Michigan VAs

Working with AudioAcrobat can be frustrating when you have a WordPress blog.

You can’t just copy the embedded code into your post as it may disappear when you save or publish your post or page.  WordPress strips <iframe> code because it can interfere from the look and feel of the site.

Audio Acrobat wants you to use a link to a blank page with just an embedded player.  However, this takes your visitor away from your site and may be confusing.

Here is another method for embedding the audio right in your WordPress post or page so they don’t leave your site.

Step 1: Install an Audio Player Plug-In

In order to use this method, you will need to install an audio player plug-in such as WP Audio Player (this is used in the example below).  Customize the look of the player by changing the settings for the plug-in.

Step 2: Get the URL for the download file from Audio Acrobat

To publish the audio in WordPress, you will use the download link for the Audio Acrobat file.

In Audio Acrobat, go to the audio file you want to publish.  Go to the “Publish Audio” tab and click on “Publish Download Link”.  Copy the download link for use in your WordPress blog.

Step 3: Add Audio to your Post

Use the shortcode and download link to add an audio player to your post.

For WP Audio Player, use the following code.  Replace yourdownloadurl with the download link.

[audio:http://yourdownloadurl]

Definition: The text, images, and media on a web page that is displayed in a browser without scrolling down.  The term comes from a mass mailing concept.  A person who opens a marketing letter from the company decides whether to continue to read a letter or piece of literature based on what information is provided on the top part of the paper – above the crease made where the paper is folded so it fits in the envelope.

Above the Fold on Your Web Page

The mass mailing concept can be used on web pages as well.  A visitor to your site decides whether to invest time to read your web page based on what they see on the screen when they click to go there.

According to an article by Kim Krause Berg of Search Engine Land, you have about 3 seconds to convince a visitor to stay.  Make sure the following is visible:

• Your Company Name
• Why someone should choose you
• Why you are better
• How to Start (your free report or product for signing up)
• How to Buy

Above the Fold in Your E-Mails

When you design the layout of your e-mails, incorporate the Above the Fold concept.  Most people view e-mails in the preview panels and decide from there whether the e-mail is worth reading more fully.

At the top of your email, you should have such things as:

• Your company name and logo
• The title of the newsletter’s topic

I don’t know if you are tracking where referrals and sales come from, but one of the most well noted buying behaviors is – ask a friend or relative for a recommendation.

Before social networks, you might have asked the people in your family, your neighbors, or your colleagues at work for a recommendation.

Social networks have opened up a whole new avenue for gathering information.  A quick tweet or post on Facebook can get you product recommendations in a few minutes.

Although biased opinions rather than the raw facts, referrals made by people in your social network generate more sales than most other avenues of advertising.   Remember, most purchases are made on emotion.

For a statistical overview on how people solicit product recommendations, see the article “What Makes Social Media Trustworthy?“

If you own or manage a small business, it’s time to stop worrying. I’m hearing from Simply Virtual and It’s a Smart Decision! clients as well as other small business owners that we’re seeing signs of recovery from the economic challenges experienced by many U.S. small businesses that last few years. That’s fantastic! Unfortunately, when [...]

Unlike 9 to 5 'ers, the work at home professional's productivity is results based. Back in cubicle-land, you were expected to hang out from 8 am to 5 or 6 pm -- no matter how you felt or what you accomplished. The measure was how many hours you put in. Not necessarily how effective you were.

I am excited, overwhelmed and exhausted because my usual busy schedule is much more demanding since I am also trying to clean and prepare for a weekend of guests. I’ve invited my team for a weekend retreat at my house. My hope is that they walk away from their personal responsibilities for 24 hours and relax.

We’ll talk a little business but mostly it will allow us to get to know each other face to face as opposed to our typical virtual relationship. They don’t have an opportunity to talk to one another, they only see names assigned to tasks on the workflow platform I use (affiliate link). I want this weekend to bring the team closer; some business changes are coming and it’s important we’re comfortable communicating with one another.

People are the most important asset to any company, they can make or break the client experience and possibly the business itself.

As I work with Dan Walker, I’m realizing I need to improve communication and expectations with my team. I need better processes in place so they are more clear on procedures. It’s very difficult for me to communicate when my own performance comes intuitively; I am not a natural-born teacher. I’ll be spending some time understanding their expectations, explaining mine and discovering ways to improve the entire CyberCletch work experience.

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If you do any networking at all, you likely get many requests for face-to-face meetings over coffee or dinner. Meeting in person is most effective when you want to make a connection to understand how you can be mutually beneficial to each other. Granted, these meetings may be an opportunity for future business, but you need to ensure any time away from your office and clients isn’t affecting your existing income.

In corporate offices, where meetings occur in the same space, face time is efficient, but if you’re an entrepreneur working from a home office, it may not be. For workers, such as a Virtual Assistant who is paid for only the hours worked, meetings can be a major time suck with a negative impact on the company bottom line.

Be smart about your meetings. Before rushing out to meet someone, try to determine the value of that connection first.

Does it make sense to interrupt your work day and guaranteed income to meet with a person who may, or may not, positively impact your business? Spend a little research time on the phone with the contact to determine if the connection has immediate or long term benefits. If the benefits are unknown or long term, put the face-to-face meeting off until a time that won’t impact your profit. Get together during a slower work season, or when you’re in the same area. Keep in mind it’s not just the face time you spend away from the office, it’s also the travel time and money spent on gas and food that affect your bottom line.

If you explain your time is at a premium, but you’d like to have a quick telephone conversation to better understand their business, the contact will feel valued instead of discounted. Fifteen minutes on the phone is a far better use of your time and allows you to:

1. determine if your business is a good match for theirs
2. determine if their business is a good match for yours
3. recognize a referral you may be able to provide for their business
4. explain how they can recognize a good referral for your business

And you’ll have accomplished this with time to spare…

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Top Secret.
This blog post will self-destruct in…

This message may not self-destruct, but I’m well on my way! The hours I am working between my professional and personal obligations are overwhelming at times. As a result, I knew I needed to get laser focused, which is where Dan of River’s End Consulting and his assistance with my mission statement comes in.

Creating a Personal Mission Statement is like getting orders from the Chief. It is the basis for which everything spins off. If an activity isn’t in synch with my personal mission statement, I’ll let go of it. If a business activity compromises my personal mission statement, I will not do it.

I’ve always been solid with my values and integrity but I must admit, seeing my beliefs in writing increased my confidence. There were a couple of points I had unintentionally wavered on in the past, but this written statement will provide me with a reminder to never adapt to less than I expect again.

I live my life with integrity because it is a source of personal joy and inner peace.

I tell the truth regardless of the impact to myself because I understand the value of a long-term relationship.

I intentionally choose to build relationships with people who have similar intentions and value mutually beneficial discourse.

I expect truth.

I continually assess my thought process and seek avenues of growth through my community and exploration.

I live my life with freedom of choice.

Chief: There’s no telling where they’ll be able to infiltrate next. May be even the Pentagon.
Maxwell Smart: You’re right, Chief. But even if they do get a man into the Pentagon, that’s not saying he’ll be able to get out. I remember one of our own agents was lost in there for three days.
Chief: Three days? Max, no agent could be that confused.
Maxwell Smart: Well, let me see. I went in on a Friday…

Thoughts or feedback?

This is the BEST place to start your foray into social media. With one “submit” you can see if your chosen user name or vanity URL is available across all the social media platforms you plan to use. Keeping your user name consistent helps establish your brand and makes it easier for others to find you.

I’m looking at stick-like drawings of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and a Pyramid as a demonstration of the difference that laying a good foundation can make over time.

And so begins my first session with Dan Walker of River’s End Consulting.

Our initial focus is to understand how my business supports my personal goals and to determine whether it functions to give me personal satisfaction.

Simultaneously, we are laying my foundation by evaluating what is most important to me through the creation of a personal, and eventually business, mission statement that reflects who I am and what values I choose to live by. Dan explains this exercise will help maintain focus on my priorities when faced with decisions in the future.

The process creates time to evaluate, which naturally slows down my internal knowledge and allows me to question existing fundamentals. There isn’t anything I enjoy more than analyzing thoughts and behaviors, as demonstrated by my graduate education.

Dan says something to me that resonates deeply, “You enjoy solving problems, don’t you?” My initial reaction is to say, “No, I don’t like drama.” Then I add a disclaimer, “It depends on the situation.”

Days later I realize how accurate he is. I’ve never considered myself a “salesperson” and yet I have had great sales success in the past. Then it hits me. My sales success came, not because I was trying to sell something to make a buck, but rather because I truly believed that particular product or service would solve a problem for my client. I do get excited by evaluating situations in order to find ways to enhance personal lives and solve business problems.

Kudos to Dan, it’s not often people are able to quickly see what I haven’t already analyzed.

Between sessions, my homework is to continue to hash out the wording of my personal mission statement.

Has anyone created a personal mission statement they’d like to share?

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