Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers

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Sounds like my nightmare experience with Sony over the last month.

Last month I get an email saying a purchase was made on the Playstation Network store using my account. I immediately changed my log on info and removed my credit card information from my account (I did not know it would automatically save my CC info to my account without asking me first).

Then I called Sony, well one of the 800 numbers. Turns out it was the wrong one (even though I got it from the playstation network website). After talking to 3 agents (all of them giving me new 800 numbers to call) I finally go to where I was suppose to be (or at least I thought). I explain the situation and ask if there was anyway to get a refund (only $6) for a purchase that I did not make or authorize.

Here is where the fun really begins. It seems that every time you ask for something, they are trained to say “sorry we cannot help you, there is nothing we can do”. They told me that it is against policy to give out a refund, they recommended I call my CC company and dispute the charge.

So that is exactly what I did. One month later my account is suspended by Sony. I call, and the same run around for a while with same line, “we cannot help you”. After talking to a supervisor I am told that the only way to get it reactivated is to call my CC company (actually capital one) and have them reverse the dispute. So then I call Capital One, spoke with someone with broken english that I had trouble understanding. He basically told me that since my dispute was closed and that I had received the credit, I would have to have Sony reapply the charge.

So now I am calling Sony again, and get the “sorry we cannot help you”. I ask and talk to a supervisor who I’d like to string up and throw rotten food at! He was horrible, horrible, horrible. I got so angry that I hung up the phone (which does me no good). I call back and am lucky enough to get another supervisor. I explain the story again from the beginning and he tells me that he is sorry, but that I should of been transferred to a different division.

So this morning I call that division and ask for my account to be reinstated, that I am willing to pay the $6. Again, my first attempt and the first supervisor gets me no where. The second call gets me another person, who tells me that I have to send in a money order to get my account reinstated. I ask to pay over the phone, but I am told I cannot do that either, has to be a money order. He tells me that the system is all automated and that he cannot unfreeze my account.

Now, working in IT I know that is BS, I know there is a way, especially since the reason I was suspended was because I listened to one of their customer service reps and disputed the charge.

After asking for a different supervisor, I was put on hold for 5 minutes. A nice lady picks up and immediately says “I am going ahead and reinstating your account”. Wow, that is what should of happened right away, not 2 days later and many hours on the phone. Now I get a week to pay them or I am suspended again.

Good news is I tried Capital One again, and this time the person who answered was kind enough to reverse the credit and give Sony their $6.

What Sony put me through left a bad taste, so being the way I am they are going to pay, or better said, I will not be paying for their brand anymore for a long time. I guess its a new Samsung TV instead of a Sony!

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Michael: It is good to see a successful person giving evidence and public proof of their faith. Looking forward to reading more of your blog posts and your messages on Twitter!

Shay West
@shaywest

Shay West’s last blog post..ShayWest: @Mike_Stelzner Your Twitter page DOES look nice… clean and crisp design.

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Thanks for the great resource. I’m active reader of just about all of them except Remarkable Communication, which I hadn’t heard of. Thanks for introducing me to a new writer’s blog.

Susan’s last blog post..Free writing workshops

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Thanks KS!

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You have a typo - fourth paragraph - “while paper”…..

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Thanks Laurie!

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After re-reading your landing page for the upcoming Summit (I’d already registered), I wanted to share this feedback. The #1 most compelling paragraph in your entire landing page was:

“In fact, studies frequently show self-employed people who attend such professional development events are more successful, reach their business goals faster, enjoy their work more, build better relationships and earn a higher income!”

To paraphrase Michel Fortin’s wisdom from your class “Writing Compelling Titles and Headlines,” it’s good to appeal to basic needs, and this page is very well written. Kudos.

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White Papers are a powerful resource for many types of businesses. This is a very valuable service you provide.

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Jacques - Spoke to an eye doctor friend at church yesterday and he said he carries these in his office and one of the fellow doctors in his practice loves them. He said the curvature thing is nothing to worry about. - Mike

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Inspiring trick i would say really brilliant idea, because its not so easy to do without using any technology, good video ….

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i would say fresh topic, Halloween tips helpful to welcome strangers but its not so easy, your tips useful by marketing point of view specially for Halloween….

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Anything that is quality and can enable its readers to benefit from it financially should have a price on it. If you are a fairly well known/qualified(?) writer and your works convey information on how to gain advantages in a market sector, business etc then you should be rewarded for your work.

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OK, thanks for that Michael. It just sounds a bit odd that one’s eyes have to readjust after wearing these glasses. Remember doctors endorsing tobacco all those years ago!

Regards

Jacques

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yes good tactics are needed in such times,I ‘d rather say unpredictable times.

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I’m also a big fan of speech recognition software like Dragon. I find it much easier to go back and edit an article that I already dictated, as opposed to typing one out from scratch. And there’s hardly any frictional force involved in speaking, as opposed to the writer’s block that can sometimes come with a blank screen and blinking cursor. :O

Erik | Taylor’s last blog post..Taylor Vaifanua

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Sure Mike,
Yes it does, just follow prompts and set up who you want to leave messages, yourself, your wife, assistant etc… I use it to leave message for my buddy..set up group to see about T-times etc.

Anyway the catch (you knew there was a catch) they recently made a paid service but you can still leave 15 second messages free..if you pay something like $30/year you can get unlimited time for transcription, send to google calendar etc..
Check it out and let me know.. take care have a happy/safe 09

Joe

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Joe - Tell me more about Jott…

Does it actually transcribe your recordings for free??

Mike

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Hi Jacques;

Interestingly, this is no longer happening. I saw a video with a eye doc and he seemed to say that this can actually help your eyes (wearing these things).

Mike

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That is if you have a website! It is actually sickening when one realises how many small businesses haven’t got an effective web presence! Granted that my local market is South Africa, and we do lag behind more “developed” countries. What about the United States? Any idea as to what percentage of small businesses are online? Followed by what percentage of the online businesses have an effective online presence.

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Hiya Michael, and all the very best for 2009! The fact that flat screens seem curved after wearing the glasses seem quite odd. Are you sure that these things can not lead to permanent damage? I find that regularly looking away from the monitor, and focusing on objects outside the window helps a lot towards alleviating eye-strain.

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Kudos and congrats to the Top 10 Blogs for Writers!

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Interesting.

I like the idea of regular breaks.

I also like the idea for making the most of the time I spend at the screen.

J.D. Meier’s last blog post..30 Day Improvement Sprints

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Lead generation is but a step in selling profitably. It starts with providing a product or service that fills a need or desire and emotionally stimulates identifiable prospects to act [buy]. There are all kinds of leads so you should have a cost/profit focused system for lead generation as well as for full utilization of leads.

White papers are a significant part of a good lead generation process but these papers need to be focused on stimulating the sales process by creating attention, interest desire and moving prospects to or at least toward the action process. A laser like focus on quality control in developing high quality leads will pay big dividends on the P&L statement every time!

Regards,
Owen
CEO THE-Group
mentor-one@usa.net

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A free white paper is a great attention getter. However acquiring and retaining clients/customers requires much more attention to the details of good marketing.

1. Check to see if you have something to sell that is wanted, needed, desired and craved.
2. Determine who wants, needs, desires and craves your product or service now and/or in the future.
3. Find out why it is wanted, needed, desired and craved.
4. Focus on whether you are in a vibrant, growing, dying or dead business to determine if you need customers, an new strategy or are just wasting time and money.
5. Develop a new focus and strategy to build synergistically on a solid foundation or repair/replace your foundation with a new look and a dynamic customer centric paradigm. This is not easy but it beats liquidation or tossing good money at a bad proposition in lean times.

Regards,
Owen
CEO - THE-Group
mentor-one@usa.net

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The video looks good. Just had a bit of trouble with the audio though as the volume was rather low while I was watching.

Erik | Taylor’s last blog post..Taylor Vaifanua

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