Marketing "Gurus": Do You Need One?

Written by Priya Shah


Continued from page 1

Someone who can help you NOT re-inventrepparttar wheel, but continue where they left off.

Someone who could share with you a new way of doing things that could benefit you in ways you could never imagine.

Few 'real' gurus - at least those worth learning from - will ever want to be called that.

The ones who do are usually cocky, self-professed types, full of their own importance - and you'll learn more by avoiding them likerepparttar 104618 plague.

The gurus to watch (note, I didn't say follow - as in sheep) and learn from, arerepparttar 104619 ones with a long track record of success.

The ones who have repeatedly proved that their methods are legitimate and that they work.

Notrepparttar 104620 flash-in-the-pan types, who come and go faster than you can say "bestselling ebook."

Notrepparttar 104621 ones who jump from one opportunity torepparttar 104622 next and try to take you along forrepparttar 104623 ride.

Notrepparttar 104624 ones who endorse everything from lunar real-estate to miracle cure-alls.

And certainly not cocky little teenagers, who have never cut their teeth on real marketing.

Don't expect your chosen guru to know everything about everything. Even gurus specialize in different areas of expertise.

Just to give you an example, I respect Corey Rudl highly for his pioneering knowledge of marketing. But I would never take advice from him on getting high rankings in search engines.

For specialized knowledge like that, I would learn from someone who is a true expert in that field, like Dan Thies or Michael Campbell.

Whether you're a newbie starting out onrepparttar 104625 internet, or an experienced marketer who has honed his skills to perfection,repparttar 104626 one thing you can always benefit from is an open mind.

And a willingness to be taught.

So when you do choose a guru, guide, mentor or coach, pick one whose insight can help you see yourself - and what you have to offer - more clearly.

One whose knowledge can show you how to bring out your own latent talents.

And one whose guidance can help you grow into a seasoned and successful entrepreneur.

Priya Shah is the Editor of "Be a Whiz at eBiz!" a free-wheeling newsletter on internet marketing and home business at http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com She also publishes "The Glutathione Report," a newsletter featuring regular updates on the health benefits of glutathione at http://www.glutathione-report.com


Alternative Legal Billing -- Win Win Strategies

Written by Dan Harris


Continued from page 1

Forgetrepparttar image of personal injury attorneys taking a third of any verdict or settlement. Consider instead contingency fees—fees based onrepparttar 104617 outcome ofrepparttar 104618 case andrepparttar 104619 performance of your counsel. Creative use of contingency fees can create efficiencies in evenrepparttar 104620 most high-level corporate settings. If you retain a lawyer to help your company avoid litigation, couple a reduced hourly rate with a bonus for successfully lowering your litigation outlays.

You also can establish an incentive based on a percentage of money won or saved in trial. If you're a defendant in a case whererepparttar 104621 plaintiff has a strong shot at a $1 million settlement, negotiate a flat fee ifrepparttar 104622 case goes to trial, plus a bonus ifrepparttar 104623 plaintiff ends up getting less than $1 million. If you're a plaintiff and estimate your case is worth between $1 and $2 million, you might negotiate services for a flat fee plus a percentage of any settlement over $1 million.

Contingency fees turnrepparttar 104624 matter into a shared risk or shared incentive, makingrepparttar 104625 law firm your business partner, not just representation. Contingency fees can work well with both flat fee and reduced hourly fee arrangements. Because a number of variations onrepparttar 104626 "pay-according-to-success" theme exist, you should ask firms forrepparttar 104627 options they're willing to discuss.

Multi-layered tasks

If you're shopping for a firm for substantial legal work involving a number of legal specialties, consider using blended hourly fees. Rather than each attorney billing atrepparttar 104628 usual hourly rate,repparttar 104629 firm calculates in advance an "average" rate based onrepparttar 104630 anticipated time each attorney spends onrepparttar 104631 matter.

The value of this arrangement is twofold—it helps define responsibility in a project and it provides a fair price schedule forrepparttar 104632 client, who avoids paying a senior partner's hourly rate for research that should be conducted by a junior associate

Legal "Insurance"

Firms without in-house counsel that frequently hire legal services might consider contracting with a firm. In this legal billing option, firms and clients agree to a specific charge per month in exchange for a predetermined set of legal services. The contract fee permitsrepparttar 104633 client to pick uprepparttar 104634 phone and talk torepparttar 104635 attorney without needing to eyerepparttar 104636 clock. This approach works like a legal insurance policy. It encourages companies to contact their counsel on non-litigation, non-crisis matters, and to save money inrepparttar 104637 long run by engaging in more preventive legal action.

Just as in business,repparttar 104638 impetus for change comes from consumer demand. The sooner businesses takerepparttar 104639 lead in securing more effectively tailored billing methods from their legal counsel,repparttar 104640 sooner they'll get better, more cost-effective legal assistance.



Dan Harris is an international attorney who assists small and mid-sized companies with their international legal needs. Website: http:www.harrismoure.com


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