Create A Circle Of Influence

We meet many people in the course of our careers. We will get to some know casually, while others will become close friends and trusted allies. Then there are those I call 'centers of influence.'
These 'centers of influence' people are like the hub of a giant wheel. As you look back, you can see where many good things, things like contacts, sales and help just when you needed it most, have come from this one person.
Wouldn't it be great if you could know that a person was to become a 'center of influence' in your life *before* it happened?
Here's the good news... you can!!
In fact, not only is developing such relationships possible, but they can be developed without greed or manipulation.
If developing a 'center of influence' relationship using win-win methods sounds good to you, read on!
Create a 'Center of Influence'
Let's begin with a short quiz. One question. No pressure.
What is the best type of advertising?
I submit that the BEST type of advertising is the one that is most overlooked.
I'm talking about word of mouth advertising.
While targeted email, banner ads, billboard ads, and even television ads all have their place, nothing compares to the power of word of mouth.
When a person tells another about your product or service, the fact that they are speaking about you constitutes an endorsement. While people might not trust advertising (in fact, they don't) they do other trust people.
That's why no serious marketer can afford to overlook social networking for long. It is the perfect place to begin developing relationships - in fact, it's all about relationships! Unlike paid advertising or article marketing, social sites like Twitter and Facebook encourage dialog, not the usual sales letter monologue.
How can we develop a powerful word of mouth advertising campaign in our businesses?
By recognizing, developing and rewarding those people who can become a 'center of influence' in our lives.
Let's look at the steps it takes.
1. Recognition
You need to be in regular contact with the type of people who can benefit from what you do.
Do you know what your ideal prospect looks like? If so...

• List the type of clients that you would like to have more of. List what makes them an ideal client for you
• Find common characteristics. Put yourself in the position to meet those people.
• Get to know them on their turf. Before people will buy and recommend us, they need to get to know and TRUST us.

2. Development
Has someone you know ever bought from your competitor, just because they didn't know YOU sold it? We are not at the front of people's minds. They have kids, mortgages, college funds, and work pressures, just like you do.
We must position ourselves at the front of their minds by being in constant contact. We have many tools for this purpose. Like these...

• Send them an email once a month, announcing something new in your business.
• Phone them to say hello and announce your next big event. Ask how they are first, and keep notes so you have a point of contact for the next call.
• A personal note works very well for developing this type of relationship. Write a brief note and send it along. Notes take time, which shows that you value the relationship.

3. Reward
This relationship goes much deeper than just money. While you are getting to know them better and educating them about what you do, take the time to LISTEN to their needs.
If you can meet one of their needs, do it immediately, even if there isn't an instant return for you. This person is important to your business, so SHOW them how important they are.
Please understand that these relationships must be open and honest in order to work. People like to help other people, especially those they know and trust.
Develop that trust relationship with people who are well positioned to help you. You must earn their referrals.
When you do, your marketing will become supercharged with what is clearly the best form of advertising... positive word of mouth.
And that is a beautiful thing indeed!

Amazing Facts About Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher, a seven time World Champion is a German Formula One driver. He is one of the famous champions, well known for his racing. The number of races he has taken up so far is 304 with 91 tremendous wins. He started his Formula One racing successfully in the year 1991 with Benetton F1 team. He switched on to Ferrari team in the year 1996, up to 2005 he was driving for Ferrari team with consecutive winnings. In the year 2006, he retired from F1 but joined as Formula One advisor with Ferrari. Later in the year 2010, he signed up a three year contract with Mercedes GP team and returned back to racing again.
Schumacher career as a racer is a wonderful journey without any controversies. He is the only racer who has achieved too many records with a huge inspiration. He has gone through several injuries and accidents. He is extremely known for his quality and success. Apart from his success and stardom, he has also gone through lots of penalties when it comes to racing.
Michael Schumacher at the Indian Grand Prix
It was a great honour for Indian fan to have such a legend of F1 to race in the Indian Grand Prix. He finished in the 5th position by scoring 10 points in 2011 Indian GP. When asked about his thoughts of racing in India, Schumacher said "I have always been curious to get to know new cultures, so I am looking forward to travelling to India as I haven't been there." After finishing his race for the year 2011, "The Formula 1 debut of India last year was certainly a success," said Schumacher. He is also excited and awaiting for the Indian GP, 2012.
Amazing Facts about Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher has a lucky pendant, and it is noted that he does not drive without this pendant.
He is not interested in letting his son to take up f1 racing but he will advice him for some other sports like golf or tennis.
He likes to design cars and has done some designing for the Ferrari.
He does not have any friends in Formula One.
He does not talk with his brother Ralf Schumacher, who is also a racer.
He has a unique character or hobby of collecting watches.
Michael Schumacher Latest News
Schumacher couldn't make a victory in the three years with Mercedes team. "I thought that two years was sufficient time to take the title," Schumacher told, "It was a team that had just won the world championship, and was now a big name as Mercedes. I thought that, if we put two and two together, we would drive it forward towards that end. But it did not succeed."
Michael Schumacher is looking forward to return back to India for the upcoming Indian Grand Prix, 2012. He stated that "There were a surprising amount of fans during the weekend, and the track itself really is cool. We drivers were given a very enthusiastic reception, and it will be interesting to see if this enthusiasm has remained as strong."
He has made an official announcement regarding his retirement at the end of this season, 2012. He said "Bye bye to Formula One racing".
Schumacher's Hobbies
Riding horses
Skiing
Swimming
Tennis
Football
Soccer
Yachting
Jogging
Michael Schumacher Favorites
Food: Italian food
Music: Rock
Singer: Michael Jackson, Collins
Drink: Apple Juice with mineral water
Schumi loves pets and he has rabbits, horses, turtles, and dogs at his farm in Switzerland.
He enjoys smoking cigars and drinking wine.
He loves soccer and even he plays for a Swiss team.
Awards
ADAC Motorsports Personality of the Year, 1992
Golden Steering Wheel Award, 1993
AvD Sports Award, 1994
German Sports Personality of the Year, 1995
Silver Laurel Award, 1997
Golden Lion Award, 1997
World Sport Award, 2001
Champion of Champions, 2001
World Sports Personality of the Year, 2002
Champion of Sports, 2002
European Sports Personality of the Year, 2002
Honorary Ambassador for the Republic of San Marino, 2003
World Sports Personality of the Year, 2004
Sports Personality of the Century, 2004
Prince of Asturias Award for Sport, 2007
Knighthood in the Legion of Honour, 2010
GQ Sportsman of the Year, 2010
Social Contribution
Michael Schumacher Social Contribution mainly involved in charity and helping the poor and under privileged children with education and health facilities. Some of the organizations that he is associated with are:
UNICEF
Red Cross
UNESCO
All the above information about Michael Schumacher has clearly indicates that he one of the worldwide personality. As a most successful F1 driver, he has created a great impact in f1 and also stood as an inspiration for the upcoming racers.

Michael Schumacher, a seven time World Champion is a German Formula One driver. He is one of the famous champions, well known for his racing. The number of races he has taken up so far is 304 with 91 tremendous wins. He started his Formula One racing successfully in the year 1991 with Benetton F1 team. He switched on to Ferrari team in the year 1996...

Making the Most of Parent Teacher Conferences

This is the season for Parent-Teacher Conferences, which provide an opportunity for parents and teachers to get to know one another better, for parents to share their hopes and concerns for their child, and for teachers to share their perspectives about a child's academic progress, social development, and behavior.
Conferences represent one important part of the parent-school relationship. They are part of an ongoing dialogue and collaboration between parents and teachers on behalf of the development and well-being of our children. Below are a few tips to make the most of your conference:
1. Remember that parents and teachers are on the same team and both are committed to serving the best interests of children. Nothing is larger than our collective commitment to those children. Some of the news that is shared during conferences is wonderful and confirming, while some of it may be difficult to hear and hard to believe. Entering a parent-teacher conference can produce a measure of anxiety in parents and teachers alike. It's worth thinking about this element of anxiety before entering the conference and making a conscious effort to place each other at ease.
2. Parents have unique and important insights into their child as a person and as a learner. These insights are helpful to teachers as they provide appropriate support and challenge for each child. Parent and teachers alike need to acknowledge, leverage, and even celebrate these insights. In advance of the conference, it is helpful for parents to think about and come prepared to talk about what you know about your child that you want the teacher to understand.
3. Teachers have unique and important insights into each student as a person and as a learner. As a parent, when you go to talk about your child with the teacher, you may be aware that there are things that you do not know about your child and his/her life at school.
4. Recognize that children learn differently, develop (cognitively, socially, physically, emotionally) at different rates, refine their skills at different times, have different interests, and demonstrate different talents and abilities. No two children are the same. Similarly, as educators we expect to see varying strengths and challenges within each child. Children are works-in-progress and we need to give them the space to learn and grow-including by accepting their unique challenge areas as well as their unique strengths.
5. Minimize surprises at the conference. Since conferences are just one part-albeit an important part-of the parent-school alliance, it is important not to saddle the conference with more weight than it can bear. That is, whenever possible, parents and teachers should be communicating on a regular basis so that major surprises-whether academic or social-have been discussed beforehand.

Autumn 2012 Has Brought Glimmers

September and October 2012 have seen signs of more positive attitudes to employment and the state of the UK economy than have previously been in evidence.
Economic experts have been predicting that a UK return to growth is imminent while the monthly unemployment statistics have been showing steady improvement.
The Office for National statistics has just released the most recent figures for the three months to August 2012 which showed that a further 50,000 people found work and the numbers of people in work now at their highest level since records were first begun in 1971.
The REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) also carries out a monthly jobs survey among employers and it also found that growth in temp recruitment had reached a 14-month high and that demand for staff had increased more strongly.
The biggest concern about unemployment has been the worryingly high levels among young people aged 16 to 25. Here also there has been moderate good news with the Higher Education Careers Service Unit reporting that the situation for graduates this year being much better than had been feared and employment levels comparable to the previous year.
This reduction in unemployment, according to the ONS has also been mostly among younger people, bringing the numbers below £1 million for the first time in over a year.
Nevertheless there are those who argue that these so-called improvements are very uncertain because so many of the jobs people have taken have been part time when the preference was for full time employment, a proportion are accounted for by people becoming self employed and or many jobs taken being well below people's qualification and skill levels.
For many people, both employers and candidates, part time or temporary work has a negative image. A recent BBC online article that included interviews with young people in countries around the world, where competition for jobs on graduation is even more intense than it is in the UK, is instructive.
Among the quoted examples was a young graduate from Senegal, who said: 'Do not get discouraged by failure and keep trying'. Having managed ten interviews from hundreds of applications he had succeeded eventually in a politically volatile part of Africa.
Similarly a young woman in Malaysia said: that the job you settled for could be the stepping stone to achieving your dream job, while a young Nigerian persisted despite high unemployment in his country, eventually by handing his CV to the person who is now his current employer having bumped into them on the street.
For young graduates in the UK struggling to find work these examples are a useful lesson because what they all had in common was a positive attitude in sometimes dire conditions, far worse than those in the UK, and a determination not to give up. They were all willing to volunteer, try internships or even low-skilled work and perceived these options as giving them an opportunity, not a negative.