1. Find a strategic business partner. Look for ones
that have the same objective. You can trade leads,
share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.
2. Brand your name and business. You can easily
do this by just writing articles and submitting them
to e-zines or web sites for republishing.
3. Start an auction on your web site. The type of
auction could be related to the theme of your site.
You'll draw traffic from auctioneers and bidders.
4. Remember to take a little time out of your day
or week to brainstorm. New ideas are usually the
difference between success and failure.
5. Model other successful business or people. I'm
not saying out right copy them, but practice some
of the same habits that have made them succeed.
6. Take risks to improve your business. Sometimes
businesses don't want to advertise unless it's free,
sometimes you have to spend money to get results.
7. Include emotional words in your advertisements.
Use ones like love, security, relief, freedom, happy,
satisfaction, fun, etc.
8. Ask people online to review your web site. You
can use the comments you get to improve your web
site or you may turn the reviewer into a customer.
9. Out source part of your workload. You'll save
on most employee costs. You could out source
your secretarial work, accounting, marketing, etc.
10. Combine a product and service together in a
package deal. It could increase your sales. If you're
selling a book, offer an hour of consulting with it.
Quote of the Day:
"Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody's
hand and squeeze it, while there's time." -- Dale Dauten
Clifford Brown
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Simple Steps To Find A Good Forex Broker
George S. White
If you want to trade Forex, you need a solid broker on your side. You need to make sure you're trading with a good company that has solid assets so that you know your money is safe with them.
You also need to make sure to understand how your broker makes business. If a broker takes the opposite side of your trade, this means they're playing against you. In that case, the customer usually loses.
Besides this, since the Forex market is a global market, there are brokers based in different countries. You need to be especially careful with this. If you open an account with a broker that's from a 3rd world country, you can have problems if something goes wrong. It's common to see brokers based in Cyprus or even based in offshore territories. These kinds of brokers don't offer any security to potential customers. If you send them money and the money simply disappear, imagine how difficult it will be to get your money back...
As you can see by these simple examples, there are plenty of dangerous brokers in Forex. The only thing you can do in order to avoid more Forex brokers' dangers is to make a solid research about a broker before you open a real account with them.
Make sure you know where your broker is from. It's pretty common to see brokers avoiding to display on their website where they are from. If you see this on a broker's website, that's probably because they're trying to avoid telling you where they are based. If they don't clearly state their complete address and phone number, avoid them at all costs.
Then, try to make some research to know what their current customers are telling about them. If that's an honest broker, you probably can read some reviews made by their satisfied customers. If they are a lousy broker, there are bad reviews about them all over the web.
If you do your due diligence about a Forex broker, you'll be able to know where this broker is based, how they do business, and if they are regulated or not. If you have any kind of question about the company or the way they operate, you can contact them (preferably by phone) so that you know exactly if this is a good broker or not.
If you want to trade Forex, you need a solid broker on your side. You need to make sure you're trading with a good company that has solid assets so that you know your money is safe with them.
You also need to make sure to understand how your broker makes business. If a broker takes the opposite side of your trade, this means they're playing against you. In that case, the customer usually loses.
Besides this, since the Forex market is a global market, there are brokers based in different countries. You need to be especially careful with this. If you open an account with a broker that's from a 3rd world country, you can have problems if something goes wrong. It's common to see brokers based in Cyprus or even based in offshore territories. These kinds of brokers don't offer any security to potential customers. If you send them money and the money simply disappear, imagine how difficult it will be to get your money back...
As you can see by these simple examples, there are plenty of dangerous brokers in Forex. The only thing you can do in order to avoid more Forex brokers' dangers is to make a solid research about a broker before you open a real account with them.
Make sure you know where your broker is from. It's pretty common to see brokers avoiding to display on their website where they are from. If you see this on a broker's website, that's probably because they're trying to avoid telling you where they are based. If they don't clearly state their complete address and phone number, avoid them at all costs.
Then, try to make some research to know what their current customers are telling about them. If that's an honest broker, you probably can read some reviews made by their satisfied customers. If they are a lousy broker, there are bad reviews about them all over the web.
If you do your due diligence about a Forex broker, you'll be able to know where this broker is based, how they do business, and if they are regulated or not. If you have any kind of question about the company or the way they operate, you can contact them (preferably by phone) so that you know exactly if this is a good broker or not.
Are Your Sales Prospects Playing Ball?
The process for converting suspects into prospects, prospects into leads, leads into customers is much like playing a baseball game. You'd love to hit a home run every time you step to the plate, but the game is really won on base hits. This is where your focus should be (1st Base-Engage Suspects, 2nd Base-Qualify Prospects, etc.). And like baseball, where you don't get to skip second base to speed your journey to home plate, you must make sure you touch every milestone in your sales process. Not doing so can result in wasted time quoting or selling to unqualified opportunities.
But to successfully play the game of sales baseball, one thing MUST also be true...your sales prospects have to be "playing ball." Because if they aren't playing ball, you're wasting your time.
Here are three techniques to determine if YOUR prospects are playing ball:
Evaluate Participation. Regularly analyze how engaged your prospects are in the process. If the person doesn't take your call or respond to your email ...you've got nothing. If the person agrees to hear your pitch, but doesn't give you detailed information about their needs ...you've got nothing. If you get all the right information, but you present the solution to someone with no power to make the buying decision...you've got nothing.
Ask Closing Questions. I call this step the "confirm or deny" technique. Many sales people mistake this step to be the final step you take in the sales process. Actually, the good closers know how to ask the right questions throughout the entire process (when converting suspects to prospects; prospects to leads; and THEN leads to customers). Determine your confirm or deny questions for EVERY milestone in the process...not just the end...and then be sure to ask them before you consider the next step. Don't be afraid of the "deny" because it is better to hear it earlier than later-while you still have time to address it.
Confront Time Wasters. It's important not to take this step with hostility or emotion. Yet, at the same time there comes a time with some prospects where you need to address the unpleasant fact that they are wasting your time. If you've been following the first two steps of this article, then this step should be a lot easier. Sometimes the "take-away" gets the prospect off the dime. Remember, it's okay, in fact recommended, to call your prospects OUT when they aren't playing ball. Doing so clears the way for you to focus more attention on the deals you have the best chance of winning!
Saying NO to a potential opportunity, especially when the pipeline is not as full as you'd like it to be, can be very tough for any salesperson. Just remember though, if they aren't playing ball you can never win the game!
Go-To-Market Strategies is a resource center for sales and marketing professionals and business leaders. Our tools, templates, and services help companies achieve big aspirations with limited budgets.
Visit our website for sales and marketing templates and access to free downloads or browse more articles
But to successfully play the game of sales baseball, one thing MUST also be true...your sales prospects have to be "playing ball." Because if they aren't playing ball, you're wasting your time.
Here are three techniques to determine if YOUR prospects are playing ball:
Evaluate Participation. Regularly analyze how engaged your prospects are in the process. If the person doesn't take your call or respond to your email ...you've got nothing. If the person agrees to hear your pitch, but doesn't give you detailed information about their needs ...you've got nothing. If you get all the right information, but you present the solution to someone with no power to make the buying decision...you've got nothing.
Ask Closing Questions. I call this step the "confirm or deny" technique. Many sales people mistake this step to be the final step you take in the sales process. Actually, the good closers know how to ask the right questions throughout the entire process (when converting suspects to prospects; prospects to leads; and THEN leads to customers). Determine your confirm or deny questions for EVERY milestone in the process...not just the end...and then be sure to ask them before you consider the next step. Don't be afraid of the "deny" because it is better to hear it earlier than later-while you still have time to address it.
Confront Time Wasters. It's important not to take this step with hostility or emotion. Yet, at the same time there comes a time with some prospects where you need to address the unpleasant fact that they are wasting your time. If you've been following the first two steps of this article, then this step should be a lot easier. Sometimes the "take-away" gets the prospect off the dime. Remember, it's okay, in fact recommended, to call your prospects OUT when they aren't playing ball. Doing so clears the way for you to focus more attention on the deals you have the best chance of winning!
Saying NO to a potential opportunity, especially when the pipeline is not as full as you'd like it to be, can be very tough for any salesperson. Just remember though, if they aren't playing ball you can never win the game!
Go-To-Market Strategies is a resource center for sales and marketing professionals and business leaders. Our tools, templates, and services help companies achieve big aspirations with limited budgets.
Visit our website for sales and marketing templates and access to free downloads or browse more articles
Monday, June 23, 2008
How Can You Spot Mortgage Fraud?
Each mortgage scam contains some type of misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission relied upon by an underwriter or lender to fund, purchase or insure a loan. Mortgage scam is easily practiced particularly where mortgage industry professionals are involved. The true level of mortgage scam is largely unknown because a significant portion of the mortgage industry is void of any mandatory fraud reporting and in addition, mortgage fraud in the secondary market is often under reported. Based on various industry reports and analysis, mortgage scam is pervasive and growing. Mortgage scam can be basically analyzed as:
* Fraud for Profit - Sometimes referred as "Industry Insider Fraud" and the motive is to falsely inflate the value of the property, issue loans based on fictitious properties or revolve equity. Based on existing approximate reports, eighty percent of all reported mortgage scam losses involve collaboration or collusion by industry insiders
* Fraud for Housing - An illegal action perpetrated solely by the borrower. This type of mortgage scam is done by a borrower who makes misrepresentations regarding his income or employment history to qualify for a large loan. The motive behind this scam is to acquire and maintain ownership of a house under false pretenses
Fraud for Housing can not be compared to the scam done by mortgage scam industry professionals which affect the borrowers. Predatory lending usually is targeted towards senior citizens, lower income and challenged credit borrowers. Mortgage lending representatives force borrowers to pay exhaustive loan settlement fees, sub-prime or higher interest rates, and in some cases, unreasonable service fees. The usual result is the borrower defaulting on his mortgage payment and undergoing foreclosure or forced refinancing. Our focus is to recognize the mortgage scam that could happen to us, the borrower.
MORTGAGE SCAM SCHEMES
False or Stolen Identity - A fake identity may be used on the loan application. The applicant may be involved in an identity theft scheme and use someones personal information without the true person's knowledge.
Inflated Appraisals - An appraiser acts in collusion with a borrower and provides a misleading appraisal report to the lender. This report inaccurately states an inflated property value.
Silent Second Mortgage - Buyer of a property borrows the down payment from the seller through the issuance of a non-disclosed second mortgage. The primary lender believes the borrower has invested his own money in the down payment, when in fact, it is borrowed. The second mortgage may not be recorded to further conceal its status from the primary lender.
Nominee Loans - The identity of the borrower is concealed through the use of a nominee who allows the borrower to use the nominee's name and credit history to apply for a loan.
Equity Skimming - An investor may use a nominee, false income documents, and false credit reports, to obtain a loan in the nominee's name. Subsequent to closing, the nominee signs the property over to the investor in a quit claim deed which relinquishes all rights to the property and provides no guaranty to title. The investor does not make any mortgage payments and rents the property until foreclosure takes place a few months later.
Property Flipping - A property is bought, falsely advertised at a higher value, and then quickly sold. What makes this property illegal is that the appraisal information is fraudulent. The schemes typically involve one or more of the following; fraudulent appraisals, doctored loan documentation and inflated buyers income... Kickbacks to buyers, investors, property and loan brokers, appraisers, title company employees are common in this scheme. A home may be appraised for $100,000 but is actually worth $30,000.
Air Loans - This is a non-existent property loan where there is usually no collateral. A broker invents borrowers and properties, establishes accounts for payments, and maintains custodial accounts for escrows. They may even set up an office with a bank of telephones, each one used as the employer, appraiser, credit agency for verification purposes.
Foreclosure Schemes - Are one of the worst. The loan agents mislead the homeowners into believing that they can save their homes in exchange for a transfer of the deed, usually in the form of a Quit-Claim Deed, and up-front fees. The perpetrator profits from these schemes by re-mortgaging the property or pocketing fees paid by the homeowner without helping to prevent the foreclosure. The victim suffers the loss of the property as well as the up-front fees. Be aware of offers that promise to save homeowners who are at risk of defaulting on loans or whose houses are already in foreclosure. If you are near a foreclosure seek a qualified credit counselor or attorney to assist.
Mortgage Scam per e-Mail - Many of the emails imply that the recipient has already been approved for a loan by making a vague statement such as "we are accepting your mortgage application". Recipients may believe that they are actually being offered a loan. These emails are basically just poorly implemented tricks to get recipients to click on the link provided and fill out a form which in turn will defraud you in one way or another. If enough information is provided, scammers might even be able to steal your identity. A lot of the sites will last only a few days before they are taken down. But new will arise as soon as they are suppressed. Often they consist of just one page containing a form.
There is no information about the company offering the service, no privacy policy or a legal document, and no contact options other than the form provided. Often,the form is not secure (https), which is a good indicator that the site is not legitimate. No credible company would expect potential clients to submit information via an unsecured form. Never deal with spammers, regardless of how attractive their offer may seem. If they are unscrupulous enough to send unsolicited email, or allow their affiliates to send unsolicited email, then they have immediately shown themselves to be untrustworthy and you should avoid them at all cost. In general try to avoid the use of online mortgage loans.
Utah Home Mortgage Loans - Finding a Broker Online
The Utah housing market is an excellent place to invest your money. Utah homes consistently increase in value, and in most areas of the state, homes are still affordable. If you are in the market for a Utah home mortgage loan, you may want to bypass the traditional bank or offline broker and consider using an online broker.
Why Use an Online Broker?
Online brokers are extremely easy to locate and work with. They also tend to charge lower fees than offline brokers. However, the main benefit of working with an online broker is the sheer mass of loan programs that you will have to choose from. Online brokers work with a variety of lenders and usually have access to a broad range of loan programs. You will also find that an online broker can usually close your Utah home mortgage loan in less time, and more importantly, for less money.
Utah Broker Regulations
Just because a broker operates online, it doesn't mean that they can escape lending regulations established by the state. Online brokers must follow the same rules as anyone else. Unfortunately, the broker regulations in Utah are rather lax. Though brokers must have a surety bond for $25,000, there are no specific education or experience requirements. This means that the broker you are working with may not be any more experienced than you. It's a good idea to get a referral or check a broker out prior to working with them. Utah has a consumer hotline that can be called if you have any questions. The number is 1-801-538-8830. You can also try contacting the Utah Department of Financial Institutions.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Commercial Mortgage Loans
Only mortgage loans from commercial enterprises will help them acquire the commercial property. However, mortgage lending business plans are available with different interest rates, terms and amounts.
As an entrepreneur, you have to be careful while opting for a particular mortgage loans of commercial services. The purchase of commercial property has become a fashion among business owners. After buying commercial property in a good location, leasing additional space.
Therefore, advertising or recover the costs of equipment.
If you do not have time to do all investigations, to get help from an experienced and dominate the commercial mortgage broker. The agent will help you select the best commercial mortgage lenders able to meet their needs and requirements.
Not only that, which will offer valuable advice for you to get the best prices.
However, some business owners do not want to go to commercial mortgage loans. To avail himself of commercial mortgage loans, one has to declare their financial information. May apply for a mortgage business is also quite difficult. But if you remain vigilant during the selection process, you definitely get the get the best offer.
You must make an appointment only of commercial mortgage loans that companies are federally insured. You can check the credentials of companies with the Better Business Bureau.
If companies have registered complaints with the bureau, then stay away from such dubious businesses. If you have time, you can find the best commercial mortgage lending business on the web. Among several commercial mortgage business, you can choose the most appropriate. If you're looking on your own, do not forget to check all aspects of the company in question.
California Refinancing - How to Choose the Right Mortgage Broker
Choosing the right mortgage broker to refinance your California mortgage can save you time, money, and aggravation. Mortgage brokers have extensive contacts in the mortgage industry and can often provide access to loan offers you wouldn’t find on your own. The problem with using a mortgage broker is that most are paid by commission and the mortgage that gives your broker the largest commission probably isn’t the right loan for you. Here are several tips to help you avoid paying too much when refinancing your California mortgage with a broker.
When shopping for a mortgage broker you need to find a broker that knowledgeable, honest, and willing to work with you. Most importantly, you need a mortgage broker that will not charge you Yield Spread Premium. This markup of your mortgage interest rate serves only to boost the mortgage broker’s commission. During the first discussion you have with a potential mortgage broker, tell the broker you understand Yield Spread Premium and will not accept a mortgage that includes this markup. Tell your broker that you will pay all necessary closing costs and a reasonable origination fee for their services, but will not tolerate lender paid compensation.
Finding the right broker to refinance your California mortgage means choosing one that will provide you the necessary guidance, information, and loan offers that are right for your situation. If your broker seems hesitant to answer questions or return phone calls you should concentrate on finding a broker that will. You can learn more about your California mortgage broker options, including costly mistakes to avoid with a free mortgage tutorial.
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