Louisville Jefferson County Golf Course Review

Columbus Zoo in Ohio

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:41:08 +0000

With gas prices on the rise, it makes perfect sense to pause close to home this year. But staying home doesn’t mean giving up summer fun when the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has so mighty to thrill and excite you.

The Columbus Zoo is home to several species from different parts of the world living in their natural habitat. The African Forest exhibits the endangered Bonobo, Lowland Gorillas and Leopards. The Australia habitat exhibits kangaroos and koalas as well as many bird species.

Asia Quest exhibit is a step into a Chinese forest in which you’ll find the Red Panda, Tufted Deer or Red-crowned Crane. Altogether the Columbus Zoo represents 9 regions around the world and opening in the spring of 2010 will be the much anticipated Polar Frontier which will feature the Arctic Fox and Brown Bears.

The Columbus Zoo also sponsors breeding and conservation programs in an effort to bring awareness to animals that are becoming extinct in the world. You’ll recognize first hand what is being done to protect them.

We’ve got Jack

If you don’t know Jack Hanna, you’re not into animals. Jack Hanna appears regularly as a wildlife correspondent on The Late Demonstrate with David Letterman, Good Morning America and on Larry King Live. But before that, he was the director of the Columbus Zoo for 14 years. Due to a busy schedule, Jack retired in 1992 and became the Director Emeritus at the Columbus Zoo which he still promotes on his many t.v. appearances.

Jack Hanna has done much to make the Columbus Zoo what is today. We’re proud of you, Jack!

Activities at the Columbus Zoo

Jungle Jack’s Landing is an amusement park in the zoo with dozens of rides and attractions costing $1-$2 each and is portion of the ticket label to the zoo.

Unique this year is the ‘Animals on Safari’ with animal trainer Joel Slaven. The show features both exotic and domestic animals and was selected to invent people aware of the millions of pets available for adoption. All the animals on the show were rescued from place shelters and are trained to perform amazing feats.

Join us for ‘One Enchanted Evening’, the music of Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber on July 10, 2009 at our zoo’s aesthetic Water’s Edge Events Park.

For Jazz lovers there’s the Jazzoo Concert Series starting in July and running through August 21st. The Columbus Jazz Orchestra performs at the Rivers Edge Pavilion on July 24, at 8pm. Other concerts scheduled in July and August includes the Motown sound and the Blues.

The Columbus Zoo also has an 18-hole golf course, Safari Golf, with a new clubhouse, pro shop and a new restaurant, the Safari Grill. The Safari Golf Club has been part of the Columbus Zoo for 18 years but the last couple of years have seen many improvements. The course is now a little more challenging. This year the prices have been reduced, a single player can play for $24.00 and every weekday from 11am to 1pm, two players can play 18 holes for only $40.

Slide into summer at the Columbus Zoo’s ‘Zoombezi Bay’ water park. Boasting of a modern water park with over a dozen water slides including the exciting Cyclone, where a four-person raft can reach speeds of 20 mph dropping from a 55-foot start and the Dolphin Dash, a mat racing, high race slide with a length of 310 feet.

Zoombezi Bays opens at 7:30am and closes at 8pm so plan on spending the day. No need to pack a lunch, if you net hungry you can stop at one of the food shops. Your choices are burgers, chicken, salads, burritos, tacos, pizzas and deli sandwiches. If you get thirsty stop at Croctail Island, a refreshment bar with draft beer, margaritas, and soft drinks.

Put the Columbus Zoo on your list of things to do on your finish at home vacation.

The Columbus Dispatch

Clearwater Executive Golf Course Florida

admin — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 16:37:42 +0000

Clearwater in Florida is a place any golfer would enjoy. There you will find any number of golf courses within range of each other including the Executive in Clearwater itself. The Executive Golf Course is all that you would expect of a golf course in a sunny place like Florida with its fair section of holes with water and plenty of sand bunkers to give you the challenge you expect.

The Executive is by no means the cheapest golf course you will play in the area but is definitely one of the best. The course offers a challenge for all level of golfer and of course, you can choose to play the tees that are more suited to your game. If you resolve to play the back tees, make sure to bring plenty of golf balls. The water that features on the course will come into play more often than you think which is why some play safe and decide to play from the forward tees and simply enjoy the experience.

Some holes are regular straight-away fairways that should not bring much trouble during your game. Other holes will call for you to give more thought to club choice and be more strategic in the way that you play. The Executive Golf Course provides a welcome variety of holes and could never be labeled as boring or uninteresting to play. Golf is agame that challenges us and the level of our game and you can be sure the Executive will give you a test of golf you will savor, at least most of the time.

Given the water on the course and the sand bunkers strategically placed, you can expect to be in some concern spots unless you are really on your game. The Executive is glowing and calls for good accurate play and rewards you for this. There are no holes that you would consider unfair although you will be faced with a few blind shots occasionally.

If you esteem the sun and appreciate a good captivating golf course that tests every element of your game, the Executive Golf Course at Clearwater is really worth a visit.

As you would inquire, the course is beautifully manicured and maintained and the greens are as smooth as billiard tables. With receptive greens that can recall a ball and that are smooth to putt on, the Executive is really everything a interested golfer would want in a golf course. Golf is a fun, yet frustrating game to play but if we do play, we want it to be on the best courses we can find. Clearwater is a great status to play golf while enjoying some resplendent weather conditions. A visit to the Executive will not disappoint you.

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Top Notch Golf Courses in Las Vegas

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:41:36 +0000

Everything in Las Vegas is top notch and that includes the golf courses. These are some of the top Golf Courses in Las Vegas, the ones with the impeccably groomed greens, lush fairways and club houses and restaurants for the 19th hole. Some are public, some are private, but they all welcome visitors and they have special packages to prove it. Take a day out at one of the top Golf Courses in Las Vegas. They are both challenging and rewarding.

Las Vegas National Golf Course
1911 E. Desert Inn Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
(702) 734-1796
(800) 468-7918

The Las Vegas National Golf Course is an 18 hole par 71 public course, completely Bermuda grass. They also have chipping greens, a driving range, practice bunkers and putting greens. You can rent golf carts or clubs and get everything else you need at the pro shop. And when it comes time to head for the 19th hole, you can choose from the club hours, restaurant or snack bar. Call them to find the current rates.

Angel Park Golf Club
100 S Rampart Blvd
Las Vegas, Nevada 89145
(702) 254-4653
(702) 254-3250

The Angel Park Golf Club was designed by one of the winningest golfers of all time, Arnold Palmer. There is an 18 hole champion course, a 12 hole short course that has been rated one of the best in America and a 18 hole putting course. The short course and putting course are both lit for night play. Bring your airline ticket and you get free club rental.

Bali Hai Golf Course
5150 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
(702) 597-2400

The Bali Hai Golf Course is 18 holes, par 71.Rates can range from $125 to $295 depending on the date and time. They have an on course beverage cart and the Cabana Shack serves breakfast and light lunches. Reserve your tee times right on the dwelling.

Callaway Golf Center
6730 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
(702) 896-4100

The Callaway Golf Center has a 27 par 9 hole public golf course and a driving range with 113 tees. The course is lit for night play. The golf shop has everything you could possibly need, including Calloway Clubs. The fees are very reasonable, ranging from $25 to $30 for adults, $19 to $24 for seniors, 55 and older and youth 16 and under from $12 to $17.

Las Vegas Paiute Tribe: LV Paiute Golf Resort
10325 Nu Wav Kaiv Blvd
Las Vegas, Nevada 89124
(702) 658-1400

The Paiute Golf Resort has three courses, The Wolf, Snow Mountain and Sun Mountain, all 18 hole par 72. They also have a driving range, practice putting green, and pitching chipping area and you can get lessons – $50 for a half hour and $95 for a full hour. Rates range from $29 to $99 depending on the course until Sept 2. They also have a special that includes lunch that costs $119. You can switch courses and play as much as you want. After Sept 2 the rates range from $110 to $199.

Golf Tips – Picking the Right Club for Chipping

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:49:35 +0000

While it is true that chipping requires good techniques to be successful, it’s also true that those golfers who can be creative with their shot making can also be quite successful themselves.

Chipping in one of those areas where good technique does play a role, but club selection can play an even bigger role. Picking the suitable club and using it with confidence is the key to scoring well. It might not sound like a big deal, after all, you’re just off the green anyway, but let’s examine at how selecting the right club for chipping can have an effect on your golf game.

If you go to the driving range I’m sure you’ve seen the guy who brings out 5-6 different clubs to the practice green to do some chipping. Everything from a 3-iron to a SW.

My question is, why? I think using so many different clubs to chip with is counter-productive. For the average golfer, having one club to use in chipping is all you need. Use it and become comfortable. You’ll know how the ball comes off the face of the club, how far it rolls, etc. It will begin giving you the confidence you need to improve your game.

So, let’s look at some of the basics with chipping.

For starters, a chip shot is designed to be hit from off the green in the fringe, or very short rough. The idea behind this shot is to hit it in the air one-third of the blueprint to the hole, and let it roll the other two-thirds.

No matter how far you are away from the flag, use the same club. There’s no need to use a PW from 25 feet away, and then use a 7-iron from 50 feet. Use one club and simply work with distance control.

Which club works best? That’s difficult to answer because all golfers are different. Generally, it should be a 7-iron thru a 9-iron. The key is to practice with each of these clubs and choose the one you’re most comfortable with.

Myself, I like using an 8-iron. I get a good feel from it and I know my distance control. For you, it may be a more lofted 9-iron.

By hitting chip shots with a few different clubs, you’ll find what works best for you. Try hitting some balls from the fringe that are around 20 feet. Then, hit some longer 50 foot bump and runs. Now, take everything into consideration, such as how the ball comes off the club, how far it runs, and then decides which club fits the best.

Once you’ve found the right club, practice with it on a regular basis. Make it become second-hand to you so that when you’re on the course you’ll have confidence in using it. By doing this you’ll see yourself scoring much better.

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Business to Business Prospecting

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:08:50 +0000

Prospecting is the heart and soul of sales. If you won’t prospect you may as well gather another line of work. In my 27 years of B2B sales 100% of the people I’ve seen fail did so because they couldn’t or wouldn’t prospect effectively.

Think about it. If you have great presentation skills. If you are the world’s best closer. If you have a superb grasp on your technology. None of this will benefit you unless you have opportunities to close

Prospecting is also the most difficult section of sales. It is a daunting proposition to approach a perfect stranger who most times does not have the time of day to give you, and who is also being accosted daily by countless other reps who possess neither skill nor polish. These hacks make it difficult for the rest of us to accomplish what is at best an unpleasant task. On the other hand, if you maintain your professional poise you will typically set yourself apart and get an appointment.

Prospecting is also made more difficult because it calls for effective territory management, consistent follow up, development of a strategic plan, establishment of tactical goals to meet the strategic plan, and mountains of dedication.

Gold prospectors know their geology, so you don’t see them digging in the middle of Ohio. The same holds true for you.

What product are you selling? Who has the most need for it? Where is the bang for your buck? Where are you most likely to strike gold?

Every business you pass on the street has some form of copier, from a limited fax to a massive two ton production honker. Hop in your car and originate knocking on every door you eye. It’s definitely a understanding. Is it a good one? Don’t laugh. I’ve seen a hundred guys do unbiased that. They have all been flat broke and short lived.

The Value of Research

It’s been argued many times in the past that preliminary research is a end of time and that it is more effective to simply make the call and qualify or disqualify a prospect. I disagree emphatically. There is a certain amount of truth to the philosophy that making a 30 second telephone call to qualify a prospect is better than wasting time on an hour of research. However, the psychological damage inflicted by an overwhelming number of hostile calls can be devastating.

Sales is a “head game.” The odds are against you when you are prospecting from a base that has a limited chance for success based on superficial knowledge. To blindly call every record in the business directory is to invite disaster in the form of total dejection and the frustration of perceived futility.

At the same time, spending too much time researching your potential target base can be even more of an obstacle to success. This “analysis paralysis” will help reinforce your natural call reluctance and prevent you from canvassing as many accounts as you can.

The best solution I have found is a combination of both theories. It is usually easier to disqualify an account as a prospect than it is to qualify one. Most reps will dive into a massive territory trying to choose who fits the best criteria for success. While this is an important step it is easier to first discard accounts that are obviously not potential users for your product or service. Cold calling 2,500 suspects in a territory is a daunting proposition. If you can defer or completely ignore 1,700 suspects and only focus on qualifying 800 you now have a more manageable task.

This may seem counter intuitive at first, but if you think about it, by following this method, we are reducing the number of total suspects and increasing the odds of prospecting for a true prospect.

However, don’t allow your disqualification to get too easy or you’ll find yourself with an empty prospecting list. Keep it to glaringly certain misfits at first.

If your HR service is designed for 100 or more employees it is a waste of time to call on companies with fewer than 100 employees. What if they have 97? You can’t constantly second guess a suspect, make your decision a hard line and stick to it.

Sometimes it is not that black and white. Let’s spend telephone systems for this example. Most manufacturers are providing digital phone systems that economically support as few as 5 extensions. So, any company with more than 5 employees would be a target. Simple.

Now I’ll complicate things for you with real world factors. Most small companies will not spend the money on a new telephone system unless their recent system explodes. If they are spending money on a system, they will nickel and dime you to death. You will ultimately regret selling a small phone system because the return is far less than the investment in time. My personal break-even point on systems was a minimum of 20 extensions so I eliminated all companies with fewer than 20 employees.

As my experience grew I learned that number of employees was relative to the type of business I was calling on. For example, a company that manufactures corrugated boxes having 30 employees may only require 10 telephone extensions as the other employees worked in manufacturing. On the other hand a law firm with 30 employees may have as many as 35 or 40 extensions.

Be reminded that selling is a trade skill, so the more you do it the better you fetch at it. Early on I would call every company with 20 employees and learn for myself who to eliminate.

When you are beginning your career you are better off being conservative in your estimate of the quality of a prospect. In other words give yourself some latitude in selecting target accounts. You will speak to more unqualified accounts than you probably should but at least you will not overlook a possible opportunity.

As you hone your skills identifying a rich prospecting base will become easier.

Know Your Product Application

Obviously the more knowledge of your product the better prepared you will be to present it, but all your operational knowledge of your product will not help in determining suspect accounts. When establishing your prospecting criteria you need to know your product’s application or “fit.” Place more emphasis on what your product does for a business rather than how it does it.

I could shroud the benefits of every feature of a unique digital telephone PBX in painful detail. If some IT engineer asked me HOW it works I’d tell him, “Hamsters!”

What abet does my product bring to a prospect? Answer this question and only look for customers who probably have a need that would benefit from your solution.

If your product is human resources software designed to manage 100 or more employees it would be a waste of your time calling on companies with 5 employees. This seems to be a simple idea, but wait until your sales manager is on your back for appointments.

Many times you are presenting a product or solution designed for a specific segment. Take tax software for example. This makes the decision process somewhat academic as you would not call on doctors to sell tax return software. However, you would probably contemplate some other criteria to determine who among the CPA segment would be more likely to embrace your solution.

Are you getting the drift? Eliminate the accounts that are obvious non-candidates and forget about them.

The Purpose of Prospecting is Pre-Qualification.

I have heard it over and over again in my career. “The object of prospecting is to get an appointment!” My secret to success is to add, “…with someone who has a definitive probability of having a need for your solution.”

Would you set an appointment with someone you KNEW beyond any doubt had no intention of buying your product? If you even hesitated at answering with an emphatic “NO!” apply for a job in accounting. Sales probably isn’t for you.

How do we make this determination? Ask them! Overcoming the learned behavior of being indirect when talking to a complete stranger is a difficult task, but one that needs to be accomplished to succeed in sales. Believe me; they appreciate your desire not to waste time as much as you should.

If you knew before hand that a prospect was not enthusiastic in or prepared to pay for your solution would you raze the time to sit in front of him for an hour? Obviously not. What’s worse is that you may acquire prospects out there with time on their hands that will waste hours of your time and resources only to turn you down at the ruin.

In business to business sales the key to success is matching solutions. If there is no opportunity for a prospect to use your solution in any way shape or form, it is a waste of time to set an appointment there.

A Word on “Creating Opportunities”

There is a philosophy I’ve heard that states that truly great sales people can “create” an opportunity. I don’t subscribe to it. In fact, I think it’s crap and I’ll direct you why.

A truly big rep can identify an opportunity even if the prospect can’t peruse one. This assumes that the existing business environment is conducive to benefit from our solution, but the prospect hasn’t yet been educated to the value of your solution. They make widgets. They aren’t experts at payroll.

This is a critical concept to understand. If you don’t grasp this, you will waste a great deal of time chasing your tail on a prospect that has no chance in hell to close, because you are hopeful that you will be able to create a need.

If you can’t clearly define a value to the prospect in your own mind, walk away and regain another prospect.

If you are certain in your conviction that you bring a value to the prospect, but haven’t been able to define it in their mind, end with it for years if critical. Just be honest with yourself.

Bear in mind that when prospecting for an appointment it can be unsafe to over qualify the account before you get there and lose the appointment. It is equally dangerous to under qualify an appointment and waste a boatload of time on a solid loser. In the beginning, however, it is better to go on some un-qualified appointments rather than risk missing an opportunity.

Time and experience will teach you what a worthwhile appointment looks like.

Always Start At The Top

It is far more difficult and time consuming to get to the highest authority in the company, but in the end it is worth the effort and aggravation. This is particularly true when you are providing services or other intangibles.

There are a number of good reasons for this tactic:

• Someone at the top of the ladder will have a better overall or strategic belief of the company and will be in a better position to determine the value of your service or product. The lower down the ladder you are working, the more stamp and commodity driven the sale. A CFO will consider a global document management solution. The office manager will buy a copier.

• Your profit margins will be higher if you start at the top. If the final decision maker chooses to allow an underling to “gather the proposals for review,” it comes down to price. The information gatherer will do a thorough comparison, and then break it all down into a spreadsheet for Decison Maker to look at. Decison Maker will diligently ensure that he is looking at “apples for apples” and pick the lowest price.

• You will have gotten your name in front of the final authority. This will make a difference if your competition hasn’t made the effort.

• Even if you earn delegated down, your credentials are that noteworthy stronger. “The boss wanted me to reach out to you to take a look at this.”

• If the initiative for a project has not come down from the top, then you are dealing with someone compiling a “wish list,” and it will be a complete waste of time.

• Once you have had substantive interaction with a contact lower down the ladder, it is impossible to go over their head to Decison Maker. Assume about this one. You meet with Peggy the Office Manager and she tells you your product really doesn’t have an advantage in the company. Two days later you get through to her boss’s boss and he shows a genuine interest in your solution, so he calls Peggy and tells her to take a closer look at you. Is Peggy an ally or an avowed enemy?

“Who cares? Screw Peggy!” is a fine sentiment, but Peggy will do everything in her power to undermine you, and, in fact, promote a competitor out of pure spite. If you think Peggy will get fired because of her lack of vision you are dead wrong. Once you have discovered that you are not dealing with the proper contact, get out.

Your products or services may, by design, threaten someone lower down the ladder. Your necessary benefit for a company to adopt your HR services will be to cut overhead and increase efficiencies by eliminating some, most, or all of the HR department. How well received will your proposal be to the head of said HR department?

You should always be addressing the person who will personally benefit most by your products or services, and this contact resides at or near the top of the heap.

NEVER PITCH TO A GATEKEEPER

Don’t waste your time by presenting your case to a gatekeeper, secretary, executive assistant or anyone other than your target contact. When interacting with anyone during the process of getting to the DM give information sparingly. I’m always polite and at times point to myself as a poor lost soul, but there are a number of dangers in giving too much information. The biggest misfortune is wasting your time. The only decision Peggy can perform is whether or not to let you through the gate. Telling her all about your product is a complete demolish of your time. Another worry is giving Peggy the opportunity to say, “Nah, we don’t need any of that stuff.” Now you’re really shut down.

Try to understand the psychology of the gatekeeper. Typically they are women who are very capable at their job as an assistant to your DM. Many times they have supported the DM for many years and have become very defensive of their time. The DM does her review, gives her raises, days off and bonuses, and even goes to her kid’s graduation party.

Sadly, many times they do their job too well and they insulate the DM from a great solution.

Research Calls

Before you buy up the telephone, you want to identify at least 30 target accounts to call. This process should take place during off hours, i.e. early, leisurely or lunch. Remember that highly productive activities are those that relate to direct contact with a prospect. Everything else is time wasted. Focus on your selection criteria and ignore any old notes that exist in the system.

After doing your research and targeting 30 accounts you will need to derive the appropriate contact. This is an art in itself.

Many honorable information sources exist that will provide a list of executive contacts for businesses. The Web is great source. I always laughed when a gatekeeper refused to provide me with someone’s name and upon checking the company’s website not only did I find the appropriate name, but also e-mail address, allege dial phone numbers, biographies, photos, etc.

Having a contact name makes life simpler and it’s a great start, but you still need to have a conversation with the contact, which means you will probably need to penetrate at least one gatekeeper.

The next issue becomes the validity of the contact. It is critical that you positively identify your primary contact with as much absolute certainty as possible. Failure to accomplish this will always result in countless hours of effort spread over weeks or months only to finally get through to someone who is not even remotely interested in what you are offering.

As you select a prospect to call take a pen or pencil (I prefer pencil) along with ruled pad and write out company name, contact name and title (if you have it), and telephone number on one line. Skip four or five lines and write the next one until you have about 30 companies listed.

My logic for using this method over train interaction with a CRM is simple and multi-dimensional:

Unless you are a speed typist, writing notes is faster than entering them on the screen.

Writing is second nature. You can have a quality conversation while making abbreviated notes and bullet points manually. Typing while talking will split your focus.

You can review, correct, expand and compile your notes at your leisure in non-prime time.

Having the account up on screen will distract you by reading previous notes. Never assume the time to second guess a prospect when you are in the middle of calling. You can take whatever time you like while determining your call list, but once you put them on make the call.

Transcribing the notes later will serve you prefer items you may have missed initially.

Having a list or stack of sheets will give you a sense of accomplishment. Having a list or stack will set a goal for you. You must complete the list. Calling from the screen gives you too many opportunities to say, “Well, I guess I made enough calls today.”

You will complete more calls, more effectively if you use this method than calling from the screen.

This process begins with the telephone number. You dial the number and you get a recording that it is disconnected. Try the number again ensuring you dialed correctly. If you receive the message again make a tag on the paper and move on to the next call. This is prospecting time NOT research time. Research is vitally significant but during prime time it is wasteful and unproductive. Wait until lunch or end of day to check the number.

If indeed the number has been disconnected, then either delete the yarn or mark it for deletion. This is a pet peeve of mine. I have inherited a dozen databases over my career and it really puts me off at how many inconsiderate, illiterate dullards don’t delete disconnected numbers from the database.

Do your research carefully. Is the company out of business or has it been acquired by another chronicle in your territory?

Use every opportunity to verify the information in your database. For example, if you don’t net anything else from the operator or receptionist, at least verify their address may have blown an appointment you have been working on for months.

Once you have compiled your notes from all of your calls, you can make yourself a cup of coffee and compose the necessary updates to the CRM. As I said earlier, this will give you an opportunity to review your notes and beget in any details that will be helpful.

This is also the perfect time to invent your strategy around an account. All strategy in sales involves timing, contacts, and next action.

Start with an introduction letter.

The Introduction Letter

The Introduction Letter accomplishes a few things. First, it is the most professional plan of making an initial contact with a prospect. Your contact is probably very adept at ducking sales calls, so it is always a good concept to give them a heads up.

Before you send an introduction letter it is vital that you have telephoned the account and verified your contact, his title and the correct spelling of his name.

Here’s a exiguous strategy that can succor you verify the information from the website, and almost never fails to obtain the appropriate contact.

When you have the receptionist on, use this line:

“Hi, my name is Jim Fiorini and I’m calling from HR Services Unlimited. We are the world’s largest provider of HR Services and we are presenting a seminar on the financial advantages of HR services outsourcing in a global economy. We’d like to fetch invitations out to the senior financial staff at ABC, Inc. and I was hoping you could abet me out with that.”

There is something disarming and non-threatening about sending an invitation to a seminar. Many times the person will ask you for a clarification, or they may give you the HR manager’s contact name. Be very grateful and take the information, but ask them if the contact name they gave you is the highest financial authority in the company. It’s NOT a seminar on HR services, it is about the financial impact of HR services outsourcing.

“Thanks for the information. I want to be sure that these invitations go out to the highest financial authority. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and if they want to pass the invitations along to someone else well that’s just up to them.”

You’ll get the hang of it. It almost always works and you aren’t lying. You would like to invite them to a seminar that has been individually prepared and given at a personal level.

Very few reps use this tool, so as a differentiator the introduction letter is very effective.

By setting an expectation for a follow up contact, and then actually completing the follow up, you begin to build credibility with your prospect.

When confronted with a gate keeper wielding the dreaded, “Is he expecting your call,” you may now, with all confidence and honesty, reply, “Why yes, he is.”

Lastly, by using the introduction letter as the first step in a process you bring structure to your understanding. I recommend sending a minimum of 30 letters every week so that you have a minimum of 20 follow ups the following week. Of course, if you are having difficulty keeping up with the follow up calls, you can throttle the initial letters, but more effective would be to step up your follow up activities to clear the way for more letters.

Start building your goals from the very first action!

The Pre-Approach Letter should be short and to the point. Obtain it around an expanded elevator pitch. You will always end a pre-approach letter by informing the contact that you will be calling in the arrive future to set an appointment.

I generally take a very passive aggressive position with prospects. Being patiently persistent may acquire longer, but I find my chances of success to be much higher.

So let’s start the dialing process.

When the operator or receptionist answers the call just ask for the contact as if you were an old golf buddy looking to confirm a tee time.

“Hi, is Jeff in? “ If she transfers you thank the benevolent god of sales, you got lucky.

“Who’s Calling? “ Verbalize her the truth but give her your name like ol’ Jeff has known you for years.

“Jim Fiorini.”

“What company are you calling from? “ Again, you should be truthful but very casual, as if Jeff is expecting the call.

“HR Resources.”

“Will he know what this is regarding? “ I disapprove it when they are good at their job!

Because you sent an introduction letter you answer confidently, “Yes, he will.”

The operator puts you through and you get Jeff’s voice mail. DO NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE!

• Jeff will probably not return your call so don’t raze the time.

• If you leave numerous unreturned messages, the moment you obtain lucky enough to have Jeff pick up and you introduce yourself you stand a very good chance of getting a response something like, “Look, if I was keen I would have returned your call.” Never an auspicious beginning to a relationship.

• If you don’t leave a message you can safely make repeated attempts to advance Jeff.

When to Leave Messages

You should leave a brief message following up on the introduction letter. The letter states you will be following up, so let him know you are.

When Jeff finally picks up the phone live and in person be ready for your pitch. Your time is itsy-bitsy, so put something together that will be honest to the point and set the hook. Many people call this a abet statement.

Jeff knows the accurate reason you are calling; you want him to lift your product so you can make money. He knows, because he gets many similar calls every week, and if you don’t differentiate yourself, then you are done.

A benefit statement is simply a concise statement of the benefit the potential customer might realize if he partners with you on a deal. What challenge is Jeff facing for which you are providing a solution?

“Pleasurable morning, Jeff, my name is Dave Johnson and I am calling from HR Specialists Unlimited.”

“Jeff, I apologize for coming at you unannounced, but I am following up as I said I would in my letter of introduction. I wanted to take a minute to gawk if there might be a method we can help the HR Department at ABC Company.”

“HR Specialists Unlimited provides a comprehensive support program for companies with more than 50 employees. Through a combination of on-site software and outsource services for things like recruiting, payroll, benefits and 401k, HR Specialists can enhance your HR process while reducing costs. Jeff, we currently serve more than 4,000 enterprises in the United States, and I was calling to region a convenient time for us to get together and determine if there might be a good fit between your requirements and our services.”

Perfect, you told Jeff what you do and of what benefit your services can be to his company. You also, wisely, threw in a bit of credibility by mentioning your large customer base. If you’re really smart you will have prepared a couple of recognizable names to drop. If you are selling a widely distributed product like office equipment, you should have some local companies to mention. Competitors of your target account are great names to plunge.

Now comes the fun part. This is the stage that separates the professionals from the wannabes.

If, on a million to one chance, Jeff says, “Sure, how’s tomorrow look,” go buy a lottery ticket, because you impartial got lucky.

Overcoming objections to a first appointment is probably the most difficult share to master

Let’s take a look at some of the common objections and some ideas on how to respond.

First some general ground rules:

1) Keep them engaged. If you hold them talking to you you’ll be surprised at the information you salvage and where the conversation could lead you.

2) Never undermine someone’s position on the subject. Stop positive and reinforcing. Even an implied criticism can end any chance of getting your foot in the door.

3) Be patient. I have found that there is an average three-touch baseline for getting a first appointment. In other words, it takes an average of three conversations before someone will agree to a meeting.

4) They are probably objecting to the call, not to you or your product. Keep in mind that you interrupted their day and you have no conception the day they are having. I can quote thousands of personal experiences where my first contact was a disaster, to the point they were calling the police, and then a few weeks later I got an appointment with the same person.

5) Never take it personally. They don’t know you. You are doing your job, they are simply doing theirs.

6) More than anything you must believe that your product or service will improve their business or their personal standing within their company. If you enjoy that belief and conduct yourself professionally you will always succeed.

7) You are one of dozens if not hundreds of vendors asking for some of their time. The decision maker is inundated with people trying to sell him everything, from paperclips to fork-lifts.

Always set an expectation for a next action.

I. “Thanks but I’m not interested.”

This is a standard response from someone who gets many calls and has limited time to listen. Chances are that as soon as Jeff heard your introduction he immediately went into “just another sales rep” mode, and did not even hear most of what you said about your product. You need to pick up Jeff interested in listening. This calls for testing with probing questions to qualify here.

“I understand how busy you are Jeff, and I apologize for coming at you unannounced. Since you don’t have any interest, is it fair to say you have fewer than 50 employees? “

“No, we have almost 200 employees.”

You’ve obtained famous pre-qualifying information, and you have an opportunity to re-state your qualifications, as well.

“That’s great! That’s the perfect reason for us to get together. Our services are designed to wait on businesses with more than 50 employees, but the cost justification really soars when there are more than 100. I would just need about 20 minutes of your time to give you a profitable overall picture of what we do. Do you have some time on Thursday? “

Try to close for an appointment after addressing an objection. If the conversation leads to multiple objections produce multiple attempts to close for an appointment.

If Jeff doesn’t occupy at all, and simply dismisses you, don’t give up. Recycle him for another letter and round of contact. Perhaps you may need to take a pass at an alternate contact, but we will discuss that situation later.

II. “Our HR department handles everything in house.”

“I’m sure you have a great HR department in house and we don’t want to replace anyone. We just want to enhance your employees’ HR experience by providing you with scalable applications to support your HR load. From the search for candidates, through the onboarding process, to termination or retirement we can wait on you handle associates from cradle to grave. Do you think you could score 20 minutes to talk when you are expecting me? “

III. “Now is not a kindly time.”

“Jeff, I know how busy everyone is these days. That’s exactly the reason ABC Company partnered with us. We helped Note over there enhance his HR flow, while having a dramatic positive impact on his budget. If I could impartial acquire 20 minutes to lay out our offering maybe you would have a better idea of when the perfect time to acquire a closer look might be.”

IV. “Send some information.”

I Worship this one. Most reps will just cave in and send something in the mail. This is a perfect procedure to gain more information.

“I’d be glad to do that, Jeff. It will give you an opportunity to see some of what our capabilities are. The problem is that, as I said earlier, we have a very comprehensive and scalable product, so I don’t want to overload you with literature. Could you say me if there is one area of improvement you’d like to see in your department? “

This may get Jeff to admit there is some pain in his life, and give you an exploitable entry point into the account. Jeff will also get the message that you will not passively score his dismissal. I would be bold enough to say that I have gotten more appointments from this objection than any other.

V. We already outsource most of our HR services.

“That’s great, Jeff. That tells me you are familiar with the advantages of placing some of your services with specialists. Since we are the leader in scalable HR solutions, it would be advantageous to obtain together and determine if there are any holes your current relationship may have left.”

Don’t be disappointed by this response. The bad news is that they are engaged with an incumbent. The good news is that they have bought into the model. This is what I refer to as a “Lifetime Opportunity.” I need to stay in touch on a regular, but arms length, basis until an opportunity to unseat the incumbent presents itself. Use your CRM.

This information is critical when dealing with time definitive relationships like equipment leases, service agreements, or any other contract. When I was in the copier business all I did was date prospect lease terminations and focus on leveraging them when they came up. In the meantime I had the opportunity to build a relationship and offer many non-copier based software solutions that my company had available. Sometimes I had the chance to do something smaller but more proper while waiting for the big opportunity to come due.

There are many objections to an appointment, but hopefully you get the picture. Think outside of the box. Keep spinning the conversation until you get an appointment.

VI. Delegation

If your persistence pays off, the next step for an owner may be to delegate your call to someone further down the ladder. Hang on to the top rung of the ladder for as long as you can.

“OK, Jim, but you want to talk to Mary Hartman in my HR department.”

“Thanks for the direction, Jeff. I’ll be sure to win in touch with Mary, but it would be a value for you to see our solution from a strategic perspective, so would you give me 20 minutes prior to my reaching out to Mary? “

“That’s not primary, Jim. Mary can handle it.”

“I’m certain she can, Jeff, but my experience has been that HR supervisors feel threatened by our services and don’t get a full appreciation of our value. The accumulate result is that the information gets shelved and an opportunity for a strategic improvement is lost. Would it be possible for you to sit in on our first meeting to kind of set the tone? “

“Jim, Mary is your contact. She’ll run with it.”

“OK, Jeff, I’ll reach out to Mary, and keep you in the loop throughout the process.”

Jeff may have agreed to get together at any point in that conversation, or he may have pushed hard on the delegation. You must fight to keep Jeff involved.

VII. You struck out your first time

All of your objection management skills failed to pay off, but you are certain there is an opportunity for you to do business with the account. What is the next step in the plan?

Once again, opinions vary on this topic, from call aid in a few days and try to bully your contrivance in, to walk away from the prospect and plow greener fields.

Once again, I acquire myself somewhere between the two extremes. Being pushy may work for selling used cars or stereo equipment, but it is the quickest scheme to de-rail a high level professional sale.

Walking away from the prospect is easy, but if you hump away from every prospect that resists setting an appointment your closing opportunities will quickly become limited. There is certainly a time to walk away from a prospect when there is clearly no opportunity for a deal.

This is where your CRM and follow up techniques come into play, and they are definitely a part of the prospecting cycle.

Personal Visit (Chilly Call)

Showing up in person at a prospect can be very effective when in the profitable setting. Cold calls can also waste a titanic deal of time if not scheduled properly.

Let me be absolutely clear on one point first. In most markets, running from door to door dropping off business cards and literature as a critical prospecting method is a complete kill of time.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. Some examples are retail advertising: radio, phone book, coupon mailer, etc. In these venues dropping by in person is probably the most effective draw of reaching out to prospects. In the huge majority of B2B solutions or capital equipment sales this is not a winner.

There are times, however, when personal visits have a place in the cycle.

You have unbiased finished up an appointment in a relatively queer part of your territory, and there happens to be a stout commercial park nearby. This is a great opportunity to at least swing through and note the businesses located in the park. You will salvage greater familiarity with your territory, and you may well identify an overlooked opportunity. Pay particularly stop attention to any signs of company relocation, either into or out of a place. A change of physical location will often provide an environment for other changes in infrastructure.

Your appointment may have been in a multi-story building. This is an equally good opportunity to scope out what’s happening in the building.

In either of these scenarios, it is perfectly appropriate to pop in and give the receptionist the same intro you would if she were answering the telephone. The only change I would make is to apologize for the inconvenience of stopping by without an appointment, but you would like to location one.

The Stop By

Another personal visit is what I refer to (for lack of a better term) as a “Finish By.” The Stop By is most effective when you are having difficulty getting through to an identified contact on the phone. You have made numerous attempts to reach someone, but always end up in voice mail.

This is where your CRM really comes in handy. You have set an appointment 40 minutes away from the office and you wish to maximize your time. Sort all the accounts in the zip code for the appointment, and pick out the accounts that you have been unable to make contact with.

Depending on the number of these accounts, you may want to construct a whole morning of Stop By’s, or afternoon, or the entire day. You are investing 80 minutes round trip to see one prospect. If possible, maximize your travel time. The Stop By is always at an sage that you suspect is a good candidate for your product, and you have made numerous efforts to reach them. The Stop By will finish a number of tasks for you.

First, you will get a personal view of the prospect. Many times I have diligently worked to get to a contact, and on stopping by I discover that the account really isn’t qualified. I can now buy it from my list, thus refining my territory.

There is also a chance that you will get to meet the contact you have been working so hard at meeting. Many people veil slow their announce mail these days, but if you show up in the lobby they will often pop their head out.

At the very least, the contact will know that you are dedicated enough to make the effort to fall by. I always write a runt note on the abet of my business card letting them know that I will be trying to reach them for an appointment.

For those times when you reach a contact who rewards you with that famous line, “Send me some information first,” the Stop By is a perfect excuse to, well, stop by. Tell the receptionist the truth. “Donna asked me to send her some information, but since I had an appointment at ABC honest down the street I thought I’d save the postage and deliver it myself.” Big smile. “By the way, do you think Donna may have a minute to shake hands? ” Donna will probably come out and say hello. If not, again, at least she will know you are making a serious disaster to earn her time.

E-mail

You should be asking for a contact’s e-mail address every time. This is a most effective method for staying in touch with a contact. I have found that contacts who are awful at taking calls or returning messages respond to e-mail messages.

The perfect time to request an e-mail address is at the infamous, “Send me some information.” The only time anyone has balked at that one are those precious few who have no e-mail address.

To a large degree, the rules for e-mail are the same as phone calls. You should have a specific reason for the message, though a “Just Checking In” e-mail is acceptable from time to time.

E-mail is also an effective precursor to a phone call or visit. Clearly state in the e-mail message that you will be calling or visiting on a specific date. This will nullify the gate keeper’s inquiry, “Is Donna expecting you? ” You may now honestly answer, “Yes.”

Many companies use e-mail services to distribute marketing materials on a regular basis. This is a terrific service with great impact. Most recipients won’t complain unless the material is annoying or the frequency is obnoxious. On the other hand, if someone gets aggravated enough, they will call you to complain. This is the perfect time to be the hero and apologize for the “SPAM” your inconsiderate marketing department has been sending. After you soothe them, see if you can’t strike up a conversation with them and see where it leads.

I’ve actually found that many prospects are easier to situation appointments with via email.

Targeting an Alternate Contact

You will undoubtedly encounter a contact that is completely inaccessible. You may have heard someone out there tell you that if you are persistent you will wear them down. As usual, there is a certain amount of truth in this philosophy but you need to determine when it is in your best interest to take your chips to another table.

Keep in mind that unprejudiced because you’ve switched your sights to another target it doesn’t mean you have to give up attempting to reach your primary.

It is difficult to do a set time line for changing your approach but I would say that you should have exhausted all methods of attempting to reach your primary and have made at least three attempts through each medium; Phone, letter, email, personal visit.

Once you have made the decision to change select the next rung down in the ladder. Don’t give up on the CFO and dive right to the purchasing department. Try finding a VP of Operations, Controller, Business Manager, someone who is a direct report to your primary contact.

Always View Prospecting as a Process

I’ve witnessed countless newbies self-destruct at prospecting. After the manager that hired them and the trainer that indoctrinated them set their expectations at six figure incomes and easy pickings the reality of being rejected 49 times in 50 calls crushes them.

Too many times the goal is determined by the number of appointments location. In reality you made 50 calls but only set one appointment. Talk about disheartening.

Now take a closer look at what really happened. You made 50 calls and spot one appointment. You also confirmed 13 contacts, identified 4 sure prospects, set up three contract end dates and had two substantive conversations with contacts who allowed you to set a next step within a quarter. Not a awful day’s work.

If you are methodical in your notes and planning prospecting gets great easier because your prospects become warmer each time you touch them. I chuckle when I see the looks of chagrin on the faces of new guys in the pit during “Phone Blitzes”. I will have my three appointments set in about an hour while they will hammer away all day and get none.

If you only look for the immediate opportunities and discard prospects with a longer event horizon your territory will be forever green and you will be perpetually poor.

Related Blogs

Top 5 Fabulous Spa Vacations in the U.S.

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:15:22 +0000

With thousands of spas to choose from across the United States, a spa vacation at a luxurious resort is yours for the asking. But how do you choose? First, it’s distinguished to identify what you’re hoping for in a spa vacation. If relaxation and rejuvenation is what you want, try a full service resort spa that offers basic and specialized spa treatments, fitness and nutritional options. If you need to jump start a diet or exhaust routine, check out any number of health and wellness spas. These usually feature executive physicals, spa treatments, yoga, meditation, fitness, nutrition and so much more.

The cost of a spa vacation varies dramatically. Some spas package hotel rooms with basic and specialized spa services. Others offer all-inclusive packages. Where are the deals? Check with your Credit Card Company, frequent flyer program, and travel agent for spa discounts and promotions. Or, check out the spa’s website for online deals and coupons. Do your research, and you will find the best fit for your and your family.

Ready to hit the road for your spa vacation? Check out these Top 5 Fabulous Spa Vacations in the US. Sure to please. Determined to rejuvenate.

Omni Bedford Springs Resort
2138 Business Route 220, Bedford, Pennsylvania 15522
Telephone: (814) 623-8100
Website: www.Bedford-Springs-Resort.com
Features: Four season resort and National Historic Landmark. 216 guest rooms and suites, outdoor pool and heated mineral springs-fed indoor pool, 25 miles of hiking trails, and 18-hole golf course. Array of spa treatments, indoor and outside activities.
Rates: Vary. Call resort for details.

You must visit this great spa and resort in the beautiful Allegheny Mountains, south-central Pennsylvania. For more than 200 years, the eight mineral springs located on the resort’s property have played host to some of the leading figures in history, celebrities, and dignitaries from around the world, including 10 US Presidents. Check out Bedford Falls for some R&R on 2,200-acres. Gargantuan dining options, including gourmet eats in the 1796 Room, American cuisine at the Frontier Tavern, elegant dining in the Crystal Room or light fair inside or poolside.

Lake Austin Spa Resort
1705 South Quinlan Park Road, Austin, Texas 78732
Telephone (800) 847-5637
Website: www.lakeaustin.com/
Features: Full service spa. 20 different fitness programs and activities offered daily. Beautifully appointed guest rooms in gorgeous Texas hill country.
Rates: Vary. All vacation packages include gracious accommodations, three healthy gourmet meals daily, and unlimited fitness activities and discovery programs.

Find out why Lake Austin Spa Resort is rated #1 by Conde Nast for destination spas in the United States. Guest rooms decorated with elegant furnishings crafted by local artisans. Healthy cuisine, featuring fresh vegetables from the Resort’s bear gardens. A real gem in Texas hill country. Multi-million dollar Lake House Spa expansion adds 25,000 square feet of pure spa bliss, includes more than 30 indoor and outdoor treatment spaces, private outdoor couples suite, the Palm Pool, hot tub, sauna and steam rooms. A great all-American destination for your spa vacation.

Green Valley Spa
1871 West Canyon View Drive Saint George, Utah 84770
Telephone: (800) 237-1068
Website: www.greenvalleyspa.com
Features: Full service health spa. Services include massage, weight loss, pain management, addiction recovery, and other therapies.
Rates: Vary. Call Spa for details.

Check out family-owned Green Valley Spa for a vacation spa resort that has your health and wellness in mind. Green Valley Spa boasts 4-Diamond accommodations, spa and wellness programs, fitness, tennis, golf instruction and facilities. Big ready for a health spa vacation at Green Valley. All the comforts of home, lovely rose garden, and cool red rock canyon views. A mountainous spa getaway.

Golden Door
Escondido, California/other locations
Website: www.goldendoor.com
Telephone: (800) 424-0777 (toll free); (760) 744-5777 (local)
Features: 80 different classes and activities. Fitness classes for cardiovascular health and mind/body offerings such as yoga and t’ai chi.
Rates: Room rates and spa treatments vary. Call Golden Door for details.

Who hasn’t heard of the Golden Door? For more than 50 years, the Golden Door has been renowned for its pampering beauty treatments, luxurious massage, educational lectures and Zen-inspired gardens. Check out Golden Door’s massages, facials, beauty treatments, and so much more. A leader in mind/body health. A picture perfect destination for a spa vacation you won’t soon forget. Regain ready to be transformed.

One Ocean Resort
One Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
Telephone: (904) 249-7402
Website: www.oneoceanresort.com
Features: Host of spa treatments, suites, personalized service. Splendid accommodations and ocean views.
Rates: Vary. Spa treatments all-inclusive and a la carte.

This is one spa that combines five-diamond elegance with ocean views. Ocean Docents support to your every need, including personal check in service, packing and unpacking guest items, morning beverages and newspaper, laundry and dry cleaning, spa reservations, tee times and so powerful more. One Ocean is a trendy, boutique-style facility offering marine-inspired treatments. Check out the Juice Bar, private oceanfront VIP suites, Swedish steam showers, treatment rooms, and meditative lounge. Your spa vacation objective got a little better because of the cool breezes off the Atlantic. Sure to please and rejuvenate.

RESOURCES

Spa Finder
www.spafinder.com

Discount Golf Vacations

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:01:17 +0000

Leading out for a golf vacation might sound like something that isn’t easily low-cost, but thanks to the accessibility of progressively popular discount golf vacations, nearly anyone can now act they are Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach – at least once.

The fame of golf has exploded during the last few years, especially as the post World War II generation ages and begins to draw support. And thanks to relatively cheap options, there are nowadays more “must play” golf courses than available still five years ago. There are even resorts committed entirely to the vacationing golfer.

Discount Golf Tours: Worldwide Discounted Golf Vacations

Discount Golf Tours anticipate discount golf vacations at golf courses all over the world. They provide them to the UK, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Australia and even to China. These marvellous discount golf tours range in price, but the golf enthusiasts will still be able to steal these vacations for just a fraction of what they “should” be paying for golf-centric escapes.

Golf Zoo: A Discount Golf Vacation Package Finder

Golf Zoo is a web-based golf travel portal that is build together to find the best golf vacation bundles possible. This site has a hot deals fraction projected just for those who are looking for astonishing affordable golf trips that, for half the price, give up the same golfing experience that the more expensive resorts promise. The trip planner is simple – you can enter the location at which you want to play golf and favoured dates. Golf Zoo will glean the best rates available.

Myrtle Beach: A Golfer’s Paradise

Myrtle Beach is one of the most popular golf courses in the country, one that given the disbursement, many golfers only dream about playing through. The resort, though, does offer several great bargains that include Internet specials, senior discounts and even vacations on which people can bid. An inexpensive vacation to Myrtle Beach is a dream come true for almost every golf fan.

There are a number of other locations on the Internet that help golfing fans bring out cheap golf run options. These are fully packaged vacations with hotel stays, course fees and even shipping included. Many who love golf long to take a vacation but cannot afford to put down the money for such a particular getaway. Thanks to various outlets like Golf Zoo and Discount Golf Tours, however, enjoying an cheap golf excursion is becoming progressively accepted.

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A Review of the Best Local Golf Courses in Albuquerque

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:30:57 +0000

I love to play golf and my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico and its surrounding areas have lots of great golf courses to play on. Add to that fantastic scenery and gorgeous weather 10 months out of the year and you have a golfer’s paradise waiting to be discovered!

Furthermore, there are golf courses in Albuquerque that suit all abilities and age levels. If you’re a duffer like me there are some trim municipal golf courses that have lots of wide fairways and few traps and hazards that can give you the confidence you need to improve your game. If you’re a more serious golfer we have golf courses that are challenging enough and agreeable enough to have hosted United States Golf Association sanctioned events and NCAA golf championships!

If you do want to come out to Albuquerque to play golf, you might want to know where the best places in town to play are located. Here is my list of the five best local golf courses in Albuquerque. I play a round on at least two of these courses every month and it’s always a blast! Come on and play a round or two of golf out here—you don’t know what you’re missing!!

1) UNM South (The Championship Course)(505)-277-4546 http://www.unmgolf.com/golf/proto/unmgolf/ .
Address:
3601 University SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-277-4546

Overview: Owned and maintained by the University of New Mexico, this very challenging and beautiful par 72 course measures over 7200 yards when played from the back tees and requires accuracy off the tee. Stray shots are penalized harshly with thick rough and unforgiving bunkers. If you do find the fairways a premium is placed on club selection and on your ability to fit your shots onto rolling greens. I have the hardest time putting the greens on this course. They are so full of hills and multiple breaks that I’m not sure if I’m putting on a putt-putt course or on greens on a course that hosted the 2008 NCAA Women’s golf championships like UNM South did. When the wind kicks up, this course is brutal! If you know how to play links style golf people negate me you can still shoot well here when the wind is up.

The par 3’s at UNM South are very demanding. You have to find the green with your tee ball or you’re staring a bogey in the face. If you’re a duffer like me, 7’s, 8’s and 9’s are very easy to record on the par 3’s here. I once recorded a 12 on the 8^th hole and that was after I stopped counting! Thank goodness there are only two par 3’s on each side!

With all that being said, UNM South is one of Albuquerque’s better public courses because the scenery is so beautiful and the course is so well-maintained that even a duffer like me has lots of fun trying to regain his ball in the trees and the deep rough! Another reason why UNM South is one of Albuquerque’s best local golf courses is because everyone, no matter their skill level, can have a good time playing. The course isn’t so difficult that you can’t hit a proper shot and not see agreeable results

Best hole: By far, the drivable par 4 14^th hole. From the succor tees it’s only 364 yards to the green. It rewards aggressive play and it forces you to think seriously about what you’re doing. You could just as easily make a double bogey as you could an eagle on this hole and as a result, it’s lots of fun to play this hole.

Practice facilities, Pro Shop, Lessons and the 19th hole: The pro shop at UNM South is excellent. The staff members are very helpful and they are very knowledgeable about the equipment that is out there. they also have a nice driving range and practice green. If you’re a resident, the University of New Mexico’s Division of Continuing Education offers beginning and intermediate golf classes too. Group and private lessons are also available with the club pro, Andy Boyd. Call him to find out how to location up group or private lessons. The cafe at UNM South serves hamburgers, hot dogs, soft drinks and more potent potables. The food is excellent and fairly priced too.

Greens fees for residents and non-residents.:
Resident Using a Cart:
Monday-Friday and weekends after 1pm: $39
twilight: $33
seniors(Monday-Friday only): (60+) $34
weekends and holidays before 1 PM: $59

Resident Not Using a Cart :
Monday-Friday all day and weekends after 1pm $25
twilight : $25
seniors (Monday-Friday only): (60+) $23
weekends and holidays before 1 PM: $45

Non-Resident (cart rental included in effect.):
Monday-Friday all day $60
twilight: $33
seniors (Monday-Friday only) (60+) $47
weekends and holidays all day $70
(all fees were current at the time this was written. Please call or go online for the latest greens fees.):

2) Ladera Golf Course (http://www.cabq.gov/golf/ladera-golf-course)
Address:
3401 Ladera Drive NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
505-836-4449

Overview: This golf course is the longest course owned and maintained by the City of Albuquerque. Located on Albuquerque’s West Side, the par 72 course measures 7060 yards from the back tees and offers spectacular views of the city’s volcanoes, lush greenscapes, huge greens, semi-narrow fairways and a good test for the beginner and expert alike. It is a good test because four expansive lakes guard most of the holes on the course and a premium is placed on hitting edifying shots. Finally, watch out when the wind kicks up because It turns this course into a real challenge!

There are three reasons why Ladera is one of Albuquerque’s best public golf courses. The first is because Ladera is such a salubrious test for the beginner and the expert alike, every golfer is fairly challenged. Every club in your bag will be tested fairly and at least once during a round here. Secondly, Ladera is one of the better values in town. For only $22 ($17 for afternoon play) an adult can get to play on a challenging course that is beautifully maintained and whose views are spectacular. Finally, Ladera is one of Albuquerque’s better public courses because the experience doesn’t just end with the course. Ladera has a great restaurant:
that serves yummy food and drinks! This turns a day on this golf course from a pleasant day to a super great day!

Best hole: The best hole on Ladera has to be the finishing par 4 18th hole because it’s the hardest hole on the course. The fairway is guarded by trees to the right and a lake guards the hole on the left from tee to green. To make it even harder, two bunkers guard the entrance to the green. All of these obstacles force you to hit your 4 best shots of the day to escape with a par–Just what a finishing hole ought to do! I have made everything from a birdie to a quadruple bogey on this hole and that’s what keeps me coming back for more!

Practice facilities, Pro Shop, Lessons and the 19th hole: Ladera has a spacious driving range, a nice 9 hole Executive course to practice on, great putting and chipping greens.The pro shop is just about what you’d expect from a golf course. Nothing more and nothing less. Call head pros Sam Zimmerly and Bill Moya for information about lessons.
Did I mention the restaurant serves yummy food and drinks?! The 19th hole at Ladera might be the best of any of the public courses inside Albuquerque’s city limits. They back everything from traditional American fare to Southwestern dishes like enchiladas. Ladera also has a banquet hall that caters for all occasions.

Green’s fees:
Monday-Friday : 18 holes before afternoon cut off: $11 for juniors, $15.75 for seniors, $22 for adults
18 holes after the afternoon cut off: $8.50 for juniors, $12.75 for seniors, $17 for adults
(the afternoon cut off time is 4 1/2 hours before sundown.)
tournaments: $24.50

Weekends and Holidays: 18 holes before the afternoon cut off: $14.25 for juniors, $28 for seniors, $28.50 for adults
18 holes after the afternoon carve off:$10 for juniors, $19.50 for seniors, $20 for adults.
tournaments: $28.50

3) Desert Greens Golf Course (http://www.desertgreensgolf.com/)
Address: 10035 Country Club Lane NW
Albuquerque, NM 87114
(505)- 898-7001

Overview: I thought I’d attach the best golf course on the list for last. This privately owned par 72 course measures about 6808 yards from the back tees and might the the most beautiful course in Albuquerque! With lush trees, fairways and greens you have to wonder how anything so green and lovely could be attained in Albuquerque’s harsh desert climate! As beautiful as the course looks, it doesn’t amply portray how playable or deceptively challenging this course is because the narrow fairways and the many out-of-bounds stakes force you to be accurate from tee to green. You must also have a good short game because even though there are few bunkers, those few bunkers and the rough around the green is unruffled a challenge and you still have to putt well. The greens are well-maintained and for the most part they don’t force you to have a degree in topology to putt well. Therefore if your iron game is good and If your short game is better, then you stand a grand chance to score well here.

Even though the course is deceptively challenging, Players of all skill levels will have lots of fun playing here because the substantial greens and fairways and the lack of bunkers still give the player a chance to score well if you hit proper shots. Beginners will also like how most of the par 5’s at Desert Greens are less than 500 yards long. The more advanced player will like the challenge of narrow fairways and tougher doglegs. For the Rip It N Grip It Crowd, lots of the par 4’s are almost drivable. If you do choose to try to drive the par 4’s, accuracy off the tee is a must because there is the trouble of hitting your tee ball out of bounds everywhere. With all these playing options available, everyone will have fun playing at Desert Greens Golf Course!

Besides the vast playing options that form this golf course lots of fun and challenging to play on, there is one other thing that make this golf course one of Albuquerque’s best places to play golf. It’s the tremendous value for your dollar that Desert Greens Golf Course gives you. For no more than $25 on weekdays and $33 on holidays, you can play a splendid, provocative course and still have money left over for food and drinks! Besides Ladera, I don’t know of any other non-private course in Albuquerque that will give you such a gigantic value for your dollar!

Best hole:
I think the best hole at Ladera is the 424 yard par 4 dog-leg right 18th because it is a good risk-reward hole. Everyone who plays this hole has to ask themselves, “Should I use my driver or should I play it safe? ” If you do rob the risk of using your driver and you hit a good shot, you’re left with a splendid easy chip in front of the green. If you hit a bad drive with your driver, you run the risk of hitting into the lake to the correct or out of bounds left. Even though the hole only measures 424 yards, there is enough risk and surprise to accomplish this hole maybe the hardest hole on the course! What fun!
Greens fees:

WeekdayMon-ThurCarts 18 Holes $25.00 $12.00 9 Holes $12.00 $8.00 Seniors $17.00 $12.00 Twilight $15.00 $12.00 Junior (-18) $12.00 N/A WeekendFri-SunCarts 18 Holes $33.00 $12.00 9 Holes $19.00 $8.00 Twilight $15.00 $12.00 Junior (-18) $15.00 N/A

Practice facilities, Pro Shop, Lessons and the 19th hole: Desert Greens has a nice driving range, a good practice green where you can both chip and putt to your hart’s content and maybe the best pro shop in town! The staff has lots of experience fitting people for golf clubs and they did a sizable job finding a duffer like me a nice set of left handed clubs. I think the bar and grill at Desert Greens is the best “19th hole” facility in town. They serve really yummy food at good prices and the soda bar is so good that who needs liquor? If you do want some more potent portables, their full service bar is nice. They also have 10 stout screen TV’s that acquire watching sports tons of fun too!

For lessons, please call head pros George Brazil at (505)-362-1809 or Jason Westphal at (505)-385-9360 for more details.

There you have it! Three of Albuquerque’s best golf courses. What are you waiting for?! Come out here and have some fun!

Golf Courses in Lake Tahoe, Nevada

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:48:45 +0000

Lake Tahoe, Nevada is located on the border between California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe was once home to the Cal Neva Lodge where many eminent entertainers once performed. For those who be pleased golf, Lake Tahoe has a number of scenic golf courses for hours of relaxation & enjoyment.

Edgewood Golf Course is located on Highway #50, Stateline, NV. Edgewood has four sets of tees, and the course stretches any where from 5500 to 7379 yards. The course is state along the shore of lake Tahoe among the mountains of the high sierra 6200 feet above sea level. Edgewood is an 18 hole, par 72 golf course with a rating of 75.7. Randy Fox is the head of professional golf & training. A fee of $200 also included employ of a golf cart. Additional information can be obtained by calling (775)-588-3566. Please visit the website at www.edgewoodgolfcourse.com.

Northstar Resort at Tahoe Golf Course is located on 168 Basque Drive, Truckee, CA. The golf course was designed by Robert Muir and is open May Through October. Northstar offers 18 holes and is 6781 yards. 18 holes before 1 pm will cost $80, 18 hole, 3 pack is $169, and 18 hole will cost $60 twilight after 1pm. In addition, a pro shop and Martins Valley Restaurant & Bar is located on the premises. The tree-lined golf course offers breathtaking mountain views. Information concerning specials offered and directions to the course can be obtained by calling (530)-562-3290. Most major credit cards are accepted at this plot.

Resort At Squaw Creek is located on 400 Squaw Creek Road, Squaw Valley, CA. Robert Trent Jones Jr designed this par 71 golf course. Golf Magazine cited the golf course as one of the top 10 courses in 1993. In addition, Squaw Creek has an elevation of 6,200 and a rating of 72.5. Special rates are available for great groups and a gift shop and eatery is located at the main entrance of Squaw Creek Road. Please visit the website at www.resortatsquawcreek.com. Telephone inquiries can be handled by calling (530)-583-6300. Golf cart and equipment rentals are available starting at $150.

Tahoe Donner Golf Course is located on 11509 Northwood Blvd, Truckee, CA. Tahoe Donner opens for 9 holes of play on May 18th, full course opens on May 25th. The golf course is considered semi-private, a campground and restaurant are available for all guests. Tahoe Donner offers 18 holes, par 72, and has a rating of 72.4. Every Wednesday throughout the summer months, the course is reserved for women only at a cost of $16 for members and $39 for non-members. Additional information can be obtained by calling (530)-587-9440. Member rates and guest rates vary considerably.

Tahoe Paradise Golf Course is located on 3021 US Highway #50, South Lake Tahoe, CA. Tahoe Paradise is an 18-hole executive length course located in South Lake Tahoe. The course was opened in 1960 and was designed by Fred Blanchard. The public golf course is set among hilly terrain and microscopic private lakes. In addition, a pro shop and picnic grounds are located throughout the property. Tahoe Paradise current has a 59.90 user rating. May 27th the course officially opens and remains in business until early September. Cart fees normally cost between $10-$15. Most major credit cards are accepted at this location. Directions to the golf course are available by calling (530)-577-2121.

Coyote Moon Golf Course is located on 10685 Northwood Blvd, Truckee, CA. Coyote Moon was designed by Brad Bell. Coyote Moon is surrounded by towering pines, granite outcroppings, and beautiful Trent Creek. The golf course is 18 hole, and 7177 yards. Private lessons are available and proper dress attire is required. Tournament rates start at $155, and rental of equipment is $40. Coyote Moon is launch May through mid October. Information is available by calling (530)-587-0886.

Taking Stock of Wall Street 2008-10-13

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:34:38 +0000

The Dow broke through 9,000 and held. At no time, it showed any tendency to retreat. All because of government providing short-term liquidity to stricken financial sector.

GLOBAL PICTURE

Almost all Asian and European markets were in the upbeat mood scoring substantial gains in response to the global governments acting in concert to increase the liquidity of their financial institutions.

UK is investing $63 bln in three U.K. banks: Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and HBOS and Lloyds TSB (LYG). Barclays (BCS) did not want such governmental action, as they are confident of raising capital all alone.

Germany intends to provide backup guarantee up to $544 bln for interbank transactions and may invest in distressed banks.

Norway is issuing $55.4 bln in central bonds so that banks can service troubled mortgages.

The Eurozone countries will be extending guarantees on bank debts to next year too.

And today we heard the first such action from the Middle East: United Arab Emirates will be guaranteeing deposits in their authorized financial institutions.

WHAT IS ACTUALLY THE US FED AND OTHER CENTRAL BANKS DOING?

The central banks will be issuing funding for the short periods like one-week, 28-day, and 84-day through April 30.
That means short-term funding for acute shortages, wages and immediate needs are assured. Moreover, there is no limit to such loans as long as the beneficiary bank has enough “collateral” assets to cover the taxpayers’ money.

Now that short-term worries are taken care of, it is up to the beneficiary banks to generate long-term income and help in creating jobs through their business clients.

The question remains, will the banks rise to the occasion?

Oil was UP by $3.49 (+4.49%) to $81.19.

Gold retreated by -$16.50 (-1.92%) to $842.50.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) fell by 14.96 to 54.99 from 69.95.

MARKET INDICES

Dow went UP by 936.42 (11.08%) to 9,387.61
S&P 500 UP by 104.13 (11.58%) to 1,003.35
Nasdaq UP by 194.74 (11.81%) to 1,844.25

NYSE

Daily Volume: 1.76 bln
A/D Ratio: 3092 stocks advanced against 181 declined
52-week Hi/Lo: 4 stocks climbed to new Highs while 66 went down to recent Lows

Nasdaq

Daily Volume: 2.61 bln
A/D Ratio: 2574 stocks advanced against 430 declined
52-week Hi/Lo: 6 stocks climbed to new Highs while 115 went down to new Lows

MARKET NEWS

Boeing (BA) and its striking technicians are back to the negotiation table at the invitation of the Federal mediator.

Abbott Labs (ABT) has announced a share repurchase program worth $5 bln.

Goldman Sachs Bank USA has applied for a New York State bank charter. Will it try for an all US Fed charter later like its rivals?

M&A NEWS

Wells Fargo (WFC) is downsizing the acquired Wachovia’s (WB) investment banking unit.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (MTU) acquired a 21% stake in Morgan Stanley (MS) for $9 bln. That includes $7.8 bln worth of 10% convertible preferred stock and $1.2 bln worth of 10% nonconvertible preferred stock.

Spain’s Banco Santander (STD) is acquiring Sovereign Bancorp (SOV) for $3.81 bln.

Waste Management (WMI) withdrew its $6.7 bln bid for Republic Services (RSG).

United Technologies (UTX) withdrew its bid for Diebold (DBD).

King Pharmaceuticals (KG) is persisting with its $37 per share bid on Alpharma (ALO) despite earlier rejection.

Micron (MU) is to buy Qimonda’s (QI) 35.6% stake in Inotera Memories for $400 mln.

Reports on Ford Motor Company (F) divesting its stakes in Mazda Motor iare yet to be confirmed.

COMPANY RESULTS

Fastenal Company (Snappily) beat market’s forecasts. Stanley Furniture’s (STLY) earnings were reduced due to losses.

Positive guidance was issued by Waste Management (WMI). But forecasts by Philips Electronics (PHG), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Maxim Integrated (MXIM) were disappointing.

ANALYSTS RATINGS

The company stocks upgraded include:

Altera Corp (ALTR), Avanex Corp (AVNX), Bank of America Corp (BAC), Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (BBBY), Best Capture Co Inc (BBY),
Brinker International Inc (EAT), Broadcom Corp (BRCM), Capital One Corp (COF), CBS Corp (CBS), Celgene Corp (CELG),
Ceradyne Inc (CRDN), Check Point Software Technologies Ltd (CHKP), Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO), Concur Technologies Inc (CNQR),
Curtiss-Wright Corp (CW), Dycom Industries Inc (DY), First Horizon National Corp (FHN), Fresenius Medical Care ADR (FMS),
Hovnanian Enterprises Inc (HOV), ICON Plc DR (ICLR), iGate Inc (IGTE), Liberty Media Corp (LCAPA), Linear Technology Corp (LLTC),
Manpower Inc (MAN), MDC Holdings Corp (MDC), Meritage Homes (MTH), NY Comm Bancorp (NYB), OceanFirst Financial Corp (OCFC),
Odyssey Healthcare Inc (ODSY), Panera Bread Co (PNRA), Pharmacyclics Inc (PCYC), Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc (PPDI),
Robert Half International Inc (RHI), Roper Industries Inc (ROP), Sunrise Senior Living Inc (SRZ), Techne Corp (TECH),
Time Warner Cable Inc (TWC), TiVo Inc (TIVO), Factual Religion Apparel Inc (TRLG), Tween Brands Inc (TWB), UDR REIT (UDR),
Urban Outfitters Inc (URBN), ViroPharma Inc (VPHM), W&T Offshore Inc (WTI), Waste Connections (WCN) and Xilinx Inc (XLNX).

Company stocks downgraded are:

ArvinMeritor Inc (ARM), Cadence Design Systems Inc (CDNS), Camden Property Trust (CPT), Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK),
Maxim Integrated Products Inc (MXIM), New York & Co Inc (NWY), Robert Half International Inc (RHI), Ryland Group Inc (RYL),
Suncor Energy Inc (SU), Toll Brothers Inc (TOL), Valero Energy Corp (VLO), Viacom (VIA), Waters Corp (WAT), and Williams-Sonoma Inc (WSM).

FED TALK

Today it was the turn of Neel Kashkari, the new kid on the Treasury block. This protege of Secretary Paulson is in charge of government’s bailout plan. He told bankers that the liquidity thought is being implemented hastily. Market too says so.

POINTERS TO THE FUTURE

Today US banks and the Treasury securities market were closed for Columbus day. So only tomorrow we can get an inkling on how credit market will respond to governmental actions. Will it be euphoric like the stock market or miserable as before?