The Women Are Saying Guys Expose How Characterless They Really Are And The Men Are Saying

One of my very favourite pastimes is watch people interact with each other.

The other day, I was at a party and saw this really gorgeous woman flash an enticing smile in the direction on a group of guys looking at her as she walked in. A few minutes later, a well-dressed guy sauntered over to the woman drink in hand, and said “hi”. I was close enough and so could hear all the conversation, okay, okay may be I was a little too interested, but I have an excuse, I am a dating coach... (uhm-mm!)

The 30 or 40 something guy was saying something about him being an investment analyst with an MBA. The woman simply looked at him and said "So...?", while at the same time craning her neck to see who else was in the room. The well-dressed guy seemed to get the message and slowly sauntered back to his group of friends who were not hiding their amusement.

I moved closer to the woman, and in my natural friendly way asked “what was that for”. With a wave of the hand she said “Boring. Characterless...” I smiled and said “I know.”

Now, I am sure like most guys, Mr. Investment Analyst was wondering; “Why would she be like that to me?” And like many guys concluded that it had to do with him not being “powerful” enough or “rich enough” for that kind of woman.

Forget the power/money/status argument for a moment. What did this man do or not do that caused him to be dismissed with just one word “so?” . Where did he slip up? It certainly wasn’t his dress and demeanor, and he had the guts to walk up to such a beautiful woman and put himself and his ego on the line. But there was an ace card missing in his deck of cards.

Consider this, when you talk with someone, where does your conversation focus?

Most men and women begin conversations by discussing ordinary everyday stuff like the weather, what they do for a living, and the slow line at the ticket booth or something equally mundane. Such conversations quickly become stale because they try to make a conversation interesting by focusing on the topic and factual content (read trying to show that you are someone intelligent) and rambling on and on.

I’ve had people (men and women both!) come to me who say they met someone who seemed to tick all the right boxes, yet for some reason they could not bring themselves to give the person 10 out of 10 because they seemed to be lacking a certain something. One individual may be intellectually stimulating with a voice that is tender and empathic, and almost hypnotic but is he or she can’t seem to find anything else to talk about except his or her job and accomplishments. Another individual may have charisma with eyes that are clear, shiny, and affirming but has a harsh, argumentative voice. Yet another is warm and cuddly as a teddy bear but is shy and getting more than a sentence out of him or her is like being detoothed without anesthetic.

Despite our ability to gather volumes of information about the other person, most of us do not know how to go beyond words to intensify a connection and instigate action at the appropriate time. Most conversation and even dates never lead to excitement and romance because there is nothing emotionally personal about them. People crave other people who can make interactions personal, real, and exciting. The personal makes a conversation compelling and engages others in an emotional way. When we talk about topics with emotional component, things we’ve actually experienced and things we genuinely care about, we easily become more animated and more alive - which is very attractive to most people.

The key is to make yourself easy for others to relate to. If you notice, I could have said to the gorgeous "Hi, my name is Christine. I am a dating coach...blah, blah, blah". And yep! you guessed it, she might have said "SO?". Approaching her the way I did, kind of suggested to her that I probably have had the same or similar experience and can relate to how she was feeling in some way.

Our sexual interaction and relationship could be better if we learned to reach out, relate and connect with each other in a completely different way. This requires that we give up our hyper vigilant or high-strung temperaments. Male-female interaction need those generous moments filled with awe-inspiring variety, closeness, completeness and wholeness. In a word, we could all benefit a great deal from reconnecting with our thinking and feeling body – our natural human warmth.

Lack of human warmth in our interactions with opposite sex is what lurks at the bottom of the growing feeling that things are no longer "right." My website has lots more advice on the ingenuity of creating the "click" with the opposite sex. Once you can identify what is about you that promises enjoyment, excitement, arousal and nurturance or some reward related to personal expansion to the opposite sex, you’ll have found the secret of creating a connection that will make both of you feel loved, wanted, desired and fulfilled.

About the Author: Christine Akiteng, Sexual Confidence/Dating Coach and author of ebook: The Art Of Seducing Out Of Fullness™ is internationally renowned for her UNIQUE and genuinely insightful outlook to what love is really about, what is there to learn about who we really are and what we can expect from our sexual relations. Her very powerful and practical "Fullness Approach™" to dating and relationships and strong emphasis on "you don't need to attract many men/Women, just the RIGHT ONE" has helped many single men and women develop greater capacity to attract the RIGHT man or woman and create fulfilling relationships...

Christine's websites: http://www.torontosnumber1datedoctor.com and http://www.theartofseducingoutoffullness.com

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

The Single Piece Of Trash Theory

I met a guy in business who had the good sense to feature my articles at his web site, benefiting both of us.

And, as is the case so often, he had one insight into life as we know it that was spectacular.

Most people do, and if you’re lucky, or just a great conversationalist, you can tease out this unusually original insight.

Before disclosing his, let me recite another one for you that came from a client of mine in the Pacific Northwest. He said, “Gary, life is too short to deal with unpleasant people.”

Anyway, the other guy, the one I intended to quote had a great notion, and here it is.

Calling it his “Single Piece Of Trash Theory,” he said if you let just one piece of litter adorn a seminar table or a conference room table, and you leave for an hour or two, that single piece will multiply. Upon your return, you’ll see two more pieces, and if you leave them there, they’ll multiply, as well.

Before long, you’ll be knee deep in the stuff, and probably, you’ll never see who deposited them.

I’ve tested this thesis with the front of my business, and sure enough, one piece will attract two more, in record time. If I pick it up, the front will stay pristine for a fairly long time.

So, what does this tell us, besides pick up your trash?

There are lots of imitators out there, but relatively few initiators, even when it comes to bad behavior.

It confirms one notion about human nature, right?

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someoneฎ, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

[tags]customer service training,sales training, coaching,telemarketing training,customersatisfaction.com[/tags]

The Lord is My Shepherd

An acrostic prayer poem.

The Lord loves me and is gracious unto me.

He lifts my spirit day and night and will not forsake me.

Even when I foolishly part company with Him, He patiently waits for me to return home.

Lord, You are everything to me.

Out of the depths of my being I exalt and praise Your holy name.

Remembering all the blessings You bestowed upon me all these years;

Delighting in the knowledge of Your unfailing love.

I am an alien resident on this planet.

Satan chases me relentlessly and without pity.

My soul is not touched by his nefarious schemes.

Your shield of protection surrounds me.

Savior, more than life to me,

Help me to run this race with patient perseverance.

Empower me against the strong winds of adversity;

Preserve my soul,

Hold me up when I am falling,

Encourage me in my state of weakened faith.

Revive my spirit merciful Father with Your quickening power;

Deliver me from the snares of the Evil one.

I am weak but You O God, are strong.

Strengthen me that I might fight the good fight of faith.

Have mercy on me for surely I am unworthy.

Almighty God, everlasting Father, draw me closer to You.

Let the light from Your lighthouse shine on me;

Leave me not to myself, lest I perish.

Nothing in this life will separate me from Your love.

On bended knees I pray in humble adoration,

To You be all glory, laud and honor.

Who can rescue me from my load of distress

And offer me peace beyond human understanding?

No other but You, my Father, my Lord and my God.

Thank you great Jehovah.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

The Key To Marketing New Ideas!

Imagine tossing a pebble into a crystal clear pond on a still day, & watching the ripples make their way to the shore. A tiny cause has a massive effect.

But on a windswept stormy day? You could hurl the largest boulder into the same pool, and the effect would be felt for no more than a few feet.

So it is with marketing new ideas.

Your prospects are in a trance that is like a still pool of awareness. They are in an “I’m worried about money” trance. They are in an “I wish I could finally find that somebody special” trance. They are in an “I’m sick of my dead end job” trance, & so on.

If you enter that trance with your words, your prospects will follow you. They will accept your suggestions. They will give those suggestions power, like the pebble that makes its presence felt on the shore, because receiving your message is effortless.

On the other hand, any striving on the part of your prospect to maintain their attention on your message, because it fails to harmonize with their trance, & no power will be granted.

“Belief Is All-Powerful!”

To enter the buyer’s trance, begin your sales message by showing where your position agrees with their accepted beliefs.

As you move forward, make a logical connection between that which is accepted, & another conclusion that is a step closer to the new conclusion you wish to promote.

This act of mental agreement creates momentum.

For example, let’s say your target market believes that Guaranteed Investment Certificates are the best way to invest for their retirement. Are they likely to listen to you if you boldly proclaim the superiority of Mutual Funds?

But would they give you some attention if you began with, “Would you be interested in more of the kind of money growth you’ve enjoyed through Guaranteed Investment Certificates?”

And then, “If there were a low risk strategy for using GICs, together with Mutual Funds to increase your returns by 53% or more, would you want to find out about it?”

And then, “Give me just 15 minutes, & I’ll show you the failsafe secret to an earlier retirement!”

By establishing empathy in your sales message, you enter the trance. And you can begin marketing new ideas.

Each successive point or question should do three things.

1) Echo accepted belief.

2) Introduce a new element that when logically combined with the previous conclusion, creates a new hypothesis.

3) Raise the level of commitment to the new idea.

You begin pursuing small yes responses, & gradually grow those agreements into bigger YES responses, until your final call to action.

Do you see how this works?

Use questions, statements, & logic that get your prospect thinking YES & OK!

Why Does It Work?

To be human, is to have unlimited freedom of choice. We are able to consciously decide our response to every stimulus. This is our god given gift.

However, we forget this. Instead, we are a bundle of conditioned responses. We hypnotize ourselves into believing that external circumstances give rise to our thoughts.

For instance, if I were to say to you that you are stupid, you would probably become angry. You would think I was a jerk for saying so. That is a choice you make.

You could just as easily make a choice to ignore my remark. You could make any choice you wish. You could even decide to think that I am a jealous fool, & feel sorry for me. The choice is all yours.

On the other hand, if I were to say to you that you are brilliant, you would no doubt feel pleased with yourself. Again, this is a choice. You could just as easily decide to pay no attention to my opinion.

But you forget you are making a choice. You automatically become angry or flattered, depending on the stimulus. You are in a trance of your own making.

To be human, is to be filled with such conditioning.

When we accept a logical conclusion that contains our own beliefs, we are conditioned to accept another one, & then another. Until without even realizing it, we have before long accepted a new belief that we would not have accepted, had it been forced on us in the first place.

Such is the judo of persuasion, & marketing new ideas.

Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently, Daniel & world-renowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale teamed up to co author “Million Dollar Online Advertising Strategies – From The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th Century!”, a tribute to the late, great Robert Collier.

Let the legendary Robert Collier show you how to write words that sell...Visit the below site & get 3 FREE Chapters!
http://www.Advertising-Online-Strategies.com/ad-strategies.html

[tags]marketing ideas, marketing new ideas[/tags]

The Introduction of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a process which takes place in the mind of an individual. It analyzes or evaluates information, which can either be in the form of propositions or statements provided to you as true. But you never easily believe it is true, thus you reflect on it, thoroughly examine the reasons and evidences before you formulate your own judgment about the information.

Every day, there is a lot of information that an individual may learn. For prehistoric man and animals, this information was considered firsthand. It includes the things that they see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. This firsthand information provides an access to secondhand information. Second hand information is another type of information most encountered by today's generation.

This information is stored in your brain, and later on, being called as memories. If it is combined with cognitive framework, then it becomes a worldview. Worldview can affect every decision that you will make. Thus in different ways, it defines your personality. Take note, the information which created your worldview has an origin.

The information which you have learned is all secondhand. It came from your parents, friends, teachers, books, television, or conversation. This vast majority of data which bombarded you will give you a hard time in identifying its original source. You are then challenged by even a single piece of data in your head. So, you will vehemently argue to justify your side. But then, it will be difficult since you don't have any idea of its original source. You will then doubt whether the information was correct or not since you have no evidence that will corroborate it. However, it is the usual way that you are going to defend any challenge on the information that you have learned. It is despite your lack of justification.

Compared to the information received by your prehistoric ancestors, information being given today is really very different. Considering the mass media, it has the power to create a virtual disharmony among the minds of many people.

Take for example some of the advertisements. It is very far from unprejudiced information yet many people are letting it to slip in their minds. Then, it will influence future decisions that will change the direction of your life. Be careful, information today is a matter of a shouting game where you immediately tend to believe. If whoever tell you a bit of information in the longest and the loudest way, you may eventually accept it as true regardless of its merit.

This approach seems to be poor. Since all the collaged information in your mind sometimes have no basis at all. So, the created viewpoint might also have a weaker foundation. No matter how important a viewpoint to a person is, where he or she based most of life's major decisions or even just a single decision is considered to be crafted.

These explanations focus on how critical thinking happens. Critical thinkers gather the information from experience, observation, communication, or reasoning. Then by incorporating critical thinking on the acquired information, the person can extract intellectual values on the subject-matter. They study each division including accuracy, clarity, precision, thoroughness, fairness, and evidence. It is very important because it decreases the risks of believing false ideas which can result to fatal errors.

Critical thinking just responds to various situations and subjects so that connections between them could be found.

Ross Lincoln makes it quicker and easier for you to create profitable business ideas, develop your marketing strategy or start brainstorming on any topic. For a free trial of the ultimate innovation software, please visit http://www.ideacenter.com

[tags]business ideas,brainstorming,marketing strategy[/tags]

The Importance of a Related Article Resource Box

From a webmaster's perspective, one of the most important parts of article marketing is the resource box.

The resource box is what you find at the end of an article and usually contains the name of the author with a brief description, in addition to a link (or links) to a website that the author is promoting. The links provided here need to be related to the content of the article, but for one reason or another this is often not the case. I believe this to be somewhat of a flaw in an author's article marketing skills.

Let's take an example where an author wants to promote a website about fishing. If the author decides that they are aiming to only benefit from the article directory links then they might submit articles totally unrelated to fishing, such as carpet upholstery or tire manufacturing. This is fairly common, yet the author is missing a huge market of readers. Someone who searches for articles around a niche that they are interested in is searching for a reason - they want information on that topic. By providing unrelated links in the resource box the author is missing a major part of the article marketing jigsaw.

The reason that articles and the links at the end of those articles are sometimes unrelated may partly be down to the increasing number of PLR article membership sites that are available. Authors see this as a prime opportunity to use a PLR article of any niche, add a resource box on the end with a couple of links and submit to article directories, solely for the link building benefit.

Article marketing is not only about gaining links back to a website, but also to inform a reader and gain direct traffic from article directories.

One of the most advantageous aspects of this method of marketing is also the ability for publishers to use an article on their own website or in their ezine. For the article author this holds unlimited potential - there are thousands of websites that could POTENTIALLY publish your article and directly send you traffic. This can benefit the article author for years down the line.

Article marketing when done correctly is one of the most powerful forms of marketing that website owners possess. There are several to successful article marketing, and providing a relevant resource box is just one of them.

For a FREE eCourse on how to take advantage of the power of article marketing and flood your website with traffic and sales visit http://www.onlinewithjustin.com/ecourses/article-promotions/.

[tags]articles,article writing,article promotion,article marketing,article submission[/tags]

The Bottom Line

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

What Really Matters.

We are here on this earth to learn acceptance. Acceptance of everything that life can throw at us, the good and the bad. One still needs to work at right livelihood and fight for truth and justice, but there will always remain many things we simply have no control over, and we must learn to accept this. We have no other choice but acceptance if we want to progress. Acceptance leads to forgiveness which leads to progression, but it is never easy. How does one accept the continued support and popularity of war criminals masquerading as leaders or child molesters.

To embrace acceptance is to become objective...about everything in this life and on this planet. By becoming objective we are able to disconnect from many of the attachments that bind us to servitude. In the ultimate scheme of things our lifelong tribulations are insignificant. We are here such a short time, and for most of us, our influence and ability to change anything for the better is limited or remote.

The path of least resistance for most unwary souls is to be caught up in the obligations pertaining to cycles of birth, family, children, and the roles we are taught or forced to assume. In this mode the freedom of disconnection alludes us. But it is through the gradual disconnection to our worldly attachments that allows us to realize how trivial jealousy, deceit, anger and acquisition are in relation to the big picture of existence which extends well beyond our occluded perceptions. True freedom comes when one is free of these distracting imperfections and can find forgiveness towards those who have wittingly or not caused us harm or pain.

The most difficult part is to forgive yourself, but this becomes available once you realize that most of the wrong decisions made, and hurts caused to others, were made from the immature vantage point you were in at the time. You didn’t have the tools or perspective you now have to realize that bad things happen to good people, that what you may have thought was important and worth the shortcuts, was in fact just a blind alley of glitter or delusion. If you can reach this level of awareness, to see that past decisions and actions were made by a less complete and understanding self, you will then be able to find compassion and eventually forgiveness of yourself for the harm you caused to yourself and to others as a result of your shortcomings.

Nobody said it was easy. That is why, in my view, most people continue to go round and round in their mental prisons, some eventually spiraling downwards, most doomed to instant replay, and only a few who find the doorway leading to salvation. Is deliverance available to everyone? I don’t know, in fact, I doubt it. So many with besmirched and sullied egos will inevitably follow their ill conceived prejudices to the grave. Or perhaps we all have epiphanies at one time or another and it is up to us whether this brief unanticipated opening into other domains should be acknowledged and pursued, or simply dismissed as a momentary slip of the gears as in a dream.

One thing that cannot be dismissed or ignored is the reality of life, death, corruption and beauty. Also intelligence, as it is apparent that this faculty, above all, has allowed our species the ability to comprehend these very notions, and through freewill, choose to manipulate them for better or worse. Most social manipulation via political, monarchal or religious constitution, served some evolutionary purpose but ultimately failed, because no man or demigod can impart spiritual epiphanies on another. Each individual soul must make a choice to see or not to see. On a collective scale, sooner or later any Emperor in any guise is observed to have no clothes, in fact never did, and becomes exposed.

We find ourselves at this time, in this hyped electro-techno modern world, either intellectually adrift from the old paradigm of institutional oppression and its attendant restraints and excesses, living in our own delusions, or blindly and fanatically grasping its slimy tentacles as evidenced in the Muslim world. Neither is sustainable, and more likely than not, to clash inducing further misery. Attachment to any belief, even if it’s a non belief, is sowing the seeds of eventual self-destruction. Only through disconnection from externally imposed belief or self-seeking illusion, and by acceptance and the fostering of forgiveness, can we hope to find redemption. Furthermore, this enlightenment can only be realized on an individual basis. The only exception where group fervor is benign is in the unfettered praise of the gift of life through gratitude and thanksgiving, as evidenced by the enhanced aura of such gatherings. The best we can do towards the edification of grace in this world is to help others by encouraging them to follow their own insights, to impartially lend a genuinely helping hand in practical and useful areas, or to communicate love through art and beauty if we are so gifted.

Sadly, scientific studies tell us that in the marketing world at least, only 2 percent of any given population can think for itself. The remaining overwhelming majority can only act when persuaded or cajoled by an external entity, which usually means political, religious or commercial coercion. And of course, foolishly allowing this majority to lend control of our lives to any of these interest groups has resulted in our collective consciousness being entangled in yet another fine mess. The best we can hope for now, as thinking individuals, is to be adept and agile enough to position ourselves as advantageously as we can, in circumstance and place, without sacrificing our hard gained spiritual insights to expediency especially at the expense of others. We must continue to disconnect while at the same time investing in pursuit of right livelihood, which usually means sharing the best of what is in us, not an easy feat. Writing this article is my humble attempt to add some clarity to the constant clamor of present day unconscionable self-aggrandizement, and the inevitable pervading disillusionment that will soon be swirling around us.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here for beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about actualizing acceptance.

Henry Ramsey is a writer and renewable energy systems designer who now rides an Ebike and is webmaster of several New Paradigm Internet Marketing sites including http://www.MyEbikes.com and http://www.HappyThoughtLifestyles.com.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

The Avenger vs The Angel

I’m writing this for women and for men. I have to share this with you all. I met a guy a few months ago. He seemed like a decent guy. I met him at a restaurant, and we kind-of hit it off, so when he asked me to go out, I said yes. We became friends so to speak, on the phone or when I saw him at the restaurant. I started having doubts about him though when he would make plans and change them all the time, like I was on his schedule and had no life of my own. So finally I said forget it, this isn’t going to work, it was even hard for me to be friends with someone who was so inconsiderate, so I told him not to call anymore. I saw him a few more times after that and he begged me for one more chance. I said to him, “this is it if you don’t keep the plans, your just out of luck because I am only giving you this one opportunity”. He called that weekend and I went out with him the next day. The date went fine, we had a lot in common and we had fun, he made me laugh and that was important, He said he knew what it was he wanted and he hoped we could see each other again. I agreed and left it at that.

The very next time I saw him, he completely changed. He became a total jerk, and I do mean jerk! He was rude to me in the restaurant, and was just a nasty person. I ended up leaving without my order when a gentleman stepped in to defend my honor, the bad part was that my son witnessed it all. But he ended up calling an d leaving a message saying how sorry he was. I didn’t return the call. I saw him about a month later and he apologized over and over, but I said, “you know this seems to be bothering you more than it is me, why is that”? And he said, “you know I have feelings too”, yeah me too and I am over it, you were just a speck in time, I never gave you a second thought, and honestly after a day or two I didn’t. I cut him pretty good with my remarks and he once again was bugging me to go out, finally I said, “you were mad because you didn’t get what you wanted, I don’t trust you with my feelings and if I cant trust you, you wont get my friendship, let alone another chance with my heart”, with that he hung his head and left.

I see him on occasion every now and then, he has repeated his apologies over and over, and I finally said, as sorry as you look I will give you the opportunity to be a friend of mine”, so with that, he calls on occasion, when he needs a shoulder to cry on, sometimes he is mine, and I try to teach him how to treat young ladies, and women in general, I do believe he is learning, oh he gets a little upset with my ‘tell him how it is response’ but he always calls again. So even though he was once a jerk, he has ended up becoming someone I can call a friend, just wanted you to see that all things can turn around, when you don’t let people take advantage of you, when you stand up for what you believe and know what you deserve. Thanks for listening.

Vaughn Pascal

For God and Country

To Bub; I love you. To God and Jesus; Thank you.

[tags]article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email[/tags]

The 10 Question Topic Test

As writers, we are always on the lookout for new ideas, fresh topics and original stories to tell. Effective writers are those who can not only find a topic, but determine if it will sell, to whom they should sell it and how to develop this idea to pitch to editors. There are several factors to consider, and some writers have trouble separating the salable topics from the rest. They’ll wonder just how to know their unique slant, how to pitch the idea to a publication and how to develop the idea into a full article.

As I have begun to get my bearings in the writing world, I have developed a list of ten questions that should be applied to any topic. These questions test the topic’s suitability for a particular market, help determine the particular slants that could be applied, and flesh out the beginnings of an idea into a fully developed topic. Below are the ten questions.

Who is my audience? – It’s important that you figure out who you’re writing for, or the main market of the publication you’re thinking of pitching. Are they men or women? What age group are they in? Do they have a specific locale in common? Who are they? Regardless of your topic, you’ll need to know your audience before you can sell your article for publication.

How does the topic relate to my audience? – Once you’ve figured out who you’re writing for, figure out how the topic relates to them, if it does. If you can’t figure out this relationship, chances are high that your topic won’t sell to this audience.

What does my audience care about? – Go more in depth in understanding your audience. For example, assume that your audience is made up of women, ages 18 to 35. What do they care about? Chances are high that they will have strong feelings on specific issues such as breast cancer, marriage, motherhood, as well as such general issues like career, politics, music or religion. Because of the age range, they won’t necessarily care about new kid’s shows or about nursing home administration, unless of course those issues are tied to them. Relate these issues to their concerns, such as choosing kid’s shows for their children or how they can find the right nursing home for their parents. They have specific cares, interests, causes and concerns, and you need to know what those are.

How does this topic address or relate to these cares? – Once you’ve found out what your audience really cares about and responds to, you can tailor your article to meet those tastes. Make a list of all these cares, then determine ways that your topic can somehow tie into as many of those cares as possible. The more relevant an article is to your market, the better it will sell.

What will the audience learn about this topic? – What information are you going to cover? What information is new and what is simply rehashed? Look closely at what facts your topic relies on then decide the best ways to approach those facts. Remember, your information doesn’t have to be new, it just needs to be presented in a fresh way. New information has the benefit of being new, but even those bits need to be presented in an appealing way.

What information resources are available to me? – Before you can approach a topic, you’ll need to ask yourself this very question. Before you approach an editor, you’ll do well to have answered this question, at least in a general way. Where will you go for information? Will you consult experts in the field? Who are those experts? Are they lawyers, doctors, accountants, garbage men, manicurists, stunt men, rodeo clowns or babysitters? What books are there out on the subject? What websites, college classes, museums, or information hotlines can you use? Figure out where you can turn for information before you ever even query the topic. Maybe you’ll realize that there is little or no information available on this subject and you’ll need to rethink your topic.

What questions can I ask about my topic? – What do you want to know about it? What will your readers want to know? Start with the Six Questions of Journalism; who, what, when, where, why and how. List as many questions as you can think of, and then select the few that are most pertinent for your article.

How will I catch reader’s interest? – If you can’t grab the interest of a reader, they may never read your piece. More importantly, if you can’t catch the attention of an editor, you may never sell your piece. How will you hook them? What will grab their attention and fill them with a desire to find out more? Perhaps it’s a catchy title, an eye-grabbing picture or a shocking lead. Whatever it is, figure it out – that’s your ticket to a sale.

How will I keep that interest? – So you’ve gotten the reader to give your article a glance. Now what? Will they keep reading or will they just flip to the next page? Maybe you’ll start them off with a gripping anecdote, or a chilling statistic. Maybe you need to raise questions in the reader’s mind that will cause them to eagerly read on for answers. However you do it, you’ll need to keep their attention once you’ve got it. While this may not influence the sale of this particular article, it will influence the editor’s opinion of you as a writer. If you can keep interest on one topic, you’ll be more easily trusted the next time you query them, or when they need a writer for a topic of their choosing.

What is the core message or theme of this article? – Once all is said and done, what does your article really say? Does it simply inform? Does it entertain, or even inspire? Is there some deeper truth you want to convey, some sense of purpose to the article? This is the question that can take your writing from good to great. Understand the answer will give your writing depth and make it more than simply words.

By applying these questions to your own article ideas, you’ll weed out the ideas that don’t work, you’ll find the ones that do work, and you’ll flesh out your idea into a topic ready to query!

Brian Westover is a freelance writer. In addition to writing articles for publication in standard print venues (such as magazines and newspapers), he is also a skilled copywriter, offering a variety of services to anyone who needs great online content, polished business writing in a professional format and editing and coaching to improve your own writing. In addition to his professional site, Brian also runs WriterSpot, a website dedicated to finding and organizing online resources for either the beginning writer or experienced writing professional.

[tags]topics,writing,articles,query letters,brainstorming,freelance,success,professional,marketing[/tags]

Taking It With You

Taking it with you ... your work, that is.

Later this summer I will be on the road with family and “out of the office” for a fairly lengthy period of time. While I am gone, my laptop and some important back up files will be with me as I envision spending some of that time working while the rest of my family visits with our extended family. Plus, I have several web sites that I manage and I like to check in from time to time to see how they are doing.

If I need internet access, I head off to the nearest Panera Bread location and buy a cup of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and sit down to work. The last time I did something like this I was in Panera for about three hours each day. This time, I don’t envision myself needing to be online all that much, but I do believe I’ll be busy writing some articles and updating several web pages.

So, why do I go to Panera Bread? For a few reasons: free Wi-Fi access, the music is subtle, and the lighting is calming. Compare that atmosphere to Starbucks where internet access will run you $6 or more per hour and where the music is too loud to concentrate makes choosing Panera a no-brainer. Plus, their coffee is simply better than Starbucks, in my opinion

Copyright 2006 – For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.

[tags]article marketing, article directories, article writing, articles, freelance writer, free articles[/tags]