Wed 26th Jan.'00
In this issue (Part 2):
1. VOTING BOOTH
==>This week's quick poll and last week's results.
2. FEATURE ARTICLE
==>"INCREASE YOUR SALES AND PROFITS WITH PERSONALIZED MESSAGES"
By Bob Leduc
3. TIDBITS
==>Business news and other snippets to keep you informed.
4. INFO SECTION
==>Subscription details.
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+ VOTING BOOTH +
=====================
This is the place where we take a quick poll for a snapshot of
the Biz Bits family's position on a given topic.
This week you have a second chance to enter the competition vote
we ran last week.
THE BEST 3 RESPONSES WILL EACH WIN AN AD SPOT IN BIZ BITS!
1. Copy the following list into the body of your vote message.
Insert a number between 0 and 9 into the brackets to indicate
which sections you normally like the most each week. 9 = Best.
[ ] Introduction
[ ] Tools at NowSell.com
[ ] Sites to Check Out
[ ] Classified Ads
[ ] Voting Booth
[ ] Feature Article
[ ] Tidbits
2. Send it to the address below that corresponds with your answer
to this question:
Are you happy with the new 2 part format of Biz Bits?
YES! >>>> mailto:yes+nowsell.com
It's fine by me!
NO! >>>> mailto:no+nowsell.com
I don't like it!
ERR? >>>> mailto:err+nowsell.com
I'm not sure... depends...?
*** Add any additional comments in the body of your vote mail ***
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Do you find Biz Bits useful?
Then share the wealth and forward a copy to your friends!
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Last week:
Are you happy with the format of Biz Bits this week?
(Results so far)
YES! >>>> 89%
It's fine by me!!
NO! >>>> 11%
I don't like it!
ERR? >>>> 0%
I'm not sure... depends...?
Keep those votes coming!
[Azam: Most seem to be saying they don't really mind either way.
No one has said they actually prefer two parts over one.]
=====================
Voter Feedback:
I'm saving these for next week, once I've chosen the winners.
=================================================================
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+ FEATURE ARTICLE +
=====================
-----------------------------------------------------------
INCREASE YOUR SALES AND PROFITS WITH PERSONALIZED MESSAGES
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Copyright 2000 By Bob Leduc
I paid bills last night. After writing checks on the business
account I noticed a little sticky note on the next check
reminding me to get more checks printed.
My mail this morning included a sale catalog from an office
supply company I use. The back cover included a picture of the
same style business check I've been using. Printed over the check
was the following personal message: "Bob ...Don't be caught
short. Stock up now for the coming year and save up to 73
percent." I immediately called them with my order.
This big corporation understands the value of personalized
messages. Their system "remembers" how often I order certain
items and produces a personalized offer on schedule. I'm sure
this personalization develops sales for them at a rate many times
greater than their nearest competitor.
Personalized messages offer an even greater advantage for small
businesses. Plus, it's an easy and inexpensive procedure to
implement.
THE MOST IMPORTANT WORD
What's the most important word you know? It's your name. The most
important word your prospects and customers know is their name.
It's a powerful magnet you can use anytime you want to get their
immediate attention.
For example, I always include my customer's or prospect's first
name on the subject line of my outgoing email messages. It
immediately attracts attention and guarantees my message gets
read. I do this manually. But you may want to investigate some of
the software developed to merge different text into the subject
line and body copy of each email message.
YOU NEED A REAL NAME
You already have the personal names of your customers. You'll
also have personal names when you compile or rent a prospect list
for postal mail. The name is part of the postal address. But you
may not have the personal name for most of the prospects you
collected online at your website or from email requests. Often
you have only their email address.
I discovered an effective alternative to use when I don't have a
person's real name. It's hidden in every email address. It's the
part of the email address to the left of the "+" symbol. For an
email address of "AB6+yz.com", it's the "AB6" portion. I insert
this part of the email address where I would normally put the
person's first name. It's not as personal as the real first name
but it attracts more attention and produces a higher response
than no personalization.
Make a habit of collecting and storing the real name of each
prospect in addition to their email address so you can use it to
personalize your messages to them. Look for it in the header of
the email message when the sender doesn't "sign" the message.
TIP: You'll automatically get more real names in email messages
by revealing your real name first. I do this by using my real
name as my email address. Over 75 percent of the email messages I
receive include the sender's real first name.
DON'T OVERDO IT!
Use a person's name no more than 2 or 3 times in a communication.
Inserting it too many times annoys the reader and broadcasts that
the message is part of an automated mass mailing.
Sometimes you don't need much more than a prospect's name to get
results. For example, I send a lot of prospecting postcards by
postal mail to targeted lists. The only message on the postcard
is the recipient's name followed by a benefit statement plus a
phone number, email address or website address where the prospect
can get more information. I always get a high response because
each recipient is attracted by their name and can't resist
reading the rest of my brief message. None of these postcards get
tossed without being read.
Start personalizing your communications to prospects and
customers. It will substantially increase the response you get --
without increasing your costs.
Bob Leduc retired from a 30 year career of recruiting sales
personnel and developing sales leads. He is now a Sales
Consultant. Bob recently wrote a manual for small business owners
titled "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple
Postcards" and several other publications to help small
businesses grow and prosper. For more information... Email:
BobLeduc+aol.com Subject: "Postcards". Phone: (702) 658-1707
(After 10 AM Pacific time) Or write: Bob Leduc, PO Box 33628, Las
Vegas, NV 89133
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+ TIDBITS +
=====================
PC Guardian Releases Powerful New Email Encryption Software
PC Guardian announced the commercial release of Encryption Plus
for Email. PC Guardian provides computer anti-theft and
information security solutions to businesses. There are
approximately 500,000 licensed users of PC Guardian's Encryption
Plus software.
http://www.internetwire.com/technews/tn/01986438.dsl
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NewRegistrars.com Provides Directory of Accredited Registrars
Where do people go to register domain names, or to find out
whether a domain name has been registered, and to whom? Until
last year, all domain names were registered through InterNIC -
run by Network Solutions - in association with the U.S.
Government. Now, ISPs, individuals and companies registering
domain names can choose whom they register with. The site that
helps them find the right domain registrar for their needs, at
the right price, is NewRegistrars.com
http://www.NewRegistrars.com/inb
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Software Rental Via 'Net Now Available for Small Businesses
ScotSystems, Inc. will begin renting software applications over
the Internet to small businesses, with an emphasis on oil
marketing companies and convenience store operators, on February
15, 2000 under the name of "StoreReport.com"
http://www.StoreReport.com . "This is a plan we have been
working towards for over five years," said Bill Scott, president
of ScotSystems, Inc. Initially Scott hopes to attract thousands
of businesses involved in retail and wholesale operations who
don't want to purchase, install and maintain expensive computer
equipment and specialized software on site.
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USADATA.com Adds Free Business Solutions And MediaTarget Services
To Website
USADATA.com, a Marketing Information Portal company, announced
its new Business Solutions and MediaTarget services on its
website at usadata.com. Both services are available immediately
to assist sales and marketing professionals at companies of all
sizes access the marketing and media contact information
traditionally available at larger companies.
http://www.internetwire.com/technews/tn/01986488.dsl
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Computing McGraw-Hill & peanutpress.com Announce Free Advance
Chapters For PDAs
Computing McGraw-Hill, a publisher of books on Information
Technology, and peanutpress.com, Inc., an electronic publisher
offering books downloadable for personal digital assistants
(PDAs), jointly announced the release of several chapters of
Defending Your Digital Assets Against Hackers, Crackers, Spies &
Thieves, available at no cost on the peanutpress.com Web site.
http://www.internetwire.com/technews/tn/01986459.dsl
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MIT, Nanovation To Partner On Research Into Light-Based
Technologies That Will Revolutionize Communications, Boost Speed
By 100s Of Times
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Nanovation
Technologies Inc. announced plans to establish a world-class
center dedicated to the research and prototyping of light-based
photonic technologies, a 21st century field that will make
communications hundreds of times faster. The Massachusetts
Institute of Technology is a research university.
http://www.internetwire.com/technews/tn/01986511.dsl
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iProNetwork: Internet Guru Jesse Berst To Announce New Venture
That Will Ramp Up Convergent Marketing
Pre-event press conference. Jesse Berst to Announce his new
venture in Convergent Marketing. The iProNetwork will host Jesse
Berst, widely known as founder and editorial director of ZDNet's
Anchordesk and contributing editor to PC World and PC Computing
Magazine. Berst will appear live to announce his significant new
venture in CONVERGENT MARKETING.
http://www.internetwire.com/technews/tn/01986515.dsl
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ONLINE GROCERY WAR
U.K. supermarket chain Tesco is expanding its ambitious online
shopping plan by adding 300 more stores that offer Internet
grocery shopping. This triples the number of stores currently
selling and distributing groceries to people that order online,
and puts the option within geographic reach of 90 percent of the
British population. Tesco wouldn't say how much it's spending on
the expansion, but it will add 7,000 delivery personnel to
support the program. With 250,000 registered customers, Tesco is
the world's largest online grocery retailer. Tesco is in a race
against the clock with competing chain ASDA, which is boosting
the number of stores in its online chain to 231, and also has
four special distribution warehouses.
http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB94831460329066680.htm
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PAN-EUROPEAN ISP
Morgan Stanley is backing a $200 million startup that plans to
offer pan-European broadband Internet service. The company,
called Excalibur, will be headquartered in London, but it's being
built around an Italian ISP with a core of commercial customers.
In addition to basic Internet services, Excalibur will help small
and medium-sized businesses build and deliver e-commerce services
to European consumers. Company executives said they had already
started scouting across Europe for acquisition prospects,
planning to buy other small ISPs to support the venture. The $200
million financing was raised from Morgan Stanley and a consortium
of private equity investors in Rome.
http://www.tornado-insider.com/programs/publish/
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Cable Modem Market Closes Century on a High Note
The worldwide cable modem market displayed vigorous growth in the
third quarter of 1999, with shipments of cable modems for
connection to PCs reaching 833,000 units in the quarter.
http://cyberatlas.internet.com/big_picture/hardware/article/
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Hack Results in Action by Credit Card Firms
In the wake of the CDuniverse break-in, which resulted in the
theft of as many as 300,000 credit card numbers, two credit card
companies have re-issued cards to all cardholders who have
shopped at CDuniverse.
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/
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Internet Advertisers Target Women
Advertisers are beginning to notice that the Internet, long
regarded as a hangout for men, is becoming is becoming a place
where they can reach women as well, according to AdRelevance and
Media Metrix.
http://cyberatlas.com/markets/advertising/article/
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Top 50 Sites and Properties of December 1999
The Top 50 Digital Media Web sites and properties for the month
of December 1999 ranked by unique audience according to Media
Metrix.
http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture/traffic_patterns/article/
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Top 50 Sites of December 1999
The Top 50 Sites on the Web for the month of December 1999,
according to PC Data Online.
http://cyberatlas.com/big_picture/traffic_patterns/
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Conquering the Glut
The Web is an ever-growing Mount Everest of information.
According to International Data Corp., 900 million URLs were
registered in 1998; by 2003, that number is expected to rise
above 13 billion. And that represents just a fraction of the
total number of Web pages, and the reams of information contained
on them.
The growing infoglut has created a market for services that help
you find and organize relevant bits of information amid the Web
clutter. The level of sophistication of these so-called virtual
file clerks varies widely - from low-tech, people-run Web
clipping services to technology that "reads" documents on a
user's screen and hunts for similar information on the Web.
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display
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=================================================================
LISTEN to #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author, Robert Allen,
ONLINE as he reveals the formula you need to create the INCOME
YOU DESERVE to be financially FREE. Click here to read:
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OK, that's it for part two! Below you'll find the info section.
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Biz Bits is Copyright © 1999 Azam Corry. All Rights Reserved.
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