Archive for April, 2008

5 Life Changing Secrets to Anchor down More Sales

If you can use more new leads and customers… and I mean TONS
of them, I’ve got great news for you.

Now there are some powerful, inexpensive ways to bring in all
the traffic you’ll ever need and convince them to grab your
products and services.

The kind of internet business that will rocket your sales
counter right off the charts!

If you’re sick and tired of low sales and want to charge your
website to pull in MORE customers to your site like a 10 ton
magnet, then apply the killer 5 step system I am about to show
you…

STEP 1 - Comments from Forum Posters.

Search for your business’ name in newsgroups and discussion
boards. Some of the comments you find could help you improve
your business.

STEP 2 - Get them Link to YOU.

Attract people to link to your web site. You could offer them a
discount on the products you sell or give them free stuff for
linking.

STEP 3 - Build a Cash-Pulling Optin-List.

Develop your own opt in email list by giving your visitors a
reason to give you their e-mail address. Allow them sign up to
free stuff and contests.

STEP 4 - Press Release.

Create a “PR” web page for your business. List information that
could be considered newsworthy for e-zines, newspapers,
magazines, etc.

STEP 5 - Build Trust and Credibility.

Give your business and products credibility by linking to web
sites that have written positive stories about your business.

Everything you may have heard about building a successful
internet business might be true.

But this article has shown you some ‘amazing’ ways to get more
customers to your site and convince them to grab your product.

One of the most difficult and time consuming tasks in this ebiz
world is to get more traffic and convert them into sales. But
this article has laid down some killer tips you can use to sky
rocket your traffic and get them to buy your product.

If you want more profits, more customers, more leads, more sales
and fill up your cash counter, then I urge you to take ACTION
and apply the 5 block formula I have laid down in this article.

I’d like to make you an extremely bold promise. Make an attempt
to use the tips this article has shown you and see your profits
EXPLODE.

There’s never been a better time for you to pull more website
traffic and sales, than it is today!

What’s changing in Customer Service? The top 5 new things that customers want.

We all know that good customer service is paramount to growing a business and increasing profitability. What many managers are failing to realize, however, is that rapid changes in technology have lead to equally rapid changes in the delivery of quality customer service.

In addition to the basics we all have heard time and again, there are five new areas of customer service that should be addressed to keep customers happy.

What do customers say?

1) Preserve me from auto-attendant hell! Customers are becoming increasingly annoyed and frustrated with having to sift through a multitude of options and press numerous buttons - only to be told that the desired service is only available through the company’s website. Worse is when the auto-attendant uses voice recognition - but doesn’t ‘recognize’ your voice.

It’s understandable that companies want to reduce costs by using attendants and, there’s no question that these are valuable tools. Yet, people want to connect with human beings; they don’t want to listen to a long list of prompts - especially not if they are having a problem (and let’s face it, that’s what usually triggers the call in the first place). To keep customers happy, here are few simple tips:

• Always make it easy for customers to reach a human being.
• Give people the option of voice prompt or touch prompt.
• If you do use an auto-attendant, limit the number of menus to two rounds of choices before the customer reaches a human being.
• If you have asked the customer to key in account information, transfer the profile along with the call.
• If the call has been answered by a company rep, and needs to transfer the call to another department, do not put the customer back into a long queue. Instead, let your customer service rep be able to jump the front of the line, and get them to stay on the call with the client until the next person has picked up. Once this happens, the first rep should introduce the caller and give rep #2 a précis of the situation so the customer doesn’t feel like he or she is having to start all over again.

2) Don’t make me wait more than a couple of minutes in a phone queue. Many companies are making clients wait 15 minutes or more in a phone queue. Anything more than 2-3 minutes is considered unacceptable by more than 80% of customers surveyed.

3) Don’t make me quote chapter and verse about my account to get simple information. In these days of increased white collar crime, it is reasonable, and sensible, for companies to protect their customers by ascertaining that they are dealing with the correct person before discussing an account. However, 3 questions should be the limit. Beyond that, it takes up too much time (costing the company money) and only frustrates your client.

4) Give me more flexibility in how I contact you. As communication options increase, so should the options that customers have for contacting your company. Offer clients the choice of scheduling appointments by going on-line or using their PDA to access a special appointment site. Let customers send a text message or e-mail to request that customer service call them within the hour. Enable customers to access their accounts on-line - and give them the ability to change billing and service options while there. Giving customers (who want it) the ability to interact more with their accounts will make them happier - and has the added benefit of saving companies money and employee time.

5) Don’t tell me how I have to deal with you. Right now there are multiple generations of customers - which means multiple ways in which people want to interact with companies. Don’t force everyone into the same mold, or you risk alienating at least one of the generational groups. It makes no sense to tell someone who is older and computer-phobic that they can only get their bills on-line (and yes, a large percentage of people 60 years and older does not trust on-line “banking” and “account management” in any form)… just as it could cost you a customer if you were to tell a Gen Xer that there is no on-line access to their accounts. More than ever it’s important to know how your customers want to be treated - and do deal with them their way.

Jane-Michle Clark is president of The Q Group (www.theQgroup.com), a strategic positioning and marketing communications firm that has worked with many blue chip companies over the past 30 years. Jane-Michle also writes for www.ReallyGreatInfo.com, teaches MBA level marketing at the Schulich School of Business, is a corporate trainer and speaker, and 4-time nominee for Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. She can be reached at jmc@theQgroup.com, 416-424-4233

How To Lose Weight With Intuitive Eating: 4 Quick Tips

Confused? Frustrated? Fed up? Do you feel bewildered after trying diet after diet and never being able to keep the weight off? In fact, if you’re like most people, you eventually ended up gaining all your weight back plus a few extra instead of losing.

Do you notice that there are no diet fads currently sweeping the market? There’s a simple reason. After over 100 years of dieting, it’s finally clear that all that effort, deprivation, planning, and starvation has only made the American public fatter. In fact, 95% of dieters gain back all their weight within 1-5 years. Diets don’t work.

What does work is honoring and listening to your body.

Before you go on yet another diet consider looking to the natural wisdom of your body. The irony is that we each have the perfect, free, built-in diet available to us right here and now. It’s called listening to your body and it’s simple.

There are just a few simple things to learn:

1) What you resist persists. The most essential step is to love and accept your body as it is right now. If you’re reading this article, you are probably carrying a some extra pounds. That’s a common result of dieting. But most people were born to be of normal weight. You, too! Treat your body well and meet its needs and you will find you return to your own ideal weight easily and naturally.

2) Listen to your body. Treat your body with gentleness and tender, loving care by eating when you feel physically hungry and stopping when you are full. Overeating is usually a form of diet backlash that results from starvation and deprivation. It’s the body’s survival mechanism in action to save your life from the famine it experienced. Try eating small, frequent amounts with the intention of feeling light and refreshed from eating rather than heavy and stuffed.

3) Choose to eat what you really want in each moment, not what you think you should have or what would make you “good.” As you make choices based on your body’s desires, you will find yourself eating better foods in smaller quantities. Sensually enjoy the food you eat. Taste the delicious flavors, enjoy the various textures. And if it isn’t tasting great, get something better right then.

4) Play more, suffer less. Find some kind of movement that makes you feel like a kid again. Or take walks that feed your soul. Make exercise something you love and look forward to instead of yet another chore to feel guilty about skipping.

Accept your body, meet its needs, enjoy your food, and play. Sounds better than dieting doesn’t it? And it works better, too. If you’re looking for a real, long-term solution to ending the battle with your weight, intuitive eating may just be the answer you’ve been seeking.

©2006 Nancy Hill has helped thousands break free from the nightmare of dieting with her ebook, “Undieting - 11 Simple Steps to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life.” Sign up now to get the free Undieting Newsletter and discover how intuitive eating makes it easy to live at your ideal weight without ever dieting again.

Domain registration is inexpensive and protects your business

In an ever-changing world it is important to have some
stability. To this end you should look into registering your
domain name because:

* Your domain name becomes a point of association for you.
Clients remember your site and services by the domain name.

* Even if you change your web host the domain name would go with
you and clients will be re-directed to your web site.

* Since brand recall is the basis to good marketing a permanent
domain name will become the “brand” that represents your company.

Registering a domain is cheap. It only costs between US$ 1 and
US$ 3 per month. Many registrars also offer free parking for the
domain names. The registration can be done by the web host or
you as an individual.

* Make a list of domain names you are using in your business and
are likely to use.

* Write down the DNS IP addresses and the names of the primary
and secondary servers.

* Choose a method of payment. Using a credit card is highly
recommended as the registration is immediate.

* Select a registrar from the many available like, Yahoo,
GoDaddy.com, Dotster.com, or Register.com. Read the terms and
conditions carefully and do not hesitate to ask any relevant
questions.

You must:

* Consider seriously the costs of re-registering the domains
owned by you.

* Whether you will be in a position to sell any of the domains.

* If you should purchase other permutations of your domain to
prevent cyber squatting. Think about dot.net; dot.biz; dot.co
and so on.

* InterNic at http://www.internic.net/ provides information on
Internet domain name registration services. It has an accredited
registrar directory as well as an FAQ section.

* Network Solutions at
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jhtml has a WHOIS
database where one can find out which domains are registered and
by whom along with website data. The search spans multiple
registrar databases and throws up registration information on
millions of domain names with different extensions.

* Yahoo Small Business Directory at
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Co
mmunications_and_Networking/Internet_and_World_Wide_Web/Domain_Na
me_Registration/ is a comprehensive directory of 334 domain
registration sites along with a brief description.

Valuable Insights:

* Make a list of domain names as well as extensions that you
want to register. Ask yourself why you need these domains and
what you plan doing with them. Of all the extensions dot.com is
the most popular.

* It is not advisable to register the domain names with the web
host . If you decide to use a new host you will save yourself
immense trouble of moving the domain name as well. Always
register with reputable and accredited companies.

* Choose the keywords carefully. Search engines favor keyword
rich domain names. This will help in the marketing of the site.

* Coin a short domain name. Short names are remembered and are
know to have better recall in memories of clients and casual
browsers.

* Ensure that the domain name has topical relevance. It must
convey a definite meaning and represent your business.

* Keep in mind applicable laws while choosing a domain name. Pay
special attention to trademark and copyright laws.

Register your domain and gain peace of mind. It is inexpensive
and protects your website and intellectual property.

Copyright - What Can You Protect?

The legal protection known has “copyright” has come front and center over the past few years with major legal rulings regarding peer-to-peer networks on the Internet. Copyright protection, however, can be a confusing area of the law. This article details what can and cannot be protected by copyright.

Copyright Protection? - Yes

Copyright protects “original works of authorship” in a tangible, fixed form of expression. The material does need to be directly perceptible as long as it can be expressed with the aid of technology. A good example of this is a movie, which requires a projection device of some sort.

Materials that can be copyrighted include:

1. Literary works;

2. Musical works, including any accompanying words

3. Dramatic works, including any accompanying music

4. Pantomimes and choreographic works

5. Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works

6. Motion pictures and other audiovisual works

7. Sound recordings

8. Architectural works

Each of these categories is traditionally given a very broad reading. For instance, “literary works” include computer programs and plans for building a home are considered “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.” While copyright cuts a broad path, it doesn’t cover everything.

Protected by Copyright? - No

If a work is not tangible, copyright protection will not apply. This can lead to confusion, so here are a few categories not eligible for protection from copyright:

1. Works that are not fixed. For example, the statements made by experts at a round table discussion or a comedian’s stage act.

2. Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans. These materials may be eligible for patent protection.

3. Ideas, procedures and methods.

Copyright protection is a valuable intellectual property tool. If it all possible, copyright the material you produce to prevent others from misusing it.

Richard Chapo is with http://www.sandiegobusinesslawfirm.com - providing legal services to businesses in San Diego.

Family Health Insurance - Do Your Research First Before Choosing A Provider

There are many different types of family health care insurance that can be purchased to provide adequate health care coverage for you and your loved ones. However, in order to find a suitable health care plan or insurance you really should spend some time researching and investigating the many plans and the different options and benefits they offer to potential customers.

After all, when selecting family health insurance you’re looking to find a plan that will provide medical coverage at little or no cost in the event an accident happens to a family member or someone in your family becomes extremely ill or sick. The main reason for obtaining a family health care plan is to offset or eliminate the expensive costs and huge medical bills normally associated with receiving medical treatment from a hospital or health care specialist such as a doctor.

With so many different types of health care providers finding the right one can be time consuming and a mind numbing and tedious process. One suggestion would be to become familiar with some basic health insurance terms and to write down specific benefits you want to research with each health care company or provider. Items that should be listed can include the health insurance company name, the monthly premium or insurance rate, the deductible for each company’s respective health care plan, whether or not you can get brand name prescription drugs or will only be offered the cheaper generic version and what the maximum coverage amounts are.

Although the cost for any health care plan is major concern for many families, especially low-income families, it shouldn’t be used as the deciding factor when making the final choice for your health care insurance provider. Stick to a health care plan that offers the best amount of health care coverage at the most affordable price, this combination will yield the best results should you ever have a need to utilize your health insurance.

Although many cheaper health insurance plans require a higher deductible and provide little or no choice to the insured on who the medical doctor or specialist will be that provides medical treatment there are some plans that allow the consumer to choose their own preferred health care profession doctor or physician. Naturally these plans have a higher premium or costs associated with them but they are generally preferred more by folks interested in obtaining health care insurance while being able to use the services of their own doctor.

No matter what health care provider or company you choose to administer your family health insurance always be prudent with your research and you will be able to quickly and easily choose the right health care insurance that will provide for your families health care needs.

Looking for more money saving tips and advice on finding the best family health insurance plan? Sharlene Raven is a respected webmaster whose site GoodHealthCoverage.com specializes in providing health insurance information you can trust.

Prepping For Business Partnerships: A Bird’s Eye View

Successful business development executives increasingly are doing battle in the arena of strategic alliances and marketing partnerships. Nowadays getting the jump on your competition is not half as important as mapping out and deploying a targeted and unique value proposition with particular appeal to potentially compatible allies.

Successful business development executives increasingly are doing battle in the arena of strategic alliances and marketing partnerships. Nowadays getting the jump on your competition is not half as important as mapping out and deploying a targeted and unique value proposition with particular appeal to potentially compatible allies.

Take the old aphorism: “The early bird catches the worm?” It just doesn’t apply anymore. Even in the wild, naturists have discovered that ‘early on the job’ does not necessarily equate with success.

Consider this analogy:

Worms are slow, but they are expert at hiding. To catch one, birds must do more than just show up early. In the highly competitive world of birds, all the birds are up early. So, in practice, what distinguishes the successful bird from the hungry one is observation and preparation. Smart birds have figured out that worms are most vulnerable when they are in the act of eating.

The clever ones take care to study when, where, and what worms eat. The successful bird takes that data into account when making preparation! For example, one rather successful bird has learned that a certain type of worm finds a particular kind of leaf to be especially appealing. The wise bird has been observed using its beak to place the targeted worm’s preferred leaves in the worm’s vicinity.

The analogy of the clever bird applies not only in nature, but suggests a powerful strategic option available to you in business.

Knowing your target partner’s needs and decision structure gives you the edge over all other early birds. Whether you’re a CEO or a field executive with front line responsibility, you know that your prospects are capable of sophisticated camouflage. They are expert at hiding behind gatekeepers, red tape, misdirection, and layers of bureaucracy. So be it! Getting in front of potential partners takes more than showing up early. Executives responsible for cultivating business relationships must be able to increase their penetration effectiveness. They do so by providing prospects with “food” — in this case, a compelling level of data, analysis and capabilities presented in an extraordinary manner. The results of such highly creative, custom prepared initiatives are dramatic.

Your commitment to a content-based partnership initiative is a win-win strategy:

* Partnership options, sales opportunities and receptivity improve dramatically when prospects are prepped via well-designed initiative tools front-loaded with offers of relevant information.

* Superbly orchestrated interface meetings, powerful creative presentations and mouth-watering proposals (worthy of the partnership’s revenue potential) help prospective partners cut back on resistance and institutional firewalls.

* Most partnership executives are more inclined to bite into knowledge that treats them like a stakeholder. This approach improves their ability to evaluate, decide and be open to profiting from a prospective alliance.

Empowering your target with information is significantly more likely to get the deal done at the end of the day.

Increasingly, the Web is proving to be an ideal content delivery venue for initiative purposes. Content configured, digitally distributed partner initiatives are growing, but when it comes to relationship building face-to-face meetings are still essential.

Increased partnering productivity has a significant bearing on:
- finding good opportunities
- executive dialogue
- positive brand perceptions
- reducing the cost of partnership development
- buy-in from gatekeepers and influencers
- negotiating agreements.

It is never too early to start developing and implementing a targeted and effective Strategic Partnership Plan & Program. Feel free to contact the clever birds at Partner | M for assistance in this matter.

Harvey Kraft is Managing Director of Partner | M — partnershipsmedia.com — the California-based marketing consultancy specializing in executive support for strategic alliances and partnering initiatives. Mr. Kraft is a skilled partnerships executive, author and speaker, and creative marketing director with two decades of senior experience in the media, finance, publishing and wellness sectors.

How to Create and Sell Your First Ebook (5)

Ten Steps Guide for Newbies

Step Five: Writing Your First Ebook

This is very exciting step. Now you have to deliver all your
knowledge and passion to your future customers. You know what
they need. Here is the time to put it down. Just do it.

If you have been carefully working on the previous steps, your
book is in your head, already.

The first thing to do before to start is to create a proper
internal atmosphere. Be excited and think positively about your
writing skill. Everybody can write an ebook and you can do it
too.

Here comes the outline to help you. Write a few paragraphs on
each subtopic and your first draft will be ready. Use your notes
and notebook for ideas and inspiration. In the process of
writing you’ll find some more subtopics to write on.

What else can be helpful here:

* Write with enthusiasm, writing is a pleasure, not a pain

* Write your sentences short and straight to the point - deliver
the information they need to solve their problem

* Do not try to say to much

* Keep the paragraphs short 2-3 sentences

Here is the most important advice. Write your first draft
without any concerns about the editing. Keep on writing! The
quality of your first draft doesn’t matter. Just pour your ideas
and keep on writing (typing).

Turn off your editor. I find myself looking at the keyboard and
not to the screen. But that helps me to overcome the urge to go
back and read and edit the text. This is going to kill your
writing. Do not do that. Keep on writing!

Keep the passion and write your thoughts as they come. Imagine
yourself explaining the situations to your friends. That will
help you in writing.

Perfection and editing will come later. You’ll have enough time
to do that on the next step. For now, keep on writing!

I cannot stress enough the importance of the above. Even the
greatest writers in the world began their famous books with a
rough first draft. And this is what you should do, too. Another
good tip is to set a goal for every day and when you reach it -
Stop writing. No mater what just stop writing and go with your
other activities.

If you overdo it today - that can be an excuse to be sloppier
tomorrow. No matter what, you have to reach your goal of 2, 3,
5, 10 pages or whatever your target is.

Apply the above discipline and success will come. No writers
block exists. Just keep on writing.

Dedicated proper amount of time for writing and keep it strict.

Look for the next Step Six: Editing and Formatting Your First
Ebook

Teo Gee

Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication - Part 3

Our Self is the true center of our being and the place from which our individual truth emanates. It’s where we can come to know our passions, our place in the world, our purpose and our destiny. Without our Self we truly have nothing, except the reference structures around us which are now crumbling. Yes, crumbling! The evidence is there; we see it every day in the media. To clarify, crumbling here does not mean total disintegration, although some would argue that is indeed the case. To me it means a rather serious Reshuffling.

The signs or symbols that define this rising Era are the Self at the center of the personality and the Soul as its Spiritual counterpart. Ego now belongs to the dying era that we are leaving behind. Self and Soul are inextricably intertwined. They are one and the same at a fundamental level - like Particle and Wave in Physics, which both describe the electron. Self and Soul are the same because they come from our Divine Nature which, by the way, does not reside anywhere but inside of Us. You, We, I, are the source of our Being and the home for this Divinity. You, We, I, are God, incarnate in a body.

Now, if I say to you - Trust Your Self! Believe in Your Self! Be Your Self! - can you in any way go wrong? Can you say - He’s lying, I shouldn’t trust myself? Can you say - I can’t trust him because he’s telling me to trust me? We could go on with more examples, but you can already see that this argument becomes absurd. Trusting your Self and connecting with your Soul are essential to being who you are. And from that perspective, they cannot be questioned. Because, if you can’t trust your Self and you can’t believe in your Soul, then nothing you believe in has value!

Here is the inherent beauty of Myth. Whether it’s a story or a parable, their simple truth is undeniable, unmistakable, because they point to You; they are a mirror to You. You are free to use them or not, to agree or not. They are not dictates, they are reference points. Parables are also Myths by the way, teaching tools in much the same way. They were the counterpart to Myths during Christ’s era. Today, movies, books, television and music tell the stories that men and women on hilltops used to recite so long ago. Yes, Parables or Myths are still being told to us today.

Alright, so back to “Trust Yourself” now, what does that mean? It means: Feel what your feel; Speak your truth; Acknowledge your mistakes; Do your very best; Pray for guidance; and LISTEN! Yes, Listen to that guidance that bubbles up from within you, from your Heart, or Feeling Center. There it is in action - your Feelings; your Inner Guidance; the I Am That I Am, all at work inside of you - to Give You the Truth about You!

How can you go wrong? You can’t.

How can you say no? You cannot.

How can you go forward? Right Now!

With hope, determination and clear-headedness, you can activate that Power that is Yours. So you can be true to You, which is He, and bring forward those Gifts which are Yours to share with the World.

Now every once in a while, something happens in Life that can shake us up. For some, it could be a course of study. For others, it could be a movie, a life crisis, a particular song, a major loss, a trauma or similar challenge. A good crisis or major loss can be a great waker-upper. As an example, my own changes leading to the present began about 12 years ago, after my wife took ill with Multiple Sclerosis. I was scared and started listening more inwardly.

Until then I was a fairly traditional psychotherapist, plying my craft as I was trained to do. Mixing in some intuition with other guidance was part of my style and I got by. Then one day, after this crisis hit, I started writing. Actually, I felt compelled to write - stories, poetry, music, with a spiritual bent, a mythical flavor, a growth orientation. And these writings were all about the same thing - Knowing Your Self; Being True to Your Self; Waking up to Soul; Children’s Spirituality; Song Lyrics and Reflections.

From these writings came my first book of Parables, then another, and another, until I had six manuscripts on this subject; and yes, song lyrics for about 125 songs to this point. Mythology, Spirituality and Personal Growth were now moving through me.

So what is trying to be born through you, friend? What are your gifts and passions telling you? Creativity is a challenge, but we’re all built to handle it. Our inherent design, as spiritual-physical beings, drives us to create. Watch children. They create without inhibition. It is their nature. Well it’s ours too. And we’ll resume this discussion in Part 4 and bring this course to a conclusion.

Maurice Turmel - EzineArticles Expert Author

Maurice Turmel PHD is an Author, Speaker and Performing Songwriter. His site features Self-Help books, Inspiring Music, Stories, Reflections and Poetry that can help YOU discover how truly great YOU are. The WebSite is dedicated to that end. It also features his collection of articles, reflections and stories as teaching tools, and his latest Ebook, “The Voice,” a Spiritual Sci-Fi novel. It will introduce YOU to all the basic concepts that characterize The Healthy Life, both Spiritually and Psychologically.
http://www.mauriceturmel.com

Don’t Ignore The Signs: How Emotional Infidelity Can Ruin Your Relationship

Emotional infidelity can start with a simple hi or a wink. It
begins in a boardroom or a chatroom. One spouse says, “What’s
the problem? We’re only friends.”

The other spouse can’t believe the reassurances. So the jealousy
builds and a wedge is driven between partners. Sometimes nothing
really is going on, and sometimes an affair is in progress. It’s
only a matter of time.

So how can you tell if your spouse is a potential cheater? How
can you stop a relationship from becoming romantic outside of
your marriage? Here are five topics to think about before
determining if your marriage is in the danger zone.

1. Secrecy: Do you feel as though your partner could be telling
you more about his or her new friend? Or do you hide the details
of your platonic relationship from your spouse? If so, why? It’s
best not to keep secrets from your partner, even if you think he
or she will be hurt, angry or jealous. If you want a successful
relationship, trust and honesty is the one factor for marriage
that should not be compromised.

2. Displaced Trust: Is information that should only be shared
between husband and a wife, shared outside of the relationship?
Topics like sexual intimacy, irreconcilable differences,
personal finances, and detailed accounts of your partner’s
shortcomings are best left within the constructs of your
marriage relationship.

3. Comparing: Does your spouse compare you to friend(s) of the
opposite sex often? Or do YOU feel as though your spouse could
improve in the areas that your special friend excels? Comparing
once or twice may not be a problem, but habitual comparison is a
warning sign.

4. Time Management: What type of time do you spend together as a
married couple? Is it mainly dutiful, like paying bills or going
to conferences for the kids? Or do you actually date–
one-on-one, no kids, family or friends around? If not, and you
find yourself, or your partner, engaged in date like activities
outside of your relationship, stop it. Either invite your spouse
or don’t do it anymore. Coffee talk can turn to pillow talk in
the blink of an eye.

5. Attraction: Do you feel as though your spouse like the way
his/her special friend looks? Are you attracted to the way your
friend looks or the way he/she does something? If so, address
this issue with your partner and then try to refocus your
attention on each other, rather than the outside party.

If three to five of these topics need to be addressed in your
marriage, don’t wait until it’s too late. I urge you to get
professional help either from your religious leader or from a
professional counselor.

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