The TOP Performance Blog

10 Ways to Market When Cash Is Tight

by Ken Burgin...

A few months ago, Staples and Angus Reid released their latest “STAPLES Canada Small Business National Quarterly Index.” It looks like we believe we are over the hump.

70 per cent of business owners expect at least some improvement to their business over the next six months (compared to 58 per cent in March 2009).

Now that you’re feeling better, get out there and make sure that your customers will come to you rather than your competition when they are ready to buy.

Chances are you are a little tight for cash, so here are ten low-cost ways to market better that we’ve worked out with help from Joanna L. Krotz, co-author of the “Microsoft Small Business Kit”. 

• Stop servicing break-even customers. By now you know this is a theme with us. Every second you spend with a customer who doesn’t help you make money; you are short-changing those who do.
• Make every customer feel special. Always add something to the purchase, whether it’s a hand-written note to a consumer or a recommendation on the latest, greatest business book to a business customer.
• Create business cards that prospects keep. How about a good-looking notepad with your contact info and tagline on every page? Or a free or low-cost trial offer on the back—paper real estate that’s valuable and often wasted.
• Develop an electronic mailing list and send old-fashioned snail-mail letters too. E-newsletters are cheap to send, but you can quickly stand out by occasionally sending personal, surface mail letters to customers and prospects. Just make sure the letter delivers something customers want to read.
• Boost your profile at point of sale, trade shows and conferences. You can quickly create your own signage, glossy postcards with your contact information, product news inserts or a web site for a special event—even if you are not a software pro.
• Combine business with pleasure and charity. Spearhead an event, party or conference for a cause you care about. That puts you in the position of getting to know lots of people, and shows off your small business leadership skills.
• Create a destination. Indigo Books & Music has its coffee bars. Ikea offers child-care centers and cafeterias. Steal this idea. Add a free advisory service. Add customer loyalty services, such as free delivery for second-time buyers.
• Become an online expert. This is the “free sample” approach to bringing in business. Research active e-mail discussion lists and online bulletin boards that are relevant to your business and audience. Join several and start posting expert advice.
• Court local media. Editorial features convey more credibility with prospective clients than paid advertising does. (Check our recent article on how to get PR.)
• Finally, don’t let customers simply slip away. It costs a lot less to retain a disgruntled or inactive customer than to acquire a new one. Send a personalized e-mail (you can automate this process), inquiring whether all is well. For a customer who suffered a bad experience, pick up the phone, acknowledging the unpleasantness and ask if there’s anything you can do. A discount can’t hurt either.

Being kind to customers is the smartest low-cost marketing you can do.

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Ken Burgin is a Certified Duct Tape Marketing Coach.  He helps clients create marketing programs including advertising and design of all media.  To learn more visit http://www.marketingmasters.ca/.   
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Accounting Best Practices

by Elizabeth Mance...

Ever wonder what your accountant might recommend that you do differently in your business?  What are some of the accounting best practices that could increase your bottom line? 

I have collected some of the juiciest tips to save your business time and money, and keep things accurate and up to date.  You may be surprised to see that some of the best practices here don’t have to do with data entry into QuickBooks, but instead financial practices that can help you avoid major money pitfalls, and build more wealth in your business.

Evaluate your fees/prices at least once per year; don’t go more than 2 years without an increase.  This is a challenge for some companies.  Especially when times are tough you don’t want to scare anyone away with raising prices, but you also don’t want to find out at the end of the year that things have changed and the business made zilch.  Make it a practice to review prices at the same time every year, and do a price adjustment when warranted.

Bill on time.  This seems very basic, BUT many businesses get caught over extending credit to customers, and experiencing defaults or disputes simply because collection was late.  Accepting credit cards is a great idea no matter what kind of business you have, because it gives your customers two options – pay up in cash or pay up on credit.  With everyone staying on schedule you are providing better service, and keeping your balance sheet looking pretty.

Stop running to the bank.  Use RDCs (remote data capture) machines to scan your daily deposits.  If you insist on going to the bank, go at least once weekly.  Ensure you don’t lose checks (someone once left a $7500 check in a file and found it 4 years later – gut wrenching!).

Don’t let money go stale.  Transfer idle cash balances from your checking to savings account so it earns interest, and can help your company save more because “out of sight is out of mind.”  You also may want to look into sweep accounts.

Play detective.  Employee fraud is easier to commit in small business.  Whether it’s supplies pilferage or overstating expense reimbursements: scrutinize timecards; separate check-writing duties from billing and deposits and bank reconciliations; to deter or avoid temptation, make sure employees know you’re looking.

Cross-train everyone in your accounting department.  Lack of cross training leaves a business reliant on one or more specific individuals, and that’s not good.  You always need to think about the “get hit by a bus scenario.”  You never know when a staff member will need to leave your employ, fall ill, win the lotto, etc.  So, cross-training is safety for your business.

Mark-up all pass-through costs at least 20%.  Regardless of whether you run a construction business, or a tutoring business, many businesses buy supplies or materials needed on the job.  If you purchase things on behalf of your customers then add a 20% markup to cover your overhead and add value.

Send bills through the Internet; no more snail mail.  Not only does this save you postage, but very costly late fees, and even maybe gain you early payment rewards (like 2% for paying by the 10th).

If you or your partner are going to run the books yourself, take a class!  I have seen instances where one minor mistake in running a report for depositing sales tax resulted in over $10,000 in taxes, fees and penalties.  Get your skills in order before taking on such an important task.

Review Balance Sheet and P&L at least once a month.  Drill down to investigate questions.  Was there a change in sales?  Did your expenses meet your budget?  Identifying trends, problems, etc. early will help you nip it in the bud, and steer your business in the right direction.

Reduce costs – Don’t spend money without a return on that investment.  This one might be a no-brainer too, but the relationship between costs and business investments can be very tricky on the mind.  Yes, a new fangled color copier that slices and dices will give you the ability to create your own marketing materials, BUT the $10,000 lease that it will cost you could buy an awful lot of professional design and printing help.  Scrutinize everything.

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Elizabeth Mance manages Accountability Services which is a full-service accounting, tax and consulting firm that caters to family and privately owned companies.  To learn more visit http://www.accountabilityservices.com.   
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How to Qualify for a Small Business Line of Credit

by Marco Carbajo...

As a small business owner, having access to capital continues to be a growing concern during these tough economic times.

The majority of business owners prefer a line of credit because it allows a business to establish a significant amount of cash on demand to make purchases that are too large for a credit card and too small for a loan.  However, when it comes to qualifying for a business line of credit many small business owners are left in the dark.

First of all, the best time to apply for a business line of credit is during times of growth and cash flow.

Banks are more likely to approve a credit line to a business when it doesn't need the funds compared to one that is financially strapped. I would strongly encourage you to adopt a 'dig your well before you get thirsty' philosophy for your business.

If you think you're business is just making it fine despite the current economic times and you don't need the credit line think again!

The reality is that your business will at one point require an influx of cash in order to cover unforeseen operating expenses, development, expansion, legal fees, inventory or a range of other items that a business may require in order to grow.

So when you apply for a line of credit and your business is coming from a position of financial strength such as having a strong bank rating, business credit scores, good cash flow and so on, the risk is greatly reduced and your chances for getting approved are much greater compared to applying from a position of weakness.

Secondly, it's much easier to get approved for a $50k line of credit compared to a $100k line of credit, simply because of the documentation and amount of financials required on larger credit lines. Most banks only require a low 5 bank rating, a favorable business credit rating, and personal credit scores of 680 or greater to approve a $50k line of credit.

If you are applying for a credit line greater than $50k, then you end up having to also provide 2 years of personal and business tax returns, profit & loss statements and financial statements. So you can see the difference in documentation is substantial when it comes to the amount of credit that you are applying for.

Here are my 'Four Factors to Qualify for a Business Line of Credit'

1. The first factor is your bank balance rating. You will want to shoot for a $10,000 balance which rates your business as a "Low 5″.

2. The second factor has to do with how you manage your business bank account. It's important to avoid bouncing checks at all costs!

3. The third factor is your business credit reports - D&B report, Small Business Equifax, and Corporate Experian should reflect a solid business credit history and scores.

4. The fourth and final factor is having a personal credit score of 680 or greater.

These four factors can greatly improve your chances for getting approved for a business line of credit. The important thing to remember is that banks are in the business to lend money and they make money from the interest they charge. So when they do lend or extend a line of credit to a business, there is an amount of risk involved which they want to limit as much as possible.

Prior to applying for a line of credit, you can minimize this risk by complying with the four factors I've outlined for you and have full confidence in knowing that qualifying for a business line of credit is just an application away.

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Marco Carbajo is founder of the Business Credit Insider's Circle. Want to learn more about business credit without a personal guarantee?  Claim Marco's popular FREE business credit seminar at:  http://www.startbusinesscredit.com
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5 Ways Your Merchant Service Provider is Robbing You

At the TOP Performance Center, we’ve studied the Merchant Service industry and discovered the 5 ways these companies rob from your bottom line.

Well, actually there are many more than 5, but read the following list to find out what the major ones are.

5 Ways Your Merchant Service Provider is Robbing You

How many of the following are true for you?  Even if there is 1, you are being robbed and you should do something about it ASAP.

Warning Sign #1  -  Since Signing Your Contract, Your Rates, Monthly Fees, etc. Have Increased

Somehow, it is not uncommon for merchant service contracts to magically change.  Usually without you even knowing it.

With most Merchant Service Providers, their low monthly fees promised and great introductory rates (used to persuade you to switch to their service) have changed.

Good advice:  Be sure to review your statements regularly to assure you are still being charged what your contract states.

Warning Sign #2  -  High Monthly Fees

Whether your introductory fees have gone up or your fees were high from the beginning, if you are paying any higher than 1.99% per transaction, you’re being robbed.

Good advice:  Don’t sign up for a service unless they offer at least a 1 year, and ideally a 3 year freeze on their rates and service fees.

Warning Sign #3  -  Hidden Fees

Many Merchant Service Providers will offer very low rates to make you think you have gotten a great deal from them.  But then they tack on hidden fees that when assessed, cost you more of your revenue than the higher rates would have cost you.

Good advice:  Check your statements for any of the following hidden fees (they will probably be hard to find).  If you are paying any of them, you are being robbed.

• Chargeback Fees
• Retrieval Fees
• Termination Fees
• Gateway Fees
• Gateway Per Item Fees
• Non-Refundable Setup Fees
• Batch Fees
• Daily Close-Out Fees
• Cancellation Fees
• Minimum Fees
• Minimum Monthly Fees
• Pass Through Fees (these vary)
• Over Limit Fees
• Voice Authorization Fees
• Bank Setup Fees
• Software Fees
• PCI Compliance Fees
• Licensing Fees
• Annual Fees
• Amex/Discover Setup Fees
• Statement Fees
• Customer & Technical Support Fees

Warning Sign #4  -  No 24 / 7 / 365 Customer Service & Technical Support

If you can’t reach someone to help you process a transaction, troubleshoot equipment or ask  questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year  -  You will eventually lose a sale… if you haven’t yet.   

And in someone, this does not include the salesperson who sold you the service and then passed you along to the Merchant Service Provider that bought the contract.

Good advice:  Keep customer service phone numbers handy because if you have equipment or a virtual terminal, you will eventually need support processing a sale.

Warning Sign #5  -  You Are Stuck in a Contract

Unfortunately, this is something you can’t get away from… unless you use a month to month  service.  (And if you do, your monthly fees and rates will be at least 100% what they should be)

If you are in a contract, you may think you are stuck.  You’re not.  But you might have to pay around $300 to break the contract and sign up with an honest, reliable merchant service partner.

Good advice:  Some providers will let you break your contract without a penalty, some won’t. If you’ve come to the decision that you are being robbed, don’t let it continue.

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Written by Grant Robinson, Founder of the TOP Performance Club and Administrator of the TOP Performance Blog.  To find out how you could save 10% to 30% on your rates and fees (or get $300 if we can't match or beat them), visit: www.LowerMyFees.info.
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The 4 C’s to Attracting New Clients

by Ann Strong...

Back in the olden days, the only way to get new clients involved cold calling, prospecting, setting appointments, making presentations and – when we hit the jackpot – closing sales.  Not very appealing for most service professionals today.

Today, we have the additional extremely attractive and quite effective option of bringing in new clients by attracting them.  Internet marketing professionals call this inbound marketing.  I like to think of it as people asking us to become our clients!  Ah, the life of abundant inbound . . .

So, how do we create this beautiful flow of people asking us to become our clients?

The 4 Cs: Connection * Community * Consult * Client

Connection

Are enough people finding you on the internet or are you meeting enough people who may be interested in your services?

Community

Once you initially connect, are they attracted into your community?

Consult

Once they’ve engaged in your community, do they ask for or would they love to know more about your services, and perhaps about working with you?

Client

As a result of a structured conversation/consult about how your services might be a fantastic fit for them, do they hire you?

Let’s look at each of the 4 Cs more specifically.

Connection

Through targeted on- and off-line networking, social media and blogging, you give potential clients a high-value taste of your and your services and invite them to your website, into your community.

Community

Then you continue to entice them with your wit, insights, fresh ideas or whatever strengths you care to share.  Also, make them a free, no-strings offer they can’t refuse.  Give them something about which they’d like the inside scoop: results of a survey, a special report, a valuable resource in exchange for their name and email address (maybe also their phone number) so that you can regularly send them something of high value to them – keeping your name and ideas top of mind

What is highly valuable to them?  Anything that gives them possible new, fresh solutions to their greatest challenges.  The more specific, the better.  Brainstorm the micro-challenges within the big challenge.

For example, a potential client for a graphic designer might have the challenge of needing a brand.  What are the micro challenges within that challenge?  Their clients not differentiating them from their competition.  Or, they don’t feel professional without a brand.  Or, they don’t feel clear about what they really sell or the benefits.  Those three micro-challenges represent three articles or special reports or surveys – you get the idea.

Another example: a potential client of a career coach might have the challenge of wanting a more fulfilling career.  Possible micro-challenges?  Not knowing what would be more fulfilling.  Knowing exactly what they’d like to do, but feeling scared to leave “a good job.” Or, knowing what they might like to try, but not knowing how to go about it.

From just these two strategic actions of making a strong connection and giving good value for joining your community, some folks will call or email you, asking to hire you!

Consult

If you’d like even more business, periodically send an invitation to all those who have signed onto your list to become part of your community.  Invite them to have a strategy consultation with you.  Ideally structure this consult to offer value and show them how much more value they’ll receive when they hire you.  When you confirm the consult, let them know you are available for some new clients.  Tell them if they feel you and your services are a good solution to their situation, you may talk about that, too.

Client

Then, during the consult, determine if you would like them as a client.  If so, after the consult, talk to them about next steps, which naturally include working with you!

Any time you’d like to attract more clients, simply review this attraction process to see which of the 4 Cs you’d like to amp up at that time . . .

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Ann Strong is the founder and leader of Thriving Coaches.  As a mentor coach she offers spiritual coaching and mentoring as well as business development coaching.  To learn more, visit: http://www.annstrong.com/.
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Considerations on Selling Your Business

by David Chazin...

Whatever your motivation for selling your business, you'll only get one chance to maximize the return on your years of hard work. Do it the right way and you could get the price you want and reduce the impact of capital gains and estate taxes. Do it the wrong way and you might end up with a hefty capital gains tax bill and estate-planning headaches.

You can increase your chances of a successful sale if you coordinate your efforts and work closely with a financial professional from the very moment you start thinking about selling your business. A financial professional, with the assistance of a qualified appraiser, can help you place an accurate value on your business interest and provide the critical insight and expertise needed to steer you through a complex and time-consuming process.

Potential Buyers
Consider your potential buyers. Are you planning to place your business on the market for anyone who's interested? Or, do you want your business to stay within your family? If so, do family members have the means to buy it? Might your senior managers or other employees be interested in purchasing your business interest? Dealing with succession issues early in the sale process is important. Once you have, the next step is to determine the most advantageous way to sell the business. Here's a brief overview of some of these options.

Stock versus Assets
While buyers may prefer to buy assets, if you're selling an incorporated business, you generally can get a better tax deal by selling stock. In the case of a business asset sale, you may have to pay taxes twice - a corporate capital gains tax on the sale of the assets (at the same rate as for the corporation's ordinary income) and an individual income tax on any corporate distributions received by the stockholders. Selling stock, instead, allows you, as a shareholder, to pay tax only once, at the more favorable 15% capital gains rate. There is no corporate level tax.

Owners of small businesses can get an even better deal. If you sell your business interest as Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) and buy other QSBS, you may be able to roll over your gain tax free. (Additional requirements apply.) Alternatively, you can exclude 50% of the gain from your taxable income if you held the stock for more than five years and meet other tax law requirements. The remaining gain is taxed at a maximum rate of 28%. In general, gain qualifying for the 50% exclusion cannot exceed $10 million or 10 times the QSBS's base disposed of during the year (whichever is greater).

Installment Sales
With an installment sale, you ask the buyer for a downpayment and a note covering the balance of the purchase price. You report taxable gains as you receive payments from the buyer, rather than all at once in the year of sale. You also must report the interest payments you receive on the note as ordinary income. When correctly structured, an installment sale can "freeze" the value of the business at its sale price for tax purposes. So, if the business continues to increase in value, your estate will not owe taxes on any appreciation generated after the date of the sale.

Private Annuity Sale
Under this type of arrangement, the buyer of your business agrees to make periodic payments to you for life in exchange for your interest in the business. This approach guarantees you a lifetime income and is taxable to you under special rules. Moreover, the annuity arrangement removes the value of the business from your estate for tax purposes.

To help maximize your financial return on the sale of your business, consult a financial planning professional before you put your business on the market.

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David Chazin is a Financial Planner.  To learn more, visit: http://www.lasaramgmtgroup.com/.
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Improving your Marketing and Sales in an Economic Downturn

by Laura Baker...

Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.  It’s time for you to get out there in front of the clients, solidifying and building on existing relationships. 

Keep moving ahead with developing your business.  Each of us needs to reinvent our business in order to survive as we succeed as many of us see our business shrink to virtually nothing.  It’s time to start thinking outside the box and identify where your strengths lie and going for it.     

1. Network, network and more networking

Networking is the fuel that drives your business and brings sales.  People like to do business with people that they know, like and trust.  Networking is a great way to get to know more people, get them to like you and show them that they can trust you by helping them with their needs. 

You should make it a point to network two times a week – attend weekly groups, mixers, volunteer, social activities (sports, cooking, book clubs, boating, parenting groups, etc)   I know that might sound overwhelming to some, but it’s important to not make excuses and make time and there are groups that meet early in the morning, before breakfast, lunch, after work, in the evening or on the weekend. 

The more people that you know, the more that you can get them to like you and show you that you can trust them with their needs.

2.  Sell your strengths: 

You can’t be the best at everything, you need to find the things that your really good at and expand on it.  You need to sell those strengths against your competition to gain the sale. 

 3.  Give it away:

Advertise the things that cost little or nothing or special services that you already do.  For example if you’re a caterer give dinner mints, special sauces with your breads, improve your food displays, offer a free signature beverage, a coffee bar, a chocolate fountain or inexpensive center pieces or décor.

4.  Become a Power Negotiator.

Learn to negotiate with your potential client and your vendors.  Currently your rental companies such as your rental companies have inventory such as beautiful linens, décor and serving pieces that aren’t being used.  Negotiate with your vendors to create a win/win situation for your clients.  Ask your vendors to upgrade your order for your client; you will come out looking like a hero.  Remember to take photos as well, upscale photos help sell your company.    

5.  Improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

Work with a web designer or SEO to find new or creative ways to generate more search hits.     

6. How do you communicate with your customers?

Look at how you communicate when you correspond with customers or potential customers.  Do you communicate in a timely manner?  Are you communications easy to understand? 

I’m in the process of getting a logo created and I started this over a month ago.  First, I asked a college from college who is a graphic designer.  I sent over notes and didn’t hear anything for 2 days.  I emailed and texted them to see if they had gotten the information.  They responded that they would call me back the next day.  Four phone calls and two weeks later I get a response from them.  They send a bid for $350 which I didn’t have an issue with.  I called two days later and still no response.  A week after that, I decided to go with another graphic designer who took four days from the time I found them and surprisingly they where ½ the cost of the other person.  I was going to go with the higher cost person, but they didn’t call back to me.  So my advise to you is follow up, follow up, follow up.    

7.  Build your online marketing presence.

The web is the new marketing tool of choice for the young and savvy business owners.  Social media isn’t dying anytime soon; learn to use tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

All of these things might seem overwhelming.  There is barely enough time or money to run the business right now, but these tips won’t cost you very much to implement and you can take one item at a time each week.  The goal is to survive these hard times by being tough and going the extra mile to improve your sales.  Then when times are better in the industry, you will be ahead of your competition and ready to thrive. 

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Laura Baker is professional business consultant who specializes in new and or existing businesses in the hospitality and food service businesses.  To learn more, visit: http://www.lasaramgmtgroup.com/.
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40 Rules To Live By For Business Success

by Scott Scholz...

As we get bogged down in our day-to-day business lives, we lose sight of the basics which make successful businesses flourish.  Here are some friendly pointers.

Take a few minutes to review these 40 common sense guidelines and then work diligently to integrate these rules into your approach in running your business.

1. As the owner of the business I will only focus on the things that I do uniquely well that drive profit to my company and delegate everything else.
2. I will always say please and thank you.
3. I will always show up to all meetings on time.
4. I will always finish what I start.
5. I will always do what I say I am going to do.
6. Our customers will be provided with a unique experience that they will not find with our competitors.
7. Our appearance and performance will exude professionalism.
8. I will not be afraid to start from scratch.
9. We might not always be perfect, but we will always be good.
10. At times I will forget common sense and use my imagination.
11. I understand that the internet is merely an aid; people still want to talk to people.
12. I will strive to be more personal.
13. I will simplify things.
14. I will be successful if I can create value for my customers.
15. I will be kind, humble and honest.
16. Anything that I share with my employees needs to be shared with complete honesty or not at all.
17. I will be reasonable at all times.
18. I will not compromise out standards.
19. I will handle all situations calmly.
20. I will strive to make our future greater than out past,
21. I will not waste energy by getting angry
22. I will forget about commodity and focus on relationships
23. I will forget about our losses and focus on our opportunities.
24. I will not think about the future, I will focus on today.
25. I will forget who I was and focus on who I can be.
26. I will forget about what is missing in my business and focus on what is available.
27. I will maintain dignity and grace under pressure.
28. I will always be proactive and not reactive.
29. I will not be afraid to break out of my comfort zone.
30. I will never forget that word-of-mouth is the best advertising.
31. I will only plan around what I can predict.
32. I will be on my customer’s agenda instead of always being on mine.
33. I will strive to make my customers fell that they are part of a unique community.
34. I will always remember that I have competition.
35. I will try to simplify the lives of my employees and my customers.
36. I will have plans and deadlines for all of my goals.
37. I will forget about the event and focus on the response.
38. I will not be mean, petty or rude.
39. I will look at what everyone else is doing and see something different.
40. I will never wait, I will act.

We cannot change the world. We cannot change the economy. We can only change ourselves.

"An unfortunate thing about this world is that the good habits are much easier to give up than the bad ones."- William Somerset Maugham 

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Scott Scholz is a Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) and Financial Architect with a step-by-step process that secures confidence, abundance, opportunity and control in your business and life that enables you to freely choose what to do, where and with whom.  To learn more, visit: http://www.scottscholz.com/.
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Is Getting Big and Fat Making Us Sick?

by Jan Hickling...

Is there a connection between the dramatic rise in both obesity and diabetes?

In the U.S. and Canada, diabetes has increased more than 500% during just the last generation. More than seventy percent of adults and more than thirty percent of our children are considered to be either overweight or obese.

In spite of spending more than 30 billion dollars each year on diets and weight loss programs, the rate of obesity has tripled in this country in the past thirty years.

We need to learn a new lifestyle, not a new diet!

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has projected that one-third of our children born after the year 2000 will become diabetic. If you're Black or Hispanic, nearly fifty percent of your children will become diabetic. Diabetes is the leading cause of amputations, kidney failure, neuropathy, adult blindness, and cardiovascular disease.

And if that isn't enough, type 2 diabetes is now a global phenomenon. The International Diabetes Federation has now predicted that the number of individuals with diabetes will increase from 240 million in 2007 to over 380 million in 2025. The greatest increase in type 2 diabetes is going to occur in Asia and primarily among the younger population.

It doesn’t take much imagination to realize what the diabetes epidemic will do to the health of the world and to our financial health.

Are we doomed?

Is there anything we can do to change these horrible projections?

I want to bring focus to the health concept that developing type 2 diabetes is really a choice.  In over 90% of the population, no matter what their family history or genetic makeup, diabetes is preventable.

Even if you already have prediabetes or diabetes, it can potentially be reversed. You need to understand that developing type 2 diabetes mellitus is really a CHOICE.

I made the choice to change my life and you can too. It's simple and easy. The only hard part is making the choice to start.

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Jan Hickling is a Lifestyle Transition Coach specializing in healthy and weight release through personal development and education.   Learn more at www.GetHealthyReleaseWeight.com. 
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Are Your Email Messages Working Against You?

by Mark Craemer...

Choosing to use email to convey information versus face-to-face interaction or a telephone call should be carefully considered.

Email, of course, has many advantages over the others. The trouble is, many email messages are not entirely clear and often are misinterpreted. In fact, according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ((Vol. 89(6) pp. 925-936)), nearly 40 percent of email messages are misunderstood! This should cause all of us to hesitate before hitting the send button.

The study further found that without the benefit of paralinguistic cues such as gesture, emphasis, and intonation, email makes it very difficult to convey emotion and tone. Using ALL CAPS, bold type, or emoticons ;-) are poor substitutes for facial expressions and tone of voice.

Albert Mehrabian, professor of psychology at UCLA, posited the three basic elements of face-to-face communication are words, tone of voice, and body language. Words, according to Mehrabian, account for just 7 percent of the overall content being received, while tone of voice accounts for 38 percent and body language accounts for a whopping 55 percent! If only 7 percent of information is effectively communicated via the words themselves, then a great deal of effort should be considered in choosing which words to use and the order of them in our email communication.

Should we instead abandon email altogether?

Certainly not. There are many great reasons to use email, including one-to-many distribution, the timing and speed at which information can be delivered, the inclusion of hyperlinks and attachments, and the level of detail that can be included. However, too often we assume that our audience can correctly interpret our intention behind our words. Not aligning our intention with our content can lead to greater misunderstanding.

Communication can easily break down even under the best of circumstances in face-to-face interactions. With this in mind, it is essential to put great care in writing emails so they are not misunderstood. To do this, I have several suggestions:

1) Consider your audience. What assumptions are you making regarding culture, gender, age, level of education, etc? When in doubt, provide a greater level of background information than you might otherwise. And spell out acronyms.

2) Double check the title you use in the Subject box to ensure that it accurately encapsulates the body of the message. Sometimes these titles can confuse or even contradict what is written in the message itself.

3) Before sending the email, reread your message with a dispassionate eye and from an objective point of view. Ask yourself if your words could be interpreted any way other than you intend.

4) If you are sending to a large group, first send the message as a draft to only two or three people to learn whether or not your intention and the message are entirely clear to them. Only send it on to the entire group when you have agreement.

No matter what you use email for, it is essential to keep in mind the limitations of this medium. In spite of developments in video conferencing, Skype-enabled calls, and other video-enhanced technologies, the majority of our business communications are currently conducted via written words alone. The ability to clearly communicate with these words is more important now than ever.

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Mark Craemer helps people and their organizations achieve sustainable personal and interpersonal effectiveness to improve bottom-line performance through consulting services that include communication strategies, organization development and leadership coaching.  Learn more at http://www.craemerconsulting.com. 
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