The significant challenges that we face today cannot be resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

Hi and welcome to today's issue of Keeping In Touch. I'd like to extend a big, warm welcome to all our subscribers. We're happy to have you with us.

It appears that 'just about everyone' has been experiencing hot weather and high humidity. That really makes for a long day. Then the eastern seaboard experienced that major blackout last Thursday. Can you imagine it? Right at the start of rush hour and no power; no lights at all; traffic tied up for hours on end; streams of people walking along at a snail's pace. You realize pretty quickly the number of things you take for granted. The automatic teller machines (ATMs) at the bank; gas stations; air conditioning; traffic lights that work; airports; subways, elevators and escalators. That must have been a scary time considering such a thing was not supposed to happen - not in today's technology.

Amazingly, the Internet kept plugging away and very little interference was noted there. Of course you wouldn't have been able to connect if the blackout occurred in your area.

My goal for KIT was to provide an interactive platform for my subscribers. Today's email is making that goal virtually impossible. This attitude was confirmed after sending out last Tuesday's update. Many of you have chosen to use different types of 'terminators' or 'eliminators' to assist you in keeping your Inbox clean.

Here's what's happening. KIT goes out. Now those of you with one of these software programs will need confirmation from me that it's a real message you want to receive. So now I have to confirm each request. I certainly understand why you'd want more control for the mail you receive but now the publisher has an increased workload. Whether there are 50 subscribers or 50,000 - this simply increases the maintenance tasks for publishers utilizing email lists.

You've probably come across messages from one of the big guru marketers who is willing to sell you 'all his email marketing secrets' that he's accumulated over the last six years. Why is he doing this? Because he's seen the writing on the wall. Marketing with email is no longer a viable method of promotion so he might as well make a buck or two selling you something that won't work much longer.

So - what's the answer? How can we remedy the apalling mess that email delivery has become? The only solution to this problem, in my humble opinion, is to take email delivery as a reliable means to get your message to your subscribers, right out of the equation. I'm prepared to take that step right now. Even if it means restarting my subscriber base. I'm serious folks. It's time to put the control back where it belongs - with you. That's right. This new method of delivery puts you in charge of your subscription - where it belongs. And I can get back to publishing. Stay tuned for more details.

Our Feature Article Today comes to us from Bob Osgoodby and helps you understand what you need to focus on to get your customer to read your offer. Make them 'stop' and take notice of what you are saying. Growing Good Corn is the Special Feature written by Steve Goodier. Sharing the 'good stuff' with your visitors is important to you and your business and here's why.

Have a great day and keep on smiling.

Internet Tip of the Week
   by Bob Osgoodby

We've all heard the term "sell the sizzle, not the steak".  Well, if you're selling anything, you had better pay attention to the "sizzle".  In today's market, your potential prospects have one thing in mind.  "What's in it for me", and if you're into sales, you must realize this. While the "nuts and bolts" of your product or offer are important, that is not normally what gets someone's initial interest and makes the sale.

People don't buy products or services.  They buy benefits. If you are selling an opportunity, people want to know realistically how much they can make.  Promises of hundreds of thousands of dollars a month will usually fall on deaf ears.  Why, because it is not realistic. You do have to point up the benefits someone will receive however, but if you make outlandish claims, they will simply "click away".

Let me digress - years ago I was running a data processing center and we were only running limited applications.  We then had a job added to our responsibilities, which resulted in about three additional days of work, for three people once a month.  Not having the staff to do this job, in addition to our daily work, we had to hire temporary help.

A look back - we were dealing with "punched card technology" then, you know - like the "hanging chad" problem in Florida during the last presidential election.  While we didn't have that problem, we were dealing with the same technology.  We were having pressure put on us to add even more applications, and it just wasn't possible with the constraints of our current hardware and staff.

We started to shop around for a computer, and a number of companies were contacted.  One salesman extolled the virtues of his hardware, and we didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about.

Another salesperson didn't try to sell us on the hardware, and the "bits and bytes" involved.  He said simply "you can do the job that is now taking three days without the "temp" help in about an hour".  And, he continued, "you can do your daily work and the additional applications you want within your normal working day".

What was he doing?  He was solving our problem. He didn't even mention disk storage, or printer speed, he simply told us the benefits of what a computer from his company could do for us.  That salesperson got the order, and we have been dealing with them ever since.

If you are doing business, or trying to, you must gear your program to meet the needs of your prospects.  If you're selling a product, most people don't really care about how it's made, or how it's designed.  They want to know "what is in it for them". Put a different way, what benefits will I get by dealing with you, rather then someone else.

If you are selling an "opportunity" or affiliate program, that thousands of others are trying to "hawk" at the same time, why should they buy from you?  If you hope for a chance of succeeding, this is a key issue that must be addressed.  Face it, most people don't, and then wonder why they fail.

Stress the personal relationship and help you will give them. Most people who are new to trying a program of this type, need a lot of help and guidance.  If you can promise, and deliver this type of help, you have a much greater chance of getting them as a customer than someone who doesn't.

If you are in the market for a raincoat, what is the primary thing you want?  While the fact that it is double stitched and made out of high grade material is great, want you really want is to keep dry when it rains.

If you are to succeed, you have to figure out what other people are looking for.  While they are really looking for a "steak", it will be the "sizzle" that will sell them.

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Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine the "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site? Great Business and Computer Tips - Monday thru Friday. Instructions on how to place your ad are in the Newsletter. Subscribe at: http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm

It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not.
   James Gordon, M.D

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things,literature, music--the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
   Henry Miller

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing; others judge us by what we have done.
   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Growing Good Corn
   by Steve Goodier

James Bender, in his book How to Talk Well (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 1994), relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

Steve Goodier is a professional speaker, consultant and author. Purchase his books or sign up for his free e-newsletter here: http://LifeSupportSystem.com Or call 1-877-344-0989 Free shipping (USA/CAN). Free gift-wrapping!

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We accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content, profitability or legality of any published articles or advertisements contained within KIT.

And, although all of the articles have been selected for their content, the publishing of such articles within this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of the products or services mentioned or advertised within those articles.

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