Sales calls that you control are what all salespeople want. I am a big believer that questioning is the most important skill for sales professionals. In order to stay in control of your sales calls, whether by phone or in person, you need to be the one asking questions most of the time. To be the one asking questions most of the time, you have to get to questioning right from the start of your sales calls. This issue's tip is about how to make this transition quickly with finesse, whether you are calling by phone or are in person. To accomplish this, you will need to eliminate beginning your sales calls with long-winded "presentations" about your company. This may seem counter-intuitive. You may have reasoned that your prospect doesn't know who you are, and needs your introductory "presentation" as background for a sales discussion. Although this is the mode many of us are used to, the reality is different. If you politely give your customer a valid business reason for you to ask questions from the start, you will find that virtually all of your customers will let you do this. You will then be able to spend most of your valuable time investigating what your customer wants and needs. OK so here's how you do this. Once your sales calls have started and you have established rapport, you say something like the following:
"Mr. Jones, I am with XYZ Company, and we help companies to [insert your benefit here]. What I would like to do today is ask you a few questions to see if it makes sense for our companies to do business together. How does that sound to you?" You can modify the above to your own style, but let me first show you what makes this opening work. In reverse order, you are asking permission to ask questions, you are stating that your purpose is to see if it makes sense to do business together, and you are suggesting a common benefit of doing business with your company. By asking permission to ask questions, you establish the format of your sales calls, and put yourself firmly in charge. In stating that you want to see if it makes sense to do business together, you are saying that this is a mutual decision, and that you aren't just out to sell them something that they may not need. By suggesting a common benefit of doing business with you, you are giving a prospect, who may not know much about you, a reason to continue with the sales call. Until a prospect has decided that you understand their business problems, a simple benefit of doing business with you suffices to get your sales calls started. If your company is a known quantity in your market or to your prospect, you can skip the benefit completely as the prospect already has a reason and context for the discussion. There's no need for long-winded openers on your sales calls. © 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved.Friday, November 23, 2012
5 Top Tips When It Comes To Writing Good Content
Writing web content should be considered no different to writing offline content when it comes to quality, but if you are struggling then we take a look at a few tips that should help you along the way.
Spelling / Grammar - When you write an article, blog or press release and broadcast it to the world via the Internet, then this content is a reflection on you, so if it is full of typos and grammatical errors then this is going to make you look really bad. From your readers point of view, there is nothing worse than reading content that is littered with spelling errors or badly structured content, so make sure you write well, check and then double check to make sure that content is a good as it can be.
Know Your Audience - Your audience are the people that are going to love and follow your content or quickly reject it and move onto the next author. Therefore, it is vital you get to know your audience and make sure you know what they want and what they want to read, because this is the way that you can grow your content and your readership to make sure both continue to grow over the next few years.
Know Your Subject - If you are writing about a specific subject and you are basically guessing your way through it and trying to make the article sound thorough, then your readers are going to read straight through it. If you are writing about a niche or subject then you need to expect a large percentage of your readers and visitors to know a lot about this niche as well, so you need to concentrate on what you know rather than trying to write about everything.
Concise Yet Informative - If you can say what you need to in 300 words, rather than trying to flesh the article out to make it look big and end up with 500, then your readers will be very happy people. A common misconception is that the more words you write, the better you will do, but in fact, if you can be concise and yet still informative, you are going to have far more success with your content than just writing for the sake of writing.
Write For Your Readers - When it comes to writing online content, one of the biggest mistakes that writers often make is trying to be clever and write for the search engines. Years ago, this would of worked, but these days the engines are clever enough to figure this out and so will your readers, so try to make sure that all of your content is written for your visitors and not for the search engines.
What's The Next Stage of Interactive Web Media? Online Radio Could Be the Answer
Audio and video streaming really gets you noticed on the web, that's according to the top internet marketing experts. Google seem to agree. Rumour has it that the search engine will be giving higher rankings for sites with video content.
The spoken word is a powerful too. It's the best way of getting messages across but often media content on the web has to be got across quickly. Content makers, have to work hard at building a rapport quickly with the visitor. As we've seen with social media like Facebook, selling a product or a service shouldn't always be done as a hard sell. In fact, that is internet suicide for you business if approaching social media in this well.
Radio as a medium, including online radio stations, work well because they build up a rapport with the listeners. It takes time if done well. A good presenter will now how to relate to their audience and he or she will become a friend.
BBC
One talented presenter who worked for the BBC had listeners asking him how his building work was coming along. He used to have to update them every evening. So what if you were able to build such a rapport with your visitors to your customers. Wouldn't that be powerful. It wouldn't take long to convert your loyal new visitors into customers.
Just like some stores do, you could have your own in house online radio stations. How cool would that be. You could offer tips and advice, perhaps some advice and crucially one or two sells messages. You wouldn't need to set up an online radio station. Instead you could work alongside existing online radio stations, many run by volunteers who would only be too keen to broadcast to a larger audience which you would supply through your visitors.
With your website, consider interactive media and building up a good rapport working with online radio stations.
Knowing Your Rights As an Employee Means Understanding Basic Labor Law
Most of us work a job for another person known as our employer. This that we have rights that are specific to the workplace and having a basic labor law understanding is necessary for anyone that works. This is a great way to make sure you are protected and you also need this basic knowledge to help yourself in any situation that may arise at work.
This could include sexual harassment, harmful work environment, equal treatment, and many other things that could happen in a workplace. It could also include overtime pay and different things that have to do with compensation for injuries at work and other issues. This is very important because you never know what is going to happen and having a bit of basic knowledge is always a helpful thing.
Basic Labor Law and How you can Learn it
There are many resources out there that can help you with understanding basic labor law. You can start by using the internet and doing a basic search for labor law that is specific to your area. If you live in Indiana, then you want to search for laws that are specific to Indiana. There are some laws that are federal and there are many others that are at the state level.
After you have used the internet to find out a little about the basic labor law in your area you can move on to using your local library or your actual employer to find out more. The library will have many law books that should help you find what you need and your employer should have some posters and some information about different laws.
Another place to find information is an attorney and if you have one in your family or one that you can talk to about anything you need to, then you can find some information out. This also includes speaking with the EEOC. They will have some information on equal opportunity employment and the laws that have to do with it. They also have basic information on many other employment laws that may help you out.
Finding Basic Labor Law in your Employment Handbook
If your employer has a human resources department, then you can find out quite a bit of information from there. They should be able to answer any questions you have and they may offer seminars or training to help you understand the basic labor law that is specific to your area. This can be very helpful and some employers offer pay for this type of training.
Check with your employer to see what you can do to understand the basic labor laws for your area better. This is the first place to start and if they offer training you should sign up to go through it. If you want more information you can use the internet, your local library, or even the EEOC or an attorney to help you learn about basic labor law.
Divorce - Contested Or Uncontested
Most of the disagreements concern the Children, Visitation and how to divide the assets of the marriage along with Child Support, Alimony, How to deal with Family Debts, and who will pay for the Education of the Children and Possible College expenses, Insurance and Tax Problems
After a divorce case is filed, you are given a number and depending on how many people filed before you, will determine how long it will take to come to trial. Generally unless you know someone the cases are determined in the order of your number. When your number comes up you are called, either by phone or mail. Depending on where you live it can be on the spot.
Divorces are all Contested until both parties can come to an agreement and the attorneys can come to a consensus on all relevant issues. Then they can address the Court that it is no longer a Contested Divorce but now an Uncontested Divorce. When this happens there will be a hearing that will consider both parties that sometimes requires proof of claims made by either party. If the laws of the court and the state are considered and are acceptable the court will approve the settlement and enter a divorce Judgment on that the same day or in the near future
Why Voluntary Benefits Work for Your Company As Health Care Cost Continue to Rise
These past few years, many small business employers have passed on the rising cost of health insurance to their employees by increasing deductibles and co-payments, and in some cases, smaller employers have dropped their health coverage all together. With the economic times changing, how does the future look for health care cost? Mercer, a human resources consulting firm, predicts that employee health care costs will rise 5.4% in 2012.
Health care costs continue to rise faster than inflation. The average cost of a family plan rose 3% from 2009 to 2010, but workers' contributions to family health coverage jumped 14% as employers attempted to control costs, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
With these staggering statistics, what can you do to control health insurance benefits cost and keep key employees happy with your benefits offerings?
Small business owners and their employees are finding a more helpful option to manage rising health care expenses. This option is voluntary insurance benefits. These benefits normally add no additional cost to the employer, and might reduce corporate taxes by cutting FICA tax contributions. In addition, the adding of voluntary benefits plans to a company's benefits menu helps small businesses enhance their benefits choices while staying within budget or cost constraints.
What is Voluntary Insurance Benefits?
Voluntary insurance benefits can vary from dental, pet insurance, critical illness, supplemental health, accident or hospital indemnity, life insurance, vision and short-term disability. Some of these benefits, if not all, help employees manage out-of-pocket costs associated with serious accidents and illness costs that major medical insurance is not designed to cover. Recipients of these voluntary benefits plans receive cash benefits in the event of an accident or illness. The benefits can be used to help pay for daily living expenses, such as the mortgage payments, child care, groceries, rent and other medical expenses that may be acquired during the time the insured is out of work.
Traditional medical insurance plans do not cover every expense related to an illness, injury or death. The bills and expenses continue to add up, especially if you have stopped working and your income is lost. Voluntary insurance can help you prepare for these and other out-of-pocket expenses. Most of all, these plans help remove the worry of how you will pay your medical and other everyday living expenses.
With the rising, cost of health insurance many small businesses have to cut back on their major medical insurance coverage. With voluntary insurance benefits, employers can now offer a cost-effective supplement to their primary benefits that will be vital to their company and their employees.
How To Make Sure Your Content Is Ready To Be Published
Spell Check - The most basic thing is so often over looked... check your spelling and grammar! You have to remember that your content is a reflection on you as an author and on your business, so if it is full of typos and reads badly, this is how people will perceive you and your business. Don't just whack the article online and quickly move onto the next one, make sure you spend the correct amount of time double checking for errors and typos before you hit the publish button.
Structure And Flow - Many people often over look the basics when it comes to writing content for a website, because they do not identify the reason they are writing. For example, if you are writing an article then it needs to have a fantastic headline, gripping intro and a good ending, but web page content needs to be concise and engage the reader immediately. Identify the reasons why you are writing the content, what it is for and then plan it accordingly.
Ask Around - Once you have checked and doubled checked your own work, why not ask your friends, family or colleagues to also check the content, just in case you have missed something. Once you have finished your article or web content, you can easily miss errors or structure problems because you have had your head in it for hours, so ask a few people just to read through the content and suggest any alterations.
Check When Live - Even though you have checked your content before you have published it on your website, it is vital to check how it all looks once it has hit the WWW. Often when you transfer content from your computer to your website, you can get formatting issues or spacing issues, so make sure you always cast a quick eye over your latest offering once it is live.
As long as you make sure that your content reads well, is free from errors and grammar issues and has a sound structure, you will be well on your way to making sure that your visitors are engaged enough to continue reading and learning from your website.
Above all, give yourself enough time to adequately write good content and then check it before going live, because it is often in the checking that you can fine tune your content to make the quality shine.
Why iPad Insurance Is Absolutely Necessary
So, what's all the fuss about iPad insurance? Can't you just get away with being really careful with your new toy and save yourself that extra expense? Well sure you can, but bear in mind that the majority of iPad users end up regretting not getting the insurance they need. However, precious few people actually regret getting iPad insurance. In fact, many people actually tell me that they are happy they got insurance even if they never claimed on it, simply for the peace of mind that they get from having it.
When You Can Get Away Without iPad Insurance
The only scenario where you might not need iPad insurance is if your device is old and needs replacing anyway. If you've already set aside some money to "self insure" your old iPad, then you can probably just wait for the right time to replace it. Alternatively, if you're happy to just replace your old device with an equivalent used model, you could probably afford just to replace it yourself from eBay or some other online retailer. Other than these situations, you definitely need the insurance coverage as replacing a brand new device is simply far too costly for self insurance to be of any use.
Why You Need iPad Insurance
Without iPad insurance, you're really hoping that luck will be on your side. As careful as you may be with your device though, there's always the risk lurking around the corner that something unexpected may happen to it. It doesn't even have to be your fault either, someone may just come along and nick the device and you may not even realize it. Or a child or a friend might be clumsy with it and drop it or something, and you'll be left with nothing more than an expensive looking paperweight.
Just think about how much it would cost you to replace your iPad, or maybe you're still under the illusion that you can go without one. I don't know about you, but I can't go a day without using my iPad now that I've experienced having it and all the fun things I can do with it too. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather pay a few dollars a month in insurance premiums than cough up hundreds of dollars to replace the device if something happens. For just the few dollars I pay each month, I get the peace of mind of knowing that I won't have to worry about my bank balance taking a big hit if something happens to it.
The Final Word On iPad Insurance
All in all, it's pretty clear that iPad insurance is not only a good idea, it should be a must on your list of priorities. It's not only affordable, it does so much that self insurance simply cannot do. So don't kid yourself that you can get by without it, because sooner or later something bad is going to happen and then you will regret it. Get the protection you need now, and you can rest assured that your iPad is protected in all situations.
Audio Books for Enthusiasts
When we look back at history, books are the friends of the people who want to learn something new. For ages people consider books are there friends, opening up new opportunities and learn new knowledge. Mostly importantly expanding their understanding of the world. For a number of years books has been developed in many ways. Making it more and more interesting. However nowadays it's enthusiasts have less and less time to read. Making it hard to learn something new. With the audio books version however, it became a popular alternative for book lovers and enthusiasts alike. The number one reason that it is more sought after by readers is that it brings the ultimate convenience for readers.
One of the best thing that audio books brings it that, it is readily available to the public. You can easily gain access to it. With an Internet access, you can simply listen or download a copy of your favorite audio book. In the fast-paced of the world today, people can't find enough time to read and learn something new. Thus hindering the process of learning, especially in the field of literature. However with a MP3 player, iPod, iPhones or even portable CD or DVD players you can listen to you favorite novels or stories anywhere and anytime that you want. You can download copies of your favorite audio book on the Internet. The good thing about this is that, audio books sometimes comes free. You can listen to your favorite being read to you while you eat, cook, on the garden, running, or commuting to work. People can engage in any activities that they love, while taking advantage of the audio books.
New websites that sells audio books online are just popping up each day. This continues to expand up until now. No matter you want to learn about history, literature, negotiation skills, new language or you just want to be entertained, the choices are unlimited and you can find audio books on any topic there is. These kind of materials are not merely for entertainment, it is a way to learn something new. Another great thing about these materials is that it would be a great way for blind people to learn. They won't have to read through Brailled books. They can simply listen to it.
It is quite clear that more and more people enjoys listening to audio books. These materials brings the ultimate convenience to all book lovers. More are more people each days succumbs to the beauty of these materials. It is even gaining popularity through publishers. The fact that it is cheaper to publish, it is also very easy to reproduce. More importantly it takes a little amount of time to create a large amount of copies.
In the era that we are in now. The advancement of technology is on a fast phase. Eventually printed books would be overtaken by the audio book version. The importance of these materials are undeniable. Enthusiasts are captivated by the beauty of it. They can learn more with perfect convenience. It is more fun, exciting and interactive. It keeps you from getting bored.
Why You Need Insurance For Your Caravan
If you own a caravan, you will without doubt need a specialist caravan insurance policy to cover it, or risk losing what is probably the third largest asset and investment you posses, after a home and car.
Caravans are at risk from many perils not least fire and flood, but are also at risk from very different hazards depending on whether the caravan is of touring or static nature. Insurance policies for each type of caravan reflect these risks and each type offers a different underwriting proposition covering specific risks that a caravan might face.
Static caravans are often used as temporary buildings when housing alterations are being carried out, but more often as an investment on a holiday park near the sea. One doen't have to look back too far to remember the videos of the devastation caused to caravan parks around the country by extreme weather events such as storms and coastal flooding.
Images of static caravans being washed away and picked up by the wind and dropped elsewhere prevail enough in the mind of most caravan owners to say the risks to caravans are apparent enough!
Static caravans also present a different problem for a caravan insurance company from a theft and material damage view. These caravans are often left unattended for months on end and present a realistic opportunity for thieves. Static vans are also at risk of fire and total loss because they use propane or calor gas for heating, cooking and lighting.
Touring Caravans however need a different type of policy, the major difference being the 'road risks' cover. A standard motor policy will not contain cover for trailers over a certain length which always excludes caravans and so a caravan policy is required to enable you to take the caravan touring. This covers all risks the caravan might face whilst being towed, at home or and away from the property where it is normally kept.
Each type of caravan insurance policy allows discount for no claims years as would a motor policy, but also extensive cheaper cover if the caravan is fitted with the latest security devices and disabling equipment.
Caravan insurance is not expensive relative to other covers and the prices are held down by the fact that the pool of cover is largely more responsible older owners with good motor insurance claims histories and less of a propensity to claim.
Purchasing caravan insurance is a straight forward process and is available from many competing online insurance suppliers who will compare prices and covers from caravan insurance providers in a very short period of time. Quite often is just a matter of declaring your caravan and address details.
When buying caravan insurance online look out for cover from comparison sites and brokers that offers discounts if you are a member of an approved club such as the Caravan Club. Often these discountrs can be as much as twenty percent for affiliated caravan insurance schemes.
Should You Do Basement Waterproofing On Your Own?
Basements are a great space to have. They can serve as a living space, entertainment room, or storage space. But, before you can use your basement for any of those purposes, it must be waterproof. Waterproofing prevents abnormally high indoor humidity that can result to a space that is damp, uncomfortable, and hazardous to your health as a result of mold growth. Too much moisture can also affect the structural stability of your basement. While many home improvement contractors do basement waterproofing, many individuals prefer to carry out the project themselves to save money.
Is it smart to waterproof the basement on my own?
There are tasks that you as a homeowner can perform to help waterproof your basement and your home on the whole. For one, make sure that the land around your basement is at an incline for at least six feet to help water drainage; or keep your downspouts and eaves free from leaves and debris. But, these are not adequate as waterproofing techniques. More often than not, to waterproof your basement successfully, you have to hire a professional.
Why hire a professional?
Waterproofing is not something a lot of us have the skill set for. It needs fastidiousness and various skills to be done properly. A specialist can also identify with more accuracy the conditions that cause seepage and leakage, and can quickly find remedies for such. If you overlooked the causes of these problems, you can do more injury to your house. Quick fixes are not necessarily good. A professional can give you long-term waterproofing solution. Hiring a professional can be costlier than carrying out the project yourself, however it is worth the amount of money you put in. In addition, if your property is affected due to water leakage, your insurance provider may refuse to give reimbursement for repairs because for them are responsible for the damage because you did not do anything to avoid it.
How to find a contractor
With so many basement-waterproofing contractors operating in your area, it can be somewhat difficult to select which one to work with. Just like most services, the simplest way to find dependable companies is to ask family, workmates, and neighbors, especially those who waterproofed their basement in recent years. Additionally, you may use the Internet to find waterproofing contractors as well as previous client feedback. Price can differ significantly among contractors, but make sure not to make a decision exclusively on price. Rather, you should think about their reputation and your personal comfort when choosing a waterproofing contractor. Lastly, make sure that the one you're employing has the required licenses and enough insurance coverage. Click here to find basement waterproofing contractor.
Stop Spam Before it Enters Your Network
Unsolicited e-mail to people on your network has become the modern day technological plague. It's mainly a nuisance, but also a security risk that creates an entry point for viruses on your network. Not only does it consume bandwidth and server space, but it also decreases productivity due to required, daily user maintenance. The result: lost time and money.
Controlling spam is a growing task for many organizations. To minimize man hours and lower your risk of a virus attack, spam should be blocked before it even hits your network. What are your options to protect your network?
Hosted or managed services
Incoming e-mail is routed through the vendor's network and filtered before being delivered to your network.
Pros: Eliminates the hassle of additional hardware or software installation on your network.
Cons: Privacy issues.
Dedicated security appliances
In this case, the appliance is deployed just behind your network firewall. Incoming e-mail is filtered before it reaches your mail server.
Pros: Provides virtually immediate protection with minimal setup on your network.
Cons: Support, redundancy and backup may be required, but not included in original cost.
Software.
There are several products available that filter spam at the mail server or client level. Filters are set by the network administrator or user.
Pros: May be more cost effective.
Cons: Spam has already entered the network before it is filtered.
Which option is best to protect the security of your network?
In the end, it is a matter of personal preference and deciding which solution best fits the needs of your organization.
All About Strawberry Shortcakes
Strawberry shortcake may be a 200 year-old American invention. With the advent of chemical leavenings in the early 1800's, biscuits became popular. Since strawberries have always been readily available, it is likely that biscuits and strawberries have been together for quite some time. Before the middle of that century, strawberry shortcake recipes were showing up in the recipe books.
Today strawberry shortcakes are made from every recipe from biscuits to white cake and even angel food cakes but the original recipes always called for biscuits. Usually these biscuits are made richer with dairy products and sugar. This is an original biscuit-like shortcake. It is rich and tender and flaky and very, very good.
What follows are a strawberry shortcake recipe, a blueberry cream cheese shortcake recipe, and a chocolate caramel raspberry shortcake recipe.
Three Ways to Make Shortcakes
1. Make them as drop biscuits. The dough must be moist enough to drop from a spoon and pat into a flat disc. Add more milk as needed to get the desired consistency.2. Make them as cut-out biscuits. The dough must be slightly firm to cut into shapes on the counter. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter or add flour to the dough if needed. Don't add so much flour that the dough is firm like sugar cookie dough. Pat the soft dough out on the counter and cut into three-inch discs. If the dough is wet and the shape is a little ragged, it's perfect.
3. Make one large shortcake. Spread the dough into an eight-inch cake pan or nine-inch pie pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Strawberry Hints
Always use fresh, succulent, ripe strawberries. Choose plump looking strawberries with green caps and avoid those that look bruised or mushy. Do not wash them or remove the caps until they are ready to use. Strawberries should be used promptly; they will not stay fresh long.Original Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (or more--see above)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter cut into chunks
1 large egg
3/4 cup cream (or more--see above)
1 tablespoon melted butter or cream for brushing
2 tablespoons large crystal sugar such as turbinado sugar
2 pints ripe strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons sugar
Directions
For the shortcake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
3. Whisk the egg into the cream. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the cream mixture into the well. Mix with a fork until the ingredients just stick together. Drop into biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and then pat with the back of a spoon to make to about 3/4-inch thick. To make cut-out biscuits, pat the dough into a sheet on a floured countertop and cut into three inch shapes with either a knife or a cookie cutter.
4. Brush the tops with the melted butter or cream. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake for about fifteen minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Serve while still fresh and warm.
Note: For the best results, always serve shortcake fresh. The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to two hours while waiting to bake.
For the strawberries:
Wash and slice the strawberries. Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar and toss to coat.
For the whipped cream:
Combine the whipped cream, two tablespoons sugar, and the vanilla in a chilled bowl. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the additional sugar if desired.
To serve:
Split the warm biscuits open. Fill with berries and whipped cream. Top with additional whipped cream and berries.
Chocolate Caramel Raspberry Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (or more--see above)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter cut into chunks
1 large egg
3/4 cup cream (or more--see above)
1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing
2 tablespoons large crystal sugar such as turbinado sugar
1 1/2 pints ripe raspberries
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons sugar
Chocolate syrup
Caramel syrup
Directions
For the shortcake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1. Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
3. Whisk the egg into the cream. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the cream mixture into the well. Mix with a fork until the ingredients just stick together. Drop into dough on a greased cookie sheet and then pat with the back of a spoon to make to about 3/4-inch thick. To make cut-out biscuits, pat the dough into a sheet on a floured countertop and cut into three inch shapes with either a knife or a cookie cutter.
4. Brush the tops with the melted butter. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake for about fifteen minutes or until done. Remove to a wire rack. Serve while still fresh and warm.
Note: For the best results, always serve shortcake fresh. The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to two hours while waiting to bake.
For the raspberries:
Wash the raspberries. Garnish the dessert with the raspberries.
For the whipped cream:
Combine the whipped cream, two tablespoons sugar, and the vanilla in a chilled bowl. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the additional sugar if desired.
To serve:
Split the warm biscuits open. Fill with berries and whipped cream. Top with additional whipped cream and berries. Drizzle with chocolate and caramel syrup.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (or more--see above)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter cut into chunks
1 large egg
3/4 cup cream (or more--see above)
1 tablespoon melted butter or cream for brushing
1 1/2 pints ripe blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 eight-ounce package cream cheese
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
For the shortcake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.
3. Whisk the egg into the cream. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the cream mixture into the well. Mix with a fork until the ingredients just stick together. Drop into biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and then pat with the back of a spoon make to about 3/4-inch thick. To make cut-out biscuits, pat the dough into a sheet on a floured countertop and cut into three inch shapes with either a knife or a cookie cutter.
4. Brush the tops with the melted butter or cream. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake for about fifteen minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Serve while still fresh and warm.
Note: For the best results, always serve shortcake fresh. The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to two hours while waiting to bake.
For the blueberries:
Wash the blueberries. In a small bowl, smash the berries, add the sugar, and stir. Cover the bowl and heat it in the microwave until the berries are hot and starting to bubble.
For the whipped cream:
Pour the whipped cream into a chilled bowl. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest and beat until combined and fluffy.
To serve:
Split the warm biscuits open. Fill with whipped filling. Top with additional whipped filling and berries.
See photos and the printable version of All About Shortcakes.
A Successful Website Needs SEO Link Popularity
In order to build a successful website, you have to concentrate on building SEO friendly links back to your page. There are several different ways to accomplish this and inside this article I'm going to discuss the easiest and most effective methods that I have found. Search engines are looking for high quality back links to your site in order to determine the quality of the content that you are providing, so make sure you focus your efforts on quality and not solely on quantity.
A lot of internet marketers have not used the methods that I will discuss and have misused the link building procedure. They have gone for quantity by building back link farms. While these links appear to be beneficial, the search engines do not favor them and might even restrict those sites that have poor quality back links. But those who have taken the time to develop quality links to their sites have a much greater chance of success and will see great results too.
As promised here are 5 techniques you can use to build high quality back links to your site and keep the search engines happy too.
1. Content posting - If the information you publish is of top quality there is a good chance your content will be picked up by other marketers. This means other marketers will publish your content on their sites. Make sure your content contains a link back to your website. When other marketers use your content on their sites having this link is crucial to using this method effectively.
2. Forum Posting - Be a part of some community forums within your market and make sure your signature contains a link back to your site. You should always check the rules within the forum before doing so, as some community forums don't allow back hyperlinks. Once you see that using links are allowed, visit the forum as much as possible to contribute as much as you can. Leave helpful tips and suggestions and members within the community are likely to click back to your site through your link.
3. Link exchanges - Another great way is through link exchanges. In a link exchange you contact other internet marketers and offer to exchange hyperlinks. To accomplish this You put a link to their website on your site and they do the same for you and position a link to your website on their site. This method is very effective plus it helps to establish you as a possible expert within your target market, allowing you to contact other marketers to do the same thing.
4. Commenting on other blogs - Find other blogs within your target market to post high quality comments and feedback on. Don't forget to have your the link back to your site also inside your comment. Make sure you are not spamming these other sites with junk information. Concentrate on delivering quality information and you will be rewarded with a quality back link to your site.
5. Content Promotion - Write content and publish it to article content publishing sites. Most article content publishing sites will allow you to include a resource box where you can write something a little about yourself and more importantly include a back link to your site. Great high quality content will attract a lot visitors and if you use your resource box wisely can be a very powerful tool to drive traffic to your site through the back link.
Well that's it for today. I hope you have found these 5 methods helpful. Remember that to achieve any type of positive results you first have to take action. So I encourage you today to take one of these methods and apply it to your online business today. The results you are looking for could be just a few quality back links away.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |