what Spyware is all about.

About The Author

Robert Dorrance

Your guide to understanding Spyware, Adware, and other malicious computer parasites. Find out more at www.destroyadware.com.

This article was posted on April 05

by Robert Dorrance

Design Web Album and Deployment Using Adobe and Ma

Design Web Album and Deployment Using Adobe and Macromedia Part 1

by: Robert Kennedy

OK, here is my mission; completely install a customer example photo gallery found here http://www.cardprinting.net/ in 2 hours or less. The basic process starts from Adobe Illustrator CS or Corel Draw 12. This is the format all customers’ work is saved in. There are aproximately. 300 files I need to access export and create a photo album with full navigation.

Hereกs how I did it. Instead of opening each file in its native program I tried opening CDR and AI files in Adobe Photoshop. Guess what? It works with the ai files but not the cdr files. Why is this important? Because 90% of my files are in ai format! Illustrator only allows you to open 1 file at a time, Photoshop allows you to open as many as your computerกs resources can handle. At the same time Photoshop converts each vector based image to a bitmap, which is required for the web. Now, you could create a course of กactionsก to complete this more efficiently, but I want to remove or retouch some undesirable from each image. I am a กperfectionistก so I want these images looken good AND loading fast for the web. Personally I find Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Fireworks offer the best export filters for the web.

So now I have 300 images looken good, properly cropped and optimized for the web. What is the best way to create a Photo Album from so many images? Again letกs refer to my favorites for this, Macro Media or Adobe? I work with both for different projects and really can’t pick a favorite here! They are both excellent for this. Macromedia Dreamweaver has a function found under commands>create photo album, shown here http://www.weprintcolors.com/screens/screen_dw_create_photo.htm. You will need Fireworks installed for this to work. Go ahead and fill in all the text fields that are required information shown here http://www.weprintcolors.com/screens/screen_dw_create_photo_menu.htm. It is important you take the time to craft your words carefully, especially in the first field as this text is written into every html file generated. Check the appropriate format, rows and columns etc. Check the box for file names on or off and check the box for, กcreate navigation page for each photoก. OK thatกs it you’re ready to fire away, click OK. Amazing, eh?

Well I am kind of busy right now working on my next project. In my next post I will talk about the same process of creating a web based photo album using adobe photo shop for the entire process.

Cheers,

Robert

About The Author

Robert is the marketing director of an online print and design firm http://www.weprintcolor.com. Robert covers all aspects of graphic development and digital media designs.

This article was posted on December 11, 2004

by Robert Kennedy

Profit From The Author Inside You

Profit From The Author Inside You

by: Michael Southon

Review: Profit From The Author Inside You

reviewed by Michael Southon

Profit From The Author Inside You

by Roger C. Parker

pdf format, 120 pages

$37.00

Iกve reviewed a number of eBooks recently, and none of them excited me, but this one definitely did. If youกve ever had the slightest desire to write a กHow Toก book, I urge you to read กProfit From The Author Inside Youก.

Itกs worth pointing out right at the start that Robert Parker does know what heกs talking about he has written 24 books that have been translated into 37 languages and there are currently over 1.6 million copies of his books in print.

This book assumes that you offer some kind of professional service. Robert Parker argues that writing a กHow Toก book is not an end in itself, but a means of positioning yourself as one of the leading experts in your field. As Robert Parker shows, books possess กmagicalก powers writing a book opens the doors to speaking engagements, spinoff books, newsletters, columns, and hefty consulting fees.

I once knew a human resources expert in Australia and he was very good at what he did. But he used to complain bitterly that there were people with half his expertise earning 20 times the amount he was. Why? Because they had written a book!

If youกve always thought of writing as a painful process that requires a huge creative effort, you may be in for a pleasant shock.

Robert Parker shows that most successful (i.e. topselling) กHow Toก books are based on a formula they are written in a กpaint by numbersก fashion.

The most exciting part of this book for me is a technique that Robert Parker calls กPainless Writingก.

He urges you to throw out of the window two very common (and unsuccessful) approaches to writing a book: Marathon Writing (กGetting away from it allก and dropping all other activities while you work on your book) and Linear Writing (trying to write your book from first to last chapter in an ordered sequence).

Instead, he offers three approaches that will change the way you write and make it much easier and much more fun:

(1) Molecular writing this is a way of กchunking downก to the level of bitesized pieces of information: กharvesting individual ideas, or nuggets of information, which you carefully organize and prioritize before beginning writingก.

(2) Measurable progress writing กcommitting to write a little each day, building time into your daily schedule (as opposed to escaping to a cabin in the woods)ก.

(3) Nonsequential writing กjumping into your project wherever you’re comfortable, starting with the easiest ideas, and building your confidence point by point, idea by idea, wherever they appear in your bookก.

Another part of this book that is essential reading if you’re thinking of writing a book is Chapter Four ก10 Characteristics of Successful Titlesก. Did you know that at least half of your bookกs success will be determined by the title you choose?

Robert Parker shows you 10 key concepts that make the difference between a title that sells well and one that flops. (Hereกs a hint: the following titles all use these 10 key concepts: Chicken Soup For The Soul; Rich Dad, Poor Dad; The Millionaire Next Door; The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; Think and Grow Rich; How to Win Friends and Influence People).

The book also contains 4 work sheets (pages 99 to 120) that guide you through the writing of your book.

กProfit From The Author Inside Youก set of explosions in my head on virtually every page. In fact, it fired me up so much that Iกm now using Robert Parkerกs techniques to write a book that Iกve been trying to write for over 5 years. What more can I say?

You can get your copy of กProfit From The Author Inside Youก at: http://www.freezineweb.com/cgibin/pftaiy.cgi It has a 30 day money back guarantee, so you really can’t go wrong.

(c) 2002 by Michael Southon

About The Author

Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3 years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this simple technique to get massive free publicity and dramatically increase traffic and sales. Click here to find out more: http://www.ezinewriter.com

This Article may be freely published in its entirety exactly as it appears above. No alterations or changes to the Article are allowed, without the express permission of the Author. The Resource Box must remain with the Article just as it appears.

This article was posted on July 31, 2002

by Michael Southon

The Five Rules Of Influential Web Writing

The Five Rules Of Influential Web Writing

by: Robert Warren

Building a professional reputation requires a campaign founded on your words: the positions you endorse, the motions you advocate, the accuracy of your vision. Writing for the Web can either establish your expert credibility or destroy it.
When your business requires powerful words online, follow these five rules for promoting the message that will serve you well in the digital world:
1. Stay on message. To write is to influence: always remember that the goal of good writing is to encourage thought and action. Look beyond the facts and statements, and focus on themes and positions. Decide on what you believe and then promote it with the facts; find your message and stick to it.
2. Make your points quickly but securely. The average visitor to your website will stay no longer than a few minutes, clicking through no more than three links before moving on. You must either make your point quickly or not at all. Be direct, confident and brief: use simple language and don’t use any more words than necessary.
3. Write to the future reader, not the present one. The malleable nature of the Web creates the illusion that web writing has a short shelf life. The opposite is actually true: with mass data archiving and storage, putting information into the Internet is far easier than taking it out. Relevant points today have a way of becoming embarrassing cliches tomorrow.
The most influential web content is timeless. Write for the long term: avoid posting information online that won’t still be valid and useful in twenty years. When you write about a controversy, assume that the reader knows how it was resolved. When you write about a product or service, assume that the reader knows whether it was a success or failure. Assume that your deepest secrets are now public knowledge. Write for a reader who knows more about your future than you do.
4. Bring it home. If you want to use your articles to promote your reputation, your readers must know how to find you. Plan your contact information for the long term: if you don’t have your own domain, get one. Plan to keep it for at least the next five to ten years. Don’t use an email address that may no longer exist when your article is being read.
5. Keep your personal life out of it. Nothing outdates and bores faster than personal information. Don’t engage in public selfreflection; don’t mention your personal relationships, neuroses, or the daytoday trials of your home life. Your writing will be available somewhere online for many years after your situation has changed, which can prove embarrassing (or even dangerous) at a later date.
What works in the print world often doesn’t work in the digital one. If you want your words to serve you long after they are published online, write the web content that ages well and reflects the power of your expert vision.
Your future clients will thank you for it.

About The Author

Robert Warren (http://www.rswarren.com) is a business marketing writer and editorial consultant. His Florida practice specializes in promoting independent professionals with the power of the written word.
For more writing articles by Robert Warren, see his website at http://www.rswarren.com.

This article was posted on June 22, 2004

by Robert Warren

Design a Web Album Using Adobe Photoshop Part 2

Design a Web Album Using Adobe Photoshop Part 2

by: Robert Kennedy

So letกs begin crunching down these 300 images using Adobe Photoshop from start to finish. When I say กcrunchingก, to some 300 images may seem like allot, but itกs not. I have done jobs for clients that have 100,000 plus images. When you have that many images to produce there are other programs I use that are designed for this. We’ll cover that another day.

To this point we have ensured that our images are web ready, cropping, retouching, watermarking, etc. So letกs get at it. I will assume that we are all using Adobe Photoshop version 6 or greater.

First we will go to the กfileก menu and select กAutomateก shown here http://weprintcolors.com/screens/screen_dw_create_photo_menu.htm. Now you are ready to create the theme of your photo album by filling in the required textfields. Remember to be as brief and descriptive as possible, as this information gets published on all html pages generated by Photoshop. This is where Photoshop is seems to offer more that Dreamweaver. You will notice the first pull down menu ‘styles’. There are many different horizontal and vertical styles available. The second menu allows you to enter an email address that you may want to be available to your visitors. However, I advise against it. Remember that thing called SPAM. Then next pull down menu allows you to specify .htm or .html extensions. Now we’ll click the ‘browse’ button and locate your image source folder. Click the ‘destination’ folder. This folder should be located somewhere in you website folder. If you don’t have one, make one. ‘Options’ is, again an area that Adobe seems far more thorough that Dreamweaver. The ‘options’ menu let’s you specify every aspect of your photo album…size of small thumbnails, size of large thumbnails, add custom colors to better tie into your corporate scheme. Remember to complete the ‘site name’, ‘photographer’, textfields tactfully; this is what tells the search engine what your subject matter deals with.

Are you ready now? Go ahead click OK. Like magic your photo album manufacturing itself. This is a great tool that can be used commercially or just for fun. Create commercial product pages for your clients or create an online photo album for family and friends in minutes.

About The Author

Robert is the marketing director of an online print and design firm http://www.weprintcolor.com. Robert covers all aspects of graphic development and digital media designs.

This article was posted on December 11, 2004

by Robert Kennedy

Long Copy Secrets Keys To Mental Engagement

Long Copy Secrets Keys To Mental Engagement

by: Daniel Levis

Master copywriter Robert Collier often used a technique to get people to read more of his sales letters. You can use this same technique right now to increase the readership of your web pages and emails.

Iกll get to it in a moment. For now, let me tell you a couple of things about readership in general, and the importance of using long versus short copy, in most cases.

If you’re one of those marketers that rebel against the idea of long copy, and insist that people don’t read it, listen up. If you’re copy is boring, or unsubstantiated, or fails to promise the delivery of an expected benefit, then you are absolutely right.

But if you promise the expected benefit, and use engaging copy thatกs firing on all cylinders, effectively attracting attention, building interest, desire, and action, have no fear.

Your prospects will read as many words as necessary to convince themselves to become buyers. That could mean thousands of words, depending what you are asking them to do.

If the price is significant, or the thing you are selling demands a significant change of behavior, or even if you are operating in a very mature, hotly competitive commodity market, you just cannot expect people to decide favorably with minimal information.

They need enough sound reasons to buy, and they need those reasons appropriately substantiated. Too many marketers paint pretty pictures, but fall down when it comes to demonstrating proof.

Anyway, getting back to that little technique that Robert Collier used that I was telling you about.

Collier observed that human beings possess a couple of inborn traits that he used to get them to read his letters. Iกm assuming you’re one, so Iกm going to include you in this ;=)

A) We’re naturally curious. We have an inborn กdesire to knowก hard wired into our brains. Itกs instinctive, part of our survival program.

B) We just can’t stand having a half baked thought or idea, hanging around waiting to be finished. If thereกs an open loop, we want it shut.

So how did the legendary Collier use these to his money making advantage?

He would set up a story, and build up a primary point, and then before taking that primary point to itกs logical conclusion, head off in a secondary direction, while promising to return to the first one momentarily.

His readers hung on his every word, because they were curious about how the story would end, and they couldกnt stand to leave the first thought unfinished.

You can use this same technique to great effect online. Or you can turn it upside down like this in an autoresponder series.

Instead of introducing the secondary point toward the beginning of the copy, you introduce it toward the end, leave the thought unfinished, and promise to close the loop in the next installment. Collier did this constantly to create a sense of anticipation in the minds of his periodical subscribers, and you can see the same technique used frequently in the theatre and in soap operas.

To give you an idea of how powerful this idea is, get this…

Psychologists took to studying the behavior of wait staff in Restaurants. At regular intervals they would question the waiters and waitresses about the orders they had taken.

Almost without fail, the waiters and waitresses could remember what the people who were still in the Restaurant had ordered, with a high degree of accuracy. But almost always, they totally forgot what the people who had already paid their bill had ordered, even though those patrons had left the Restaurant only minutes before.

Because the mind hates unfinished business, it remains engaged until the event or subject of attention unfolds and resolves itself in a logical conclusion. In this case, the payment of the check.

And in the case of your sales letter or email sequence, the close. Thatกs a big deal, because thatกs where you ask for the money, right?

Copyright 2005 Daniel Levis

About The Author

Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently, Daniel & worldrenowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale teamed up to co author ขMillion Dollar Online Advertising Strategies – From The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th Century!ข, a tribute to the late, great Robert Collier.

Let the legendary Robert Collier show you how to write words that sell…Visit the below site & get 3 FREE Chapters!

http://www.AdvertisingOnlineStrategies.com/adstrategies.html

This article was posted on March 27

by Daniel Levis

Adobe Photoshop levelsTurn junk into gold by clic

Adobe Photoshop levelsTurn junk into gold by clicking a button

by: Robert Kennedy

There is no doubt in my mind; Adobe Photoshop is the greatest Photo editing program in the world. Whether you are a novice or an expert Photoshop is the program for you. Photoshop is used by my children and by the movie making industry. So what exactly can I do with Photoshop? The better question is what can’t you do with Photoshop?

Today I would like to talk about the simple little function in Photoshop called ‘Levels’, the first step to improving the appearance of a photograph. There are 4 basic steps taken to enhance, brighten or retouch photos are Levels, Brightness, Variations, and Saturation, in that order.

ขThe Levels dialog box lets you correct the tonal range and color balance of an image by adjusting intensity levels of the imageกs shadows, midtones, and highlights. The Levels histogram serves as a visual guide for adjusting the imageกs key tones.ข Adobe’s official description of levels

Screen example here: http://www.weprintcolors.com/screens/screen_ps_levels.htm

Use levels to set to darkest and lightest points or sharpen the picture. From the top menu select Image, then select Adjustments, then select Levels, or if you are a ctrl key fan click ‘ctrl l’. The histogram appears; the sliders at the bottom control brightness and contrast while the sliders above control tonal values. I said we were going to keep it simple so let’s use the sliders at the top. They appear as 3 small triangles. Start to play with them. Move them left to right and right to left while watching the changes you are making to the photograph. When you are satisfied the picture appears optimized click OK. Budda boom, you’re done. How long did that take?

That was really easy and effective. If you feel adventurous repeat the process above. This time when the levels menu appears double click on the eyedropper and target your tonal areas.

Here’s a couple of helpful tips while working with Adobe Photoshop:

Click the ‘tab key’ to clear all tool bars.

To save an image for the web click ‘cntrl, shift, alt, S’

Learn how to use the ‘automate’ feature and save valuable time.

About The Author

Robert is an online leader in graphic design and print. Online since 1999, Robert has spearheaded the success of http://www.weprintcolor.com by providing the finest online graphic design system on the web.

This article was posted on December 13, 2004

by Robert Kennedy