January 24, 2007

How to Protect Your Ideas... Making the Perfect Telephone Pitch
to Land Clients... Healthy Daily Habits for Success... and More.

** How to Protect Your Ideas
By Adrian Newman, Founder of e-Wealth Daily

I'd like to continue on with my idea and invention tangent today, because I think that new ideas are really prevalent during the first few months of the New Year.

The start of the New Year is when people are fresh to new thoughts and ideas. The holidays are done with and you're undoubtedly ready to get back to the business of making money. And any idea you come up with should be based on that single goal — making money.

Any idea that has ever been patented throughout history was patented for one reason alone: to keep other people from stealing it so that the inventor could be the one who reaps the financial rewards.

Now, don't get me wrong. Some ideas may start out as concepts that can help people. Whether it's a medical or learning device, for example, the general thought process behind an idea could be to help make other people's lives easier.

However, once the idea is thought out, and the wheels start turning toward making the idea into a product, then dollar signs tend to creep into the mind of its inventor. A call to a lawyer or patent office is often made shortly thereafter.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

So how should you go about protecting your idea or invention?

Well, the first thing you want to do is check to see if your invention has already been thought of. There are over 6.5 billion people in the world, so it's very possible that your idea or invention has already been conceived by somebody else.

Whether it's been patented or not is another story altogether.

Visit http://www.uspto.gov/ for the United States Patent and Trademark Office or http://cipo.gc.ca/ for the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. At these sites, you can search to see if your idea has been previously patented or not. A simple search can save you a lot of time — and a lot of grief.

I'd like to conclude today's article with a story about the importance of getting a patent:

On February 14, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell walked into the U.S. Patent Office and applied for a patent for his invention — the telephone — although he did not have a working prototype and the device described in his patent did not work. Two hours later, Elisha Gray submitted a caveat for the same patent, with diagrams and an explanation of a working model. However, after two years of litigation, Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the rights to the invention because he got it patented first.

See how easy it was for Gray to lose the rights to the invention? That's how important it is for you to get your idea or invention patented as soon as possible. As the Gray/Bell situation has taught us, a couple of hours could determine whether your name becomes a legacy or a footnote.

In my last article, I talked about the importance of using the telephone to get what you want, be it a job, a new customer, or anything else. Well, I want to continue my discussion on the telephone as a great form of communication in today's article.

Let's briefly go over some basic telephone skills that normally get taught in any customer service course: Above all, speak clearly and state your name and the purpose of your call. Be courteous and always state your willingness to help or solve a problem.

Over the years, I have learned that the most important part of a call is getting past the initial introduction. In many ways, your introductory words are no different than the headline on a direct-mail envelope. Through scientific testing of envelopes, I have found that if your prospect doesn't open the envelope, then you'll never be able to sell them.

So your opening line — whether you're looking for a job or contacting a prospect — is key to your being able to get to the guts of your sales message. When I'm making a cold call, my entire goal is to get the person on the other end of the line to nod his/her head in agreement with what I have to say. The only thing I'm trying to do is get them to open up and listen to me.

For these reasons, I always introduce myself in this way, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. I'm Doug D'Anna, and we've never met." Why would I say this? Because it's a true statement that he can't argue with. If I had said "Good morning, Mr. Smith. I'm Doug D'Anna with D'Anna & Associates," he could easily hang up on me because he doesn't know me and probably figures I've called to sell him something.

By introducing myself and saying, "we've never met," I've aroused his curiosity. He doesn't know if I'm an insurance adjuster, a friend of a friend, or someone who is calling to offer him a new job.

Have you ever heard the acronym "A.I.D.A?" It stands for "Attention, Interest, Desire, Action." It's the time-tested, four- step process that is a part of every successful advertisement. I use this same approach on the phone.

To catch my prospect's interest, build his desire, and take action, here's my complete opening pitch: "Good morning, Mr. Smith. I'm Doug D'Anna, and we've never met. The reason I'm calling is to first introduce myself, and second to give you an idea that could increase the results of your newsletter promotion by 20%.

As you'll learn, it's very similar to those I've developed for Personal Finance, Forbes, and Prevention, which generated millions of dollars in subscriptions. I know that it will work for your publication, and if you'll give me a few minutes, I can explain how."

Of course, this was not the first pitch I ever developed. I came up with this over time through trial and error. Today, I still continue to use this simple introduction. Not everyone is going to be delighted that I called, but my whole goal is to leave the other person with the impression that I have his/her best interest at stake. Basically, I'm offering them value for the time they spend with me on the phone without asking for a dime.

When you try this approach, I can guarantee that a lot of people will be genuinely interested in what you have to say because you will have piqued their curiosity. Others may give you a difficult time. You should let these people know that you are genuinely interested in helping them.

If they are receptive, then they're yours! You have overcome the critical obstacle in using the phone to get what you want.

You have opened up their minds. Your next step is to find out the information you need or to define any problems that you may have. Acquire as much information as you can and decide what action you can implement in order to secure a relationship with them. Get right down to the who, what, where, when, why, and how of their goals and objectives.

Be sure to provide any requested advice or information accurately and responsively. Offer assistance or follow up and let your contact form a positive impression of you and what you have to offer — because it is in his/her best interest. Get them to commit to a future communication at their earliest convenience and encourage them to give you feedback.

Asking questions will increase the likelihood of you connecting with the other person. However, keep these techniques in mind as well:

Don't ask too many questions. Bombarding a person from the get-go with too many questions will put him/her on the defensive. Keep the level to what is pertinent in the current situation. Take it easy on the "why" questions, as they will make you seem invasive.

Ask your questions one at a time and wait for the other person to proved you with complete answers before you proceed.

Questions within questions tend to confuse people, so avoid them.

My favorite kinds of questions get my prospect to tell me about the problems that he/she faces. I want to know what's working in his/her marketing campaign — and what isn't. And then I go on to ask questions that will allow him/her to paint a picture in his/her own mind of the outcome that he/she would like to receive.

Your only job, once you've opened up their minds to your message, is to listen to what they are saying and not rush to some prearranged pitch that focuses on your product. You need to really listen to their problems and tailor what you're selling (or you, for that matter) as the solution to your needs.

** Healthy Daily Habits for Success
By Michael Newman, the "Money Finder"

I often talk about being able to create a picture in your head of your goals. That's because I believe that if you can picture yourself as being where you want to be, you're more likely to get there.

Take a minute to picture your ideal image of success. Maybe you're lounging on a leather sofa in your own mansion. Or maybe you're sailing off the coast of France on your new yacht.

Now picture what you look like once you've achieved success.
What do you physically look like? Are you energized and looking your best?

On your path to success it's important to remember that achieving your goals will benefit you most if you're able to fully enjoy them. To help you enjoy the fruits of your labor, here are five healthy habits that could help you maintain the energy you need for success:

Each of these habits may take a little time to put into practice, but the positive effects they could have on helping you reach your goal for success is well worth the effort.