Outsourcing Email Management? Companies are Getting the Message

Email is a company’s lifeblood. Everyone from the corner office on down depends
on it and expects 100 percent availability. They schedule meetings, assign tasks,
answer questions, receive product orders, check progress and exchange friendly
greetings – all with the click of a mouse. Communication among customers, employees
and business partners has never been easier…Until something goes wrong.

An employee inadvertently opens the door to a virus that downs the entire system … A
heavy day of email volume overwhelms the allocated storage, impeding performance
of other mission-critical IT functions … Corporate counsel has asked that you
turn over all emails from July of last year to settle a patent dispute, and you’re
not even sure if you have them. All the while several of your staff members are
spending hours trying to solve these problems, while the more strategic and forward-thinking
projects get put on hold … again.

Managing corporate email systems has become a nightmare for companies and an
expense that seemingly knows few bounds. Email systems grow so fast that what
should be one of the most strategic tools at our disposal can quickly become
an out-of-control beast that refuses to be tamed.

In fact, according to the Radicati Group, the number of mailboxes is expected
to increase by 20 percent or more, and volume per user has grown by 53 percent
over last year. No wonder system management is such a daunting task.

There’s more at stake than convenience. Vulnerabilities are exposed as email
volume grows, new viruses attack and CAN-SPAM-like government regulations become
more convoluted. A downed email system interrupts business, slows productivity
and disrupts potentially critical communication. And companies can be held financially
liable for viruses that are inadvertently spread by an employee, or for questionable
or inappropriate content transmitted from their systems.

Who’s managing the Email Store?

Most larger companies still place the responsibility of managing their email
systems on already overburdened and under-budgeted IT departments, expecting
them to expand systems, prevent virus attacks, filter spam and develop archiving
solutions – all with shrinking budgets and dwindling staffs. Most of the smaller
companies don’t even have that luxury; it’s strictly do-it-yourself.

Some companies have never investigated how much maintaining their email systems internally is costing them – in actual dollars, hardware costs, IT resources, personnel time and lost revenues and/or productivity when the system is not available. The costs are high – it seems there’s no end to the complexity involved in maintaining a corporate email system.

Most are increasingly heterogeneous, with end users across an organization using different versions and various email platforms – making management and maintenance time-consuming and more complicated than necessary. IT experts are forced to spend enormous amounts of time maintaining a non-strategic – albeit crucial – function while critical business objectives are set aside to meet the urgent email needs.

Meanwhile, system managers are constantly fending off attacks from new viruses and worms, and trying to beat back the influx of spam on already overloaded email inboxes. According to a study** conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 25 percent of Internet users have had their computer infected by a virus, most likely from an email message. They are coming fast and furious, and most companies are ill-prepared. Spam and virus filters are not very good, catching a lot of false positives and dumping potentially important email.

Free Up Your Personnel

A full 60 percent of the costs involved in maintaining a corporate email system come down to personnel, so it makes sense for midsize companies to consider outsourcing. Concerns that made companies hesitant in the past – worries about the consistency of an external data center, and fears that service providers wouldn’t be able to support a globally hosted infrastructure – are non-issues today.

A study* by The Radicati Group, released in November, finds that corporations of all sizes are increasingly deploying hosted email solutions as opposed to in-house solutions. The analysts estimate that hosted email currently accounts for about 67 percent of all email accounts worldwide. This trend is attributed to complex in-house messaging solutions, spam and virus problems, storage pressures, compliance requirements and other driving factors.

Outsourcing management of a corporate email system is where another company hosts your system and is responsible for complete reliability and security – can be a wise decision for companies of any size that want to streamline their email operations and relieve their internal IT staffs of the burden. With the right email management services partner, outsourcing will save time, money and lost productivity by:

· Freeing up your company’s IT experts to focus on more strategic initiatives, furthering the company’s core business objectives

· Standardizing the email platform across an organization, bringing everything in sync and making the entire system more streamlined and efficient

Ensuring that your company will stay on top of virus and worm protection upgrades and complicated government compliance issues

Oprah's Message to YouTube!

Two Fun Flirty Text Message Games

I'm going to share two techniques that I personally LOVE using when following up with a girl after having exchanged numbers. These are both field tested many times and are a great way to gain a lot interest through something dull, like a text message.

Are your texts doing more harm than good? Try these!

1. The Poem Technique

Message: "Creatively complete this poem, roses are red violets are blue.."

Girls absolutely LOVE this one because it's that dumb, goofy, soap-opera, type message that girls love to respond to. Plus, and a HUGE plus at at that, you are SCREENING her with it. "Creatively" implies that you are judging her on her creativity. SO she is going to (and almost always does) make it funny. I've gotten responses like "this is the most random thing I've ever been asked to do...lol hi!" and "I don't think anyone is as cute as you!" Some will definitely make you laugh. Then just transition into normal chat from there. Keep your texts short and to the point, and set up the meeting.

2. The Arnold Schwarzenegger Quiz Show

This technique is awesome, it really makes you realize how much FUN you can have with text message gaming.

Get around 5 or 6 girls who you haven't had a second meeting with yet, but have gotten their numbers. And then let the games begin!

Message: "I'm about to offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Her: "OMG WHAT!?"(or something maybe a little less enthusiastic, but you get the idea)

Message: "You get to party with me tonight, but only if you can answer one really important question"

Now shes very intrigued what that "important question" is, and can only help but agree to the frame where she is hoping to win the chance to party with you, which is just awesome!

Her: "What is it??"

Message: "Name 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger movies"

Her: (If she's SMART) "haha..um predator, terminator 1, 2, 3, running man, twins"

Message: "Nice you win..bonus points for running man hah", (then give an invite for something fun that night)

Her: (If she's NOT SMART) "What haha no way"

Message: "Sorry that's incorrect, thank you for playing"

And then you DON'T hang out with them, at least not tonight.

That's the best part about having 6 or more numbers to do this with. The ones who pass the test are now qualified to you and you know they are the FUN ones. Who wants to hang out with a girl who's too cool to answer a funny text message question like that one anyway?

And now that you've blown her off, even though she knows you're going out, she's going to be looking to get validated by hanging out with you the next time.

Now you're gaining interest with the text message instead of being just the same as other dudes. Have fun with these ones, I know I do.

Francoise Hardy - Message Personnel

Yahoo Email Message Headers - How Do You Find Them?

Few people in the world enjoy receiving unwanted email. Whether it's annoying spam of any variety or something more sinister, sometimes it's only natural to want to know where those unknown emails are coming from. However, if you want to learn more about a strange email address, you might not know where to begin. One place to start is by looking into the email headers of the message in question. Email headers are computer code attached to emails that tell computers where the message is coming from and where it's going. Here's how to implement Yahoo mail to find and use email headers to research unknown emails.

Finding email headers with Yahoo mail is easy. If you're using the New Yahoo Mail, simply view the message you want to open, and look for the words "Compact Header." By clicking on the down facing arrow just to the right of these words, a menu will pop up allowing you to choose "Full Headers." The email headers you are looking will pop up in a new window. If you're using the Yahoo Mail Classic, you can still find email headers, but it requires a few more steps. Choose the "Options" link for the menu bar, and then choose "General Preferences." Find the paragraph entitled "Messages," then locate the "Show Headers" heading and choose "All." Now, go back to your inbox and view the message you're interested in learning about. The full email headers should now be visible.

Finding the email headers is only the first step. Now you have to find out what they mean. Email headers can be tough to decipher because they are meant to be read by computers, not people. If you're trying to figure out email headers, the first thing you should look for is the phrase "Received: from." This phrase occurs every time the message is sent from one computer to another. The first time the phrase was written is actually the last one visible in the headers. Find the "Received: from" closest to the bottom of the headers, and look closely at that line. Next to "Received: from" there's usually a multi-digit number separated with periods. This is the IP address of the computer that originated the message. IP addresses are Internet identification codes that help computers find each other. You can use this IP address to learn more about the computer that sent the message, and possibly the person behind it.

A message from Wong Fu Productions

Coldplay---"A Message"

What Conclusion Do You Want Me to Draw From Your Marketing Message?

It amazes me on the number of sales letters, websites, ads, commercials and sales letters that make claims but draw no conclusions or give any type of low risk offers.

99.9% of all marketing messages give some facts, general information and a few benefits then leave it up to the reader to draw their own conclusion. Hopefully that conclusion is the same one the CEO was paying thousands of dollars to get you to understand. In previous newsletters we've talked about building a case for your product or service using the MYM marketing equation. What is it? Interrupt and Engage, Educate and Offer (go to our website for more information by clicking the link below)

We've talked about how your product or service is the defendant, you are the attorney, and your prospects and customers are the jury. Can you imagine an attorney that just got up in front of the jury and started spewing out facts and figures and testimony but never got around to telling you what he was trying to prove? Some jurors might figure it out but most probably wouldn't.

Let me give you a marketing example (I am using a sales letter for a simple analogy) that didn't draw a conclusion.

What I have in my hand is a sales letter from a mortgage company. Most likely, you've received the same type of letter - you know the ones I am talking about. The letters that make it difficult to tell what the real benefits are of doing business with them. That said, the sales letter is from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage dated December 13, 2004. First of all, it's a letter. Big mistake. This should have been a postcard. I opened the letter because I am who I am and have consulted with many mortgage companies in the past (I am also the type of guy who drives around and tapes radio commercials and transcribes them for analysis).

First, the letter arrived in a #10 envelope with a Wells Fargo Home Mortgage's logo plastered on the upper left hand side of the envelope (another big mistake - they should have used a postcard so I could have read the message within 1.5 seconds). Trust me, I have done enough research to know potential buyers on the "Educational Buying Spectrum" don't care who it's from - they care about your marketing message - then they care about who sent it to them. Secondly, when I opened the letter there was not a headline that made me what to read the letter. The letter was also filled with platitudes in bulleted format:

• Consolidate high interest rate debt
• Have one easier to make monthly payments
• Perhaps secure a more favorable mortgage interest rate (I just loved that one)
• Realize potential tax benefits (I would hope so)
• Start getting back on track to better credit (the least of my worries)

The letter went on and on about custom tailoring a plan for me. What's interesting was the close! It read, "Call me for a no cost no obligation consultation". Wow, how weak was that close. If you want a suggestion on how to close a letter, send me off a quick note and I will send to you an answer.

So let me ask you this...what conclusion do you think they wanted me to draw? After studying the sales letter for a few minutes, I guess they were trying to say that if I wanted to talk with them about my mortgage needs I should call them - too high of a risk for "Potential Buyers" and "Now Buyers" who are on the "Educational Buying Spectrum" (they never did quite identify exactly what their low-risk offer was or even give me a teaser rate to catch my eye).

Seems like just saying a headline in plain English might have been a more effective route for them with some type of low-risk offer - but what? I have that answer too. But instead, they let some marketing person (and a member of their compliance team) put together a letter that said nothing. What a waste of money.

SMS Message Tones - Whats the Deal?

It must be a symptom of the modern world, but as time goes by, our ears are being assailed by a multitude of new sounds every day. All sorts of beeps and buzzes and tones, not to mention the music sounds blaring out everywhere. Not that l am complaining. I just mention this because a new sound is about to be heard everywhere, and thats sms message tones. These are message tones that sound like dogs barking, horns hooting, people screaming etc and will soon be all the rage, as people text each other more and more, using these new sounding tones You have been warned.

Unlike Ringtones, which are for when your phone rings, SMs Message Tones are text message alerts.
You can record sounds with some phones, and use them as sms message tones, or other alerts. Its also possible for some phones to generate different sms message tones. This has been the way anybody wanting a special message tone, could only do it, as few suppliers existed. However that has now changed, and there are many companies that offer a good collection of sounds which you can download to your phone to use in place of the default sms message tones. You can also use these sounds to replace your alarm and reminder tones, too.

You should be aware though, that for certain cell/mobile phones (e.g. Samsung, Sony, Ericsson, Motorola and LG), its not possible to set sound effects as message alerts. Make sure, before downloading any sound effects, to check your phone to see if it allows jingles/ringtones as sms message tones or alerts, before ordering.

No doubt the Telco's will rake in a fortune, as people will download these new tones more and more. But hey, they don't cost much, and they usually bring a smile to your face, which is worth something.
Personally, i'm a text maniac, so anything that enhances the experience, such as different sms message tones, is okay by me. What would be fun, would be to be able to send a funny sounding sms message tone with your text message. Think of all the possible funny scenarios! Well, maybe thats just round the corner too!

Instant Message Programs

Increase Sales by Energizing Your Message

"You can't bore someone into doing business with you" were the words uttered by David Ogilvy, advertising giant and direct marketing advocate. So the question is: How is your message creating energy?

Just take a few minutes to listen to those now, mandated 30 second spiels. How many truly energize you to take action? In other words, how many times have you left your chair after the event and hurriedly walked over to the person delivering that exciting and energizing message? More importantly, how many people rushed over to speak with you after your elevator speech?

From my experience as a sales coach, most messages are dull, lifeless and frankly rather boring. Even experienced sales professionals who have an energizing message, must change it because people can become very conditioned to what you say week after week or encounter after encounter.

Then look at your marketing copy in your brochures or on your website. Does it energize and inspire your readers to take action? Sales Coaching Tip: Energize is a code word for conversion. And it is precisely those conversions that you are seeking.

So if you are not converting listeners to qualified prospects and Internet site visitors to list subscribers or better yet paying customers, then maybe it is time to rethink you message? While rethinking this process, make sure that you check out your own physical image. Sales Coaching Tip: Your physical image is as important as your verbal message.

Are you calmly excited about sharing what you do? Do people hear the energy, passion and commitment in your voice? Is your body language also demonstrating high energy from facial expressions to hand movements? Finally, are you dressed appropriately? Does your attire exude confidence and sales professionalism?

Sales Coaching Tip: Remember, people want to buy from people they know and trust. By demonstrating a cohesive and energizing message through your words and physical presence, you will be able to increase sales and literally become that Red Jacket in the sea of Gray Suits.

Texting Abbreviations and a Text Message Primer

It seems today that everywhere you look people are text messaging. Perhaps you just bought as cellular telephone and all you intend to do is talk on it. You are minding your own business when across the screen of your phone is displayed what looks like some foreign language. You look at the screen and look again. Shaking your head, you dismiss the strange combination of letters and numbers as a malfunction with your phone. You put it back in your pocket, but not only does it beep but it also starts to vibrate in your pocket. This is an all to common scenario faced by many people when dealing with new technology and the application of new ways of interaction with something familiar. In this care the combination of telephone (primarily a communication tool used listen and talk) and text. Something you read and respond to by typing. These are two very different means of communicating and either is possible on the modern day cell phone and even, in many cases a landline.

First, a distinction must be made between the two types of converging technologies, that is the landline (common corded telephone or cordless phone with service most often provided by a local phone company) and a cellular telephone which uses radio waves from transmission towers and is more like a radio receiver than a conventional telephone. There are two main types of cellular signal in North America CDMA and GSM/TDMA. This main difference between the two is the way in which each handles the frequency bandwidth. However, a more thorough explanation of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) will be saved for another article.

Typically, however, people text with cell phones, and assuming you learn how and some of the short form abbreviations that people use when they are "texting", this can be a quick and efficient way to communicate a short, simple message to someone else. Texting is also often called SMS Messaging. SMS stands for Short Message Service. It is text transmitted digitally to other cellular phones. It is called "short" because you are usually limited to 160 characters per message. This has lead to a widespread use of short forms. These acronyms common in computer circles have gone mainstream thanks to the now common and frequent use of text messaging.

One the most basic of cellular phones, three letters of the 26 in the alphabet are associated with each key and depending upon the number of times a key is pressed, a different letter is displayed. However some more advanced cellular phones make use of a full sized QWERTY keyboard with one key for each letter of the alphabet as well as special letters and symbols.

Now that you have a basic background of text messaging and what it is, lets take a look at some common "initialisms" and define them. A further distinction must be made here between acronym and initialism. The difference between acronyms and shorthand is that with acronyms, you pronounce the letters as a new word. "). In, shorthand, pronunciations are like an initialism (a set of initials) in which you say the letters one-by-one. Below are twelve test message initialisms and their corresponding meanings:

^5 High Five
CM Call me
GGOH Got to get out of here
2U2 to you to
CYT See you tomorrow HAGO Have a good one
A3 Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime
DRIB Don't read if busy
LOL Laugh out loud
BWL Bursting with laughter
EG Evil grin
TTYL Talk to you later

This short hand is not pronounced together but taken individually. Not only is it letters, but it can be a series of numbers too. Here are a couple of examples:

411 is information
404 means "I have not got a clue"
459 means "I love you"

Not surprisingly the younger generation are more accepting of these conventions, but with texting becoming more and more the norm, those who want to stay informed and want to keep up with the technological convergences between utility and unnecessary convenience make it a point to learn.

An important point must be made here about safety and texting. Because of the distractive nature of cell phones and texting, many states and provinces have made it illegal to talk and text while driving. Even "hands free" implementation of these technologies, although safer, still distract your attention from the road. This has lead to serious accidents and traffic hazards.

While this only covers the basics of text messaging, its beginnings and implications, please find at the end of this articles some clickable resource links where you can learn more and download a reference to common text message shorthand. It does not have to be a confusing garble of letters and numbers. Once learned, text messaging is a quick, efficient and usually unobtrusive way to communicate.

Having said all of the above, there is no substitute for face-to-face open communication with people. Go over to see someone in person and interact verbally and with expressions. It will make a difference in their day that you actually took the time to come over and visit. This will not only make the other person feel better, but you too.

How to Write a Fax Message With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Fax Wizard

OpenOffice (OO) and its Mac-version NeoOffice (NO) are two amazingly powerful and complete office suites and I dare say they are at least as good as the MS Office suite. Also: they are both free! Search for "OpenOffice" and "NeoOffice" on the Google to download them from their respective sites.

Here is how to prepare a fax message by using OO or NO Fax Wizard.

Select the Text Document option from the OO/NO menu to display the word processor.

Select File > Wizards > Fax from the menu to display the Fax Wizard. (Note the Letter, Agenda, Presentation, and Web Page wizards as well!)

Select from one of the following Fax Type options: Business Fax, or Personal Fax.

The Business Fax comes with four Page Design options: Business Fax, Business Fax Personal, Modern Fax, Modern Fax Personal.

The Personal Fax comes with four plain-Jane Page Design options: Bottle, Fax, Lines, Marine.

Once you select your Fax Type and Page Design Style, you click Next to display the...

Items to Include screen allows you to include (or exclude) the following letter elements: Type of Message (the main body of your fax), Salutation, and a Complimentary close.

Click Next and you get the...

The Name and Location screen allows you to attach a name to your template and save it in any file you like on your computer so that you can easily load it up and use it for other letters in the future.

And lastly, after you finish making the right choices for your template, the Fax Wizard asks you how to proceed.

You can then go ahead and create a fax message from the template you've just created or make manual changes to the template. You can for example replace all the icons and images in the template with your own custom-designed logos and images, etc.

A message from Yoko Ono

Split Enz - Message To My Girl (1984)

Paul Washer - Shocking Message (full length)

Ron Paul's Message to OBAMA!

Police 2007 - Message In A Bottle

Video Message from Konrad Ng

Barack's Message for First Americans

Rock History: The Police "Message in a Bottle" 1st time live

CM Punk - WWE Champion Sends Positive Message to Kids About Drugs

On Monday June 30th, 2008 WWE finally stepped up as the standard bearer of the industry that they are supposed to be. WWE has constantly had numerous problems with children emulating their product and causing harm to themselves or others, and to offset this they need to realize that they need to constantly be sure to send a positive message now that they are a public company.

CM Punk is a natural at professional wrestling. He's been doing it for many years, though he's only been featured on WWE wrestling for a short period of time. He knows how to wrestle a great spectacle of a match, and more than that he knows how to work a crowd. More than that, he lives what some might consider a bit unusual lifestyle, though one that is growing in popularity.

CM Punk lives a "straight edge" lifestyle. That is a lifestyle that is part of the punk movement in the United States and other countries around the world, where adherents agree to not do drugs or drink alcohol, but still otherwise act in a relative punk manner, being rebellious and questioning authority for example.

Because of who CM Punk is, he is exactly what the WWE needs. The WWE's fanbase has grown to a large number of younger children, and CM Punk may be able to reach out to many of them to keep them drug free. While often times kids will dismiss positive drug free messages because they don't relate to the characters conveying them, CM Punk is young and comes across as cutting edge and almost 'hip'. Kids definitely connect with him, as is evidenced by his high merchandise sales.

And now the WWE has given him the World Title of their main show, WWE RAW which airs every Monday night at 9 PM EST on the USA Network. CM Punk has some tough shoes to fill, but people were simply too sick of John Cena as the champion and something had to change. Now, under a new banner, CM Punk will help us herald in a new drug free generation from behind the most unexpected pulpit - that of a professional wrestler.

Does Guilt Have a Message For You?

Do you live in a perpetual state of guilt? Are you someone who, no matter how many right things you do today, there will always be that one other item that got away from you - and so you feel guilty that you didn't accomplish all you set out to?

Sometimes we'll spend a full seven or eight hours chipping away at the work on our to-do list. But then, instead of reveling in a well deserved break, in our minds we're already barreling ahead to the next item on the agenda. Where we should be congratulating ourselves and taking a rest, we engage in a merciless self-blaming session.

"Sure, I made some great headway at the office... but now I'm exhausted and have nothing left for the kids."

"I could really use a nap after the day I've had. But I told (insert name of your partner) we'd stay up and watch a movie together..." (and then while you're trying to keep your eyes open during the movie, your mind flashes to that credit card payment that you forgot to pay... and another round of self-admonishments).

Let's say you agreed to host a Boy Scouts gathering at your home, or maybe you've offered to bring cupcakes to the bake sale at school tomorrow. Do you ever find yourself just wishing it over and done with... hurrying through the motions, feeling resentful of the time lost... and then alternating that with a full-blown episode of guilt and self-blame?

Maybe you wonder, why can't I just slow down and be mindful of this experience and the pleasure it brings? Spending a half an hour cooking something delicious should be an enjoyable variation on your day... not a nuisance or a burden. Giving of your time to make a difference in your child's life should leave you with a happy and peaceful feeling. We know this, and it makes us feel badly when we feel less than enthused for the obligation at hand.

Do you feel guilty that you're often grouchy and irritable, when you should be delighting in the small but meaningful activities that add spice and variety to your routine?

In these types of situations, guilt may have a message for you. You may think that the message is "Do more, be more." But the real message behind the guilty feelings is "Slow down. You're trying to accomplish much more than is humanly possible."

Lots of people can't understand why they live to the best of their ability and yet it's still not enough. Their conscience tugs on them to sustain the effort and push into overdrive.

Are you plagued with 'shoulds' in your mind? "Work a full, 8 or even 10 hour day. Eat right. Don't forget to exercise so you can stay healthy and fit. Have dinner with your family. Get involved and be present for the milestones in your child's life. Be a good neighbor."

Today's unrealistic standards demand that we keep on going when there's no strength left in us and no hours remaining in our day. And with that kind of pressure comes the inevitable pangs of guilt - gnawing away at you for all the loose ends left dangling in your whirlwind lifestyle.

Even if you were to accomplish whatever, in your estimation, is a reasonable daily load... you'd still end up disappointed with yourself. The reason is that the expectation bar has been set way too high. In this day and age, it's about quantity, when it needs to be about quality.

That's why if you were to fold and iron the laundry, write up the report that's due tomorrow at work, take Barkley out for his morning run, prepare a 4-course meal, drive the kids all over town for their various appointments, pay your phone bill and call your mother today... the guilt would still be nagging at you.

And the feeling is there because although your day is brimming with activity... you can't possibly be giving each item the time, attention and care it needs to be really enjoyable and fulfilling while giving it your very best.

The Specials - Message To You Rudy

A Message To You Rudy

Ron Paul's Message to Supporters

The Message You Have is the Message You Leave

Often we overview and discuss some of the most common ways to best represent yourself to the outside world, a sense of personal branding. It is important since the web allows a seamless and inexpensive way for other people, especially employers, to peer into your lives and determine whether you can work for them or not. With that sort of easy information comes a sense of responsibility on behalf of the candidates. Self evaluation to see how they appear from the outside looking in.

A great point was raised when I was reading an article about unprofessionalism. Something stood out as a point I have never mentioned but find myself commenting on in our office quite often. The message that is left on your voicemail or answering system. This message tells a great deal about who you are. Why let it be something that you would not want an employer to hear. I call often to the arising voice of a comedian or rap artist, some with language I would turn off if presented on my TV much less a voicemail. Be careful as you never know who might be calling.

Even if the decision is made not to have a celebrity on your message, the language that is left on your voicemail is just as important. Slang and unprofessional language is not acceptable. This sort of message will offer nothing but a negative first impression for a potential employer. In addition, given escalating economic circumstances, the possibility of offering wrong first impression is something one cannot afford to make.

Understanding the Green Supply Chain Message

In case you haven't caught up to the latest of the environmental catch-phrases, "Green Supply Chain" is a relatively important concept that everyone will eventually discover. We live in the early side of the environmental project, and it is common to find businesses ramping up to offer "Green Products" and "Green Services." Green is, after all, a marketing concept as well as a environmental issue. So, we find a bevy of businesses selling Green believing that they are environmentally conscious as well as reaching out to a growing market of buyers.

What is under developed in these newly-christianed, Green businesses is the follow through that asks whether they are committed to buying and hiring Green in their business dealings. This often creates an unseen and embarrassing realization that their Green commitment is superficial. The Green Supply Chain concept is really part of the greater sustainable issue. Sustainability seeks to create a deeper and more complete cycle of Green actions. The Supply and Demand principles require that every seller needs buyers, and every buyer needs sellers. Consumerism is the yang of the vendor's ying.

Green Supply Chain, therefore, asks for the commitment to include more than representing your business or product as Green, but that your business also prioritizes Green purchasing when possible. It won't happen in a single decision, but it will happen in a progressive series of Green decisions. The Green Business League is a national association of Green businesses who have the fundamental commitment to "Buy Green, Hire Green." This mentality will drive the businesses who wish to sell Green because the buying piece is being promoted.

The Green Business League also certifies Green Businesses through a point-earning system that requires more than paying for a membership in a name-sake-only listing. To Green the Green Business certification, a business must earn points through Green improvements to their business and by purchasing from other Green Businesses. This is certainly a step in the right direction. This program also allows a kind of Green networking to occur where it is easier to find a certified Green Business by providing a league of Green businesses that are ready to sell and buy with other Green businesses.

Beware of the Green hype, also known as Greenwashing, as many businesses try to add a Green branding of their own creation to their marketing efforts. The word "Green" is an unregulated word that can be appropriated by any eager marketing-minded person. The validity of their claims and hype may not be honest, and many consumers will one day have a bad taste in their mouth having been fooled by this practice. The Green Business League acts as an independent third party to encourage fair play and fair business among Green businesses. Ask the businesses that you do business with if they are Green Business Certified, and if not, ask them to start the certification process because your company intends to follow the sustainable practices of the "Green Supply Chain" program.

TeleSeminar Secret Tip - All You Really Need is a Mouth, a Message and a Mouse to Do TeleSeminars

Teleseminars are the best way to extend your reach and get your marketing message to the masses. You can do so without having technical knowledge,without buying any new equipment, without traveling, and you do now even need to have a good hair day.

All you need to get started are these three things: a message, a mouth, and a mouse. Let's take a closer look at these three requirements to get started with teleseminars:

A message: Here is the question you must answer for yourself and your potential audience: Do you have a message inside of you that can help other people? Then my belief is that not only do you have a right to get it out there to the world, you have an obligation to get your message out there to the world. This is one of the beauties of teleseminars, the chance to reach more people, extend your reach and get your unique message out to the world.

And to those of you who are thinking right now that "there are just so many people already in my niche" I'll say this - no one else will be able to say it like you can.

A mouth: Can you speak out loud? Do you speak to your current clients? Do you speak to your family members and friends? Then you can do this. You do not need to be a great speaker and memorize what you are going to say. No one is looking at you and you can use your notes.

Some people tell me that what holds them back is they do not like the sound of their own voice. So? Get started anyway. You can improve as you go along. Having a unique sounding voice can be an advantage, not a disadvantage.

A mouse: You do not need web programming or other technical skills to do telesemiars. If you have the computer skills to send and receive emails, you can get started with teleseminars.

Message From Your Heart- Original *Available on iTunes*

Text Message Breakup

Down Times? Use Them to Clarify Your Company's Brand Message!

So perhaps these aren't the best economic times. Business is off and you're feeling a bit frantic. You wonder if you should slash prices across the board, make new offers, lay off staff, or just hibernate until next spring. First of all, realize you are not alone. A great number of business owners nationwide are facing these same questions and challenges. But what to do?

My advice would be to get clear.

"Get clear?" you ask incredulously. "That's it?"

Yes. Get really, really clear.

It's at these times of duress that we tend to get reactive. It's like the old saying about the politician, who having lost his objective, redoubles his efforts. If we are not clear, and if we've lost our sense of direction, how does going faster help? What typically happens is that we take on the wrong type of work, from the wrong type of clients, all at a deep discount, stay busy for the sake of busy work, make little to no profit and go nowhere. Not much of a plan eh?

What if you took slower times in business as an opportunity to get focused? Here's another way to look at it. If you were a lumber jack and your axe blade had become dull, you could either decide to keep swinging harder, or you could take time out to sharpen your axe. For many business owners this seems threatening. They feel they don't have time to sharpen their axe, they have to pay the bills, make calls, stay busy. But in the end they swing with a dull axe and get nowhere, working harder and harder with less and less to show for it. And they also get exhausted. Sound familiar?

On the other hand, what if you took time to hone your message. Perhaps you have a confusing business name that communicates one thing, a tag line that doesn't match, an outdated web site, three versions of your logo, a blog that sits idle and a newsletter that's still on the "to do" list. You've been so busy the past few years reacting to business, you haven't had the time or the need to keep your brand message clear, concise and compelling. In fact, it's gotten down right fuzzy. Now is the perfect time to go through a brand audit... a review of just where you are now in the market, and where you want to be. Does your current image, message, and product offerings all line up? Are they speaking with one voice? Or are you pushing quality products here, low prices there, touting your service extraordinaire, and introducing a baffling array of new ideas and goods in hopes that something, anything, will "stick."

Here's one simple test. Can you communicate your basic brand message in a matter of three to four words?

What if you took one day out of your schedule to simply relax and observe. Don't try to figure things out, or reason, or solve, or react, - just observe what's going on. Don't think... feel. A walk in nature is a great place for this type of exercise. Smell the earth, watch the leaves, hear the sound of water. Then ask yourself, "Why am I in business?" What is your real motivation? Does it reflect your vision, passion and direction? If you walked into this business today, and it wasn't yours, how would you feel about it? Does it convey a sense of purpose, mission and direction? What seems to fit and what doesn't belong? Now might be the time to streamline and unify your business, your passion and your message into one cohesive brand. A brand that stands for something singular. And if that were so, what would that one thing be? Can you get it down to three words? One word?

You can take time to get clear. Or blindly redouble your efforts.

You can take time to sharpen your axe. Or just keep swinging a dull one harder.

When it comes to moving forward, clarity can be a real confidence booster. Your decisions will be then based on insight, and will energize you. You'll recognize what builds your message and avoid what scatters it. You'll act with focus and purpose. And in times like these, that's not just smart... it's brilliant.

A Message To All Haters!

Funny Message Alerts in an Online Social Utility

You are probably a member of an online social utility networking sites and must have gotten a funny message alerts. It is not a surprise because it is so rampant nowadays to see these things getting into your inbox whenever you open your social network sites. Your online social utility sites are used to connect and communicate with classmates, friends, coworkers and people around you. There is no better place to send in your funny massage alerts. You can use sms text messages or instant messaging on your social network sites.

In the old days you have to basically send it through the traditional slow as snail mail via the post office and hand deliver to your house. And with the ever changing advancement in internet technology, you can easily send those emails and instant message alerts in their inbox. With the advent of the online social utility sites, you can have it easily send to your network of friends and classmates. It is so amazing how you can do these things in an instant.

These online social networking sites are perfect places where you can keep in touch with your classmates and people around you. And instant sms messages that are being send to your inbox are really cool especially with the twenty first generations. Funny message alerts can always get you guessing and thinking what is it. The suspense can really make your day. Surprises are very good for humor and fun especially if you are feeling a little bit lethargic.

These fun and humorous alerts are not only from sms or text messaging but some are in the form of videos and pictures uploaded for you to see. Can you imagine seeing something like a horrible joke in the opening title, then only to find a tender and smiling kitten? That can really raise your blood pressure or your adrenalin. And jokes are good for a healthy living. Having fun and jokes with your online classmates, friends, coworkers, and the people around you can really make your day.

Can you imagine if you are chatting online and suddenly you have a message alerts and when you open it are a deafening ringtones? Whew, that will really get you either mad or laughing to your ears. Ringtones, test messages, sms funny ecards, rude pictures or videos can be one of your funny message alerts. Regardless of what type or form they come into you inbox, they will definitely give you a better feeling. The only time you will be unhappy is when there is something personal and bad news from family and relatives.

The most frequently use platform or type of website to get these funny message alerts are through online social utility networking sites. Because these are the sites where you can easily upload pictures and videos and send alerts to your network of friends, people, classmates and coworkers. Even online chats and forums on social networks are sometimes a good venue to send your jokes and humorous stuffs.

Making Money Online - In-Text Keyword Advertising Makes That Message Pop!

It's been said many times that content is king. This is particularly true on the Internet, where millions of people scramble to and fro for information each day. The most useful, convenient, non-intrusive information delivery systems on the Web are the ones that get the traffic. If your Web site doesn't make the grade, people will look elsewhere.

The same idea holds true in online marketing and advertising. The Pay Per Click ads you write and the affiliate marketing arrangements you make are only as effective as the content delivered. Once effective ad content exists, the delivery method must be as seamless and relevant to the user's interests as possible. An exciting way to meet both of these ends is via in-text keyword advertising.

What is in-text keyword advertising? This form of contextual advertising places specific words within the text of a Web page. The word is usually distinguished by a double underline. When a user trains their cursor over the in-text advertising, an in-page window appears with the associated advertisement text. In-text ads for your services appear on sites with related content.

In-text advertising used to be confined to niche sites, such as video game and science portals. Now it is increasingly prevalent, found even in such places as mainstream journalistic Web sites. Some champions of journalistic integrity have criticized this practice on newspaper Web sites, but a growing number of publishers see in-text advertising as a natural extension of advertising techniques used over the years to reach and serve consumers. Considering the current state of newspaper companies, it could be argued that clinging to an outdated notion of integrity and overinflated sense of value to society makes no business sense. When revenue models are considered, online advertising is a must. However, as one reader states regarding the 12/3/07 Businessweek story on in-text ads ("Pitching Between the Lines"), "many companies need advertising, but we don't need bad ads." This basic line of reasoning - that better ads serve the public better - should be the credo for any advertising you write or any advertising you host.

Let's assume you're ready for the kind of revenue stream in-text advertising can bring through your Web site as a publisher, or through your own ads on relevant sites. Networks like Kontera offer advanced In-Text Advertising solutions. They guarantee the highest degree of relevancy between content, keywords and ads. This equals higher click-through rates and a nice return on your investment (as an advertiser) or conversion rate (as an advertiser or a publisher). Vibrant Media offers IntelliTXT technology, which reads a page and in real-time double-underlines words directly within the content and places sponsored links inside a relevant page's text. Should the user click on an in-text ad, the site owner will make a commission. Miva MC is another great source for in-text ads that pop. Any InLine ad through Miva MC is 100% user initiated, meaning that a visitor must mouse over the underlined keyword in order to see the advertisement. Ultimately, this leads to a winning equation of added revenue for you without having ads take up too much page real estate. One possible undesirable result in that situation might be that advertising clutter eventually cuts down on page impressions. When it comes to online moneymaking, that is a no-no. Simple in-text links like those available through a program such as My-PayDayLoan are clean and can be highly effective.

Great content keeps readers coming back for more. Great ads that blend with great content can boost your online revenue stream. With in-text keyword advertising, get your message before an interested audience or deliver a highly targeted ad on your own Web site that can net you significant commission per referral. Combine this technique with Pay Per Click advertising and other types of Affiliate Marketing and you are well on your way to mastery of making money online!

If you're looking for a great way to bring your online advertising message before your targeted audience, or you want to enjoy a fruitful affiliate marketing experience, in-text keyword advertising can be highly effective. Learn about how easy it is to get started!

Hello! My name is Steven Tarlow, and I work in Content Development for Personal Money Store.

Personal Money Store is a lead generation company that is positioned to help you find payday loans. Tools like advertiser programs, publisher/affiliate programs, Web site design, graphic design and custom marketing programs are just some of what you can use to grow your business and maintain.

The Message of a Master

Well I'm definitely crazy about this book. Well most of you will be wondering what is inside this peculiar book with a title that have been kept silence in the world of metaphysics and self development. To say it simple read it and you will know why I'm passionate about spreading this book to reach as many people as I can in this world through my blog.

I may be a guy with a lot of desires and wishes. Most guys at my particular age will be crazy about getting a PlayStation 3 or drive a cool new BMW Z4. After reading this book my whole perception about life has changed. This book taught me the power human 'mind'. This book taught me the power of chief definite aim and this book also taught me how to turn obstacles into miracles.

Now no matter what problems I face in my life....I will tap my back and I well tell to myself that there is an opportunity for me to utilise in that particular problem...Let me make it clear for you. Steve Jobs will not be able to create successful animation company called Pixar if Apple did not fire him. Can you see it? I hope you can now....

I am just asking you to do two things. Read this book and change your life. Feel free to pass this book to the loved ones and please post some comments on how The Message of a Master has changed your life.

The Message

Cell Phone Etiquette - Returning a Call With a Text Message

Even though cell phones are somewhat new to society, they've already been heavily embraced, and as a result, you've probably seen some bad cell phone etiquette. The following issue has a lot to do with etiquette, and it also has to do with sending a certain message.

The issue I'm referring to is returning a call with a text message. It happens all the time. You call someone up, only to go to their voicemail. You leave a message, something like, "hey, it's me, give me a call when you get the chance." And then you play the waiting game. Eventually the person does get back to you, but instead of a call, they send you a text message. This message will usually say something like, "sorry I missed your call," followed by a generic excuse like, "I was at the gym" or "I was in a meeting." Then, if you left a question in your voicemail, perhaps the person will include the answer in their text. If your voicemail did not include a question or a reason for the call, the text message will usually be short.

Is this a problem? Not always. Let's say you didn't need to talk, you just needed a specific piece of information from the person. Maybe you wanted to know what time a party was starting, or if a movie was worth the $10 admission price. This question could easily be responded to via text message, and then the important answer would be given without either party wasting their valuable free time.

But sometimes, we call people not for specific information, but to talk. Someone we want to find out how a vacation was, or see how a new job is going, or just tell someone that you've been thinking about them. This kind of communication can be just as important as the straight-up answer-seeking call, if not more so. You are reaching out to the person, letting them know that you care about their life and their well-being.

By responding to this kind of call with a text message, you are essentially saying, "I can't be bothered talking to you on the phone." Of course talking to someone on the phone takes up time. Sometimes it takes a lot of time. And a lot of human beings, especially when they reach adulthood, are extremely busy. Between work, errands, family and friends, children, and so many other things, we often don't have time just "to chat." But what we don't always realize is that talking to someone has value, both the in connection you make with that person and the value you give to them by showing them how important they are.

When you send a text message to respond to a voicemail, you are giving the message that the person isn't worth your time. Now, some people suck and probably aren't worth your time, but if the person calling is someone you care about, try to think of the message you send when you respond with a dismissive text. If you ignore or dismiss someone's calls often enough, your friendship will surely fade. Returning a call with a text message destroys relationships, and lives.

How to Find an Email Message Headers in MSN

Today, there are many reasons why someone might want to learn more about an unknown email. One of the most common reasons is to trace and stop annoying spammers. Other users might want to check on an errant teenager or spouse. Still others just might be curious about how email gets from one computer to another. No matter the reason, if you want to learn more about strange emails, one of the best places is by checking into the email headers.

Email headers are the digital envelopes that tell computers where messages came from and where they are headed. Normally, most mail services hide full email headers. If you use MSN, finding the full headers is easy. Simply click anywhere on the message, and then press alt and enter at the same time. The email headers should pop up in a separate window. Now that you've found the headers, all you have to do is read them

Reading email headers isn't always easy. Headers contain information easily read by computers, but not by humans. This means that if you don't know what you're looking for, email headers can look like a totally foreign language. Don' be concerned though, the information you need is relatively easy to find. Scan the document for the phrase "Received: from." This phrase occurs every time the email is passed from one computer to another. The "Received: from" at the end of the headers is usually the one created by the computer that originated the message. The long number just to the right is called an IP address. IP addresses are like Internet fingerprints; they help computers find and recognize each other on the Internet. This means you can use IP addresses to trace computers, and find out more about where your mystery message came from.

Madonna - Message to YouTube

Using Podcasts To Broadcast Your Message

What exactly do you use the Internet for? It is as a means of retrieving information? Do you have to visit several different websites to gather together the facts you are looking for? If the answer to these questions is yes, how would you feel if the data required came to you without the necessity of you spending hours on end surfing the net?

You will be pleased to know that with podcasting this is now possible!

So, what exactly is a podcast? If you think of the word "broadcast", what springs to mind? Could it be a picture of some description? Do you envisage someone listening to the news bulletin on the radio? You may see spectators watching the game on TV or a PC on a network putting out packets for all other networks to receive? We can work out from this that broadcasting is a means of sending out information to a specific audience. Such audiences will be able to accept and decipher the signals being sent out as long as they have the right equipment to do so.

Podcasting works in a similar way by sending out digital and machine readable files to subscribers from a server. Although this is a type of file-sharing over the Internet just like streaming or direct downloading, podcasting is unique because it is being subscribed to, it is syndicated and new data is automatically downloaded as it is added. To enable this to happen a feed reader or aggregator such as Atom or RSS is used. Subscribers have software known as a podcatching client, which makes full use of the features of the syndication of the podcast. Apple's iTunes, Microsoft's Zune Marketplace, Juice, and Podget are all examples of such podcatching clients.

Episodes or programs received from podcasters can be played on a computer or transferred to an iPod or some other form of portable media player. If you think about it the word "podcast" is a mix of two other words, namely "iPod" and "broadcast". As you may already be aware, the iPod is the first portable piece of equipment in which the podcasting applications were developed.

At the beginning podcasting was used to send radio-style shows but it has now progressed to podcasters becoming DJs and stars of their own radio and TV shows. People now have the opportunity to showcase just what they can do by reaching their audiences in this inexpensive way. Podcasting is the method that well known companies, like NPR and CNN, give out their contents to end users by and it is also used to distribute school lessons, conference meeting alerts and updates and even the police employ this method to keep the public up to date on safety issues.

Grandmaster Flash - The message

Postcard Marketing Wisdom - Build the Message Around the Objective

Everything I'm about to say assumes that you already have a product or service worth selling. If you feel that you do, and you're researching direct mail postcards as a promotional channel for that product or service, then read on!

Many first-time postcard marketers make the mistake of starting with the message before anything else. "What should I write on this postcard?" they will ask. "What should my headline say? What points do I need to make within the body?"

Here's a tip that will make the writing process easier for you, while also making the direct mail piece more effective in the end. Start with the response you are trying to evoke, and then work backward from there. Before you write a single word of your postcard message, you should clearly identify what it is you want people to do when they receive it.

Don't Overburden Your Postcards

Here's the key to this process. The desired response for your direct mail campaign must be something that a postcard is able to deliver. Think about the space and time constraints here. You don't have a lot of space for your marketing message, and you don't have a lot of time to convince the reader. They'll give you a quick glance at first, and if you don't grab them based on that glance you're done. So keep your response simple.

For example, let's say I am sending some postcards to business people in a certain industry to tell them about my new software program. My product is designed to make their life easier by streamlining some of the daily tasks they go through. But how much of this do I write into my direct mail message? Well, that depends on the desired response I am seeking from readers.

Working Backward from the Response

In this scenario, I need to start with the objective of my marketing campaign. There is not enough space on a postcard for me to explain all the details of my software program. Nor will most people give it that much time at first glance. So I come up with a simpler response -- all I want people to do is download a free-trial version of my product. Now that's something my direct mail piece can accomplish.

So from here, I work backward. I need a good landing page on my website that I can tie into the postcard campaign. I need to set up the free trial process and make sure everything is working. I need to ensure that names and email addresses are being captured for follow-up purposes.

The Message Writes Itself

Already, we can see how much easier the writing process is going to be. I have removed a big burden from my shoulders by determining a realistic response, something that is easy and risk-free for the respondents. I no longer have to tell them everything that makes my program great -- I only have to tell them enough to draw their initial interest, and to motivate them toward the free trial. At this point, the message practically writes itself. And it's all because I started with a realistic objective and worked backward from there.

Nas - The message

Elevate Your Public Relations Message - If You Can Talk About Your Company, You Can Do PR

When you think of public relations, do you think of a team of agency people, at their desks, strategizing and making calls on behalf of their clients with a well-thought out pitch and familiar media contacts? That picture is indeed true and plays out at agencies across the country every day. I am from that world and, in fact, still live in that world as the co-owner of a public relations agency.

Do I think that scenario is an effective one? Yes. Do I think it's necessary for every company to have their own "agency" and "people?" No. For years Microsoft was my client and, certainly, they are an obvious example of a company that needs - and believes heavily - in PR. Microsoft's work is complex, involves hundreds of departments and thousands of stakeholders.

But, the truth is, not every company needs an agency. What about for a small business, perhaps with no employees, to date, and only one offering or service? This business needs public relations AS MUCH as Microsoft, but for different reasons. For this business, PR can mean breaking out of the clutter of competitors, garnering essential new clients, building a brand and, possibly, even the difference between surviving the next year or not.

I realize, there's a good chance this same company is not yet at a stage where they can hire an agency. So here's the answer: do your own. Does this sound crazy? It shouldn't. If you can talk about your company, you can do your own PR. It's really that simple...or almost.

Before you can talk about your company to a reporter, you do need to do a few simple things. First, make a list of what makes your company or service special. Second, take that list and turn it into an "elevator pitch," or something you can communicate to someone in the same time it takes to ride one to two floors with them in an elevator. By the time the doors open, whoever is "riding" with you should know what your company does, what makes it special and why they should care.

Last, pick up the phone and give your elevator pitch to a reporter. Or write it down and email a reporter. One thing to note is that for different reporters, the "why they should care" part may change. For example, if you have a cake decorating bakery, a food reporter may care because you are utilizing unique ingredients in your confections. However, the local news may care because they often look for humorous stories related to "hot news" they are covering and your bakery is offering donkey and elephant cakes in honor of the elections.

If you're nervous, pitch your friends or colleagues first. And you might want to cut your teeth on smaller local publications to build your confidence before tackling a national outlet. But remember this, the media will be writing about companies - in your industry - probably doing what you're doing. Hone your elevator pitch and there's a good chance one of the companies they write about in the near future could be yours.

Message to Scientology

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message

How to Find the Message Header For a Yahoo Email Address

There are many reasons that you might want research an email message. Two of the most common reasons are to find out more the sender and try to stop spammers. Others might need to check up on their children's online activities. Still others might just be curious about the path that emails take to reach them. Whatever the reason, one of the easiest ways to find out more information about email addresses and their senders is to find and use the email headers. Email headers are, essentially, digital envelopes; they tell computers where messages came from and where they're going. By accessing this information, you can learn more information about mysterious messages.

If you're using Yahoo!, finding email headers is quick and simple. First, login to your account and open the message you'd like to learn more about. At the top right of the pane, you will see the word reply. Right next to reply, there's a downward pointing arrow. Clicking on this pops up a menu. Select "Show Original," and the headers will pop up in a separate window. Now that you know how to use Yahoo! to find email headers, all that's left is deciphering the header.

Deciphering email headers is easier said than done. Headers are meant to be read by computer, not humans, which means they're not in plain English. However, the information you need shouldn't be hard to find. Scan down the document and find the last (lowest) repeat of the phrase "Received: from"; this line should refer to the computer that originally sent the message. Just to the right of "Received: from", you should see an IP address (the ten or so digit number with periods). This is the Internet print of the computer that sent the message. With this traceable number, you might be able to find out more information about the sender of the message.