Episode XI Studios Blog

As a meeting planner and a frequent business traveler I can honestly say that booking a hotel can be a bit of a daunting task. I have had mixed luck with choosing hotels over the years. Usually for the typical few nights stay there is no site visit beforehand, so you must rely on pictures of the hotel provided on their website, or the reputation of their brand name. As we all know photos can be very misleading, and even though the hotel has a brand name, they are usually privately owned franchises, so not all of the quality levels are consistent throughout the chain. A prime example of these inconsistencies is the Holiday Inn. Some of the hotels in this chain are almost 4-star, and others could barely earn a single star.

When planning a meeting, the endless exhausting site visits are one of the worst parts of the process. One thing I’ve noticed is that if you contact a hotel to discuss having a meeting there, they will send you pictures of the meeting space looking it’s best, but very few photos of the rooms or the rest of the hotel. When you tour the hotel on your site visit you find that while the meeting space may be sufficient the rest of the hotel doesn’t measure up. If only there was a way to narrow down the list of possibilities even more before the site visit trip.

The best way to showcase a hotel is with video. It’s much harder to doctor up a video than a still picture and it also gives you a “feel” for the ambience in addition to a clearer visual of the space. Most videos are filmed with actual guests in the background. You can see if they are enjoying themselves!

Hoteliers should consider video marketing. How many times during the initial RFP phase have I heard a hotel sales rep say, “If you could just see this place, I know you choose our hotel!” Well, give me a professionally produced video tour, and you’ve already enticed me to see more, even if typically something else would have taken the hotel off my consideration list earlier.

On one occasion I received an RFP and decided that the room rates of a certain hotel were too expensive, but after seeing a video showing how beautifully well appointed the hotel was, the restaurant and all the extra amenities, I decided to add that hotel to my site visit list after all. I reconsidered spending the extra bucks and cut back elsewhere in the budget so that we could host the meeting at that location. In the end the video made the sale, and the hotel got my meeting bringing in a group of 400 people for 5 nights.

Everyone was happy! It’s a win/win situation.

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Streaming Media East 2008

Check out this industry trade show. We'd love to hear from anyone who has attended in the past. Let us know if it was beneficial for you.

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There are a few ways to quickly make a mess of your trade show booth and discourage visitors from stopping in to see you. My advice would be to avoid the following. Be sure to post this list in a storage closet or area where employees will be sure to see the list, and go over the rules with everyone before the trade show begins.

* DO NOT Sit down, read newspapers or anything else, smoke, eat or drink in the booth (this includes coffee and bottled water).
* DO NOT Ignore prospects by forming a cozy cluster and chatting with colleagues.
* DO NOT use your mobile phone in the booth, if you must make a call, step out of the booth to do so. And NEVER interrupt a prospect to take a phone call.
* DON'T Leave the booth unattended or leave without informing colleagues.
* DON'T Be late for your scheduled booth duty.
* DON'T Stand with your back to the aisle, it makes you seem unapproachable, and you can't see prospects to greet them.
* DON'T Use inappropriate language, complain about the show or about being at the show.
* NEVER Badmouth your competitors.
* Keep the booth clean, throw out trash as soon as you see it, and don't leave prospect's business cards lying around as though they are unimportant.

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E-Z Cleaners, LLC

Our latest video marketing project is for an amazing company called E-Z Cleaners. We're doing a video project for their hand cleaner. Stay tuned to see the video on their website, and on our sample page.

This product is fantastic! It will not only clean anything off your hands (or anywhere else for that matter) but it's completely biodegradable and environmentally safe.

We recommend you check it out and be amazed. You can purchase it at Lowe's.

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What is Hot and What is Not in Technology for 2008 by Sharon Housley
Winners Predicted for 2008

After looking into my crystal ball, I have made a cluster of predictions about what will be hot, and what will be not so hot in technology for 2008.

1. Video

YouTube has not shown any signs of slowing down. With the increasing popularity of portability and the increase of video-viewing technology, the growth of video is unlikely to slow down.

2. Healthy

Healthy is in. It is not only fashionable, but now cool to be healthy. Maybe this will help counter the rise in obesity in the US. Even those who give in to their cravings and indulge agree that it is cool to be healthy. Organic foods are at an all time high with an increase of roughly 20% per year in the US! This may also be a top New Year Resolution.

3. Buy USA

Buying USA is in. The falling dollar has made US products more competitive in foreign markets. Moreover, the quality issues that came to light in 2007 (lead in various Chinese products) have made US consumers more conscious about buying US manufactured products.

4. Rich Internet / Interactive Web / Semantic Web / Web Services

The interactive web with user reviews, peer voting, and social bookmarking has never been more popular. The Internet has become more personal and interactive. Contextual content has given way to personal preferences.

5. Aggregate and Attention Data

Suggested purchases, related purchases, and recommended purchases are now an integral part of ecommerce. Aggregate data is becoming a critical component of upsells.

9. Biometrics and Big Brother

Digital data and tracking is at an all time high. Privacy concerns appear to be taking a backseat to cool new technology that is likely to label the 21st century.

About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage a wireless text messaging software company.

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Trade show demonstration and marketing videos are the best way to support your sales and marketing efforts in the trade show! It is already so expensive to exhibit at a trade show, you really need to be sure that you're doing all you can to get the attention you deserve from attendees. The best part of having a good video is that you can use it in so many different ways other than just airing it at your tradeshow. It's a worthwhile investment.

* Trade Show Video
* Tools for Sales Reps to take on Sales Calls
* Website Online Video
* Company Sales Meetings
* DVD Distribution

Videos for Trade Shows are proven to work!

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If you choose to make use of videos for your marketing campaigns, then you have made a very good decision. This is because it is a lot catchier compared to the other forms of advertising. Videos are able to capture online browsers' attention faster and easier and are able to disseminate your message to your potential clients quicker than simple text.

Video advertisements could contain demonstrations of the product's use and functionality. Try adding a human face and a pleasant voice to that and you would be able to have your potential customers wrapped around your finger. Through these techniques, potential clients could easily relate to your company, as well as what you are offering and promoting.

As you use video marketing, it would be essential to not just add your video into a video directory and wait for it to generate a lot of customers. Basically, achieving great results would be similar to what you do in Search Engine Optimization.

The present technology offers a lot of opportunities to be able to track a lot of track and then analyze results. Make sure that you will be taking your time and will be making an effort in measuring the impact and performance of your video or videos. You could try searching for tools, which would be able to tell you how much of the video was played before the viewer closed it. You could also find out how many prospects decided to go to your website after viewing your video, how many of the visits became sales, and so on.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Pratt

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Why You Should Use Video & Audio To Explode Your Home Based Business!
by Joe Okoro

There is a revolution in the Internet world presently. And that revolution is exploding the internet in a way that is unheard of in recent times. The revolution is the use of Videos and Audios on websites to exchange and transmit valuable information to millions of internet users worldwide.

Can this new revolution help you in Internet marketing to build a downline, a home based business opportunity, serve a need or just get people's attention? Absolutely!

Or why do you think Google bought Youtube.com for several millions of dollars? It is because Videos and Audios are exceptionally good in transmitting information across to anyone.

To help you appreciate what I'm trying to say, which of the option below would you prefer;

1. A step by step manual and full instructions on how to upload a web page

or

2. A video and a recorded audio showing you how to upload a web page?

80% if not more of people who want to learn how to upload web pages will go for option 2. I will also go for that option because it is like watching the person over the shoulder do it while I follow suit.

You will agree with me that videos are important these days in passing across important information.

You will need to implement this very option in your home based business if you are like me so that you will flow with the tide of time and reap the wonderful and incredible results that comes from the use of Multimedia in your business.

When do you use videos in your home based business? Well it all depends on the information you want to pass across to your prospects.

You can have a video presentation of yourself explaining your services, products or just anything.

This gives you more credibility and your prospects will know they are dealing with a real person online and not someone hiding behind a computer.

Your imagination is your limits when it comes to the several ways you can use videos and audios in your home based business.

You can download my new guide to promote your home based business online to find out more. You can Claim Your Free Copy Now!

About the Author

Joe Okoro is an accomplished Networker who has successfully used internet marketing to grow his downline for 3 years now.

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What is Podcasting?

You don't have to have an iPod to appreciate a podcast, anyone with a computer can view or listen to posted podcasts, and it's a brilliant way to get an advertising message or seminar to your viewers/listeners.

At Episode XI Studios we can help you develop professional and memorable podcasts to help with your marketing program.

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The Grand Paradox: “Real-World” Giving and Receiving

We value networking more than most kinds of advertising. I value my networking contacts, and I keep a database of them to refer back to whenever I see a state bid come through that might interest one of my networking buddies. I also keep them posted by sending out our newsletter, referring folks to them if I hear that their services are needed, and I pass along valuable information that I think they might appreciate.

The article listed above has more details about the best ways to keep in touch with your network of contacts and things that will make it stronger.

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by Venkata Ramana

Since the advent of video portals like the Youtube, video marketing has taken a big leap in providing affordable way for webmasters to promote their products and services effectively.

Gone are those days when the video production companies used to charge heavily to make a video presentation for the web. Also, most small business turned down the idea of video marketing mainly because the tools and resources used to watch the presentations made in flash were not easily available and also the return of investment was questionable.

But thanks to technology and the advent of video hosting services, producing and distributing marketing videos to promote any business on the Internet has become a walk on the cake. Some companies have started offering services at rock bottom prices and video marketing has started receiving rave reviews in the Internet marketing niche.

Here are 5 Reasons why video marketing is a MUST for any business promotion.

Easy Availability of Basic Tools:

Only until a few years ago, downloading files from the internet was a daunting task and watching videos on the internet was a nightmare due to the slow internet speed. Now that things have changed drastically, watching videos is now fun with high speed Internet and most importantly availability of various flash players in the market like the adobe macromedia flash player etc. This is the most famous version of the flash player, which allows you to watch flash presentations of the highest quality, and also allows webmasters to host their videos on standard yet simple servers. Since the macromedia flash player would be installed by default by most of the operating systems, it would be very easy for the viewer to watch the videos effortlessly.

High Speed Internet Access:

As already discussed gone are the days of low speed Internet access which would bore the viewer to close their browsers. Now-a-days high speed internet is a rage even in sub-urban areas of under-developing countries and a high percentage of internet browsers are able to watch video effortlessly.

The advent of Video Hosting Services:

Youtube has changed the face of internet advertising and has added a new hope for budding internet marketers to try out various web 2.0 techniques to deliver laser targeted traffic to their websites. Youtube is one among the many free video hosting platforms which allow you to freely upload your videos and share them with the millions of viewers who would enjoy the presentations at the comfort of their home.

Low Cost hardware:

The costs associated with equipment, which are used in the production of videos, have come down rapidly and the quality of that equipment has increased tremendously. Therefore making videos are now within the reach of an average Webmaster.

Affordable Custom Tailored Video Presentations:

A lot of companies are now popular in the video production niche. They not only offer high quality video presentations at a very affordable price but the quality they maintain is of a very high standard. Once such service, which has received rave reviews from the video marketing niche, is FlashMarketingVideos.com. Although they are comparatively new to the market the high quality videos they produce and their customer support is amazing. The price tag associated with their service has made them stand on top of their competitors.

In conclusion, Hiring video marketing companies has now become very affordable and thus it is almost a necessity to make video marketing an essential part of your marketing strategy.

About the Author

Venkata Ramana is the C.E.O of FlashMarketingVideos.com : Their flash programming team delivers high quality custom tailored web marketing video presentations at a very affordable price. Visit http://www.FlashMarketingVideos.com/ and get your own custom tailored flash presentation video and improve your conversions by over 300%!

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7 Tips For Selling With Less Effort by Tessa Stowe

A lot of people think selling requires a lot of effort. The reality is that it is easy to waste time when selling and it is easy to make it a lot harder than it needs to be. There are, in fact, simple tips you can apply which will not only save you a huge amount of effort but will also speed up your sales cycle. Here are just seven of these tips.

Tip #1: Don't act like a salesperson

The moment you start talking or acting like a salesperson your prospect will put up barriers. They will think you are trying to sell them something and their automatic and natural reaction will be to defend themselves against being sold. Once a prospect's barriers are up, selling to them requires a lot more effort on your part and it is also much harder than it needs to be.

Tip #2: Sell only to those who will buy

Sell only to those who will buy from you sounds so obvious, I know, but if you look at your list of prospects, how many can you say are going to buy? Have you put them, and the opportunity, through your filter or qualification process? Do you have a formal, written, filter or qualification process which you could email me straight away? If you have answered "no" to any of these questions, chances are that you are wasting a lot of effort selling to people who aren't going to buy.

Tip #3: Diagnose and then prescribe

Suppose you went to see your doctor and the moment you walked in the door they handed you a prescription - before you even had a chance to explain what was wrong with you. Even if the prescription was exactly what you needed, would you trust the doctor and their prescription? Often in selling the prescription (the solution) is talked about before understanding the problem to be solved. This results in the prospect automatically resisting the prescription - no matter how 'perfect' it is for them. Again the solution is simple: diagnose and then prescribe. Do this and watch your sales process become a whole lot easier.

Tip # 4: Have prospects sell themselves

Forget about focusing on selling your products and services to your prospects. Instead have conversations and ask questions to understand their problems, the specific implications of these problems and the specific value they will receive from solving these problems. As a result of having these sorts of conversations, and asking the right questions, your prospects will naturally sell themselves. This approach requires a lot less effort on your part and greatly increases your chances of success.

Tip #5: Craft the solution jointly

In the sales process, when you get to the step of formulating the solution, the tendency is to do this in isolation and then go back and present it to your prospect. If you want to sell with less effort and increase your sales success, work with your prospect to jointly craft the solution. If your prospect is involved in formulating the solution, they will naturally take ownership of it and there will be minimal resistance to the final solution that they helped create.

Tip #6: Be trustworthy

If your prospect does not trust you, they will continually ask you for a lot of information to back up what you say and they will continually be raising objections. They will feel they need to check everything for themselves as they can't trust what you say. Also they will make no assumptions about you, your company or your products and services. Conversely, if they trust you, the opposite will be the case. So if you want to speed up the sale and have it be a lot less effort, be trustworthy. Be your word, be open, be honest and have your prospects best interests at heart.

Tip #7 Increase the value of the sale

If a prospect has decided to buy from you, explore ways that you can increase the value of the initial sale using an "If/then" scenario. For example, "If you commit to a two year maintenance contract at the same time as you buy this software, then I will also include an additional module." This is a very powerful technique and I have personally used it to turn a US$5,000,000 sale into a US$10,000,000 sale with very little extra effort. This is also very effective for gaining large commitments from your current happy customers.

I suggest you focus on implementing one of the above tips this week and then next week focus on another and so on. I have a hunch you will see quite a change in the relationships you have with your clients and prospects and the whole sales process will require a lot less effort on your side. Try it and see.

(c) 2007, Tessa Stowe, Sales Conversation. WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Yes, you can, provided you make all links live and include this copyright and by-line below.

About the Author

Tessa Stowe teaches small business owners and recovering salespeople 10 simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy. Sign-up for her FREE monthly newsletter that is full of tips on how to sell your services by just being yourself at http://www.salesconversation.com

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Corbin Ball Associates - Exposition and Onsite Management - 10 Do’s and 10 Don’ts in Staffing Your Exhibit Booth

As mentioned in the article in the link above, there is a certain trade show etiquette and it's important to follow the rules if you want to get, and keep, your booth traffic. I've seen too many sad mistakes by sales reps on the trade show floor.

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EventPlanner: Tips: Event Planners / Consultants

One of the important things I've learned as an event planner is that you must know the budget early on in the project. Alot of folks who hire a planner are afraid to discuss the budget. There are several reasons why people hesitate, some are uncomfortable discussing money altogether, but mostly I think that they are worried that by letting the planner know how much is budgeted that the planner will in turn charge them too much money to help plan the event.

I would like to take the fear out of the equation! Planners aren't out to take every penny of your budget dollars, we just want to make sure you get the most out of your budget and really want to make sure you don't spend more on the event that you had budgeted.

Above is a good article about how to work with a meeting planner.

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Star Trek fans may remember the futuristic feel of Captain Kirk's and Captain Picard's video communication from the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The idea of being able to see the person speaking was new, exciting, and almost unimaginable. Well, as evidenced by the growing popularity of video communication via the Internet, the future is now.

More than YouTube

Thanks to digital cameras and cell phones with video capabilities, and to Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim - the founders of YouTube, the popularity of video sharing has rocketed into the stratosphere. The Internet may have begun with text and migrated to images, but high-speed access and today's technology have created an insatiable appetite for multimedia websites. Social networking sites now have a video component, and the video blog and video podcast are quickly gaining momentum. Some people are also creating a streaming live broadcast for their families, friends, and fans. But it's safe to say that, in our tech-savvy world, video email is the next "big thing."

Why Video?

From a philosophical perspective, it makes sense that video is becoming an integral part of our electronic communication. There has been enormous criticism that electronic communication removes the human element, and that people are increasingly isolating themselves from the "real world." Critics say that sitting at a keyboard - whether a computer keyboard, BlackBerry keyboard, or cell phone touch pad - allows people to keep their distance from others and gives them an excuse to behave badly, something that anyone who has ever been flamed can attest to.

Video, on the other hand, enables people to communicate face to face with their family members, friends, and colleagues. Whether through a live broadcast or via a video email, people seem to establish or re-establish the kind of personal bond that is elusive with instant messaging, text messaging, and email.

Full Integration Ahead

Today, people go from website to website, application to application, and device to device to get the multimedia information they crave. There's little doubt that a sea change is about to occur, one in which people will begin to use a single portal with multiple video-related products. They will, for instance, take advantage of a virtual studio, where they can create and manage a live broadcast, video email, video instant messaging, a video blog, and a video podcast. With everything in one location, storage and publication will become a breeze, and best of all, a Web-based portal allows instant access from a variety of computers and devices.

Entrepreneurs are Taking Note

Today, entrepreneurs are jumping on the video bandwagon. They have witnessed the success of YouTube and can envision a fully integrated, Web-based platform for creating, storing, managing, and publishing video. Those who capitalized on the dot-com boom of the 1990s, as well as those who missed the boom, are witnessing this next revolutionary step in the Digital Age and are positioning themselves to ride the video wave. As Captain Picard would say, "Make it so."

About the Author

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies.

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Showandsale.com | Unique Ways To Advertise | New Advertising Methods | Online Video Advertising

Of course, we're always on the lookout for new ways to use online video, it's our job to stay informed! This website has a great idea for selling products, cars, houses, you name it.

The world is moving toward video at lightning speed and no one should be left behind.

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