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So how do you find out who you are selling to? This is pretty simple to work out but this is just as important, if not more important than what you are selling. Just think about the item you are selling. What is it? Who would be most likely to purchase it? Who would benefit from it? These types of questions can really narrow down your customer base and it will help you understand how to advertise your product and get a better response.

Understanding your product completely will really help you to be more successful in the selling process, especially when potential customers have questions that you will need to be able to answer for them. So, now that you know who you should be selling to, how do you go about finding this select group of individuals? Actually this is not too difficult.

Keywords are essential as it will help to funnel your potential customers into your product. So if you are selling a DVD on health and fitness, you might use keywords, like health, fitness, gym, running, diet etc. This means that anyone looking for one of those keywords will find your product listing too. If there is one thing to remember, it is to be honest, when you list any product anywhere.

Another awesome way to find customers that are ready to pay for information from you is by starting up your own mailing list or newsletter. I would say that building up your own mailing list is the most important part of Internet Marketing. You will build up your own customer base to which you can promote and sell to again and again. You can build up a relationship with your customers and they will buy from you again and again.

It is really easy to set up your own list and it hardly takes any time to operate. I use the services of Aweber. You can make your own lists for as many sites as you want, then simply load the auto responders (pre-loaded messages that are automatically sent to your lists) promoting products to your lists.

You can set up as many auto responders as you would like and once someone joins your lists, they will start to receive the email messages you have stored on your auto responder. This is great because you can direct your customers to various websites without you having to do any work. Once you have set up the auto responders you just leave it on autopilot.

Your customers will “double opt-in” which means they have agreed to receive the information from you. This means that you will not be accused of “spamming” them. Spamming is illegal in the U.S and is really frowned upon, so you need to make sure your customers want to receive the information you are going to send them.

Even if they have bought something from you before, you cannot just send them info, as all they bought is the product they didn’t pay to be hassled. So the best thing to do is to get them to opt in to receive information from you, this makes sense and keeps everyone happy. They have the chance to opt out to so they are under no obligation to stay on your lists.

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Smudge and his sister Snuggles were not very much different from all the young chipmunks in the forest. They loved their mommy and daddy and the time the spent together in the rafters of the church worshiping God with the people, even though the people didn’t know they were up there. You probably have a few chipmunks worshipping in your church with you that nobody knows about. Look for them this Sunday. You will see them.

But the thing they loved to do, like all children of all species love to do is play. Oh, they ran all over the forest, leaping from tree to tree, playing "chase me, catch me" not always knowing who was doing the chasing and who the catching. The forest was so fun to explore and they found lots of treats to nibble on and left over toys from humans who had visited the forest.

One day they played “chase me, catch me” so hard that they ran far out of their usual play areas in the forest. Suddenly they perched on an old stump and looked around puzzled. “Where is this place Smudge?” Snuggles asked her brother. “I am not sure. This is a different part of the forest. Look at all the old pillars and slabs. It looks like there was some kind of building here, like a church or something.” Smudge answered.

“A church? Maybe it’s like the one we sneak into and worship Jesus with the humans in town. Wouldn’t that be exciting? Let’s explore” Snuggles squeaked excitedly. And explore they did. They burrowed under leaves and sticks finding interesting colored stones and pieces of paper with squiggles on them like the books that the humans sing from in church. Just then, Snuggles sang out with great excitement. “LOOK WHAT I FOUND SMUDGE!” Smudge leapt from rock to rock until he reached his sister and when he saw it, he just gasped. “It’s a statue!” He exclaimed.

And it was a statue. It was about the same size as the chipmunks but it wasn’t like the statues at their regular church. The little man statue was fat and his face looked different, like pictures of oriental people they saw in the children’s picture books they spied on after Sunday School. The little fat man didn’t have a shirt on and he was sitting cross-legged. His hands rested on his knees with the palms up and one finger touching the thumb and he was smiling with his eyes closed. “It looks like he is praying” Smudge observed.

“If this is a church, maybe this is the god that they worshipped, like we have statues of Jesus at the human church.” Snuggles thought. “Maybe that’s it!” Smudge said as he tried to understand. “We better worship it!” So the little chipmunks tried to make up worship songs for the statue. They sang….”

“YOU ARE THE BEST STATUE GOD IN THE FOREST” but that one didn’t have very good tune. “FAT MAN STATUES LOVE US, THIS WE KNOW…” but the statue didn’t seem to love them very much. “Snuggles, why don’t I feel peace and joy inside like when we worship Jesus?’ Smudge wondered.

“I know why” Snuggles said with alarm jumping back from the statue. “Remember Pastor Jones preached about the idols the bad religions worshiped in the old part of their religion book? I think this is an idol Snuggles!”

“And God said in those 10 rules Moses got from the mountain, ‘I am the LORD your God, You shall have no other gods before me’” said Snuggles with alarm in her chipmunk voice. “Oh Smudge, we shouldn’t be worshipping this fat man statue at all.”

“I don’t feel joy and peace at all right now Snuggles. In fact, I have a tummy ache,” Smudge complained. Just then, a big black cloud formed over the forest, thunder boomed making Smudge and Snuggles jump with fright and it began to storm. “Let’s run home!” Smudge screamed in fear.

The two little chipmunks never ran so fast. Over the rocks and fallen trees, past bushes and all the other animals they knew until they found the forest where they felt safe and then straight home and to their hutch in the chipmunk home they shared with mommy and daddy. There they felt safe and promised each other they would never go to that part of the forest again. And they were so glad tomorrow was Sunday so they could go worship the one true God like they were supposed to do.

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Where Can I Go?

Naturally, you’ll only be able to visit areas serviced by specific courier companies so, again, it’s wise to make yourself available to a number of companies, operating on different routes, and covering multiple destinations.

Most firms requiring freelance couriers operate internationally, some to just one or two major destinations, others to all major overseas airports. If you limit your choice of destinations and availability, or work with one courier company, you’ll limit the number of places you might visit.

The best solution to lots of free and low cost travel is to make yourself known to as many courier firms as possible and try to be available at all times, without notice.

Not easy for someone in full-time employment or with family or other responsibilities, but a great way to finance a life of total independence, freedom to travel full-time, or even start a business associated with travel and get to earn high profits from every trip.

How Long Can I Stay At My Destination?

Just how long you will be allowed to remain abroad is a matter for you and the company to decide in advance and always forms part of your contract. Departure and arrival dates and times are agreed prior to the flight and might only be changed in exceptional circumstances.

So if the contract says you arrive in Paris at 1pm and depart thirty minutes later, that’s exactly what you must do.

You’re unlikely to get more than a free lunch from that experience but thankfully few courier companies operate such tight schedules. Your job is to be flexible yourself and find a company willing to match the gesture.

What If I Can’t Fulfil My Obligations?

None of us is perfect, and there will be times when family or personal problems mean you have to cancel your flight, just as ill health and unexpected emergencies might prevent you from travelling. In such cases, your contract will normally provide for a charge to be levied against you for cancelling your flight, the actual amount depending on notice given to the company. If you cancel at the last moment you will probably forfeit the entire cost of your flight.

For obvious reasons, the would-be ‘professional’ or full-time courier should try never to cancel a flight and only for the most urgent of reasons.

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

All travellers should have insurance against loss or damage to possessions and illness or injury to themselves.

Sometimes insurance will be offered or provided by the hiring company, sometimes not.

If the company provides insurance, on rare occasions it will be free of charge, but usually a reduce rate will apply to couriers.

Make sure you are covered even if this reduces an already limited budget. The alternative can be very risky and potentially life-threatening not to mention very expensive if you are taken seriously ill overseas or your expensive belongings are stolen or lost.

Are There Any Drawbacks?

Potentially the biggest drawback is that sometimes you will be restricted to hand baggage only on your journey, since the courier company’s packages are effectively using what would otherwise be your space as passenger.

Sometimes you will be allowed to use some part of hold storage space where your baggage will be included alongside the courier company’s items. If not a hold-all or sports bag should carry enough clothing and personal items to provide for most short stays abroad.

Couriers, normally, are expected to travel alone, so holidays with family and friends might seem out of the question where you travel as courier.

But it might be possible to book a cheap flight for others on the same aircraft or have them take another flight with plans to meet you at the other end. Check this with the courier company (in case it compromises your contract) and make early plans for others to travel before accepting your assignment.

Tips For Prospective Couriers

Make yourself indispensable to courier companies by giving first class service, honouring your obligations, looking smart, and being available for virtually all destinations and willing to fly at any time at little or no notice. Many of the more successful and prolific couriers say they owe their achievements to writing letters of thanks to the courier firm when the trip ends. Okay, so you did them a favour by accompanying their package, but don’t forget that both parties provided a service for one another, and both gained something. ‘Thanks’ is a word that might be entirely appropriate, and might bring you quickly to mind when someone is next needed on an urgent assignment to some distant, exotic location.

Apply to numerous companies, particularly near your own local airports, where you’ll receive priority over couriers from further afield. Contact companies regularly enquiring about vacancies, without making a nuisance of yourself.

Constant telephone calls will win you no favours with busy courier companies but a regular polite enquiry letter might keep your application at the top of the pile!

Try not to show the low cost - or free - air ticket is your only interest. Even if it is! Make sure the company sees you as a responsible, caring individual, not a freeloader caring little about anyone or anything but themselves!

Try not to cancel a flight unless you have no other option. Reliability is what brings you speedily to mind when the company next needs a courier.

Dress casually but smart and remember you are representing the courier company. Be diligent and responsible and you’ll enjoy regular assignments.