—Why
you need a copywriter
In
the business world, you face huge challenges from competitors. Your
ability to communicate your message and ideas—better than anyone
else—is
so important these days. A proposal, sales letter or business plan should
make the recipient say “Yes!”
If
you are publishing a book, your back cover copy must grab the reader
to make the sale. Even an author needs a writer!
Promoting
yourself, promoting your business or book...say it with style, polish
and professionalism...
See
Barbara's samples that sell:
Contact
Barbara at MunsonBarb@aol.com
or call (303) 526-9095 to discuss your writing project.
BROCHURES
AND FLYERS
A
FLYER
Gilly:
A Humble Crusader
A
Historical Biography
By
Barbara Munson and Howard Roberts
In
his fifties, at just the point in his life when he could relax and say
he “has done well” as a rancher, entertainer and family man,
Gilbert Roberts faces a personal crisis. Forced to reexamine his own
life and actions, Gilly's search for new wisdom lands him on an Indian
reservation in the Four Corners area of the country. There he is appalled
and saddened by the sight of so many sick and starving people and he
vows to do whatever he can to help.
Unwittingly,
Gilly has stumbled into the middle of the ongoing Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute,
which has forced thousands of Native Americans to relocate under duress.
Unable to abide the “raw inequities” he has witnessed, Gilly
spends the rest of his life bringing food and supplies to them and calling
attention to their plight.
The
human rights issues of indigenous peoples, exemplified by the land dispute,
are just now getting global attention. Did Gilly's solo crusade, in
some small measure, help that cause?
Coauthor
Barbara Munson is a 25-year writer, author and editor. She lives in
Golden, Colorado and can be reached at MunsonBarb@aol.com or www.munsoncommunications.com
*
* *
FROM
A BROCHURE
Congratulations!
As
a financial services professional today, you are in a position to influence
and make a positive change in the financial futures of Americans. In
a world where “fast” now equates to “good,” individuals
are increasingly becoming caught up in the trappings of the Internet.
Striving to be instant millionaires today, they are mindless of where
they might be tomorrow and are losing sight of their long-term goals.
You alone can provide the one thing they can't get on the Net ... the
knowledge and guidance to achieve financial security.
Real
value in a virtual world.
To
do so, however, you will need to keep one step ahead. You will need
the answers when clients or prospects ask about retiring at age 40,
or investing in global markets, or dealing with the loss of Social Security.
By attending this year's National Conference, you will come away with
the educational tools, techniques and most up-to-date resources to help
you guide your clients through the rough waters of the new millennium.
At
the Conference, you will hear from the country's leading authorities
on investing, taxes, retirement, estate planning and the economy. No
matter whether you are new in the business or a seasoned professional,
you will find sessions and topics designed to challenge you. With 28
expert presenters sharing what they know of the critical issues facing
today's financial advisors and their clients, the conference may be
the single most valuable thing you do for your career in 2000...
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LETTERS
From
the desk of Arnold L. Smith, CFP
Dear
________, Over the past decade, we have seen many changes that have
positively shaped our lives-including technological advances that have
made us healthier, more productive and more connected. But in businesses
everywhere, in our rush to be bigger, better and faster, we have been
losing sight of what's really important in life. It started first in
health care, with the proliferation of managed care systems. But it
is also happening now with other service providers across the board.
I see the problem as a focus on quantity over quality, where
clients end up taking a back seat to the bottom line.
In
my practice, my clients will always come first and I have taken steps
to ensure that's so. I recently earned the Certified Financial Planner
(CFP) designation, after completing a comprehensive curriculum that
taught me how to guide clients toward their long-term financial goals.
I
also have been investigating a realignment of my insurance and investment
practice, seeking an environment that provides a sophisticated planning
culture- and one that allows me to work in the best interests of my
clients. Due to my established client base in both the Tampa Bay and
central Florida regions, and with my experience and knowledge of certain
sophisticated planning areas, I have been asked to affiliate with Golden
Mutual's Boca Raton office. I have accepted the offer.
One
of my prime considerations-a requirement, really-with this new affiliation
is that I continue serving my current clients, in person, with no noticeable
change. Largely due to the proximity of St. Petersburg, I am confident
that this requirement will be satisfied. I also will be able to rely
on technology to stay in touch. Over the last several years, thanks
to technological investments I have made in my business, I have been
able to keep in close contact with clients who live in all parts of
the country and even overseas. As an example of this, email technology
has allowed me to continue to serve an attorney client who practices
law in Azerbaijan. Central Florida will be a breeze!
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ARTICLES
AND INTERVIEWS
To
Retire or Not to Retire: That Is the Question
By
Barbara J. Munson
There
is no set time to retire anymore. Older adults are now enjoying extended
years of good health and youthfulness. Happy to be leading vital and
productive lives, many are still collecting paychecks well into their
70s and 80s. Then there's the other side of the coin...
Michael
Edge worked hard, made a lot of money, fell in love with and married
a beautiful woman, had two great children, and retired a happy man.
There is just one thing wrong with this picture: Mike retired at age
40. Who retires at 40?
You
might if, like Mike, you had had enough of the headaches and stress
of your work and there were no financial obstacles in your way. Like
Mike, you might truly enjoy your new life, too. By the time he retired,
he had already gotten to “play out my fantasies,” like sky
diving, scuba diving and traveling. He had had his share of successful
businesses. Been there, done that. Mike looked forward to settling
down.
Sure,
he'd had his share of bumps along the way. When Mike was a teenager,
his father advised: “Go to college and get a business degree.”
That done, Mike found work as general manager of a hair accessories
company and generated huge sales on a new product, decorator combs-a
product that he foresaw would be a big hit. But Mike's employer refused
to pay him the commission he'd earned, so he moved on.
In
the early 1980s, he envisioned people wanting computers in their homes
to keep their personal records straight, organize their checkbooks and
even file their recipes. Well before Apple became a household name,
Mike had started an enterprise to build home computers. When consumers
failed to be bowled over by the new-fangled and expensive idea, Mike's
manufacturer pulled out and that ended that. “My concept was right,”
he says, “but the economics and the timing weren't.”
*
* *
Renata's
Opus
By
Barbara J. Munson
Growing
up in Toledo, Ohio, Renata McHugh had to always step over bolts of imported
fabric to get from her bedroom to the kitchen of her house. Her mother
was a seamstress and an excellent clothes designer—and never used
a pattern, Renata recalls. Her mother made all her clothes and those
of her three older sisters, as well. "We loved them! They set us apart
from everyone else. My mother taught us early about quality clothing,
She has been my inspiration."
Renata
will be putting the lessons she learned at her mother's knee to good
use this month when her dress store, appropriately named Renata's, opens
in the Village at Bergen Park. Having her own clothing store had been
her dream for years. "Now, everything is falling into place—and
I am having the time of my life," she adds. That's in spite of the hours
and hours she has spent getting ready for the opening. Renata remodeled
the site, designed the interior, contacted the dress designers, negotiated
for exclusives in some lines and ordered the clothes.
She
also wrote the business plan. "When I showed the plan to my developer,
he said it was the most detailed and precise one he had ever seen. That
was quite a compliment, since I had no experience writing business plans.
To me, it was just what was in my head. I felt like I was flying by
the seat of my pants the whole time."
To
analyze customer traffic, Renata would sit in her car in the parking
lot, counting the number of cars driving in and the number of people
carrying bags out of the stores.
To
get a handle on the competition, she says, "I had a cup of cappuccino
with the owner of the shop down the street, and we agreed to be different."
Selecting the right software she will need to automate the office is
another thing. "The program has to be just right. I don't intend to
get buried in mounds of paperwork. I prefer to spend my time with the
ladies." Renata proved in her business plan that she knew what it takes
to be successful. "What will set me apart is that I am trained to listen
well. If there is anything a customer wants, I'll find it for her. If
it's a different dress style or body style—anything—I will
add it. I plan to be everything I can be as a retailer."
Her
shop will feature "mountain chic" women's wear. Her outfits and accessories
will be fun, functional and a little feminine, she says. "I think all
women should be feminine. My customers will find that Renata's offers
a welcome alternative to boots and jeans.”...
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PROPOSALS
AND QUERIES
QUERY
TO A LITERARY AGENT
Dear
____________
Two thirty-something guys lose their wives to cancer and become instant
widowers with children to raise. A few years later, they happen to meet,
discover they have suffered identical losses and decide to write a book
to help other young widowers. Till Death Do Us Part is a guide
book for men on dealing with everything from their wives' death to raising
the kids, dating, remarrying, changing careers and maintaining their
sanity. Two guys, two perspectives—it's like getting advice and
a second opinion all in one.
Authors
Dan Gilbertson and Doug O'Neill are two likable guys from Brookings,
South Dakota. They met in a classroom where Dan was taking a master's
course taught by Doug. Dan moved to Denver, where he is now a financial
planner with Royal Alliance Associates. Doug remains in Brookings and
is an assistant professor at South Dakota State University. Both have
remarried. Both continue to speak out and advise others on surviving
as a widower. Doug even wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on the topic.
This
35,000-word book is just short enough and down to earth enough to get
other men to read it. No frills, nothing sissy, just straight talk when
it's needed most...
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MEDIA
KITS AND PRESS RELEASES
PRESS
RELEASES
The
Making of a Guru
Hunter
Kennedy is a bold new voice among writers of metaphysics and new thought.
When it comes to matters of the soul, he believes that readers need
role models, not preachers, and they want real-life stories they can
relate to. The way for most people to understand the meaning of life
is through experience, he says. They can and should read the teachings
of the traditional spiritual writers, such as Gary Zukav, Neale Donald
Walsch and Ekhart Tolle, but they need the example of One Soul's Journey
to get them there.
One
Soul's Journey: Book 1, The Journey to Me is the story of a man who
spent the first 35 years of his life doing all the wrong things. Money
was his master. But, in 1999, something happened to Hunter Kennedy to
change his thinking and his life. He had an awakening. A life-changing,
tear-bringing, knee-wobbling experience. He saw he could help others
gain this awareness. He quit his day job. He started an organization,
Circles of Life Foundation, Inc.
He
committed his life to helping children, young people with eating disorders,
alcoholics, the homeless, people rich in money and poor in spirit, anyone
who needs directions to find their path. He's not preaching though.
Just giving a hand to those who want to follow.
Hunter
Kennedy's first book, One Soul's Journey, tells about his experience
getting bowled over by messages from God. No complex terminology, just
straightforward common-sense discoveries and steps to take for self-renewal
and finding true happiness. He is pretty sure readers will come a lot
closer to understanding the universe when they are done with this book.
The
Circles of Life Foundation begins its journey this month in Denver.
Kennedy will be speaking to groups in the area, on television, radio
and at fundraisers. He also plans a local radio program of his own.
We
would like to tell everyone we speak to that One Soul's Journey
is available through The Tattered Cover Book Store. May we send you
copies to sell?
*
* *
To:
Re: An unusual author appearance at the Tattered Cover Cherry Creek
When:
June 1, 7:30 p.m.
What
would you do if someone you loved died and years later returned to you
as a spirit, communicating with you through your thoughts? You'd keep
it quiet, because no one would believe you and might think you were
crazy, right?
Call
her daring, Joan Wheeler La Grone has decided to tell the world her
story of “bridging the veil” into the spirit world. La Grone,
a founding member of the Rocky Mountain Writers Guild and mother of
six grown sons, has remarried after the death of her husband nearly
40 years ago. The Windsor, Colorado realtor has a lot to lose by coming
forward to share her experience. She also may be opening doors to untold
truths. Is she crazy . . . or enlightened?
After
Joan started writing a book about the return of her first husband's
spirit, she discovered that many others had similar stories to tell.
Some of them were even her friends and relatives. Most had never told
a soul about the voices and appearances, fearing humiliation or worse.
Now they have, in From Beyond the Veil.
Joan
will be at the Tattered Cover Book Store, Cherry Creek, on June 1 at
7:30 p.m. to discuss and sign her book, From Beyond the Veil (2000,
WIN Publishers of Colorado).
Come
meet Joan and see for yourself.
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BACK-OF-THE-BOOK
COVER COPY
FROM
THE NOVEL: Ask Dr. Mac: Take the Journey to Authentic Leadership
by Greg Giesen
What does this manager know that you don't?
Justin
O'Brien is a fumbling new manager at DataDump Corp. His employees are
disgruntled, his department is floundering and Justin feels like a failure.
Desperate, he sends a letter to “Ask Dr. Mac,” a newspaper
advice columnist on workplace issues. Their correspondence turns into
a friendship and reveals to Justin the secrets of leadership that change
his life around.
Follow
Justin on his journey and discover how to:
-
Solve the most challenging people problems.
-
Create and maintain empowering relationships.
-
Increase leadership acumen and self-awareness.
-
Lead authentically by learning from Justin's trials and tribulations...
*
* *
FROM
THE BUSINESS AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Dare to Be A Successful Business Woman,
by Florence Alexander, Ph.D.
To
supplement her income and support her young son, Florence Alexander,
Ph.D., started Ebon Research Systems in 1971 in the basement of her
home. Overcoming many hurdles of racism, sexism and “bullying,”
over the years she has drawn on her inner strengths and internalized
a standard of excellence in reaching seemingly impossible goals. Ebon
Research Systems grossed $417 million in sales in its first twenty-four
years. Dr. Alexander's entrepreneurial journey has taken her into the
minefields of government contracting and through the challenging terrain
of education as founder of a school for disenfranchised youths. Today,
with more than fifty awards and recognitions, she writes of how it is
possible to beat the odds...
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WEBSITE
COPY
Welcome
to . . .
The
Financial Planning Speakers Bureau
A
unique service specializing in financial experts who are leaders in
the industry —and have great speaking skills.
Whether
you need one speaker or a full slate of experts for your next program
or conference, rely on the Financial Planning Speakers Bureau to fill
your needs.
-
Over 30 expert presenters
-
125 timely financial topics
-
Individual talks range from 90 minutes to full-day sessions
-
Most presentations will qualify for continuing education credits
-
One source for all your needs-and all arrangements are handled for
you
Getting
Started
Selecting
the right speaker and topic is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Click on one of the
buttons at left to view the selections by specific topic or individual
speaker. If you already have a speaker in mind, go directly to Request
a Speaker.
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NEWSLETTERS
CLIENT
NEWSLETTER
ANOTHER
LOOK AT THE UGLY INDEX ANNUITY
As
you know, fixed and variable annuities are issued by insurance companies.
They offer the investor tax deferral until the funds are withdrawn.
They can be a helpful addition to IRAs and company retirement plans
when saving for retirement.
Now,
however, we have the index annuity. Many sales people marketing
this annuity will imply that your money will go up and down with the
S&P Index, but also guarantee you no loss if the market goes down. Unfortunately
that's not the whole truth. Most index annuities have a cap on how much
you can retain of the S&P 500. For example, if the cap is 8% and the
market goes up 28% like it did in 2003, you'll lose out on the 20%!
Because the S&P Index goes up more than it goes down you could be missing
out on most of the market's gain over the long run. You need those big
years to balance out the small years.
Here's
a few of the “catches.” Index annuities often have HUGE penalties,
some as much as 15% per year if you withdraw your money early. The people
who sell these annuities may try to downplay this fact by stressing
the guarantee. But the guarantee in the less onerous annuities can be
3% of only 90% of your invested money. That means it would take three
and a half years before you would receive back your original principal
if the market went down for three years in a row. Before that, if the
market went down, you wouldn't make a cent!
*
* *
Personal
Finance Myths
No
matter how much we think we know about the complex subject of finances,
there is always more to learn! Sometimes we are guided by misconceptions
we have, and can end up making mistakes or losing money. Take this short
true or false quiz to see where you stand on some of the common myths.
Circle the right answer:
- You
need to keep track of what you pay for your investments in your IRA
because someday you'll have to pay long-term capital gains tax. T
or F
-
You should avoid selling stocks or mutual funds at a loss because
they may go back up. T or F
- You
should put money in your retirement account before funding your children's
college education. T or F
- It's
a good idea to give away your money to your children before applying
for Medicaid. T or F
- The
first step in financial planning is having money set aside in an emergency
account. T or F
- Women
are still significantly less likely than men to take high investment
risks. T or F
-
If you have held on to your old E or EE bonds, they may have stopped
earning interest. T or F
*
* *
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