Lamplighter - Volume 5 Issue 5 October

Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Page 1 of 17
The Editor's Desk
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Let’s reflect for a moment and ask ourselves
— most of the time, are we too blind to see
the numerous blessings that we are lucky to
have? It’s easy to lose sight of the blessings
we have when we feel that nothing ever goes
right, that life is difficult to bear.
No matter how tough our life currently is,
how deep our problems are, we must realize
that there is at least something in our life
that we can be thankful for. We should be
thankful for our loving family, faithful
friends, the place we call home, the happy
memories that we hold dear to our hearts.
We must not forget the disappointments that
toughened us up. The love we share with our
loved ones and the powerful difference it
made in our lives. The mistakes we make
and the second chances we get to start all
over again. The lessons learned and the
character buildup that turns us into better
human beings. These are simple but precious things that we take for granted.
So, embrace life with all its trials and triumphs; keep your faith, hope, love —and always be thankful for what you have.
Check out the new Contributors page layout.
Click on a contributor to see that person's
LinkedIn profile.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL !!!
Many thanks to Eric Nilsson, our compositor,
Barbara Daisak, our proofreader. Incidentally, Eric has enhanced our front cover by
providing an easy access to all the articles —
Just click on the titles and you will be linked
to the articles. You can also link back to the
front page from any of the pages.
Heartfelt thanks to our faithful contributors:
Jerrold (Jerry) Clifford, Sandee Hemphill, Tony Cretella, Michelle Battista, Thomas E.
Kenny, Amanda Sherman, Phyllis Shelton,
and Gary Lieberman.
Thank you Rod Colon and Carl E. Reid for
your support and assistance.
Aida A. Rodriguez
Page 2 of 17
Return to the cover!
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
The Paradigm of Running Your Career as a Business
On a camping trip in the Rocky Mountains “many
years ago”, Chip Hartman had the misfortune of
stepping into a pool of quicksand along the banks
of a slow-moving river. I’ll let Chip tell the story:
ing upright in the muck, yelling and screaming as
they sank deeper and deeper, gasping for that final
breath before slipping under the surface. It was a
grim, terrifying way to die — and we all bought it!
“We broke camp around 7 am and headed toward
the river. The embankment was so steep we had
to run down the path to reach the water’s edge.
We thought we were running out onto a wide
sandy area along the river bank, but it wasn’t.
With the very first step, three of us sank into the
muck at least six inches. Every time we tried to
remove one leg, the other would sink deeper. In
less than a minute, we were almost waist-deep.
Then we remembered the advice of a forest ranger
only a few days earlier: “If you step into quicksand, you can escape by either lying backward or
forward on it. It’s denser than water so you can
actually float higher in it than water as long as
you’re calm and don’t make any sudden thrashing
movements. You can float your way out of it.” But
how could we do something so preposterous and
illogical? There was no time for debate. We either had to float our way out or risk a horrible
death. One by one we tried, very gently. Little by
little we paddled out with our arms and reached
an area that we could secure our footing underneath.”
Which proves how easy it is to cling to long-held
beliefs, especially if they go unchallenged for a long
time. And that makes me wonder: How many other beliefs do we hold as absolutes, absolutes that
could be easily debunked if a better explanation
came along? In Chip's case, the need to quickly
change long-held beliefs may have saved his life.
What could it do for you?
I’m going to ask you to let go of the belief that so
many professionals cling to — a career management process that was developed for the 20th century. Filled with career management traps and obstacles including a favorite, The Black Hole.
I ask you to adopt an entirely new way of thinking
about career management, one created for the 21st
century. To Own Your Career and run like a business … become the CEO of Me, Inc. - let’s get to
work … you can do it!
Pretty frightening, isn’t it? But Chip’s quicksand
story provides an interesting insight into paradigms. Many of us were brought up to believe the
Hollywood stereotype of quicksand victims thrash-
Lamplighter Survey
Lamplighter wants to hear from you. As you know, Lamplighter has changed
since it first started and much of this change is due to the comments of our
readers. Please take a few minutes to tell us what we're doing right and —
it's hard to believe — what we are doing wrong.
Lamplighter Survey.
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Page 3 of 17
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
From your desk, I'm asking you to run along side me over the next few
weeks. Read on to find out how you can be a cheerleader, sponsor, patron
supporter or a combination of each. Beyond the health benefits, I'm running a marathon in honor of all our Military Veterans. All funds raised will
go directly to 501(c)(3) non-profit Empowering Today's Professionals to develop more "Veteran friendly" job search and career management programs. Since January 2013 I have been training for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. on Sunday October 27, 2013. That's 26 miles 385
yards. Click here to view my GPS verified runs
around New Rochelle, NY and lower Westchester,
posted on Facebook.
Why hire a United States Military Veteran? Over the next few weeks I will
give you quite a quite few reasons military veterans are an awesome source of productive, team player, money saving talent for companies.
How Can I Help?
Be a Patron Supporter
Be a GOLD Sponsor
And Get a Bonus
40% of purchases at
If $1 or $5.00 is all you can
www.VeteransGotSkills.us fund raisspare, any monetary donation
ing shopping mall will be donated to Emis greatly appreciated.
powering Today's Professionals to develop DONATE NOW
more job search and career management
For a $40 donation you receive a
programs. www.VeteransGotSkills.us
copy of the book Win the Race
allows purchases of personalized gifts, the for 21st Century Jobs and a
gift of reading or get Restaurant.com dis45 day trial of Professional
count eCards ($100 value) for just $20
membership to Empowering
each. I bought a few eCards as gifts to
Today’s Professionals
give clients and friends.
· For a $50 donation Receive
full 1 year of ETP membership
Empowering Today's
View all ETP member benefits.
Professionals (ETP) is a 501(c)(3) non- · For $75 donation receive a 2
profit. Your donation is tax-deductible as year ETP membership.
allowed by law. View Empowering To- · For $100 donation receive a 3
day’s Professionals’ IRS status.
year ETP membership.
Be a Cheerleader
Click here to Share Carl's cause on
Facebook
Click here to Share Carl's fund
raising cause on Twitter
Click here to Share Carl's fund
raising cause in your LinkedIn
status.
Thank You For Your Support.
-----------------Carl E. Reid, CSI - USMC 79/80
Connect to Carl | Tel: 724-472-8894 | www.CarlEReid.com | LinkedIn
Twitter | Facebook | Need Extra Income? www.Success4U2.net
Grab a FREE copy of Carl's eBook at www. SavvyIntrapreneur.com
10 Powerful Networking Tips Using Business Cards - Global Edition
(This book expands information from Carl's article that went viral on 100,000+ sites, according to Google)
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Page 4 of 17
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Start With Small Talk When Networking
By Candace Waller
When networking with a contact, always begin the conversation with a little small
talk.
It’s easy for you to chit-chat with a contact you know well, but, it’s much harder to
talk to someone you don’t really know well, or haven’t spoken with for a long while.
And, while you’re chit-chatting with your contact, remember the most important
thing to do is to determine what your contact needs, not what you need.
Those are the recommendations of Career Coach Rod Colón. He demonstrated several networking scenarios involving small talk at his presentation: “Lead Your Career: Developing Your Personal Marketing
Plan and How to Target a Company,” at Union County College, in Elizabeth, on Tuesday, July 16th. Here
is an example of one of the scenarios Colón demonstrated during his presentation:
Example 1
when it comes to making your own requests of a
contact.
You: “Hello.” {enter contact name here}
Contact: “Hi!”
You: “How are you?” {said without sincerity or
real interest in the response}
Contact: “I’m fine…”
You: “The reason I’m calling you is that I would
like you to forward my résumé
to {enter name here.} I would also like you to
connect me to someone in your network.”
Contact: (Sigh) “I’m really busy right now, but,
why don’t you send me your résumé
and I will forward it to the Human Resources
(HR) department in my company?”
For glaringly obvious reasons, the conversation
in Example 1 above won’t get you the results you
desire, namely getting your contact to help you in
your job search. The person you called is not prepared to be your advocate because you really haven’t given her a reason to be.
When you start a conversation like this you appear to be a desperate job seeker only looking out
for your own needs. And that’s always the wrong
approach. So, learn to move at a snail’s pace
Also, take into account that your contact may
have a different slant on his present employer.
Sometimes the individual is actually dissatisfied
with his current job and may be planning to
leave. That’s another reason why breaking into
your “resume forwarding” or “contact request”
spiel too soon is a bad idea; because it won’t give
you the opportunity to determine how your contact actually feels about his job at the moment.
When networking, you have to remember to be
helpful to your contact. And you can’t be helpful
if you don’t know the needs of the other person.
Small talk will help you determine what the other person needs and how you can assist her.
Reasons vary as to why people make their job
search requests too quickly with contacts. Sometimes they may feel like they are bothering the
other person just by calling them; or, they may
feel they have nothing to offer the contact in exchange for the favor they are about to ask.
It is important to remember that everyone has
value and can offer to assist, or make a connection with, anyone else. The only way to find out
what someone else needs is through small talk.
Always remember, networking without the effective use of chit-chatting may alienate possible
contacts and advocates.
Page 5 of 17
When coaching people about the fine art of small
talk, Colón likes to get them to use an acronym
that he calls FORM. This acronym is designed to
help them remember how to use small talk effectively in their conversations with contacts.
FORM stands for:
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
The most difficult way to network is with people
you don’t know. Suppose you are at a mixer, and
you want to make new connections. One of the
easiest ways to do this is to ask people about
their occupations.
Many people at the mixer may be actively job
searching themselves, or, they might be interested in making new connections at another company. And you may know someone at that company
that can help them. Get the idea.
F – Family
O – Occupation
R — Recreation
Check out another one of Rod Colón’s scenarios
(below) where I used myself in the example:
M – Motivation
Let’s start with F for Family. How well you
know a contact will determine the way you go
about making small talk. When you are at a family gathering, or, if you know someone through a
family member, it’s all right to ask about the
family first.
You might say, “It was great to see you at your
son’s basketball game. How is he? My son recently went out for his team…” Once you have talked
a little bit about this you can safely ask the person about his or her job and how things are going
at work.
Example 2
You: “Hello, My name is Candace Waller and I
am a Freelance Writer.”
Connection: “Oh, Hi! I’m Joe Shmoe, and I am an
Accountant.”
You: “Hi, Joe. It’s nice to meet you! Are you
working for a company or job searching?”
Connection: “I’m doing some contract work while
I search for a full-time position.”
That’s where the O for Occupation comes into
play. Talking about the other person’s job will
help you gauge whether he is willing to help you
and it will enable you to determine how quickly
you can get to the reason you want to talk.
You: “Really! What companies are you interested
in?”
Networking with a family member, or someone
you know well, is usually relatively (no pun intended) easy because you already know what you
have in common.
You: “I know several Recruiters at Prudential
and I would be happy to pass along their information to you.”
Reconnecting with someone you haven’t spoken
with in a while is a little more difficult. In your
small talk with these individuals you should first
bring them up to speed about your life since you
were last in contact with them, according to
ColónA college buddy, or former co-worker, will
probably be genuinely interested in finding out
what you have been doing over the past few
years. This will give you an easy lead-in to ask
him questions about his occupation, things he
does for fun; (here’s where the R in Recreation
comes into play.)
Connection: “I am interested in insurance companies.”
Connection: “That would be great! Do you have a
business card? My niece just started working for
a magazine in The City. I would be happy to connect you with her.”
You: “I do have a business card. Thanks so much!
If you don’t mind, I’d like to add you to my
LinkedIn network and I’ll call you next week
with that information about the Prudential Recruiters.”
Page 6 of 17
Return to the cover!
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Connection: “Sure, I’ll connect with you on
LinkedIn and I’ll look forward to hearing from
you about those Recruiters at Prudential.”
Do you see (in Example 2) how I never talked
about my own needs? Instead, I offered to help
my contact first. Notice that, eventually, he, in
turn offered to help me by connecting me with
his niece, who works for a magazine in New
York City. Here is where you can use that M for
Motivation. By offering to help my connection
first, it motivated him to help me.
Small talk can open the door and make people
feel comfortable connecting you to someone in
their network; maybe even passing your résumé
along to a Human Resources representative or
an employee in the department you are looking
to get into.
Whether you are offering to help your contact, or
just making an introduction, or sharing information, small talk will make you stand out from
other people who just rush through a conversation to make their real request about a job opportunity or their desire to get someone to float
their résumé to the appropriate people in a company.
In addition, small talk gives you the opportunity
to make another connection with that person.
The more times you interact with connections, in
a positive way, the more likely they will feel
comfortable referring you to others in their network. And, ultimately, that’s what may lead you
to your next job.
FUN WITH NUMBERS
By Jerrold (Jerry) Clifford
There is an old joke about the difference between a mathematician and an accountant.
When asked about the sum of two plus two, the
mathematician answers -”four.” The accountant asks, “What would you like it to be?” This
provides some basis as to why a politician
should always hire an accountant to be a member of his staff. This would have two benefits.
First, hiring an accountant would reduce the
unemployment rate by one thus letting the politician truthfully claim that he was instrumen-
tal in reducing the number of folks out of work. Secondly, this professional could assist him/her in answering pesky questions such as, “What did you do
with all your campaign contributions?” or “What is
the actual unemployment number?”
We are bombarded on the news with unemployment
claims, telling us how many new claims were filed
each week and how many jobs were created. Often
these are presented as headlines or sound bites but
don’t give a comprehensive picture. For example, the
polls state how many jobs were created but usually
don’t mention the number that was lost. So, the impression the viewers get is what the politician or
broadcaster wants them to have.
Even the term “jobs” can cause confusion. It assumes
that all jobs are equal and can be treated the same
way when analyzed. The word does not reflect
whether the loss of a doctor’s job in a geographic area
with little medical presence warrants the same analytical significance as a position of a counter person in
a fast food restaurant in a large metropolitan area.
At a higher level, even an analysis of the type of jobs
(management, technical, individual contributor, white
collar, blue collar) gained or lost usually is not presented in job reports so the relevance of the numbers
to someone seeking a job is not clear.
Compounding the confusion are mathematical adjustments to reported figures. Factors such as “seasonal adjustments” and ‘government policies” are often factored into reported figures and these can be
variable, making comparison of current figures to
those previously reported is somewhat akin to comparing apples and oranges.
What is clear is this. If you are out of work, it doesn’t
matter what the unemployment rate is, how it is calculated, or how it is reported. You still have to
find a job!
Page 7 of 17
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Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
A Parent's Empty Chair
Author Unknown
A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He
climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree
loved to play with him.
Time went by, the little boy had grown up and he
no longer played around the tree every day.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and he
looked sad.
“Come and play with me”, the tree asked the boy.
Boy: “I am no longer a kid, I do not play around
trees anymore” the boy replied. “I want toys. I
need money to buy them.”
Tree: “Sorry, but I do not have money, but you
can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will
have money.”
So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He
went sailing and never showed up for a long
time.
Finally, the man returned after many years.
“Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for
you anymore. No more apples for you”, the tree
said.
“No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite” the
man replied.
Tree : “No more trunk for you to climb on.”
“I am too old for that now” the man said.
The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples
on the tree and left happily. The boy never came
back after he picked the apples. The tree was
sad.
One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited.
“Come and play with me” the tree said.
“I do not have time to play. I have to work for my
family. We need a house for shelter. Can you
help me?”
“Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can
chop off my branches to build your house.” So the
man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the
man never came back since then. The tree was
again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day, the man returned and the
tree was delighted.
“Come and play with me!” the tree said.
“I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax
myself. Can you give me a boat?” said the man.
“I really cannot give you anything, the only thing
left is my dying roots,” the tree said with tears.
“I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I
am tired after all these years,” the man replied.
“Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on
and rest, come sit down with me and rest.” The
man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled
with tears.
This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our
parents. When we were young, we loved to play
with our Mum and Dad. When we grow up, we
leave them; only come to them when we need
something or when we are in trouble. No matter
what, parents will always be there and give everything they could just to make you happy.
You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but
that is how all of us treat our parents. We take
them for granted; we don’t appreciate all they do
for us, until it’s too late.
~ Moral ~ Treat your parents with loving care…. For
you will know their value, when you see their empty
chair…We never know the love of our parents for us;
till we have become parents.
“Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail
far away and be happy.”
Page 8 of 17
Return to the cover!
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Welcome to your newest
Tech Tips!
Fall: a time of Back to School,
Learning, and new Ideas. It’s easy
to get caught up, but…
Read on for those Social Media Mistakes to Avoid During Your Autumn
Job Search.
10 Social Media Mistakes
To Avoid During Your Job Search
By this time, we should know that wild party
photos are not really suitable for posting online
during a job search. When recruiters and hiring
managers are looking at your online presence,
they want to see a valuable addition to their
company, not a valuable addition to office football pool.
However, even the best intentions may go awry
online. Beware of these mistakes in using social
media during your job search. Doing these things
may really halt our job search.
Less Is More:
7 Advantages of Tweeting for a Job
by Cathy Vandewater
Twitter is becoming the new job board—or so
says the Wall Street Journal. The sprawling site,
with its disjointed snippets of conversation, endless links and retweets, and tangled webs of followers can be tough to navigate. But master the
waters, and you'll have world of opportunity on
your hands. Here's why:
Keep reading here:
http://blogs.vault.com/blog/job-search/less-ismore-6-advantages-of-tweeting-for-a-job
- See more at:
http://www.timsstrategy.com/blog/10-socialmedia-mistakes-to-avoid-during-your-job-search/
Facebook Rolls Out 'Professional
Skills' Section on User Profiles
By Laura Entis
10 Simple Ways To Improve
Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is a network that you should visit daily
for professional development — whatever your
employment status may be.
Is your LinkedIn profile ready to be seen by others? Here are ten suggestions to give you instant
LinkedIn cred.
See the full article at this link:
http://socialmediatoday.com/kalnerwilliams/17001
31/10-simple-ways-improve-your-linkedin-profile
Generally speaking, you probably don't turn to
Facebook as a source of potential hires. LinkedIn
is for online recruiting while Facebook is reserved for social posts and updates. But the lines
are blurring; it's very possible you may soon find
yourself mining Facebook for employees in addition to, or perhaps even in place of, LinkedIn.
That's because Facebook has added a new feature that allows users to add professional skills
to their profile..
Read more:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228268
Page 9 of 17
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
LinkedIn Headlines:
What Not To Do
There are certain areas that always seem to
cause controversy when training people on
using LinkedIn.
The first area of controversy is about profile pictures. But the second, and I think most misunderstood area, is your professional headline.
Your headline is the area just below your name
in the top-most blue box of your profile. Every
time you send an invitation to connect, or send
an inMail, or comment in a group, your headline
appears below your name.
So, assuming your first impression with a recruiter is probably going to be on LinkedIn, those
first 120 characters must have sufficient impact
and clarity.
In reviewing many LinkedIn profiles over the
years, and more recently getting to know the recruiting industry well, I can tell you the key
points you need to know when writing or editing
your headline.
Read more at
http://www.careerealism.com/linkedin-headlines/
How Twitter Can Help You
Land Your Next Job
Can you find a job on Twitter? Yes, you can. Follow these steps to help you take advantage of
this tool that provides access to everyone from
CEOs of companies where you want to work to
potential colleagues at those companies.
Keep reading at this link:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/08/19/twitternetworking-tips/
10 Social Media Mistakes To Avoid
During Your Job Search
By this time, we should know that wild party
photos are not really suitable for posting online
during a job search. When recruiters and hiring
managers are looking at your online presence,
they want to see a valuable addition to their
company, not a valuable addition to office football pool.
However, even the best intentions may go awry
online. Beware of these mistakes in using social
media during your job search. Doing these things
may really halt our job search.
- See more at:
http://www.timsstrategy.com/blog/10-socialmedia-mistakes-to-avoid-during-your-job-search/
Have a social media, tip, or “know-how” article to
read and share?
Twitter can be as helpful as LinkedIn.
Email me at [email protected]!
By Miriam Salpeter
We will publish it in upcoming issues...
No doubt, you've already heard that networking
is the best way to find a job? Unfortunately, networking can be a bit of a dirty word. People hate
having to network; they think it means asking
people for help. Luckily, social networking tools,
such as Twitter, allow job seekers to redefine
networking. Instead of contacting people you
don't know to ask for favors, you network by
demonstrating your expertise and providing useful resources and information to people you want
to notice you.
And many continued Thanks to Eric for continual news to use!
Your posts are always welcomed!
Check our next issue for another great Tech and
Social Media Tip!
Page 10 of 17
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Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Deep down, many of us have a novel waiting to be written. But few people are interested in reading prose like Victor
Hugo's in Les Miserables (at points, the
paragraphs are almost a page long). The
job seeker needs to find a way to write or
speak succinctly and deliver his or her
message clearly. That takes a lot of work.
Goldilocks and
the Job Seeker
By Eric Nilsson
Goldilocks looked at the résumé and said, "It's
not too long! It's not too short! It's just right!"
Job seekers should follow Goldilocks' example. A
cover letter can be too long or too short; it is rarely just right the first time around. That is true of
résumés, proposals, sales letters and all manner
of communications.

What goes into your communication.
According to Richard Andersen in his
book, Powerful Writing Skills, people
should write like they speak. We communicate verbally in a way others can
understand and we should do the same
with writing. That doesn't mean that you
should write like rappers or college English professors (even if that's the way you
speak). It means that you should speak
and write to your audience, not below it or
above it.
In business communications, it also
means that the reader wants the most
important facts as quickly as possible. In
newspapers, this is found in the lead
(pronounced leed, sometimes spelled lede),
usually the first one or two paragraphs.
In this lede, the 5 Ws (Who, What, When,
Where and Why) are usually answered.
Most times, How is also answered.
Job-seekers can learn from news stories.
To begin with, a news story is often fairly
short. It gives the most important information near the top. That's called the
"Inverted Pyramid." Lamplighter articles
are not usually news reports; they are
"features" and are a bit longer, but generally follow a news-reporting style.
Now look at the summary on your resume
or the pitch of your cover letter. Do they
quickly show that you are the right person for the job?

Another way to make yourself look bad in
written communications, especially if you
have stated that you are detail-oriented,
is to have so many misspellings or wrong
words that the reader will shut you off. If
you rely solely on word processors to correct your mistakes, you might as well ask
a car thief to watch your car.
Don’t hurt yourself.
Page 11 of 17
Spell-check programs recognize words,
but not intent. Homonyms, words that
sound alike, often have very different
spellings and very different meanings.
"Faint" and "feint" have the same sound,
but "feint" is "to dodge," while "faint"
means to lose consciousness. You might
have fainting spells but, in business, you
don't want to feint away.
If you are wondering if a word is correct in
a given situation, you might try a different word. The goal is not to show erudition (how smart you are), but to effectively
get your idea across.

Always review or critique your work.
Newspaper reporters have learned over
the course of time how to write news articles so that people will read them. But a
reporter doesn’t fire off a story and have it
magically appear on a new page. Usually,
what the reporter writes is checked and
edited. Editors perform a valuable service
because they correct grammatical errors,
spelling, and make the story more understandable to the reader.
Not everyone has the luxury of a copy editor, but we do have friends and family
who are willing to help. If they have a
hard time understanding what you are
saying, chances are that a recruiter or hiring manager will, too. Try not to bristle
at criticism or shrug it off lightly; it

Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
should make you see that there are many
ways to say the same thing, some easier
to understand than others.
audiences. You can deliver high-quality content
to a broad segment of the business community,
whether clients or prospects.
Follow instructions.
Most businesses offer promotional (free) webinars. In these webinars, you’re given some key
information on a particular topic, accompanied
by a sales pitch or two. The emphasis of the sell
is, “BUY NOW,” accompanied by a host of enticing bonuses to sweeten the deal.
Some job boards require that you apply
through a certain process. Others, like
LinkedIn, have an option to apply at the
company site. LinkedIn sometimes shows
you how many people have actually applied for a position by looking at the text
below the button. Suppose nine people
have clicked the "Apply" button; the text
will display "9 people have clicked."
On LinkedIn, some jobs are posted by individual recruiters or hiring personnel as
“job discussions.” Find these listings under the job discussions tab in your networking groups.
In these situations,
there are usually instructions to "send
salary information along with your cover
letter and resume to:" followed by the email or web address of the person looking
to hire.
Now, make sure your resume and cover
letter reflect the skills required for the position.
And remember Goldilocks. Don’t click “send” or
“submit” until you’re sure that your communications are “just right.”
Return to the cover!
Fee-Based Webinars: Driving
Value in a Freebie World
Promotional webinars are easy on the budget
and can result in hundreds of new leads. But
they have a major drawback: poor attendance.
Because of an absence of a financial investment,
many people register but never attend these
events. This greatly reduces attendance and potential sales through the built-in upsell component.
If you’re working with a big list, this strategy
works well. However, very few small business
owners can afford to put in the effort (or finances) to set up a webinar to get a low response.
Now there’s a new kid on the block—fee-based
webinars (a.k.a. attendee-funded webinars or
paid webinars). These webinars offer several advantages over the more popular promotional
model.
First of all, fee-based webinars are educational
and skill-based. Your audience pays for the
knowledge and expertise you offer–not for commercials. Attendance is high because of the financial investment.
Secondly, your fee-paid webinar is without fluff.
The trainer has taken your financial and time
investments into consideration. You’re presented with
quality content that thoroughly saturates the subject.
By Sandee Hemphill
Webinars are one of the most
powerful marketing tools available today. Even for those people
who are intimidated by the
thought of learning new technology, webinars have won them over
as a viable marketing option.
Webinars offer great benefits to
small business owners. It’s an affordable way to project your message to larger
In addition, fee-based webinars can generate additional
revenue with the offer of paid
replays. This feature can be
used to capture some of the
leads who didn’t attend the
original presentation, or can
be bundled with another product.
Page 12 of 17
You’ll receive a higher-quality lead with a feebased webinar offer than you would with a free
webinar. Like other marketing strategies, you
may need to contact them several times before
they convert to a buyer, but it will be well worth
the time invested.
The perceived value of a fee-based webinar is
higher than that of a promotional webinar. Your
audience expects to hear from an expert and
they’re willing to pay for the privilege.
Your fee-based webinar increases your revenue
and profits by appealing to different segments of
your target audience. Many will view this learning opportunity as a high-level investment in
their personal and professional development.
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Networking Magic – 2004 – Adams Media
Networking is the process of building and maintaining relationships. It’s the development of a
team that will support your efforts and the efforts of your network teammates to reach your
respective goals. The object is to build the best
possible team.
Networking is about forging bonds and sharing.
It’s connecting with people who have common
interests and objectives and generously give to
one another. Networking extends into every aspect of your life; it’s something you’ve been doing
all of your life without realizing it. When you
recommend a movie, a doctor, real estate agent
or a personal trainer, you’re networking.
Your fee-based webinar can make a measurable
impact on your audience. This creates a desire
for additional training or services. Now you can
upgrade their experience with related products
that you make available to them in your followup campaign.
The object of networking should not be simply to
make contacts; it should be to make the best possible contacts! Naturally, what constitutes “the
best” is subjective and will vary with the individuals and the circumstances involved. However,
seeking the best should always be your objective!
Although promotional webinars will continue to
be a force in online marketing, there’s still room
for a new model. Explore the subject further to
determine how fee-based webinars fit with your
marketing strategies. And get ready to measure
your new growth.
Get me back to the cover!
Goodwill is the foundation for making great contacts; it supports and underlies all of your networking efforts. To successfully network with
the best you must constantly create goodwill and
then build upon that goodwill to forge bonds that
develop into close, meaningful relationships.
a message from Rod Colón
Several new networking associates recently
asked me, “Rod, what is your definition of networking? What is your style? … It’s so different
from others.”
Below is the style of networking I practice and
teach others around the globe. Thank you Rick
and Jill …
What Is Networking?
(Rick Frishman and Jill Lublin)
Implicit in networking is the understanding that
there will be a giving back, an exchange, “if you
do for me, I’ll do for you.” This unspoken swap of
mutual promises underlies networks and keeps
them together. Ironically, however, the best
networkers are those who give to others because
they sincerely love to give and not because they
hope to receive something in return. But that
doesn’t mean that you don’t have to give; even
the most giving and generous networkers will
eventually stop giving when they repeatedly receive nothing in return.
Networks are not built overnight. They take
time, patience, and nurturing. It will also take
time to discover what your network partners
need and to continually try to find opportunities
to fully satisfy those needs.
Page 13 of 17
Return to the cover!
Sandee isn’t your typical entrepreneur. She’s
often asked, “Does your head hurt?” That’s
because she wears a number of hats in her
daily business owner role. She sees it as a
daunting yet rewarding position.
Some of the titles that have led to the question
are: Knowledge to Profit Mentor, Product Creation Strategist, Marketing Virtuoso and Master
Networker. She’s also the founder of a local
women entrepreneurs group, “WE Work in
Heels,” and oversees monthly gatherings with
that group.
As a Marketing Virtuoso,
Sandee
has
served on the COMBA
(Central Ohio Minority
Business Association)
staff as a marketing
specialist.
Through
this position, she has
helped a number of
business owners –
both male and female
– deal with key marketing issues.
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
products and services—eCourses, minicourses and related products. These ‘Take
Home’ products help them extend their reach
while augmenting their income. The result is a
leap off the “dollars-for-hours” treadmill,
thereby increasing their business visibility and
credibility.
In addition to a host of marketable skills,
Sandee brings a degree in Technical Communications to her products and services. She
offers an easy-to-execute 4-P Product Creation
Formula (Preparation, Production, and Promotion = Profit), which leads to client acquisition
and retention.
Some of Sandee’s clients
market
through
live
events (workshops, seminars, speaking engagements). She offers resources to generate income from these ventures, even if they’re
speaking for free.
While promoting business growth, Sandee believes attention should
be given to profit as well.
She stresses ROC (Return on Campaign), and
encourages her clients to
build a measurement
tool into each product
launch.
This is not Sandee’s
first entrepreneurial
ride. She previously
owned
a
training
company which specialized in half-day
trainings, as well as a
gift basket business.
At present, she and
her husband own a travel agency, Your Time 2
Travel.
On this particular business journey, Sandee is
branded as “Resources-to-Go” person who focuses on coaches, consultants, speakers and
authors. With a small offering of specialized
training products, Sandee helps them shift
from single-serve to recurring profits. She offers paid webinars to create recurring income
Sandee’s work ethic is
simple: “Work hard, then play hard.” She
maintains that hard work has never killed anyone, and she won’t be the first to disprove it.
Sandee uses her travel agency to provide her
with a host of affordable playgrounds. Last
year’s trip to Toronto will be followed up with
a trip to Quebec next year.
www.sandeehemphill.com
Page 14 of 17
Return to the cover!
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
5 Copywriting Rules That Cost
You Sales If You Break Them
You’ve already lost sales if you’re writing your own
marketing messages or working with a copywriter
who is not an expert.
The reason is simple. Your marketing return on investment (ROI) is limited if your copywriting doesn’t resonate with your target audience.
If the person writing your marketing messages doesn’t know how to craft compelling, meaningful, emotional, and actionable copy, the performance of your entire campaign is at risk of failing.
Here are five copywriting rules that you’re probably breaking in your marketing messages and don’t even
realize it. Avoid them and watch your ROI rise.
Article continues at this link:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/09/10/5-copywriting-rules-that-cost-you-sales-if-you-breakthem/
Step Away From The Copy
Web writers spend a lot of time working on specific bits of content for specific sections of websites. It’s important to agonize over the details, but sometimes you have to take a step back. Every once in a while, I
click through my company’s whole entire website in one sitting, looking for problem spots without getting
caught up in the details. Here’s what happens when you get a bird’s-eye view of your content:
Article continues at this link:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/katelee/2012/09/27/step-away-from-the-copy/
How To Write Simply
Write simply. That’s sage advice for anyone struggling with the written word. Forget techniques and
crafty tools. Sticking to the basics and writing simply can help you come up with some of your best work.
Set A Target. Every piece of writing will need an aim. What is the reason for it being written? What is
your goal? If you can’t decide what a piece is supposed to accomplish, it will likely never achieve anything
productive. Your target will dictate what kind of information you should include in the piece, including
how you’ll go about presenting it.
Picture Your Reader. What your readers know, what they need to know and how they want to learn it
should dictate how you write your piece. After all, writing is supposed to be about conveying information.
Having the reader in mind makes sure you achieve it.
Article continues at this link:
http://www.writeenglish.org/writing/write-simply/
Return to the cover!
Page 15 of 17
2013 Lamplighter Contributors
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Click a snapshot for the LinkedIn Profile
Page 16 of 17
Return to the cover!
Lamplighter Staff
Volume 5, Issue 5
October-November, 2013
Lamplighter Survey
As you can see, a number of changes have been made to Lamplighter to make reading
easier and more enjoyable. The articles have been crafted to be both light-hearted and informative, and navigation through Lamplighter has been made less clunky.
Please take a moment to answer the four Survey questions by clicking this link:
Lamplighter Survey
ETP and You To Help Veterans
Please share this with your network.
We are also looking for other volunteers and partner organizations to help with this initiative to get more military veterans employed.
Non-profit, Empowering Today's Professionals (ETP) is on a mission to help as many military veterans as possible land
jobs in the next 90 days. SIGN UP is free at www.ETPnetwork.org - Since 2004 proven job search training, career management education programs and our book "Win the Race for 21st Century Jobs" by ETP founder Rod Colon, ETP has
inspired thousands to safely land jobs.
As Chief Operations Officer [pro-bono] at Empowering Today's Professionals, I remember what it was like transitioning
out of the United States Marine Corps and being on unemployment. I felt embarrassed, I had low self esteem and it hurt
that my military service did not seem to matter much to non-military citizens. I would not wish those feelings on anyone. Leveraging my experience, I'm spearheading this initiative for those who served in the military as an ETP priority. With a global support network, Empowering Today's Professionals is doing it's part to get America back to work.
In your SIGN UP application Please type "VETERAN" and credit the person who sent you this email as the referrer. I'll
be on the look out for your application to connect with you and provide a personal job search /career game plan.
July 20, 1969
We are also looking for other volunteers and partner organizations to help with this initiative to get more military veterans employed.
SIGNUP free at www.ETPnetwork.org - Empowering Today's Professionals
Carl E, E Reid, CSI (USMC 1979/1980)
Chief Operations Officer
Empowering Today's Professionals (ETP)
Tel: 201-222-5390
Web: http://www.etpnetwork.org/
Carl is the author of the book: Win the Race for 21st Century
Jobs)
Return to the cover!
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