Welcome to Melbourne ... my time in a beautiful city

Melbourne – Mecure Welcome Hotel
and other places of interest.
Sharyn McCaskey
15th September 2011.


Melbourne never ceases to fascinate, inspire and amaze me, for one who hates to shop and lives in jeans and boots I certainly brought back a bag load of girly clothes and to everyone’s surprise even worn them.

Tops that would cost in WA $45.00 I was paying on average $8.00 in Melbourne, most definitely the fashion capital of Australia.  The shops on the main street of Melbourne were full of specials and all different styles, There were great buys at The Queen Victoria Markets but in some cases the prices were higher than shops, perhaps because they a ready market in the tourist trade.

The Queen Victoria Markets is a great day out, the food hall smells divine, I could have stayed there wafting in the cheese and ethnic smells for hours, but I think security would be concerned as to why a lady who is so obviously not “hooty tooty” had her nose in the air sniffing.

I had a desire to go and sit and watch people “lost in time”, I am passionate about history and I had a real need to eat food that had a taste to it, something Italian. I also wanted to be alone but be in a crowd at the same time.  The answer was MELBOURNE everything on my list and more.

Travelling alone at 48 can be daunting, you have your good points and bad; you want to be free to make your choices of where you are going but when you get there you want to share it with someone. Oh the conundrum do I go alone or with a friend, so I was alone for a few days and then a friend joined me from Tasmania.   

Being budget minded but expecting loads for my dollar, I searched for reasonably priced accommodation in the heart of Melbourne City, close to all transport and restaurants.   It had to be clean, friendly and offer a full breakfast service.  Mecure Welcome Hotel…ummm I think I will be the judge of how welcoming you are…

Well blow me down and push me over, 3.5 star rating with a 5 star and above attitude and service. Picture this I arrived late in the evening, tired and ragged after the long trip from WA, not a pretty sight I can assure you, yet the man behind the counter was either blind or extremely customer focused, he smiled warmly, booked me in, showed me to the breakfast area, the internet room, the gym facilities and something I was not expecting in a 3.5 star hotel, The Concierge Service!.

Next morning, after breakfast and looking a bit more human I went to the concierge desk, I found that this information source was all I needed in Melbourne.

They were so different, all were cute, all well mannered, all immaculately dressed and each made me wish that were my son. As I watched them over the week and used their services, I was proud and chuffed to see each had a real genuine desire to please their clients. I noted they really enjoyed their job and each excelled in customer service.

What impressed me was their knowledge of the city, from prices of tours, feedback on places and tours, suggestions and ideas; nothing was too much trouble for these men and in fact for the whole staff of the Hotel.

Based on what I was interested in they suggested I go to Sovereign Hill, do a day tour of Melbourne and take a trip on the Puffing Billy.   They contacted AAT Kings and APT Tours for the trips and handled all the bookings for me.

The coach trip down was so warm, did I say I went to Melbourne in winter… brrrr, you can tell the Melbourneites they were the ones with only one jumper on.
Each driver was different on each tour; each was friendly, knowledgeable, entertaining and made the day thoroughly enjoyable.

My favourite place was Sovereign Hill, I love the old ways and our history, my dream was to go to the village, sit in the restaurant, have few people around, watch the people go past in their old style clothes and immerse myself in the history.

Imagine then when I got there I find all my wishes adhered to and my favourite meal as the special for the day, potato and bacon soup. Oh my, I was in heaven.

The next day was a tour around Melbourne on the free city tram system, I spent hours in the Immigration Museum, went to the docklands district and found Melbourne Goal.  Arriving only one hour before closing time I knew a trip back to the Goal was a must, during my time I stalked the place and visited it four times, did I tell you I love history.

If you can, take a few hours to walk around Melbourne, I loved finding the alley ways which were full of shops, galleries, history and the quaintest restaurants all huddled up side alleys and laneways.  I can assure you the food at these places does not disappoint.

Visiting Puffing Billy was cute, a must for a day of something different, I had scones jam and coffee and visited three or four lovely old towns, again with thanks to AAPT – AAT Kings, the guide was friendly and made the day memorable, you actually feel like you are part of their family on these trips, even if you are on your own, you somehow feel “included”.

Recently I attended a dinner party with some contestants of Master Chef, I was told go to a restaurant and order something you have never eaten before, this was my goal at Lygon Street.    Before you even sit down the journey begins, so much fun bantering with the spruikers at the front of each restaurant, “come and eat here”, “I will give you wine”, “we will shout you bread” 

We arrived at one place and the spruiker said “we can offer you knives, forks, a seat under the heater and great food”. No gimmicks and I love I was getting to eat with utensils so I was sold on La Notte Restaurant.

At this time, Carolyn from Tassie, who was used to the weather and wore the one jumper, had joined me, we ordered wine, she ordered her meal and I said to the waiter… Surprise me!    We discussed my desire; off he went to the kitchen, knowing I wanted anything as long as it had taste and no mussels. 

Three meals ended up on my table after each bite I was making such appreciative noises that the lady at the other table said “Ill have what she’s having”.

Pasta with Chicken, Lamb in red sauce with potatoes, and a slice of pizza, the staff and food was so delightful I visited or should I say stalked that restaurant a few times as well…. Lucky it was in walking distance to the Melbourne Goal.

If you love history Melbourne Goal is it. I spent hours in their on my own, reading all the storyboards, looking at all the exhibitions and imagining what the prisoners must have felt.  Such an interesting and fascinating place, having worked at Fremantle Prison being a guide on the night and tunnel tours for years I wondered what it would be like being the tourist instead, off I went to a night tour, funny after doing my job for so long I was chuffed to be reminded of the build up and excitement that waiting for the tour can bring. 

Before the tour we were asked if we wanted to use the facilities if so they were at the other end of the building, “oh no” and “in the dark not me ill hold” were the cry’s of some of the patrons, me I walked many nights on my own in Freo Prison, one of the most allegedly haunted sites in Australia, so going through the dark of Melbourne Goal on my own was not an issue for me, or so I thought.

With my little torch I walked straight threw the dark foreboding prison up the stairs, my footsteps moving faster, my heart beating wilder, I was just about to enter the toilets when I stopped, for all along the corridor I could hear someone following me.  Here I was so brave.

Suddenly a hand grabbed my arm and a voice said “are you lost do you know where the toilet is”  … it seems whilst I was brave to go on my own some of the women had followed me… ghosts I think not but a good scare to start with.

The guide, Damien was great, a 45 minute tour where he shared stories of past prisoners, of the gallows, of the flagellators and the whipping post and of course of Melbourne’s most infamous prisoner Ned Kelly.

After the tour, they turn the lights on and you are able to wander the prison at your own pace, as this was my third visit back and knowing that a guide knows more than what is on the wall, I proceeded to ask Damien and his associate a series of questions.

Such lively discussion followed of which I completely monopolised their time. Bless them they welcome every question and shared in their knowledge of such a beautiful place, yes I do see the beauty in it and shared with me many stories of inmates, the building and its history, I was the last one out, I was hoping they allow me the privilege of being locked in their but apparently I had to commit a crime to do so and don’t think I did not seriously think about doing that.

Mecure Welcome Hotel, Melbourneites, the tour guides, the bus drivers, the concierge, the atmosphere, the food, the clothes, the galleries, the art, the history, the trams everything was fabulous. Going to Melbourne is so cosmopolitan, especially compared to WA.   It is like visiting another country but not needing to exchange your money or get a passport.

Melbourne and Mecure Welcome Hotel most certainly lives up to the name, you are very inviting and welcoming and I can assure you I will be back… after all I need more time at the Melbourne Goal.

Luna Park In NSW.. what a BRILLIANT DAY OUT

LUNA PARK
By Sharyn McCaskey
December 2011

Your excited, you can see the face, that old familiar fella with the big smile and all the teeth, your heart starts to pound, you grab your mates and start to jump up and down, “im so excited” you scream.

The funny thing is you’re 49 year old women who cannot wait to get on the rides.   Memories of those childhood days spent a Luna Park all come rushing back.  Lining up for the Big Dipper, sharing a laugh with mates, being scared in the ghost train, and spending time with ohhhhh boys who you liked but weren’t sure if they liked you.

My husband who is 52, who I am fairly sure after 32 years together actually does like me, was just as excited as I was. I am sure at one point he skipped, now as a 5ft 11 heavily tattooed and big muscled man who works in the mines of West Australia, seeing him skip with excitement off the ferry to the entrance amused many of those around him.

As soon as you walk in you realise you have stepped back in time, we walked past the stalls, the rides, the giant Ferris wheel all the way through until the entrance of Coney Island, we gasp as we comment “nothing has changed in 25 years”, it is all exactly the same.  

We rush over the to giant dip, grab our mats and high tail it upstairs, we turn left to the highest run and as I am about to slid down I think hang on .. This IS scary and I chicken out and move to the other slide and await my turn; onto the landing, feet into the back, await permission to go and then weeeeeeeeeeee ….

I am scared and laughing all at the same time, the only difference between 1975 and 2012 is that my husband is sitting at the bottom of the ride with an Iphone video …. I must admit one does not worry about ones looks when whizzing down a slide.

We rode all the rides in Coney Island and watched the kids on the big circle being “slide off” we recalled stories of our youth and again discussed how much has changed but not changed at all, the safety aspect was either not their in 1975 or simply as adults we actually notice the warnings and the watchful eyes of the staff.

As kids I suppose we just never registered their existence, it is nice to know they are there and keeping the kidlets safe, I do recall other bigger boys would take over the rides and push you off at times, that was certainly not going to happen in today’s Luna Park.

After Coney Island we venture out and up to the Wild Cat, now that ride offers a great view and at the same time, makes your heart stop as you ride the rails, up, down, sideways and inside out it seems.

We spent hours at Luna Park, riding the dodgems, laughing at the mirrors, one took about 10 kilos off me and I thought about picking it up and sending it home to my bedroom, I’m still thinking how do I get it delivered to WA.
We waited for the giant Ferris wheel and our turn in the cage, to take us up so that we could have a wonderful view without the whooshing of the wild cat of Sydney Harbour; some of the best shots of the harbour bridge were taken of our holiday from the top of that ride. 

Mac, my husband, took my concern over the height as an invitation to sit on the same side as me and be romantic; I appreciated his efforts but moved quickly to the other side to even out the balance.   Whilst it is high and I actually considered not going up, it is fine once your in the cage/ride.

The staff, the actors, the dancers, the stilt walkers and the entertainment which is on constantly has you asking in a rushed voice… “Where do I look, where do I go, and what do I do”.

All of a sudden you start hearing music from the 1920s and then 15 boys and girls come out and perform for 30 minutes dances and songs from that brilliant Andrew Sisters and Jazz era, they danced and sung up and down the park, high grade performances and very entertaining they were.  

As a child, Coney island is where Luna Park finished but today there is a whole other section of kids rides behind the island, don’t forget to visit that section, we had our drinks and sat their wishing our son was with us, actually to be honest we didn’t as it was fun on our own…..are we bad.

We did suggest to our son who is 24 that this would be a brilliant venue for a day out with him and his mates and his girlfriend and wished him all the fun of the park, so we felt we had done our part in including him.

The cost we found brilliant, as if you wanted to go on rides all day, you brought a pass and then it scanned you onto the rides, so if you were unsure of the rides but still wanted to reminisce or spend a day watching some great entertainment with views to die for of the Sydney harbour then it would not cost you a cent, that is the true value.

At Luna Park, you pay if you want to ride, for what you eat, which was so nice and not overpriced.

I knew my visit to Luna Park would be a highlight of our NSW holiday, I just did realise how many fantastic memories would come flooding back and how much those feeling and memories had a physical content to the day, I was on cloud 9 for that day and few days after.  

Luna Park is not just for the kids, the families and the grandparents, you can now add, those who are middle aged and want to have a great day out.

REVIEW of THE EX FACTOR .. A play at the Rockingham Theatre

REVIEW:- The Ex Factor
Play at the Rockingham Theatre Company
Attended Sunday 19th March at 7.30pm
By Sharyn McCaskey
  
You and your future wife are about to open a bed and breakfast and you need to have the inspector approve your establishment and give it a star rating.

Money is tight as your ex wife has been “haemorrhaging your money” with her maintenance agreement, due to her high spending on brand name clothes and shoes.   Your opening date draws near and you have quite a few things left to achieve, the delay being caused by your Sudoku obsession.    

You mix up your dates and guests start arriving a day early, expecting dinner and a room all of which they have booked and paid for and all of which are not ready.

Factor in a wet night, problems with the stock on the farm, a suspected broken foot, tension between the owners of the B & B, a deaf husband and a date with the inspector, who as it turns out is bringing her boyfriend who has a connection with chippendale, home made wine and a meal for two of curry now needing to feed seven and this is only the first act.

Sue Murray, in her first time on stage in a major role, does a fantastic job of playing the inspector who as it turns out is the ex wife!

Rockingham Theatre again delivers a fast paced, funny production that is enjoyable to watch and a very entertaining evening out.

The cast of mostly regular thespians lead by David Heckingbottom, under the direction of his new wife Larraine Craig, they were married and had their honeymoon during the rehearsals of this production, do Rockingham Theatre proud with their consistent professional standard; a special mention must go to Helen Brown  who does an outstanding job of playing Jane.    Alison Gibson and Michael Stocks are funny in their respective roles as does David Jones and Terry Winter.

The show opens on Saturday the 24th and runs over the two weekends, tickets are available at the Rockingham Visitors Centre or on line at www.rockinghamtheatre.com.  With some nights close to being sold out it is suggested you purchase your tickets as soon as possible.

WHY YOU CANNOT CHARGE DEBT COLLECTION FEES ON TOP OF A DEBT.... here is the proof

The ONLY way you are legally able to enforce debt collection fees is:-

IF your client has signed an agreement to do so BEFORE your contract/work was actioned.
  

Copy of a letter sent to ME when I queried as to the LAW
FROM :-
WESTERN AUSTRALIA POLICE SERVICE
CRIME INVESTIGATION SUPPORT PORTFOLIO
CRIME SERVICES DIVISION

COMMERCIAL AGENTS
297 HAY STREET
EAST PERTH WA 6004
TELEPHONE: (08) 9231 7199
FACSIMILE:(08) 9231 7188
 
YOUR REF:
W.A. POLICE REF
ENQUIRIES: Sergeant Glossop 6229      


Sharyn McCaskey 
Rockingham WA 6168



Dear Sharyn

Please find attached, a written response to your question relating to financial charges, which can be preferred by licensed debt collectors when collecting a debt from a debtor.
 
I must state that I am not a legal practitioner and this response is my interpretation of the Act and my opinion of how particular legislation within the Act should be applied, My following comments does not consider any written contract which may or may not be legally binding and does not consider any court orders.
 
Section 26 of the Debt Collectors Licensing Act 1964 provides the legislative authority for the Governor to make regulations necessary or convenient for carrying the Act into effect and in particular may make regulations for all or any of the following purposes;
 
Section 26 (d) of the Act states;
 
Prescribing the charges that a debt collector is entitled to charge, recover or receive from any debtor of a creditor for or in connection with the collection of a debt from the debtor on behalf of the creditor where the debt is paid by instalments and prescribing that the maximum amount thereof shall not exceed two and one half per centum of the amount of the debt and providing for a minimum charge.
 
Regulation 13 of the Debt Collectors Regulations 1964 states;
Charges by Licensee;

A licensee may charge, recover or receive from any debtor of a creditor for or in connection with the collection of a debt from the debtor on behalf of the creditor where the debt is paid by instalments a sum of 50 cents or a sum not exceeding two and one half percent of the amount of the debt, whichever is the greater amount.
 
When one also takes into consideration Section 14 of the Act, I interpret the Sections previously mentioned as allowing a debt collector to charge an amount of 50 cents or two and one half percent of the debt which ever is the greater amount if the debtor pays the debt to the debt collector by instalments.

If the amount of debt sought is paid in full, then there are no provisions in the Act to allow a debt collector to seek fees, charges, commission, reward or other remuneration ancillary to the debt itself.

Any costs associated with the collection of the debt are borne by the person on whose behalf the service is done, Section 14 of the Act requires that the creditor and the debt collector agree upon fees, charges, commission, reward or other remuneration in respect to the collection of the debt, this agreed amount cannot be added on to the existing debt incurred by the debtor.

Yours faithfully
D.W Glossop
Sergeant 6229
Commercial Agents

Call me for ANY debt collection questions you have

Tagging on FB

I have been asked about the Tagging for a while now and let me say FB are sometimes simply "HAVING THEIR OWN POOY DAYS"

But the basics of it is .....

If you are IN a friend page and you are tagging a friend that can BE done by placing the @ or using a CAPITAL LETTER
you can even tag a friend of a friend PROVIDED their settings allow it.  Provided you have liked the page or the page has liked you, you should also be allowed to @tag a business page.

If your in a group setting... you usually can only tag a PERSON cause groups dont allow business pages to join..

Business pages..
are you IN YOUR BUSINESS PAGE.... NOT on the page but IN IT.  (you have click the link.. use fb as ........ )
You can tag a business who likes your page or your page likes them.... so you have a "relationship"
with recent changes from the 12th September it seems one cannot tag a friend page if you are IN your business page, even if you have a mutual fb relationship

If you find it still does not work.. BLAME FB... I know I do ...
But sometimes I REFRESH my page and it works.... ???

If you have any questions please feel free to call me
Sharyn 95292828 or 0408 863331

Active LISTENING.. LOVE IT

The Technique. Active listening is really an extension of the Golden Rule. To know how to listen to someone else, think about how you would want to be listened to.
While the ideas are largely intuitive, it might take some practice to devel...op (or re-develop) the skills. Here’s what good listeners know — and you should, too:

1. Face the speaker. Sit up straight or lean forward slightly to show your attentiveness through body language.
2. Maintain eye contact, to the degree that you all remain comfortable.
3. Minimize external distractions. Turn off the TV. Put down your book or magazine, and ask the speaker and other
listeners to do the same.
4. Respond appropriately to show that you understand. Murmur (“uh-huh” and “um-hmm”) and nod. Raise your eyebrows. Say words such as “Really,” “Interesting,” as well as more direct prompts: “What did you do then?” and “What did she say?”
5. Focus solely on what the speaker is saying. Try not to think about what you are going to say next. The conversation
will follow a logical flow after the speaker makes her point.
6. Minimize internal distractions. If your own thoughts keep horning in, simply let them go and continuously re-focus your attention on the speaker, much as you would during meditation.
7. Keep an open mind. Wait until the speaker is finished before deciding that you disagree. Try not to make assumptions about what the speaker is thinking.
8. Avoid letting the speaker know how you handled a similar situation. Unless they specifically ask for advice, assume they just need to talk it out.
9. Even if the speaker is launching a complaint against you, wait until they finish to defend yourself. The speaker will feel as though their point had been made. They won’t feel the need to repeat it, and you’ll know the whole argument before you respond. Research shows that, on average, we can hear four times faster than we can talk, so we have the ability to sort ideas as they come in…and be ready for more.
10. Engage yourself. Ask questions for clarification, but, once again, wait until the speaker has finished. That way, you won’t interrupt their train of thought. After you ask questions, paraphrase their point to make sure you didn’t misunderstand. Start with: “So you’re saying…”

As you work on developing your listening skills, you may feel a bit panicky when there is a natural pause in the conversation. What should you say next? Learn to settle into the silence and use it to better understand all points of view.
Ironically, as your listening skills improve, so will your aptitude for conversation. A friend of my partner once complimented me on my conversational skills. I hadn’t said more than four words, but I had listened to him for 25 minutes.
Dont you just love the photo.. you kinda know that this guy did it right all his life.. such tenderness you know HE LISTENED
STOLEN from the status of Julie Donkin

SMS Marketing ...

SMS Marketing – The Pitfalls of this Marketing Strategy

SMS or short message service marketing became increasingly popular in the early 2000s.
This marketing strategy had a lot of benefits and advantages that soon it became a legitimate advertising channel especially for those who run small business firms and companies. But slowly the pitfalls and negative aspects of this marketing strategy came to the front and today; its popularity is rapidly diminishing.

Since there is very less cost and investment in this type of marketing, companies send out thousands of advertisements via SMS to the mass market. This has led to strong disapproval from most of the people as they get irritated and annoyed at being disturbed so often with random and useless messages. Most companies tend to overlook the personal details and send messages to a large group of people without stopping to think if the advertisement is going to be useful to them. And the result; constant buzzing of the phone which irritates the mass and makes them develop a strong dislike to this kind of marketing.

SMS marketing, if not carried out effectively, can cause serious damage to a company or brand as it elicits different kinds of negative responses in customers. Most often, customers are not given the information on how they can stop receiving these advertisements if they are irrelevant to them.

 This makes the recipients think that no one is controlling the process inculcating negative feelings.
SMS providers often provide business owners the ability to import their customers’ numbers without their permission. This has led to the misuse of this marketing strategy where spam messages have become the order of the day.

The irritation of the recipients has risen to the point where no one even bothers to read the messages even though some of them might be relevant and beneficial. SMS marketing has only advocated and popularized the use of the ‘delete’ button among consumers today.

BE proud of being a HBB

Home Based Business – Your Route to Freedom and Financial Independence
Home based businesses are often considered to be secondary in nature;
But there can be nothing farther from the truth. In fact home based businesses are now currently earning as much or even more than their partners, and with close to 68,000 registered home based businesses many are turning to the work from home concept.
Builders used to focus on the front room of the home being a “loungeroom” now you will find these in the back of the house and the front of the home has on many plans “office”.

In particular this sort of business suits the modern woman does not like being confined a box or ideal.  Nor often she does not want to be the overly ambitious career woman who does not have time for friends and family.
Today, women are looking for jobs that will give them financial independence as well as help them achieve the right work-life balance.  Home based businesses can be perfect for this.

This kind of a career opportunity allows people the freedom to earn a living without compromising on the quality time that can be shared with a family. If diarized and with time management skills a home business can allow you to work at your own pace and schedule, giving a person plenty of time to cook her family’s favorite meals or cuddle up for a movie together, attend a luncheon or function, play golf, join a club or anything that you have a interest in.
Home based businesses also can offer financial freedom.  In many cases this is very important to the modern person who does not like to be dependent financially on another individual.
What was once a niche market today is a normal part of many lives, running a home based business and the trend is only continuing to grow.

This career option also gives women the opportunity to network and make friends. Women love to communicate and share their ideas; hence a home based business gives them plenty of time to connect and bond with similar women.
One drawback is the focus on business during business time, be strict with family and friends they cannot just drop in at the office in town, so make the same rules apply at home, schedule your work time.
If you can make sure you cannot see your home, eg have your garage turned into a office, or place a partition connecting your office to the rooms that you cannot visually see you are home. 

Make sure you stay connected as this aspect to business can be lonely, join business groups and meet up with other like minded home based businesses this gives you the personal connection which is much needed in life to stay motivated and focused and not so lonely, and make a point of dressing for work that also can work physiologically for you to stay in the work zone.
Setting up a home based venture does not require too much investment, and the costs are minimal, hence the returns can be very profitable. There is no longer the stress and tension of having to wake up early, do the household work, take care of the kids and then run out for work.

A home based job allows you to run your life at your own freedom and pace. Above all the personal satisfaction that today’s woman gets in being able to have a career from the comforts of her own home is well awesome.
Mostly though NEVER underestimate the power, the privilege and the for thought you had to start a home based business… it is no longer the way business will do work in the future it is the way business conduct business now.. 
I hate hearing, I am only a home based business, 68,000 people cannot be wrong and you know you ARE a home based business and that kinda rocks…

Profile of Sharyn McCaskey and MDVS Business Services

MDVS Must Demand/Deliver Value and Service.

Sharyn McCaskey‘s passion is in the training sector and loves watching light bulb moments of her clients, then seeing that turn into motivation and passion for their own said business or jobs.

Her mantra is to exceed every client’s expectation and is genuinely available for support and advice 24/7.

What MDVS Business Services can offer you is training and support, both in group seminars and in direct one to one coaching.    

With over 15 years hands on experience in small business herself and over 10,000 clients to date, including the police, sheriffs, bailiffs, individuals, small and micro businesses, the corporate sector, not for profit groups and politicians we know and are so proud to have supported many in the business community.


Subjects include: 

• Marketing 

There are 100s of ways to market your business, many of them AT NO COST.
75% of the marketing dollars you spend is 100% wasted

• Customer Service 

Turning a negative complainant into a positive will also turn that client into the MOST loyal of all customers
Imagine if your clients felt so welcome in your business that they went off and promoted YOU.

• Social Media.. focusing on Email Newsletters and Facebook

Is the way of the future ... "find us on Facebook logos" are everywhere
It is FREE
5 mins can and will increase your client base GUARANTEED
FB is easy to use..  it is networking ON LINE and it GETS YOU BUSINESS.

• Networking

It is not scary once you know how easy an opening line can be
Is very easy to learn

• Phone Sales

If a person calls your business, you already have 99% of the sale completed.
How you handle that call will determine if you turn it into a sale

• Debt Collection and Legal Action

The ONLY debt collection seminar in Australia
15 years experience as a debt collector I can share with you methods that:-
Gets you Paid FIRST and Works in ONE phone call


Seminars are run regularly for either 3 or 7 hours and can be tailored to your INDIVIDUAL needs.
They are always FUN, INFORMATIVE and above all they have a 100% money back guarantee!

Holding a Work Place Trainer and Assessor Certificate IV, Sharyn is constantly researching and learning about new business practices for her clients and herself. 

She also holds credentials in Debt Collection and Accounting, Customer Service, Marketing, An Advanced Diploma in Counselling and studied Business at St Joseph’s Business College in NSW.
                                              
She is the current South Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Women of the Year, and holds a number of awards including a finalist in the South Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce Small Business Awards 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2011and is the Winner of the 2003 Chamber of Commerce Presidents Award.

 A very active participant in the community and believes that you have to give in order to receive.  She has actively participated in a number of committees including, Tourism Rockingham, Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, Spring Festival, Rockingham Theatre, Safer WA and Musselfest.

Further for her community work she is a finalist in the 2001 for the Rockingham Rodeo and a winner in 2003 Australia Day Awards for the Rockingham Spring Festival of which she was a team member she also holds numerous certificates for volunteer and community work.

 Sharyn is the author of the following useful and easy to read Business Support Manuals:

• How to Network Effectively
• Successful Telephone Etiquette and Telephone Sales, Including dealing with a tele-marketing centre
• Finance In Business – Complete guide to all your accounting needs in Business, from Set to and including Effective Debt Collection and Taking Legal Action.
• Customer Service that will Increase Your Profits
• Effective and FREE Marketing Ideas - that will increase your Profits
• How to make a success from your Home Based Business:- Including Basic Marketing, Customer Service, Telephone Sales, Time Management, Accounts and everything to help you run your business.
• Time Management Skills
• Social Media Marketing:- Facebook and Email Marketing for your business
• 40 Tips for using Facebook as a effective business tool.

    LET Mdvs Business Services SHARE their KNOWLEDGE WITH YOU.

Feedback on my seminars can be found on www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
.... and the best thing is my seminars are covered by the $200.00 government rebate training scheme.

MDVS Business Services is a well respected micro business that specialises in business training programs; their focus is on quality of work and support to their clients.


Contact Sharyn McCaskey Co Director and Trainer,
mdvs@iinet.net.au or www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
Your telephone call is most welcome on 08 95292828 or 0408 863331.


What are others saying about the seminars… there are many more on www.mdvs.com.au or on Facebook.

Pauline Bright
Thanks Sharyn for a brilliant Facebook workshop - NOW I get it!!! Facebook is my newest best friend now that I know how to use it... practising like crazy...watch me go!!!

Carol Frieling Rhoden
Had a great time meeting everyone today at the marketing seminar....some great ideas from all and good interaction..Thank you Sharyn McCaskey


 Sharyn was a great speaker she made everyone in the room feel welcome, she made everyone feel like what they had to say was important, Sharon was really easy to get along with and made the day a fun experience!  Everything Sharon talked about was relevant to everyone in the room, if some thing was not relevant or did not make sense Sharon would advise a 1 on 1 chat after wards which was great! It made me feel as though she actually cared and you weren't just “another business’ to her.
Jade, aged 17 accounts girl at TNT Motors
Via - Zarina Bingham 


Valandon
Feeling a little down with your business and needing a " pick me up "? Then get yourself on one of Sharyn McCaskey's Facebook or Marketing seminars - doesn't matter which - at MDVS Business Services in Rockingham, We did! Guarantee you will find it Hilariously enjoyable and very very informative. Guarantee that you will come out from the seminar re-invigorated, enthused, and with new marketing ideas for your business just poping out of your ears. Wowee!!


‎Linda Fisher of Telf Promotional Products would like to thank Sharyn McCaskey of Mdvs Business Services for the excellent seminar on Facebook - learnt a LOT of very useful information, if you haven't done the course it's a must!

OH NO MY FACEBOOK PAGE IS GONE……………

Could you imagine anything worse, losing your have photos, articles, recommendations, videos and links. It is a fear carried by all of us.

I just backed up my site by going to https://www.backupify.com
Before signing up I conducted a Google search and typed in .. “is backupify a scam” and could not locate a negative.

The cost to protect my sites was NIL. Plus I also had a physical reaction after that was done and actually let out a big breathe, I can only imagine the impact of losing your page and I now feel I have taken in part a step to at least be as protected as I can be.

The FREE option I understand is VERY limited and once this initial offer expires, anyone signing up after this will be charged a fee, the talk is around $3.00 to $12.00 per month, but as I understand it, if you sign up for free it will remain free.

People have taken the time to like your page… so they want to know what you are doing and what you can offer them, don’t loose those contacts.

If you think it cannot happen to you, and then I can introduce you to at least twenty companies I personally know who can confirm it does.

If you get a virus and you have to reload your entire computer, it could be that you may have affected your facebook page.  Nothing is 100% safe.

Every time a new fan likes my page, I have searched their page and located their email, and created a database of “fans of Mdvs Business Services” that way if it ever goes down I can also email and ask them to relike a new page.  But at least now I feel I can restore my old data.

So what can you do?
OPEN an account with Backupify.  Backupify offer back up services for your social media accounts, including facebook, twitter.  Up to three accounts are free; there are paid and unpaid options on this site, but I strongly suggest you look at the site and judge it for yourself.

The services that Backupify currently support are:
Gmail Twitter Facebook Flickr Photobucket Google Docs Zoho Basecamp WordPress Blogger Hotmail Delicious FriendFeed
Once you’re signed up for Backupify, the service performs scheduled backups at one of the 10 online services it supports, requiring only that you provide the login information for that site you’d like backed up. After you’re set up, Backupify ensures that your information is never deleted.
Please do your own research on this product and if you use the computer as your business lifeline as many of us do, please invest the time of about 15 minutes to research and the 5 minutes to sign up with this or any other back up service that offers support and protection.

For all your facebook marketing needs, set up of accounts, profile tabs and seminars on how to market on facebook, please contact me anytime.

Sharyn McCaskey
Director - Mdvs Business Services and Training
Winner – Women In Business 2008  South Coast Regional Chambers of Commerce
Bendigo Bank Regional Small Business Awards
08 95292828     0408 863331
mdvs@iinet.net.au
www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THE KNOWLEDGE - KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

How to keep your fans ENGAGED on your FB Business Page

Keep Fans ON Your Business’s Facebook Page

I recently removed a number of businesses from my personal page, my wall was getting to busy with content that dictated to me … I hate be told to shop with someone….
We are open from this to this.
Come and like our page
If you want to have this then buy it
 
Social Media is simply that SOCIAL…
We are bombarding FB with adds as a statuses and that was not the interest of the readers.

There are a number of reasons why people leave a page.
They only liked you because of a competition
They feel dictated to
They feel you post to often and everywhere
The information is not interesting to them

Basically we forget that people are on facebook to ENGAGE in relationships

The best way to describe your business on facebook is going to a networking function and meeting and talking to new and existing clients and building a relationship.. with some marketing thrown in. THINK when you are at a chamber function do you walk up and say like my page, or our opening ours are, so when you are posting visualise yourself IN FRONT of a person and write what you would say to a human being.

NO longer is FB business pages about how many likers it is about how many are “talking about you” that number is listed under the number of likers on your page.

When using the facebook page for promotion for www.facebook.com.au/shakespearewa
We had 224 likers and a average of people talking about us was 190,  www.facebook.com.au/MashMentoringallsmallandhomebasedbusinesses  has 249 fans and 85 talking about it .. and they is a great number.

Why You Should Care:
Facebook has over 200 million active users and it is growing every day

It is one of the most trafficked websites in the world along with Google and Ytube

If you think your customers are NOT on FB then think again..  the fastest growing demographic is women 35 and older, in my district of Rockingham Western Australia, 73% of my community have a FB page.  If I told you .. you could market your business at NO COST to this amount of clientele would you not jump on it…

With over 75% of posts in business on FB wasted… DO not become one of those… THINK prior to posting
Am I engaging?
Am I seeking a response?
Have I simply posted to post and not thought about what I want to offer or say
Is my post boring?
What is this that is truly interesting to my clients?
I have posted this once on my site, do people hate double posts?  Yes they do.

Business Facebook Pages also have a DIRECT link back your Search Engine Optimisation ranking.
In order to get a response you also have to be active on their pages and respond accordingly to their posts.. business ALL business is not a one way street.

How do you get your fans to engage with your Page?
That all depends on your audience and the subject matter of your Page but the basis of why and how is the same…
When you engage a fan, you solicit a response or action from him.
Here are some helpful hints to encourage fan engagement through your content:

• Show your human side.
All work and no play makes for a very dull Page.
Share what you did on the weekend, share your opinions on subjects.. keep away from religion, politics and sex.  People like to share the more human side of life.   Include photos, videos and people love kids and animals.

• Ask your fans what they think.
Be direct and ask fans what they think of your organization, new product, or position on a topic. For example, Perth Auctions asked their fans to comment on ways to improve their website.

• Tell your fans how much you appreciate them.
Thanking your fans for their questions or complimenting them on their comments can go a long way. 

• Highlight a success story.
Talk about a fan’s success, shout out well done’s and congrats to other businesses.
Many companies on Facebook run a Fan of the Month promotion

• Share your tips and insights.
People are always looking for information that helps them. Sharing helpful tips is some of the best engagement around and offer this as a gift.. with NO agenda. As a person involved for years in debt collection I will often share tips on this subject… my book How to Network is freely available on my notes section of which I cut and paste into the wall every few months.

 •  Provide links to relevant articles and research.
You don’t have to be a prolific writer to be valuable to your fans. By posting links to relevant articles, videos, resources, and research you become someone they source information from

*  If it has worked before do it again
Carol from Urban Retreat Day Spa often posts up videos of herself offering brilliant promotions that are often sold in the hundreds… she simply films herself on a small hand held camera, or phone and uploads it straight to facebook.

Your Facebook database is an incredibly powerful marketing asset. You should be aiming to grow the number of fans of your business page, at the very least, you should be looking to retain the fans you already have.

But they already “Liked” your page, so you shouldn’t have to do much to keep them, right? Well, as it turns out, this is a very dangerous mistake to make.   VALUE your fans… and your customers and they will stay and continue to participate in your business.

Another study late last year, revealed in that survey that the top 4 reasons for fans hitting the “Unlike” button were
companies posting too frequently (44%),
fans' desire to get rid of the clutter of marketing posts on their wall (43%),
content becoming repetitive or boring over time (38%),
and that fans only “Liked” the page to take advantage of a one-time offer (26%).

With these daunting percentages, it may seem like the odds are stacked against you when it comes to retaining your Facebook fans. However, there are many things that you can do to avoid high “Unlike” rates.

Look at other sites you are active on… why are you staying on that site…
Many pages WORK … many people have very unrealistic ideas that if they have 200 fans then why don’t they have 200 responses, that is simply never going to happen, the average you expect to react would be 5-10%, just because someone does not respond does not mean they don’t react, studies show that the majority of people are lookers… so you can expect a further 60% to know about your status.

Remember people like humour, people like to feel appreciated and people want to achieve something out of every relationship

Be interesting
Be engaging
Be FUNNY
Ask questions
Be relevant
Be personal
Be honest
THANK people for comments, photos
Use photos, videos
Use the note section on FB
Are you operating on the 2 posts personal about you or your business and the 1 post business theme.. studies show this works best.
Take a real look at your post.. a honest look … and ask yourself.. if this post was on another business wall would I CARE.
 
Sharyn McCaskey
Is a FACEBOOK MARKETING EXPERT
She is an award winning and well respected business women
Email her on mdvs@iinet.net.au
www.facebook.com.au/mdvsbusinessservices
She is a certified trainer and is a author ….

Her passion is helping business NOT WASTE TIME or MONEY.
0408 863331 or 08 95292828

Making the Most out of your Stall at a Trade show or Expo

Making the Most out of a Trade show or Expo

Showcasing your business at an Expo can be a brilliant way to promote your products and service and to attract new clients.

The direct contact you have with potential clients of whom you can read instantly if those clients are:-
3.         Simply lookers and takers of everything and everyone      (could buy from you)
2.         Interested parties who could be potential clients        (may buy from you)         
1.         Keen to be involved in your business..                             (Will buy from you if treated right)

Having this direct and instant result means that an investment in both time and money in an expo can be beneficial to your business.


ONLY go if  

• You send your best and happiest staff to the expo or go yourself if you can…
• You set up your stand with a trestle table between you and the attendees, always have the table to the wall so that your stand is inviting people in with NO barriers, if you have to have the trestle table in front, then YOU stand in front of your display not IN it.
• You do not sit behind the table reading a book or paper
• You don’t have the same stand, competition and guide as everyone else does.
• You always have a happy and genuine smile and interest in each person.

And that you MUST … MUST follow-up with those you meet at the expo..
I am shocked at how many times I have asked people what happened to all the data of information of potential clients that you attracted during the expo… “I put in my filing cabinet” or “I put it in my computer”   have you contacted them… “Oh no I have been to busy” 
Seriously don’t go if you are not going to follow up on a least your HOT leads.

• Make sure the expo suits your business
• Request as much information as possible about visitors and where they are marketing to and in what media, radio, newspaper, social media etc… (who they are, what their roles are, whether they are decision makers, what vertical markets they represent etc.);
• Set a budget and DON’T over stock and over do your stand, less is more
• Come up with something that will make you stand out from the crowd, I own a complete set of exact replicas of the Four Ned Kelly Armours and on display they stand out dramatically, we do lease them out to clients if you are interested, call me to ask for details.
• Launch a new product
• Remember to make your exhibit inviting;
• Put your best people on the stand and have a meeting PRIOR to the event so that everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them.
• Don’t do the hard sell, you are there to make contacts, and later you can contact your number 1 keen interested parties to follow up on selling your product/service.
• Be energetic, engaging and smile; and be genuine.

Remember that people who go to the expo have an interest in what you are promoting and in many cases they have paid an entrance fee to enter the expo, these are by their very nature interested parties.    This then makes expos and business fairs a great investment for your business.

Unlike other marketing campaigns and newspapers adds expos offer a face-to-face opportunity with a very high attendance of potential customers.  It can be a long weekend and it is tiring but the benefits of walking away with a business deal and new potential contacts in just a few minutes is brilliant.

How can I get my business to stand out?

• Make your exhibit welcoming, less is more and keep it simple, bright colours always are attractive and do not place barriers between you and your clients.
• Dress up your stall in a U shape if you can.
• Be well presented and dressed properly yourself, including grooming, not to much perfume/after shave.
• Wear a uniform if you can, something that identifies you as the stall holder.
• Have your most engaging staff or yourself as the hosts of the stall.  Be prepared with why would someone want to do business with YOU
• Always be attentive, genuine and smiling.
• If there is more than one person waiting to speak to you, excuse yourself from the client you are talking to and take a phone number of that interested party.  Then call them on their mobile when you are free, or ask them would they mind waiting, ACKNOWLEDGMENT is the KEY
• Remember your goal is to make a connection not a friend who you will chat with all day, so once you have the genuine connection offer to call that person during the week and use that time to invite them to your business or answer any more questions they may have had and PHONE them within a few days at the most of the expo.
• Avoid the words competition or promotion, people are savvy to now know this is purely to capture data… be honest and ask do you want to be contacted after the expo, people prefer to deal with honest and upfront businesses.
• Use facebook to ask your fans…. “what would make me stand out at a expo, can you offer ideas that are different to the norm in order for my stand to STAND OUT”
• Photos and roll on videos are brilliant especially if they are bright and engaging.

Don’t forget to also say hello and introduce yourself to those around you and engage them, they are your potential clients and can also refer business your way, especially if they are in the same industry but are not competitors to your business. 

Go around the expo if you can and obtain the cards of other stall holders and contact them during the following week and introduce yourself, say something about the expo and how perhaps you would like to connect with them at the next one or even now if advantageous to your business.  ALWAYS REMAIN POSITIVE and if you can recall anything about their stand, make a comment about it. People love to be acknowledged and appreciated.


Tips for the EXPO
         Can you get a list of all the stall-holders prior to the event, this way you can perhaps market to them first, especially if you are a sign writer.
         FOLLOW UP any potential clients the following week after the expo.
         Don’t forget everyone else at the show, the workers the other stall holders etc,  Promote your business to everyone –
         Keep your costs DOWN – use a x promoter for prizes and fliers.
         When you book your stall ask for a corner spot.
         Make sure you have enough pens, brochures, fliers, business cards and display items for the weekend, including blue tac and pins – held at your stall, not in your car, try never to run out of anything.  BOOK your brochures etc at least one month prior to the event so that the printer also has time to finish the order.
         Make sure you see a layout of the event prior to booking your stall so that you are not tucked into a dark corner.
         Think of the layout and how the people will enter and leave the expo, make sure your stall is on a busy “road”.
         Does the event cover insurance for stall holders or do we need our own, if they do cover it, MAKE sure you see this clause in the contract.
         Find out the rules about signage outside your stall and can you use A Frame advertising boards OUTSIDE your stall.
         Can you walk around the expo handing out your fliers – some expos say NO, and watch over the weekend that people just don’t turn up and hand out their fliers to anyone and everyone.  I have seen this often, people who have not booked a site attend a expo and just walk around and drop fliers and handouts either on tables or to patrons, this is not fair to the ones who have paid for and booked a stall. That is why a lot of expo and fair co-ordinators do not allow this any more.
         what is the number of patrons that you are expecting, how many years have you run this event, how many people attended last year
         Is there a brochure or advertising book going out with this event and is my site included in this manual and/or advertising book at NO COST to me.
         What advertising are you doing for the event itself, to bring patrons into the event.
         Is there an entrance fee, if so how much, how many free tickets will you be supplying, how many tickets will my stall be able to take.  This is because you can use it on your newsletter to send out to your clients INVITING them to the event to see your site at no cost to them.
         Is there a discount for me attending this show – as a first time attendee as a stall holder. 
         If there are a number of shows that this business does, eg some shows travel around the country.  These shows offer two paid stalls and one free.  Such as paid stall in Sydney and Melbourne and your site in Perth is FREE.
         If you cannot offer me a discount what can you offer me to make me want to come on board with your show, what extras or incentives can I get. If you don’t ask you won’t get, these extras are always made available in the expo organizers budget for the savvy people who ask.
         Does the site come with signage, tables, cloths, chairs etc.  IF not ask for it to be included in the price.
         Is there a seminar room that you could have one hour of the time to showcase your product – at no charge to you. Including the advertising and announcing of this seminar in the event program.
         Does the site come with side walls, if not then do you supply partitions – are these free standing, can we have pins with them, what colour are they, this is important especially if you have a colour scheme with your branding.
         What size stall do you need pace it out in your office or lounge room, think what do I want in the stand, often the best size is a 3mtr x 3mtr, but they do come as small as 1mtr squared, up to a big marquee.  If you only need a 3 x 3 when purchasing the stand of the expo, ask for a 6 x 3 upgrade at no cost to you, the worst they can say is NO. 
         IMPORTANT – a static display, this is a display of your brochures, fliers and information, it is displayed on stands but NOONE is in the stall,  THIS IS VERY INEFFECTIVE  as people do not take these items unless they are very very interested, people usually just walk past these stands.
         Do you need electricity if so will it be a generator or in house, do you get this included in the price, and do you need to bring an extension lead.

And MOSTLY
Contact your leads within five days of the event’s end date


Writen By  
Sharyn McCaskey
Company Director - Mdvs Business Service and Training
Off Line Marketing and Facebook Marketing Expert
Winner – Women in Business 2008 South Coast Regional Chambers of Commerce Small Business Awards
Finalist – Micro Business Operator 2011 Rockingham Kwinana Chambers of Commerce
08 95292828                          0408 863331
mdvs@iinet.net.au                  www.mdvs.com.au
www.facebook.com.au/MdvsBusinessServices
EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH THE KNOWLEDGE –
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Friendships and Business DO THEY MIX

Business and Friendships DON’T always mix
Personally being a process server destroyed a business association I had.
Sharyn McCaskey
24th February 2012
 
I am a firm believer that business and friendships usually go hand in hand, that if you know and trust a person in business, and then as much as you can you use that person.

I also believe that if there is a chance that you can cross promote a person or business you should take that opportunity.

There is also the question of when a client turns into a friendship and does that change the dynamics of the business relationship.

Mostly friends as clients and visa versa works, though in rare cases I’ve seen it backfire and hurt a persons brand or reputation, in my case I was so vocal at promoting a particular business that when it stopped so abruptly people were left to their own perception.

Few associates know that I have a second business that serves court papers for unpaid debts, and/or other family court matters. As the subject matter can be delicate, I keep this business discreet.

The person I was promoting did brilliant work and to my knowledge always paid their bills. The issue was not with my associate it was with their new partner.

I made a promise to my associate that my business would not serve papers on their partner; I also made a decision to halt my relationship both professionally and personally, as I felt it was in an ethical dilemma.

“But I don’t understand why we can’t still work together” I was asked, because in the end the loyalty and relationship you have with your partner trumps any business association.

I do have many friends who I do business with. If I need their service or product then I am pedantic at making sure I follow the protocol as if I was a client.  I ring for an appointment or booking and I don’t ask for discounts. I value and respect they are in business to make money.

It is the same when I am conducting business training, if I am dealing with friends then during my interaction I treat them as if they are clients, I act professionally, including how I talk, the discretion I keep in what they share about their business and even to dress professionally if in work mode.

At a recent business forum someone asked, “I have a friend who is a hairdresser but I don’t really want her cutting my hair, but if I go somewhere else she gets upset and it causes a rift in our friendship, what can I do?”   Another stated “I have the same issue; I don’t want to use my friend who is a printer when I can get it cheaper elsewhere”
That discussion created such interesting debate.

So how do you know when to cross promote, when to work with someone or when to walk away. If you say no to cross promotion does that friend become an enemy.   What happens if you have two friends in the same field how do you handle that when each party expects you to work with them?

Debt Collectors, Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planners, Accountants and Book keepers are in a separate situation, each one deals with money and many people do not want others to know about their financial situation.

There are exceptions to this rule but it would be correct to state that 70% of people will not use someone they know in the above fields.   The same could be said for marriage counsellors or counsellors in general.

My understanding is Chiropractors, Doctors, Dentists and others in this field are not ethically allowed to treat their friends.

So when do friendships cross over, I have been going to the same butcher for years now and he knows my name, he is always polite and we have had some great conversations, the question is, is this friendship or excellent customer service.

I started to really look into this, and thought I would offer these suggestions

1.         Always be professional when dealing with a client, no matter if they are friends or not and be genuinely pleased to see them.
2.         Always get a written contract or at the least write down your expectations. A contract protects both you and your client and your friendship.
3.         Don’t play favourites, or if you don’t do it in front of other clients. That can be from the way you treat a person in front of other clients, to the way you may “push” a friend’s job to the front of the line.
4.         Be consistent with all your clients,
5.         Make sure your invoicing is sent out as per normal.
6.         When working avoid the friendship talk, and make it know you are now talking business, say something like, “ok now time to put on our business hats, and lets get to the point of that ……….” Sit up and change your posture, it will be noticed.
7.         Clients don’t work with people they don’t like know and trust, unless they have no choice. So remember to never take it for granted and say thank you for being a client
8.         Connect with them on social media and interact
9.         Be on time and diligent no matter the task. If you run into problems, the client is the first you notify.
10        Simply respect them and don’t disrespect them.
11.       Don’t ask for freebies, because you know someone in business, value that they are worth what you would pay if you needed their service but did not know them personally.


Friendships can work in business, and business can work in friendship, one just has to set boundaries. Be very clear about expectations and outcomes.  That is why written confirmation of what is the job, service, product, client contract or role is always more beneficial than the verbal.

There are going to be times when things don’t work out, it is how we handle those situations that will affect our outcomes for our business.  Always try and remember to breathe and take a few days break from an issue before reacting, that way you avoid overreacting.

DEBT COLLECTION LETTER THAT WORKS.... use it to collect money that RIGHTFULLY belongs to you... from MDVS Business Services

DEBT COLLECTION LETTER THAT WILL WORK
Please Feel Free to USE it and copy it and share it.
This letter should be your FINAL contact prior to legal action
If you have any questions PLEASE contact

Sharyn McCaskey – your debt collection specialist
MDVS Business Services
95292828 or 0408 863331


PLACE YOUR LETTERHEAD HERE…


Customer
Address 1
Address 2


Dear

INTENTION TO SUE and PROCEED AGAINST YOU

We refer to previous invoices/communication where we have endeavored to recover our outstanding funds and advise we still have not received any payment or reason for the delay.

This is your last chance. Please understand this is not the action we wish to take but you have ignored all avenues of arranging payment to this date.  We would like to give you a final opportunity to make payment.  We hope you settle this matter forthwith.

Failure to do so will leave us no alternative but to pursue this matter through the Magistrates Court of Western Australia..  To avoid this we demand a payment within 48 hours delivered to our address, failure to make a payment for the full amount will result in the following:

A Magistrates Summons will be issued against you.

• Upon Judgment this can default your National Credit File for 5 years and will have you listed as a credit risk, which can severely hinder your future chances of obtaining finance.
• All court fees will be added to the account already owing
• The charges are
• Filing Fee                                $76.00
• Bailiff/Claimant Service Fee   $45.50 (plus traveling fee  $1.15 per km
• We are also able to claim interest under Section 42 of the Supreme Court Act
• After Judgment we can claim further recovery action and your costs will continue to escalate till the debt and all the costs are PAID IN FULL.

Upon Judgment we the plaintiff, have the following options available to us to recover the Judgment Debt:-
A:   Ask the Court for a Property (Seizure and Sale) Order – This is an order you obtain to seize and sell as much of the judgments debtors real or personal property as necessary to satisfy the judgment t debt.  This can also include real estate in the judgment debtor’s name.
B: Or we can request a MEANS INQUIRY – an arrangement to pay off the debt in installments.
C:  If we proceed to a Means Inquiry and the Judgment Debtor still does not pay, then we can apply for an Earnings Appropriation Form.  This is an order requiring an employer who pays a salary to the Judgment Debtor to then pay a portion of those earning to the Plaintiff, which in this case will be us.

We look forward to your response and hope to resolve this issue prior to us taking this action, the next step we take is up to you, we hope to hear from you today.


Yours faithfully

How to Network Effectivally ... a manual from MDVS Business Services

Sharyn McCaskey of MDVS Business Services
wishes to share with you .. at NO COST her book on

Networking:-    IS  the most IMPORTANT AND COST EFFECTIVE TOOL to marketing yourself and your business.

and HOW TO: -NETWORK Effectively

MDVS Business Services provides yet another manual in their series of business support manuals that are easy to understand – easy to put in place and GUARANTEE to make your business even more of a success.

DISCLAIMER:
This resource package has been written to help small business operators and individual persons.  Although the information presented in this package is accurate to the best of our knowledge, the author cannot guarantee that every statement is without flaw of any kind.  The author therefore disclaims all liability for any errors or for any loss arising from any information obtained by a person relying solely on this package. 


COPYRIGHT 2005:   Woodhobbies Pty Ltd t/as 
MDVS Business Services and Promotions ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Any part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, and recording, the only requirement is you must acknowledge the author at all times when reproducing this information. 

For further information on the author contact, Woodhobbies Pty Ltd t/as 
MDVS Business Services and Promotions
(08) 9529 2828 or 0408 863 331.
Email   mdvs@iinet.net.au  

Debt Collection Specialists, Customer Service, Marketing, Networking Trainers.
2003 South Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce Presidents Award WINNER
2008 South Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Women of the YEAR
2002 and 2003 and 2011 Small Business FINALIST 

What is NETWORKING?:

• Getting together with other businesses and sharing ideas.
• Getting together and promoting your business.
• Getting together and listening to other business
• Having a few drinks or a round of golf
• Showcasing your products and services at an expo.
• A tool to increase your business and profits
• Meeting new businesses and potential clients.
• Chatting over dinner, lunch or a breakfast function.
• Getting together to discuss work concerns and solutions
• Introducing other business to each other
• Holding your own seminars or functions
• It is the MOST IMPORTANT and POWERFUL tool in marketing
• Cost effective way to increase YOUR business
• Is something that does not come straight away but in time and must be worked AT!

NETWORKING is in a nutshell.
BUILDING NEW RELATIONSHIPS
AND/OR
MAINTAINING EXISTING ONES!


Q: What would be in a networking Kit?
A good attitude
A fair number of your business cards to hand out – (refer to points below)!.
Two pens
A small notebook (kept tidy and clean and not falling apart)
Some Pamphlets on your business
An open mind
A GENUINE WILLINGNESS TO BE THERE
A SMILE AND FIRM HANDSHAKE


BUSINESS CARDS:  Be sure to put your contact details, location, and company name on the card.  Ensure that your most likely to reach you phone number is bold enough to distinguish from the other numbers.   When you need new cards - don't wait, just get them. The cost of having scruffy or pen-modified cards may do your business more harm than good.   Be sure to have cards on hand always - you never know when you may need them.  There is nothing worse than being asked for your card and having to say, sorry I don’t have any, IT CAN REFLECT QUITE NEGATIVELY ON YOUR BUSINESS. Give them to all of your employees to use. They will promote your company in ways that you might not even have thought of and the potential increased loyalty factor from your staff will also be a long term benefit for you.  I suggest that you keep the cards, simple and not to busy, and use only one side of the card, the reason, that if you are recommending someone then you can write THEIR details on the back of YOUR card.      Avoid cheap and back yard printers as your card is your indication of what one can expect from you, therefore if you have a cheap card then confidence in your work is not very high.  You are what you give out.


Q:  Name some places to network?
Any business function or networking group, such as a Chamber of Commerce, or Business Network Industries etc, also go out of your district there are 100’s of groups to join and WORK them,  (often people join groups and say “here I am” and then get surprised that they do not receive new work” -  in order to be successful YOU Must work a room and a group, you have to introduce yourself and participant, it always surprises me how many members may be in a business group and NEVER even go to a function).
A local community group, such as a sporting group or rotary - think about a football group, you think of them as only the players yet they may well have hundreds of members,  and a good majority of them could have a need for your business, either as employees, running their own business, or just the general public.  – (The back of the RMK directory has a listing of all the sporting groups in Rockingham, and you can contact your local council for a listing from there community department).

Your shopping centre

Picking up the kids from school

A business expo or seminar:-
*          The list is endless, I often am spoken to outside my post office box,  they see the logo on my car and ask for my card, and I see there logo and think, well I don’t know them I will get their card and introduce myself.   SO in short you can network…

ANYTIME AND EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE YOU ARE OR YOU GO………

Exceptions may be – “a formal official function” such as Anzac DAY March, or a funeral, best to use discretion but most places are well and truly acceptable, just use common sense”

Q:Who is the FIRST person you speak to at a network FUNCTION?
The person who is hosting and/or holding the function -  this is to say thank you for supplying a forum for business to work with each other.  This person often knows everyone in the room and can often point you in the direction of clients who may wish to work with YOUR business.

Q: Who is the second and third person you speak to at a network FUNCTION?
A person or business associate that you have NEVER met before! – The idea is to meet people you have never met before, there is no point in networking to people who already know what and who you are.

Q: How do I say Hello to someone I have never met before?
Walk in the door and stand tall,  good posture displays are great attitude with body language,   SMILE genuinely, then walk up to a person and look them in the eye and say, “Hello my name Sharyn, how are you this evening”   -  “fine thanks and you”   -    “Brilliant thanks,  so tell me what do YOU do”.   Always maintain eye contact with that person.   Listen with genuine interest.

Q: What do I do or say to a person who is obviously not interested in what I have to say or offer?
Wait till the dreaded LULL, genuinely thank them for their time, give them your business card and take theirs.  Politely advise them that there is someone who you must speak to prior to that person leaving and ask if they mind if you can be excused, remind them that if you know of any person or in fact yourself could do business together then you would like to be able to call them, this way you leave on a POSITIVE note.   Never just walk away or be rude.

Q:  Why do people go to a function to network?
When you are getting ready for a function – do you say to yourself   “OH I wonder what new business I am going to be told about tonight?”      NO you say  “Oh I wonder how many people are going to be there tonight who I can SELL my products and services to”, therefore how does networking work if everyone is going for there own similar reasons, easy BY LISTENING TO WHAT THE OTHER person is saying,  because if you give someone genuine time, they will gladly do the same for you.

Q: Why does networking work for some and not others?
Networking is not easy and some people are born to it, others have to work at it, but if you can just understand that everyone feels unsure outside of there comfort zone and you must go to a function with a goal and plan in mind, often you see people just standing around the room and they do not approach anyone and others do not approach them.     SO make a rule that I will make the functions work for me, I will walk in, SMILE, go up to a person, SHAKE hands FIRMLY and introduce myself, and I will then ASK about them,   then I will FOLLOWUP after the function.   You will only get out of networking what you put in.

Q: Now the fourth and fifth person you speak to at a network FUNCTION?
A person who you have done business with previously,  this is done to maintain the relationship, often this is when work can be exchanged or information shared about new possibilities.   Maintaining relationships are just as important IF SO more important than obtaining new clients.  Go deeper, not wider. Many of us already know plenty of people. Yet there's a tendency to believe that if you add more people to your networking circles, you will create greater business opportunity for you and your network. Unless you are at the beginning stages of your business, I believe you will be far more effective if you build deeper relationships with the people you already know than starting new relationships with lots of strangers. These deepened "partnerships" will generate meaningful and profitable introductions, referrals, business opportunities, and friendships

Q: How do you get rid of a person?
This can be difficult but must always be handled with care.   It may be they are negative or talk bad about other businesses, I remember one incident when a new person came up to me and I asked “how are you” to which he replied quite loudly,  “&$%# Off I have had a bad day”.   You ARE, who you are seen with, I left that person very quickly.   If you are caught with someone who speaks foul, or just really really gives you the hebies,  then wait for a lull, or finish a sentence then immediately say “thanks for your time, there is someone over there I must speak to before they leave, it was nice talking to you”.      NEVER EVER say “ I am just getting a drink I will be back in a minute” or Excuse me I must go to the bathroom and I will be back in a minute”.  Both implies that you are going to return and is most offensive and embarrassing to the person you have just left when you go to another person and DO not come back.

Q: What would be some things NOT to do at a function?
Swear
Smoke
Whine
Complain
Gossip
Talk about someone who may owe you money
Get drunk

Q: What would you NOT wear to a function?
Something casual
Something that has a stain on it
Something flashy or sexy
Something that has a hole in it
Something that is smelly or dirty
Thongs or old Sand shoes
A sad or miserable look on your face
Too much makeup

A GREAT IDEA IS TO INVEST IN A UNIFORM………  A pair of black pants and a nice shirt with your logo on it, this way you always are instantly recognizable and if someone is looking for you or pointing you out to a potential associate, then your uniform stands out, then you don’t have to worry about what you are going to wear.  It is a tax deduction and keeps your washing and wardrobe down,   if you are a girl a knee length black skirt also looks good


Q: Do not judge a person?
You never know who they know or what mood they are in,  they really may have had a bad day,  we often think that the person who we are talking to may not be of benefit to you, but …………… I recall a incident when I was at a function and the person said to me “I don’t have any accounts at all therefore your debt collection manual may not be of use to me”.    I thanked him anyway, we talked some more and went our other ways, the next day I received a call from an accountant’s office who was this person’s brother, and he wanted me to conduct a seminar for his clients.   SO you never know who that person may know.      EVERY person knows someone who may be a potential client of yours.


Q: How long do I stay with a person or group?
As long as you like, especially if you are getting along very well, I would suggest though the most time would be about 15 minutes one on one, (unless you are at a lunch or breakfast that you cannot move from).   BUT remember you are there to meet new people and to start relationships.   Therefore you should include others into your conversation and introduce others,   I would suggest that IF you are getting along very well with a person then invite them that night to stay in contact and/or at that time make a “date” to get together again, either for a drink, lunch, golf or another function that you think they may enjoy.


Q: How much business would come from clients you network with?
Statistics PROVE that once you have a client if you keep them happy the MAJORITY of your business comes from them, in either continuous working relations or by THEIR recommendations.    Why?-  BECAUSE business is built on dealing with WHOM YOU TRUST and only by getting to know a person do you develop TRUST.


Q: Do I have to buy of everyone I try and network with?
No not at all, networking is not about buying off someone as you will never need the services of everyone,  but you always know of someone who may be needing that person, if not by keeping their details and keeping the relationship maintained and then recommending them is what is successful networking, because if you recommend and find work for them, then they will find work for YOU.

Q: How much money does networking cost and what should I spend on it?
Apart from your joining fees to groups NETWORKING is FREE!  Contact groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Business Networking Groups or anywhere business is conducted and ask the executive officer to invite you to their functions,  all groups will allow you to come at least once, maybe twice prior to you having to join or having to pay for membership,  this way you can determine if the group is productive and something you wish to be part of.   DO not just stay in your area, be prepared to travel outside of your suburbs or towns, there are hundreds of businesses and groups,  waiting to hear from you, and if you take advantage of the “try before you buy” method of attending functions, make sure that everyone you meet you obtain their business cards from.   Ask them about the particular group you are attending,  look at their web sites to see what the group achieves.   The other costs are standard business costs, such as business cards, pamphlets etc.

Q: How do I recommend someone I am not sure of?
You don’t, unless you know they will exceed your customer’s expectations then do not refer a person or a business, it is important to note that if someone recommends you or you recommend a business, then you are saying “I have the upmost respect and faith in you to do a brilliant job”.  For example if you recommend Joe Bloggs and he lets that client down, then the next time you refer someone again, they will not take this recommendation seriously from you.  YOUR recommendations are a reflection on you.  Remember also that people who refer you are placing the same trust in YOU.      If I know of a person who has recommended me, then I contact them and say THANK YOU and let them know that I will make sure their client is satisfied, then when the work is completed I ring the referrer and let them now the outcome of the job.  

EVERYTIME – this way they KNOW that you looked after their associate, and will continue to recommend YOU.

Q: After a function what do you do?
Email the new potential client and say “it was so nice to meet you at the function last night, I really enjoyed talking to you, I have kept your business card and if I know or speak to someone who is looking for your services, I will gladly pass on your details.   I have also attached a short profile on my business to let you know more about us,  I am looking forward to seeing you again”. 
Start a database or add the person’s details to your existing data base and USE it, think about the next game of golf or another business group that your new associate might like to come along to.

Q: Explain how you would answer a question about someone you did not like or trust?
First rule of this is most important -  IF YOU PUT SOMEONE DOWN IT says more about YOU than it does than about the other business,  saying nothing is also just the same as putting them down, it also leaves an impression that says  “I wonder what you say about me when I am not around or if someone asks about me”.
Therefore -  it is always best to say nothing negative, even if you know they have a bad reputation or dissatisfied customers.    EG:
“What do you know about ABC and their business”  -   “I personally have had no business dealings with them so it makes it hard for me to judge there work or business ethics”.   OR  “Oh are you looking for a painter,  I have not dealt with ABC but I can assure you that I know XYZ is brilliant can I introduce you to him?”.
“Have to heard anything about ABC and their work”   - “No nothing that comes to mind, why are you looking for a painter?”
Best even if you have heard something negative to KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, as even though you are “repeating it”  the mud also sticks on you as people will associate that knowledge and negatives with you also.


Q: Once a week what should we do?
Get in contact with at least three clients that you have already done business with and just invite them to lunch or breakfast, a drink, coffee or a BBQ,  aim at putting together people who MAY do business with each other who may not at this stage know each other.    You become known as a person with a lot of contacts and a great source of information,  people LOVE to feel special and appreciated by taking the time to introduce others who can work together shows that YOU are interested in not only working with your associates but want to SUPPORTING THEM as well.


Q: Should I go to every networking function?
Yes you should be seen at least 90% of the groups functions, a person who is SEEN will be the one who gets the work, they build the trust and friendships,  besides business networking functions are great social events that are usually a lot of fun, especially if you go with a positive attitude.


Q: How quick will I see results?
In some instances – THERE AND THEN, I have seen people at functions exchange work on the spot, especially at functions designed to the sole purpose of networking, I have seen relationships form IMMEDIATELY, for example a party-hire business and a face painter, a function centre and bridal shop.   BUT it may not happen for a year or so, networking is about building trust, keeping your business noticed and reminding the other businesses you are there.   Networking is something that is not usually successful that first time, but is something that is gradual and continuous once established.   A good point to note is that if you have two or three painters and then a person needs a painter they will go to the business they feel most comfortable and friendly with,  if you are friends or become friends with a painter then usually you never look beyond that person for any painting job. That is what networking is about.   Business is done mostly with people we know and trust, only do we seek business from outside our relationships when we do not know any person or our associates and friends do not know any person who conducts that said line of work.


Q: What time should I turn up – I don’t want to be the first person there?
The majority of networking is done in the first hour of any function, as this is when you are most motivated.  I have often seen people walk into a room after a speaker has started missing the most valuable time of the function, so if the event starts at 5pm then be there at 5pm.   If you are the first to arrive then make the most of this by being the person at the door saying hello to the attendees.    Stay until the end, you don’t have to be the last person there but if you are, then offer to help the host/hostess clean up after the function.

Q:  Do I wear a name tag?
I think that these are an extremely effect tool, they give the person a chance to remember your name and business,  perhaps instead you can organize to get a name badge made, or better still, have your business card placed in a plastic name badge holder,  these look great and can be taken everywhere.    Always wear it on your right hand side of your shirt.  If you have a logo on your shirt then either just above or below the logo is usually acceptable.    You wear it on your right as this is usually were the eye leads,  the same as a drink should always be held in the left hand so that you have your right hand free for greetings, if you change hands then you may have wet hands or sticky hands from the glass, so always keep the right one free.

Q:  If I go with a friend of partner should we stay together?
I think it is advisable to be seen together for part of the night, about 15% of the duration of the evening, introduce your partner or friend, but think, if you split then you can meet and network with double the amount of new clients.  If you then meet someone your partner has already spoken to then the majority of introduction to that person is done.    I used to go to chamber functions with a friend and then walk in with her, once settled in that “oh thank god I am here now zone” we would split up and proceed to network,  I will always be grateful to that person for making my introduction to networking easier and I in turn now do the same for new members.   Getting in the door alone is often the hardest part of the evening, and you are NOT alone is feeling out of your comfort zone,  but soon a good smile and a  new person can make you feel part of the group.

Q: Look for a person who is alone?
This is usually a person who does not know how to walk into a group or up to a person and IF you are the one to welcome them, then they will be forever grateful.  Ask relevant questions and then offer to introduce them around the room, a friendly supportive face is a friend for life and YOU and your business will ALWAYS be remembered.

Q: Don’t be frightened to walk into a group and introduce yourself?
BUT watch for body language if you see they are in huddle with there backs to the room,  then they may not wish to be “disturbed”.  But if they are open and friendly walk up and then, LISTEN to the conversation, when relevant join in and in the same breath introduce yourself.    DO NOT change the topic of conversation as this can be seen as pushy.  Smile at the group and be proactive.

Q: Watch for body language and if there is two people having a private conversation do not intrude?
It is the same as a group if you see two people eye to eye and intense then best to leave them be,   if you happen to walk into a group or pair that are so obviously taken back, often they are in such a conversation that they do not notice you, but when they do, immediately say “Hi my name is Sharyn,  and I was just hoping to meet you, but I can see your busy, I will come back later , sorry for disturbing you”.  They will either welcome you with no we are finished or agree to you coming back.


Q: How to WELCOME any person into your conversation or group who has just entered?
Take charge, put you hand on their arm and say hello, my name is Sharyn May I introduce you to the group,  “yes thanks my name is John from The Poster Faktory” “Welcome John, this is ……..”   Again think of you being the outsider and how welcoming it would be if someone made the effort for you.


Q: What would be a good way to start selling my products and services at a function to people I meet?
Think of these functions as a introduction source, touch on what you do and then follow up after the function with a meeting to conduct the “sales pitch”, networking sessions are about introductions, if you spend all your time selling to one person then you miss valuable opportunities to meet so many other people, besides it can make you look desperate and can be the start of people avoiding you.   Ask the host/hostess PRIOR to the function, phone them for example and ask them is there a table that will be set aside that businesses may leave pamphlets on, never just bring and display your pamphlets as the person organizing the function may not want to advertise any other business so openly that night.    Be respectful of their wishes.


Q: If I forget a persons name and they are not wearing a badge what do I do?
Someone walks into the group and you wish to introduce them but you cannot remember the new persons name, then just say,   “hello come and join us, my name is Sharyn from MDVS Business Services, why don’t the two of you introduce yourself”. Then you leave it up to them to say their name, you then can be reminded in the same breath.   If you are talking to your new associate and you forget their name, then be honest and say, I am sorry can you refresh my memory with your name - but do not ask this more than once if you forget again,  it is quite rude and dismissive of that person to ask yet again.  If the person is not near you, and you are about to embark of a conversation with them, ask someone who is near you if they know the name.  Then you can walk over with confidence and open with your hand outstretched and say “hello Jim, how are you tonight”.   IMPORTANT NOTE:  Do not shorten, or change a person’s name, if they say their name is Debbie then use it in full do not shorten it to Deb.

Q:    What would be some key words never to say?
Work is so busy I am run off my feet -  it implies you have no time for new work or if you got it could not fit it in your schedule.
NEVER introduce you self in a negative tone or manner,  NEVER start off with, “I thought this would be better organized and have more people here”.   Or   “Thank God Jim’s not here”  AGAIN think common sense and remember anything positive is FANTASTIC and anything negative is a NO NO.

Q:    Help me understand some listening skills?
LISTENING is a skill that can be learnt,  focus on what the person is telling you, you may not be interested at first but sooner or later something will become common to you both.   Do not interrupt when someone is talking, or think about yourself or a answer whilst they are talking,  LISTEN all the WAY THROUGH that person’s sentence as when YOU are formulating a response or thinking of a similar situation you cannot be fully listening to your associate.  THINK before you answer and look directly at that person.   Always feedback any important details or meetings as often what we hear is NOT what is said and this can be a genuine misunderstanding that can cause you to LOSE that customer.

A quiz -   ask this to a number of people and I promise you will never get 100% the same answer in any group.    I am getting married on the 14th of July and I need to move it back a week.    “what day will YOU turn up to the wedding”   50% answer the 7th of July and 50% answer the 21st of July, no right or wrong just a misunderstanding,  so feedback would entail,  “oh great I will see you then on the 7th July”.
                                         
DATABASE: 
Is the natural progression and one of the most important aspects of networking!:

I often ask at seminars what do people do with cards they pick up that night, and I am usually told, either they throw it out or file it away,  I then ask do you refer to them and the answer is sometimes.

If you already have a person who KNOWS your business exists then you already have that person as a CLIENT and as your very own tool for ADVERTISING YOUR business.    If you are trusted, known, respected and keep in contact, people who know you WILL recommend you.   SO when you obtain a card add it to the database that you will have started NOW…

Then once every two or three months, send a generic but informative e-mail to your list advising them of your specials, any knowledge you may have obtained that may be useful.   Use your database to contact someone once a week or so, and invite someone new to lunch or coffee.

Put your data base in excel and keep it SAFE and Backed UP.   This day and age you can keep just four basic items of information:  Business Name (this usually also tells what the business is,  ie,  Macs Scuba Diving School),  Phone Number,  Person to contact and EMAIL address.
  

EG:-
NAME OF BUSINESS
PHONE
EMAIL
NAME OF PERSON
Poster Faktory
9594 0835
posterfaktory@bigpond.com.au
John Browne
Mdvs Business Support
9529 2828
mdvsdebtcollection@iinet.net.au
Sharyn McCaskey


If you keep this database under EXCEL, it is so easy to keep in REGULAR contact with your clients.    REMEMBER when you send an e-mail to make sure you send your contact list out under BCC.  (refer to * below if you wish to know how to use BCC)

Firstly there is nothing worse than getting an e-mail and finding 60 other e-mail addresses on it, VERY UNPROFESSIONAL,  and an offence against the Spam Act, so you write your invitation or newsletter on the FRONT of the email (do not send invites as attachments, the main information MUST be on the front of a e-mail – as this is all people often have the time for, only if it truly interests a person will they take the time of open an attachment, send a attachment as a secondary notice ONLY.  Then highlight your e-mail listing and copy and paste it under BCC, then your newsletter can reach 750 people in ONE go.

It is best to keep your database under excel rather than your address book, for two main reasons,  your address book his a number limit of addresses and in excel you can set up different files for different groups or target markets.  EG you may have a friendship list, a chamber list, people who already have DONE business with you, rotary members, etc etc etc….   then you also can have one generic list that includes your entire database.  Remember to back up these lists.

Keep your newsletter or invitation short and to the point, USE bullets over paragraphs if you can and highlight the main element.      DO NOT send photos or large text, think of the email arriving on the lowest form of computer and think of how long YOUR email may take to download.   Publisher may also be a problem as if the person receiving the e-mail doe not have this program or has an older version then they cannot open it.  That is why you keep it simple and only use normal fonts, no graphics etc….   DO NOT use more than TWO colours and only as headings, write your notes in basic black, the colours must also NEVER be yellow, pink, bright blue, bright green, in fact use only Autumn colours.

OTHER IDEAS FOR REGULAR CONTACT:-

• Have a BBQ – get them to bring their own meat and drinks.
• Hold a function night yourself at your place of business or host a Business after Hours for your business group.
• Invite a guest speaker in to talk about something INTERESTING to all of your guests, we often get caught up with thinking because it interests us then it must interest everyone.    A lot of great speakers will come along for FREE as this also gives them the chance to network themselves to.
• Write a newsletter that has interesting and informative notes,  put them in DOT point so that your contacts find them quick and easy to read.
• Contact your local Golf CLUB and work with them to hold a golf day.
• Organize monthly lunches at a local restaurant and invite business along that you know may wish to do business with each other.
• Hold a VIP night at your place of business.

BCC -  Go to Microsoft outlook express
            Go to new message
            Go to view
            TICK for all headers………………….   Then proceed to use BCC…

Phrases that may HELP you:
“hello my name is Sharyn and how are you tonight”
“have you been in business long”
“I see you were talking to Jim, how long have you known each other”
“I love your uniform, where did you get it”
“Do you know any great things to do here in town”
 “Are you a home based business or do you operate from a commercial premises”
“isn’t this a fantastic venue”
“isn’t the food great”
“I heard about this new seminar on next week, do you know about it”
“Oh Jim’s Shop – can you tell me more about your business and what you do?”.

For people you may have already met, then touch on something you
“Hi Michelle, thanks for tip last week it was great”
“Oh Michael,  how did the trip go”

People LOVE that you have remembered them and it shows that you have a genuine interest,  this will go very far towards building a solid relationship.

Be aware of getting personal or talking about a person’s height, arms etc if they are out of the ordinary as they may find it not easy to talk about.   I have a dear friend who is very tall and the first thing everyone says when they met him, is “my your so tall”, it gets old fast.
Avoid talking about anything with a woman, such as nice legs, or nice broach or anything to girlie.   Some women may find this pleasant but try always to think of something professional.

THE best lines are:

• 1. Genuine Smile, Friendly Hello my name is …….  “how are you”?.
  2. Genuine Smile, Genuine Hello, Jim it is nice to see you again”.

NETWORK experiences that have worked for me and can easily work for you,  it shows that even the most amazing places you can create work for YOU,  We all have experience and we all can CREATE our own experiences,  sometimes we just need to think outside the circle…

1. I was in Singapore with a girlfriend,  she was asleep and I went to the pool, I sat on one side of the pool a man was on the other,  it started to rain, we both got up and ended up in the same elevator,  said hello and then both got off same floor, laughed and went our own ways,   next day at traffic lights,
“oh hello did I not meet you in the hotel yesterday,  my name is Sharyn”
“yes you did I’m Scott”.
“Scott we are going to Santosa Island today and you”
“SO am I”
“Great then come with us”

It turned out Scott was from a training company in Queensland, and we have since conducted many sessions together, plus his company has purchased copies of my Debt Manuals, they have also used my Customer Service manuals as a basis for their training.  I am so excited as Scott’s business partner, Melanie and I, have received a request to front a business documentary in 2006.

2. Christine runs a decorator service,   she attended the Debt Collection course in 2003,  then recommended the course over time to three other people, each time I rang and thanked her and also advised her how each session ended, I took her recommendations very seriously and was very appreciative of her support.    This week I received a phone call from an editor in chief of a business magazine who asked if I would like to write a column for the magazine, ON CHRISTINE’S recommendation.     HUGH profile for me, received on genuine support and great networking opportunities.

Both these support my industry,  you may be involved in another industry such as mechanics, events or beauty therapy and may like to think of ways in which you can work networking into your industry.    But it just goes to show that you NEVER know who, where, when or how you may be effecting someone and MUST always think of this every time you speak to anyone,  as in the case of Christine,  she knew someone that I could help but mostly who could REALLY help me.

3. Networking can be done anywhere and can result in great friendships or common interests and sometimes can be achieved from a funny moment.    A story that comes to mind:-

My goddaughters christening in 2001, we were all sitting around a table and I was talking to the priest, a very good looking man,  we talked about computers and diving,  he gave me his card and I placed it in my bra, he laughed and said “oh my that is the closest I am every going to get to sex” ,  with that comment we became firm mates,  he also had friends who were on mine sites and from our friendship, he referred me to the chaplain in some mine sites of which I was “employed” to work with some miners and their families who were having money issues.

By not being pushy, by just talking in conversations, by developing contacts and following up with them you can find the most amazing results and direction that your business and social life can go into that you NEVER imagined.

This manual is not about teaching you new things,  it is about the ideas, knowledge and know how being brought to the surface,   mostly it is about enforcing the notion of networking and bringing to the surface what you already knew,   for women, it is like when you are pregnant then all of a sudden there is heaps of expectant mums around,  the same with this, by actively thinking about this – THEN IT WORKS.

If there are items that are new to you, then fantastic!.  Life is about learning every day something new and interesting.

There are also thousands of sites on the Internet aimed solely on this subject, just conduct a goggle search and there they are!

www.google.com.au,  then proceed to a advanced search, type in  how to Networking  in Business.    You will be shocked at the information available at your fingertips.

GOALS for you to follow up and action:-
1.          Formulate a Networking Strategy
2.         Build a Networking Tool Kit
3.         Focus on the Networking Groups

Have a ONE PAGE profile on file so you can e-mail it next working day

1. Go to a networking function and make sure you introduce yourself to ONE person who you have not met before.
2. Go to networking function and ask a person you know introduce you to someone you don’t know.
3. Write a profile about your business that can be said in 60 seconds?
4. Learn this 60 second profile so that it just comes naturally to you in conversation.
5. Name three business you would recommend and now call them and tell them?  (ask for there cards).
6. GET MOTIVATED TO MAKE CONTACT.

NETWORKING FOR OTHERS - gets YOU business.
Few have achieved Master Networking status. They have developed their networking to the point where it is generating a continuous stream of referrals - not just for their own business, but for other people they know - and they know lots of people.    THEREFORE,   if the person in front of you can help someone you know,  INTRODUCE THEM,  if that other person is not there, then obtain the business card of your new associate and ALSO write your “friends” details on the back of YOUR Card.
  
NETWORKING IN A NUTSHELL:

Use body language to your advantage. 
Smile, tall posture, maintain eye contact and firm hand shake = Confidence.

Clean professional attire.  
Look in a mirror TWICE before you go to a function, look and see what you are wearing and what does it say about you.

Be brief and do not go on.
Write and remember a 60 second introduction about YOU and your business, if asked a question give a direct answer.   Do not use your industry talk as if the person is not in your industry what you say may go over there head.  Keep your information SIMPLE.

Bring along extra business cards.
Each person you meet should receive two, so they can refer future prospects your way.  Try and always have some in your wallet, some in your car and in your office.

Have fun and ENJOY yourself! 
Networking should be regarded as fun, social and exciting. People always gravitate towards happy, positive and smiling people.

Meet someone you have never met before.
It is easy to start conversations and people usually love talking about themselves or their business. Make the goal in your conversations to connect rather than impress.  Walk up and smile and say HELLO.

Don’t be rude.
Sounds obvious but have ever had your hand shaken in greeting by a person whose eyes flick to your face and then immediately scan the room to see if there is someone more important they should be speaking to?   Focus on who you are with.

Meet a number of different people.
Networking nights are about introductions; endeavor to meet at least 3 people before you leave.

Speak to the people you know near the end of the function.  
It's easy to stay in your comfort zone and stay with people you know, meet three new people then go and introduce them to people you already know, that way you are being a master networker and maintaining your relationships.

If you arrive with a friend or colleague! 
Then split up once you have said hello to the host and connect later in the function.

Network everywhere!.   
Use every opportunity you have to meet new people. Invite them to functions, obtain their details and keep in contact.  You never know where you will meet your BIGGEST client, or whom will introduce them.

Don’t forget to network for others.  
If you recommend others they in turn will recommend you.  SEND business to others.

Always follow up.  
You've made the connection now follow up. Email or phone within 48 hours, say something positive about your meeting, send though a profile on your business, products and services.

Be honestly enthusiastic, motivated and above all trustworthy.
Be genuine about your abilities and get excited about other businesses.  Always be honest and NEVER ever be negative about another person or business.

 Put your reputation on the line.   
When you refer one person to another, you put your reputation on the line. You have to be able to trust your referral partner and be trusted in return. Neither you nor anyone else will refer a contact or valuable information to someone who can't be trusted to handle it well.
                                  
Learn good listening skills!.   
Focus, feedback and listen all the way through to a person.

Public Speaking:
Seek opportunities to speak about yourself, keep it brief, at events and functions.   Hold your own business functions or seminars.

You will only
Get out of networking
What you put into it!

Think outside the circle and
Be amazed and who can do
Business for you and who will do business with you!.


I do hope you have enjoyed this manual and I thank you for taking the time to read this, if you would like to know about our other programs or manuals, please do not hesitate to contact MDVS Business Services on 9529 2828 or 0408 863331.


Don’t wait for the light at the end of the tunnel -
go down and light the thing yourself!.