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Jeff Glaze - Editor This E-mail is Privacy Certified Visit Privacy-First.com for details. Click here to buy my e-book.

Editors Notes: Greetings, Are you having gas pains yet? At the gas station I mean. As the prices go up it is more important than ever to use AtlantaEvent.com to plan your networking effectively. Let's say you have a meeting over in Marietta. Before you go, check the daily event calendar and see if there is a networking meeting you can attend before or after your other meeting. OK so you may not be a member of that group, it is important to remember that most groups will let you attend two meetings before they require you to join. So why not save a few dollars and pay them a visit if they are meeting today? Now for some important information. On the scam front, there is a scam now where someone emails you and tells you that there is a major business conference in another part of the world and they would like for you to attend. They offer you fr-ee admission and hotel accommodations. All you need to do is get there. Sound good? Well the next step is they direct you to a page where you fill out your information to request a visa from their government. But it is not a site to get a visitors visa, it is a site to get your personal information. The ideas keep on coming. Notice the link to my new spyware below? It has shown me another security issue. A week ago I visited my own web site and the warning came up that my own site ( Mostcoolmedia.com ) was infested. I thought it was a little strange since I don't use spyware for my visitors, so I looked at the code behind the scenes. At the top of the HTML there was a line of code that I never added to the site. My web site had been hacked! How did my site get hacked? Well for one thing I was using the same username and password a lot when filling out forms online. I had probably subscribed or set up over 50 accounts with the same user/pass. Besides that, it was an easy pair to remember. It could have easily been a hacker with a little patience because the user/pass did not have a combination of letters and numbers. Have you found yourself doing this? I now have a little book that I write all of the web sites and the usernames and passwords for each, and now they are all different. When a web site asks for you to set up a user name and password, be sure from now on to create a new one each time, and get a book to write them down in. It just may save you a few headaches down the road. Be sure to check YOUR web site if you have one, if you don't know what to look for, call me at 678-508-5975 and I will take a quick look at it for you. Or just ask your webmaster to check it out. Lastly, I will be speaking this Thursday at the Lithonia Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn at Noon. If you are interested, Call 770-482-1808 for details. or just show up at the Atlanta Steak House and Grill near Stonecrest Mall. The investment is $15 for non members. My new Spyware Software: Spysweeper available HERE Remember, your feedback is important to us. Tell us what information you need, and we will try to get it for you. Special Thanks to our sponsor of AtlantaEvent.com, The Ziglar Performance Group. Click the image at left to visit their site. Thanks for subscribing, thanks for using AtlantaEvent.com, and have a great week. Be sure to visit AtlantaEvent.com often and tell everyone about it. If you would like more info on Privacy-First™ e-mail certification ( logo at left ), click for details. Jeff Glaze - Editor P.S You too can advertise in this newsletter call 678-508-5975 for details.

A friend of mine has two extra tickets to the Trump wealth expo in May -
they normally sell for $99 each but he says he will sell the pair for $99.
Basically a two-for-one de*al.

Call him now to get them - or they will be gone!
Barry Falcon - 404-518-8858

Business expos can be an excellent marketing investment and an outstanding way to build your business. On the other hand, if not treated as an integral part of your marketing strategy, they can become a huge waste of time, money and energy.

To gain the most from your investment develop a plan for before, during and after show preparation.

Determine goals and outcomes. Decide why you are at a show before you are there. Are you there to increase sales, have a presence in the marketplace, introduce new products, and/or enhance or solidify your image? Unfortunately, many companies decide while they are at the show and then management feels they have wasted their investment.

Train staff and management. A great deal of how an exhibit is remembered is based upon the personal contact made with company representatives. Although money is invested in the booth, the promotional products, brochures and other external items, many companies fail to invest in personnel training. A walk around virtually any show indicates how true this is.

Train your team how to meet and greet visitors; engage in an interactive conversation; welcome booth visitors without overwhelming them and capture contact information of prospects. Train your team to have a mindset of being a resource before they are a vendor. Rather than immediately jumping into a sales presentation on the showroom floor use the time to build relationships with current and potential customers.

Promotional products can be a great way to be remembered or be a quick addition to the trash can. When offering promotional products make sure your team knows when and how to offer them. Whatever you use, your promotional product should reflect your company's overall theme.

Post show follow up. Incredibly, only a small percentage of leads are ever followed up on after a show. If you don't follow up you are literally letting money slip through your fingers. Keep in touch while you are fresh in the prospect's mind. Devise a system that allows for timely follow up to all show leads. Don't expect prospects to get in touch with you. Your job is to be proactive in keeping in touch.

Expos and shows can be very effective marketing strategies. With proper planning you can gain an incredible return on investment and reap great benefit all the way around.

Kathleen Gage & Lori Giovannoni are keynote speakers, authors and business advisors. Access the FREE eBook, Get More Business, by visiting streetsmartsmarketing.com/getmorebusinessfreeebook.htm

No One Knows You.

GET LOTS OF ATTENTION FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

At Mostcool Media, we teach you while we work with you, this way you know
what you are getting for your investment and what we are doing to earn it.

Find out what other designers hope you don't ask about!

Here is a testimonial from one of our clients:

"Thanks again for all your hard work and ideas to help me be successful". - Amy B.
FYI: Amy has a hot product that has been sold on QVC with 3 appearances and is also available at PUBLIX grocery stores.

Get real service when you call 678-508-5975 today!
visit Mostcool Media on the web for services we offer.

It happens more often than you'd ever guess - in fact, it might be happening at the booth right next to yours. Recent surveys of trade show attendees show that the most dissatisfied attendees are those who purchase something that they really didn't want. Needless to say, these attendees don't have a high opinion of those companies that 'strong-armed' them, and report that they'll be unlikely to do business with them again.

How can this happen? What possible way is there to force attendees into purchasing something unwillingly?

Not all the'people pleasers' at a trade show are booth staff. Some are walking the aisle, as attendees. When these types run into an overly-forward, persistent salesperson, they can be bullied into a purchase. That's not the way you want to do business.

Instead, train your team to have a needs-focused approach. By engaging attendees in conversation, questioning and listening more than talking, and truly focusing on solving the attendee's problems, you are far more likely to make a sale the attendee is satisfied with.

Key to this is five questions, the Familiar Five that should be part of every sales conversation:

What: What exactly does the attendee need? Do they have problems with their existing suppliers? Are they trying to make-do with a product that doesn't exactly fit their needs? Perhaps the product works perfectly, but it's too expensive. You need this answer before you can move on to any other questions.

Why: Why would your company be the best suited to meet the attendees' needs? If they mention constant technical difficulty, do you offer 24 hour support? If they need a size 3 widget, does your company manufacturer size 3 widgets?

Who: Relationships are key to business. At the same time, our mobile society means that rapid staff turnover is a fact of life. Two companies may have had - or come near - a business relationship previously, only to have things not work out. Yet this fact could be completely unknown to your booth staff. Arm your team with some corporate history, along with selling points that illustrate how things have changed in the interim.

When: When your team says something, attendees want to know they can count on that as fact. Clients want to know you have a track record and that you'll maintain it when they remain with you. Feel free to use concrete examples: Even though we're consistently introducing new and innovative models, we still provide parts, service and support to every model we've ever made - all the way back to day one.

How: How your company conducts itself is becoming a much more important factor to many of today's decision makers. Consumers want to avoid being tainted by association with any scandal-ridden firms. If an attendee brings up a current negative news maker, avoid the temptation to'dish'. Instead, answer with a comment that shows your company's strength and leadership. 'We know that those types of things happen in our industry, but we've found the better route is the straight and narrow. That way we can stay focused on our customer and their needs.'

Now, admittedly, it can be difficult to fit all of this into the thirty seconds you have with the average attendee. The temptation is to talk faster, attempting to cram in as much information as you can. But don't. Your job is to get them talking - and once an attendee starts talking, they are far more likely to spend some additional time at your exhibit.

Body language also plays a role in how your sales team is perceived. Here are five key things to remember:

1. Keep Your Distance: Crowding can be intimidating, especially if the staff is of large stature and the attendee is smaller. A good rule of thumb is to keep at least one arm's length between the two of you.

2. Keep Your Arms Down: Some staffers, especially the flamboyant, dramatic types, have a tendency to talk with their hands. This works fine in a social situation, but can be unnerving or distracting when you're trying to do business.

3. Keep Things Open: Very skittish or shy types may subconsciously feel'trapped' if you position yourself between them and the way out of your exhibit. You don't have to be an Old West Cowboy with this - there's no need to always stand with your back to the wall - but be aware of spatial issues and attempt to keep things open and comfortable.

4. Keep An Eye: On the way the conversation is going. If you have the slightest suspicion that an attendee is uncomfortable, or just doesn't like you, hand them off to another staffer. Sometimes personalities just don't click, and it's better to step out gracefully than attempt to blunder through the encounter.

5. Keep An Ear: Open for what the attendee is saying. People can tell when you're really listening and when you're going through the motions. A million subtle physical cues give it away. Don't try to'phone in' your interest. Pay attention!

Go over these items with your team before the show. When your team is skilled, they won't need strong arm tactics - which will make everybody happy!

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: 'Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,' working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. For a free copy of '10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make', e-mail: article4@thetradeshowcoach.com; website: thetradeshowcoach.com

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Coming In May - Donald Trump Real Estate Wealth Expo - Exhibitors Wanted Would you be interested in becoming an exhibitor where the people attending will be (60,000+) investors, active people, people with an entrepreneurial spirit, and people with MONEY?  These are the people YOU want to meet. More than 72 seminars will be taught by such experts as Donald Trump, Rich Dad's Robert Kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, George Foreman and 72 other experts. Please submit your information HERE if you are interested in having a booth at one of these upcoming events, and I will be sure to get you more information. Space is going FAST at the May 6-7 Atlanta Expo.  Location... Location... Location!  First come - First location! Available booth space:  trumpexpo.com/graphics/Atl-Exhibs.pdf Kim Nelms - Trump Expos/The Learning Annex, Independent Sales Associate

At the start of every year, many of us have great ambitions for our careers, business and personal life for the year ahead.

We know about setting goals but why is it we often fail to achieve what we truly desire or deserve in terms of business results or in our career?
Let's explore some strategies to help us create and deliver against our goals, so we give ourselves every opportunity to make sure this is our best year ever.

Create a compelling vision
Goals in the absence of a vision are unlikely to realize results. If our goals don't help us get to where we want to be in our business or career we won't be inspired to achieve them. Remember, if you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you have got there?
Visualize yourself in a years time what goals would you like to have achieved? Capture your thoughts in writing - if you have a list of 20 things you want to achieve, you'll need to prioritize your aspirations. Consider which would make the biggest difference to your business or career and focus on them - perhaps they are goals related to your business or personal finances, your career, winning new clients, increasing your reputation, learning a new skill or hobby.

Build on last year's success
All too often we move from one year to the next or one project to the next without taking stock of the circumstances and factors that contributed to our previous success What went really well for you last year? Did you meet or beat some of your objectives? What can you learn, adopt and apply that will support you in your plans for the year ahead?

Create clear and inspiring goals
Often we have too many goals so we're not able to apply enough time and energy to truly achieving them. How many times have you started new projects or new hobbies without seeing things through to completion? It's highly probably that if you worked out the time you need to invest to achieve all your aspirations for the year ahead, there would not be enough hours or resources available to you.

It's vital to prioritize your goals and focus on the ones that are the most inspiring, relevant and critical for you to attain. You'll have more energy and commitment to achieving your goals if you're truly energized by them.

Make sure they are documented and are SMART (specific so you are really clear about what you want to attain, measurable so you know how to chart your progress, achievable and stretching but realistic so the goal motivates and inspires you and time bound so you know when you need to complete them by) and allocate the resources you will need to achieve your goals - be that financial, your own time or the support of others.

Document your goals

Be sure to document your goals - this will make the goals more than an aspiration. The actual process of writing your goals moves them from being an idea to a decision and something you can commit to.

Each day we are surrounded by choices of how we spend our time and energy. If you have your goals firmly in mind as you face into these decisions you can then make informed choices. Only then can you decide if that enticing activity or project will actually help you move towards achieving your goals.

Set 90 day goals

It's often daunting to consider what it will take to achieve your goals over 12 months. It's far more manageable and motivating to break your goals into smaller projects and focus on what you need to achieve in the next 90 days.

This also allows you to manage changes during the year, be that changes in the competitive landscape, changes in your team or new opportunities that come along. Consider it like sailing a yacht where you have to keep charting the landscape and correcting your direction to keep on track - getting from A to Z is rarely a straight line!

Recruit a success team

Many of us find it easier to stay accountable to ourselves in achieving our goals if we share our goals with others.

In an organizational context then, share your goals with your team members - you are sure to have interdependent goals that will need to be completed to ensure your own and your team's success.

For your personal goals or if you have your own business, you may find it helpful to establish a 'mastermind group' where you meet regularly to share your objectives.

A final thought

Did you know most email tools allow you to delay the delivery of an email to yourself?

Why not send yourself an email to arrive in a year's time, detailing your aspirations for the year ahead? Won't it be fun to open it up to find you've exceeded your goals and that this year truly was your best year ever!

Krishna De is one of the founders of Oneocean. They have established an organizational development and talent management consultancy which is straight forward, outcome driven and that provides solutions that help create successful, inspiring workplaces - one where everyone is engaged, feels valued for their unique strengths and is proud to be part of. Find out more about Oneocean at oneoceangroup.com.

Platforms are as important as your ability to do your job and satisfy your clients. Quality is no longer enough to guarantee success. Today, competence is assumed and there is competition everywhere. To control your destiny, you need a platform.

Platform refers to a process based on a unique message and a way of consistently communicating with your market.

Examples of platforms

There are several types of platforms: articles, blogs, columns, books, interviews, newsletters, pod casts, postcards, speaking, teleseminars, and websites.

The crucial issue is not which type of platform you use, but whether or not you have a unique message and that you consistently enhance and promote it.

Advantages

Platforms offer you:
* A position that visibly differentiates you from your competition.
* An independent 'stage' to present from, a way of packaging your expertise in a unique and easily recognizable format.
* Market education. Platforms help you communicate your point of view in a way that creates a 'halo of trust' surrounding all your products and services.
* Freedom. You control your destiny, free from dependence or interference.
* Self-improvement. Platforms encourage you to refine your ideas and your ability to express them.
* Networking. Your platform will expand and reinforce a growing referral network.

Prerequisites

Successful platforms require:
* Commitment. You must invest in yourself by mastering the resources needed to create and distribute your message.
* Consistency. Your platform must be constantly visible. You never know when prospects will be ready to buy.
* Efficiency. To achieve constant visibility, your platform must be inexpensive and easy to update with new information.

Steps to success
1. Choose your message.
2. Create a way to distribute it.
3. Promote online with a website you can update by yourself.

1. Message
Your core message should describe your mission, or value proposition, (i.e., how you can help your market). Your goal is to become personally associated with the solution to a widespread problem your target market suffers from.

Your message should reflect your competence as well as well as your values, style, and enthusiasm. Your message will help you identify the appropriate topics and information.

2. Distribution
An effective platform requires a source, or nucleus, that is recycled and expanded.
For many, the starting point is a monthly One-Page Newsletter. Each issue offers enough space to introduce and address just about any topic, educating your market and proving your competence.

Later, you can expand each issue into:
* Articles and columns for publication and syndication, media interviews, etc.
* Presentations, audios, speeches, teleconferences, pod casts, training, workshops.
* Online content and incentives to attract search engine traffic, reward your clients, and build your opt-in e-mail newsletter circulation list.
* Books and e-books. Books are the highest level of a platform. Writing a book becomes practical if prepare each issue of your newsletter so it can be later expanded into a chapter of a book.

3. Website
You must be able to update your website often. Web sites have to be continually updated. You need to provide new information on a consistent basis. Avoid fancy 'art directed' web sites; these are usually too inflexible to be easily and continuously updated.

Getting started

Start by analyzing your core competencies, your market, and your competition. Then, determine the best ways to communicate, and expand, it as consistently and efficiently as possible.

Progress typically proceeds best when you work with a mentor, or coach, who will guide you through the process and help you take a fresh look at yourself.

Roger C. Parker, 32 Million Dollar Author, Marketing Coach, and Client Advocate Email Roger C. Parker at rcoger@newentrepreneur.com and request a copy of his free 10-point Platform Creating Tip Sheet.