Have you guys seen it? We teamed up with a couple of local cyclists on a short video.
Its always been bragging right of locals in Southern California that say "You can surf and ski within one day". For cyclists, its possible to ride your bike from the Jetty in Seal Beach, elevation 0, to Mt Baldy 8k ft up, One road!
Honestly, Not sure how many locals do this "combined" route. Most people do the river trail or the mountains or a shorter combination of both.
Enter #epicride. This ride starts at absolute elevation Zero to 8k ft. Literally from the sea to the mountain ski lifts. Its not an easy ride! You start climbing the instant you ride north. Steady false flat road at first then it hits you! Santa Fe Dam. Its a junction of sorts. From here the route into the mountains splits up to humbling roads with quick elevation gain. These guys took GMR up to baldy. 75miles- 8000ft.
Last edited by Catella; 06-27-2018 at 09:14 PM.
Several months ago we decided to re-parttern our current Pacifica line. Cut here, elongate the sleeves, not too much... Had to cancel a couple of my personal rides because of it but I live for creating this stuff. Added a couple of final details, new labels, and finally got that Orange I always liked (international orange, vermilion, Japanese orange, the stain on the golden gate bridge) or similar.
Regardless this new Jersey is called the Topanga Jersey after Topanga Canyon Road. The jersey is incredibly light and airy at 6oz(always warm around these parts). The Fabrics, like always, are from Italian mills. Zippers are from Japan, We designed this thing here in California and sewn in Asia. You can say the world came together on this one.
Regardless here it is... We are starting our Pre-sale special pricing tonight if anyone is interested www.catella.cc Free shipping in the USA and easy returns as always. New items coming soon.
Check it out let me know what you think!
Our Wilson shorts are here! These are long distance shorts built for Rock solid performance and comfort.
Starting with the Elastic Interface Pad that is rated at 7hrs plus for comfort. Its the gold standard pad for any long distance attempt. Its Just thick enough with its 3 strategically placed densities that will never compress over time.
A special Textured Fabric is used to reduce Wear by pressing a pattern directly on its surface, therefore creating an overall "armored plate" that will last for years. It will never become sheer after multiple washes.
The gripper is 7.5cm wide! This is important that there is enough surface area in the gripper as to not squeeze the thigh but rather hold it or simply grip.
Lastly, the Details. Sewn in Reflective tabs never fade or peel after wash. The straps are soft and offer a 4way stretch capability with massive breathability. Simple branded leg label is clean and classy.
Paceline only discount on Presale. 20% off! Use code "paceline20" on check out.
Last edited by Catella; 09-14-2018 at 08:22 PM.
Is the sizing similar to the current Pacifica line? Or are they more snug-ish?
The Jerseys are patterned differently this season from the last (cabrillo-salmon and Bonelli-Navy Blue). This season the Jerseys have gotten a pattern "evolution". What I mean by this is that there are fabric adjustments and slight pattern revisions.
The front of the jersey is about an inch shorter so that i will not bulge when riding but also not rise above the bibs when standing even if you're tall. The arm sleeves are a bit shorter compared to the last season's design and they are "inset" sleeves rather than Raglan style sleeves. A raglan sleeve (last season) has to cover the arms and shoulders while connecting to the torso and collar. The inset sleeve improves the fit around the arms since you are asking the pattern to do a very specific thing, simply, cover the arms.
The torso has been re-fitted by reducing it .25in across the chest and abdomen for a better fit. This slight "brushstroke" of a pattern change makes a huge difference. It removes extra material while keeping the jersey comfortable yet sporty but not a club cut.
The shorts are really nice. I dont mess with these because the fit is simply perfect. They are perfectly compressive and snug. This keeps the pad in place. Honestly the fabrics on the Wilson shorts are really expensive but these shorts are built to last. Miti fabrics last and never break down with constant wear, EI pad does not compress over time and rated 7Hrs plus. Wouldn't be surprised if customers come back for a second pair. Solid long distance shorts.
I bought the Boneli Pacifica Jersey a few months back and I'm enjoying it.
I would be interested in the new orange jersey.
Agree with the shorter sleeves and reduction in front length being a plus.
However at 5'6" 150 pounds the small is quite snug on me.
I don't know if I want to have 1/4 inch less fabric around my body.
Are you advising people to size up in this situation or should I be looking at other looser fitting jerseys?
CNY I would definitely recommend a medium in this case. The fabric is a much lighter than the Bonelli. Some guys with broader shoulders may fit better in a larger size.
The total weight of the jersey is 6-9oz. Its still very comfortable yet "sporty". The .25in adjustment just finesses the wrinkling caused by the new fabric as seen in our prototypes. The length adjustment also helps resolve buckling zippers in the riding position. The jersey should fit snug but never tight.
Avalon Jersey in silver gray. Named this jersey the Avalon after the port city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, California. Catalina island is 26 miles from the port of long beach on the mainland. Its part of the Channel Island chain just off our coast. Avalon is a tiny port city hidden in a cove, surrounded by mountains and once property of the Wrigley family of the chewing gum fame... Traveling to the island early in the morning its very difficult to see because of the daily fog. Its a theatrical experience traveling to the island in at this time as a dense fog obscures the island landmass. As you approach the island it slowly appears and reveals itself as if it was a floating pirate ship emerging out of the silver clouds.
Thanks for the support pace liners!
The Avalon jersey. The pattern is perfectly fitted to provide comfort yet fit well. The sleeves slide on with a open mesh textured fabric. The body fabric is a light, micro-perforated texture, to allow breathability. 3 angled pockets on back with a seam tape detail that finishes the seam. Logos are subdued simple and classy. Its a timeless design that will last the wear and tear of usage.
Super light weight at 6oz.
Last edited by Catella; 10-09-2018 at 02:35 PM.
Guys our final release for the year and its 20% off. Introducing the new Gibraltar Jersey.
Inspired by Gibraltar RD in the Santa Barbara Foothills. Climbed this one during the Tour of California event last year before the race rolled thru. Honestly I would like to go back without all the craziness and tour buses. Its a beautiful climb with an amazing view of the ocean on one side.
This new Gibraltar Jersey features a wide open mesh on sides and arms. Its always sunny in California! The fabric is extremely soft and feels like silk over the skin. The front is made from a micro perforated fabric that is very light and stretchy.
Last edited by Catella; 11-24-2018 at 02:51 PM.
Hey Guys, Working on some new items for the spring season. Its always warm here in California. Hope to meet you guys on a ride sometime if you're out here. Was just up on GMR the other day and the views after a bit of rain and snow are incredible. This is only miles from LA. Talk about getting lost! See the image below. The tour of California uses that winding road to reach Baldy. Message us when you are in town.
Dont forget to get that 20% discount on our website using code "getlost"
That Avalon Jersey is just looking better all the time! Thanks for making this one an all time favorite. Got a few left.
Simple design, no graphics, Less is truly more. The fabrics tell the story. They are sourced from well regarded Italian Fabric mills. They make the jersey "disappear" when riding. The cut is sporty but not tight, Just right. The jersey weights only 4.4oz making this jersey the lightest we have produced. Check it out.
GMR ride with new Gibraltar shorts and Azusa wool jersey. Can you believe this is LA?
Last edited by Catella; 12-10-2018 at 05:32 PM.
The Topanga, Avalon and Gibraltar are all the 2018 cuts, but w/ different colors and features (i.e. mesh panels in different locations, etc)?
Similarly, the Wilson, Gibraltar, Obispo shorts are all the same cuts but with differences in color?
@tyler The 2019 jerseys Topanga, Avalon and Gibraltar are based on our patterns from 2018. Theres are a few modifications to these as we improve out fit every year. The modifications are more like careful brush strokes in than massive changes.
I should expand on this for everybody who wishes to learn more.
The body-torso stays the same in 2019 as it is a perfect fit and we have had great reviews. however, the front hem has a nicer shape and is raised slightly from 2018; about .5 inch.
The sleeves are a bit shorter as to accommodate more sizes but still long enough to cover the arms and look and feel long.
We are using an inset sleeve instead of a raglan sleeve because the arms fit better with an inset sleeve pattern. A raglan sleeve pattern runs from the cuff of the arm to the collar. This is a huge problem when you try to create a precise fit because you are using one flat pattern and asking it to do so much on a 3d form. An inset sleeve allows for one pattern for the torso and one pattern for the sleeves, in effect reducing fabric under the arm and gaining a better fit over the shoulders. Also there is less fabric wasted.
Zipper is still a high quality YKK Coil Lock zipper. Lift the zipper handle and the zipper slider begins to move. Lower the zipper handle and the zipper locks in place. Its great when you want to unzip your collar in hot weather.
Pockets in back are huge. the pattern has been adjusted to allow for more pocket space incase you need it. This will also secure your valuables.
fabrics are Italian Miti. this makes our jerseys 4.4oz light. 4 way stretch for maximum comfort. We just use proven, light, airy fabrics that last.
The Graphics are gone. Only simple touches of branding. The Key word is timeless. A kit you can enjoy for years.
Wilson shorts contain a fabric that is abrasion resistant. It is pressed with heat to create soft impressions that act as tiny shields. 7.5cm Gripper on legs. 6+hr pad with 6 density zones for comfort. more on pads below.
Obispo (Dark Gray) and Gibraltar (Navy Blue) shorts are made with Italian shield fabrics. They are never transparent and are thru dyed from the fabric mill. This means that they cannot be sublimated but they also never turn white or change color when worn. These fabrics, because they cannot be sublimated are incredibly rich in color and supple in touch. The heat from sublimation bakes fabrics at about 375 degrees F and gives them a brittle feel. The sizing shrinks as the high heat reduces stretch heats the lycra. Our thru dyed shorts are the only way to go for max comfort.
Lastly the Griffith Bibshorts are built with a special thru dyed black fabric and integrated Gripper on the hem. This new technology gets rid of the stitched grippers and makes use of print technology by applying silicone dots neatly on the inside of the Leg hem. This creates a Large grip, smooth seamless leg hem that is incredibly comfortable. No stitching just one pattern with grip and a clean finish on the leg. Elastic interface pad 6hrs+ Its new technology and honestly it costs more to produce but the Griffith Bibshort is so liked that we brought it back with the upgraded 6hrs+ Elastic interface pad.
We love these Pads. Honestly its what we check first when we go shopping for new bibshorts. We simply want our shorts to support us on our long rides and logically use the most trusted company in the business, Elastic Interface. I will let them speak for themselves. Below are the specs of the road performance pad.


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MODED.ME
February 12, 2016 July 21, 2017 by Jason
Firewatch is a summer burning at both ends
Depressed, fortysomething Colorado native Henry kicks off the summer struggling. His wife, Julia, is among the five percent of Alzheimer's sufferers to exhibit symptoms before the age of 65. Even with the strides made with the public awareness campaigns of the '80s, prescription drugs made to combat the symptoms of the degenerative disease are still almost a decade from FDA approval.
Henry's hopelessness stems from not only an inability to care for Julia, but about her. Just as she drifts in and out of lucidity, Henry begins to see less and less of the woman he married – despite living every day with her. Henry's directionless malaise in such a sensitive situation eventually results in her forcible removal from his care. It's a hard situation to empathize with, and it leads him on a downward spiral colored by waves of alcohol abuse and self-doubt.
Henry takes a job with the National Forest Service as arbiter of a portion of Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. Though it's never explicitly stated, it's apparent that Henry takes the gig, temporary in nature, under the pretense of reversing his cycle of indecision and cowardice through meditation; internally, though, he knows he's only paused it. Whatever Henry encounters over the course of those admittedly strange few months in 1989, the problems that he tried to leave behind will, invariably, be right where he left them at the end of spring. More importantly, so will Henry himself.
A Telltale adventure, this isn't: if Firewatch is the video game equivalent of a page-turner, those pages aren't in a choose-your-own-adventure book. Replaying Firewatch would be more like scratching out some characters' lines in a novel you've already read and adding in others in the margins, a palimpsest of intentional narrative beats.
Firewatch is the story of a summer burning at both ends, both raging toward a man's anxious center; both lit by his selfish, somewhat destructive decisions.
That's what makes Firewatch so hard to justify replaying.
Unlike player characters in many choice-driven adventure games, Henry doesn't shape his story's ending. Julia, Boulder, and the bottle are waiting for him regardless of the decisions he makes as watchman. What he does influence is his relationship with fellow lookout Delilah, whose face he never sees and whose voice becomes his emotional lifeline.
And it's that connection that makes Firewatch such a one-off experience; with a fairly static ending, the narrative focuses so specifically on creating these moment-to-moment interactions to build Henry and Delilah's relationship that a second playthrough would be little more than a completionist run. Hear all the dialogue options, see every vista.
It's not just that another romp in the woods isn't 'worth it' to me because there's only one way it can end; it's that going through those paces a second time would devalue the characterization of my Henry and, to a lesser extent, my Delilah.
THAT WILL ALWAYS BE MY HENRY
The player's choices, limited to a series of dialogue stems, feed into that relationship and only that relationship. When Henry and Delilah part ways at the end of the game, the meaning behind those choices dies with their friendship. A do-over would make them less genuine for me than they were the first time around; different choices would only change the ending in my head.
As the player controlling Henry, I helped him build a relationship as I thought a man in Henry's position might: by making the most selfish, gratifying decisions possible. I wanted Delilah to like Henry, even when it came at the cost of his tenuous sense of morality. With my thumb on the push-to-talk switch of his walkie-talkie, Henry played right into Delilah's damaged sense of fraternity with almost every possible dialogue option.
I only chose to elaborate on the Julia situation when I thought talking about it would make Delilah feel bad for Henry and maybe like him more; he reflected and amplified Delilah's confused paranoia with a saccharine "what the fuck is going on here" whenever something strange happened, just to show he was also scared; when her slurred flirts sifted through the monitor, Henry played ball.
For all as much as he expressed concern about the odd things happening around the Two Forks lookout, my Henry didn't really want there to be a rational explanation. He wanted his time in Wyoming – and Delilah herself – to be a surreal distraction from the very real problems waiting for him back home. Becoming a fire lookout was supposed to be Henry's escapist fantasy and an 'easy out' for ditching Julia.
By the end of the game, Henry was most shaken not by the surreal happenstance he'd chatted his way through, but by the screeching, fanfareless halt that capped it. I like to think that he went back to Boulder resolute on abandoning his ailing wife – that's just the kind of guy my Henry was – but, of course, the game doesn't show me that happening. It shouldn't. It can't.
Despite all of the attempts he'd made to protract his fantasy – even going so far as to make a Hail Mary invitation for Delilah to come home with him – Henry's situation remained unchanged on the 79th day, the flames of his uncertain future licking his brow while the final burning pines of a Wyoming forest nipped at his heels.
Even if I went back and rewrote some of his interactions with Delilah, that will always be my Henry. Time trudges on, equally irreverent of Henry's escapist fantasies and his commitment hangups. The summer of 1989 burned from both ends, and instead of putting out the flames, Henry had ignored them altogether – not that he could've changed the end if he tried.
Posted in Features, Gaming, OpinionTagged Campo Santo, Firewatch, Opinion, replay value
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Book Bus Tickets From Kolhar To Shirdi
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About Kolhar
Kolhar
Kolhar, a small village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, is surrounded by lakes where one can go for walks in the evenings and enjoy the scenic beauty. This village is on a rugged terrain. Agriculture is what supplements the income of the people here. Some of the nearby cities where you can visit are Pathardi, Ahmednagar, Shrirampur and Rahuri.
There are no accommodation facilities in Kolhar. Ahmednagar, which is 28 km away from Kolhar, provides good budget hotels for travellers. Two such hotels include Hotel Sanket (Tariff – Rs.846) and Hotel Natraj (Tariff – Rs.786).
The official language spoken in Kolhar is Marathi. People also speak in Hindi.
The most celebrated festivals in Kolhar are Makar Sankranti in January, Holi in March, Jiviti Puja in July-August, Ganesh Chaturthi in August-September, Kojagiri Poornima in September-October and Diwali in October-November.
There are no places of interest in Kolhar. There are a few places of interest in the areas nearby. Kapurwadi Lake (25 km), Pimpalgaon Lake (21 km), Kektai Jungle (28 km) and Kanifnath Samadhi Mandir (29 km) are some places of interest that you can visit.
Aurangabad Airport is the closest airport, being 108 km away from Kolhar.
There is no railway station in Kolhar. The nearest railway station is the Vilad Railway Station, which is about 31 km away from Kolhar.
The bus station at Kolhar connects the village to nearby cities and towns. Private bus operators such as RR Travels and Paulo Travels run bus daily from Surat, Nadiad and Navsari to Kolhar. Ticketgoose.com's bus reservation facility has never been easier through its mobile apps.
About Shirdi
A town located in Rahata Tehasil in Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, Shirdi is popularly called Shirdi Nagar Panchayat. It is situated 83 kms away from Ahmednagar and 15 km from Kopargaon. This holy place is most popularly known as the birthplace of the popular guru Shirdi Sai Baba. Anytime you can visit Shirdi, though the best time to visit the place is between June and August. Even winters are also good time to visit Shirdi.
Budget Hotels in Shirdi
There are good budget hotels in Shirdi. Some of them are Hotel Yog Palace (Tariff – Rs.1000), Hotel Sai Darshan (Tariff – Rs.1,000), sai plaza (Tariff – Rs.1000) and Sai Sharan Tours & Travel (Tariff – Rs.500).
The official language Shirdiis Hindi The other languages spoken include English.
Events in Shirdi
There are three major festivals celebrated with great gratification and enthusiasm are are Ram Navami, Guru Purnima and Vijayadashamai.
Places to See in Shirdi
There are several places of tourist attraction in Shirdi. Some of the places include Khandoba Temple ( 1.3 kms from Shirdi), Changdev Maharaj Samadhi ( 1.3 kms from Shirdi), Sakori Ashram. ( 30kms from Velankanni Roman Catholic Church) and Sai Baba temple ( 1.5 kms from Shirdi)
The nearest airport to Shirdi is the Aurangabad Airport. It is located about 140 kms away from the town.
Shirdi has a new railway station. The place is well connected to the major cities of India.
Tourist can reach Shirdi with various kinds of bus services are available frequently from places like Maharashtra, Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Akluj, Dhule, Nagpur , Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Some of the best bus operators that offer good experience for passengers include Royal Coach Travels, Nakoda Travelsand Sankalp And Kareema Travels. Where ever you travel in the country, you can opt for bus booking in India and travel with ease.


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SunFire Press
New Adult/College
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Time Turns1 x $6.99
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$6.49 Available on February 7, 2020.
One by one, he's killing them. Lurking in the digital underworld of Men4HookUpNow.com, he lures, seduces, charms, reaching out through instant messages to the unwary. They invite him over. He's just another trick. Harmless. They're dead wrong. When the first bloody body surfaces, openly gay Chicago Police Department detective Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. Sickened by the butchered mess of one of his brothers left on display in a bathtub, he seeks relief outside where the young man who discovered the body waits to tell him the story of how he found his friend. But who is this witness...and did he play a bigger part in the murder than he's letting on? Comparetto is on a journey to discover the truth, a truth that he needs to discover before he loses his career, his boyfriend, his sanity...his life. Because in this killer's world, IM doesn't stand for instant message...it stands for instant murder. Available in Print from most major retailers.
The Perils of Intimacy
$5.99 Available on January 31, 2020.
Mark believes he's meeting Jimmy for the first time in the diner where he works, but he's wrong. Mark has no recollection of their original encounter because the wholesome Jimmy of today couldn't be more different than he was two years ago. Back then, Jimmy sported multiple piercings and facial hair. He was painfully skinny—and a meth addict. The drug transformed him into a lying, conniving thief. Mark doesn't associate the memory of a hookup gone wrong with this fresh-faced twenty-something… but Jimmy knows. Can Mark see Jimmy for the man he is now and not the addict he was? The answers depend on whether true love holds enough light to shine through the darkness of past mistakes. Available in Print from most major retailers.
The Empires of Luxor City
In the aftermath of his father's funeral, Dom Wesa, the new Alpha of Luxor City's Central Empire, stumbles upon an Omega in desperate need of help. The Omega, Lin Vasiliev, wakes to find he's been taken into Dom's home to be rehabilitated. Dom thinks the young addict may have information about the illicit drug trade going on in his Empire. He gets Lin sober to question him only to discover that Lin is new in town and ignorant of Luxor's laws.
Dom and Lin are both suspicious of each other at first for their own reasons, but as that wariness wears away a deep attraction develops between them. Dom dotes on Lin, leaving the once stone-broke Omega bathed in finery he never could have imagined. They start planning for Lin's upcoming heat, when they will be driven together by their kindling bond and strong compatibility as an Alpha and Omega pair. However, in the midst of their swelling romance, Luxor's most notorious Alpha reappears sparking a gang war that threatens to turn the entire city into a battleground.
Available in Print from most major retailers.
Sky Full of Mysteries
What if your first love was abducted and presumed dead—but then returned twenty years later? That's the dilemma Cole Weston faces. Now happily married to Tommy D'Amico, he's suddenly thrown into a surreal world when his first love, Rory Schneidmiller, unexpectedly reappears. Rory has no memory of those years. For him, it's as though only a day or two has passed. He still loves Cole with the passion unique to young first love. But Cole has so many questions: where has Rory been and what happened to him two decades ago when he disappeared without a trace? He has never forgotten Rory, but Tommy has been his rock, by his side since Rory disappeared. Cole is forced to choose between an idealized and passionate first love and the comfort of a long-term marriage. How does one make a decision like that? The answers might lie among the stars… Available in Print from most major retailers.
Halfway to Someday
Rocker Jesse Winters just wants to be left alone. If he could melt into oblivion, he would and bid farewell to the wild child of rock n' roll so many had dubbed him in recent months. Truth is there was never anything reckless, wild, or even deliberate about most of the things that had happened on Wild Child's last tour, but had anyone cared to listen? No! Which was precisely why he was sitting in a cabin high up in the Colorado mountains, hoping the incoming blizzard would bury him forever. Ryker Jorgensen left the VA hospital with a bunch of prescriptions and pamphlets on how to deal with reentering the civilian world, not that he's in any hurry to do so. His nightmares still keep him up at night, and every new limitation he discovers gives him more reason to believe that he's hopelessly useless now. Better to drive up to his cousin's cabin and lick his wounds. Come spring, maybe, he'd look into being around people, if only for long enough to make the kind of money he'd need to buy his own secluded place. The last thing Ryker ever expected to see was the man whose face had been plastered in his footlocker and his dreams for the better part of the past six years, but Jesse Winters is nothing like he imagined. When trying to leave Ryker out in the storm doesn't work, Jesse resorts to ignoring him. But two wounded souls trapped in a snowed in cabin have little choice but to reach out for one another when emotions get frayed. His only hope is that Jesse will trust him enough to let him drag him back from the edge before he's just another burned out star in the legacy that is rock n' roll. Available in Print from most major retailers.
Winter Masquerade
Ferris wakes on the Sea Queen, an enchanted cruise ship sailing on a chocolate sea. He has no idea how he got here, but he desperately wants to go home to his boyfriend. The alchemist is the only person who can help Ferris, but he's been kidnapped. The ransom is high tea with scones and jam. Meanwhile, the passengers are gearing up for the Winter Masquerade, a ball where love and magic reign. With a murderous musician, an absent boyfriend, and a mystical party, Ferris soon learns that Wednesday is not the day to fall in love.
For Ben Sanders—traitor, thief, and temporal orphan—time is running out. After three years as a fugitive, with the police task force led by Lysander O'Donohue and Jacob Ofori hot on his heels, Ben has to resort to desperate measures to evade capture and find the key to locating his missing father, lost in time for over two decades. With secrets and conspiracies at every turn, the net grows ever tighter around him. Haunted by the people he betrayed, the loved ones he left behind, and the lives he ruined, it's too late to stop now. But no matter what Ben does, there's no escaping his past. With this exciting conclusion to the Out of Time series, it is recommended to read the first four books for full enjoyment. Available in Print from most major retailers.
Randy Kay has the perfect life with his beautiful wife and adorable son. But Randy's living a lie, untrue to himself and everyone who knows him. He's gay. Marriage and fatherhood, which he thought could change him, have failed. He doubts if anyone can love him for who he really is—especially himself. With his wife's blessing, he sets out to explore the gay world he's hidden from all his life. John Walsh, a paramedic with the Chicago Fire Department, is comfortable in his own skin as a gay man, yet he can never find someone who shares his desire to create a real relationship, a true family. When Randy and John first spy each other in Chicago's Boystown, all kinds of alarms go off—some of joy, others of deep-seated fear. Randy and John must surmount multiple hurdles on the journey to a lasting, meaningful love. Will they succeed or will their chance at love go up in flames, destroyed by missed connections and a lack of self-acceptance? Available in Print from most major retailers.
Love on the Spectrum
Hervé has Asperger's, a specific kind of autism, and he is unable to interact with other people. Luc has been severely scarred by fire and flees human presence to avert the way people glare and frown when they see him. It was impossible for them to meet, but life sometimes likes to cheat the odds. Is it just a trick or a way to bring together two men who could be each other's lifeline?
Lord of Thundertown
In the movies, Thundertown was depicted like a real town, with boundaries, Folk-run businesses, and a government. In real life, Thundertown was a block here or there, three businesses on the same side of the street, an unconnected sewer main, or a single abandoned building. When an epidemic of missing person cases is on the rise, the police refuse to act. Instead, Alex Delatorre goes to Thundertown for answers and finds clues leading to a new Lord trying to


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Spin Radio Presents Weezer at Musikfest
Monday, August 5 · view days & times
Price: $59-$99 | Steel Terrace: $199
Venue: Sands Steel Stage at PNC Plaza
Buy Oasis Pass*
Listen to Riley at 10 am and Becker at 5 pm and text in to win!
(Message&data rates apply/MUST BE 18 TO TEXT)
*The Oasis Pass is an add-on upgrade and does not grant access to the Sands Steel Stage ticketed concert
The Oasis Pass gives access to the Oasis area which includes a full cash bar, air conditioned restrooms and ONE parking pass for every TWO passes purchased. NO refunds.
Gates: 6 p.m. | Show: 7 p.m.
Artist Website: weezer.com
Facebook: Click Here | Twitter: @Weezer | Instagram: @weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1992, currently consisting of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, lead guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Brian Bell (rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals). Weezer has sold 9.2 million albums in the U.S., and over 17 million records worldwide. Their catalogue has included such megahits as "Buddy Holly," "Undone (The Sweater Song)," "Say It Ain't So," "El Scorcho," "Hash Pipe," "Island In The Sun," "Beverly Hills," "Pork and Beans," and more. Weezer has won Grammys, MTV Video Music Awards, and more throughout their career. In 2016, Weezer released their tenth studio album, Weezer (The White Album), a self-proclaimed beach album that debuted at #1 on Billboard's Rock/Alternative chart, and top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Their last album, Pacific Daydream, spawned a #1 hit "Feels Like Summer" at Alternative Radio as is nominated for Best Rock Album at this year's Grammys. Weezer recently released a cover of Toto's Africa which shot to #1 and went viral and announced the long-awaited Weezer (The Black Album) will be out March 1.
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Ubisoft Forums > Assassin's Creed > Assassin's Creed - General Discussions > Harliquin in story mode?
View Full Version : Harliquin in story mode?
ok i was messing around in story mode on xbox for ACB. i was messing with some guards and of course killed them. i walked away and thought maybe i should loot them. i came back and there was a harlquin standing where the bodies were!!! i walked up to him and the red arrow apeared over his head so i kinda freaked out and stabbed him with 2 hidden blades. he died. are they supposed to be in the game?? i have the new DLC add-on also. i also have 2 snap shots if u need proof. please answer.
Yes. There's five of them, and if you beat them up (don't kill them) you get an achievement.
good. i guess ill just finish the DLC and play some multiplayer. thanks. i thought it was like a glitch or something.


Activate Office by phone. Telecharger Libreoffice Gratuit Dernière version en Français 6 Windows Office Activator, It is the full offline installer standalone setup for Windows 32 Bit & 64 Bit. I have Office Professsional Plus SP1 in English with Spanish and French Language Packs.
Microsoft Toolkit 2. Microsoft office 2010 service pack 2 offline installer. Neither install will complete. Découvrez les produits les mieux notés par nos clients et toutes les nouveautés. May 02, · Good question.
Microsoft office 2010 service pack 2 offline installer. Microsoft office 2010 service pack 2 offline installer.
1 installer that integrated with SP1. The offline package can be used in situations where the web installer cannot be used due to lack of internet connectivity. Commandez maintenant!
In the Activation Wizard, choose I want to activate the software by telephone. Trouvez Microsoft Office aujourd' hui!
Microsoft Office Features: Microsoft Office is a complete solution suite for business home professional users. Word Excel Project mandez maintenant!
The release notes are intended to be helpful to give people a better sense of the changes that are included. Use the links on this page to get more information about download the most recent updates for the perpetual versions of Office, Office Office. Avec différents mandez maintenant!
The problem comes when you. Which product do you need help with? Microsoft Office comes in many different languages.
Hello Don, I would like to clarify with a little more detail this solution. However, Microsoft does not provide download to Framework 1. 0 Service Pack 2 for Windows for Windows Server for Windows XP Fails to Install →.
Office Service Pack 2 install fails Just tried to install Service Pack bit version both from Windows Update from the Microsoft download page. You can download the Office installer setup in the language of your choice.
Microsoft Office avec le Service Pack 1 ( SP1) fournit les dernières mises à jour pour Office. Service Pack 2 ( SP2) for Microsoft OfficeBit Edition contains new updates which improve security performance stability.
En raison de problèmes de compatibilité descendante potentiels, la version 32 bits est installée par défaut. Additionally the SP is a roll- up of all previously released rvice Pack 2 ( SP2) pour Microsoft Office Édition 32 bits contient de nouvelles mises à jour améliorant la sécurité les performances et la stabilité. If you' re an administrator who has deployed a volume licensed version of Office to your users language interface packs, you can download an ISO image of the language packs proofing tools from the Volume Licensing Service Center ( VLSC). Windows 7, 8 et 10.
If you' re activating over the Internet have a slow connection you might want to activate by phone. The bug # s are the real Microsoft- internal TFS bug numbers giving each bug a unique identity making it easy for us all to talk about soft Toolkit 2. Si vous avez plusieurs produits Office vous devrez faire défiler la liste de vos produits, dans l' en- tête, ou si vous avez un abonnement Office 365 sélectionnez Services et abonnements qui répertorie tous les produits Microsoft dont vous êtes propriétaire.
Téléchargez et utilisez le programme immédiatement après l' achat. De plus le SP cumule toutes les mises à jour précémarque : Si vous avez une version 32 bits d' Office installée sur une version 64 bits de Windows vous devez installer le package Office Service Pack 2 32 bits. Ce service pack inclut deux types de correctifs :.
Important: If your organization installed Office on your computer, contact your IT department to install any language packs. Microsoft adds all recommended applications Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project, tools like Word, Visio, Access Framework 1.
2 is a highly compatible in- place update to the Framework 4 Framework 4. 5 and Framework 4. Vous pouvez installer Office à partir d' un disque ou en le téléchargeant à partir d' Internet.
Télécharger le package Microsoft Office Service Pack 2 32 bits test updates for versions of Office that use Windows Installer ( MSI) 01/ 09/ ; 2 minutes to read Contributors. 1 SP1( Service Pack 1) has resolved the issue.
2 ( Offline Installer) for Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8. 1, Windows Server SP2, Windows Server R2 SP1, Windows Server and Windows Server R2.
Microsoft has released Service Pack 3 for Exchange Server.
This is a significant release that delivers some key functionality to customers such as support for Windows Server, support for co- existence with Exchange Server CU1, and general bug fixes and security troduction. This guide is a step by step " with pictures of the installation process of Dynamics CRM Server on a stage ' typical' and extends from the stage of preparing the necessary prerequisites to installation and post- installation tasks of the product.
It is an adaptation of the original series of 6 articles " Installing Microsoft Dynamics CRM " published inelblogdeDynamicsCRM. ZDNet' s technology experts deliver the best tech news and analysis on the latest issues and events in IT for business technology professionals, IT managers and tech- savvy business people.
MS10- 041 Framework 3. 5 Service Pack 1 and for Framework 2.


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La Stufetta del cardinal Bibbiena è un piccolo ambiente al terzo piano del Palazzo Apostolico, nella Città del Vaticano, confinante con la Loggetta del cardinal Bibbiena. È celebre per un ciclo di affreschi della scuola di Raffaello riproducenti decorazioni in stile antiquario.

Storia
La "stufetta", cioè stanzino da bagno privato, faceva parte dell'appartamento del cardinal Bibbiena. Due lettere indirizzate dal Bibbiena a Pietro Bembo chiariscono gli estremi cronologici dell'impresa all'anno 1516: nella prima (19 aprile) si chiede un consiglio per nuovi motivi mitologici da rappresentare; nella seconda (20 giugno) si annuncia il compimento dei lavori.

Nel XIX secolo, a causa di un'errata interpretazione, veniva anche chiamata "ritiro di Giulio II". Nel Settecento Vincenzo Camuccini la trasformò in cappellina ricoprendo le pareti con tavole e la volta con una tela; una volta liberata tornò ad essere studiata. Nel 1890 Dollmayr riconobbe i motivi mitologici in Ovidio e Servio Mario Onorato.

Per quanto riguarda l'attribuzione, le opere sono quasi concordemente riferite agli aiuti del Sanzio su disegno del maestro, soprattutto Giulio Romano, Giovan Francesco Penni e altri.

Descrizione
Si tratta di un ambiente a pianta quadrata (2,52 m per lato) coperta da volta a crociera, decorata a fresco e a stucco su modello della Domus Aurea. Sulla parete orientale si apre la porta e su quella opposta una finestra; le altre due hanno al centro una nicchia sopra una lastra di marmo e un riquadro con mascherone.

La volta e le lunette sono decorate da esili grottesche su sfondo bianco e rosso, mentre ai lati della porta, della finestra e delle nicchie si trovano otto riquadri (circa 66x30 cm ciascuno) con "storiette" mitologiche: a settentrione Venere e Adone e uno scomparto illeggibile; a oriente la Nascita di Erittonio e la Nascita di Venere; a sud Venere e Amore condotti dai delfini e Venere ferita da Amore; a ovest Pan e Siringa e uno scomparto distrutto, probabilmente già decorato con Venere che si cava una spina, come si evince da un'incisione del Dente.

Sotto ciascuno di queste scene si trovano riquadri minori a fondo nero, con puttini alati su piccoli carrelli trainati da tartarughe, chiocciole, draghi e farfalle.

La capacità straordinaria di ricreare l'antica decorazione si inquadra negli interessi archeologici del Sanzio e della corte pontificia di quegli anni: non a caso l'artista si era imbarcato nell'impresa di ricreare una pianta della Roma imperiale.

Bibliografia
 Pierluigi De Vecchi, Raffaello, Rizzoli, Milano 1975.
 Heikki Malme, "La stufetta del Cardinal Bibbiena e l'iconografia dei suoi affreschi principali". Quando gli dei si spogliano. Catalogo della mostra, Castel Sant'Angelo, Roma. 1984
 AA.VV., Roma, Touring Editore, Milano 2008. ISBN 978-88-365-4134-8

Voci correlate
Grottesche
Quarto stile
Loggetta del cardinal Bibbiena
Logge di Raffaello

Altri progetti

Musei vaticani
Dipinti di Raffaello
Cicli di affreschi di Roma
Dipinti di Giulio Romano

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


They are not quite available yet but Cooler Master have announced two new all in one watercoolers, the Nepton 120XL and 240M which incorporate a new Silencio fan which as you may expect offers good performance with low noise. If the pricing follows the previous generation of Nepton you can expect to see the 120mm model retail for around $100 and the 240mm for around $120.
Taipei, Taiwan — Oct 21st 2014 — Cooler Master, a leading creator, innovator, and manufacturer of desktop components and peripherals as well as mobile accessories today announced the Nepton 120XL and 240M, the latest additions to the Nepton all-in-one liquid cooling family. See full details on the Nepton 240M product page here.
Nepton 120XL and 240M are introducing a brand new Silencio fan from Cooler Master. This fan is designed with unique fan blades and technology in order to maximize air flow and static pressure with minimal noise output. The result of these fans and Nepton's skived fin micro-channel technology brings Nepton 120XL and 240M to a whole new level of cool, mirroring the thermal success of the Nepton 140XL and 280L models.
The Cooler Master Nepton series was introduced with the 140XL and 280L models, which sported 140mm and 280mm radiators respectively. The new Nepton 120XL is equipped with a 120mm radiator while the Nepton 240M is equipped with a 240mm radiator. These sizes allow more opportunity for builders and enthusiasts to get their hands on the incredible performance from the Nepton line.
Using Cooler Master's exclusive design, the pump of the Nepton series pushed 120 Liters of liquid per hour through the flexible and robust FEP tubing to maximize thermal transfer. Topping the pump with a simple geometric design and illuminated Cooler Master logo, the Nepton series continues to turn heads. Backed by a 5-year warranty, Nepton 120XL and 240M will be cooling systems for years to come.
Nepton 120XL and 240M is now shipping to vendors in North America and will be available soon. Price and availability may vary based on region.
Cooler Master has announced their revised Nepton self-contained liquid CPU cooler lineup, and the existing models have been renewed with lower-noise designs.
The revised versions seem to be using the the same radiators but employ new improvements in the pump/waterblock, as well as new low-noise fans. Cooler Master says the "Advanced Silent Driver" in the Nepton pumps will offer extremely low vibration levels, providing a120 L/hr flow rate at 11dBA. The units feature a Cooler Master-designed water block with a "large microchannel surface area and a high-efficiency jet impingement system to optimize hotspot cooling performance".
Cooler Master says their manufacturing process "eliminates microchannel imperfections in the waterblock to prevent blockage and allows for an increased surface area over 4 times greater than the competition, resulting in an extremely high performance waterblock." The Nepton series also uses all-new "Silencio" fans, which Cooler Master claims will offer 11dBA noise levels and air pressure rated at 1.2 mmH2O. The cooling performance of previous Cooler Master self-contained liquid coolers has been dependent on some pretty loud fans, and while the stated 11dbA fan noise is likely based on the lowest PWM fan speed improvements in this area are welcome.
Cooler Master has not announced pricing or availability of the new Nepton 120XL, 140XL, 240M, or 280L models yet, but we should expect these products later this year.


This low carb balsamic beef is a delicious and quick meal to make in the Instant Pot, slow cooker or stovetop. Easy, healthy, tasty and only 2.5g net carbs.
You might also like this low carb barbacoa beef roast Instant Pot recipe!
I love to make pot roast in the winter because it's warm and comforting and because I love to use my slow cooker to make the meat tender. Today I wanted to try it in the Instant Pot because it has a great saute feature and eliminates the need for a skillet to brown the meat. It also takes less time than the slow cooker. It was a big success! My son asked for seconds, my husband took the leftovers to work and even my father in law gave me the thumbs up (big praise from him). So this low carb balsamic beef recipe is a keeper!
As I've been cooking more and more in the Instant Pot, I find that your basic 2-3lb chuck roast will take up to 70 minutes in the Instant Pot. I've taken out roasts and put them back in again because they meat was too tough. Recently I made this roast and had that problem so I'm now using 70 minutes for roasts. If the meat isn't tender it's not work making right? Here is the officially cooking time chart from Instant Pot.
The rough guide for large chunks of beef (roasts) is 20-25 minutes per lb of meat.
I love to stud my roasts with garlic. It reminds me of how my grandma would make roasts and I love, love garlic. So first you cut slits into your roast and stuff it with the garlic slices. Next you want to rub your roast with the spices. Use the saute function of the Instant Pot to brown the roast on both sides. Then take it out and deglaze the pan with vinegar, broth and butter. Put the lid back on and pressure cook for 70 minutes.
To make it on the stovetop you follow the same instructions except you are browning in a large pot on the stove. You then deglaze it and pour the sauce over the meat. Cover and cook until the meat is tender. For the slow cooker, brown and deglaze in a large skillet and then put everything in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low.
Cut little slits in the roast and stuff the garlic slices in all over the roast.
Mix the salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme in a small bowl and then rub all over the roast.
Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and adjust to increase the heat.
When hot, add the oil and the roast. Brown on both sides about 5 minutes each.
Take out the roast and add the butter, balsamic vinegar and broth. Deglaze the pot by scraping up the browned bits and mixing with the liquid.
Place the roast back in the pot, secure the lid, push the vent back to seal and cook for 70 minutes at high pressure.
When done, either do a quick release by turning the pressure know to vent or let it naturally depressurize.
Take off the lid and serve.
NOTE: You can make this on the stove. Follow the same instructions but when you cover to cook, it will take longer. Cook until the roast is tender.
To make in the slow cooker, follow the same instructions but brown the meat in the skillet and place in the slow cooker. Then deglaze the skillet with the balsamic vinegar, butter and broth. Pour over the roast and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
I love this recipe. How much is a serving?
Hi Regina, it's roughly 8 oz if you are making a 3lb roast. Hope that helps!
Most delicious pot roast I've ever made. However, 70 minutes in the Instant Pot has to be an error. I checked some other recipes just to be sure, and I then cooked my roast for only 25 minutes. It was perfect. Thank you!
I have been having a hard time with the Instant Pot timing. Originally I had it for less but a reader said it didn't work so I made it again and it did seem to make more time. Thanks for coming back and commenting. I think I'll make this again this week and check the timing again.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was my first ever I tried in my new IP. Turned out fantastic using tri-tip beef I bought at Costco. Making it again soon!
Hi Jean, so glad you liked it! I'm going to Costco today and I will have to try this recipe again. I haven't had it in quite some time. Enjoy your new Instant Pot….I'm trying to make coconut yogurt in mine today.
This is now a "keeper" for my family. I used a pork shoulder roast instead of beef and added diced onions and more rosemary to the pressure cooker just before closing it up to cook. I let it do a natural release, removed the meat and tented foil over it. I then turned on the saute feature (without the lid on) to have it cook down the juice to less than half the consistency. I added a little bit of ground flax meal to help thicken it into a sauce that we drizzled over the meat. It was heavenly!! Thanks for posting this.
Wow Katerina, that sounds awesome! I was just going to make this again this week. I'm intrigued with the ground flax meal. I never heard of anyone using that to thicken a sauce. Good too know! Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your tips!
Are these instructions for a frozen or thawed roast? If thawed, do you reduce the cooking time? New instant potter here! Thanks!
I was using thawed meat and I would keep the time the same. It's for a 3 lb beef roast not chunks so you will need plenty of time to get it cooked.
Also I would prefer my meat as tender as possible. Hope that helps! Here's a link for Instant Pot meat cooking times.
do you use the rack when you pressure cook the roast for 40 minutes? at what pressure? low, med or high?
any other questions. I'll go add this information to the recipe.
You are welcome! good luck.
What do you generally serve with it?
If you are going low carb I would eat it as is and maybe have some type of vegetable side dish. Or you can eat it over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. Other wise I would eat it with rice or noodles. Hope that helps!
Hi Tiffany, I have never frozen this but I don't see why it would be a problem.
This looks absolutely delicious! My collection of Instant Pot recipes keeps piling up and I think I'll have to invest in one soon 😉 but I love that you included crockpot instructions so I can make it anyway! This totally fits into my January diet.
Thanks Valentina! I was very please how it came out. I hope you like it!


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News Headlines Bicester Picture Galleries
Firefighter in critical condition after fire at former department store: What we know
Firefighter in critical condition after fire at Jenners
By Lois Mackenzie loiskmackenzie SEO Journalist
Firefighter is in critical condition after fire at former department store, Jenners in Edinburgh (Image: PA)
A firefighter is in critical condition after being injured battling a blaze at the former department store, Jenners, in Edinburgh.
A total of five firefighters have been hurt while tackling the blaze which crews were called to at 11:29am on Monday, January 23.
The site of the fire was the landmark former department store Jenners, which closed in 2021.
Founded in 1838, the department store was one of the oldest in the world.
Jenners department store fire
Ross Haggart, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's interim chief officer, said: "The fire at the Jenners building in Edinburgh is a very serious and complex incident and regrettably I can confirm that five of our colleagues have been taken to hospital for treatment and one remains in a critical condition."
Our Interim Chief Officer Ross Haggart has issued the below update.
"The fire at Jenners, Edinburgh, is serious and complex and regrettably I can confirm five of our colleagues have been taken to hospital and one remains in a critical condition."
➡https://t.co/2d02r3D0Rt pic.twitter.com/FnTiBJTelT
— Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (@fire_scot) January 23, 2023
A spokesman for the Fire Brigades Union said it was aware of a number of injuries to firefighters.
"We can confirm that five firefighters have been treated at the scene or at hospital, one of whom is in a serious condition," the spokesman said.
Witnesses saw one soot-covered firefighter being brought out of the burning building by two of their colleagues.
Elena Whitham, Scotland's community safety minister, said her thoughts were with the firefighters and their families.
"Their sheer bravery and professionalism must be commended," she said.
"Scotland's communities are lucky to have our valued firefighters who stand ready to put their personal safety at risk in order to save others. We will continue to monitor the situation closely."
After the fire started emergency services shut roads around the building, from which flames were seen coming out of the ground floor.
A total of 22 appliances and other specialist resources were sent to the scene at the fire's height.
Marks and Spencer and the Mercure Hotel, on Princes Street, were closed as firefighters worked in the neighbouring former department store, and other buildings in the area were evacuated.
"I work at one of the businesses nearby and I nipped out for lunch and tried to get in but we have been evacuated," one worker said.
"I was aware of the sirens and it was one of my team that said Jenners was on fire.
Firefighter in critical condition after blaze at former department store (Image: PA)
"The building's beautiful. It's such a beautiful piece of architecture, it's such a shame, especially with it shutting down and lying kind of empty."
Having seen the start of the blaze from Princes Street, Alan Potts, 64, said: "Obviously, the tour buses go up this street, and we thought the fire was originally in Sainsbury's, but it was Jenners which they're working in.
"There was about five or six fire engines all appeared at the same time.
"There was just heavy smoke, I didn't see any flames at any point.
"Lots of ambulances about, which makes us think there might have been someone inside but never saw anyone coming out."
City of Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day praised firefighters for their "speedy and brave response".
"It's so sad to see a fire at one of Edinburgh's most iconic buildings," he said.
"Council officers remain on the scene and are supporting the emergency services and those affected by the fire."The A-listed current building dates to 1895, after a fire destroyed the original.
Renovations are ongoing to transform it into a hotel, backed by a firm owned by fashion billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen.
A Health and Safety Executive spokesman said: "HSE is aware of this incident and liaising with the emergency services."


Whoever said you shouldn't judge a book by its cover wasn't in the business of selling romance novels.
When it comes to cover art, publishers have pushed everything from Jean Harlow glamor to jeans worn solo. Hemlines have risen over the years and some necklines have disappeared altogether, but folks in the romance-novel industry insist one element is constant: Cover images have been designed so readers know upfront whether they're getting a tale filled with sweetness or salsa.
With early subheadings like "the private affairs of not-too-private secretaries," the covers reveal an evolution. Those of the '60s were dominated by buxom nurses and secretaries packing the Pill in their purses. In the '80s, the vantage point turned toward bountiful cleavage greeting a guy at eye level--what's known in the biz as the "nursing mother" pose.
Illustrations headed in a new direction earlier this decade after many readers said they didn't want to commute while clutching covers so steamy they withered the nearest newspaper. Now it's not unusual to find book fronts featuring couples with children or pregnant women.
It's the industry's way of signaling that it's keeping up with the times by producing stories that reflect readers' lives, said Nancy Berland, whose Oklahoma City agency handles public relations for several romance writers.
"It also makes reading romance novels in the mall or doctor's office so much easier," she said.
The postcard books ($9.99) are on sale in major bookstores. For information on the Romance Writers of America, call 281-440-6885.


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Conversations That Sell, with Nancy Bleeke [Episode 769]
Words matter. Perhaps now more than ever. In this episode, Nancy Bleeke, author of one of my favorite sales books, Conversations that Sell, joins me to share how to connect with people during a crisis. And we break down (to a practical level) how to effectively open a conversation with a new prospect, existing prospect, or customer.
Andy Paul: Nancy. Welcome back to the show.
Nancy Bleeke: So glad to be here, Andy.
Andy Paul: It's good to have you. I mean, it's always good to talk to a fellow Wiscon-sonian.
Nancy Bleeke: You know, what do you think about people calling us Sconies?
Andy Paul: The first time I've heard it.
Nancy Bleeke: Really? Oh, okay.
Andy Paul: Really, Sconies?
Nancy Bleeke: People, people not from Wisconsin call us sconies. I'm like what, that's not what we've ever called ourselves.
Andy Paul: Like Zonies from Arizona.
Nancy Bleeke: Yeah.
Andy Paul: Yeah, that's what we call the people in Arizona in Southern California, when they come over in the summertime to get away from the heat. The Zonies are here. no, I had not heard that. Badger's I could go with.
Nancy Bleeke: But not Sconies. It was someone from Michigan and then I've seen it since then. I just think it's odd. Don't we get to name ourselves.
Andy Paul: Yeah, that's right. All right. So we are recording this in the heart of the great pandemic of 2020. where are you keeping yourself safe?
Nancy Bleeke: Keeping myself safe right now in Southern Cal, Southern Florida, not Southern California. That's where you go.
Andy Paul: I wish I were in Southern California right now. I'm in the heart of it right here in New York City . So we're going to talk about helping small businesses set up their sales function. But I think we should address what is going on in terms of how this has an impact on small businesses, cause it definitely does, right?
you know, because the impact throughout, up and down throughout the supply chain, small businesses certainly, generally, don't have the same reserves as big companies. And we know big companies are furloughing employees left and right. What are you seeing in the clients that you're working with?
Nancy Bleeke: You know, it's interesting. A few weeks ago, I personally also had a panic, like, Oh my gosh, what does this mean to everybody I know and care about? And what I found was within days, they pivoted. They were all back in and I find that they're, they showed more resiliency and flexibility in their operations, the small businesses than the larger companies that I've worked with in the past, who immediately- I remember 2008, 2009, 2010, 9/11, that you know, within a month, everybody cut everything from the large companies I was working for. And I was expecting the same thing, with this time I was already like, okay, what am I going to adjust to my business?What about my team? What are we going to do?
And within three days it was obvious I needed to do nothing to cut back because everyone was like, no, we're still in. Like, we still need to sell. In fact, we want to go in more, like we want to be more proactive in our, our selling or our business development efforts. I'm serious. It has been fascinating.
I do a lot of work with wealth management. Wealth management firms, 20 or less advisors. And so, they were like, you know, no, now is the time we have to stay in touch with people. So we, we, we're, we're staying the course. And I was like, this is, this is different, but small businesses are different, right?
There is a difference. People are more, people are often playing more than one role. There is a lot of flexibility for everything. And so, there's not a lot of overhead fluff and so everybody's kind of critical to things going forward. And I think also the mindset of risk tolerance is there. Right.
They have a higher risk tolerance because they're not reporting out public numbers and worried about those sorts of things. And so I have to say I'm really proud to be working with these companies that see that they're still going to be needed. They're needed right now. And we've really, helped there people focus on staying and connection, you know, staying in contact with just human, you know, being a human being. How are you doing? Is there any, you know, questions you have? And not pushing sales or pushing, you know, but sales are coming because they're being just good people.
Andy Paul: Sure. Well, I think that's really, really essential. I was having this conversation with somebody yesterday is tha, yeah, he was complaining about the fact that he had seen on LinkedIn that, you know, all this sort of macho talk about, you know, double down. Now's the time, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And, and he was saying that, yeah, as a, he was CRO of a SaaS startup that's that's, you know, fairly well positioned, but saying that, that, you know, what they're finding with their customers, and they're selling to the enterprise customers and midsize companies, is that, yeah, things have come to a halt, right. And people are reassessing. Everybody's going to reassess. It doesn't mean they're not going to come back and, and say, we don't need what you want. Or, you know, I think what we're going to see is, as people say, look, we, yeah, we were talking about this huge deal with you with, you know, with X number of seats. But yeah, we've got the specific pain point we really do need to fix right now. So let's fix that, then we'll see what's going to come. And I think you're, and he was saying, is those are the conversations they're having as is, or the customer saying, yeah, we're just not sure right now. So if the customer is not sure right now, what should your approach be?
Nancy Bleeke: Your approach should be to be there for them. To see what you can offer them a value now. One of the things I said is, you know, talk to people even about how is it working from home? Are they looking for any tips, you know, there, or what are they doing? The people that have their kids at home from school.
But just, you know, I gave them this framework, you know, just call and say these words. I was thinking about you and fill in something specific. I was thinking about and, you know, knowing that right, you have school aged children, how is that going? And just be quiet and let them talk. They're going to take the conversation where it goes.
And my advice was don't take it to business unless they do. Because the business will come at the right time and trying to push people for decisions right now. Goodness, it's going to backfire because they're, you know, in a lot of the advisors I work with, like, I don't want people to think I'm trying to take advantage of them, you know, in a time, you know, where they don't they're they don't want to be taken advantage of.
But I want them to know that I'm there. And so this just finding, yeah. Out, how are you doing? What questions do you have at this time? Is there any way I can help you? And even if you were at the final stage of the sale and ready for a decision don't call asking for the decision. And, and see larger companies that would be like, you can't tell them that, but the smaller companies get it.
And what's fascinating is through these conversations, there's plenty of people that are saying, I'm glad you called because I am ready now. Like when can we get started? But I also know that this will be a short period of time with that. And then they are going to have to get into proactive efforts, you know, whether that's a month from now or two months from now.
And so they've got to keep their skills fresh too. And if people are going to, and I saw people do this in 2010 in the financial services world, they backed off, you know, I'll, I can help people, but I'm not going to do any selling efforts. And they were not positioned then when things started picking up because they were starting from scratch.
But the people that had kept in contact kept relationships going. We're well positioned to just ramp up and I saw them recover faster than the other people. And so that's why I'm, I right away started doing webinars. Like, you know, what do you do now? What's the conversation need to look like now? And, and I, it was amazing.
We did one of them within like a, I think we decided, wrote the campaign to get stuff out and did it the next morning, less than 12 hours later and we had 88 signups.
Andy Paul: Yeah. Well, I think that this is, this is, this is really an important issue because obviously yeah, maybe a master of understatement with that, but, but getting it right is really important. And, and yeah, I think that, that people are sort of gravitating to the extremes, as we tend to do, which is you either need to keep, keep my, you know, pedal to the metal or I need to back off completely because I'm trying to be sensitive and you're not being sensitive by not communicating to your, to your prospects. You're being sensitive by communicating to them as you're talking about. And, and this whole idea is, well, how can I be a value to somebody who's not really intending to make a decision in the short term? But by doing so you then do position yourself so that when the world inevitably turns around, you're the first person they think about because you had stayed in touch in a way that was a value to them.
So what is, what are some of the things people can do with that, to be a, be a value other than just being empathetic and being an ear to listen for your buyers in this stage?
Nancy Bleeke: Well, it's interesting. It isn't that you're going to be the first person they think of, but when you contact them, the feeling of goodwill and the trust is going to be there. Right. So, so I saw this really nice chart about how do you build trust and, and, you know, people really focus on their expertise, you know, of whatever it is that they're offering.
Right. We're the best at this. We, you know, we provide this, we know this, that you don't. And that, that whole, that saying about people don't care how much, you know, until you know, how much they care is is, is so true right now. And it does start with empathy, but then it goes to reliability and then, and then knowledge, expertise, like that's what people are looking for. So right now, right. You start with empathy, but the reliability is about showing up. And so that's one of the things to do to, to be a value right now, show up. Ask questions, to find out how things are going, you know. What are they concerned about? You know, what's going on? What do they see in, in the near future, in the far future?
Not again, looking for, how am I going to shove what I'm selling at them, but just what, where are there thoughts? Because you're going to see some people are more resilient and their thoughts are going to turn to business and whatever it is, you're offering faster than others. But it, and so if you're in ongoing connection, that that is, you know, you're going to, you're going to be the one that's talking to them and, identifying that pivot and then being able to start that business conversation up again.
Andy Paul: Yeah, I'm, I referenced Charlie Green earlier, who was the coauthor of the book, Trusted Advisor and, and, you know, one of the foremost experts on trust around, and, and he brought up an interesting point, he said, yeah, during this, this, well in general, but especially during this time, is that as a seller, you not only need to be able to ask the questions you talked about what you really say, Gee, how are you feeling right now? And what's happening with the kids etc etc. But you also need to be able to talk about your own feelings. And so, cause he brought this up in the context where I think it was really important for people to keep in mind is that yeah, people buy from people they know like and trust, but one of the ways that, and this is, this plays out in several dimensions is, is Charlie says, you know, research shows that people are more likely to trust people who they feel trust them. And so by being vulnerable and talking about your feelings, you're, you're, you're taking a risk to say, yeah, I trust you to react to this in the right way.
And that starts building this connection of trust in a way that you wouldn't, if you're just having a one way conversation about it or not asking, obviously not asking about it at all. So it was really important when you're in this situation, having these conversations is, yeah. Don't be afraid to talk about how it's affecting you, be be open and vulnerable.
Yeah. You're transmitting to the customer. Yeah. I trust you to respect my feelings and to be curious about the feelings, because again, go back to the know like, and trust, Robert Cialdini in his latest book Pre-Suasion said that people more likely to buy from people who they think like them. See, we always, we always talk about, we need to be trusted. We need to be liked. Now the buyer has the exact same needs from you as you have from them.
Nancy Bleeke: Yeah. In that chart about empathy, reliability, knowledge, vulnerability is, is next, right? And it is. And so I have found some really interesting conversations about the whole spouses working out of home, you know, out of the house. And, and how's that going and in sharing part of yourself, you know, during, during this. I think is, is exactly what you said. It's really important because people buy from people, you know, and, and that's why, right. And that's why I still, whether you're selling the enterprisers or not, you're not selling to an enterprise or selling to the people with in it. And so that's why I'm like all the skills that, that I, you know, teach and preach are, are just so relevant now.
And it's not giving up on business, it is still business and you will still get to the business conversation, but you've got to remember that it's still is a conversation and that's two way, and it's not just about your questions. It is about what are you also bringing to it, you know? And how do you set up your questions?
That's one of the things over the last year I was at the end of the year, I always reflect on what are some of the nuances that I've noticed from this last year? That, that really make a difference in conversations. And one of the last year was about the, everyone knows to ask questions, right? Everyone knows that how well we do it is another story. But there's a nuance and how you lead into your questions, how you set them up, the context that you give them and how much you can bring in that vulnerability.
And, expertise and how you set up your questions. So for example, you can, instead of just saying, you know, what are your thoughts around this? Or how are you feeling? You know, it's, you know, in talking with so many people in the last week, I'm, I've heard so many stories about blank. And so you're bringing an expertise or letting them know that you understand something, you've got some contacts and then you're letting them join that conversation.
Andy Paul: Yeah. Well, I think that and this place to a whole other thing to do, which is one part of this is that, you know, if you want to- Sell, we hear the conversations about, well, we need to add value to our clients, right? We need to provide value. And so people are always looking for these tangible sources of value that they want to identify that we're giving, but it's really important for people listening to understand is that one of the most important ways you add value to your, your buyer is to make them feel understood.
It's that simple, but you can't make them feel understood if you're not asking the questions. If you're not getting them to, to open up, if you're not being vulnerable yourself. If you're vulnerable, sometimes you have to lead with your own vulnerability in order to get them to be vulnerable, that's fine. But then this value that when the customer starts feeling understood and lets, you know, everyone knows Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs being understood as one of the critical needs that is valuable to the buyer because then now they can trust you.
Nancy Bleeke: Well, and what I find is interesting about that is even the question, how are you feeling? You gotta remember that people have different styles and some people don't want to talk about their feelings. And so it's knowing, you know, do I ask how are you feeling or do I say, what are your thoughts about?
Andy Paul: Right. What's on your mind? What's on your mind? Great question.
Yeah. What's on your mind. But what I'm finding again, that nuance is, sometimes that question can be way too broad. Except that I think now, with what's going on, you can't be too broad because where they take your very open question is what's important to them. But sometimes it's where they take it as what they expect you want to talk to them about.
And so it's giving ourselves permission that if they are like, Oh, I'm sure you're wondering if we've made a decision on this and they take it right away to what they think you're going to be calling for. It's, it's, it's being able to say, let's table that for now, you know.
Andy Paul: Yeah.
Nancy Bleeke: And give them permission to, to, to not have to be like, ah, I know this is important and you're probably wanting this and say, I'm really checking in with you. How are you?
Andy Paul: And this, and this is the point I wanna make. That is so important again, for people listening. Cause we prefaced this whole thing sort of saying, behaviors that you want to exhibit, you know, during this, this period we're going through- and I'm sorry I said that because these are really the behaviors you need to exhibit at all times.
And this is the thing that drives me nuts when I see what's what's happening, you know. LiInkedIn being the first and foremost is, lead with empathy. And you know, everybody's talking about empathy, empathy, and it's like, Yeah, just do it now, but then we're not going to end up empathy later. Right? Cause once we're there, it's like, no, no, no.
This whole emphasis that you exhibit these unusual behaviors that you aren't exhibiting otherwise, just shows you how weak you are otherwise. Because this is the way, regardless of the situation, these questions about this question about what's on your mind, what's new with you, you know, these generals about the other person they're appropriate at all times.
Nancy Bleeke: So empathy, I think is one of those things that, I actually did some research on it these last few weeks, cause it is such, you know, such a. a focus right now and, and looked at that Daniel, I think at Daniel Goldman, in his emotional intelligence, also talks about empathy and that there's different types of empathy. And it's interesting, there's some empathy that is actually going to hurt people. And that is the empathy. Oh, I can't remember which one it is. Where you are physically and emotionally feeling thei pain and those people that are doing that are like, this is really painful for them. Right? They've got to find ways to recharge. They've got to find, they've got to find ways, if they want to keep helping others, they've got to find a way to, to limit some of the emotional feeling for themselves so that they can help more people.
Andy Paul: Yeah, so well, and so Paul Bloom has written a book called Against Empathy, which is a great book and he's not really against empathy per se. But you know, there are three types of empathy that, that people identify emotional empathy, which is the one you talked about, compassionate empathy, I can put myself in your shoes and see the world through your eyes, or cognitive empathy, which is, I think is the most valuable one to have in sales, which is, I understand why you feel the way you do. You see it's one thing to say, I, I, yeah, I can, I can put myself in your shoes, but you may not really understand why they feel that way.
And so I can't help you if I don't understand you, this goes back to this whole understanding piece again. So with cognitive empathy, if, if I understand why you have the feelings you do, I'm in a much better position to help you. And so yeah, people just have this blanket description of empathy. I urge people to read Goldman's book, which is great. Obviously a classic or Paul Blooms book Against Empathy. It talks more about compassion and so on, but his, but the point Bloom makes, and the reason I brought it up is, because when you talk about emotional empathy says, yeah, the problem with this is that people tend to make bad decisions when they're using emotional empathy as the basis.
Nancy Bleeke: And sometimes those decisions are like for right now in the financial world, people wanting to make big financial changes that probably aren't in their best interest. And so if I'm aligning myself, right, so if I'm aligning myself emotionally with them, I might want to be the voice of reason that helps them work through that maybe that's not the right thing and take them down from it. So there's, there's so much danger there, but, but going back to something you said about, you know, what, what can we do to give people value? This is going to sound maybe contrary to what we've been talking about, but I think right now is a great time to offer help to people that they know and care about and potentially get referrals and additional introductions to people that you can help.
So, so one of the things is extending what that value is, you know, because I care about you and what we've been talking about I'm extending, you know, the opportunity, to spend 20 or 30 minutes with someone that you know, and care about who might be having questions about, and then you got to give them one or two things that, you know, you could help someone about.
And, and, but, but it's not self-serving you really are, is a courtesy to them. But for people that are, I always say for people that are the good networkers that are the people that the other people are coming to them all the time for help. They might be stuck right now, too, and not knowing how to help people that they know and care about.
So if you extend an offer- so I have in the last few weeks offered to so many people, Hey, if people are trying to get use to Zoom, I'd be happy to jump on a call and spend 15 or 20 minutes with them to give them some of the things I've learned over all these years. It's a simple thing to offer that has nothing to do with what I do as a sales consultants, but I'm paying it, I just am paying it forward. And to me, I found that the words that are really proud of you, people, you know, and care about because now I am I'm, I'm, I'm extending something of value that maybe take some pressure off of them because they, if they are wanting to help people, you know, that are in their circle.
Andy Paul: I like that. That's I mean, yeah. And I think it's the reason I like it too. It's it's different than saying, Hey, we're offering, you know, 30 days free or something, in some cases that has a lot of value too, if it's targeted appropriately. Yeah. Offering free services, free setup, and so on to help people through this period of time cause I mean, yeah, companies have products and services that can actually help people making this transition to remote work and so on. Yeah. If you can do something you're willing to do, make an offer, do something for free, extend yourself, even if it's a limited term contract, you know, they may cancel and the whole thing's done.
So what? I mean, that's the investment, as you said, and paying it forward, that oftentimes comes back to help you.
Nancy Bleeke: Then someone brought up, cause I had talked to hundreds of people about this in the last week through these webinars and someone said, well, but then what if they just want everything free from me? And I said, well, you gotta be careful about what you give. And if they're asking for more than what you've offered, then the next thing is, you know, I appreciate that there's more, that would be helpful to you. Let's schedule another conversation to talk about what that is and how we might work together, but separate it from that helpful phone call, because if your helpful phone call turns into a sales phone call, there's kind of some disconnect there.
Andy Paul: Yeah. Well I think a, a good line that, I don't know if I want to call it a line cause that makes it sound like a sleazy technique, but good words to use in that exact situation, is, would you be open to having a conversation about
Nancy Bleeke: Okay. Asking it as a question.
Andy Paul: So, yeah, this, yeah. They perhaps are asking for more and you said, well that's yeah, maybe we do that another time. Would you be open to having a conversation about this. And, yeah, it's a, it's a great, a great series of words. I, Oh, what's the guy's name? David Field is a consultant, Connecticut based, I believe, written a couple of really excellent books. And that's a line that, you know, seven words he talks about that convert into meetings is would you be open to having, would you be open to a conversation about, and I think it's very powerful and it's putting the ball in their court.
Nancy Bleeke: Well, I, so I can see that as a question. I also think that sometimes we have to be the leader to set expectations. And so we could preface that question with, you know, I suggest this, would you be open? To having that conversation. And that's one of the other nuances from the last year was that we have to be the leader and always knowing what's the next step or two, so that we can set that expectation so that they're not ever wondering so what's the agenda here. What's the, you know, why, where are you taking me? We always let them know here's where we're going next. So even at the beginning of a conversation with someone that you introduce, you let them know, you know, you let them know that we have this much time and I'm here to answer some questions. Andy had introduced us and you know, at the end of it, if there's something more you want to talk about, then we'll discuss our next steps, but you'll let 'em, you let them know right then. Cause I still do think that people are expecting, if you're offering me something free, it's going to move into a sales.
You know, you're going to take it into a sale. Somehow you're going to try to take advantage of this or, or have me. And so you gotta, if you can take that off the table right away to let them know this, isn't going to turn into a sales call. I'm really here to help you. And then we'll, we'll we'll decide what's the next best step.
Andy Paul: Yeah. Well, and, and to that point, you have to exceedingly clear and consistent is that if you're saying it's not about sales, you can't ever bring it up, right? I mean, it's just, then your integrity just disappears. Because suddenly the words don't match your actions and your ability to build trust disappears in a heartbeat.
So when you have these, and it's such an important point that you bring up as a, if you're gonna, if you're gonna say these things, you gotta, you gotta live up to them.
Nancy Bleeke: You do. Well, and going back to that, that chart of empathy, reliability, knowledge, integrity, vulnerability, that whole, what you say is what you better do. So even for the people that you're saying, you know, I'm, I'm willing to offer this to people you know, and care about, and letting you know, caring through if they've made the introduction, make sure that you're doing your part to deliver something of help there.
And, and that's the whole thing. So through all these last years, everyone's like, we're here for you and all these, everyone's sending out emails right now. Right? Everyone's a lot of emails. So another thing of value. Intangible, but important. I got 29 emails, in 24 hours, two weeks ago.
We're here to help, but, but even when I just got one before we started today, and it was all of this information about what you should know about, you know, COVID-19 or what we're doing.
And then the very last thing was, and we're here to help. And I thought, I wouldn't have it because I'm looking for it. I would have never even read that, but no, not one person called me in those 24 hours. So now I believe is the time to also call people and not hide behind emails and not hide behind mass emails.
It's gotta be, if you're going to email, it's gotta be a very personal something that you can connect to that person. But I think now is the time to be using the telephone.
Andy Paul: Yeah. Or Zoom, but the point, the point being yeah.
Nancy Bleeke: It's a, it's a conversation. Cause that's part of it. Empathy, reliability, all of that is much easier when you can use your tone when you can have your inflection, when you're, when you're having a conversation versus an email exchange where you can't get those things across.
Andy Paul: Yeah. Well, I would say by definition, you cannot make a, you can't have somebody, someone can't feel your empathy through an email. You have to talk to him that this is a human, I mean, hopefully people are listening to, so we're clear on that when we were talking with this conversations earlier and expressing empathy, as we're talking about having a conversation with someone, not hiding behind emails, you talk about.
And that's the thing is that if you want to stay in touch with someone during these days is yes, it should be talking to them. I mean, I think that relying on the email, there's certainly a place you want to define what your, plan is going to be over, you know, period of X months, the be able to stay in touch and provide value to someone.
But if you really want to understand what someone is going, someone's going through, is you got to talk to them.
Nancy Bleeke: Right now people are picking up the phone more than ever. I mean, that is something I've- are you finding that as well?
Andy Paul: Yeah. I mean, I'm seeing some data that's saying that's the case. And I think that, that partly is, everybody's anxious. Just take it as given. Everybody's anxious, anybody that says, yeah, I don't, I don't care about the virus. Yeah. They're lying. Everybody's everybody's anxious, everybody feeling a little bit disconnected and I mean, I think, you know, some companies are doing a great job on Slack and others, you know, keeping everybody roped in and then having group activities and so on.
But people still, they want to talk to people. I mean, I think that's why, I think it's a, I just wrote a blog post about this. I said, you know, the title base of business, no one knows what the new normal is going to be because we have no idea. It's not gonna be this, right. It's not gonna be everybody working from home.
That's unless we just can't get rid of this virus. And then life, as we know, it changes immeasurably in many dimensions and sales would be the least important of those. But it's yeah, it's not going to, they'll be different, but we can't predict what will be,
Nancy Bleeke: But, you know, you go back to Aristotle's writings, the need for human connection doesn't go away. That is a constant through existence.
Andy Paul: I think that one of the things this, this episode with the pandemic illustrates, at least for me, is that, you know, there's a sense of conviction on the part of so many people in sales is, you know, now armed with this technology is that people are different now. And the fact is the human brain doesn't evolve that quickly.
It's not evolving over 10 years. I mean, the way people process information, certainly well, the way people gather information, the way they process doesn't really necessarily change, but you know, we've been imputed these huge changes in the human psyche and human decision making criteria, da da da, just ain't the case.
It doesn't happen that quickly. Doesn't matter what the impact of technology is. Things have changed. We're seeing some changes, but yeah, zoom again, none of the day someone saying what's the risk to me to making this decision. If you can't answer that question, it doesn't matter if there's one stakeholder or 15 stakeholders. Cause you're just amplifying that risk factor by 15.
It's all about people, people it's all about people.
Nancy Bleeke: So it's funny though. Cause even like in making the phone calls, they're like, ah, you know, if people don't answer, then you have to have a really succinct voicemail that again, portrays some kind of understanding about them, whatever. And then let them know I'm going to follow up with an email. So then that's when the email is great. It's a followup to the voicemail so they can easily get in touch with you.
Andy Paul: And which is a such great point. Again, this is not specific to this time-
Nancy Bleeke: No. It's
Andy Paul: always Set those expectations. Yeah. Why, why would you set the expectation for the prospect to leave a voicemail for them to call you back? Because-
Nancy Bleeke: Oh, when they grabbed that number, let me get that number down. Oh, I'm going to read listen. So I get it again and then pick up the right. It's just unrealistic.
Andy Paul: Yeah, I mean set expectations. And so, you know, one behavior you can adopt during this time. And it's one that I teach people all the time is that if you're mailing prospects, emailing prospects is why, why are you sendinanything, an email that doesn't have an attachment or a link to an article, something that just would help educate them perhaps about the decision they have to make, nonspecific to your product. It could be a white paper to something, something that just helps them a little bit, you know, educates them, provides them some value, do that every time. You know, and then if you want to have a spur in terms of, you know, setting expectations for next actions, just say, and this one of my favorites is, you know,
Mr Prospect, the email I was thinking about you this morning, I read this link or attached article. Yeah. There are two things in here. I think we should talk about with Tuesday at nine work for you. You're going to get a response to that. Or if you do that as a video email, even which we haven't talked about specifically yeah.
For using Loom, or VidYard or BombBomb, one of these services is like, that's very powerful. People respond to those, especially in this day and age.
Nancy Bleeke: Yep. I think then the last thing that has to happen, that I see a lot of people skip after that call with very specific, you know, request or call to action, is then saying, and if I don't hear from you, here's what you can expect from me. Right. If I don't hear from you, I'm going to reach out again via email, or I'm going to call you at this time.
So again, they know if I don't do this, they're not going away. Right. They, but then we've got to do that. Like what you talked about earlier, if we say what we're going to, that we're going to do something right, then that's what we have to do. That's gotta be one of our, you know, our prompts that we follow through on that. And it's going to be a phone call or is it going to be an email that. That is, I see that missing a lot in people's emails is then what if they don't do this, then what am I committing to? And that it's our responsibility to do that followup. So, you know, most people still aren't going to, to do whatever action we ask, but then it's, what are we doing next?
And what's our commitment to the number of outreaches that we're going to make. And along the way, continuing to bring them something,
Andy Paul: Yeah. And I, and what's, you're also setting the stage for there is trust building. Cause you're saying, look, I'm making a commitment. I needed to live up to it. And the more you do that, the more you create this feeling of reliability, perception of reliability, which is huge for trust building and making decisions in your favor.
So that, and that goes back to something I like to talk about too, which is, yeah, give yourself reasons to demonstrate your liability, give yourself reasons to demonstrate your credibility and your trustworthiness. Build those in.
Nancy Bleeke: Yeah. Yeah. I think that's great. That's a good way of thinking about it. Is it gives you some accountability.
Andy Paul: and, but you're, you're demonstrating it to the, to the
Nancy Bleeke: Exactly. Yeah, no, I like.
Andy Paul: most people don't. And this is, again, we, I believe your margin of victory in any deal is assume it's 1%. So if you're just the little things, make a huge difference. And I haven't talked about that enough recently, I guess on the show is-
yeah, there's gotta be 1% better. And I, it's not price it's in some dimension. And this was, this was actually, gosh, I think maybe about 10 years ago, at this point, there was a paper in the Harvard Business Review, some paper, professors had done about, what they call tie-breaking selling. And I was talking about, you know, these small little things, you do that to help you win deals that aren't price related.
You know, at the end of the day it's yeah, it is the reliability. It's the credibility it's Oh yeah. Maybe they offered a faster turnaround or may they also gave me another six months of warranty or there's something you do that's not specifically just reducing your list price, but often times it's these intangibles that having to do with service and support and making people feel better about doing business with you, that really are the key things. So, well, good. Well, Nancy, we are running out of time, but it's been fantastic to talk to you, so tell people how they can get in touch with you.
Nancy Bleeke: Well, I mean the easiest way, email me, or call me nancy@salesproinsider.com and, connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm very responsive on LinkedIn to us to start conversations there as well. So, reach out send me, send me an email, even though we're saying call, send me an email. Cause, right now the days are swamped, but I do, I will respond. And if you want to talk about conversations, talk about what you can do during this time, or any time to increase your probability of the success, the successful information exchange that needs to happen for someone to make a decision. I'm your girl.
Andy Paul: Yeah. And that D I'm glad you brought that word up just to serve a Lakota to this whole thing, is that, you know, and think about it in your own sales process when you're out there, people listening to the show is, is that they think, how am I enabling my own success? And, you know, to do that, you can't treat sales as a game of chance.
We're just playing the odds. Right. As what we talked about here today, as Nancy talks about with her emphasis on the conversations her book Conversations That Sell is what can you do to affect the odds of winning each interaction increasing the overall probability of winning the deal. And that's really what you need to be focusing on.
Nancy Bleeke: Well said.
Andy Paul: Alright. With that, we'll sign off Nancy. Great to see you. We'll talk again soon.
Nancy Bleeke: Alright.
Andy Paul: Bye.