Want to Succeed? Join a Fraternity.Written by Susan Dunn
Business Success? Here are top ten things you might not have suspected about joining a fraternity:In a recent article in Forbes magazine, Wachovia CEO G. Kennedy Thompson is quoted as saying that Beta Theta Pi, which he joined while an undergrad at University of North Carolina, gave him "the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and places, and connections have continued beyond my university years to my business life." We know that emotional intelligence (social skills) can account for as much of your success, or more, than your IQ. Do fraternities produce EQ, or require it, or correlate with it? Here's some interesting information from North-American Interfraternity Conference. You be judge. 1. About ¼ of all chief executives on Forbes Super 500 list of America's largest corporations were members of college fraternities.
| | The Do-It-Yourself Sales Letter MakeoverWritten by Marcia Yudkin
For years, my most popular business service has been taking sales letters that aren't getting results and remaking them so that inquiries and orders pour in. At risk of starving this cash cow, I'm going to reveal mental checklist I use that accounts for a high percentage of improvements I introduce. Ask this set of questions about your sales letter before you finalize it, and you'll be able to swell a trickle of response into a steady stream of profit. * Do you let reader know in first paragraph why you're writing, and provide a reason to read on? Your recipient digs into letter with question, "What's in this for me?" An opening like "We are pleased to announce," for instance, usually provokes a "So What?" Instead, put yourself in shoes of your reader, formulate your main point from that perspective and try leading off with it: "Until September 22, 1998 you have chance to become one of only 2,346 people in universe to own mineral-rich real estate on Asteroid A-17." You can also satisfy this imperative with a provocative, topic-specific headline in big type above date and salutation of letter. For instance, I once headed a three-page letter about a publicity consulting program, "Finally, Fame and Fortune are Within Your Reach!" * Do you provide a clear and compelling offer, or a specific action that you are asking reader to take? An offer means something like, "For only $29.95 you can have unlimited use of our health club for one month, along with a one-hour private session with one of our certified fitness trainers." At very least, explicitly tell readers what action you would like them to take now, such as "Please return enclosed prepaid postcard to let us know about your future landscaping needs." * Do you explicitly describe strong points of your offering? I found this copy in a car dealer's letter weak and vague: "Check our prices. They're probably better than you think. We guarantee they're competitive." I recommended changing that to "We'll match any competitor's price for an oil and filter change for your car." In my first look at a sales letter, I usually circle murky words and phrases all over place and write, "What do you mean by this?" "And by this?" "And this?" Replace each generic, wishy-washy expression with more precise wording.
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