3. ALWAYS PRINT YOUR HEADLINE IN CAPITAL LETTERS. Your headline should sum up most important concept embedded in your classified ad. And that concept should be big enough to catch a reader's eye, even if they're only glancing through ads and not actually reading them.

4. Your ad should be easy to read, for readers of all levels. Make sentences short. Use simple language. And, above all, get to point before your reader's attention wanders.

5. If you are going to include a phone number, make it an 800 number, even if it's a local call. People are wary of calling any number that might have charges attached.

6. Don't abbreviate. Just because you know what an abbreviation means, that doesn't mean anyone else will. You don't want readers to miss meaning of your ad because you were too lazy, or too concerned about pinching pennies to spell out every word.

7. Place your ad in as many sections as apply to what you offer. The more times it's printed, more likely it is to be seen by right people.

Does coaching really work? Even most skeptical of people have been impressed. One Associated Press article reports this occurrence: “When his boss first offered him a coach, Ken Saji, a director for MTV Networks, hedged a bit. "I didn't want anything touchy-feely," he says.

”The 30-year-old, who considers himself a bit of an introvert, wanted to show more leadership in meetings. His coach suggested he build on his analytical nature to become an "active listener," who distills what's been said and offers new suggestions.

"I feel I perform 100 percent better in areas we worked on," Saji says. "I'm now much more confident and more self-aware."”

Coaching can be conducted via telephone, email, or in person, so regardless of pace of your schedule, there is always time to improve. Considering results coaching brings to table, investment of time and money are both well worth it.