Marriage is a Journey

submitted by Fordyono Sukamto, Senior Account Executive

Marriage to some might be just simply mean finding a life companion or for others, it maybe a way of making a statement “it’s time to settle down”. There are many reasons as a matter a fact to why we choose to walk down the aisle. Whatever the reasons, Marriage is a journey for two.

For those who intend to enter this rollercoaster ride journey of marriage or just about to begin your own marriage journey, the following guide is your very own Marriage 101 to help you and your partner in creating a successful marriage relationship.

1. Before setting a ‘Wedding Date’
In summary, the first thing you need to do is ask yourself why you are getting married. If your motives are unrealistic, you may find yourself having unfulfilled expectations. You also have to learn to accept that living together and being married are different. Marriage is more than sharing a home and having sex. Likewise, communication plays an important key in maintaining a relationship. Always talk with one another about important issues before you walk down the aisle and deal with realities and expectations to keep your marriage strong. This may sound corny but you can always do a little research by talking to married couples, look up at books, or web to find out how to get married by getting a better idea, not forgetting different locales have different marriage licensing regulations.

2. Understanding the importance of communication in your marriage
Learn to keep your lines of communication open with one another. Be honest and never hide secrets with your partner. Create an understanding that everything in life has a process stage, likewise marriages. Maintaining a healthy marriage is a life long process. There will be times that fight, arguments will follow through disagreement, and the key is learning how to fight fairly. Happily married couples do not avoid an argument. They know how to handle conflict in healthy ways. Be willing to seek help through couple therapy if you find yourselves starting to be defensive, critical, or distant from one another. Do not wait too long to get help. Couples who postpone seeking professional advice often find that the damage to their marriage is too extensive to save it.

3. Issues Many Married Couples Have to Work Through Together
Many researches have shown and proven that ‘finance’ is the number one reason couples divorce. Therefore, the best way to avoid these before it is too late is to discuss money issues in your relationship regularly. The second highest is conflict over house chores. You cannot avoid talking about this topic.

Well, the third is a little bit tricky; a sexy, exciting marriage does not just happen. You need to stay intimate with one another and show your love and passion for one another on a daily basis. The fourth most common issue is kids. As having kids in your family can bring tremendous joy, they do however will create an impact on your marriage. Remember to schedule time just for the two of you. The fifth issue is involve with the outer circle is your in-laws. Whether you like it or not, your in-laws will be a part of your marriage so it is wise to learn how to set boundaries with your in-laws and how to enjoy them. Finally yet importantly, stress in your marriage tends to tear most couples apart. Learn coping skills to help you through the tough times.

4. Celebrating your marriage relationship
Eventually, we are the ones who decide the fate of our own marriage. The minute you are on board the journey, you are stick to it for life. Nonetheless, here are some tips for dummies; Create some spice and learn to have fun together. Celebrate special events such as birthdays and especially wedding anniversaries and lastly plan for holidays and how you will handle your in-law’s expectations.

I hope you enjoy reading this article and please note that I am not involved or responsible for any liabilities if none of the points worked out for you.

The Chuck Norris Syndrome

Chuck Norris is the man who can do anything, and the universe is afraid of him. Not just the people in the universe, the actual universe itself. The abilities are collected in Chuck Norris facts, which include:

• Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
• Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.
• Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
• Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

In managing Projects clients can easily fall into three categories;

The first only needs a gentle nudge to get their project moving:
It’s not always that the client doesn’t know how to solve their problem, or perhaps what the problem is, but that they need someone else to say it for them. The tech people convince the management by confirming what they have been saying. In other cases, they just need a little push in the right direction.

The second group has the will to change and improve, but…:
They always talk about how the IT can help them improve the business but seems too disorganized to get things done. There is this weird sub-group of companies who pay consultants for answers they never intend to use. They know what they need to do but have some social roadblocks to solve.

The third group is perhaps the most hard to handle.
It’s a small group that wants us to make everything better without changing anything (anything at all), as if we could “chuck norris” the situation:

• The system works because Chuck Norris tells it to work
• Chuck Norris doesn’t need a test suite. The test suite needs Chuck Norris.
• CPUs run faster to get away from Chuck Norris
• Chuck Norris normalizes all schema just by inserting random data
• Chuck Norris can compile syntax errors
• Packets travel faster than the speed of light for Chuck Norris, but he can still catch them
• Chuck Norris has Internet 3
• Chuck Norris can parse invalid XML
• Chuck Norris can break Moore’s Law

The essence of Chuck Norris Syndrome is a believe that:

Chuck Norris can fix everything without changing anything. Don’t laugh… it really happen.
This issue has nothing to do with code, technology, open source, or closed. Rather, we’re discussing a basic human tendency toward stasis and inertia: the desire to avoid change or try something new.

Viewed this way, improving IT failures involves helping an organization become more flexible and adaptable. Being a business consultant is part of the job.

While there’s no silver bullet, simply being aware of the problem often helps.

Investing in Unit Linked Protection Products

as written by Vincencius Santoso, Account Manager – Business Development Division

For the past couple of years Indonesia had been a very lucrative target market for many Financial Institutions based in Europe. Instant example for this is the big columns in leading newspapers like Kompas or Jakarta Post posted their financial positions and Profit and loss statement these financial institutions had made within previous years. The questions are, what made these companies big, and what kind of attractions do they offer to the majority of Indonesians?

The answer is financial product, they could be varied in many forms like; easy mortgage, Reksadana, bonds and equity investments, foreign exchange, and insurances. Let us talk about insurance, first of all, we have long known that insurance is a good protective measures for any aspects of life that is fragile, either it’s medical insurance, life insurance, education insurance, car insurance, and many others. The point is protection against forces beyond control that might lead to great devastation for the parties affected, for instance the loss of income caused by the inability of an individual to work due to work hazard, or loss of car caused by crime. People sees insurance as an added value to protect themselves against life’s bitter realities that sometimes is, well, unavoidable and unpredictable. Many people think, it is always better to anticipate things before it actually happens.

However, often times these precautionary measures cost us just way too much and furthermore, people might think it is somehow such a waste to keep on paying premium that vanishes in thin air if it goes unclaimed. That’s the past insurance, insurance nowadays, especially life and medical insurance offers more than just a protection. They created a product, commonly known as unit linked product which enables client to enjoy life or medical protection with an added value of investment where their money is let grown by linking the premium paid to fund in particular.

So what is fund? Fund is one of money market instruments which consists of hundreds portfolio of equities within. The performance of these equities within would then determine yield or performance of fund in particular, while equities themselves would be linked with the performance of the companies within an industry. At this point people would normally buoyed by the fact that their money could grow at higher rates compared to bank’s time deposit, but be aware that since your money is now invested, there are risk associated with it. There is never an actual guarentee by any providers that your money will remain at least the same amount of money you have already paid. So before you get yourself into any unit linked insurance you need to identify your needs first, whether you are looking for a savings plan or you are looking for a protection plan with additional value of investment.

If you are looking for a savings plan and you are in need of this money on daily or periodical basis then the answer is regular saving account at the bank. But if you are looking into long term savings and protection plan, it might be worth looking into Unit linked insurance. The idea of saving on unit linked insurance would be based on this; basically the growth of fund in the long run would eventually grow upright and any downturn are generally happens on the short run only. So, when we are looking for at least 5 to 10 years of investing, it is a great alternative to conventional savings at the bank where the growth rates of this fund are generally grows at higher rates compared to what is offered by banks. Unless of course there is major crunch at money market like what the world is experiencing globally at the moment.

Looking or considering into unit linked insurance people? Id say, why not, you normally enjoys good life and health covers plus a long term saving in form of investment in managed funds or equity funds. But first of all you will need to consider your goals, analyze your financial position carefully so that this financial products able to assist you and giving you an added value rather than a burden caused by lack of information and knowledge on their terms and conditions plus incorrect information about risk associated with it and general understanding of the product features. Always remember to adjust these products to your needs and goals rather than you adjusting your financial positions to these, it is meant to assist you rather to be an unnecessary burden. Happy investing!!

Win-win Negotiation

as written by Amrit Vijay Vaswani, Senior Account Executive – Group Marketing & Creative Services

Recently I attended a seminar on Win-Win negotiation and I would like to share with you in a nutshell some of the knowledge I grabbed from the eight-hour seminar. Most people may feel they are experts in negotiating and go into sales meetings confident that the client will buckle and lose out. Most of the time they actually come back with their heads down and hammering themselves with regret because they couldn’t reach an agreement with the other party. Negotiation isn’t about winning or losing but about reaching an agreement that is beneficial to both parties, i.e. a win-win negotiation. So, the keys to achieving an effective negotiation are:

• Do some background research and plan ahead for your meeting. You must know who you are dealing with and the kind of person he or she is. If you are dealing with someone who is a Listener, your approach should be on the features of the product, its unique selling qualities and other information that might help the person to make a buying decision. Be sure of your goals, position and underlying interest. Go into the meeting knowing what the minimally accepted deal is and what information you need from the other party.

• Go into the meeting with a win-win mindset. If you go into the meeting with the intention to win at the other parties expense then most likely you won’t reach an agreement. It is critical to voice your interest in the other side’s concerns and your determination to find a mutually satisfactory resolution.

• Be prepared to compromise. Put your ego aside and think long term. Think of how this business will benefit you in the long run. If you think losing now will open more doors for you in the future, then do it. But if it’s not profitable then humbly retreat.

• Focus on the issue and not the people. We should separate the people from the problem. The aim should be narrowing the gap between the issue, not attacking the other party.

• Be an active listener and ask a lot of questions. Be sensitive to the other person’s feelings, listen intensively and make sure you ask questions to verify you are understanding the other person correctly.

• Analyze the situation. This might include time issues, current economic outlook, general state of the industry you are competing in, etc. For example, you may have a client in need of raw materials so as to meet an order due in two months, and he needs a quick supply. In such situations you have the upper hand and you have every right to take advantage of the situation. This way you can assure the client of speedy delivery but you can slightly raise the price. So, make sure you analyze the situation before entering the meeting.

• Take risks. Aim high and be prepared to bluff. You should think big and not be afraid to raise your prices. It is easier to bring down your prices than to raise them. Bluffing may also work in certain situations, but be careful and make sure you know who you are dealing with.

Unfortunately, this is all I can remember for now. But if you are interested in learning more, James Gwee has a few interesting books on win-win negotiation. Remember you have only won in a negotiation when the other party is comfortable and happy with the final solution. Negotiation is not something you learn in college but a skill you learn through years of experience. If you lose a deal once, twice or thrice, ask yourself why and learn from your experience.

You will have to negotiate in life at some time, be it with your wife, your boss, your kids or your suppliers. Thus it’s best to start developing the necessary skills early so you are prepared to win at the time of negotiation. Lastly, whatever you do it is important to be honest and open. Trust me, this is always the best policy.

Take Control of Your Finances in Difficult Economic Times

submitted by Fordyono Sukamto, Senior Account Executive

So what do you do when you are facing difficult times with your finances during a crisis like the current one: The Global Economic Crisis? Well, we all know that many people will experience negative side effects of the current economic downturn as people are losing jobs due to the volatility of large corporations unable to sustain the impact of the economy meltdown and global stock exchanges being hugely affected by the sort of bailout plans the US has passed to rectify the situation, with nail biting fear of another ‘Great Depression’. It is no wonder both nations and people around the world are feeling a dash of trauma by what is going around presently.
Moreover, the psychological effect is emotional distress due to a perceived loss of control. When the financial news is grim and market indices fluctuate hundreds of points daily, it is really easy to feel that you are helplessly at the mercy of external forces. Some research has found that people are especially unhappy in situations where they perceive themselves to have a lack control. Therefore, it is no surprise that commuting ranks high on the list of things that make people most unhappy. Commuters never know from day to day what traffic gridlock, accidents, and weather they’ll encounter.

The good news is that there are ways to maintain control in times of economic uncertainty. I have researched around and found a list of many things you could do to maintain or get control over your finances and distract yourself during this crisis:

1. Watch Your Spending – The first and foremost thing to do is to watch how you spend. As economic uncertainty would mean the unexpected, such as facing sudden job layoffs or salary cuts, hence, it would be wise to start off early and prepare for what is to come, meaning to say “live below your means” and practice what economists call “precautionary savings.” The KEY is to spend on what you “need” rather than spend on what you “want”.
2. Prepare a Spending Plan – Preparing a budget or a spending plan would massively help you to forecast your future and current expenditure without having to spend or purchase the unnecessary blindly. It helps as a written “best estimate” of the cost of future spending and saving. Ideally, a spending plan should balance income and expenses, including regular savings for future financial goals. A worksheet is usually used to create a spending plan and there are many ready-made templates you can download through the internet.
3. Distract yourself – The best solution for not spending money is to stop thinking about it altogether. Naturally, this is easier said than done, but if you’re serious about keeping your money where it belongs, make an effort to pick up some activities you could do to distract yourself: sports activities or hobbies or do something you tend to enjoy doing that does not necessary break the bank.
4. Make more friends – You might not truly realise this but socialising and hanging around with groups of people, through talking and sharing thoughts and ideas, would greatly ease some forms of distress and provide comfort. Join some social group events and activities to broaden your social network, you might eventually benefit from an idea or concept for a small business opportunity.
5. Dealing with the crisis without feeling like it’s a crisis – The global financial crisis is only part of a common and natural cycle. It is just like when you are having flu, but this flu is present around the globe. Therefore, we shouldn’t get carried away with the frightful discussions. It all depends on how we respond it. Never panic when hearing bad news from the mass media. Get rid of the feeling of being afraid of becoming poor. Always have positive thinking, just like a kid when they are cheering and screaming for joy in the rain. This crisis will pass over, for sure.
6. Taking Care of Your Health – The last thing that someone needs in an uncertain economy is health problems, especially if your job (and access to health insurance) is shaky. Major health “issues” such as diabetes and cancer, are expensive to treat and a drain on household wealth. Put the odds in your favour by taking charge of your health. Specific actions such as losing weight, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking provide many associated financial benefits. Health is, indeed, the greatest wealth.

The economy and financial markets can seem out of control today, nonetheless the best remedy for economic uncertainty is controlling things that we can. Numerous studies have confirmed that people who maintain some measure of control over their lives in times of crisis and uncertainty generally cope better and feel less powerless than those who don’t. Making plans, and revising them when needed, is also a characteristic of financially savvy people. Abraham Lincoln once said “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Indonesia Today

submitted by Vincent Santoso, Junior Account Manager, Business Development

Indonesia Today? Most Indonesian people skeptically think we’re not sure, the Government is not determined to take real action to root out graft practices amongst Government authorities and officials, our football doesn’t go anywhere, our politicians would rather be on gossip news on TV rather than be at the House of Representatives, and the fear of inflation rate hike as an impact of the global financial shakedown. Well, that might be right, but hold on a second, we might be asking ourselves again, ”Isn’t there something that I can be proud of being an Indonesian?”

The good news is we do have something to be proud of; this is not about being propagandized within a classroom saying that we are abundantly rich with natural resources and our geographical position. So we were thinking when we were in school that, “Hm, okay I don’t have to work hard and can always go back farming or maybe gold digging!” That is not what I mean either, in fact we are blessed with rich cultural diversity, we have massive and abundant natural resources throughout all regions, we have what is recognised as one of the world’s top five  most populous nations.

But then again, we need to understand how we could use those gifts we as Indonesians have. It is either a blessing really or a curse, being the most populous and culturally rich makes us easy to be blown out by race issues and could lead up to sectarian conflict. Being rich in terms of natural resources makes us prone to be exploited and to be manipulated by foreign interests.

It is a ‘two sides of the coin’ issue, if we don’t realise where we as Indonesians stand given all the potentialities that we have. We might end up tragic like many “poor-to-the-bottom” countries like Somalia where people couldn’t afford to have access to clean water, or Colombia where people turn out killing in return for money from the drug lords, or maybe ex-soviet countries like Romania and the Ukraine where life is so hard and people gives up voluntarily as objects of human trafficking. In contrast we should really need to look up to our fellow South East Asian countries like Singapore or Japan, where they don’t have a pinch of our natural resources deposit but they are successful to be recognised and bring the living standard of their people to the highest. The quest is not how much potentiality we do have, but more importantly, Japan and Singapore prove that strong self-determination and ability to cope with the world’s dynamics are able to turn them into strong, recognised, and influential powerhouses in the region. One thing I would like to add is, they do it all and they maintain their national identity too.

In the era of inter-dependency right now, not only do we need to look at our potential but also critically look at which areas we need to pay attention to and improve intensively. The reason for this is, simply, the world is not getting less competitive but getting more competitive each and every day. This is also the reason why if we neglect gifts that we have it would rather bring misery than a blessing to many Indonesians which is pretty much what we have seen today.

By this part some of you might be saying, “See, that’s what I’m talking about?” However, I believe that it is not only the Government that is to blame. We, as part of Indonesian society, what have we done for our country? Please see the following, simple check list and see whether you have taken any action that shows your sense of nationalism for this country :

• Are you proud of using Indonesian products or not bothered at all?
• Are you sure that you are paying your tax correctly in an honest manner?
• Would you rather spend your time donating to education, investing in the country’s future or rather looking at sale and shopping catalogues to see “What’s hot this season?”
• Do you litter inappropriately?
• Do you use electricity and water wisely, for a fact we know that many Indonesians live in the dark with limited access to clean water and the Government is struggling to provide those?
• Do we actively support the Government’s non-political actions? ie. Smoke free day in Sudirman and Thamrin, using and supporting public transport, green campaign on our river banks, etc.

The above questions are just examples of how we can start supporting our nation to be a well-recognised nation. Take note that small steps we make are a start towards bigger and bolder actions for greater results. I will take the example of paying tax – the Government would then use this tax to build up infrastructure and stimulate the economy. Workers affected from the government project would be benefited, since if they have work they have buying power. If they spend their money for local products that will benefit local producers even more, which also means more jobs are created for the locals. Ironically we are proud to wear American sneakers more, wine and dine at French restaurant, luxury Italian clothings and the worst of all we are avoiding and manipulating Taxes.

Now, how can we develop a real sense of nationalism toward Indonesia? Here is a simple list in macro scope to get start with :

• Let’s support local products
• Work ethics and behaviour in the workplace
• Do more for education
• Create more local small-to-medium businesses not concentrated in the current Seven big cities, but reach out deeper into other regions, to help the Government create a sustainable micro-economy by giving people job opportunities.
• Gives reason for buying power to improve their standard of living, this by creating job opportunities rather than to rely on available job.
• For business people, try as much as possible to utilise self-produced raw materials
• Social ethics, queues, littering, traffic ethics, and self-obedience to the domestic law

The more business grows, the more competitive it gets. Coming with it is a wider job opportunities for all and better standard of living. The better standard of living, thus, will create another phase of growing economics as demand is arising.

In a wider scope, what people can do is by growing a competitive business (small-to-medium). The problem with business here from the bigger perspective is, our local businesses rely too much on assistance from the Government, and our businesses enjoys too much of a domestic protection in the form of tariff barriers and import limitations, thus this kills their competitiveness. These situations then create a chain effect, competitiveness of an industry is consistently decreasing and local clients quickly turn their back away for better quality imported products. With less demand, the local industry will soon have to say ‘good bye’ to their business.

Improvements like these would need to be applied by many Indonesian businesspeople, big or small, in all regions. The emphasis is to transfer business management, knowledge, and creating job opportunities outside Indonesia’s seven biggest cities like Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya, Denpasar, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Semarang. The creation of work opportunities will create an improvement in standards of living, and as soon as the buying power is there the demand, too, would increase. This situation will lead Indonesia to enjoy an economic boom.

Up till now if you are still with me, it isn’t so hard is it?  To start doing something, for our very own Indonesia. In a simpler way here is another list of what you can do :

• Buy more local products, let’s support our local producers – start buying Indonesian.
• Do more for Indonesian education, as simple as a donation to a foundation that strives to improve our education in rural areas.
• If you’re a business person, look towards potential of any region other than the seven big cities, and use more raw materials produced locally.
• Develop good social ethics, ie; queuing while waiting for public transport, drive politely, litter only in the designated bin, don’t smoke in public, etc.
• If you are working, show a sense of professionalism and stay competitive rather than taking advantage of a sense of friendship and seniority which applies widely apparently as a culture within many organisations.

So, what are we waiting for? Let us take a small step today for a bigger impact on Indonesia. Everything big consists of smaller even the smallest parts. Let us be proud to be Indonesian, wear Indonesian, and use Indonesian today. Be proud walking tall and being Indonesian.

The Importance of SEO

submitted by Rony Triwardhana, Application Developer, Technology Services

Successful website has four aspects to be taken care of and they are:
1. Development,
2. Design,
3. Content and
4. SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

These are the four essential aspects of Successful Website.

However, most people understand the importance of having optimized content and accurate coding. But, only few have understood the importance of SEO.

If you ask any webmaster about his number one priority, the answer would be surely centered around getting more and more meaningful visitors on his website. When a visitor (potential customer) lands on your website, the probability that he would give you business would depend upon his overall experience while browsing through the website.

What to be considered in SEO:

Ease of Navigation
If Visitors can seamlessly navigate through the whole website and if he finds that the navigation is easy and not complicated, he will go back with a pleasant experience. A happy visitor is a potential customer!

Minimum Flash
Minimal use of flash animation. That’s because such pages take more time to download, additionally not all people have flash software installed on their PC, implying that you loose a potential customer just because of design overdose on your part.

Quality Content
Content is king, everyone can write but not everyone can write quality content that attract visitors (potential customer) when they search trough Search Engine.

Relevant Keywords
Be specific at using keyword, don’t try to use keyword with million competitors, try finding niche keywords for your website.

These are just few things to be considered for SEO, if you like to know more you can contact me at rony.t@precision-group.biz

Save A Life

submitted by Ford Sukamto, Senior Account Executive, Precision Language

Awhile ago, I attended a charity society event over in Hotel Mulia that was even attended by the Minister of Social Welfare, H. Bachtiar Chamsyah with TV stations broadcasting this major event.

The speaker was a wise Guru who flew all the way from India to Jakarta with a purpose to express his wisdom about “Love”. Although, the event was mainly for the Indonesia Hindu Society, many non-Hindus came to this rare once in two years event. The atmosphere was truly memorable when the event was officially announced by the Minister himself.

What really caught my attention that night was the short screening they put up that was about a guy named “Ahmad” (not his real name) who used to have a normal life and had a job as a messenger until a fatal road accident struck him that day where he ended up losing a leg. After he recovered from his accident, his former employer decided to dismiss him as he has lost his capability to work since he had lost one of his legs. Having to lose his job, his wife and daughter decided to leave him as he was unable to support his family with his joblessness and being permanently disabled.

With disaster struck him so badly and the pain was unbearable, he started to lose his faith in life and started drinking till he was broke. He ended up begging for food and sleeping with no roof over his head. This unbearable misery had taken a toll one night where he almost decided to end his life now rather than continue to live such a painful life, but he did not do it. Eventually, he prayed to God that night asking why he had to suffer so miserably and yet it seems God forbid him to take his own life.

He finally got his redemption the following day while he was begging, a kind-hearted hawker gave him a packet of food and he came across an article that was placed in the newpaper that was used to wrap his food. The article was an advert about a non-profit organisation giving away artificial limbs and hands for the handicapped poor. “Ahmad” finally got an artificial limb from the non-profit organisation and was able to secure a job on top of that. “Ahmad” was given a second chance to live because of faith as well as there are organisations like the ‘Limbs for the Limbless’ exists to aid others like “Ahmad”.

“Ahmad’s” life changing experience has taught us the value of life and giving love to those who need it most. Let us play a part in our society by giving SELFLESSLY to those who need our hand the most. For those interested in donating or who would simply like to find out more information about this organisation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Amrit.

5 Tips for Getting Your Prospects’ Attention

submitted by Leci, Senior Administrator, Corporate Services

Many sales people recognize that they need to get the prospective client’s attention in order to initiate the sale. In fact, the prevailing mindset today is how you open a sales call is more vital than how you close the call.

So if you’re trying to get a call back from a voicemail, introduce yourself to a new contact on the phone or trying to get introduced into a new company, what is the best way to get the contact’s attention?

Here are 5 ways to get your prospect’s attention whether you are leaving a voicemail or establishing a relationship:

1. Use a compliment. People love to hear compliments, and they appreciate the fact that you noticed a certain fact about their accomplishments.  Give your prospect a sincere compliment and, in their minds, you will become extremely significant, not to mention extremely perceptive and intelligent.
2. Ask a question. Asking a question of your prospect immediately turns their attention to finding an answer.  Make the question relevant to a common challenge in their industry.  And please refrain from asking the standard question, “If there were a way to increase your revenue/income, would you be interested?”   This question is just too trite, and your prospect just may hang up the phone on you.
3. Use a referral. Using a referral is transference of credibility.  If your prospect respects the person you are referencing, then you attain some of your client’s credibility and gain your prospect’s respect.  The key here is knowing how your prospect views the client who gave you the prospect’s name.  If you are with a client and asking for a referral, be sure to ask about the relationship, how they know the person they are referencing, and some of what you can expect when you visit the prospect.
4. Educate. Opening with a statement that provides information is establishing value.  You are showing that you have done your homework and that you are a valued resource in the industry.
5. A startling statement. This type of opening can be an analogy, a statistic or a little recognized fact that reaches out and grabs your prospect attention by changing their perspective.  Again, make sure that the statement has relevancy to the industry or the challenge that you are solving.

If you want a good source for finding attention getting statements, look no further than you junk mail pile.  Direct copywriters use the text on the front of the envelope to get your attention and open it up.  Then the copy on the inside has to

How writing a noticeable emails that can move your prospects to consider you as their supplier?

submitted by Leci, Senior Administrator, Corporate Services

In your correspondences, both email and snail mail, there is an egregious sin that you simply cannot commit. Your prospects may forgive you for a lengthy letter if it is engaging and entertaining. But they will not forgive you for being boring. So, regardless of the length of your letter, if it’s boring, it will be deleted and you won’t make a dent in getting your prospect’s attention.
Your emails need to be long enough to get the job done.

When writing an email, you can follow some of the rules that govern direct marketing for other media. That means a subject line that sparks your reader’s interest, strong and engaging headlines in the body of the message and a body that moves them along in the sales process. Remember that this is sales in print. As such, there is a purpose for the email. What do you want them to do: Call? Reply? Buy something? Don’t get too ambitious with the content and try to do too much. You don’t want to conduct the entire sales process in one email. But you do want to get the prospect to move to the next step, be it a click on a link, a reply message or a phone call.

The other quick consideration is that the tone should be conversational and relevant to the audience. Naturally, the type of email that you compose to a system administrator will be different from one being sent to the director of HR, which, in turn, will be different from one that you send to the CEO of the company. You aren’t writing a paper for submission into a scientific journal, so don’t be too formal. On the flip side, you are conducting business, not sending an email to a college buddy, so keep it professional.

In addition, you must be cognizant that email has some restrictions that other media don’t have, for instance, the dreaded spam filter. So you will have to walk a fine line between using the kind of language that incites people to take action while not using the key words that kick in the spam filter.

In his book, “The Ultimate Sales Letter,” Dan Kennedy deals extensively with writing direct mail pieces for sales people. Much of what is in the book can be applied to email. It’s an easy read and you’ll want to have a copy next to your laptop the next time you write an email or compose a letter for your contacts. My suggestion is that you run down to your local bookstore and get yourself a copy.