Work Your Network

If you're networking with strangers, you're wasting your time. A consultant friend of mine recently complained, "I'm doing 2-3 networking events a week – and I'm worn out." When I asked why she felt networking was important, she replied, "One of my marketing goals is to do at least 1 networking event a week." (I pointed out that she just admitted to doing 2-3 a week – and perhaps doing 1 a week is smart and doing triple that goal is causing some of the fatigue.) But there's much more to the great American business myth of networking.

Myth 1: The more you network, the more effective your networking activities become.

Truth 1: It's much more important to become well-known in 1-2 circles than to spread your networking activities over many different groups. Depth beats breadth every time.

I then asked her how networking was working for her. She said, "I don't think I have gotten a shred of business out of it in the last six months." Her rationale for doing networking: "Everybody knows that you build a business by networking!" Does this make any sense? Or worse, does it sound familiar?

See if this networking scenario has happened to you:

You meet someone for 30 seconds. They mumble something about real estate as you are tuning them out. They ask you what you do, and you say you are in insurance. After 10 seconds of staring blankly at each other, you both head to the celery sticks for lack of anything better to do.

Myth 2: The cocktails and miniature wiener circuit is the way to network to success

Truth 2: Networking with strangers to build business is about as effective as going to a bar to get married. In the words of Dr. Phil, "It simply ain't gonna happen that way."

Here's why you're not going to meet your business soul mate at a networking event:

1) You aren't going to do business with someone after meeting them for a few minutes and getting handed a poorly printed card.

2) Businesses are built on relationships and not "30-second commercials," no matter how effective and intriguing.

3) Most of us have major trouble in explaining what we do, much less getting past that explanation and listening for what prospects need.

4) Networking with strangers is not targeted or specific and in fact is completely random. For some people, networking is exactly as effective as cold calling, which is the least effective marketing tool there is.

So am I saying that networking is a waste of time? Absolutely not. What I'm saying is you need to start networking smarter.

Here are a few thoughts to jog your noggin:

* Network by having coffee or lunch with people one on one. Get to know them and their business. They may become a prospect, alliance partner, or referral source. But aim first and foremost to make them a friend. The rest will follow naturally.

* If you're going to network with strangers, go with the goal of making 2-3 lunch or coffee dates with people you find interesting.

* Ask every happy customer you have (they're all happy, right?) for just one referral of someone who would be interested in your type of goods or services, then call and use their name. ("Hi I'm Fred and Ginger said I should call you. Isn't Ginger great?") You already have one thing in common – Ginger!

* Create a network "hit list" of the exact kind of businesses you want to network with – maybe you sell software and you want to meet IT managers at medium-size companies. Make the list and put it in your little black book or PDA. Focus your networking and outreach activities on only those people – or others who can refer you to those people.

* Join non-business groups and spend time doing non-business activities: Civic, social, religious, recreational, musical, athletic... the list is endless. Establish relationships with people in your group. Perhaps you're a Moose and a realtor. A Moose, as it turns out, wants to by a house from another Moose. If so, you have the Moose Market cornered! Are you into hand-drumming. Guess what? A hand-drummer will want to do business with another hand-drummer. Get it?

* If you do go to a "mixer" go with a targeted goal in mind. For example, your goal might be "to meet three people on my target list and get their card so I can follow up for breakfast, lunch, coffee or badminton." A traditional "networking event" now becomes simply the first phase of your targeted plan for global domination, and not an end in itself.

Here's a final thought to shake up your networking mindset: Network with people who already know you, like you, or have done business with you.

Myth 3: Networking is all about getting more people to know what you do.

Truth 3: Networking is all about getting people that already know you to share opportunities where you can be helpful to each other.

Make 2-3 phone calls a day to connect with people from past jobs, former clients, or influential people who have expressed interest in you in the past.

We all have a "fan base" that we grossly underutilize.

Think about tapping into friends, colleagues, mentors, and family to mine the connections you already have at your fingertips.

So get out there and network – but make it worth your investment of time and energy by networking smart. As your mother always said, "Don't network with strangers."

How To Get Free Publicity For Your Home Based Business

If you are just starting a new business or simply operating one on a budget, there are a lot of ways to get free publicity for your home based business. Not everyone can afford an aggressive marketing or advertising campaign. Lets face it - advertising is expensive. In fact, for many business, advertising is the largest expense that they incur. This is especially true of home based businesses due, in part, because there are not many additional expenses for a business operated in the home.

In order for customers to find you, they must first be made aware that your company exists. One such way to get free publicity for your home based business includes the distribution of a press release. A well-written press release will be one page or less in length. It will offer the basics - who, what, when and where. In order for your press release to gain publication, your business must be noteworthy or be hosting something that is of interest to the public. For example, if you are launching a home based business and would like to share your story, this would make a great press release. If your business is launching a new website, promotion or product line, these would provide for good quality news as well. In order for a press release to be printed, you must include a contact name, address and telephone number at the top of the page. Press releases can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to newspapers, magazines and local trade publications. This is a terrific way to get free publicity for your home based business.

If you are operating a home based business, its likely that you will also have a website. The internet is a gateway to a world of potential customers so, if you haven't already, now is the time to launch a new website. Promoting your spot on the world wide web is an excellent way to get free publicity. If you sell collectibles, then you will want the major search engines to list your site high in the rankings for that keyword. It's important to be ranked well on search engines so that customers may find your website, so make sure that your site is generous in its use of keywords, contains active links and is updated with new content regularly. Search engine rankings are one of the greatest ways to get free publicity for your home based business, especially if that business is primarily web-based.

In addition to the methods above, many webmasters are finding that article marketing can provide a powerhouse of traffic to their website. And, after all, each new visitor is a potential customer. If you are an expert in your business field, write a brief article about it. There are people who may be interested in reading what you have to say, so make sure that your article is informative. At the bottom of the feature, include a brief paragraph with your name, brief biography about you or your business, along with the business name and website address. After submitting this article to one of the many article marketing websites, other webmasters may pick up your content for use on their site. The more distribution your article receives, the more potential you will have for more traffic to your own website.

Just as there are plenty of ways to gain paid advertising, there are many ways to get free publicity for your home based business. Publicity doesn't have to cost a fortune and, for those who are truly creative, it may not even cost a penny

Networking To Find Music Education Jobs

For those most passionate about their music, a job in music education is a natural fit. Far from being a case of "those who can't do, teach", those who take music education jobs are talented not only as artists but as teachers who want to pass their love of music on to another generation, to ensure that there is always music in the world.

Once upon a time, a degree in music education was seen as a 'fallback option'- the job that would always be there if a performing or production career didn't work out. That time is long gone now as states have cut funding for enrichment education across the country. While the job outlook for music teachers is still good, the Occupational Outlook Handbook says that jobs for musicians and teachers will grow at about average or a little faster than average rates through 2014 - school departments, private institutions and universities have the luxury of being able to be choosy about whom they hire to fill music education jobs.

One of the best ways to hear about music education jobs and openings is to establish a network of contact within the music education community. While basic networking is good, there are ways to network more effectively to concentrate your focus on finding and improving your chances of being hired for music education jobs.

Network locally.

Lucky you, you actually have three different sources of local networking that can help you narrow your job search focus. As an educator, get involved in local organizations for teachers and get your name out there. If you've made contacts while interning and practice-teaching, keep up with them, and ask their advice and guidance in your career path. By all means, let them and others know that you're looking for a job in music education. Other teachers are often the first to know that one of their own is leaving.

School department contacts are invaluable.

In most cities, the school department must post vacancies internally before advertising them to the general public. Those vacancies are often posted on a bulletin board in each school within the district. Let teacher friends and contacts know that you're looking and ask them to keep an eye out for you. Knowing that a vacancy is posted internally can give you a leg up on the competition and cue you to submit your resume and cover letter for music education jobs before they're advertised.

Network online.

Join national and local music teachers associations online, particularly those that hold regular events, symposiums and have a discussion board. Many of them post job openings for members, and more than a few allow members to post job leads and requests for job leads on their boards. Some organizations that you might consider joining include:

Technology Institute for Music Educators (http://www.ti-me.org/)

Music Teachers National Association (http://www.mtna.org)

Teachers.net Chat boards (http://teachers.net/mentors/music/)

The National Association for Music Education (http://www.menc.org/)

Keep in mind that in networking, you get out what you put in. Don't just join a group and start soliciting for music education jobs. Look for what you can offer - the more you become involved the more visible you'll become and the more willing others will be to recommend jobs to you

The JV Cassanova

Joint ventures are the key to financial happiness on the internet, and I do believe that they are related to dating - they follow the same structure.

Now most people date a few people and then settle down with one person, or into bachelorhood where they "have to do everything all by themselves"; most people find the dating process extremely difficult and nerve racking.

Which is why they'd rather sit at home, even if they really want to "meet someone special".

Now internet joint ventures are a lot like that.

And the success rate either way, be that in the one time happy hit Casanova stakes or to find long term happiness in mutual relationships, depends on whether the 1st principle of Speed Seduction is known, and observed.

Speed seduction, and especially for beginners and before they become so good at seduction that ANYONE AT ALL becomes an easy mark, relies on making MANY approaches RAPIDLY.

So as opposed to sitting around in a bar and WAITING all night for the right moment or an opportunity to go after a single target, a beginner speed seducer will simply blanket bomb - try one, get a response, try the next.

That way the stakes are significantly shifted in the favour of the young speed seducer; with three approaches the chances of ANY FORM of success are significantly lower than with 30, or 300.

Now in seduction, you don't go up to some person and just blurt out, "Do you wanna sleep with me ...?"

But even if you did, and did it 300 times on the trot with 300 different people, you WOULD ACTUALLY get many different responses and SOME responses that would OPEN THE DOOR TO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS.

And here's where the process of learning how to become a REAL LIF Cassanova starts, this is the ground point zero of seduction skills.

With that many approaches, you can't help but start to LEARN SOMETHING - what works and what doesn't, what is culturally unacceptable and leads to you being beaten, what OPENS DOORS even a tiny little bit.

Another thing.

Imagine you've spent a WHOLE NIGHT courting just one individual - only to find that they are actually not what you had hoped for, or not really your cup of tea.

What happens in relationships of the romantic kind is that when a SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT of time and attention has been paid, people have the unfortunate habit of not cutting their losses QUICKLY and continuing on in the hope that it'll sort itself out or magically get better somehow.

And so a pointless, doomed relationship that will never get anywhere just DRAGS ON.

Joint ventures between marketing sharks on the internet may SOUND all scientific and bottom line, but actually, they're not.

They happen when there's a CLICK between the potential partners involved; when there's recognition, common ground, the mysterious "something" that makes people WANT to interact.

And when you're proposing a joint venture to anyone, that's what needs to happen just as surely as it needs to happen as you step up to a prospective date with a smile on your face.

So here's the trick and the lesson.

Go to the meeting places where your prospective dates are likely to gather - marketing groups, for example; or just pick them up from what you can see around and who's successful and who you want to work with.

Don't "set your heart on THE one", because we really don't want to get into wrongfully translating our meaningful marriage vows to our business behaviours.

Think as a junior JV Cassanova would, and behave accordingly - get up, introduce yourself, see what response you get, and then MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

Don't make one overcautious, over-thought-out, mirror-rehearsed, trembling proposal in a whole long month - make 50! 500! Easy, quick, light, friendly enquiries, that's all that is required.

Try it on EVERYONE!

The world is FULL of people to JV with :-) and the bigger the sample you go for, the greater the opportunities become.

Also, and every real Cassanova knows this, there are other pay offs.

So what if you don't get to have an orgy immediately?

A nice smile, a dinner invitation, a contact made that can be expanded on later is FINE.

That translates to a link exchange or just a pleasant awareness that the other even exists and upon which you can build later on if you want to.

The more you do this, the more you learn.

The more you learn, the more you understand what you have to present, what you have to say or do to "get the foot in the door" and make a contact.

The more approaches you make, the higher your chances of finding "perfect fit" JV partners EVERYWHERE.

Just as the scared wannabe lover stands trembling in a world of their own, and right next to them the experienced Cassanova is standing in a world that is OVERFLOWING with possibilites, so it is for JVs on the net.

Get started.

Just ask - lots.

Don't be afraid of rejection - the world is FULL of people.

Simply say, "NEXT!" and build your experience.

And that's the way to really become a true JV Cassanova in due course.

Cheers!
Silvia Hartmann

Consumer Psychology in the Industrial and Manufacturing Equipment Marketplace

People like a "special" price or exclusive offer directed only to them. Most Industrial and Manufacturing equipment buyers are seeking to be told that they are special.

Through a great deal of trial and error writing advertisements for Industrial and Manufacturing Equipment classifieds, I have learned to employ this technique to each and every classified and auction description I create.
Most successful online auction and classified listings are based on the element of exclusivity. First and foremost I almost always use a "special deal" offered only thought the channel I am using to market my equipment. It is important to stress that No outsider can participate and that the offer is only available if the buyer responds to the specific equipment listing where the savings or price point is offered.

Keeping with the same theme "FREE" is becoming an over used term on the web. While offering free shipping, free equipment installation or free support can be a useful technique in driving sales, it's important not to over use the term. If you choose to use a "Free" offer of some kind it's important to stress to you potential buyer why receiving the free service or ancillary product is so beneficial.

Remember that selling Industrial Equipment online is no different than selling any other product. Those of us that endeavor to sell not only the highest quality products, but to understand the buying habits as well as the psychology of our consumers, will succeed where others fail.

Network Monitoring for Serious eCommerce

In the real world, businesses come in every size, from self-employed entrepreneurs like me to mega malls like Wal-Mart.

On the Internet, companies come in every size, too, from a stand-alone ebook sales page with webmaster and owner all in one, to 300 pound gorilla like Amazon, with over a million pages, who requires the entire population of a small country to serve as webmaster.

If your site is a single page, it is its own network. But if your site is any bigger, and you have plans to grow, it is a network or is fast becoming one. You need network monitoring.

Most ecommerce webmasters are at least somewhat familiar with website monitoring. Many use a website monitoring service or software to keep track of "uptime" and "downtime".

At your local shopping mall, serious business requires more than just knowing when the front doors are open and when they are closed. Serious ecommerce needs to know more than just when the site is accessible. That is what network monitoring is all about.

What Network Monitoring Monitors

Chances are, your e-business owns one of the following, or uses one of the following remotely:

DNS servers: These are used to translate your site name, like www.URL.com, to the numbers called "IP addresses" that computers understand. If DNS servers are not working properly, end-users will not be able to find your site and will get an error. Usually only an external or remote monitoring service will detect such a problem.

An FTP server: File Transfer Protocol servers are used to help you
exchange files with remote users. If you use FTP, a monitoring
service can make sure it is always up and running.

POP3 and SMTP servers: These are used for exchanging emails. If you are using email, chances are you are using SMTP and POP3. If your SMTP server is down, everyone who sends you email will receive an error, stating that your mail server is down and cannot accept incoming email. To say that the impression this leaves your customers is bad would be an understatement. If your POP3 server is down, you will be unable to retrieve email from your mailbox. Once again, only external monitoring will prevent such a problem.

Firewalls: Many businesses use firewalls to protect their internal network from un-authorized traffic, such as spyware, viruses and sabotage by competitors. Furthermore, a firewall is your first line of defense. If your firewall goes down, your whole network may actually become inaccessible from outside. In other words, if you host your own web site and mail servers, those will become
inaccessible to the outside world if your firewall goes down. Once again, remote network monitoring is required to detect that a problem exists and quickly get it repaired.

Internet connections: Users come to your network from multiple backbones, depending on the company they use to connect to the Internet and their location. It is important to insure that your connection performs well for each user. A remote monitoring service can ping your networks from multiple locations around the world, thus testing most major routes to your web server or network. Before hiring a network monitoring service, check to see that they have both your customer geography and the Internet backbone layout covered.

Very few websites of any size and functionality are anything less than a complete network, and many networks rely on servers in different parts of the world.

A good network monitoring service can ensure, as a base, that all servers are properly functioning, that data can be sent to and received from each server, and that each function sharing the server responds as required. An advanced network monitoring service can even remotely monitor the temperature of your servers.

What you need to monitor depends on how extensive your network is. A network monitoring expert can help you determine what needs monitoring. If you own the servers, or are remotely hosted on dedicated servers, you most likely need everything monitored. If your site is hosted on shared servers, you might need fewer functions monitored

5 Tips to Get More Results from Your Marketing Materials

The moment I decided to specialize as a direct response copywriter (which means you get a response directly from the marketing materials, there's no middle person involved, like a sales rep) I knew there would be one thing that would determine if I would be eating steak or eating mac and cheese.

And what's the one thing? The results I got for my clients.

Therefore, improving results became a pretty big focus of mine. You might even call it a passion. (Some people who aren't nearly as nice have called it in an obsession.)

Regardless, here are 5 tips that can help you improve the conversions of your marketing materials.

1. Know who you're talking to. If I hear anyone say "women are my potential customers" or "anyone with skin is my target market" (yes, that really was a direct quote from someone who sold Mary Kay or Arbonne or something like that) I will send my border collies (all 3 of them) to your house and force you to play fetch with them until your arm falls off. Seriously, the quickest way you can end up with the most dismal results imaginable is to try and talk to everyone. Come up with a specific customer -- the more specific the better -- and make sure your marketing materials speak directly to that customer.

2. Make sure you write benefits, not features. This one is probably the hardest one to "get" but also one of the most critical. People buy benefits, not features, so if you only talk about features you're just asking for people not to buy what you're selling.

So what is the difference between features and benefits? Features are a description of a product -- for instance, if we're talking about a diet pill, a feature would that the product is a pill. A benefit would be the solution the product provides -- in this case, losing weight.

As much as you possibly can, write about why someone should buy your product. No one buys diet pills because they like taking pills, they buy them to lose weight. Think of the solution your product or service provides and write about that.

3. Work on that headline. David Ogilvy, famous ad man and author of Confessions of an Advertising Man, has said that people make the decision to read your marketing materials based your headline.

Your headline should: a. speak to your potential customers, b. contain a benefit, c. be so compelling your target market is compelled to read further. That's a lot to ask for from basically a handful of words. So don't rush the process -- take as much time as you need to create the very best headline for your particular piece.

4. Don't forget the call to action. You've got to tell people what to do next. If you don't tell them what you want them to do, chances are they won't do anything.

Don't assume your potential customers know what you want them to do. They don't. They can't read your mind. Nor do they want to. They're busy people. They don't have the time or the energy to figure things out. Tell them what to do next, or don't be surprised when they don't do anything.

5. Use P.S.'s or captions. Postscripts (P.S.) are the second most read item in a sales piece. What's the third? Captions. (The copy under photos, diagrams or other illustrations.) Now that you know that, think of the ways you can use either or both of those items in your pieces. Maybe you put a special offer in there or you highlight a particularly compelling benefit. Or you tell them again what you want their next step to be. Whatever you do, don't waste that space.

If you even do just one of these tips, you should start seeing better results. Work on all five and you might be amazed at how much your results improve.

Data Entry, WorkFromHome4Dollars June's Pick of the Month!

Do you want to make some extra income and thought perhaps Home Based Data Entry might be right for you? Well, if you have you will want to read this article, because we have made our selection for the June Pick of the month. Can I really make money doing paid surveys online?

Yes you can and this month I am picking the one Data Entry Company that I believe is for beginners and experts.

If you are comfortable using a computer then Data Entry Jobs may be for you. Often there are misconceptions with Data Entry programs. One is that you will be typing endlessly to earn nothing. The truth is though that data entry is an easy work at home job. If you can type at a good speed and be accurate then this will help you be successful. Of course today with the tools available like spell check, grammar check etc, it makes it a lot easier.

Many of the Data Entry programs out there are labeled as Scams. Some deserve this label in my opinion. The misconception that data entry jobs are scams is probably due to the "too good to be true" adverts with promises of overnight riches working from home.

Some people will join a Data Entry program and think that the money will start flowing in. If it doesn't then they call the program a failure. You won't get something for nothing. There are legitimate data entry work programs available, but you will have to do Data Entry to get paid.

Data entry is one of the more popular home-based business opportunities as it is very low-cost to get started. The potential income from Data Entry Businesses is great. There are many small and large companies that outsource data entry. Many people are making $1000 - $3000 a month additional income. <




My June Data Entry Pick has many opportunities and a money back guarantee, which is very important to me. I want the people that frequent my site to feel comfortable that they will have the support, guidance and ability to earn a nice income from home. It is important that the Data Entry program that we offer have the tutorials or guidance to help folks that have not done Data Entry from home before. That is what separates many of the programs that I reviewed. Some have great offers, but no support. It is important for all people using a program to have the support, guidance and opportunities necessary to be successful.

I have offered this company to my users for some time on my Work From Home site and not received one negative complaint to date. I have corresponded with them on numerous occasions and always found them to be very helpful and supportive.

Please visit my web page below to see what is in my opinion one of the best Data Entry Programs on the web. I have a separate Data Entry page on my WorkFromHome4dollars website, whereby I offer a select few companies, but I have picked only one as the winner for June 2007.

Know Your product before You Sell It

Product knowledge is by far the most important key ingredient to posses when it comes to selling your product.

Before you sell your product, make sure you know it inside and out, you wouldn't want to be caught without an answer if your prospect had a specific question.

Think about it, if you were interested in buying a product from someone and they couldn't answer your simplest of questions about the product, how much faith would you have in it? Probably none.

Here are a few tips on how to get to know your product better:

1. Brochures and Literature

Obtain as much written information as you possibly can on your product. Read up on the features and benefits your product offers until you know them by heart. Keep reading until you can roll every detail off the tip of your tongue including any fee's associated with the product.

Also, keep your brochures handy, open them up in front of your customer and go over the details of your product step by step. Customers love visuals.

2. Roll Play

Role playing is a fun way to get to know your products. You will need two of your associates to help you out with this.

You play the salesman, have one of your co-workers play the customer, and have one of your co-worker's critiquing you.

Have your co-worker playing the customer ask as many questions about the product as he can possibly think of. When you are finished, go over the sales session with the person that critiqued you.<


Also, take turns playing each character, playing the customer can give you a great perspective on their point of view. Think about it, how often are you the customer when it comes to buying your companies products? Never.

3. Use the Product

This is perhaps the best way to get to know a product. To actually own, have, and use the product, not only gives you the ability to know it inside and out, you will also be able to tell your customer that you have and use the product, and how wonderful you think it is. This will tell the customer how much you believe in the product and that you have confidence in it.

One of the worst mistakes a sales person can possibly make is to be unprepared.

Take a few minutes out of every day to get to know your products better. Make learning about them fun with the role playing, and concentrate most on the products you know least about.

Remember, the more you know about your product, the easier it will be to sell. Good luck.

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

Paper and Printing: The Link

When you say printing, the first thing that will come to your mind is paper. This is because paper is the most used material for printing. Another reason is that prints are very good when done on paper.

There are several types of paper available in the market these days. They come in different weights, sizes and thickness.

Inkjet paper, for one, is good for external communications that give emphasis on the aesthetic side of paper. It is made especially for inkjet printers.

Another type is the laser paper. This type maximizes the quality of print and color applications.

Carbon paper, on the other hand, is a carbon-coated paper designed for typewriter and handwriting.

We also have photo papers. These papers are coated in glossy or mat finish to create high-quality images. They are fast drying, smear-resistant and do not easily fade.

Paper industry also manufactures what is called as the executive paper. They come in wove, laid, contour and with or without watermark.

Recycled paper is made of 100% recycled material. Recycling paper does not entail the usual tedious process of making paper. Aside from that, this process does not harm the environment.

Colored paper is also another type. To add visual impact to the material, colors are added. These colors come in a great variety to blend every concept and design.

When it comes to laser application and other copying purposes, copier paper will come to the rescue. This paper runs well with the machine. However, this may not be good for aesthetic purposes.

Finally, we have the multi-purpose paper. It can be used for laser and inkjet printers. Also, it can be used for mono or colour copiers even as paper fax machines.

With the demands of the complex world, we have to finish every thing in our deadliest deadline or perhaps earlier than that. We also have to cope with our business as well as our personal needs. We have to be ready with our papers. We can lose too much without papers around.

Need MLM Training? Get A Coach!

Many people are still saddled with antiquated MLM training and ideas of how the old multilevel companies were run in the 60's and 70's. Remember that we are already in the new millennium, people.

And the trainings in MLM that we have today had already grown pass those times.

Some of the more successful marketers have the fortune to have undergone the proper MLM training to make them more profitable than others. What is the one secret they have learned in MLM training?

The secret is choosing a team with an experienced coach who will teach, guide and motivate you towards success.

Of course there are other factors to consider such as the financial backing of the company, timing, the compensation plan and marketing a consumable product. But if you are not properly trained and motivated during those early months you are almost doomed to failure.

But think about it. Every professional businessperson or athlete has a coach to aid in the training. Why should it be different in MLM marketing?

In MLM marketing, you can start your business for less than $500 and literally choose the coach or leader who will be training you. Of course this will involve doing a little background check on the team leader you choose to work with. But in the end, it will be a time worth spending.

Here are a few pointers that will help you when seeking out the "correct coach" who will assist you in your MLM training.

1. Make sure that he or she has a proven track record.

A gifted leader will also prove his or her worth in the results produced. Generally speaking, you will not rise higher than your leader, so know how high you want to reach and find a coach who can get you there.




2. Go with someone who has been training in MLM for many years.

You want a leader who will be like the northern star; bright and steady. Those who are
successful network marketers are people who stay for the long haul. Many people give up too quickly and never reap the harvest.

Choose a leader who has experienced some bumps in MLM and can now be selective in choosing a company that is most likely to remain out of the MLM graveyard.

3. Find someone who knows how to market.

Network marketing is just that: marketing through networking. An essential part of the equation therefore is the effective marketing of your business.

Marketing can eat up a small budget very quickly. Therefore, you must learn from the MLM training works from what does not work so that you can use your advertising dollars most effectively.

The name of the game is maximum returns for your money. Leverage is the whole idea behind network marketing. This translates into small effort and great gain.

Find someone who can train you on how to use MLM tools such as teleconferencing, voicemail, direct mail, the Internet and broadcast media. This is a business so you have to treat it like one.

4. Find someone who continuously studies the industry.

Anyone who claims to be a professional will subscribe to magazines in his area of expertise, attend seminars to keep abreast of what's happening and keep his MLM training pulse on the industry.

Choose wisely. The right opportunity and company may be the vehicle to your success but an effective MLM training coach is like gas in your tank.

Selling

So finally the time has come to sell the business. After investing years of your time and uncounted thousands of dollars, it has become successful, providing for your needs and wants, and it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Where do you start?

A good time to start thinking about selling a business is right after startup, when it shows signs of beginning to succeed and become self-sustaining. Even if you are planning on bequeathing it to your progeny or a partner, it's never too early to think about what will happen afterwards.

The first step is to take your time--selling a business is a complex process and you will only do it once. Confidentiality is a necessity at this point, as word of an impending sale can cause repercussions among employees and business partners (suppliers, customers, etc.) alike.

Your position in the business is also a point to consider. If you are the sole proprietor, the decision is yours alone. However, if you are a partner or board member, selling your part of the business will involve more considerations.

Finding a good broker is worth any amount of time needed to locate one you are comfortable with. Check the Better Business Bureau for any investigation history, and get referrals from fellow business owners or from industry associations like the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). This is a non-profit "trade association of business brokers providing education, conferences, professional designations and networking opportunities" (IBBA), as well as professional certifications and boasts over 1300 members.

Next, a professional appraiser should be consulted, as just like selling a home, a professional appraisal will give a fair value to begin negotiations with. Keep in mind though, an appraisal is an estimate of the fair value of a business' hard assets, and the market value of the business may be higher or lower, as a business is only worth what someone else is willing to pay. <




Determining major terms and price are issues that you are going to have to work out with your broker, but a few basic factors come into play: what do you want to get out of the sale? Continuing salary? Lump sum? Stock options? This is a step often overlooked until late in the negotiations, often to the detriment of the seller.

Financing the sale is usually about 90% left to the seller. If you can't or won't be willing to cover the costs of the sale, it may not be a good time to sell.

Once you and your broker have located a buyer and agreed on a price, a Letter of Intent is drafted. This letter outlines the terms and tentative price in a non-binding document and allows the buyer time to thoroughly investigate the business. This process is subject to Due Diligence, as the onus of discovery is placed upon the buyer and buyer's agent.

After the discovery process is completed to both parties' satisfaction, the Purchase Agreement is drafted. This set of paperwork creates a formal agreement between buyer and seller regarding purchase price, terms, and other legal details. Once the respective lawyers have finalized the details and complied with state law requirements regarding the sale, the Purchase Agreement is signed, closing documents finalized, and the sale is complete. If everything has gone well, it's time to breathe a sigh of relief and start planning what to do with all that free time!

Getting Your Craft Show Business Off The Ground

For years, family, friends and even people who you just meet, have really liked the crafts you produce. They are the centerpiece for conversation at holiday dinners, or the, "that's a great idea" thing when neighbors come over for a coffee. So, you've decided that you might be able to make a profit off of selling your crafts to others. Great! Here's what you need to do to make it work!

1.) Have a plan – Even if you just scrawl it down on a piece of loose leaf paper, that will work – but you should definitely go into this with a plan. You will plan for things like: how many craft shows you will attend, the cost to make the craft and how much you should sell it for, craft show expenses (they vary from show to show), how many crafts you want to produce, and so on.

By going into this without a plan, you are essentially going in blindly, without a path to follow. This can be a precursor to failure – and that isn't what we want. Set some goals, determine a few craft show costs and you are going to be much better off.

2.) Search the markets – A lot of people have expressed an interest in your craft, but are they going to buy it at craft shows? In order to find out, you need to go to a few craft shows before you start out on your own and decide if this product you have will sell. Are others selling it? If so, how is it selling?

Further, you can talk to craft store employees, other crafters, people at the craft shows – essentially anyone who might have an interest in your product and see if your craft is something they would buy. This is a slimmed-down version of market research – but it will be valuable to help you get your craft show business off the ground




3.) Present well – If you have put together a plan, done your market research and you are ready to take this crafting business to the next level, then here is something you need to think about – presentation. If you just have a few tables with your crafts strewn about on the table – people will be less likely to buy.

However, if you create an attractive sales area, make your products easily accessible and provide a simple transaction for the customer – they are far more likely to buy!

4.) The price is right – You bet it is! You will have to do a little bit of price discovery when you start, just to see the price when most of your crafts are going to sell. Some tips for finding the best prices are: go a penny lower than the next highest number; for example $9.99 instead of $10. Ask people what they would be willing to pay for it. The question may come as a surprise to them, but chances are they will give you an honest answer.

The above points are just the tip of the iceberg. If you are starting a business to sell your crafts at craft shows, you need to do a little bit of groundwork before you start. Talk to others who are in the business and you will find out more along the way. Good luck!

Marketing Your Online Home Business

Home businesses, like other businesses, aren't successful just because they exist. If you want to work at home, you have to learn about marketing a home based business.

Marketing depends in large part on the type of business you have. Marketing on the internet works for most kinds of home business. Even if you plan the bulk of your business from your local area, a website adds professionalism. When sending emails, make sure you include information about your business in your signature file.

If you own a website or other business on the internet, you need customers. With all the competing websites, how do they find you?

You need to have some good strategies for marketing an online business. One of the most used strategies for marketing a home business is learning to get a high search engine ranking. If you don't rank highly you may have difficulty being found.

There are some key methods for high ranking. Start by keeping everything on your site relevant to the subject. This makes good sense anyway because once the customer has found you, you want him to stick around. Choose a domain name and website title that fit well with your business keywords. Your title should be easy to remember. Links to your website make a difference in search engine rankings, so contact sites that offer information complementing yours and ask for reciprocal links. Be aware that this information can change as search engines redesign their methods for relevant results.

Another strategy for marketing an online business is to use pay-per-click advertising. This can be a fast way to get listed high in the search engines. There are several providers of pay-per-click advertising. It pays to check out a variety to see which suits your needs the best.<




Weblogs are a newer source for marketing an online business. They tend to rank well, and consumers like them. Use your blog to talk about your industry and provide links to your website. Blogs add a lot to your marketing program and can be fun to write.

An often overlooked tool for marketing a home based business is staying in touch with former clients. You can do this through the phone or through email. Email is often the preferred choice because potential clients look at email when they have time and are not interrupted to do it, as they are on the phone. When emailing former clients, let them know you enjoyed working with them and want them to remember you for future projects.

Look for ways to meet potential customers. Go to trade meetings or conventions. For example, if you are selling pet products, attend dog shows and county fairs.

The major ways to for marketing an online business are similar to other businesses. Find customers you can serve and find ways to let them know you exist. After they become clients, serve them well and ask for future business. This is how you keep your business running.

Marketing a home business is essential for success. Use all the marketing strategies at your disposal and watch your traffic grow.

10 Ways To Make More Money In Network Marketing

Network Marketing is an excellent way for the "average Joe or Jane" to make an extra income. This business concept has been around for decades, and it will not disappear any time soon. The reason for its popularity is simple... It Works! It does however, require lots of work and most importantly, dedication and persistance to get the job done. The best part is, once you are able to set up a solid network, your business becomes MUCH less time intensive. Almost like going on "autopilot". The key is to get there as fast as possible.

Here are just a couple of tips I have found to be helpful in maximizing your Network Marketing Business:

1. Use your products regularly. This is Number 1 for a reason, this is the most ignored part of ANY network marketing business. How do you expect your business to succeed if you will not even use your own products? It does seem silly to even have to bring this up, but there are many who are not using their own products, and wonder why they are not making any money. Make a commitment to use your products for a year, and see where your business goes.

2. Educate yourself constantly. This is very important! You must rid yourself of negative ideas, sometimes referred to as "stinkin thinkin". This can be done in a variety of ways. I recommend reading at least 15 minutes a day, but try to shoot for 30. Business and self-help books are a great way to start. Don't forget your Multi-level magazines, as they are full of tips and advice. Lastly, listen to cassette tapes on multi-level tips from top earners in your business.

3. Spend as much time as possible with your upline. Your upline should have only one goal in mind, To Help You Succeed! They are a vast source of knowledge and information. Mingle with top distributors in your group, or other groups, and ask how they made it. Most everyone should be more than happy to provide you with excellent tips and advice.

4. Present your products and marketing plan personally to at least one person daily. Remember above when I said you are going to have to work, well here it is. Now here is the key, the prospects to whom you present your plan, do not have to be yours personally. Show the plan for your downline, and not only will you create "security" by placing members in your downlines' downline, it will also give you a boost in your personal income! I can guarantee if you were to follow this rule for 6 months, you would create a downline with enough width and depth to create an income to sustain you and your family for life.

5. Care for your downline. An entire book can be written on this topic. Usually, it's the little things that show you really care. Try to maintain regular contact, and always praise your distributor's accomplishments. You can even offer incentives for specific achievements, such as money, travel, recognition, or other rewards, to help motivate your group.<




6. Duplicate yourself by making distributors independent of you. This will help to multiply your time, thus making you and your group more effective. Always lead by example. Never stop recruiting, training and retailing. Remember the KISS formula - "Keep It Simple, Sweety" I know, I know, I changed the last word, but it maintains the meaning. This can be done my conducting simple, brief, yet dramatic presentations, and teaching your downline to do the same.

7. Create a large customer base. This is another largely ignored, yet very important, piece of your network marketing business. Many try so hard to build a huge downline, that they forget how much profit they could also make by selling their products to retail customers. Some people will just not want to become part of your downline, no matter how great a product/system you may have. This does not mean they will not be personally interested in your product. Try to make everyone your customer. Once you earn their trust, they will come to you more, and perhaps even join your downline later. Always "leave the door open", as people's needs do change.

8. Focus on your customers needs. You must give customers more than they expect, and always satisfy your customers complaints immediately. Try to listen 80% of the time, and talk only 20%. As stated above, your customers can be a huge source of future referrals and/or business. You must earn and maintain their trust. Once you have their trust, you can always ask for referrals, which leads to even more business and a larger downline.

9. Set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals - and Write Them Down! You may have heard the expression, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Breaking up a larger goal into smaller easily attainable goals, is the key to success. You cannot just jump to the end, you have to make progress everyday. Writing them down is another largely ignored, important tip to help you succeed. A goal is just a "passing thought", or "wish" until you put it in writing. That is when it becomes concrete and real. It is also a great idea to keep a business journal of your daily activities, as it will help you to become more productive and time-conscious.

10. Get Out There And Do It Now! All of the knowledge in the world is useless and unprofitable, until you put the most important ingredient of them all in place. This "secret" ingredient should come as no surprise at all, but this is the #1 reason for failure at anything in life. It is ACTION! Remember, knowledge is useless without action.


Following these steps will almost give you immediate results. Thank you for reading this, and I truly hope this has provided you with valuable information to help you and your business grow and succeed

How To Become A Mortgage Broker And Still Remain Sane

The process of how to become a mortgage broker is not necessarily a difficult one; however, many people get discouraged along the way because they are not aware of the shortcuts that are available to them. If you want to know how to become a mortgage broker and not lose your mind, here are a few simple steps to help guide you along the way.

First of all, you should be aware of the basic process of how to become a mortgage broker. There are certain licensing requirements set forth by the state which require you to pass an exam. Many states also have requirements regarding criminal history that exclude felons and people that have been convicted of crimes of moral turpitude. If you do not have a criminal record, or at least one that prohibits your licensing, and you can pass the exam, you can be a mortgage broker. Where do people get discouraged? During the exam process, it is easy to second guess yourself and your abilities, as the test is not exactly easy.

The biggest mistake people make in trying to become mortgage brokers is studying for and taking the exam on their own. While you may not be able to have someone in there to help with the exam, you can certainly get help in preparing for it. There are several training courses and study classes you can take that will cover the material on the test, answer any questions you have, and provide sample tests. These study courses are invaluable when it comes to preparing for and passing the test.




Another consideration to make is the knowledge and encouragement you can obtain from a mentor. In the same manner that knowing what is on the test can help you pass, knowing what awaits you on the road to being a mortgage broker can help you succeed. There is no reason to travel alone when someone is available to show the way.

On the other hand, you can always do it the hard way. You can order books that are hard to read and seem to complicate things; you can decide to figure things out for yourself and not ask for help when you need it; and you can choose to get discouraged and quit. It is a lot more difficult to be successful when you do things the hard way. However, now that you know the easy way, doesn't it look more inviting?